Obituary

Abstract

The fusion research community and the Nuclear Fusion Board of Editors have recently lost two of their brightest lights. Dr Derek Robinson passed away on 2 December 2002 and Professor Masahiro Wakatani on 9 January 2003.The career of Dr Robinson spanned forty years. In the first decade thereof, Dr Robinson and his UK colleagues made measurements of Russian tokamaks confirming the good confinement of that system. These historic results led to the enthusiastic development of tokamaks worldwide but also set the example of truly international collaboration that made fusion research unique. In the last decade of his career, Dr Robinson became Director of the United Kingdom fusion energy research programme, actively supporting JET and other European programmes. He was a profound and articulate member of the ITER Technical Advisory Committee. He actively pursued collaboration around the globe, which he started 35 years ago. He thereby strongly promoted plasma physics research on small devices outside the industrialized countries. We appreciate the sound judgment and common sense he brought to the Nuclear Fusion Editorial Board.For a large part of his life as a theoretician, Professor Wakatani was a member of the Faculty of Energy Science at Kyoto University. Like Dr Robinson, he was also closely involved with ITER both as Chair of its Confinement and Transport Expert Group and as a member of the ITER Physics Basis Editors. This group edited the landmark 1999 publication by Nuclear Fusion. Professor Wakatani authored many insightful papers on tokamak and helical toroidal plasmas. He was highly regarded as an inventive theorist and frequently called upon to participate in international workshops. Only a few weeks before his death he submitted, together with five co-authors from three ITER-parties, an extensive and in-depth review article on turbulent transport in toroidal devices to Nuclear Fusion. This manuscript promises to become a salute to the scientific excellence of a great physicist.Dr Robinson and Professor Wakatani have made major contributions to the archive literature and set high standards of excellence. The Nuclear Fusion Board of Editors will strive to assure that the journal will continue to meet and maintain these standards as fusion energy research moves ahead. We, the staff and Editorial Board members of Nuclear Fusion, will miss their help in pursuing this task.F W Perkins, Chairman of the Board of EditorsF C Schüller, Editor, also on behalf of the Editors Emeriti and the Editorial Office staff members