This special issue of Philosophical Magazine, ‘Elasticity to atomistics: predictive modeling of defect behavior’, is dedicated to Professor David J. Bacon on the occasion of his retirement from the University of Liverpool.
Professor Bacon started his scientific career as a Research Fellow in the Theoretical Physics Division, AERE, Harwell, in 1965 after receiving his PhD degree in Metal Physics from the University of London. In 1967, he moved to the University of Liverpool and devoted more than 40 years to teaching and research at this University. Twice in a period of seven years, he was the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and served as the Head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Head of the Department of Engineering. His recognitions include a DSc in Materials Science from University of London. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng), Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (FIMMM), Fellow of the Institute of Physics (FInstP) and a Chartered Engineer (CEng).
Professor Bacon taught many innovative undergraduate and post-graduate courses, and directed a large number of post-graduate research students and postdoctoral researchers. As a result, many scientists at Universities and Research Centers all over the world have benefited from his seminal ideas and rigorous methodology. He served as the editor of Philosophical Magazine, a highly prestigious journal for materials science and physics papers. Professor Bacon and his collaborators have published over 300 papers in scientific journals. He is a coauthor with Professor D. Hull of the textbook Introduction to Dislocations, which is one of the most widely used and cited books in its field.
Professor Bacon's research interests cover topical areas that include atomic-scale and meso-scale materials science, computer modeling of defects in metals with particular reference to their influence on mechanical properties, grain boundary structure, and radiation damage evolution in nuclear materials. His contributions to these areas over his career are invaluable, and perhaps best captured in the citation, ‘in recognition of distinguished work wherein he has made or is making a notable contribution to all branches of materials science’, that came with the Griffith Medal and Prize he was awarded in 2005 from the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.
His colleagues, collaborators and friends are pleased to dedicate this collection of articles to a remarkable physicist and materials scientist, an excellent teacher, a wonderful person, and a true gentleman.
We all join together in sending our best wishes to David Bacon, his wife Jean and their sons and grandchildren.