Fred Gygax

Fred Gygax passed away on 03 April 2022 at age 80 at his home in Ennetbaden, Switzerland. Together with Alex Schenck, he was one of the pioneers in developing the µSR technique at SIN/PSI. Their achievements paved the way for the foundation of the µSR facility at PSI, called today the Swiss Muon Source SµS. We lose a great colleague and friend, who made so many important scientific contributions to the muon facility at PSI and to the world-wide muon spin spectroscopy community. We have always appreciated his friendly and pleasant manner, and his humorous way.

​

Jun Kondo

The great condensed matter physicist, AIST Emeritus Fellow and Professor Emeritus of Toho University, Jun Kondo, passed away on 11 March 2022 at his home in Tokyo at the age of 92. He was known worldwide for his groundbreaking theoretical work on the Kondo effect, a phenomenon in which magnetic ions in metals cause minimal electrical resistivity at low temperatures. Since the 1980s, he has been interested in the quantum diffusion of muons and muonium in solids, and has brought great advances by theoretical predictions including the non-adiabatic effect on muon diffusion in metals and the distinct spin relaxation exhibited by muonium in the Bloch state. He was also known for his humble and gentle personality, and we greatly regret that the opportunity to interact with him has been lost forever.

​

William Kossler

William "Jack" Kossler passed away on 9 December 2021 at his home in Williamsburg, VA. He was instrumental in setting up the beam lines at the Space Radiation Effects Laboratory in Newport News and Brookhaven National Laboratory; he also conducted research at PSI/SIN and TRIUMF in High-Tc Superconductors and other materials. He was passionate about teaching physics and muSR and will be missed. He was 84.

​

T.P. Das

Professor Tara Prasad Das passed away on 18 July 2017 at his home in Guilderland, NY. He was a great scientist and pioneer who taught us the importance of the first principles theoretical approach to understand the muon's behavior and hyperfine interactions in matter. The simulation originated by him and his group are nowadays the standard method in the world muon community. You can view his obituary using the following links: 1 and 2. If you would like to send a message to Professor Das' family, you can upload it to the blog page of Dr. Surendra Ray.

​

Kusuo Nishiyama

Kusuo Nishiyama, former Head of the Muon Science Laboratory at KEK, passed away on 21 November 2014, at age 69. Until a few months before his death, Prof. Nishiyama was actively involved in the construction of the Ultra-Slow Muon beamline at J-PARC MUSE.

Alan Astbury

Alan Astbury, fifth Director of TRIUMF (1994-2001) and builder of the ISAC facility where β-NMR was developed, passed away in Victoria on 21 July 2014, at age 80. Obituaries, memorials and personal stories about Alan can easily be found online.
 

Erich Vogt

Erich Wolfgang Vogt, fourth Director of TRIUMF and longtime friend and supporter of µSR, passed away in Vancouver on February 19, 2014, at age 84. Obituaries, memorials and personal stories about Erich can be perused (or added to) at the Erich Vogt wiki site.
 

Carey Stronach

Carey Elliott Stronach, a lifelong civil rights advocate, playwright and active member of the µSR community, died of congestive heart failure at his home in Petersburg, VA on 16 December 2012. He was 72.
 

Ken Crowe

Kenneth Morse Crowe, who played a key role in the development and success of µSR, passed away in Oakland, California on February 1, 2012. He was 85. Obituaries, memorials and personal stories about Ken can be perused (or added to) at the Ken Crowe wiki site.
 

Anatole Abragam

Anatole Abragam (born December 15, 1914) passed away in Paris on 08 June 2011. Professor Abragam was elected a Fellow of the French Academy of Sciences on 25 June 1973. He is famous for his book The Principles of Nuclear Magnetism and his seminal contributions to the field of nuclear magnetic resonance. Originally from Russia, Anatole and his family emigrated to France in 1925. After undergraduate work at the University of Paris, (1933-1936), he served in the Second World War and later obtained his doctorate at the École Supérieure d'Électricité. His impact on µSR has been mainly through the host of NMR experts inspired by his works, but few who met him in person will ever forget his brilliant and ascerbic wit. The world needs more crusty geniuses like Anatole.
 

Marshall Stoneham

IOP President Professor Marshall Stoneham died early in the morning of Friday 18 February 2011. Few people have had as great an influence on the development of µSR in general, and on the states of muons in solids specifically. He was a wellspring of wisdom and a cherished friend and colleague to many.
 

Jules Deutsch

Professor Jules Deutsch (Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium), died of a heart attack in Brussels on Saturday 05 February 2011. He was well known to the nuclear physics and µSR communities at TRIUMF and elsewhere, and a good friend to all.

​

​

​

​