John Field was a renowned experimentalist working in areas which overlap physics, chemistry, engineering and materials science. In his university laboratory for high-speed photography, John helped to develop the latest cameras which now cover a range from a few frames a second to 20 million a second. Combining this facility for direct observation with ingenious and original techniques he resolved many problems of impact, fracture and erosion including the stress field at the tip of fast-moving cracks. He greatly extended our understanding of explosive reactions, rock mechanics and the failure of diamond films. John's work, which covered a wide range of practical topics, had an important influence on engineering design as well as being good physics. His advice and help were widely sought by government establishments and industrial laboratories both in this country and abroad.
Professor John Field OBE FRS died on 21 October 2020.
Biographical Memoir
