Thomas M. Antonsen, Jr.
Biography
The influential research accomplishments of Thomas M. Antonsen, Jr., have aided the analysis and understanding of the behavior of plasmas, fluids of charged particles, in a variety of contexts. In magnetically confined fusion plasmas, he pioneered methods of describing plasma instabilities and established the basis for calculating RF-driven currents in toroidal confinement geometries. In the area of short-pulse laser plasma interactions, he elucidated the role of self-focusing and self-modulation for intense pulses. His groundbreaking theoretical work in vacuum electronics led to the understanding of mode competition in free electron lasers and gyrotrons and the development of computational design tools that are used to design microwave devices for communications, radar, and industrial processing.
An IEEE Life Fellow, Antonsen, Jr. is a Distinguished University Professor with the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Physics at the University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
