University Daily Kansan, August 21, 1985
Page 13
Sky not the limit for Armstrong
Prof's research reaches for stars
By Sherry Gering
Staff Reporter
Arthur Armstrong rememberes when his nephew Thomas was a young boy and sneaked hot dogs into a Thermos for his school lunch because he didn't like cold sandwiches.
"Thomas was always innovative," he recalls.
And when Thomas Armstrong was about 17 years old, he and some friends tried to make a rocket, but the mission never was completed.
"As long as I can remember, I've been significantly interested in how things work," Amanda said.
Although Armstrong has grown up, he still is innovative. And now his projects get results.
Armstrong, 43, is a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Kansas.
John Davidson, chairman of the department of physics and astronomy, said Armstrong was respected internationally for his research projects. Armstrong has worked on the Voyager and Galileo space projects for International Aeronautics and Space Administration. He called the Solar Polar Mission, which will send a spacecraft around Jupiter to the sun.
Armstrong's latest project has been selected along with proposals from 12 other universities in a nationwide research effort for President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative, commonly known as Star Wars.
He and Ronald Bass, associate professor of physics and astronomy, are working on a proposal called "Plasma Interaction with Insulating Solids." Their research will focus on how dust particles interact with a satellite or spacecraft.
Bass said of Armstrong, "I find him a plea- sant man, a bright man to work with."
Although Star Wars is a controversial issue, Armstrong has no regrets about his request.
"I do not experience any great pangs of conscience in offering to conduct the research we are doing," he said. "It's better
to be aware and knowledgeable than ignorant."
Financing for the project began Aug. 15 and will last for a year. The budget allocated for the research at KU is $60,000.
He said he had been involved with the Voyager space probe since 1972. He had participated in an experiment to monitor its radiation environment.
While most people probably would be affected by the attention from the projects, Armstrong isn't. He said that for years he had done the type of work his project for Star Wars required.
He said that for the past five or six years, he had been working on the problem of how a plasma, an ionized gas, behaved when it was in contact with an insulating solid boundary, which led to the study of the characteristics of satellites in low earth orbit.
Armstrong said that he was able to do this extensive research and had been successful because he was in the right place at the right time.
He once said to his uncle, "Uncle Arthur,
I am a very, very, lucky person to be born in
this generation and to be able to help in the
exploration of space."
However, Armstrong said, "It's always a boost and a morale builder to know that one has the opportunity to participate in a significant research program.
"There is the thrill of discovery and recognition from one's professional col-
"It means additional work and support for students at KU. Academic life really begins and ends with students."
And at one time, Armstrong was at the beginning - a student in a farming community.
Armstrong was born and raised in Atchison, and he spent a lot of his time studying and working on the farm.
"He dreamed about the space program even then," his uncle said.
Armstrong said that in high school he did a lot of fooling around with chemicals and that he always had liked physics.
Armsworth said that even when he wasn't studying, he read books about science. He also took time to participate in the biology, debate and the audio-visual clubs.
His mother, Mary Armstrong, said his friends called him "Packy" because he always carried so many books.
Armstrong didn't comment on the grades he made in high school, but one of his high school teachers, Charlie Stinson, did.
Stinson said, "In my classes he was a brilliant student."
Armstrong's wife, Janetelle, said. "He was always interested in science and saw it as a way to get away from the farm and as a way to get a degree."
Although high school was easy for Arm-
strong, college wasn't.
His wife said his undergraduate work was not exceptional. "In his group there were some really outstanding students," she said.
He had to study hard and struggle to keep up, his wife said. One of the reasons he enjoys teaching is because he had to struggle and he could empathize with the students, she said.
However, his entire college career wasn't spent as a bookworm. "I spent a lot of time at the Wagon Wheel," he said, referring to the Wagon Wheel Cafe. a tavern at 507 W. 14th St.
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Thomas Armstrong, professor of physics and astromony, has worked on the Vogager and Galileo space projects for NASA and now is working on a mission that will send a spacecraft around Jupiter to the sun.
Armstrong said that he had never seriously considered teaching as a career until he was in graduate school at the University of Iowa in 1962, working as a teaching assistant in a laboratory.
Armstrong said, "The principal thing that appeals to me with this job is contact with good students."
To him, "good" students mean those who are interested and work hard.
"I have little patience with those who are not trying." he said.
Davidson said that it was evident that Arm- strong enjoyed teaching.
"I discovered that I enjoyed individual interaction with students and could do it reasonably well," he said. "It's extremely fortunate to be paid for doing exactly what one wants to do."
"He is very exciting and students like
him," he said. "He is concerned with students."
He always involves students at any level in the research he is working on, and sometimes he takes them to meetings about his projects, he said.
Armstrong said, "The courses I teach are also connected significantly to the research that I do and I believe I can make a very strong argument for the value of research in undergraduate education.
"It is very direct and immediate in its value and impact in the classes that I teach."
Ed Bell, graduate research assistant., said Armstrong's enthusiasm for his work spilled over into the classroom.
Although Armstrong tries to give as much time to the students as he can, sometimes his research and related trips take time away from them.
Bell said, "Sometimes you do tend to feel
Armstrong said he took a trip about once a month to attend meetings about his various
like you don't get much opportunity to talk to him."
Ramona Kessel, Kansas City, Mo.
graduate student, said. "I think he is one of the best teachers. He takes a great interest in what we do and he has the energy of 10 men."
However, Armstrong tried to meet with his students at least once a week. Bell said.
When he gets away from the University, he needs to find a few hours to spend with his family.
"There really isn't much spare time," his wife said, "but one of the things he does make time for is taking time for and with the kids.
Armstrong said that one activity that he enjoyed and one that made him forget about work for a while was the "Big Blue Sportsman Club."
But the place where Armstrong usually can be found is his tidy office in Malot Hall. For him, teaching and doing research isn't work. It's pleasure.
Armstrong said, "A day without research is a day without sunshine."
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