Person
Sowerby, Brian David
- Occupation
- Mineralogist and Nuclear physicist
Summary
Brian Sowerby, a doctor in Nuclear Physics, is an expert in the application of nuclear and ultrasonic imaging techniques in the mineral and energy industries. While employed by the CSIRO as research manager of CSIRO Minerals at Lucas Heights he made breakthroughs in techniques for the analysis of raw materials in the mining industry, including the CSIRO product Coalscan. This led Sowerby to focus on other applications of similar imaging techniques. The outcome of this was the Air Cargo Scanner, which uses high-energy neutrons combined with X-rays or gamma-rays to rapidly scan and identify not only the shape but also the mineral makeup of materials in large cargo containers. For this technique he was the joint recipient of the CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement in 2006.
Details
Chronology
- 1984
- Award - IR 100 Award for Coalscan pair production gauge (together with Mineral Control Instrumentation Limited and Queensland University)
- 1985
- Award - Inaugural Sir Ian McLennan Achievement for Industry Award
- 1989
- Award - Confederation of Australian Industry Award for Outstanding Achievement in Energy Research
- 1992
- Award - Australia Prize (in the field of Physical Sciences relating to mining or processing of mineral resources) (joint), Australian Government
- 2003
- Award - Centenary Medal for service to Australian society in applied physics
- 2004
- Award - Alan Walsh Medal for Service to Industry (jointly with James Tickner), Australian Institute of Physics
- 2006
- Award - CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement for Air Cargo Scanner
Related entries
Published resources
Resources
- 'Sowerby, Brian David', Recipients [of the Prime Minister's Prizes for Science, 2000 - 2017], Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, 2017, https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20171113020152/http://www.science.gov.au/community/PrimeMinistersPrizesforScience/Recipients/1990-1999/Pages/BrianSowerby.aspx. Details
- 'Sowerby, Brian David', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1514412. Details
Resource Sections
- Ward, C., 'Brian David Sowerby', in CSIROpedia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), 2011, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/Sowerby-Brian-David. Details
Rebecca Rigby
Created: 12 June 2012, Last modified: 16 February 2024