David Axon

David John Axon (1951 – 5 April 2012) was a British astrophysicist whose research focused on astronomical polarimetry and active galactic nuclei.

He held professorships at the University of Hertfordshire and the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), and at the time of his death was head of the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the University of Sussex.

Early life and education Axon was born in Doncaster in 1951 to an English father and Welsh mother.

He remained at Durham to undertake a PhD under the supervision of Arnold Wolfendale, which he completed in 1977.

Career and research Following his doctorate, Axon held research fellowships at the University of Sussex, University College London and the Institute of Astronomy at the University of Cambridge.

With Keith Taylor, Axon studied the large-scale outflow from M82, identifying what became known as a galactic superwind. He also contributed to observations revealing large-scale magnetic fields in the outflow from the young stellar object T Tauri.

Death Axon died suddenly on 5 April 2012 while visiting RIT in Rochester, New York.