James Benford Explained

James Benford
Birth Date:30 January 1941
Birth Place:Mobile, Alabama, U.S.
Fields:Physics
Alma Mater:University of Oklahoma
University of California, San Diego
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James Nelson Benford is an American physicist, High-Power Microwave (HPM) scientist, book author, science-fiction writer, and entrepreneur,[1] best known for introducing novel technological concepts and conjectures related to the exploration of outer space, among these the design of laser-driven sailships,[2] the possible use of co-orbital objects (moon, asteroids) by alien probes to spy on earth,[3] [4] and the appraisal of technical and safety issues associated with the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI).[5] [6] He was born in Mobile, Alabama in 1941, as was his twin brother, science-fiction author Greg Benford.[7] He has two children, the eldest being Dominic Benford, an astrophysicist and the Program Scientist for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.

Education

Benford graduated with a BS in physics from the University of Oklahoma in 1963. He further obtained MS (1966), and Ph.D. (1969) degrees from the University of California at San Diego.[8] [9] He received scholarships from the OU Club of Dallas[10] for undergraduate studies, and the Aerojet General Corporation for graduate studies.[11]

Career

While still a graduate student, Benford published his first research papers in the field of plasma physics.[12] From 1969 to 1996 he worked in the Physics International (PI), (San Leandro, CA), initially as a research physicist, then advancing to executive positions, and founding its HPMi division in 1989,[13] [14] whose accomplishments included developing advanced HPM sources,[15] building a large HPM experimental facility,[16] beginning its HPM product line,[17] and implementing program ORION, an important HPM system built to a design specification which arose within the UK.[18] At PI Benford published research papers on particle beams, fusion, pulsed power and HPM, relativistic magnetron and virtual cathode oscillator (vircator) technology.[19] [20] [21] [22] [23]

In 1996 he founded Microwave Sciences, Inc., (MS, Lafayette, California), where he remains as its president. At MS, his research interests have dealt with HPM systems design, HPM effects testing, and power beaming for space propulsion.[24] Benford is a leader and consultant at Breakthrough Starshot, a research and engineering project aiming to send probes to the nearby stars within the long term.[25] He was a contributor to the Encyclopedia of Applied Physics,[26] in the subject of Intense Particle Beams.[27] He has taught HPM courses worldwide.[28] Videos covering Benford's work can be readily found on the internet.

Membership

He is a member of the American Physical Society.[29] At IEEE he has been a member since 1970, and a Fellow since 1996.[30] He is also an EMP Fellow of the Summa Foundation, University of New Mexico since 1998.[31]

Editorial

With his twin brother Gregory Benford, he was a co-editor of Void, a science fiction fanzine published from 1955 to 1969.[32] He was Guest Editor of the Special Issue on High Power Microwave Generation, IEEE Transactions on Plasma Sciences (vol 20, 1992), and an article reviewer for a number of scientific journals including Physical Review Letters, IEEE Transactions in Plasma Sciences, Journal of Applied Physics, Journal of the British Interplanetary Society and Applied Physics Letters.[33]

Works

Research papers

Benford has published over one hundred research papers in peer-reviewed sources.[34] His most cited research papers[35] are:

Science fiction

His most recent science fiction writings are:

Books

Patents and inventions

Benford has been awarded US invention patents for: Particle beam injection system(1974),[46] and Systems and methods for generating high power, wideband microwave radiation using variable capacitance voltage multiplication (2007).[47] He also invented a number of HPM devices including a Side-Extracted Vircator,[48] a Cavity Vircator.[49] and a High Power Vacuum Horn antenna.[50]

References

  1. Web site: James Benford. 2021-12-30. IEEE.
  2. Web site: Ackerman. Elise. Seven Sci-Fi Scenarios For Interstellar Space Travel That Could Happen In This Century. 2021-12-25. Forbes. en.
  3. Web site: Curtis. Sophie. 2019-10-01. Aliens 'spying on us from asteroids that orbit the Sun in sync with Earth'. 2021-12-25. mirror. en.
  4. Web site: 2019-09-29. Astronomer probes idea of ET 'lurkers' Space EarthSky. 2021-12-26. earthsky.org. en-US.
  5. Kehe. Jason. Romantic or Reckless? The Plan to Message Aliens with Twitter. Wired. en-US. 1059-1028. 2021-12-26.
  6. Web site: Patton. Paul. 2015-02-19. Who Speaks for Earth? The Controversy over Interstellar Messaging. 2021-12-30. Universe Today. en-US.
  7. Web site: Summary Bibliography: James Benford. 2022-01-12. www.isfdb.org.
  8. Benford. J. N.. 1970. Rotation in the Implosion Phase of a Theta Pinch.. Ph.D. dissertation. en. University of California at San Diego. 1.
  9. Benford. James. 1972-03-01. Rotation during the Implosion of a Theta Pinch. The Physics of Fluids. 15. 3. 435–445. 1972PhFl...15..435B. 10.1063/1.1693926. 0031-9171.
  10. Web site: Trap Door. www.fanac.org.
  11. Web site: UCSD Special Fellowships and Regents Fellowships Granted some UCSD students. ucsd.edu.
  12. Benford. James. Lovberg. R. H.. Niblett. G. B. F.. 1968-01-01. Resistive Instabilities in a Low-Energy Theta Pinch. The Physics of Fluids. 11. 1. 218–221. 1968PhFl...11..218B. 10.1063/1.1691757. 0031-9171.
  13. Sze. H.. Smith. R.R.. Benford. J.N.. Harteneck. B.D.. 1992. Phase-locking of strongly coupled relativistic magnetrons. IEEE Transactions on Electromagnetic Compatibility. 34. 3. 235–241. 1992ITElC..34..235S. 10.1109/15.155835. 1558-187X.
  14. Benford. J.. Benford. G.. 2002. Survey of pulse shortening in high-power microwave sources. IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci.. 25. 2.
  15. Book: Swegle. J.A.. Benford. J.N.. 12th International Conference on High-Power Particle Beams. BEAMS'98. Proceedings (Cat. No.98EX103) . High-power microwaves at 25 years: The current state of development . 1998. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/822405. 1. 149–152 vol.1. 10.1109/BEAMS.1998.822405. 0-7803-4287-9. 120376230.
  16. Benford. James N.. Miller. Gabriel. Potter. Seth. Ashby. Steve. Smith. Richard R.. 1995-05-01. High Power Microwave Source Development.. https://web.archive.org/web/20220117012829/https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/citations/ADA294026. live. January 17, 2022. en.
  17. Book: Price. David. Goldman. Edward. Nett. David. Putnam. Sidney. Weidenheimer. Doug. Bloemker. Carl. White. Roger. Wynn. Tony. 1st International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference (IECEC). 2003. DEW Technology at the Titan Corporation. https://www.targetedjustice.com/uploads/1/1/6/3/116323993/titandewcapabilities.pdf. Proceedings of SPIE. 1st International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference (IECEC), OE/LASE '89. en. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. 1061. 1–11. 10.2514/6.2003-5913. 978-1-62410-088-8.
  18. Web site: The High Power Microwave Facility: Orion. https://web.archive.org/web/20220118004555/https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA479040.pdf. live. January 18, 2022. apps.dtic.mil.
  19. Benford. James. Ecker. Bruce. 1971-05-10. Transport of Intense Relativistic Electron Beams in a z Pinch. Physical Review Letters. en. 26. 19. 1160–1163. 1971PhRvL..26.1160B. 10.1103/PhysRevLett.26.1160. 0031-9007.
  20. Benford. James. Sze. H.. Young. T.. Bromley. D.. Proulx. G.. 1985. Variations on the Relativistic Magnetron. IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science. 13. 6. 538–544. 1985ITPS...13..538B. 10.1109/TPS.1985.4316470. 0093-3813. 22500523.
  21. Price. D.. Benford. J.N.. 1998. General scaling of pulse shortening in explosive-emission-driven microwave sources. IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science. 26. 3. 256–262. 1998ITPS...26..256P. 10.1109/27.700752.
  22. Book: Spark, S.N.. IEE Symposium Pulsed Power 2001 . The high power microwave facility: Orion . 2001 . https://digital-library.theiet.org/content/conferences/10.1049/ic_20010142 . en. London, UK. IEE. 2001. 13. 10.1049/ic:20010142.
  23. Benford. James. 1987. High power microwave simulator development. Microwave Journal. 30. 97–106. 1987MiJo...30...97B. 0192-6225.
  24. Web site: Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact (1960-Present Dell) comic books 1996. 2022-01-17. www.mycomicshop.com.
  25. Web site: Breakthrough Initiatives. 2022-01-19. breakthroughinitiatives.org. en.
  26. Book: Encyclopedia of applied physics. 2010. Wiley. George L. Trigg. 978-3-527-60043-4. New York, N.Y.. 516135307.
  27. Book: Major Reference Works. Wiley Online Library. 2003. 9783527268412. Wiley-Vch Verlag Gmbh & Co. Kgaa. en. 10.1002/3527600434. 2021-12-29.
  28. Web site: 2019 Shoemaker Lecture with Dr. James Benford Beyond Center. 2022-01-10. live-asu-beyond-center.ws.asu.edu.
  29. Web site: Members in the Media. 2022-01-10. www.aps.org. en.
  30. Web site: IEEE Fellows Directory - Alphabetical Listing. 2022-01-16. IEEE.
  31. Web site: Summa Foundation - EMP and HPEM FELLOWS. unm.edu.
  32. Web site: VOID. 2022-01-16. fanac.org.
  33. Web site: James Benford - Routledge & CRC Press Author Profile. 2022-01-17. www.routledge.com.
  34. Web site: Microsoft Academic - James Benford. 2021-12-28. academic.microsoft.com. 2021-12-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20211228224044/https://academic.microsoft.com/author/2297585053/. dead.
  35. Web site: Google Scholar. 2022-01-12. scholar.google.es.
  36. Benford. J.. Sze. H.. Woo. W.. Smith. R. R.. Harteneck. B.. 1989-02-20. Phase Locking of Relativistic Magnetrons. Physical Review Letters. 62. 8. 969–971. 1989PhRvL..62..969B. 10.1103/PhysRevLett.62.969. 10040384.
  37. Benford. J.. Benford. G.. 1997-04-01. Survey of pulse shortening in high-power microwave sources. IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science. 25. 2. 311–317. 1997ITPS...25..311B. 10.1109/27.602505. 55624109 . 1939-9375.
  38. Haworth. M.D.. Baca. G.. Benford. J.. Englert. T.. Hackett. K.. Hendricks. K.J.. Henley. D.. LaCour. M.. Lemke. R.W.. Price. D.. Ralph. D.. 1998. Significant pulse-lengthening in a multigigawatt magnetically insulated transmission line oscillator. IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science. 26. 3. 312–319. 1998ITPS...26..312H. 10.1109/27.700759. 1939-9375.
  39. Benford. James. 2008-06-01. Space Applications of High-Power Microwaves. IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science. 36. 3. 569–581. 2008ITPS...36..569B. 10.1109/TPS.2008.923760. 1939-9375. 47137955.
  40. Benford. James. Benford. Gregory. Benford. Dominic. 2010-06-01. Messaging with Cost-Optimized Interstellar Beacons. Astrobiology. 10. 5. 475–490. 0810.3964. 2010AsBio..10..475B. 10.1089/ast.2009.0393. 1531-1074. 20624056. 24833741.
  41. Web site: A Science Critique of Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson. 2022-01-12. www.centauri-dreams.org.
  42. Benford. James N.. Benford. Dominic J.. 2016-07-07. Power Beaming Leakage Radiation as a SETI Observable. The Astrophysical Journal. 825. 2. 101. 1602.05485. 2016ApJ...825..101B. 10.3847/0004-637X/825/2/101. 1538-4357. 118790653 . free .
  43. Book: Bennett. Christopher L.. Analog Science Fiction and Fact, May-June 2018. McCarthy. Wil. Benford. Gregory. 2018-01-01. Dell Magazines. Fred Gambino. 1st. English.
  44. Web site: 2013-08-23. Starship Century: Towards The Grandest Horizon edited by James Benford and Gregory Benford (book review).. 2022-01-12. SFcrowsnest. en-US.
  45. Web site: Society. National Space. 2014-07-06. Book Review: Starship Century - National Space Society. 2022-01-12. en-US.
  46. US. 3831101. Particle beam injection system. 1974-08-20. Benford. James Nelson. Putnam. Sidney Darwin. Stallings. Charles Henry. Physics International Co..
  47. US. 2009224610. Systems and methods for generating high power, wideband microwave radiation using variable capacitance voltage multiplication. 2009-09-10. Fuks. Mikhail. Schamiloglu. Edl. Benford. James. application. General Dynamics Ordnance & Tactical Systems- Canada Inc.., now abandoned.
  48. Sze. H.. Benford. J.. Young. T.. Bromley. D.. Harteneck. B.. 1985. A Radially and Axially Extracted Virtual-Cathode Oscillator (Vircator). IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science. 13. 6. 492–497. 1985ITPS...13..492S. 10.1109/TPS.1985.4316463. 1939-9375. 41071107.
  49. Benford. J.. Price. D.. Sze. H.. Bromley. D.. 1987-03-01. Interaction of a vircator microwave generator with an enclosing resonant cavity. Journal of Applied Physics. 61. 5. 2098–2100. 1987JAP....61.2098B. 10.1063/1.337965. 0021-8979.
  50. Price. D.. Sze. H.. Fittinghoff. D.. Harteneck. B.. Benford. J.. Howard E. Brandt. 1989-07-25. High-Power Vircator Phase-Locking Demonstrations At Physics International. Microwave and Particle Beam Sources and Directed Energy Concepts. SPIE. 1061. 206–221. 10.1117/12.951798. 1989SPIE.1061..206P. 111008656.

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