physics

Wulf Bernard Kunkel

Wulf Bernard Kunkel is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Wulf Bernard Kunkel rather than just read about it. In short: Wulf Bernard Kunkel (6 February 1923, Eichenau, Germany – 3 September 2013, Oakland, California) was a German-born American physicist, specializing in plasma physics, especially "the development of ion beams for plasma heating". Kunkel attended the International Quaker School Eerde in Eerde, Ommen in the Netherlands.

Key takeaways

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Reference excerpt

Wulf Bernard Kunkel (6 February 1923, Eichenau, Germany – 3 September 2013, Oakland, California) was a German-born American physicist, specializing in plasma physics, especially "the development of ion beams for plasma heating". Kunkel attended the International Quaker School Eerde in Eerde, Ommen in the Netherlands. During the Second World War, he studied physics at the University of Amsterdam. After WW II ended, he studied physics at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), where he graduated with bachelor's degree in 1948 and PhD in 1951. From 1951 to 1956 he worked at UC Berkeley's Institute of Engineering Research. In 1956 he joined the UC Radiation Laboratory (renamed in 1958 the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, LBNL) and also became a lecturer in the physics department, UC Berkeley. There he was a full professor from 1967 to 1991, when he retired as professor emeritus. From 1971 to 1991 he served as leader of LBNL's fusion research program. Kunkel was a Guggenheim Fellow for the two academic years 1955–1956 and 1972–1973. He was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society in 1955. He received Germany's Alexander von Humboldt Award in 1982.

Kunkel’s research focused on astrophysics, basic aspects of plasma physics, controlled nuclear fusion power, developing novel powerful deuterium injectors for heating, ionization phenomena in gases, plasma in the large magnetic confinement fusion experiments, and space science. Upon his death he was survived by his widow, three children, and two grandchildren.

Selected publications Kunkel, Wulf B. (1948). "Magnitude and Character of Errors Produced by Shape Factors in Stokes' Law Estimates of Particle Radius". Journal of Applied Physics. 19 (11): 1056–1058. Bibcode:1948JAP....19.1056K. doi:10.1063/1.1698010. Kunkel, W. B. (1950). "The Static Electrification of Dust Particles on Dispersion into a Cloud". Journal of Applied Physics. 21 (8): 820–832. Bibcode:1950JAP....21..820K. doi:10.1063/1.1699765. Anderson, Oscar; Baker, William R.; Bratenahl, Alexander; Furth, Harold P.; Kunkel, Wulf B. (1959). "Hydromagnetic Capacitor". Journal of Applied Physics. 30 (2): 188–196. Bibcode:1959JAP....30..188A. doi:10.1063/1.1735132. Robben, Frank; Kunkel, Wulf B.; Talbot, Lawrence (1963). "Spectroscopic Study of Electron Recombination with Monatomic Ions in a Helium Plasma". Physical Review. 132 (6): 2363–2371. Bibcode:1963PhRv..132.2363R. doi:10.1103/PhysRev.132.2363. Kunkel, W. B., ed. (1966). Plasma Physics in Theory and Application. McGraw-Hill; 494 pages{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) Sherwood, Arthur R.; Kunkel, Wulf B. (1968). "Formative Time for Breakdown in Strong Crossed Fields". Journal of Applied Physics. 39 (5): 2343–2348. Bibcode:1968JAP....39.2343S. doi:10.1063/1.1656557. Brown, Ian G.; Compher, Alan B.; Kunkel, Wulf B. (1971). "Response of a Langmuir Probe in a Strong Magnetic Field". Physics of Fluids. 14 (7): 1377. Bibcode:1971PhFl...14.1377B. doi:10.1063/1.1693617. Kunkel, Wulf B. (1979). "Multimegawatt Neutral Beams for Tokamaks". IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science. 26 (3): 4166–4171. doi:10.1109/TNS.1979.4330733. S2CID 9357022. 1979 (This paper "describes the use and future of high-power neutral-beam injectors to heat plasma." Walther, S. R.; Leung, K. N.; Kunkel, W. B. (1988). "Production of H− ions with addition of cesium or xenon to a hydrogen discharge in a small multicusp ion source". Journal of Applied Physics. 64 (7): 3424–3428. Bibcode:1988JAP....64.3424W. doi:10.1063/1.341498. Leung, K. N.; Hauck, C. A.; Kunkel, W. B.; Walther, S. R. (1989). "Optimization of H− production from a small multicusp ion source". Review of Scientific Instruments. 60 (4): 531–538. Bibcode:1989RScI...60..531L. doi:10.1063/1.1140359. Leung, K. N.; Devries, G. J.; Divergilio, W. F.; Hamm, R. W.; Hauck, C. A.; Kunkel, W. B.; McDonald, D. S.; Williams, M. D. (1991). "rf driven multicusp H− ion source". Review of Scientific Instruments. 62 (1): 100–104. Bibcode:1991RScI...62..100L. doi:10.1063/1.1142315.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Wulf Bernard Kunkel

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Wulf Bernard Kunkel claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Wulf Bernard Kunkel before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Wulf Bernard Kunkel ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Wulf Bernard Kunkel

In research: Wulf Bernard Kunkel appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Wulf Bernard Kunkel in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Wulf Bernard Kunkel is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1923 births, 2013 deaths, 20th-century American physicists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Wulf Bernard Kunkel outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Wulf Bernard Kunkel in 20 minutes

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Frequently asked questions

What is Wulf Bernard Kunkel in simple terms?

Why does Wulf Bernard Kunkel matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

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Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Wulf Bernard Kunkel.