Scott Forbush

Scott Ellsworth Forbush (April 10, 1904 – April 4, 1984) was an American astronomer, physicist and geophysicist who is recognized as having laid the observational foundations for many of the central features of solar-interplanetary-terrestrial physics, which at the time was an underdeveloped field of study. In 1937 Forbush discovered the Forbush Effect: an occasional decrease in the intensity of cosmic rays as observed on Earth that is caused by the solar wind and its interaction with the magnetosphere. Scott conducted most of his research during his career at the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism (DTM) of the Carnegie Institution of Washington where he was appointed chairman of a section on theoretical geophysics in 1957.

Scott was widowed once and married twice, the first time to Clara Lundell, a concert pianist who died in 1967, and for the second time in June 1970, 14 years before his death, to Julie Daves, a science writer and watercolor artist. Scott died in 1984 in Charlottesville, Virginia, having suffered from pneumonia. He was survived by his wife Julie and his sister Louise Boyd of Hudson, Ohio. In 1931 he was granted permission to finish his graduate studies in physics and mathematics at Johns Hopkins University. He became married in 1932 to Clara Lundell, concert pianist, and was widowed in 1967. In 1957 he was named chairman of a section on theoretical geophysics at DTM, and around the same time became a chairman of the Panel on Cosmic Rays of the U.S. National Committee for a year. With these titles he helped to organize and coordinate both national and international efforts in the observation of cosmic ray intensity world-wide using neutron monitors developed by John A. Simpson. He published many articles in journals such as the Journal of Geophysical Research and The American Physical Society. His publications include: Three Unusual Cosmic-Ray Increases Possibly Due to Charged Particles from the Sun. Forbush, Scott E. Phys. Rev. 70, 771-772. The American Physical Society. (11/1946) World-Wide Cosmic-Ray Variations, 1937-1952 Forbush, Scott E. Journal of Geophysical Research, vol. 59, issue 4, pp. 525-542 (JGR Homepage). (12/1954) Cosmic-Ray Intensity Variations during Two Solar Cycles Forbush, Scott E. Journal of Geophysical Research, vol. 63, issue 4, pp. 651-669 (JGR Homepage). (12/1958)