About Professor Saffman
(from Caltech's Press Release)
Philip G. Saffman, the Theodore von Kármán Professor of Applied Mathematics and Aeronautics, Emeritus, at the California Institute of Technology, studied vortex instability and the dynamics of arrays of vortices. In particular, he looked into the phenomenon of viscous fingering, which became known as the "Saffman-Taylor Instability." This occurs when a low-viscosity fluid is injected into a higher-viscosity fluid.
His work with vortices also led him to a new mathematical analysis of the wake turbulence caused by jets as they take off, resulting in a theory describing the conditions behind several aircraft accidents.
Saffman was born in Leeds, England, and received his BA, MA, and PhD from the University of Cambridge. In 1964 he accepted Caltech's appointment as a full professor in fluid mechanics within the Division of Engineering and Applied Science. He was named von Kármán Professor in 1995.
He was a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and in 1988 was elected a Fellow to the Royal Society, England's premiere scientific organization. He also received the Otto Laporte Award from the American Physical Society.
Saffman served as associate editor for both the Journal of Fluid Mechanics and Physical Review Letters and was most recently an editorial board member for the journal Studies in Applied Mathematics.
From The Jewish Community Online:
"He spent his retirement years from 2001 quietly with his family until his long final illness. A gentle, soft-spoken man with a dry sense of humour, he kept a low profile and refused to comment on what he did not understand.
He was a first-rate scientist and inspiring teacher with the rare ability to explain complicated results in a simple way which always reached the heart of the matter. "
Saffman is survived by his wife, Ruth; children Louise, Mark, and Emma; and grandchildren Timothy, Gregory, Rae (née Sarah), Jenny, Nadine, Aaron, Miriam, and Alexandra.
More Links about Professor Saffman:
Wikipedia
RIP Phil Saffman (1931-2008) - Blog post by Mason Porter, Oxford
Philip Saffman: Tributes to former Roundhay School maths prodigy
