PETER AUER

AUER--Peter Louis, physicist, professor emeritus of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Cornell University, died at his home in El Cerrito, CA on December 19, 2014 after a lengthy illness. He was 86 years old. Beloved husband, father, grand and great-grandfather, brother, uncle. Born in Budapest, Hungary he emigrated to the United States, sailing on the Queen Mary in 1937. BA in chemistry, Cornell 1947; PhD in chemistry and physics, California Institute of Technology 1951. His career featured an abiding interest in plasma physics and fusion power. Founding director Laboratory of Plasma Studies, Cornell 1967-74; research in plasma physics, University College, Oxford University, 1972-73; deputy director ballistic missile defense, Dept. of Defense,1964-66; headed plasma physics team, Sperry Rand, Sudbury, MA 1961-64; physicist, G.E., Schenectady, NY 1954-61. Guggenheim Fellow 1960-61, Frascati, Italy; Department of Energy labs including, Argonne, Oak Ridge, Lawrence Livermore; industrial organizations including Electric Power Research Institute and Bechtel National, Inc. Fellow, American Physical Society, Sigma Xi, Phi Beta Kappa. Survived by wife, Rheta; daughter, Deborah; sons Douglas and Matthew; brother, Henry; seven grandchildren, one great- grandchild, one nephew, three nieces. Preceded in death by daughter, Andrea (November 26, 2014).