Richard M. Thorne Explained

Richard Mansergh Thorne (July 25, 1942 – July 12, 2019) was an American physicist and a distinguished professor in the department of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at UCLA. He was known for his contributions to space plasma physics. He was a fellow of the American Geophysical Union.

Thorne graduated from Birmingham University in 1963 with a BS in mathematical physics.^[1] In 1968 he received a PhD in physics from MIT. The astronomer Alar Toomre was his advisor; his thesis was titled On the distribution of interstellar gas in the galaxy.^[2]

In 1968 Thorne joined the department of meteorology at UCLA (now the department of atmospheric and oceanic sciences). In 2000 he was appointed distinguished professor and elected a fellow of the American Geophysical Union.^[3] He retired in 2015.

Selected publications

• Cornwall . John M. . Coroniti . F. V. . Thorne . R. M. . Turbulent loss of ring current protons . Journal of Geophysical Research . 75 . 25 . 1970 . 4699–4709 . 0148-0227 . 10.1029/JA075i025p04699. 1970JGR....75.4699C .
• Lyons . Lawrence R. . Thorne . Richard Mansergh . Kennel . Charles F. . Pitch-angle diffusion of radiation belt electrons within the plasmasphere . Journal of Geophysical Research . 77 . 19 . 1972 . 3455–3474 . 0148-0227 . 10.1029/JA077i019p03455. 1972JGR....77.3455L .
• Thorne . Richard M. . Smith . Edward J. . Burton . Rande K. . Holzer . Robert E. . Plasmaspheric hiss . Journal of Geophysical Research . 78 . 10 . 1973 . 1581–1596 . 0148-0227 . 10.1029/JA078i010p01581. 1973JGR....78.1581T .
• Lyons . Lawrence R. . Thorne . Richard Mansergh . Equilibrium structure of radiation belt electrons . Journal of Geophysical Research . 78 . 13 . 1973 . 2142–2149 . 0148-0227 . 10.1029/JA078i013p02142. 1973JGR....78.2142L .
• Summers . Danny . Thorne . Richard M. . The modified plasma dispersion function . Physics of Fluids B: Plasma Physics . 3 . 8 . 1991 . 1835–1847 . 0899-8221 . 10.1063/1.859653. 1991PhFlB...3.1835S .
• Summers . Danny . Thorne . Richard M. . Xiao . Fuliang . Relativistic theory of wave-particle resonant diffusion with application to electron acceleration in the magnetosphere . Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics . 103 . A9 . 1998 . 20487–20500 . 0148-0227 . 10.1029/98JA01740. 1998JGR...10320487S . free .
• Horne . Richard B. . Thorne . Richard M. . Potential waves for relativistic electron scattering and stochastic acceleration during magnetic storms . Geophysical Research Letters . 25 . 15 . 1998 . 3011–3014 . 0094-8276 . 10.1029/98GL01002. 1998GeoRL..25.3011H . 120434760 . free .
• Abel . Bob . Thorne . Richard M. . Electron scattering loss in Earth's inner magnetosphere: 1. Dominant physical processes . Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics . 103 . A2 . 1998 . 2385–2396 . 0148-0227 . 10.1029/97JA02919. 1998JGR...103.2385A .
• Daglis . Ioannis A. . Thorne . Richard M. . Baumjohann . Wolfgang . Orsini . Stefano . The terrestrial ring current: Origin, formation, and decay . Reviews of Geophysics . 37 . 4 . 1999 . 407–438 . 8755-1209 . 10.1029/1999RG900009. 1999RvGeo..37..407D . 17693120 . free .
• Summers . Danny . Relativistic electron pitch-angle scattering by electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves during geomagnetic storms . Journal of Geophysical Research . 108 . A4 . 1143 . 2003 . 0148-0227 . 10.1029/2002JA009489. 2003JGRA..108.1143S .
• Horne . Richard B. . Timescale for radiation belt electron acceleration by whistler mode chorus waves . Journal of Geophysical Research . 110 . A3 . A03225 . 2005 . 0148-0227 . 10.1029/2004JA010811. 2005JGRA..110.3225H . free .
• Horne. Richard B.. Thorne. Richard M.. Shprits. Yuri Y.. Meredith. Nigel P.. Glauert. Sarah A.. Smith. Andy J.. Kanekal. Shrikanth G.. Baker. Daniel N.. Engebretson. Mark J.. Posch. Jennifer L.. Spasojevic. Maria. Inan. Umran S.. Pickett. Jolene S.. Decreau. Pierrette M. E.. Wave acceleration of electrons in the Van Allen radiationbelts . Nature . 437 . 7056 . 2005 . 227–230 . 0028-0836 . 10.1038/nature03939. 16148927. 2005Natur.437..227H. 1530882.
• Thorne . Richard Mansergh . Radiation belt dynamics: The importance of wave-particle interactions . Geophysical Research Letters . 37 . 22 . 2010 . n/a . 0094-8276 . 10.1029/2010GL044990. 2010GeoRL..3722107T . 117777812 . free .

External links

• Faculty webpage

Notes and References

1. Gilbert . C. . Richard Thorne obituary . American Geophysical Union SPA Section Newsletter . XXVI . 43 . July 15, 2019.
2. Thorne . Richard . On the distribution of interstellar gas in the galaxy. . Massachusetts Institute of Technology . 1968.
3. Web site: Richard M Thorne . American Geophysical Union . 21 July 2019.