Roger Arthur Cowley. 24 February 1939 — 27 January 2015

Abstract

Roger Cowley was one of the leading solid-state physicists of his generation. He was a highly versatile scientist who made important contributions to the understanding of the motion of atoms in solids and liquids, of the mechanisms of structural phase transitions, and of a range of magnetic phenomena, especially in systems with quenched disorder. Adept at both experiment and theory, he had the rare gift of being able to see through layers of complexity that often cloud real-world materials and capture the essence of their behaviour in simple models. His style was instinctively collaborative so he often worked together with some of the other leading people in his field, both nationally and internationally. His collaborative style also meant that he was frequently called on to serve in administrative roles. He was head of department at the University of Edinburgh for seven years and Chairman of Physics at Oxford for eight years. He played a large role in the administration of Oxford as a whole. Many of his graduate students went on to distinguished careers of their own, both within Britain and abroad.