Доповідачі
Опис
Gleb Wataghin arrived in Brazil in 1934 with the mission of establishing a Physics Department at the newly founded University of São Paulo. He found no building, no laboratory, no equipment, and no colleagues, and had to start from scratch. Drawing on his experience, deep knowledge, extraordinary energy, enthusiasm, and diplomatic skills, he succeeded in training a generation of physicists who, in the years that followed, multiplied his efforts throughout the country.
From the outset, Wataghin introduced his students to modern physics. Although a theoretician by training, he clearly recognized the fundamental role of experiments in testing theories and gaining new insights into Nature. He therefore organized a group in Experimental Physics, appointed his students as assistants, and chose to study what was immediately available: cosmic-ray particles and their interactions. As early as 1939, the group published their first results in Physical Review. This strategic choice proved decisive, laying the foundations of experimental high-energy physics in Brazil.
Ninety years later, this legacy has evolved into the strong and vibrant Brazilian physics community of today. Wataghin left Brazil in 1949 to return to Italy, where he contributed to the rebuilding of the Physics Department at the University of Turin. His impact is further reflected in his scientific legacy of 155 published papers and one book.