Henry Winston Newson (November 26, 1909, Lawrence, Kansas – May 14, 1978, Durham, North Carolina)[1] was an American physical chemist and nuclear physicist, known for his research on nuclear resonances and as one of the co-inventors of the control system used in nuclear reactors.[2]

Biography

His parents were the mathematics professors Henry Byron Newson and Mary Frances Winston Newson. Henry Winston Newson graduated in 1931 with a B.Sc. in chemistry from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and in 1934 with a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Chicago.[2] His thesis advisor was William Draper Harkins.[3] Henry Newson married Meta F. Thode in 1934. The couple spent two years from 1934 to 1936 at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory. There he worked as a research fellow assisting Ernest O. Lawrence in constructing the laboratory's cyclotron.[4][5] At the University of Chicago from 1936 to 1941 Newson was an instructor, first in chemistry and subsequently in physics.[2] The Newson's first daughter, Meta Mary,[5] was born in Chicago in August 1941.[6] From 1941 to 1943 Henry Newson was a senior physicist in the University of Chicago's Metallurgical Laboratory (Met Lab), where in December 1942 the first controlled nuclear chain reaction was produced. From 1943 to 1944 he was a section chief at Clinton Laboratories (later renamed Oak Ridge National Laboratory). He was from 1944 to 1945 a technical expert at Hanford Engineering Works and from 1945 to 1946 a group leader at Los Alamos National Laboratory, during the development of the atomic bomb. From 1946 to 1948 he was a chief physicist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.[7] In 1948 the Newsons' second daughter, Caroline, was born, and he became a full professor in the physics department of Duke University.[8]

Newson chaired Duke University's physics department from 1973 to 1975. He was a professor of physics at Duke University and TUNL's director until his death in 1978. His successor as TUNL's director was his former doctoral student, Edward Bilpuch[2] (1927–2012). Newson's doctoral students include John H. Gibbons and Myron L. Good.[3]

Newson was elected in 1960 a Fellow of the American Physical Society.[9] Upon his death the Newson family established the Henry W. Newson Lecture Series Fund at Duke University.[7] The university established a Henry Newson Professorship of Physics (currently held by Haiyan Gao).[10] Henry Newson was survived by his widow, two daughters, and six grandchildren.[1]

Selected publications

  • Newson, Henry W. (1937). "Transmutation Functions at High Bombarding Energies". Physical Review. 51 (8): 620–623. Bibcode:1937PhRv...51..620N. doi:10.1103/PhysRev.51.620.
  • Marshak, Harvey; Newson, Henry W. (1957). "Neutron Resonances in the keV Region: Odd-Intermediate Nuclei". Physical Review. 106 (1): 110–116. Bibcode:1957PhRv..106..110M. doi:10.1103/PhysRev.106.110.
  • Newson, H. W.; Williamson, R. M.; Jones, K. W.; Gibbons, J. H.; Marshak, H. (1957). "Li7(p, n), (p, p′γ), and (p, γ) Reactions near Neutron Threshold". Physical Review. 108 (5): 1294–1300. doi:10.1103/PhysRev.108.1294.
  • Parks, P. B.; Newson, H. W.; Williamson, R. M. (1958). "Method of Canceling Energy Fluctuations of a van de Graaff Ion Beam". Review of Scientific Instruments. 29 (10): 834–839. Bibcode:1958RScI...29..834P. doi:10.1063/1.1716015.
  • Newson, H.W; Block, R.C; Nichols, P.F; Taylor, A.; Furr, A.K; Merzbacher, E. (1959). "s- and p-wave neutron spectroscopy: Part II. Even-even nuclei". Annals of Physics. 8 (2): 211–222. Bibcode:1959AnPhy...8..211N. doi:10.1016/0003-4916(59)90019-3.
  • Bilpuch, E.G; Weston, L.W; Newson, H.W (1960). "Neutron capture cross sections in the keV region: Part I. Methods of measurement and analysis". Annals of Physics. 10 (4): 455–476. Bibcode:1960AnPhy..10..455B. doi:10.1016/0003-4916(60)90117-2.
  • Weston, L.W; Seth, K.K; Bilpuch, E.G; Newson, H.W (1960). "Neutron capture cross sections in the keV region: Part II. Spin-orbit coupling and the optical model". Annals of Physics. 10 (4): 477–489. Bibcode:1960AnPhy..10..477W. doi:10.1016/0003-4916(60)90118-4.
  • Bilpuch, E.G; Seth, K.K; Bowman, C.D; Tabony, R.H; Smith, R.C; Newson, H.W (1961). "s- and p-wave neutron spectroscopy: Part VII. Widths of neutron resonances". Annals of Physics. 14: 387–418. Bibcode:1961AnPhy..14..387B. doi:10.1016/0003-4916(61)90063-X.
  • Newson, Henry W. (1961). "Symmetric and Asymmetric Fission". Physical Review. 122 (4): 1224–1226. Bibcode:1961PhRv..122.1224N. doi:10.1103/PhysRev.122.1224.
  • Bowman, C.D; Bilpuch, E.G; Newson, H.W (1962). "s- and p-wave neutron spectroscopy: Part VIII. Subshell effect on nuclear level spacing nearA = 50". Annals of Physics. 17 (3): 319–378. Bibcode:1962AnPhy..17..319B. doi:10.1016/0003-4916(62)90035-0.
  • Farrell, J.A.; Bilpuch, E.G.; Newson, H.W. (1966). "s- and p-wave neutron spectroscopy: Part XIa. Level spacins in even intermediate elements". Annals of Physics. 37 (3): 367–410. Bibcode:1966AnPhy..37..367F. doi:10.1016/0003-4916(66)90204-1.
  • Keyworth, G.A.; Kyker, G.C.; Bilpuch, E.G.; Newson, H.W. (1966). "A high-resolution study of isobaric analogue resonances in 41K". Nuclear Physics. 89 (3): 590–608. Bibcode:1966NucPh..89..590K. doi:10.1016/0029-5582(66)90934-5.
  • Keyworth, G.A.; Kyker, G.C.; Bilpuch, E.G.; Newson, H.W. (1966). "Fine structure of isobaric analogue resonances in 41K". Physics Letters. 20 (3): 281–284. Bibcode:1966PhL....20..281K. doi:10.1016/0031-9163(66)90365-9.
  • Keyworth, G. A.; Wilhjelm, P.; Kyker, G. C.; Newson, H. W.; Bilpuch, E. G. (1968). "High-Resolution Study of Isobaric Analog Resonances in 23Na". Physical Review. 176 (4): 1302–1310. Bibcode:1968PhRv..176.1302K. doi:10.1103/PhysRev.176.1302.
  • Sellin, David L.; Newson, Henry W.; Bilpuch, Edward G. (1969). "High resolution investigation of resonances in 19F". Annals of Physics. 51 (3): 461–475. Bibcode:1969AnPhy..51..461S. doi:10.1016/0003-4916(69)90138-9.
  • Browne, J.C.; Newson, H.W.; Bilpuch, E.G.; Mitchell, G.E. (1970). "Fine structure of analogue states in 59Cu, 61Cu, 63Cu and 65Cu". Nuclear Physics A. 153 (2): 481–501. Bibcode:1970NuPhA.153..481B. doi:10.1016/0375-9474(70)90787-6.
  • Moses, J.D.; Newson, H.W.; Bilpuch, E.G.; Mitchell, G.E. (1971). "Fine structure of analogue states in 51Mn, 53Mn and 55Mn". Nuclear Physics A. 175 (3): 556–582. Bibcode:1971NuPhA.175..556M. doi:10.1016/0375-9474(71)90450-7.
  • Lindstrom, D.P.; Newson, H.W.; Bilpuch, E.G.; Mitchell, G.E. (1971). "Fine structure of analogue states in 55Co, 57Co and 59Co". Nuclear Physics A. 168 (1): 37–55. Bibcode:1971NuPhA.168...37L. doi:10.1016/0375-9474(71)90650-6.
  • Boyce, J. R.; Hayward, T. D.; Bass, R.; Newson, H. W.; Bilpuch, E. G.; Purser, F. O.; Schmitt, H. W. (1974). "Absolute cross sections for proton-induced fission of the uranium isotopes". Physical Review C. 10 (1): 231–244. Bibcode:1974PhRvC..10..231B. doi:10.1103/PhysRevC.10.231.
  • Newson, H.W.; Bilpuch, E.G.; Purser, F.O.; Boyce, J.R.; Clegg, T.B. (1974). "An operational review of the TUNL Cyclo-Graaff". Nuclear Instruments and Methods. 122: 99–113. Bibcode:1974NucIM.122...99N. doi:10.1016/0029-554X(74)90474-1.
  • Glasgow, D. W.; Purser, F. O.; Hogue, H.; Clement, J. C.; Stelzer, K.; Mack, G.; Boyce, J. R.; Epperson, D. H.; Buccino, S. G.; Lisowski, P. W.; Glendinning, S. G.; Bilpuch, E. G.; Newson, H. W.; Gould, C. R. (1976). "Differential Elastic and Inelastic Scattering of 9- to 15-MeV Neutrons from Carbon". Nuclear Science and Engineering. 61 (4): 521–533. Bibcode:1976NSE....61..521G. doi:10.13182/NSE76-A14488.
  • Hogue, H. H.; Behren, P. L. Von; Epperson, D. H.; Glendinning, S. G.; Lisowski, P. W.; Nelson, C. E.; Newson, H. W.; Purser, F. O.; Tornow, W.; Gould, C. R.; Seagondollar, L. W. (1978). "Differential Elastic and Inelastic Scattering of 7- to 15-MeV Neutrons from Beryllium". Nuclear Science and Engineering. 68 (1): 38–42. Bibcode:1978NSE....68...38H. doi:10.13182/NSE78-A27268.

References

  1. 1 2 "Obituary. Dr. Henry Newson, 68". The New York Times. May 16, 1978.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Henry W. Newson". Department of Physics, Duke University.
  3. 1 2 "Henry Winston Newson". Physics Tree.
  4. ↑ "Henry W. Newson". Atomic Heritage Foundation.
  5. 1 2 "Meta Newson's Interview by S. L. Sanger (March 15, 1986 in Chapel Hill, N.C.)". Voices of the Manhattan Project.
  6. ↑ "Obituary. Meta N. Robb". LancasterOnline. April 28, 2017.
  7. 1 2 Bilpuch, Edward G. (1978). "Henry W. Newson". Physics Today. 31 (8): 65–66. Bibcode:1978PhT....31h..65B. doi:10.1063/1.2995154.
  8. ↑ Cattell, Jaques, ed. (1949). American Men of Science: A Biographical Directory (8th ed.). p. 1817.
  9. ↑ "APS Fellow Archive". American Physical Society. (search on year=1960 and institution=Durham, North Carolina)
  10. ↑ "Haiyan Gao: Henry W. Newson Distinguished Professor of Physics", Scholars @ Duke, Duke University
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