Douglas Cline remembered as a ‘giant’ in nuclear physics community
Douglas Cline, a retired professor of physics (research) and former director of the University of Rochester Nuclear Structure Research Laboratory, is being remembered as a “giant” in the nuclear physics community-particularly the gamma-ray spectroscopy area.
“His name is tied to one of the greatest gamma-ray detectors: gamma sphere.” says Frank Wolfs, professor of physics at the University of Rochester. “This detector confirmed theoretical predictions that under certain circumstances, nuclei are super deformed and generated an enormous amount of nuclear structure related information.”
Cline, who died on June 20 at his home in California, joined the University of Rochester as a research associate in 1963 and became a professor in 1977. He served as associate director (1977-88) and director (1988-1999) at the Nuclear Structure Research Laboratory.
“Much of his career was spent building and using the accelerator at the Nuclear Structure Research Laboratory (NSRL) located across the street from the LLE (Laboratory for Laser Energetics),” says Steven Manly, professor of physics and chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Rochester.
“Post-NSRL, his research was focused on national gamma-ray and exotic-beam facilities. Doug was a fabulously energetic nuclear physicist and a very pleasant colleague. His laugh was powerful and infectious.”