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Philip Saffman: Tributes to former Roundhay School maths prodigy
One of the world's top scientists and a former Roundhay High School pupil has died in America.
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The death of Philip Geoffrey Saffman, aged 77, in Pasadena, California, followed a long illness.
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The professor of applied mathematics and aeronautics was also a world expert on fluids.
Born on March 19, 1931, the son of Sam and Sarah Saffman, his father was a Leeds solicitor.
Educated at Roundhay School, Philip's genius was recognised when aged just 15 he gained honours in some 10 Higher School Certificate subjects, the equivalent of today's A-Levels.
He had two brothers, Leonard, who died in 2001, and younger brother Simeon, both partners in the family firm of solicitors.
His fascination with water came to the fore when on family holidays he would sit for hours on the beach observing the movement of waves.
Aged 16, he went to stay with relatives in Baltimore returning in 1948 to England for National Service. However, the RAF released him after only a year to enter Trinity College Cambridge as "something of a prodigy" where he received his bachelor, master and doctorate degrees.
In 1954, he married Ruth Arion from Leeds. In 1958 they moved to Cambridge when he was appointed assistant lecturer in applied mathematics.
After teaching at Cambridge and King's College London for six years he moved, in 1964, to the US as professor of fluid mechanics at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
Prof Saffman was best known for his study on what occurs when a fluid of low viscosity, such as water, is injected into a fluid of higher viscosity, such as glycerine.
This phenomenon became known as the Saffman-Taylor instability, and is closely related to many important processes.
His research into the subject was instrumental in helping oil companies develop the best methods of recovering trapped oil by injecting water or steam to force the oil to the surface.
He also made contributions to the understanding of vorticity, the way ships move through water and aircraft through air.
His mathematical analysis of turbulence in the wake of jet aircraft during takeoff allowed him to calculate how long it takes turbulence to disperse, determining when it is safe for another aircraft to follow.
He acted as consultant following several aircraft disasters.
A fellow of the Royal Society and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Prof Saffman was awarded the Otto Laporte Award by the American Physical Society.
Author of numerous papers in scientific journals, he also wrote the book, Vortex Dynamics in 1992 with Geoffrey Ingham Taylor, analysing a field in which he became a principal contributor.
In 1995 he was named Theodore von Karman Professor of Applied Mathematics and Aeronautics at Caltech.
He retired in 2001. He was known by colleagues and friends as a gentle, soft-spoken man with a dry sense of humour. Colleagues at Caltech praosed his generosity as a mentor and praised his commitment to the highest standards of scientific excellence.
He is survived by his wife Ruth and children Louise, Mark and Emma and eight grandchildren.
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Monday 21 May 2012
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