content: SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
  
                               Washington, D.C. 20549
  
                     -------------------------------------------
  
  
                                      FORM 8-K
  
  
                                   CURRENT REPORT
  
                         Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                         the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
  
  
  
                                   Date of Report
                         (Date of earliest event reported):
  
                                   March 23, 1999
  
                      ----------------------------------------
  
  
                              THERMO OPTEK CORPORATION
               (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
  
  
  Delaware                        1-11757                     04-3283973
  (State or other               (Commission              (I.R.S. Employer
  jurisdiction of               File Number)             Identification Number)
  incorporation or
  organization)
  
  
  8 East Forge Parkway
  Franklin, Massachusetts                                       02038 
  (Address of principal executive offices)                    (Zip Code)
  
  
                                   (508) 553-1700
                           (Registrant's telephone number
                                including area code)
  
  
  
  <PAGE>
  
  
  Item 5.     Other Events
  
        On March 23, 1999,  the Registrant  issued a press release  announcing the
  resignation  of its  president  and  chief  executive  officer,  Dr.  Robert  J.
  Rosenthal. Barry S. Howe, president and chief executive officer of ThermoSpectra
  Corporation,  will serve as interim president  pending a permanent  replacement.
  The   Registrant  and   ThermoSpectra   Corporation   are  both   majority-owned
  subsidiaries   of  Thermo   Instrument   Systems  Inc.,   which  in  turn  is  a
  majority-owned subsidiary of Thermo Electron Corporation.
  
  Item 7.     Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits
  
        (a)   Financial Statements of Business Acquired: not
              applicable.
  
        (b)   Pro Forma Financial Information: not applicable.
  
        (c)   Exhibits: not applicable.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  <PAGE>
  
  
  
  
                                      SIGNATURE
  
  
  
        Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
  Registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
  undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, on this 26th day of March, 1999.
  
  
                                            THERMO OPTEK CORPORATION
  
  
                                            By:/s/ Theo Melas-Kyriazi
                                               ----------------------------------
                                               Theo Melas-Kyriazi
                                               Chief Financial Officer
metadata_documents: [{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM 8-K", "secsgml_size_bytes": 2783}]
metadata_filer: {"company-data": {"conformed-name": "THERMO OPTEK CORP", "cik": "0001012368", "assigned-sic": "3826", "irs-number": "043283973", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "001-11757", "film-number": "99574133"}, "business-address": {"street1": "8E FORGE PARKWAY", "street2": "P.O. BOX 9046", "city": "FRANKLIN", "state": "MA", "zip": "02038", "phone": "6176221000"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "81 WALTHAM STREET", "street2": "P.O. BOX 9046", "city": "WALTHAM", "state": "MA", "zip": "02154"}}
text: SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
  
                               Washington, D.C. 20549
  
                     -------------------------------------------
  
                                      FORM 8-K
  
                                   CURRENT REPORT
  
                         Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                         the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
  
                                   Date of Report
                         (Date of earliest event reported):
  
                                   March 23, 1999
  
                      ----------------------------------------
  
                              THERMO OPTEK CORPORATION
               (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
  
  Delaware                        1-11757                     04-3283973
  (State or other               (Commission              (I.R.S. Employer
  jurisdiction of               File Number)             Identification Number)
  incorporation or
  organization)
  
  8 East Forge Parkway
  Franklin, Massachusetts                                       02038 
  (Address of principal executive offices)                    (Zip Code)
  
                                   (508) 553-1700
                           (Registrant's telephone number
                                including area code)
  Item 5.     Other Events
  
        On March 23, 1999,  the Registrant  issued a press release  announcing the
  resignation  of its  president  and  chief  executive  officer,  Dr.  Robert  J.
  Rosenthal. Barry S. Howe, president and chief executive officer of ThermoSpectra
  Corporation,  will serve as interim president  pending a permanent  replacement.
  The   Registrant  and   ThermoSpectra   Corporation   are  both   majority-owned
  subsidiaries   of  Thermo   Instrument   Systems  Inc.,   which  in  turn  is  a
  majority-owned subsidiary of Thermo Electron Corporation.
  
  Item 7.     Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits
  
        (a)   Financial Statements of Business Acquired: not
              applicable.
  
        (b)   Pro Forma Financial Information: not applicable.
  
        (c)   Exhibits: not applicable.
  SIGNATURE
  
        Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
  Registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
  undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, on this 26th day of March, 1999.
  
                                            THERMO OPTEK CORPORATION
  
                                            By:/s/ Theo Melas-Kyriazi
                                               ----------------------------------
                                               Theo Melas-Kyriazi
                                               Chief Financial Officer