<<<<<<<<<<<<<< CRC News 2014年 5月 28日 >>>>>>>>>>>>>> ＣＲＣ会員 各位 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ＣＲＣ事務局 *************< 訃報：Trevor Weekes 氏 ご逝去 >************* CRC の皆さま 大変悲しいお知らせですが、Trevor Weekes が26 日夜亡くなられたそうです。 彼のガンマ線天文学における多大な貢献は語るまでもありませんが、 改めて深く感謝すると共に、ご冥福をお祈りいたします。 吉越 以下に、関係者からの訃報文を付記します。 ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー ○木舟 正 様より Trevor の訃報に接し、さまざまな多くのこと・思い出が湧き上がってきていま す。 1973年、ニューヨークにいた頃、T.C.Weekes 著「High Energy Astrophysics」 に出会って興味深く読んだこと、1980年代の初めごろ、、Trevorの先輩・師匠格 にあたる、IrelandからのNiel Porterが宇宙線研に3ヶ月ほど滞在し、TeVのチェ レンコフ望遠鏡の"details"及び長年にわたる「苦難の観測の歴史」を身近なも のとして知る機会を得たこと、1985年ごろになって個人的・直接的な面識を得る に至り「Trevorの軽妙でユーモアに富んだtable speech」がとてもimpressiveに 思い出されます。70年代末にDurham大のK.E.Turverとの共著でガンマ線用解像型 チェレンコフ望遠鏡を提案し（国際会議proceedings）、それを実施に移して、 1989年には、Whipple Observatory(Smithsonian Institute)での観測により 「かに星雲からのDCTeVガンマ線」をゆるぎなく検出しTeVガンマ線天文学の確立 の基礎を築いたこと(ApJ342,379)を附記します。 昨年10月末にTucson, Arizona で開催された"TrevorFest"が、言葉を交わす最後 のchatの機会となってしまいました。この集りの直後にTrevorからもらった emailの最後の文章、 　"......I hope our paths will cross again." をあらためて「Trevor now peacefully in the Heaven」に送り返したいと思い ます。"Gamma ray sky in the Heaven"に思いを馳せ更に理解を深めるることが 、"Our paths with Trevor will cross again."のために残された唯一の道なの だということを。T.C.Weekes と共に、"The most exciting and remarkable era in TeV gamma-ray astronomy"が過ぎてきて、そしてとうとう、今後の　 時代が変わっていこうとしていることを、"Trevor has passed away"が象徴して いると感じます。 木舟　正 ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー From: Wystan Benbow Date: Tue, May 27, 2014 at 3:19 PM Subject: [cta-members] Trevor Weekes To: cta-members Dear Friends and Colleagues: It is with profound sadness that I must inform you that yesterday evening our friend and colleague Trevor Weekes peacefully passed away. Trevor was a major influence in all of our lives and his absence will be felt by us all. I will pass on any information about arrangements, etc, as it becomes available. Best Regards, Wystan ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー From: Wystan Benbow Date: Wed, May 28, 2014 at 7:12 AM Subject: [cta-members] A further message regarding Trevor Weekes To: cta-members Dear Colleagues, Given the remarkable speed with which news propagates these days, I hard to err on the side of brevity when sharing the initial news of Trevor Weekes’ passing. Obviously given Trevor’s impact on gamma-ray astronomy and hence CTA, as well as on my own life, I’d liked to have said something more profound. On the VERITAS web page (http://veritas.sao.arizona.edu/) & below you can find a message composed by several members of the VERITAS collaboration about the loss of our dear friend, that is hopefully more fitting of Trevor’s contributions. I have also attached a photo of Trevor taken with an engraved Whipple 10-m mirror that was presented to him at the Trevorfest celebration held in Tucson last Fall. The presentations given at Trevorfest provide a remarkable perspective on Trevor’s career and the development of gamma-ray astronomy, and are posted at http://www.physics.utah.edu/trevorfest/TF2013/Speakers.html Regarding Trevor’s funeral arrangements: I have spoken with the Weekes family & they are planning a funeral Mass to be held this Friday at 4 pm in Tucson, followed by an informal reception. They have indicated that anyone who feels they would like to attend are welcome. As details are still developing, I ask that you please contact me if you wish for further updates regarding these plans. Several people have asked where they might direct a donation & I have asked this of Trevor’s family. They have recommended the Multiple Myeloma Foundation (http://www.themmrf.org/) or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (https://www.lls.org/). Thank you to all who have sent kind messages during this difficult time. Regards, Wystan ------------------------- TREVOR C. WEEKES The VERITAS collaboration is deeply saddened by the loss of Dr. Trevor C. Weekes, who passed away on May 26th. Trevor was a world-renowned astrophysicist and a pioneering figure in the study of very high energy gamma rays. His impact on the field of high-energy astrophysics over the course of a ~50-year career was enormous. He is widely regarded as the founder of a new form of astronomy, and opened a new window to the Universe. Trevor’s development of the atmospheric Cherenkov technique at the F.L. Whipple Observatory (FLWO) in southern Arizona led to the discovery of very high energy gamma rays coming from extreme astrophysical objects such as pulsars, massive black holes and the remains of supernova explosions. Trevor first began working on the atmospheric Cherenkov technique as a graduate student in physics at University College, Dublin. The technique was later refined by Trevor and colleagues using a new 10-meter telescope constructed in 1968 at FLWO. The initial detection of tera-electron-volt (TeV) gamma rays from the Crab Nebula using this instrument came in 1989, and provided the first demonstration that the very high energy gamma-ray window is accessible from the ground, complementing observations at lower energies by space-based gamma-ray telescopes. In the mid 1990's, Trevor initiated the development of a major new gamma-ray observatory, consisting of an array of four atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes, that would achieve a significant advancement in sensitivity and resolution over that of previous instruments. The construction of this observatory, the "Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System" (VERITAS), was completed in 2007. VERITAS has made many exciting discoveries and is currently among the most sensitive instruments in this rapidly growing new field. Trevor is remembered as a valued friend and mentor to many students and scientists around the world. His endurance and persistence in the early years of gamma-ray astronomy were pivotal to the development of this new discipline, and continue to inspire scientists in the field today. Trevor took a deep personal interest in the welfare and careers of the many people he drew into very high energy astrophysics, and he went out of his way to welcome new scientists into both his collaborations and his home. Our thoughts and best wishes are with his family, and with all who have benefited from his wisdom, encouragement and wit. Ni bheidh a leitheid aris ann Dr. Trevor C. Weekes was a researcher at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory for 47 years. He received his Ph.D. from University College Dublin in 1966 and was awarded a Doctor of Science Degree by the National University of Ireland in 1978. He won the Rossi Prize of the High Energy Astrophysics Division of the American Astronomical Society in 1997, and was made an honorary member of the Royal Irish Academy in 2002. He was awarded a honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Chicago in 2005 and won the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) Yodh prize in 2007. In addition to many seminal scientific papers, Dr Weekes wrote two books: "High Energy Astrophysics", published in 1969 and "Very High Energy Gamma-ray Astronomy", published in 2003. During his career, he maintained a close association with University College Dublin and assisted in at least 30 students getting their Ph.D.'s based on work under his direction at FLWO. ******************************** Wystan Benbow Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory ******************************** *************************************************************