Theodor V. Ionescu
Encyclopedia
Theodor V. Ionescu, Prof. Dr. Doc. (born February 8, 1899, Dorohoi
, Botoşani County
- d. 6 November 1988, Bucharest
) was a Romania
n physicist and inventor who made remarkable discoveries in plasma physics
, ionosphere physics, ion coupling electrons in dense plasmas, masers, magnetron amplifiers, and Zeeman effect
s related to controlled nuclear fusion
and quantum emission mechanisms in hot plasmas. Member of the Romanian Academy
since December 21, 1935.
Founded in the same year the first Electricity and Magnetism Laboratory, as well as the first Chair of Electricity and Magnetism in the Department of Mathematics and Physics at the University of Bucharest.
that was built subsequently, in 1937-1940, by the British physicist, Sir John Turton Randall, FRSE
together with a team of British coworkers for the British and American, military radar
installations in WWII. At the same time, the Telefunken
Company of Berlin was 'searching' for such a device but has apparently met with much less success than the British inventors or Th. V. Ionescu. (However, the split anode magnetron had first been developed in 1921 by Dr. A.E.Hull at General Electric
Company in USA; also in 1921, Haben, who was working in Germany, developed a similar device that worked on a 3 cm wavelength. A strong competitor of the former inventors was also Dr. H.E.Hollman who registered many patents between 1925 and 1935 that documented devices related to magnetron development).
in cinema and television. In 1946, together with physicist V. Mihu invented and built a device that has obtained the first 'show boosted " type maser
(microwave quantum amplifier), and has thus tested the first precursor of the working maser reported in 1954.
In the early 1970s, together with physicists Dr. Radu Pârvan and J. C. Băianu - one of his Ph.D. research assistants in plasma physics in magnetic fields in the Electricity Department of the Faculty of Physics, Bucharest - Th. V. Ionescu completed experiments on controlled magnetic resonance oscillations in ultra-hot plasmas. Such seminal experiments involved the coupling of ionic and electronic oscillations in ultra-hot plasma involving quantum amplified stimulation processes in the presence of longitudinal magnetic fields which opened novel possibilities for achieving hot nuclear fusion in the future (Achieving nuclear fusion in high pressure hot plasma). The first report of these research results was presented at the French Academy of Science in Paris by Louis Néel, member of the Academy and Nobel Prize in Physics for Magnetism. Additional results were then published in the same year in the internationally renowned magazine C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris.
His successor as Head of Department in 1970 was Florin Ciorăscu, "imported" from the IFA, (who died in 1977 during the major earthquake in Bucharest).
Dorohoi
Dorohoi is a city in the Botoşani County, Romania, on the right bank of the Jijia River, which broadens into a lake on the north.Dorohoi used to be a market for the timber and farm produce of the north Moldavian highlands; merchants from the neighboring states flocked to its great fair, held on...
, Botoşani County
Botosani County
Botoșani is a county of Romania, in Moldavia, with the capital city at Botoșani.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 452,834 and the population density was 91/km2.*Romanians – – the highest percentage of Romanians in Romania...
- d. 6 November 1988, Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
) was a Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n physicist and inventor who made remarkable discoveries in plasma physics
Plasma (physics)
In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
, ionosphere physics, ion coupling electrons in dense plasmas, masers, magnetron amplifiers, and Zeeman effect
Zeeman effect
The Zeeman effect is the splitting of a spectral line into several components in the presence of a static magnetic field. It is analogous to the Stark effect, the splitting of a spectral line into several components in the presence of an electric field...
s related to controlled nuclear fusion
Nuclear fusion
Nuclear fusion is the process by which two or more atomic nuclei join together, or "fuse", to form a single heavier nucleus. This is usually accompanied by the release or absorption of large quantities of energy...
and quantum emission mechanisms in hot plasmas. Member of the Romanian Academy
Romanian Academy
The Romanian Academy is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 acting members who are elected for life....
since December 21, 1935.
Ph.D. studies in plasma physics
He received his Ph.D. in plasma physics first in Paris, and then in Iaşi, Romania. Thus, the history of plasma physics in Romania began in 1923 with the defense of the first PhD thesis in physics at the University of Iaşi by Theodor V. Ionescu, under the guidance of Professor Peter Bogdan. Th. V. Ionescu carried out the first experimental studies in Romania of the physics of ionized gases/plasmas.Scientific achievements and collaborators
In 1925 invented a microphone based on thermoionic currents (currents emitted by heated bodies) and a light projector using the interference phenomenon.Founded in the same year the first Electricity and Magnetism Laboratory, as well as the first Chair of Electricity and Magnetism in the Department of Mathematics and Physics at the University of Bucharest.
The first prototype of a precursor to the magnetron power amplifier
He built in 1934-1935 a precursor to the high-power, multi-cavity magnetronCavity magnetron
The cavity magnetron is a high-powered vacuum tube that generates microwaves using the interaction of a stream of electrons with a magnetic field. The 'resonant' cavity magnetron variant of the earlier magnetron tube was invented by John Randall and Harry Boot in 1940 at the University of...
that was built subsequently, in 1937-1940, by the British physicist, Sir John Turton Randall, FRSE
John Randall (physicist)
Sir John Turton Randall, FRS, FRSE, was a British physicist and biophysicist, credited with radical improvement of the cavity magnetron, an essential component of centimetric wavelength radar, which was one of the keys to the Allied victory in the Second World War. It is also the key component of...
together with a team of British coworkers for the British and American, military radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
installations in WWII. At the same time, the Telefunken
Telefunken
Telefunken is a German radio and television apparatus company, founded in Berlin in 1903, as a joint venture of Siemens & Halske and the Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft...
Company of Berlin was 'searching' for such a device but has apparently met with much less success than the British inventors or Th. V. Ionescu. (However, the split anode magnetron had first been developed in 1921 by Dr. A.E.Hull at General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
Company in USA; also in 1921, Haben, who was working in Germany, developed a similar device that worked on a 3 cm wavelength. A strong competitor of the former inventors was also Dr. H.E.Hollman who registered many patents between 1925 and 1935 that documented devices related to magnetron development).
Patents
In 1936 he obtained a patent for the 3D imagingStereoscopy
Stereoscopy refers to a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by presenting two offset images separately to the left and right eye of the viewer. Both of these 2-D offset images are then combined in the brain to give the perception of 3-D depth...
in cinema and television. In 1946, together with physicist V. Mihu invented and built a device that has obtained the first 'show boosted " type maser
Maser
A maser is a device that produces coherent electromagnetic waves through amplification by stimulated emission. Historically, “maser” derives from the original, upper-case acronym MASER, which stands for "Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation"...
(microwave quantum amplifier), and has thus tested the first precursor of the working maser reported in 1954.
Discoveries
He worked in the early 1960s in the Laboratory of the Bucharest Institute of Plasma Physics together with his childhood friend, Octav Gheorghiu, whom he greatly respected for his exceptional human qualities. They studied systematically the resonant frequencies of molecular oxygen and hydrogen ions. Then, they published their most important experimental results in a series of articles in C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris".(pp. 245, 898, 957, 246, pp. 2250, 3598, 1958, 250, 2182 p. 1960, 252, p. 870, 1961) and Rev Roum. Phys.In the early 1970s, together with physicists Dr. Radu Pârvan and J. C. Băianu - one of his Ph.D. research assistants in plasma physics in magnetic fields in the Electricity Department of the Faculty of Physics, Bucharest - Th. V. Ionescu completed experiments on controlled magnetic resonance oscillations in ultra-hot plasmas. Such seminal experiments involved the coupling of ionic and electronic oscillations in ultra-hot plasma involving quantum amplified stimulation processes in the presence of longitudinal magnetic fields which opened novel possibilities for achieving hot nuclear fusion in the future (Achieving nuclear fusion in high pressure hot plasma). The first report of these research results was presented at the French Academy of Science in Paris by Louis Néel, member of the Academy and Nobel Prize in Physics for Magnetism. Additional results were then published in the same year in the internationally renowned magazine C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris.
His successor as Head of Department in 1970 was Florin Ciorăscu, "imported" from the IFA, (who died in 1977 during the major earthquake in Bucharest).