Titus Pankey
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Titus Pankey | |
|---|---|
| Born | Titus Pankey, Jr. 20 November 1925 |
| Died | September 20, 2003 (aged 77) (aged 77) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Howard University |
| Known for | Magnetic susceptibility Cosmology, especially supernovas |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | Howard University |
| Thesis | "Possible Thermonuclear Activities in Natural Terrestrial Minerals" (1962) |
| Doctoral advisor | Herman Branson |
Titus Pankey (20 November 1925 – 20 September 2003)[1] was an American physicist and professor whose research specialties were magnetic susceptibility and cosmology, especially supernovas. He was the first recipient of a PhD in physics from Howard University, and was one of the first 10 Black recipients of a PhD in physics in the United States.[2] He has been cited as the first to suggest that thermonuclear supernovae are powered by Nickel-56 decay.[3][4]
Early life and military service
Titus Pankey, Jr., was born in 1925 in Hinton, West Virginia. He grew up between Hinton and Charlottesville, Virginia, where he also graduated from high school. After graduation from high school, he worked as a Pullman porter on the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, and helped to fund his four sisters' college educations. He later worked in an electrophoresis lab at the University of Virginia Hospital in Charlottesville. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and was discharged in 1954 after completing his tour of duty.[5] While serving in the Army's 65th Infantry Regiment, 3rd division, Pankey earned two battle stars and the Combat Infantryman's Badge.[6]
Education
After completing his service, Pankey attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., as an undergraduate and graduated magna cum laude[7] with a degree in physics. He subsequently received his master's and PhD degrees from Howard in physics, completing his doctorate in 1962.[3] With the completion of his degree, Pankey became the first recipient of a physics PhD from Howard University.
His dissertation advisor was Herman Branson, and the title of Pankey's thesis was "Possible Thermonuclear Activities in Natural Terrestrial Minerals," submitted on 26 July 1961.[8][9] Branson also advised, among others, the second Howard physics PhD holder, Arthur Thorpe, who received his degree two years after Pankey in 1964.[10] Pankey's research was supported by the U.S. Geological Survey and Dr. Frank E. Senftle, and his advisory committee comprised of Dr. Branson, Dr. Sohan Singh, Dr. Louis G. Swaby, and Dr. Stanton L. Wormley.[9] Wormley was then the acting dean of the graduate school at Howard.[11]
In March 1958, he was one of sixteen Howard students elected to the Phi Beta Kappa honors society.[2][12] In May 1958, he was elected into an associate membership to the Sigma Xi national science honors society.[13][14]
Career
In his graduate thesis, Pankey discussed the connection between the decay of Nickel-56 and observed Type Ia light curves, and suggested that this decay may have been associated with the decay of radioactive nuclides created in an explosion. This is the first example of the theoretical explanation of this process.[3][15][16] This theory was later expanded in the 1969 article "Early Supernova Luminosity" by Stirling Colgate and Chester McKee, and in 2014, the first direct observational evidence for the theory was gathered, confirming Pankey's initial theory.[17]
In 1957, while attending graduate school, Pankey began work at the United States Naval Research Laboratory as a research physicist and cosmologist. While at the Naval Research Laboratory, he worked with John E. Davey and the pair submitted a patent for a method of forming gallium phosphide coatings in 1969.[18]
After completing his doctorate in 1962, Pankey became an associate professor of physics at Howard University. He taught at Howard until 1979, when he suffered a brain injury during a robbery and assault at his home in Washington, D.C. After recovering from the assault, he continued to conduct physics research at his home.
Personal life
Pankey was married to to Dr. Anita-Rae Smith-Pankey, and the couple later divorced. They had five children. Around 1980, he left Washington, D.C., and moved back to the Charlottesville area where he lived until his death.[4]
Publications
- "Anomalous Beta Decay in Type-I Supernovae," Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Vol. 92, No. 549 (October 1980)[19]
- "Magnetic Susceptibility of Tetragonal Titanium Dioxide," Physical Review 120, 820 – Published 1 November 1960 with Frank E. Senftle from the U.S. Geological Survey, and Frank A. Grant from the National Bureau of Standards[20]
- "Polymorphism in Vaccuum-Deposited GaP Films," Applied Physics Letters 12, 38 (1968), published with John E. Davey[21]
- "Antiferromagnetism of UO2·2H2O," The Journal of Chemical Physics 39, 1702 (1963), published with Frank E. Senftle, and Frank Cuttitta[22]
- "Tidal gravimeter employing magnetic suspension," Review of Scientific lnstruments, Vol. 47, No.6, June 1976, published with Arthur Thorpe and F. Marsh[23]
References
- ^ "PFC Titus Pankey Jr. (1925-2003) - Find a Grave..." www.findagrave.com. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ^ a b "The Hinton News February 15 Page 1". hin.stparchive.com. Retrieved 2022-06-26.
- ^ a b c "How Elements are Forged from Stars | Spaceaustralia". spaceaustralia.com. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
- ^ a b "Sydelle F. Corwin Real Estat ..." Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
- ^ "Tribune 24 July 1954 — Virginia Chronicle: Digital Newspaper Archive". virginiachronicle.com. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
- ^ Humanities, National Endowment for the (1958-04-19). "Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, April 19, 1958, Image 8". p. 8. ISSN 0047-1704. Retrieved 2022-06-26.
- ^ "Arizona Tribune, 1962-06-15". azmemory.azlibrary.gov. Retrieved 2022-06-26.
- ^ University, Howard (1962-06-08). "1962 - Howard University Commencement Program". Howard University Commencement Programs.
- ^ a b "POSSIBLE THERMONUCLEAR ACTIVITIES IN NATURAL TERRESTRIAL MINERALS - ProQuest". www.proquest.com. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
- ^ Rankins, Claudia M. (13 February 2021). "The Story of the Connection of the First Five Physics PhD Recipients to HBCUs". National Society of Black Physicists. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Columbia, United States Congress House Committee on the District of (1966). Hearings.
- ^ Staff, Hilltop, "The Hilltop 3-28-1958" (1958). The Hilltop: 1950-60. 53. http://dh.howard.edu/hilltop_195060/53
- ^ Humanities, National Endowment for the (1958-05-17). "Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, May 17, 1958, Image 4". p. 4. ISSN 0047-1704. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ^ Staff, Hilltop, "The Hilltop 5-17-1958" (1958). The Hilltop: 1950-60. 56. http://dh.howard.edu/hilltop_195060/56
- ^ Longair, Malcolm S.; Longair, Professor Malcolm S. (2006-06-15). The Cosmic Century: A History of Astrophysics and Cosmology. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-47436-8.
- ^ Stabell, Oddbjørn Engvold Bozena Czerny, John Lattanzio and Rolf (2012-11-30). Astronomy and Astrophysics - Volume I. EOLSS Publications. ISBN 978-1-78021-000-1.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Panther, F.H.; Seitenzahl, I.R.; Ruiter, A.J.; Siegert, T.; Sim, S.; Crocker, R.M. (2021) [Accepted 2021 September 15. Received 2021 September 8, in original form 2021 March 30]. "Prospects of direct detection of 48V gamma-rays from thermonuclear supernovae" (PDF). Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 508 (2): 1590–1598 – via Queen's University Belfast.
- ^ Office, United States Patent (1972). Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office: Patents. The Office.
- ^ Pankey, Titus (1980). ""ANOMALOUS BETA DECAY IN TYPE-I SUPERNOVAE."". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 92 (549): 606–08 – via Jstor.
- ^ Senftle, Frank E.; Pankey, Titus; Grant, Frank A. (November 1960) [Received 1 July 1959]. "Magnetic Susceptibility of Tetragonal Titanium Dioxide". Physical Review. 120 (3): 820–825 – via APS.
- ^ Davey, John E.; Pankey, Titus (March 1968) [Submitted 27 October 1967]. "POLYMORPHISM IN VACUUM‐DEPOSITED GaP FILMS". Applied Physics Letters. 12 (38) – via AIP.
- ^ Pankey, Titus; Senftle, Frank E.; Cuttitta, Frank (1963). "Antiferromagnetism of UO 2 ·2H 2 O". The Journal of Chemical Physics. 39 (7): 1702–1706. doi:10.1063/1.1734516. ISSN 0021-9606.
- ^ Pankey, Titus; Thorpe, Arthur N.; Marsh, F. (June 1976) [Received 13 November 1975; in final form, 23 February 1976]. "Tidal gravimeter employing magnetic suspension" (PDF). The Review of Scientific Instruments. 47 (6): 769 – via Cal Tech.
External links
- Article and photo of Titus Pankey in the Roanoke Tribune, 22 August 1953, page 7
- The Howard University Review of Science - externally edited by Titus Pankey and featuring an article by Dr. Anita-Rae Smith-Pankey