Torsten Karl Adolf Magnusson (24 December 1907 – 24 November 1987) was a Swedish

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate caus ...

and defense research scientists. Magnusson was Director-General of the

Swedish National Defence Research Institute Swedish National Defence Research Institute ( sv, Försvarets forskningsanstalt, FOA) was a Swedish government agency in defense research existing from 1945 to 31 December 2000. It was amalgamated with the National Aeronautical Research Institute ...

(FOA) from 1968 to 1974 and was one of the prominent figures of the

Swedish nuclear weapons program After World War II, Sweden considered building nuclear weapons to defend themselves against an offensive assault from the Soviet Union. From 1945 to 1972 the government ran a clandestine nuclear weapons program under the guise of civilian def ...

Early life

Magnusson was born on 24 December 1907 in Vreta Kloster parish,

Östergötland County Östergötland County ( sv, Östergötlands län) is a county or ''län'' in southeastern Sweden. It has land borders with the counties of Kalmar to the southeast, Jönköping to the southwest, Örebro to the northwest, and Södermanland to the n ...

, Sweden, the son of Carl Magnusson, a station master, and his wife Signe (née Samuelsson). He received a Bachelor of Arts degree (fil.kand.) from

Uppsala University Uppsala University ( sv, Uppsala universitet) is a public university, public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the List of universities in Sweden, oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in opera ...

in 1929, Master of Philosophy (fil.mag.) in 1932, Licentiate of Philosophy (fil.lic.) in 1936 and Doctor of Philosophy (fil.dr.) in 1938 with a dissertation on

X-ray spectroscopy X-ray spectroscopy is a general term for several spectroscopic techniques for characterization of materials by using x-ray radiation. Characteristic X-ray spectroscopy When an electron from the inner shell of an atom is excited by the energy o ...

Career

Magnusson was first assistant from 1937 to 1940 and associate professor (''laborator'') from 1940 to 1944 at the

Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences ( sv, Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien) is one of the Swedish Royal Academies, royal academies of Sweden. Founded on 2 June 1739, it is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization that takes special ...

's Research Institute of Physics. He was administrative director from 1941 to 1944 and prefect from 1944 to 1945 at the Military Physics Institute. The institute became the National Defence Research Institute (FOA) in 1945 with Magnusson as head of the department (FOA 2; general physics 1945–58 and FOA 4; nuclear physics and nuclear chemistry 1958–68) from 1945 to 1968. In 1945, Magnusson was given the task by the board of FOA to investigate what was known about the nuclear device that was recently dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It was the start of the Swedish nuclear research. Magnusson became Director-General of FOA in 1968, a position he held until 1974. Magnusson was a member of the Swedish National Committee for Physics (''Svenska nationalkommittén för fysik'') from 1946 to 1970 and a member of the Atom Committee (''Atomkommittén'') from 1952. He was also a member of the Swedish Atomic Research Council (''Statens råd för atomforskning'') from 1952 to 1965 and a delegate in atomic energy issues from 1956 to 1974 as well as in the Data Processing Delegation (''Databehandlingsdelegationen'') from 1966. He was a board member of the

Defence Materiel Administration The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration ( sv, Försvarets materielverk, FMV) is a Swedish government agency that reports to the Ministry of Defence. The agency is responsible for the supply of materiel to the Swedish defence organisation. It ...

from 1968 to 1974, AB Atomenergi from 1969 to 1975 and the National Swedish Nuclear Power Inspection Board (''Statens kärnkraftinspektion'') from 1974 to 1978. Magnusson became a member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences ( sv, Kungliga Krigsvetenskapsakademien) is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden and was founded on 12 November 1796 by Gustaf Wilhelm af Tibell. The academy is an independent organization and a forum for m ...

in 1949 and the

Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences or ''Kungliga Ingenjörsvetenskapsakademien'' (IVA), founded on 24 October 1919 by King Gustaf V, is one of the royal academies in Sweden. The academy is an independent organisation, which promo ...

in 1957 and honorary member of the

Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences The Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences ( sv, Kungliga Örlogsmannasällskapet, KÖMS), founded in 1771 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden. The Society is an independent organization and a forum for navy and defence i ...

in 1971.

Personal life

In 1933, Magnusson married Wera Ericsson (1908–2003), the daughter of office clerk Erik Ericsson and Emilia Johansson. He was the father of Bo (born 1938), Gunnel (born 1940), Göran (born 1942) and Hans (born 1944).

Death

Magnusson died on 24 November 1987 and was buried at Sundbyberg cemetery in

Sundbyberg Municipality Sundbyberg Municipality (''Sundbybergs kommun'' or ''Sundbybergs stad'') is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden, just north of the capital Stockholm. Sundbyberg is wholly within the Stockholm urban area and has a 100% urba ...

Awards and decorations

Order_of_the_Polar_Star_-_Ribbon_bar,_pre_1975

Commander of the

Order of the Polar Star The Royal Order of the Polar Star (Swedish: ''Kungliga Nordstjärneorden'') is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim. The Order of the ...

Bibliography

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Magnusson, Torsten 1907 births 1987 deaths Swedish civil servants Swedish physicists People from Linköping Municipality Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences Members of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences Commanders of the Order of the Polar Star