Obituary of Charles Birdsall (1925-2012)

Charles Kennedy Birdsall, Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley, died Tuesday, March 6, 2012, at his home in Lafayette, California. He was 86. Known as Ned, he was born in Manhattan, New York in 1925 to chemical engineer Charles G. Birdsall and schoolteacher Irene Birdsall. After graduating Valedictorian of Rocky River (Ohio) High School, he attended the University of Michigan (UM), where he served in the Naval V-12 Program, and received B.S.E. (1946) and M.S.E. (1948) degrees in electrical engineering. At UM, he won the two mile race twice at the Big 10 Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Ned met Betty Jean Hansen at UM, and they married before heading to Stanford University, where Ned earned a PhD in Electrical Engineering in 1951.

From 1951-1955 Ned worked on microwave tubes at Hughes Aircraft Company, and from 1955-59 he led the electron physics group at General Electric Microwave Laboratory, working on electron guns and traveling-wave tubes. Ned and his collaborators invented the resistive-wall, reactive-wall and rippled-wall amplifiers, as well as the ring-bar traveling-wave tubes that remain in use to this day; he also performed the analysis that led to the first multi-kilowatt TWT at X-band. The work at Hughes and General Electric led to the publication of 14 journal articles and granting of 27 patents. These achievements led to Ned’s elevation in 1962 to Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) at the age of 36. In 1959 Ned joined the Electrical Engineering Department at UC Berkeley (UCB), launching a four-decade academic career. He continued work on microwave sources, and pioneered the area of many-particle simulation of plasmas.

During the 1960’s, Ned and his student Bill Bridges discovered virtual cathode oscillations, one of the most important theoretical developments in diode physics. He later led the development of the Particle-in-Cell concept. His book, Plasma Physics via Computer Simulation [C. K. Birdsall and A. B. Langdon, McGraw-Hill (1985)], has attained classic status, with over 2100 citations in Google Scholar, cited at an average rate of over 300 citations per year and used in classrooms and research. Ned founded the Plasma Theory and Simulation Group. He co-founded the Energy Resources Group at UCB to study the intersection of energy and environmental science and policy. These groups have nurtured a large number of PhD students and junior faculty, many of whom have become leaders in science and engineering. They include top experts in various fields, members of the National Academy of Science and National Academy of Engineering, and a Science Advisor to the President.

In the 1980’s, Ned pioneered the area of bounded-plasma simulation of whole plasma devices, culminating in powerful and versatile computer simulation codes used worldwide, from fusion to industrial discharge plasmas for semiconductor materials processing, lighting, high power microwave sources and pulsed power systems) as well as teaching. The creation and free dissemination of plasma simulation codes by Ned and his group have helped thousands worldwide in conducting research.

Ned was the inaugural recipient of the IEEE Plasma Science and Applications Committee (PSAC) Award in 1988; he was awarded the Berkeley Citation in 1991, and the first recipient of the Dawson Award, given at the 2003 International Conference on Numerical Simulation of Plasmas. Ned was the inaugural recipient of the IEEE Marie Sklodowska-Curie Award in 2011, one of the highest awards in the IEEE hierarchy. His citation is ‘for theoretical investigations and fundamental discoveries involving microwave tubes, electron beam physics and particle-in-cell simulation of plasma physics.’

Outside his professional life, Ned was known for his love of hiking and cross-country skiing in the Sierra Nevadas and the Alps. He maintained his love of long-distance running, completing many road races and marathons, including two Boston Marathons, and the Napa Marathon in his 70s. He also remained an avid bicyclist into his 80’s. Ned had five children with Betty: Beth, Anne, Barbara, Tom and John. In 1981 Ned married Ginger Pletcher. Ned is survived by Ginger, his wife of 30 years, daughter Barbara Hagen of Bend, Oregon, son Tom Birdsall of San Francisco, son John Birdsall of Yountville, Ginger’s daughter Michele Proffitt of Modesto, son Andrew of Capitola, daughter Sandy Glendinning of Alameda along with eight grandchildren and one great grandchild. A scholarship endowment has been established in Ned’s honor: The Charles K. (Ned) Birdsall Endowed Graduate Research Support Fund at University Relations, 2080 Addison Street, MC #4200, Berkeley, CA 94720-4200. Checks should be made out to U.C. Berkeley Foundation.