Professional biography 20 to 60
Professional biography, based on version required by MIT faculty committee on tenure
(Copyrighted)
Henry H. Kolm, Ph D
President, Magplane Technology, Inc. President Micromag Corporation
Innovator, Entrepreneur and Consultant
Senior Scientist (emeritus), MIT National Magnet Lab)
Lecturer (emeritus), MIT Dept of Aeronautics and Astronautics)
Commercial pilot
Career Highlights
Discovered quantized vorticity in Bose-Einstein Condensate (PhD theis 1954)
Designed and founded MIT Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory (1961)
Generated world record pulsed and continuous magnetic fields
Invented pulsed field metal forming technology (Magneform process)
Invented High Gradient Magnetic Separation and Filtration (HGMS or CoMag Separation)
Invented first integrated levitation and propulsion transportation system (MIT Magplane)
Invented "smart linear synchronous motor"
Invented first practical electromagnetic aircraft catapult system
Invented electromagnetic anti-armor coilguns
Invented piezo-powered miniature fans, dot matrix printers, relays and actuators
Invented electromagnetic proofloading system for laminated aircraft skins
Built first niobium-tin superconducting magnet
Invented super-critical helium refrigeration technology
Invented the MIT Alcator fusion reactor (with Montgomery and Coppi)
Founded or co-founded eleven technology companies:
Magnion, Industrial Magnetics ( now Thermatool division of Inductotherm), Piezo Electric Products, Piezo Systems, Magneplane International (now Magplane Technology), Florida Magplane, Sala Magnetics, Micromag Corporation, Electromagnetic Launch Research (now Kaman Electromagnetics), Kolm Associates, Kolm Air Transport.
Consulted extensively to major industry on projects including:
Xerox magnetic brush system for toner carrier transport
IBM high-speed magnetic impulse drive system
Westinghouse advanced pulsed power systems, coilguns
General Electric piezo-driven dot matrix printers, magnetic desulfurization of coal
Borg Warner advanced security systems
Hannah Mining Co taconite beneficiation by High Gradient Separation
J M Huber kaolin purification by High Gradient Magn Separation
Benthos magnetic pingers, phased array transducers, tap-tone can inspection systems, hydrophones
Raymond Engineering deep-drill magnetic orientation systems
Joy Oil Tools magnetic drill sensing jig
Thermatool pulsed field induction welding systems
Raytheon pulsed field weapons systems
Schweitzer paper pulp purification
American Can pulsed magnetic forming
Continental Can pulsed magnetic forming
Convair pulsed magnetic swaging and forming
Boeing pulsed magnetic proofloading of compound skins
Corning glass magnetic separation for glass sand purification, superconducting glass fibers
Siemens maglev systems, superconducting magnet systems
Tobe Deutschman capacitor energy storage systems
Garrett linear synchronous propulsion for air cushion vehicles
Astech pulsed magnetic forming of honeycomb panels
Argonne Natl Lab advanced magnet design, maglev systems
St Joseph Minerals electric furnace failure analysis
Reynolds Metals aluminum potline failure analysis
Compugraphics developed new phototypesetting system
Rotron developed miniature piezo-electric blowers
Accutone developed advanced clinical hearing aids
Consol Controls fast shutter valve for fusion research
Sandia Natl Labs pulsed power generators, pulsed magnet design
Liquid Metronics designed series of pulsed magnetic pumps
Gillette advanced hair drier design
Wiley Publishers consulting editor for series on magnetism
World Book Encyclopedia wrote articles on magnetism and related topics.
Encyclopedia Americana wrote articles on magnetism and related topics
Pergamon Press wrote article on magnetism for Encyclopedia of Physics
Honors:
Sigma Xi honorary research society
Entrepreneur of the Year, 1981, Money Magazine.
(for founding Piezo Elect Products, Inc.)
Peter Mark Medal, Dept of Defense, 1984,
(for outstanding contributions to electromagnetic launch technology)
Engineer of the Year, 1994, New England Section of AIAA (Am Inst Aero -Astronautics)
Engineer of the Year, 1996, Northeast region of AIAA
Listed in Who's Who in America, and several other Who's Whos.
Professional Society Memberships
American Institute of Physics, member
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, associate fellow
Institute of Electric and Electronics Engineers, senior member
program chairman for maglev, electromagn launching, magn separation
Education
Mass Inst of Technology: BS Physics 1950
Mass Inst of Technology: PhD Physics 1955
Skills
fluent in French and German
Commercial pilot license with multi-engine, seaplane and instrument ratings
own and operate Navajo Chieftain (eight passenger executive twin)
Computers: familiar with most common software.
Korean Karate (Tae-kwon-do): first dan black belt (1980)
Military Service 1943-1946:
20th Armored Division, 220th Armored Engineer Battalion Hq : staff sergeant
Corps of Engineers Officer Candidate School; Demolition School, Fort Belvoir
Military Intelligence School, Fort Meade
War Dept Military Intelligence Service (G-2), Pentagon
planned strategic bombing of Germany; interrogated general staff officers;
imported key German engineers, including VonBraun and his rocket team
(Project Paperclip, described in ASpace@ by John Mitchener)
Personal:
Immigrated from Austria via Belgium in 1938-39
married since 1953 to Elizabeth Olmstead Cushing; four daughters, born in:
Margaret 57; Juliet 59; Edna 63; Cornelia 65
built own home in Wayland in 1955
Professional Activities:
1989 pres Magneplane International, Magplane Technology and Florida Magplane: Helped Senator D P Moynihan write $775M US maglev program into 1990 transportation act (ISTEA Act). Led team of ten corporations in performing $2.7M ASystem Concept Definition Study@ for National Maglev Initiative Program, for Dept of Transportation, Corps of Engineers and Dept of Energy, resulting in 2500-page, 10-volume final report. MAGPLANE WAS one of five contestants for Florida High Speed Rail franchise, which was awarded to the French TGV (Florida Overland Express consortium) in 96, but terminated in 98 for non-performance.
1990-present Paramag and Micromag Corporation;
President; developed new generation of high gradient magnetic separators, set up laboratory in Plant City; demonstrated removal of plutonium from Nevada desert soil; initiated effort to raise venture capital to develop superconducting separators for mineral beneficiation, water treatment and environmental remediation.
1985-1989 Kaman Electromagnetics, Inc.
Founder and Chairman of company I sold to Kaman Corporation
Developed electromagnetic aircraft catapult and family of flywheel-disk generators for Navy, coilguns for Army, disk motors for tank and ship propulsion, top-drives for oil rigs, various other power-electronics products; built $5M plant in Hudson, MA, including flywheel test bunkers and prototype aircraft launcher; grew company from 50 to 100 employees; built world-class engineering team.
1981-1985 Electromagnetic Launch Research, Inc.
President and CEO of company formed from group at the MIT National Magnet Lab. Developed pulsed power systems, coilguns, aircraft catapults, etc. Sold company to Kaman Corporation in 85.
1979-1985 Kolm Associates, Inc.
Consulting company which provided innovation services to industry (see consulting list above); spun off three companies: Accutone (clinical hearing analysis devices), Flik Inc. (Stroboscopic lights); Piezo Electric Products, Inc. (Developed and manufactured piezo-electric elements and devices)
1979-1989 Piezo-Electric Products, Inc.
Vice President for Research; Formed laboratory in Cambridge; acquired Gulton plant in Metuchen, NJ, world's largest manufacturer of thin-sheet piezo ceramics; developed line of new piezo products, including miniature oscillating blade fans, dot matrix printers, miniature relays, actuators, micro-positioners, etc.
1974-1981 Sala Magnetics, Inc.
Founder and consultant; developed and built High Gradient Magnetic separators used by the kaolin industry world-wide to purify clay for paper coating; Developed continuous separators for taconite beneficiation; operated pilot plant laboratory to explore other applications; demonstrated water and sewage treatment; developed patent position; developed the first superconducting separators (this technology to be implemented by Paramag Corp.)
1960-1981 Mass Inst of Technology, Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory;
member of founding committee, steering committee, senior scientist; designed new laboratory, supervised construction, formed laboratory team, designed new generation of high field magnets, organized group to develop new applications for high magnetic fields; invented pulsed magnetic field forming technology, pulsed field diecasting, built first niobium tin superconducting magnet, invented supercritical helium refrigeration technology; invented high gradient magnetic separation and filtration technology; spun off Magnion Corp, Sala Magnetics, Inc., Electro Magnetic Research, Inc., Kolm Associates, Inc1955-196
1955-1960 MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Solid State Division
Physicist; developed infra-red sensing technology; performed research on
charge-carriers in solid state materials; work function of metals; developed world-record pulsed magnetic field facililty; raised funds for construction of MIT National Magnet Laboratory, with Francis Bitter
Publications, summarized:
about 60 professional papers
One book edited (with Bitter, Lax, Mills): High Magnetic Fields (Wiley and MIT Press)
about 8 encyclopedia entries (Britannica, Americana, World Book, Pergamon Encyclopedia of Physics;
Three Scientific American Articles: [strong magn fields, magn separation, maglev transport]
One Science Journal article (British equivalent of Scientific American) [monopoles]
[I am particularly proud to have authored four Scientific American articles, because it indicates that I have achieved recognition as a leading scientist in four diverse fields.]
One documentary film (The MIT Magnet Lab), with Jerry Ballantine
One education TV film, winner of Bell award (with S. Dewar)
Four symposia proceedings, organized and edited
High Gradient Magnetic Separation, IEEE London 1975
Magnetic Levitation, IEEE Toronto 1974, London 1975
EM Launch Technology, IEEE Boston 1983
About 60 US patents and foreign counterpart patents
List of main publications:
New method for measuring the absolute viscosity of liquid Helium II (superfluid)
H.H.Kolm and M.A.Herlin, Phys. Rev. 102, 607 (1956).
Rotating electrometer for comparative work function measurements,
H H Kolm, Rev. Sci. Instr. 27, 1046 (1956)
Long-time work function changes induced by light and electrostatic fields,
G W Pratt and H H Kolm, Semiconductor Surface Physics, Wiley. 1957
Coils for the production of high intensity pulsed magnetic fields,
S Foner and H H Kolm, Rev. Sci. Instr. 28, 799.
Coil for pulsed megagauss fields (helical),
S Foner and H H Kolm, Rev. Sci. Instr. 27, 547
Magneto-band effects in InAs and InSb in dc and high pulsed magnetic fields,
S Zwerdling, R J Keyes, S Foner and H H Kolm, Phys. Rev 104, 1804, (1956)
Infrared cyclotron resonance in Bi, InSb and InAs with high pulsed fields,
R J Keyes, S Zwerdling, S Foners, H H Kolm and B Lax, Phys. Rev. 104, 1804 (1956)
Electromagnet Design, H H Kolm and D B Montgomery, Encyclopedic Dictionary
of Physics, Pergamon Press, London 1958
Advances in the generation and use of very high continuous magnetic fields,
H H Kolm, Nature 192, 299 (1961
Hydromagnet: self-gkenerating liquid conductor electromagnet,
H H Kolm and O K Mawardi, J. Appl. Phys. 32, 1246 (1961
Intense magnetic fields for research,
D T Stevenson and H H Kolm, Duquesne Science Counselor 24, (1961)
A niobium-tin superconducting magnet,
L C Salter Jr, S H Autler, H H Kolm, D J Rose and K Gooen, Proceedings of the
International Conference on High Magnetic Fields, MIT Press, 1962 pp 334-347
High magnetic fields: production and application,
H H Kolm and M S Dresselhaus, Science 142, 271 (1963)
Search for ferromagnetically trapped magnetic monopoles of cosmic ray origin,
E Goto, H H Kolm and K W Ford, Phys Rev 132, 387 (1963)
Intense magnetic fields,
H H Kolm and A J Freeman, Scientific American 212, 66 (1965)
Heat transfer by the circulation of supercritical helium,
H H Kolm, M J Leupold and R D Hay, Advances in Cryogenic Engr, 11, 530 (1966)
Compass, magnetic, H H Kolm, Encyclopedia Americana, 1967
Search for magnetic monopoles in deep-sea sediment,
H H Kolm, Physics Today 20, 69 (1967)
Magnetic Monopoles,
H H Kolm, Science Journal (Britain) 4, 60 (1968)
Applications for high magnetic fields,
B Lax, D B Montgomery and H H Kolm, Proc of the Fourth OAR Research
Applications Conference, Washington 1969, Vol 1, pp A1-A23
Building the National Magnet Laboratory,
H H Kolm and F Bitter: selected Papers (MIT Press, 1979), pp 464-470
A search in sediments fo magnetic monopoles,
H H Kolm, The application of modern physics to the earth and planetary interiors,
S Runcorn, editor; Wiley Interscience, Longon 1969, pp 661-672
Magnet and Magnetism, H H Kolm, World Book Encyclopedia, 1970 pp 52-54
Search for magnetic monopoles,
H H Kolm, F Villa and A Odian, Phys. Rev. D4, 1285 (1971)
The Magneplane: guided electromagnetic flight,
H H Kolm and R D Thornton, Proc. Of the 1972 Appl Superconductivity Conf,
(IEEE, Annapolis 1972), pp 76-85
The prolonged adolescence of superconductivity,
H H Kolm, Fourth International Conf on Magnets (Brookhaven, NY 1972) pp 3-17
also published in Technology Review, Feb 1973, pp 39-45
Electromagnetic flight,
H H Kolm and R D Thornton, Scientific American 229, 17 (1973)
Magnetic desulfurization of coal,
S C Trindade and H H Kolm, IEEE Trans. Magn. Mag-9, 310 (1973)
Magnetic desulfurization of coal,
S C Trindade, J B Howard, H H Kolm and J G Powers, Fuel 43, 178 (1974)
Design of a full-scale magneplane vehicle,
Y Iwasa, M O Hoenig and H H Kolm, Intermag, MAG-10, 402 (1974)
High-gradient magnetic separation - an industrial application of magnetism,
D Kelland, H H Kolm, C DeLatour, E Maxwell and J Oberteuffer, Superconducting
Machines and Devices, Plenum Press 1974, Chap 10, pp 581-594
The Magneplane System,
H H Kolm, R D Thornton, Y Iwasa and W S Brown, Cryogenics, July 1975, p 377
also published in Proc Fifth Internatl Cryogenic Engr Conf, Kyoto 1974
Tackling the Sixth State (colloidal state),
H H Kolm, The Physics Teacher 13, 73 (1975)
High gradient magnetic separation, a water treatment alternative,
C DeLatour and H H Kolm, Jour. Am. Waterworkds Association, June 1976, p 325
Basic coaxial mass driver reference design,
H H Kolm, Proc. Third Princeton AIAA Conf on Space Manufacturing, 1977,
AIAA paper 77-534
An electromagnetic slingshot for space propulsion,
H H Kolm, Technology Review, 79, 2 (1977)
Mass driver for lunar transport and as a reaction engine,
G K O=Neill and H H Kolm, The Industrialization of Space, Adv. In the Stronautica
Sciences, 36, 191 (1978)
Electromagnetic mass drivers and mass driver applications,
H H Kolm, Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics, 57, 37
Electromagnetic propulsion alternatives,
H H Kolm, K Fine, P Mongeau and F Williams, Proc. Of the Fourth Princeton
AIAA Conf. On Space Manufacturing, May 1979, publ by AIAA
Electromagnetic guns, launchers and reaction engines,
H H Kolm, Proc. Of the 1979 Joint Army, Navy, Nasa, Air Force Propulsion
Conference, Anaheim, CA, March 1979
also published in Proc. Intersociety Energy Conversion Engr Conf, Amer Chemical
Society, p 2004, Vol 2
Piezoelectric ceramics, E A Kolm and H H Kolm, Materials Engineering, 99, 2, Feb 84
Basic principles of coaxial launch technology,
H H Kolm and P Mongeau, IEEE Trans. On Magnetics, MAG-20, 2, Mar 84
The interminable adolescence of superconductivity,
H H Kolm, Jour of Superconductivity, 1, 4, p 399 (1988)
The Magneplane System: System Concept Definition Report for the National
Maglev Initiative, U.S. Dept of Transportation. Army Corps of Engineers, Contract
No DTFR53-92-C-00006, Sep 1992. 2500-page, 10-volume report by a team of ten
engineering groups.
List of main US patents
3,138,688 High current disconnect switch
H H Kolm and D B Montgomery, June 1964
3,676,337 Process for magnetic separation, H Kolm, July 1972
3,853,055 Eddy current printer, H H Kolm, Dec 1974
3,703,958 Eddy current apparatus, H H Kolm, Nov 1972
3,567,026 Magnetic device, H H Kolm, Mar 1971
3,838,773 Vibrating matrix magnetic separator, H H Kolm, Oct 1974
3,768,417 Transportation system employing an electromagnetically suspeded,
guided and propelled vehicle, H H Kolm and R D Thornton, Oct 1973
3,842,751 Transportation system employing an electromagnetically suspended,
guided and propelled vehicle, R D Thornton and H H Kolm, Oct 1974
3,871,301 Stabilization and ride control of suspended vehicles propelled by a
linear motor, H H Kolm and R D Thornton, Mar 1975
4,969,401 Active damping system for resiliently levitated vehicles,
H H Kolm, Nov 1990
4,467,236 Piezo-acoustic generator, H H Kolm and E A Kolm, Aug 1984
4,387,318 Piezo-fluid generator, E A Kolm and H H Kolm, Jun 1983
4,383,195 Piezo-electric actuator, H H Kolm and E A Kolm, May 1983
4,362,407 Piezo-electric matrix printer, H H Kolm and E A Kolm, Dec 1982
4,420,266 Piezo-electric printer, H H Kolm and E A Kolm, Dec 1983
4,461,968 Piezo-magnetic relay, E A Kolm and H H Kolm, Jul 1984
4,458,171 Piezo-magnetic relay, E A Kolm and H H Kolm, Jul 1984
4,456,394 Piezo-electric printer, actuator, H H Kolm and E A Kolm, Jun 1984
4,473,859 Piezoceramic circuit breaker, P Stone, H H Kolm and E A Kolm
Sep 1984
4,435,667 Spiral piezo-electric rotary actuator, H H Kolm and E A Kolm, Mar 1984
4,498,851 Solid state blower, H H Kolm and E A Kolm, Feb 1985
4,345,305 portable electric safety flare, H H Kolm and E A Kolm, Aug 1982
4,267,899 Electronic stroboscopic light, E A Kolm and H H Kolm, Feb 1983
3,364,687 Helium heat transfer system, H H Kolm, Jan 1968
4,969,401 Active damping system for resiliently levitated vehicles H.Kolm
Twelve most important papers summarized.
New method for measuring the absolute viscosity of liquid helium II
H H Kolm and M A Herlin, Phys Rev 102, 607-613 (1956)
My PhD thesis. I suspended an iron cylinder by a servo-stabilized electromagnet in liquid helium, drove it magnetically to slow rotation , and observed its coasting motion in order to measure the vanishing viscosity as the temperature is lowered through the lambda point transition where helium becomes superfluid. This motion is finite in total angle of rotation, but infinite in time. In the case of ordinary fluids, angular viscosity decreases linearly with angle of rotation. But in superfluid helium, to my surprise, I observed several abrupt changes in the slope of this line, which I interpreted as evidence of quantized vorticity..
The work represents an experimental tour de force. It had never been possible before to observe motion in superfluid helium at sufficiently low velocity for quantum effects to appear. Stabilizing the suspension servo in the total absence of friction with vacuum tube technology was a challenge in the electronic art. The apparatus was so vibration sensitive as to detect subway trains leaving Kendall Square station a mile away. The measurement required the invention of a pneumatic suspension mechanism with a six second resonance period. Quantized vorticity was not officially recognized until ten years later.
Coils for the production of high-intensity pulsed magnetic fields.
S Foner and H Kolm, Rev, Sci. Inst. 28, 799-807 (1957)
Paper describes the method by which we achieved the world record pulsed field intensity (previous record by P Kapitza in 1932). The key of this achievement was my idea of fabricating a monolithic helix of beryllium copper alloy by machining it in distended form, tempering it, compressing it against mica insulators, and containing it inertially . These coils sustained 750 kilogauss repeatedly , and up to one megagauss on a one-time basis. This pulsed field system made possible the first measurement of cyclotron resonance in a metal at infrared frequencies.
Hydromagnet, a self-generating, liquid conductor electromagnet.
H H Kolm, O K Mawardi, Jour of Appl. Phys. 32, 1296-1304 (1961)
This paper describes an experiment which demonstrates the ultimate method of magnetic field generation: forcing a conducting fluid radially inward in the presence of an axial exciting field. We used NaK alloy driven by bottled nitrogen into a Bitter solenoid magnet.
The experiment was done long before the importance of magnetohydrodynamic effects were generally recognized, and its main significance awaits general understanding. The effect represents mechanism by which a collapsing neutron star generates an enormous axial maagneetic field, and also acquires angular momentum due to the mass difference between electrons and protons, thus becoming a rotating pulsar.
Intense magnetic fields
H H Kolm, A J Freeman, Scientific American 212, 4, p 66 (April 1965).
This paper describes the work of the MIT National Magnet Laboratory to the intelligent layman: the generation of very intense fields and their importance as a research tool. It also describes a new solenoid magnet which I developed to achieve the world record continuous field, 127 kilogauss, using the same power plant with which Francis Bitter achieved 100 kilogauss in 1936.
Magnetic monopoles
HH Kolm, Science Journal, 4, 9, pp 60-66 (Sep 1968)
This paper appeared in the British equivalend of the Scientific American, and explains to the layman the enigma of the elementary particle which carries magnetic charge, predicted in 1939 by Dirac, but never found. I conducted the most extensive search todate for Dirac monopoles, described in a more technical paper summarized below.
Search for magnetic monopoles
H H Kolm, F Villa and A Odian, Phys Rev D4, 5, 1285-1296 (1971).
The second of two Phys Rev papers on the monopole search. This search achieved four orders of magnitude improvement in area-time product over the best prior search. It is based on two ideas: one by E Goto, that monopoles are trapped in ferromagnetic material and can only be extracted by a very strong magnetic field, and one by me, that they must arive on earth with enormously high energies (due to the asymmetry of their acceleration by collision with cosmic magnetic fields), and that therefore only the low energy tail of their distribution can be trapped, and they will therefore accumulate primarily in deep sea sediment.
Electromagnetic flight
H H Kolm and R D Thornton, Scientific American 229, 4, p 17 (Oct 1973)
This paper reviews the state of the art in magnetically levitated and propelled high speed transportation systems and points to the importance of this technology to meet mass transportation needs. It also describes the MIT Magneplane concept, and active damping to control the inherent instabiity of resiliently levitated vehicles.
Heat transfer by the circulation of supercritical helium.
HK H Kolm, M Leupold and R Hay, Adv. In Cryog. Engr, 11, p 530
Paper describes experiment demonstrating that helium above its critical pressure represents a virtually ideal heat transfer fluid. This technique was first adopted to build the world=s largest superconducting magnet the Omega magnet at CERN, and has since become standard technology for large superconducting magnets world-wide. Supercritical helium provides substantially more thermal stability than two-phase helium and therefore permits higher current density. Helium above its critical point behaves like a very dense gas, or a very compressible fluid, incapable of bubble formation or cavitation, and having very low viscosity.
High gradient magnetic separation,
H H Kolm, J Oberteuffer and D Kelland, Scientific American 223, 5, p 46, November 1975
Paper describes my invention of a new method of magnetic separation which is applicable to very weakly magnetic particles down to colloidal size, and has many potential applications in ore beneficiation, coal desulfurization, water and sewage treatment. It represents the only method for dealing with colloidal material on a truly large scale.
The Magneplane System
H H Kolm, R Thornton, Y Iwasa and W S Brown, Clryogenics, July 1975, p 377
Final report on the magneplane system, the first integrated levitation-propulsion scheme, incorporating a smart linear synchronous motor, synchronized by the transmission of position information. After the OMB under the Nixon Administration terminated maglev research in the US, the linear synchronous motor was adopted by both the German and the Japanese maglev teams. Our team constructed a fully operational 1/25 scale model system on a 400 foot track. I also invented an effective method for damping oscillations.
The prolonged adolescence of superconductivity
H H Kolm Technology Review, 75, 4, Feb 1973.
The interminable adolescence of superconductivity
H H Kolm, Jour of Superconductivity 1, 4, 1988
Both of these papers examine superconductivity in the context of the history of science and technology, with the conclusion that its importance is comparable to the invention of the wheel or the airplane. I wonder at the incredible length of time it has taken us to appreciate the theoretical significance as well as the practical importance of this phenomenon, considering that aviation matured in a mere fifty years.
Basic coaxial mass driver reference design
H H Kolm, Proceedings, Princeton/AIAA Conf on Space Manufacturing
G K O=Neil of Princeton pointed out that the magneplane concept might be applied to a device for launching lunar raw materials to space construction sites, thereby eliminating the need to lift large amounts of cargo from earth, and making massive space operations economically feasible. Together we developed this mass driver at a NASA-AMES summer study, and I supervised construction of the first demonstration model mass driver by a group of MIT students.
Professional biography, based on version required by MIT faculty committee on tenure
(Copyrighted)
Henry H. Kolm, Ph D
President, Magplane Technology, Inc. President Micromag Corporation
Innovator, Entrepreneur and Consultant
Senior Scientist (emeritus), MIT National Magnet Lab)
Lecturer (emeritus), MIT Dept of Aeronautics and Astronautics)
Commercial pilot
Career Highlights
Discovered quantized vorticity in Bose-Einstein Condensate (PhD theis 1954)
Designed and founded MIT Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory (1961)
Generated world record pulsed and continuous magnetic fields
Invented pulsed field metal forming technology (Magneform process)
Invented High Gradient Magnetic Separation and Filtration (HGMS or CoMag Separation)
Invented first integrated levitation and propulsion transportation system (MIT Magplane)
Invented "smart linear synchronous motor"
Invented first practical electromagnetic aircraft catapult system
Invented electromagnetic anti-armor coilguns
Invented piezo-powered miniature fans, dot matrix printers, relays and actuators
Invented electromagnetic proofloading system for laminated aircraft skins
Built first niobium-tin superconducting magnet
Invented super-critical helium refrigeration technology
Invented the MIT Alcator fusion reactor (with Montgomery and Coppi)
Founded or co-founded eleven technology companies:
Magnion, Industrial Magnetics ( now Thermatool division of Inductotherm), Piezo Electric Products, Piezo Systems, Magneplane International (now Magplane Technology), Florida Magplane, Sala Magnetics, Micromag Corporation, Electromagnetic Launch Research (now Kaman Electromagnetics), Kolm Associates, Kolm Air Transport.
Consulted extensively to major industry on projects including:
Xerox magnetic brush system for toner carrier transport
IBM high-speed magnetic impulse drive system
Westinghouse advanced pulsed power systems, coilguns
General Electric piezo-driven dot matrix printers, magnetic desulfurization of coal
Borg Warner advanced security systems
Hannah Mining Co taconite beneficiation by High Gradient Separation
J M Huber kaolin purification by High Gradient Magn Separation
Benthos magnetic pingers, phased array transducers, tap-tone can inspection systems, hydrophones
Raymond Engineering deep-drill magnetic orientation systems
Joy Oil Tools magnetic drill sensing jig
Thermatool pulsed field induction welding systems
Raytheon pulsed field weapons systems
Schweitzer paper pulp purification
American Can pulsed magnetic forming
Continental Can pulsed magnetic forming
Convair pulsed magnetic swaging and forming
Boeing pulsed magnetic proofloading of compound skins
Corning glass magnetic separation for glass sand purification, superconducting glass fibers
Siemens maglev systems, superconducting magnet systems
Tobe Deutschman capacitor energy storage systems
Garrett linear synchronous propulsion for air cushion vehicles
Astech pulsed magnetic forming of honeycomb panels
Argonne Natl Lab advanced magnet design, maglev systems
St Joseph Minerals electric furnace failure analysis
Reynolds Metals aluminum potline failure analysis
Compugraphics developed new phototypesetting system
Rotron developed miniature piezo-electric blowers
Accutone developed advanced clinical hearing aids
Consol Controls fast shutter valve for fusion research
Sandia Natl Labs pulsed power generators, pulsed magnet design
Liquid Metronics designed series of pulsed magnetic pumps
Gillette advanced hair drier design
Wiley Publishers consulting editor for series on magnetism
World Book Encyclopedia wrote articles on magnetism and related topics.
Encyclopedia Americana wrote articles on magnetism and related topics
Pergamon Press wrote article on magnetism for Encyclopedia of Physics
Honors:
Sigma Xi honorary research society
Entrepreneur of the Year, 1981, Money Magazine.
(for founding Piezo Elect Products, Inc.)
Peter Mark Medal, Dept of Defense, 1984,
(for outstanding contributions to electromagnetic launch technology)
Engineer of the Year, 1994, New England Section of AIAA (Am Inst Aero -Astronautics)
Engineer of the Year, 1996, Northeast region of AIAA
Listed in Who's Who in America, and several other Who's Whos.
Professional Society Memberships
American Institute of Physics, member
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, associate fellow
Institute of Electric and Electronics Engineers, senior member
program chairman for maglev, electromagn launching, magn separation
Education
Mass Inst of Technology: BS Physics 1950
Mass Inst of Technology: PhD Physics 1955
Skills
fluent in French and German
Commercial pilot license with multi-engine, seaplane and instrument ratings
own and operate Navajo Chieftain (eight passenger executive twin)
Computers: familiar with most common software.
Korean Karate (Tae-kwon-do): first dan black belt (1980)
Military Service 1943-1946:
20th Armored Division, 220th Armored Engineer Battalion Hq : staff sergeant
Corps of Engineers Officer Candidate School; Demolition School, Fort Belvoir
Military Intelligence School, Fort Meade
War Dept Military Intelligence Service (G-2), Pentagon
planned strategic bombing of Germany; interrogated general staff officers;
imported key German engineers, including VonBraun and his rocket team
(Project Paperclip, described in ASpace@ by John Mitchener)
Personal:
Immigrated from Austria via Belgium in 1938-39
married since 1953 to Elizabeth Olmstead Cushing; four daughters, born in:
Margaret 57; Juliet 59; Edna 63; Cornelia 65
built own home in Wayland in 1955
Professional Activities:
1989 pres Magneplane International, Magplane Technology and Florida Magplane: Helped Senator D P Moynihan write $775M US maglev program into 1990 transportation act (ISTEA Act). Led team of ten corporations in performing $2.7M ASystem Concept Definition Study@ for National Maglev Initiative Program, for Dept of Transportation, Corps of Engineers and Dept of Energy, resulting in 2500-page, 10-volume final report. MAGPLANE WAS one of five contestants for Florida High Speed Rail franchise, which was awarded to the French TGV (Florida Overland Express consortium) in 96, but terminated in 98 for non-performance.
1990-present Paramag and Micromag Corporation;
President; developed new generation of high gradient magnetic separators, set up laboratory in Plant City; demonstrated removal of plutonium from Nevada desert soil; initiated effort to raise venture capital to develop superconducting separators for mineral beneficiation, water treatment and environmental remediation.
1985-1989 Kaman Electromagnetics, Inc.
Founder and Chairman of company I sold to Kaman Corporation
Developed electromagnetic aircraft catapult and family of flywheel-disk generators for Navy, coilguns for Army, disk motors for tank and ship propulsion, top-drives for oil rigs, various other power-electronics products; built $5M plant in Hudson, MA, including flywheel test bunkers and prototype aircraft launcher; grew company from 50 to 100 employees; built world-class engineering team.
1981-1985 Electromagnetic Launch Research, Inc.
President and CEO of company formed from group at the MIT National Magnet Lab. Developed pulsed power systems, coilguns, aircraft catapults, etc. Sold company to Kaman Corporation in 85.
1979-1985 Kolm Associates, Inc.
Consulting company which provided innovation services to industry (see consulting list above); spun off three companies: Accutone (clinical hearing analysis devices), Flik Inc. (Stroboscopic lights); Piezo Electric Products, Inc. (Developed and manufactured piezo-electric elements and devices)
1979-1989 Piezo-Electric Products, Inc.
Vice President for Research; Formed laboratory in Cambridge; acquired Gulton plant in Metuchen, NJ, world's largest manufacturer of thin-sheet piezo ceramics; developed line of new piezo products, including miniature oscillating blade fans, dot matrix printers, miniature relays, actuators, micro-positioners, etc.
1974-1981 Sala Magnetics, Inc.
Founder and consultant; developed and built High Gradient Magnetic separators used by the kaolin industry world-wide to purify clay for paper coating; Developed continuous separators for taconite beneficiation; operated pilot plant laboratory to explore other applications; demonstrated water and sewage treatment; developed patent position; developed the first superconducting separators (this technology to be implemented by Paramag Corp.)
1960-1981 Mass Inst of Technology, Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory;
member of founding committee, steering committee, senior scientist; designed new laboratory, supervised construction, formed laboratory team, designed new generation of high field magnets, organized group to develop new applications for high magnetic fields; invented pulsed magnetic field forming technology, pulsed field diecasting, built first niobium tin superconducting magnet, invented supercritical helium refrigeration technology; invented high gradient magnetic separation and filtration technology; spun off Magnion Corp, Sala Magnetics, Inc., Electro Magnetic Research, Inc., Kolm Associates, Inc1955-196
1955-1960 MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Solid State Division
Physicist; developed infra-red sensing technology; performed research on
charge-carriers in solid state materials; work function of metals; developed world-record pulsed magnetic field facililty; raised funds for construction of MIT National Magnet Laboratory, with Francis Bitter
Publications, summarized:
about 60 professional papers
One book edited (with Bitter, Lax, Mills): High Magnetic Fields (Wiley and MIT Press)
about 8 encyclopedia entries (Britannica, Americana, World Book, Pergamon Encyclopedia of Physics;
Three Scientific American Articles: [strong magn fields, magn separation, maglev transport]
One Science Journal article (British equivalent of Scientific American) [monopoles]
[I am particularly proud to have authored four Scientific American articles, because it indicates that I have achieved recognition as a leading scientist in four diverse fields.]
One documentary film (The MIT Magnet Lab), with Jerry Ballantine
One education TV film, winner of Bell award (with S. Dewar)
Four symposia proceedings, organized and edited
High Gradient Magnetic Separation, IEEE London 1975
Magnetic Levitation, IEEE Toronto 1974, London 1975
EM Launch Technology, IEEE Boston 1983
About 60 US patents and foreign counterpart patents
List of main publications:
New method for measuring the absolute viscosity of liquid Helium II (superfluid)
H.H.Kolm and M.A.Herlin, Phys. Rev. 102, 607 (1956).
Rotating electrometer for comparative work function measurements,
H H Kolm, Rev. Sci. Instr. 27, 1046 (1956)
Long-time work function changes induced by light and electrostatic fields,
G W Pratt and H H Kolm, Semiconductor Surface Physics, Wiley. 1957
Coils for the production of high intensity pulsed magnetic fields,
S Foner and H H Kolm, Rev. Sci. Instr. 28, 799.
Coil for pulsed megagauss fields (helical),
S Foner and H H Kolm, Rev. Sci. Instr. 27, 547
Magneto-band effects in InAs and InSb in dc and high pulsed magnetic fields,
S Zwerdling, R J Keyes, S Foner and H H Kolm, Phys. Rev 104, 1804, (1956)
Infrared cyclotron resonance in Bi, InSb and InAs with high pulsed fields,
R J Keyes, S Zwerdling, S Foners, H H Kolm and B Lax, Phys. Rev. 104, 1804 (1956)
Electromagnet Design, H H Kolm and D B Montgomery, Encyclopedic Dictionary
of Physics, Pergamon Press, London 1958
Advances in the generation and use of very high continuous magnetic fields,
H H Kolm, Nature 192, 299 (1961
Hydromagnet: self-gkenerating liquid conductor electromagnet,
H H Kolm and O K Mawardi, J. Appl. Phys. 32, 1246 (1961
Intense magnetic fields for research,
D T Stevenson and H H Kolm, Duquesne Science Counselor 24, (1961)
A niobium-tin superconducting magnet,
L C Salter Jr, S H Autler, H H Kolm, D J Rose and K Gooen, Proceedings of the
International Conference on High Magnetic Fields, MIT Press, 1962 pp 334-347
High magnetic fields: production and application,
H H Kolm and M S Dresselhaus, Science 142, 271 (1963)
Search for ferromagnetically trapped magnetic monopoles of cosmic ray origin,
E Goto, H H Kolm and K W Ford, Phys Rev 132, 387 (1963)
Intense magnetic fields,
H H Kolm and A J Freeman, Scientific American 212, 66 (1965)
Heat transfer by the circulation of supercritical helium,
H H Kolm, M J Leupold and R D Hay, Advances in Cryogenic Engr, 11, 530 (1966)
Compass, magnetic, H H Kolm, Encyclopedia Americana, 1967
Search for magnetic monopoles in deep-sea sediment,
H H Kolm, Physics Today 20, 69 (1967)
Magnetic Monopoles,
H H Kolm, Science Journal (Britain) 4, 60 (1968)
Applications for high magnetic fields,
B Lax, D B Montgomery and H H Kolm, Proc of the Fourth OAR Research
Applications Conference, Washington 1969, Vol 1, pp A1-A23
Building the National Magnet Laboratory,
H H Kolm and F Bitter: selected Papers (MIT Press, 1979), pp 464-470
A search in sediments fo magnetic monopoles,
H H Kolm, The application of modern physics to the earth and planetary interiors,
S Runcorn, editor; Wiley Interscience, Longon 1969, pp 661-672
Magnet and Magnetism, H H Kolm, World Book Encyclopedia, 1970 pp 52-54
Search for magnetic monopoles,
H H Kolm, F Villa and A Odian, Phys. Rev. D4, 1285 (1971)
The Magneplane: guided electromagnetic flight,
H H Kolm and R D Thornton, Proc. Of the 1972 Appl Superconductivity Conf,
(IEEE, Annapolis 1972), pp 76-85
The prolonged adolescence of superconductivity,
H H Kolm, Fourth International Conf on Magnets (Brookhaven, NY 1972) pp 3-17
also published in Technology Review, Feb 1973, pp 39-45
Electromagnetic flight,
H H Kolm and R D Thornton, Scientific American 229, 17 (1973)
Magnetic desulfurization of coal,
S C Trindade and H H Kolm, IEEE Trans. Magn. Mag-9, 310 (1973)
Magnetic desulfurization of coal,
S C Trindade, J B Howard, H H Kolm and J G Powers, Fuel 43, 178 (1974)
Design of a full-scale magneplane vehicle,
Y Iwasa, M O Hoenig and H H Kolm, Intermag, MAG-10, 402 (1974)
High-gradient magnetic separation - an industrial application of magnetism,
D Kelland, H H Kolm, C DeLatour, E Maxwell and J Oberteuffer, Superconducting
Machines and Devices, Plenum Press 1974, Chap 10, pp 581-594
The Magneplane System,
H H Kolm, R D Thornton, Y Iwasa and W S Brown, Cryogenics, July 1975, p 377
also published in Proc Fifth Internatl Cryogenic Engr Conf, Kyoto 1974
Tackling the Sixth State (colloidal state),
H H Kolm, The Physics Teacher 13, 73 (1975)
High gradient magnetic separation, a water treatment alternative,
C DeLatour and H H Kolm, Jour. Am. Waterworkds Association, June 1976, p 325
Basic coaxial mass driver reference design,
H H Kolm, Proc. Third Princeton AIAA Conf on Space Manufacturing, 1977,
AIAA paper 77-534
An electromagnetic slingshot for space propulsion,
H H Kolm, Technology Review, 79, 2 (1977)
Mass driver for lunar transport and as a reaction engine,
G K O=Neill and H H Kolm, The Industrialization of Space, Adv. In the Stronautica
Sciences, 36, 191 (1978)
Electromagnetic mass drivers and mass driver applications,
H H Kolm, Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics, 57, 37
Electromagnetic propulsion alternatives,
H H Kolm, K Fine, P Mongeau and F Williams, Proc. Of the Fourth Princeton
AIAA Conf. On Space Manufacturing, May 1979, publ by AIAA
Electromagnetic guns, launchers and reaction engines,
H H Kolm, Proc. Of the 1979 Joint Army, Navy, Nasa, Air Force Propulsion
Conference, Anaheim, CA, March 1979
also published in Proc. Intersociety Energy Conversion Engr Conf, Amer Chemical
Society, p 2004, Vol 2
Piezoelectric ceramics, E A Kolm and H H Kolm, Materials Engineering, 99, 2, Feb 84
Basic principles of coaxial launch technology,
H H Kolm and P Mongeau, IEEE Trans. On Magnetics, MAG-20, 2, Mar 84
The interminable adolescence of superconductivity,
H H Kolm, Jour of Superconductivity, 1, 4, p 399 (1988)
The Magneplane System: System Concept Definition Report for the National
Maglev Initiative, U.S. Dept of Transportation. Army Corps of Engineers, Contract
No DTFR53-92-C-00006, Sep 1992. 2500-page, 10-volume report by a team of ten
engineering groups.
List of main US patents
3,138,688 High current disconnect switch
H H Kolm and D B Montgomery, June 1964
3,676,337 Process for magnetic separation, H Kolm, July 1972
3,853,055 Eddy current printer, H H Kolm, Dec 1974
3,703,958 Eddy current apparatus, H H Kolm, Nov 1972
3,567,026 Magnetic device, H H Kolm, Mar 1971
3,838,773 Vibrating matrix magnetic separator, H H Kolm, Oct 1974
3,768,417 Transportation system employing an electromagnetically suspeded,
guided and propelled vehicle, H H Kolm and R D Thornton, Oct 1973
3,842,751 Transportation system employing an electromagnetically suspended,
guided and propelled vehicle, R D Thornton and H H Kolm, Oct 1974
3,871,301 Stabilization and ride control of suspended vehicles propelled by a
linear motor, H H Kolm and R D Thornton, Mar 1975
4,969,401 Active damping system for resiliently levitated vehicles,
H H Kolm, Nov 1990
4,467,236 Piezo-acoustic generator, H H Kolm and E A Kolm, Aug 1984
4,387,318 Piezo-fluid generator, E A Kolm and H H Kolm, Jun 1983
4,383,195 Piezo-electric actuator, H H Kolm and E A Kolm, May 1983
4,362,407 Piezo-electric matrix printer, H H Kolm and E A Kolm, Dec 1982
4,420,266 Piezo-electric printer, H H Kolm and E A Kolm, Dec 1983
4,461,968 Piezo-magnetic relay, E A Kolm and H H Kolm, Jul 1984
4,458,171 Piezo-magnetic relay, E A Kolm and H H Kolm, Jul 1984
4,456,394 Piezo-electric printer, actuator, H H Kolm and E A Kolm, Jun 1984
4,473,859 Piezoceramic circuit breaker, P Stone, H H Kolm and E A Kolm
Sep 1984
4,435,667 Spiral piezo-electric rotary actuator, H H Kolm and E A Kolm, Mar 1984
4,498,851 Solid state blower, H H Kolm and E A Kolm, Feb 1985
4,345,305 portable electric safety flare, H H Kolm and E A Kolm, Aug 1982
4,267,899 Electronic stroboscopic light, E A Kolm and H H Kolm, Feb 1983
3,364,687 Helium heat transfer system, H H Kolm, Jan 1968
4,969,401 Active damping system for resiliently levitated vehicles H.Kolm
Twelve most important papers summarized.
New method for measuring the absolute viscosity of liquid helium II
H H Kolm and M A Herlin, Phys Rev 102, 607-613 (1956)
My PhD thesis. I suspended an iron cylinder by a servo-stabilized electromagnet in liquid helium, drove it magnetically to slow rotation , and observed its coasting motion in order to measure the vanishing viscosity as the temperature is lowered through the lambda point transition where helium becomes superfluid. This motion is finite in total angle of rotation, but infinite in time. In the case of ordinary fluids, angular viscosity decreases linearly with angle of rotation. But in superfluid helium, to my surprise, I observed several abrupt changes in the slope of this line, which I interpreted as evidence of quantized vorticity..
The work represents an experimental tour de force. It had never been possible before to observe motion in superfluid helium at sufficiently low velocity for quantum effects to appear. Stabilizing the suspension servo in the total absence of friction with vacuum tube technology was a challenge in the electronic art. The apparatus was so vibration sensitive as to detect subway trains leaving Kendall Square station a mile away. The measurement required the invention of a pneumatic suspension mechanism with a six second resonance period. Quantized vorticity was not officially recognized until ten years later.
Coils for the production of high-intensity pulsed magnetic fields.
S Foner and H Kolm, Rev, Sci. Inst. 28, 799-807 (1957)
Paper describes the method by which we achieved the world record pulsed field intensity (previous record by P Kapitza in 1932). The key of this achievement was my idea of fabricating a monolithic helix of beryllium copper alloy by machining it in distended form, tempering it, compressing it against mica insulators, and containing it inertially . These coils sustained 750 kilogauss repeatedly , and up to one megagauss on a one-time basis. This pulsed field system made possible the first measurement of cyclotron resonance in a metal at infrared frequencies.
Hydromagnet, a self-generating, liquid conductor electromagnet.
H H Kolm, O K Mawardi, Jour of Appl. Phys. 32, 1296-1304 (1961)
This paper describes an experiment which demonstrates the ultimate method of magnetic field generation: forcing a conducting fluid radially inward in the presence of an axial exciting field. We used NaK alloy driven by bottled nitrogen into a Bitter solenoid magnet.
The experiment was done long before the importance of magnetohydrodynamic effects were generally recognized, and its main significance awaits general understanding. The effect represents mechanism by which a collapsing neutron star generates an enormous axial maagneetic field, and also acquires angular momentum due to the mass difference between electrons and protons, thus becoming a rotating pulsar.
Intense magnetic fields
H H Kolm, A J Freeman, Scientific American 212, 4, p 66 (April 1965).
This paper describes the work of the MIT National Magnet Laboratory to the intelligent layman: the generation of very intense fields and their importance as a research tool. It also describes a new solenoid magnet which I developed to achieve the world record continuous field, 127 kilogauss, using the same power plant with which Francis Bitter achieved 100 kilogauss in 1936.
Magnetic monopoles
HH Kolm, Science Journal, 4, 9, pp 60-66 (Sep 1968)
This paper appeared in the British equivalend of the Scientific American, and explains to the layman the enigma of the elementary particle which carries magnetic charge, predicted in 1939 by Dirac, but never found. I conducted the most extensive search todate for Dirac monopoles, described in a more technical paper summarized below.
Search for magnetic monopoles
H H Kolm, F Villa and A Odian, Phys Rev D4, 5, 1285-1296 (1971).
The second of two Phys Rev papers on the monopole search. This search achieved four orders of magnitude improvement in area-time product over the best prior search. It is based on two ideas: one by E Goto, that monopoles are trapped in ferromagnetic material and can only be extracted by a very strong magnetic field, and one by me, that they must arive on earth with enormously high energies (due to the asymmetry of their acceleration by collision with cosmic magnetic fields), and that therefore only the low energy tail of their distribution can be trapped, and they will therefore accumulate primarily in deep sea sediment.
Electromagnetic flight
H H Kolm and R D Thornton, Scientific American 229, 4, p 17 (Oct 1973)
This paper reviews the state of the art in magnetically levitated and propelled high speed transportation systems and points to the importance of this technology to meet mass transportation needs. It also describes the MIT Magneplane concept, and active damping to control the inherent instabiity of resiliently levitated vehicles.
Heat transfer by the circulation of supercritical helium.
HK H Kolm, M Leupold and R Hay, Adv. In Cryog. Engr, 11, p 530
Paper describes experiment demonstrating that helium above its critical pressure represents a virtually ideal heat transfer fluid. This technique was first adopted to build the world=s largest superconducting magnet the Omega magnet at CERN, and has since become standard technology for large superconducting magnets world-wide. Supercritical helium provides substantially more thermal stability than two-phase helium and therefore permits higher current density. Helium above its critical point behaves like a very dense gas, or a very compressible fluid, incapable of bubble formation or cavitation, and having very low viscosity.
High gradient magnetic separation,
H H Kolm, J Oberteuffer and D Kelland, Scientific American 223, 5, p 46, November 1975
Paper describes my invention of a new method of magnetic separation which is applicable to very weakly magnetic particles down to colloidal size, and has many potential applications in ore beneficiation, coal desulfurization, water and sewage treatment. It represents the only method for dealing with colloidal material on a truly large scale.
The Magneplane System
H H Kolm, R Thornton, Y Iwasa and W S Brown, Clryogenics, July 1975, p 377
Final report on the magneplane system, the first integrated levitation-propulsion scheme, incorporating a smart linear synchronous motor, synchronized by the transmission of position information. After the OMB under the Nixon Administration terminated maglev research in the US, the linear synchronous motor was adopted by both the German and the Japanese maglev teams. Our team constructed a fully operational 1/25 scale model system on a 400 foot track. I also invented an effective method for damping oscillations.
The prolonged adolescence of superconductivity
H H Kolm Technology Review, 75, 4, Feb 1973.
The interminable adolescence of superconductivity
H H Kolm, Jour of Superconductivity 1, 4, 1988
Both of these papers examine superconductivity in the context of the history of science and technology, with the conclusion that its importance is comparable to the invention of the wheel or the airplane. I wonder at the incredible length of time it has taken us to appreciate the theoretical significance as well as the practical importance of this phenomenon, considering that aviation matured in a mere fifty years.
Basic coaxial mass driver reference design
H H Kolm, Proceedings, Princeton/AIAA Conf on Space Manufacturing
G K O=Neil of Princeton pointed out that the magneplane concept might be applied to a device for launching lunar raw materials to space construction sites, thereby eliminating the need to lift large amounts of cargo from earth, and making massive space operations economically feasible. Together we developed this mass driver at a NASA-AMES summer study, and I supervised construction of the first demonstration model mass driver by a group of MIT students.