Tribute to the late Serge Koutchmy, Emeritus Research Director at the CNRS:
It is with great sadness that we learnt the sudden passing on May 27, 2023, of our colleague Serge Koutchmy, Emeritus Research Director at the CNRS.
Born in Le Creusot, France, he earned a degree in physics from the Lomonossov University in Moscow where he meet his late wife Olga before returning to France. In 1968 he was recruited at the CNRS where he earned a Ph.D. on the solar corona in 1972. His field of research was incredibly extensive: in solar physics, he studied a large number of structures such as sunspots, granulation, facula up to the crown (his density model was a reference) through plumes, spicules, and prominences; Serge also observed the zodiacal light, comets (Kohoutek, Halley, West), the rings of Saturn, etc. He is also known for its multiple total solar eclipse data gathering missions, from its first in 1968 in Russia to its last in 2019 in Chile. While preparing those missions he designed several instruments and achieved some premieres through the years: airborne observation in 1973 using the supersonic Concorde 001 (50th anniversary late next month), airborne again in 1990 above Finland, very high resolution images with the CFHT in Hawaii in 1991, use of the New Technology Telescope at La Silla in 2019. He published several books from 'Total Eclipses' in 1998 with Pierre Guillermier Total Eclipses to the last 'Eclipsed Suns' with Pierre Léna (https://laboutique.edpsciences.fr/produit/1337/9782759831333/soleils-eclipses), printed shortly before his untimely death.
Serge was always bursting with ideas and on the lookout for all the new techniques: CCDs, polarizers, super-polished mirrors and observations from space, with the Salyut station until his latest flying coronagraph project. He shared his passion with his many fellow collaborators whether they were Russians, Iranians, Angolese, Greeks, Americans, French and others. He was also a great inspiration for many amateurs with whom he liked to push the boundaries and publish, a fine pioneering example of participatory science. Serge leaves us the memory of an honest and rigorous giant of solar physics. He was deeply affected a few months ago by the loss of his wife of 62 years, Olga, after her long illness. He is survived by his children Natalie and Valery, to whom we express respect and admiration for the warm, curious and passionate man that their father was.
May Serge rest in peace with his late wife Olga.
Reference: Xavier Jubier
Additional Obituaries:
https://solarnews.nso.edu/obituary-serge-koutchmy-1940-2023/
http://www.iap.fr/actualites/laune/2023/SergeKoutchmy/SergeKoutchmy-fr.html |