Thad Vreeland Jr. (October 20, 1924 – August 9, 2010) was an American materials scientist. He was Professor of Materials Science at the

California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...

Career

Vreeland's career at

Caltech The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...

began with his B.S., earned in 1949 and his Ph.D. in 1952. He served as Professor of Mechanical Engineering and then Professor of Materials Science from 1954 to 1991, and afterward Professor Emeritus. Vreeland's work on the mechanics of

plastic deformation in solids In engineering, deformation refers to the change in size or shape of an object. ''Displacements'' are the ''absolute'' change in position of a point on the object. Deflection is the relative change in external displacements on an object. Strain ...

and especially on

dislocation In materials science, a dislocation or Taylor's dislocation is a linear crystallographic defect or irregularity within a crystal structure that contains an abrupt change in the arrangement of atoms. The movement of dislocations allow atoms to ...

behavior during the 1950s and through 1960s and 1970s was widely cited. He collaborated with his colleagues at Caltech, including David Wood. He was active in the study of

shock wave In physics, a shock wave (also spelled shockwave), or shock, is a type of propagating disturbance that moves faster than the local speed of sound in the medium. Like an ordinary wave, a shock wave carries energy and can propagate through a me ...

consolidation in powdered metals and developing methods for the measurement of strain in multilayer

semiconductors A semiconductor is a material which has an electrical conductivity value falling between that of a conductor, such as copper, and an insulator, such as glass. Its resistivity falls as its temperature rises; metals behave in the opposite way. ...

using

x-rays X-rays (or rarely, ''X-radiation'') are a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. In many languages, it is referred to as Röntgen radiation, after the German scientist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, who discovered it in 1895 and named it ' ...

in the 1980s.

Partial list of accomplishments

* Served as Corporal in the 89th Chemical Mortar Battalion in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

* Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral degrees from

, 1946-1952 * Wrote numerous journal articles in materials science * Co-authored "The Analysis of Stress and Deformation" with George W. Housner.The Analysis of Stress and Deformation. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA., 1965

References

External links

Interview with David S. Wood

The Analysis of Stress and Deformation

Mobility of Dislocations in Aluminum

A theory for the shock-wave consolidation of powders

Caltech Oral Histories - Interview with David S. Wood

X‐ray rocking curve analysis of superlattices

X‐ray diffraction characterization of multilayer semiconductor structures

Strain measurement in heteroepitaxial layers—Silicon on sapphire
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vreeland, Thad California Institute of Technology faculty California Institute of Technology alumni 1924 births 2010 deaths United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army non-commissioned officers