Papers of Laurence E. Peterson, professor of physics, leader of the High Energy Astronomy Group, and director (1988-1997) of the UCSD Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences (CASS). Peterson was involved in the planning and design of experiments and instruments onboard such NASA spacecraft as the Orbiting Solar Observatories, the High Energy Astronomical Observatory, Apollo 15 and 16, the Space Shuttle and the Hubble Space Telescope. He was a pioneer in the exploration of hard x-ray energy radiation, and he led the CASS High Energy Astronomy Group in its development of large area phoswich scintillation x-ray and high resolution gamma-ray detectors. The papers span the dates 1954-1994 and include pre-doctoral work, teaching materials, consulting work, editorial papers, presentations, and publications. Absent from the collection are research project files, research proposals and materials documenting Peterson's directorship of CASS.
Laurence Peterson Papers, 1954 - 1995 (MSS 73)
Extent: 38 Linear feet (81 archives boxes and 10 records cartons)
Laurence Peterson was born in Grantsburg, Wisconsin, on July 26, 1931. He received his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1954 and completed his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in physics at the University of Minnesota in 1956 and 1960, respectively. His dissertation was based on determining the energy spectrum of cosmic-ray protons and helium nuclei over Guam, a scientific ballooning experiment. He remained at the University of Minnesota as a research assistant until 1962, when he came to UCSD as an assistant professor of physics, working in the area of high energy astrophysics.
Once at UCSD, Peterson continued work started at the University of Minnesota on Orbiting Solar Observatory 1 mission, also known as the S-16. In the development of OSO, balloon flights gathered data on high energy emissions from the sun and gamma-ray processes in the atmosphere. Many other balloon experiments were launched under Peterson's authority. Peterson led the UCSD High Energy Astronomy Group, a multidisciplinary collaboration that did pioneering research and development of low background collimated detectors operating in the 10 KeV to 10 MeV range and high resolution cosmic gamma-ray detectors. Peterson directed the UCSD Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences (CASS) between 1989 and 1997.
Peterson has a long history of consultation to NASA and has served on many advisory and program committees. He was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship in the 1973-1974 academic year and spent the year at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in India, where he utilized their high energy cosmic-ray laboratory and balloon facility. In 1978, Peterson was honored with the NASA Exceptional Achievement Award. He was affiliated with the American Astronomical Society and the International Astronomical Union. He was the US Vice President of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) during the period 1980-1986. As Visiting Senior Scientist at the California Institute of Technology's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (1986-1988), Peterson served as Astrophysics Deputy Division Chief, where he supervised administrative staff, fostered joint space projects with the international community, especially the USSR, and negotiated new opportunities in space science in the aftermath of the Challenger disaster.
Peterson provided reviews for the Astrophysical Journal, Solar Physics and Journal of Geophysical Research, among others.
Laurence Peterson became Professor Emeritus in 1995.
The Laurence Peterson Papers document the professional activities of a UC San Diego professor of physics, administrator and specialist in the research and exploration of high energy x-ray and gamma-ray radiation. Materials include chronological correspondence files (1965-1992), scientific correspondence, presentations, journal articles, notebooks, reviewing and editing materials, extensive teaching materials for UCSD physics classes, and documentation of Peterson's conference and committee activities.
Proposals, notebooks and files documenting Peterson's participation in High Energy Astronomy Group projects are located in the High Energy Astronomy Group Papers (MSS 467). Materials related to Peterson's directorship of the Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences are located in the CASS Records (RSS 2104).
Accession Processed in 1999
Arranged in seven series: 1) BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS, 2) CORRESPONDENCE, 3) WRITINGS, 4) EDITING, REVIEWING AND CONSULTING, 5) UCSD MATERIALS, 6) MEETINGS, CONFERENCES AND COMMITTEES, and 7) ORIGINALS OF PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPIES.
Accession Processed in 2000
Arranged in two series: 8) NOTEBOOKS, and 9) UCSD TEACHING MATERIALS.
This collection has additional unprocessed materials not described in this finding aid. See the UC San Diego Library catalog record to view the acquisition dates and extent of unprocessed additions.