In memorian

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry -     

In memoriam

Prof. Dr. GüNTER SAUERBREY, 1933–2003 Günter Sauerbrey died on 15 May, 2003, a few days after his 70^th birthday. For 24 years he was responsible for the Laboratory of Medical Techniques and Dosimetry of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Berlin and he also taught at Universities. His important invention was the use of a quartz oscillator as a mass sensor, the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), which he developed in his research for his doctoral thesis at the Technical University at Berlin. He described that method in two often cited papers: Phys. Verhandl., 1957. 8: p. 193 and Z. Physik, 1959. 155: p. 206–222. With the QCM, Sauerbrey introduced a new class of mass measuring devices: inertial balances. The Sauerbrey equations are the basis of all vibrational weighing systems. His experiments on QCM allowed the extension of Einstein’s equivalence principle from uniform fields to time-dependent fields. Further work was on radiometry, thermometry, medical measuring techniques, high-temperature and vacuum physics. Günter Sauerbrey participated at several Conferences on Vacuum Microbalance Techniques and discussed at these events, in particular, applications of the QCM. Requiescat in pace. Erich Robens, Vasile Mecea     

In Memoriam

In memoriam Michael John Richardson.     

In memoriam

Prof. Ing. Zdeněk Šolc, CSc (21 September 1931–30 September 2006) Prof. Zdeněk Šolc was born in 1931. After finishing his university studies, he joined the University of Pardubice where he remained for more than 50 years. He started to work at the Department of Physical Chemistry. His main fields of interest were: preparation of monocrystals, crystallization from solutions, measuring of physical and chemical properties of solutions. In the 1960's he turned to inorganic technology, studying inoranic pigments and he moved to the Department of Inorganic Technology. In this vast area of science, he achieved his greatest successes, and pigments became his ever-lasting passion up to the end of his life. The research in the field of crystallisation was oriented to development of liquid crystals for use in temperature indication, and materials for integrated circuits; besides that a school of inorganic pigments was formed (M. Trojan, Z. Šolc, D. Brandová) whose main orientation is mixed oxide materials for use in ceramics and enamels. A predominant part of the mentioned research activities was pursued at KAnT in 1990–1996, when the Department was headed by Professor Ing. Zdeněk Šolc. Most of Prof. ŠolcŠs projects were focused on the reactivity of inorganic pigments and powder materials, research of their high-temperature syntheses and rating of their physical and chemical properties. He applied mainly simultaneous thermal analytical techniques: thermogravimetry, differential thermal analysis using dynamic measuring conditions and quasi-isothermal and quasi-isobaric ones, moreover emanation thermal analysis and thermal conductivity measurements. Prof. Zdeněk Šolc was a creative scientist. He published more than 50 scientific papers in international journals and wrote 10 textbooks. He was the author of almost 100 lectures of conferences held in the Czech Republic and foreign countries. He had a silent but a very kind personality and he will be missed very much both by the local and the international communities. Requiescat in pace