Interview with Thomas A. Tombrello - Caltech Oral Histories

Tombrello–46
THOMAS A. TOMBRELLO
SESSION 3
December 26, 2010
ASPATURIAN: We are going to talk now at some length about your nearly five decades of
experience with Caltech undergrads.
TOMBRELLO: Parts of this have already been included in earlier interviews—that there were
perfectly serviceable and talented undergrads before 1971, which covers roughly the first ten
years I was here. But then in 1971 Tom Weaver came into my office and sat down. It must have
been the beginning of his senior year. I said, “Who are you?” He said, “I’m Tom Weaver and
Willy Fowler sent me, and I’m going to stay here until you give me a research project.”
I said, “Fat chance. Out!” He says, “Nope. I’m staying. I’m told you are going to give
me a research project, and you are going to give me a research project.” To make a long story
short, we did three different research projects, produced four papers, and I was totally spoiled
about Caltech. It was an experience that few people have had. The next student like this—I
have to get the dates right—was Steve Koonin. He was also an advisee of Willy Fowler. At that
point, I’m totally spoiled and I’m thinking, Willy’s sent this kid here, he must be bright, let’s just
see how bright. He and I are in my office, and I’m at the board and I said, “This is what I’m
trying to do. And I’ve always gotten stuck on it. Let me just try to explain it to you and I’ll
show you where I’m stuck.” So I start in on this problem and I realize, at some point, I’ve gotten
past the part where I got stuck and I’m well on my way to getting this problem defined so it can
be solved. And Koonin is looking at it, taking notes and making suggestions, and we realize that
this is going to be a lot of fun.
At the same time, a freshman comes in named Ken [Kenneth S.] Jancaitis. I had been
working on a bit of theoretical work related to an unusual accelerator design. I’d started that in
’69 and I hadn’t been totally happy with the models of it. Some of them had come from John
Pierce [professor of electrical engineering 1970-80], because the model was based on the
traveling-wave tube. John Pierce and Bell Labs had designed the first traveling-wave tubes,
which are still used, as far as I know, in all communications satellites. It’s a high-powered RF
[radio frequency] amplifier. But you can also design a slow-wave accelerator based on it for
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