Bernard J. Eastlund (1938 – December 12, 2007) was an American physicist who received his B.S. in physics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and his Ph.D. in physics from Columbia University. In 1970 he received a Special Achievement Certificate from the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission for co-invention of the " fusion torch."

Career

Eastlund attended MIT, receiving a B.S Physics degree in 1960. In 1965, he received a Ph.D. in plasma physics from Columbia University, and spent 3 years as a post-doc fellow there. Eastlund became a staff member at the fusion office at the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (USAEC) in 1968. The USAEC recognized Eastlund's paper, "The Fusion Torch" co-authored with William C. Gough, with a Special Award in 1970. Scientific American magazine published a review of fusion programs by Eastland and Gough in 1971. In 1974, Eastlund left the USAEC and co-founded Fusion Systems Corporation, which focused on ultraviolet-based curing technology with applications in the packaging and manufacturing industry. Fusion Systems technology was used for fast-drying industrial requirements such as labels on Coors beer cans and furniture varnishes. The company sold in 1997 for $193 million. In 1979, Eastlund left Fusion Systems to become Vice President of Energy Research for BDM Corporation. Eastlund served as a member of the Board of Directors and also as treasurer at Fusion Power Associates. After leaving BDM, Eastlund worked for Atlantic Richfield Corporation. In 1987 he founded Production Technologies International Corporation and in 1996 he founded Eastlund Scientific Enterprises Corporation. In 2003, Eastlund was awarded a U.S. House of Representatives Certificate of Recognition for contributions to homeland security technology. Eastlund was in favor of funding research into weather modification and control that could reduce the impact of severe weather. He envisioned "concepts for electromagnetic wave interactions with the atmosphere that, among a range of jobs, could be applied to weather modification research" and that such research could mature to a new science in 10 or 20 years. He was active in

astrophysics Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline said, Astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the nature of the h ...

, and later work included co-authoring papers regarding

pulsar A pulsar (from ''pulsating radio source'') is a highly magnetized rotating neutron star that emits beams of electromagnetic radiation out of its magnetic poles. This radiation can be observed only when a beam of emission is pointing toward Ea ...

s and gamma bursters presented in the Astrophysical Journal and at scientific symposiums. In later years, he continued to collaborate with Gough and George Miley on their fusion torch concepts. Eastlund died December 12, 2007 at his home in St.Louis, survived by his wife, Sherrie, and several children.

Patents

Eastlund authored 53 peer reviewed scientific papers and 23 US patents for applications such as well-drilling, sterilization of medical devices, high intensity lighting, and atmospheric plasma heating. One of Eastlund's patents (US4686605 A) described an adaptation of concepts first proposed by Nikola Tesla. Eastlund's ''"Method and apparatus for altering a region in the earth's atmosphere, ionosphere, and/or

magnetosphere In astronomy and planetary science, a magnetosphere is a region of space surrounding an astronomical object in which charged particles are affected by that object's magnetic field. It is created by a celestial body with an active interior dynam ...

"'', described as "grandiose", proposed a 40-mile square radio transmitter that used Alaskan natural gas to generate current to create electromagnetic radiation that would excite a section of the

ionosphere The ionosphere () is the ionized part of the upper atmosphere of Earth, from about to above sea level, a region that includes the thermosphere and parts of the mesosphere and exosphere. The ionosphere is ionized by solar radiation. It plays an ...

. Eastlund's patent speculated on "possible ramifications and potential future developments" including magnetotelluric surveys, local weather modification, and missile defense. Eastlund later claimed that

HAARP The High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) was initiated as an ionospheric research program jointly funded by the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Ag ...

was built using his patents, prompting conspiracy theorists such as Nick Begich to claim that HAARP is capable of secretly controlling the weather.Zey, Michael G. ''The Future Factor: Forces Transforming Human Destiny'' Transaction Publishers; New edition (30 April 2004) p. 39 According to HAARP program manager John L. Heckscher, "HAARP certainly does not have anything to do with Eastlund's thing, that is just crazy. What we have here is a premier scientific research facility with military applications."Mark Farmer.
Popular Science
'. September 1995 ed. Bonnier Corporation; September 1995. ISSN /www.worldcat.org/search?fq=x0:jrnl&q=n2:01617370 01617370 pp. 79–.

References

External links

* Eastlund appearance o
National Public Radio (NPR) ''Talk of the Nation''
program on weather modification, 23 February 2001
Eastlund Scientific Enterprises Corporation
website (dead link 20 December 2011) {{DEFAULTSORT:Eastlund, Bernard J 1938 births 2007 deaths MIT Department of Physics alumni Columbia University alumni 20th-century American physicists