obituary

It is our sad duty to announce to the physics community and the wider public that the eminent plasma theorist and research organizer Karel Jungwirth has passed away. 

Jiří Hybler studied geology at the Faculty of Science and was directed to crystallography, which was then beginning to develop rapidly in our country, by Professor Jiří Novák. 

Ondra unexpectedly passed away in the midst of diligent work on November 10, 2023. For those who would like to hear Ondra once again, we send a link to his lecture on magnetism from last year's online workshop on Jana. We won't hear this year's lecture.

Our friend and colleague, Miloš Lokajíček, PhD, CSc., long-standing staff member of the Division of Elementary Particle Physics at the Institute of Physics of the CAS, passed away at the age of 70 on Wednesday, June 14th. Miloš was involved in almost all the key experiments in which we participated and contributed significantly to them, especially in the field of acquisition and processing of experimental data.

The whole professional life of Zdeněk Šimša was connected with the Institute of Physics (formerly Institute of Technical Physics of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences), where he started working after the graduation from the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of Charles University. In the then Department of Ferrites he was involved in experimental research on the structural, electrical and magnetic properties of magnetic oxides. In this way, he contributed significantly to a better understanding of the properties of magnetic materials, especially ferrites and garnets. He also developed a methodology for studying the optical and magneto-optical properties of films suitable for magneto-optical recording of information.

There are pieces of news that are hard to believe. This applies also to the one about the decease of Vláďa Cháb, who was known for his immeasurable vitality and sporting spirit. Unfortunately, his great scientific and sporting heart stopped on the night of March 5, 2023, at the age of 76. When I heard about a month ago that he was not in good health, I did not pay much attention to the news. I believed that there was no illness or obstacle that Vláďa’s spirit could not handle. Unfortunately, I was wrong.

Karel Závěta was an important figure in condensed matter physics. 67 years ago, on the first of February 1956, he joined the then Institute of Technical Physics of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, today called the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences. He began his scientific career in the Department of Magnetism led by J. Brož. He became involved in the study of ferrites and continued in this area in cooperation with S. Krupička. The topic of his doctoral thesis was the use of electric conductivity to measure the magnetocaloric effect. For several years he held the post of the Science Secretary of the institute.

Remembering Mrs. Zdena Málková, a long-time secretary of the Magnetism Department, who left us unexpectedly just before Christmas.

Václav Vrba, our classmate, friend and colleague passed away after a long illness on Tuesday, December 29. His life’s pilgrimage crossed ours in a number of places and for years in our working as well as personal lives and it is difficult for us to accept that it no longer will be so.