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SPRING/SUMMER 2000 ARCHIVES Last Updated May 30, 2000 FEATURE: NATIONAL ENGINEERS WEEK 2000
CORPORATE PARTNERS FACULTY/STAFF NEWS
OUTREACH RESEARCH
STUDENTS EARNEST ARCHIVES RETURN TO HOME PAGES College of Engineering and Science Home
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CLEMSON ASTROPHYSICIST'S RESEARCH RANKED
AS SOME OF THE CENTURY'S MOST SIGNIFICANT
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Groundbreaking research by Clemson University astrophysicist Donald D. Clayton has been selected by the American Astronomical Society as one of the most important astrophysics research papers of the 20th century. Clayton's paper on gamma radiation is included in a 1,283-page compendium of what were judged the 53 most important papers to appear in the "The Astrophysical Journal" and "The Astronomical Journal" in the 20th century. These journals are widely considered the most respected and important in astronomy, making the newly released American Astronomical Society Centennial Issue both a historical window into 20th century astronomy and a guide for students in the field. The honor is a stunning one for Clayton, who over the years has helped elevate Clemson's physics and astronomy department to national prominence in the area of nuclear astrophysics. Even so, he called the recognition the highest honor of his long career. "I have many big honors, but they are local in time, here one decade and forgotten the next," said Clayton. "This honor is the judgment of history." The paper "Gamma-Ray Lines from Young Supernova Remnants" -- by Clayton and co-authors Stirling A. Colgate and Gerald J. Fishman of Rice University at the time -- was originally printed in the "Astrophysical Journal" in 1969. Clayton and his fellow authors helped pave the way for a special NASA mission for gamma-ray astronomy. The resulting Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, launched in 1991, uses radioactivity between and around stars as a diagnostic tool for understanding the origins of the chemical elements that are known to us in our solar system. Department chair Peter McNulty said, "This is an extraordinarily great honor -- especially considering all the advances in astronomy in the last 100 years that have so changed our understanding of how things all began. Clayton's work is up there with black holes, supernovae and the Big Bang theory."
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Earnest is published by the College of Engineering and Science at Clemson University for the alumni and friends of the College. Subscriptions are free upon request. Send any comments/questions to:
Ron Grant (email: ron.grant@ces.clemson.edu) |
