Brian Arthur Thrush FRS (23 July 1928 – 14 September 2023) was a British physical chemist. He was an Emeritus Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Cambridge and a Life Fellow of Emmanuel College.[1][2]
Brian Thrush | |
|---|---|
| Born | 23 July 1928 Hendon, England |
| Died | 14 September 2023 (aged 95) Cambridge, England |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge |
| Awards |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | |
| Institutions | |
| Notable students | John P. Burrows |
Research
editThrush studied the atom and free radical reactions in the gas phase of spectroscopic methods. He made the first comprehensive examination of the absorption spectra of free radicals in homogeneous explosions using flash photolysis. He discovered the absorption spectra of several free radicals (for example, the azide, cyclopentadienyl and tropyl radicals), and he determined the ionisation potential of the tropyl radical.
Thrush developed a new method of studying hydrogen atom reactions, and determined the rate constants of a series of nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen atom reactions important in combustion and in the upper atmosphere. He was interested in chemiluminescence and produced a series of papers on the formation of electronically excited molecules in transfer or recombination reactions.
Thrush also developed a photochemical method for studying unimolecular reactions of molecules with known energies. He also studied the rotational spectra of free radicals (NH
2, PH
2, PH) using the Zeeman effect to bring them into resonance with a far infrared laser.[1]
Death
editBrian Thrush died in Cambridge on 14 September 2023, at the age of 95.[3]
Awards and honours
editThrush won the Tilden Prize of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 1965.[4] He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1976.[1][5]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Brian Thrush". London: Royal Society. One or more of the preceding sentences may incorporate text from the royalsociety.org website where "all text published under the heading 'Biography' on Fellow profile pages is available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License."
- ^ "Professor Brian Thrush - Fellows - Contact". Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
- ^ "Professor Brian Thrush 1928 – 2023". Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry Website. University of Cambridge. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
- ^ "RSC Tilden Prize Previous Winners". The Royal Society of Chemistry. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
- ^ "EC/1976/35: Thrush, Brian Arthur". The Royal Society. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
Extra reading
edit- Thrush, Brian (Autumn 2010). "Physical chemistry: the early days" (PDF). chem@cam (39): 13. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
- "Professor Brian Thrush celebrates his 90th | Alumni". www.ch.cam.ac.uk.