Marshall Rosenbluth

Marshall Nicholas Rosenbluth (5 February 1927 – 28

September 2003) was an American plasma physicist Marshall Rosenbluth
and member of the National Academy of Sciences,[1]
and member of the American Philosophical Society.[2]
In 1997 he was awarded the National Medal of Science
for discoveries in controlled thermonuclear fusion,
contributions to plasma physics, and work in
computational statistical mechanics. He was also a
recipient of the E.O. Lawrence Prize (1964), the Albert
Einstein Award (1967), the James Clerk Maxwell Prize
for Plasma Physics (1976), the Enrico Fermi Award
(1985), and the Hannes Alfvén Prize (2002).

Early life and education

Rosenbluth was born into a Jewish family[3] and Rosenbluth in 1994
graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1942.[4] He Born February 5, 1927
did his undergraduate study at Harvard, graduating in Albany, New York, US
1946 (B.S., Phi Beta Kappa), despite also serving in
Died September 28, 2003 (aged 76)
the U.S. Navy (1944–46) during this period. He San Diego, California, US
received his Ph.D. in 1949 from the University of
Alma mater Harvard University (BS)
Chicago.[5]
University of Chicago (PhD)
Known for Plasma Physics
Career Rosenbluth potentials
Metropolis algorithm
During his first post-doctoral position at Stanford Rosenbluth formula
University (1949–1950), he derived the Rosenbluth Spouse(s) Arianna Rosenbluth
formula, which was the basis of the analysis used by Sara Rosenbluth
Robert Hofstadter in his Nobel prize-winning Awards E.O. Lawrence Prize (1964)
experimental investigation of electron scattering.
Albert Einstein Award (1967)
Hofstadter refers to this in his 1961 Nobel Lecture:
"This behavior can be understood in terms of the James Clerk Maxwell Prize for
theoretical scattering law developed by M. Rosenbluth Plasma Physics (1976)
in 1950". Enrico Fermi Award (1985)
Hannes Alfvén Prize (2002)
In 1950 his doctoral advisor Edward Teller,[6] who is
considered the father of the hydrogen bomb, recruited Scientific career
Rosenbluth to work at Los Alamos.[7] Rosenbluth Fields Physics
maintained this position until 1956. The research he Institutions General Atomics
conducted at Los Alamos led to the development of the UC San Diego
H-bomb. Princeton University
University of Texas at Austin
... Rosenbluth went to the South Pacific to Doctoral Edward Teller
prepare for the first H-bomb test. He had advisor
trouble sleeping, and was pondering the
bomb design when he realised the scientists
had made a calculating error that could result
in a dud. The flaw was remedied by
modifying the detonator, and the bomb
vaporised a mile-wide island with a power
700 times greater than that of the atom bomb
dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.[8]

In 1953, Rosenbluth derived the Metropolis algorithm,[9] based on generating a Markov chain which
sampled fluid configurations according to the Boltzmann distribution. This algorithm was first presented
in the paper "Equation of State Calculations by Fast Computing Machines",[10] coauthored with his wife
Arianna Rosenbluth (who wrote the first computer program to implement the method), Nicholas
Metropolis, Augusta H. Teller and Edward Teller. This now-famous paper was cited in Computing in
Science and Engineering as being among the top 10 algorithms having the "greatest influence on the
development and practice of science and engineering in the 20th century."[11] He and Arianna
subsequently introduced the configurational-bias Monte Carlo method for simulating polymers.[12]

By the late 1950s, Rosenbluth turned his attention to the burgeoning discipline of plasma physics and
quickly laid the foundation for many avenues of research in the field, particularly the theory of plasma
instabilities. Although he continued to work on plasma physics for the remainder of his career, he often
made forays into other fields. For example, around 1980, he and coworkers produced a detailed analysis
of the free electron laser, indicating how its spectral intensity can be optimized.

In 1956, Rosenbluth left Los Alamos to join an atomic energy firm, General Atomics. In 1960, while still
employed with General Atomics he joined the faculty of the University of California at San Diego. Later,
he joined the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey (1967). In 1980, he went to the
University of Texas at Austin. He then went back to University of California at San Diego in 1987. In
1993, he retired from UCSD became the chief scientist of the central team for the International Tokamak
Experimental Reactor, where he worked until 1999.[13][14] He maintained a high productivity rate
throughout his entire career. Indeed, only a few years before his death, Rosenbluth discovered the
existence of residual flows (so-called Rosenbluth-Hinton flows), a key result for understanding turbulence
in tokamaks.[15]

Additional information
Upon his retirement, he took on the responsibility of chief scientist of the Central Team for the
International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) until 1999. Rosenbluth also served as a
member of the JASON Defense Advisory Group.
Rosenbluth was affectionately known as the Pope of Plasma Physics in reference to his deep
understanding of the field.[16]

Personal life
Arianna Rosenbluth was his first wife; they were married in 1951, while he was at Stanford. They had
four children together. They later divorced; he married Sara Rosenbluth (formerly Sara Unger), an artist
and educator in 1980, and they were together until his death.[17][18]

Notes
1. "M. N. Rosenbluth" (http://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/deceased-members/51071.
html). www.nasonline.org. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
2. "APS Member History" (https://search.amphilsoc.org/memhist/search?creator=Marshall+N.+
Rosenbluth&title=&subject=&subdiv=&mem=&year=&year-max=&dead=&keyword=&smode
=advanced). search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
3. "Jewish Physicists" (http://www.jinfo.org/Physicists.html).
4. Larry R. Faulkner; Sue Alexander Greninger (2004-09-24). "In Memoriam - Marshall N.
Rosenbluth" (http://www.utexas.edu/faculty/council/2004-2005/memorials/rosenbluth/rosenbl
uth.html). UT Austin. Retrieved 2007-10-31.
5. G. Segrè and B. Hoerlin, The Pope of Physics, Picador 2016, pp. 268
6. "Rosenbluth, M. N." (https://history.aip.org/phn/11608036.html) history.aip.org. Retrieved
2023-04-28.
7. Teller, Edward, The Work of Many People, Science, New Series, Vol. 121, No. 3139 (Feb.
25, 1955), pp. 267-275, page 271
8. Wright, Pearce (4 October 2003). "Obituary. Marshall Rosenbluth" (https://www.theguardian.
com/news/2003/oct/04/guardianobituaries.highereducation1). The Guardian.
9. J.E. Gubernatis (2005). "Marshall Rosenbluth and the Metropolis Algorithm" (https://zenodo.
org/record/1231899). Physics of Plasmas. 12 (5): 057303. Bibcode:2005PhPl...12e7303G (h
ttps://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2005PhPl...12e7303G). doi:10.1063/1.1887186 (https://doi.
org/10.1063%2F1.1887186).
10. Metropolis, N.; Rosenbluth, A.W.; Rosenbluth, M.N.; Teller, A.H.; Teller, E. (1953). "Equation
of State Calculations by Fast Computing Machines". Journal of Chemical Physics. 21 (6):
1087–1092. Bibcode:1953JChPh..21.1087M (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1953JChP
h..21.1087M). doi:10.1063/1.1699114 (https://doi.org/10.1063%2F1.1699114).
OSTI 4390578 (https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4390578). S2CID 1046577 (https://api.semantics
cholar.org/CorpusID:1046577).
11. I. Beichl and F. Sullivan (2000). "The Metropolis Algorithm" (https://zenodo.org/record/12321
85). Computing in Science and Engineering. 2 (1): 65–69. Bibcode:2000CSE.....2a..65B (htt
ps://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2000CSE.....2a..65B). doi:10.1109/5992.814660 (https://doi.
org/10.1109%2F5992.814660). S2CID 42433198 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:
42433198).
12. Rosenbluth, Marshall N.; Rosenbluth, Arianna W. (1955-02-01). "Monte Carlo Calculation of
the Average Extension of Molecular Chains" (https://doi.org/10.1063%2F1.1741967). The
Journal of Chemical Physics. 23 (2): 356–359. Bibcode:1955JChPh..23..356R (https://ui.ads
abs.harvard.edu/abs/1955JChPh..23..356R). doi:10.1063/1.1741967 (https://doi.org/10.106
3%2F1.1741967). ISSN 0021-9606 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0021-9606).
13. "UTPhysicsHistorySite: Letter from Larry S. Faulkner, President of University of Texas-
Austin" (https://web.archive.org/web/20170812142140/http://server16.websitehostserver.ne
t/~patandme/UTPhysicsHistoryDW/MarshallNRosenbluth.html). 2017-08-12. Archived from
the original (http://server16.websitehostserver.net/~patandme/UTPhysicsHistoryDW/Marshal
lNRosenbluth.html) on 2017-08-12. Retrieved 2024-07-21.
14. Diamond, Patrick H.; Goldberger, Marvin L.; Sagdeev, Roald Z.; Berk, Herbert L. (2004).
"Marshall Nicholas Rosenbluth" (https://pubs.aip.org/physicstoday/article/57/11/81/1016719/
Marshall-Nicholas-Rosenbluth). Physics Today. 57 (11): 81–82.
Bibcode:2004PhT....57k..81D (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2004PhT....57k..81D).
doi:10.1063/1.1839386 (https://doi.org/10.1063%2F1.1839386).
15. Rosenbluth, M. N.; Hinton, F. L. (1998-01-26). "Poloidal Flow Driven by Ion-Temperature-
Gradient Turbulence in Tokamaks" (https://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.80.724).
Physical Review Letters. 80 (4): 724–727. Bibcode:1998PhRvL..80..724R (https://ui.adsabs.
harvard.edu/abs/1998PhRvL..80..724R). doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.80.724 (https://doi.org/1
0.1103%2FPhysRevLett.80.724).
16. Kim A. McDonald, Nuclear Fusion Pioneer At UC San Diego Dies At 76 (http://www.universit
yofcalifornia.edu/news/article/5780) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2011032312042
5/http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/5780) 2011-03-23 at the Wayback
Machine, obituary at the University of California website. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
17. Dyson, Freeman (Jun 2006). "Marshall N. Rosenbluth" (https://www.proquest.com/docview/
220909545). Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society. 150 (2): 403–407.
ProQuest 220909545 (https://www.proquest.com/docview/220909545) – via ProQuest.
18. "UTPhysicsHistorySite" (https://web.archive.org/web/20170812142140/http://server16.websi
tehostserver.net/~patandme/UTPhysicsHistoryDW/MarshallNRosenbluth.html). 2017-08-12.
Archived from the original (http://server16.websitehostserver.net/~patandme/UTPhysicsHist
oryDW/MarshallNRosenbluth.html) on 2017-08-12. Retrieved 2024-07-21.

References
J.W. Van Dam (Ed), From Particles to Plasmas: Lectures Honoring Marshall N. Rosenbluth,
Addison Wesley (1989) ISBN 0-201-15680-6.

External links
1994 Audio Interview with Marshall Rosenbluth by Richard Rhodes (http://manhattanproject
voices.org/oral-histories/marshall-rosenbluths-interview) Voices of the Manhattan Project
University of Texas Memorial Text (http://www.utexas.edu/faculty/council/2004-2005/memori
als/rosenbluth/rosenbluth.html)
Marshall N. Rosenbluth Papers (http://libraries.ucsd.edu/speccoll/findingaids/mss0670.html)
MSS 670. Special Collections & Archives (http://libraries.ucsd.edu/collections/sca/), UC San
Diego Library.
Rosenbluth Award (https://web.archive.org/web/20050407184709/http://web.gat.com/award
s/rosenbluth_award/rosenbluth.html)

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