Emilio Gatti
Emilio Gatti (Torino, March 18th 1922 – Milano, July 9th 2016) was an Italian engineer, professor and scientist, pioneering electronic instrumentation for nuclear Physics[1][2].
Biography
Emilio Gatti was born in Turin on 18 March 1922, the son of Aldo, a civil engineer, and Emilia Sacchi, a primary school teacher.
He spent his youth in Lido di Venezia studying at Liceo Classico. His interests, however, soon guided him towards physics and electronics. After completing studies at the Liceo, he wanted to enroll in Physics at the University, but the father advised him to study Engineering. To arrive at a decision, the father heard the opinion of the physician Bruno Rossi (who years later moved to the United States where he achieved fame for his researches on cosmic rays), who concurred on the fact that engineering offered greater work opportunities.
Emilio Gatti registered therefore at the University of Padua where he graduated with distinction in 1946 in Industrial Electrical Engineering, having as his supervisors Prof Giovanni De Fassi and Giovanni Someda (after whom the current Library of Information Engineering and Electrical Engineering at the University of Padua is named).
After graduating, he obtained a diploma at the two-year specialization course in Electrical Communications from Turin’s Istituto Elettrotecnico Nazionale “Galileo Ferraris” (National Electrical Institute “Galileo Ferraris”), under the mentorship of professors Mario Boella and Giancarlo Vallauri, discussing a thesis on a variable selectivity amplifier for low frequencies that was published on the Italian magazine “Alta frequenza”.
In 1948, he married Laura Semenza. He is the father of Gabriella, Aldo, Carlo and Anna Paola.
In 1948, he joined as researcher CISE (Centro Informazioni, Studi ed Esperienze [Information, Studies and Experiences Centre]) in Milan, an advanced research centre founded only two years earlier by Prof Giuseppe Bolla, a physician known for his studies in Raman spectroscopy. At CISE, Emilio Gatti concentrated on developing electronic equipment for atomic and nuclear physics studies; still a young researcher, he took part in the measurement of the thermal neutron capture cross section in Uranium, the results of which are confirmed by US labs and appreciated worldwide for their accuracy. In 1950, he became Head of the Electronics Division of CISE, contributing to the scientific growth of that Institution and having as mentors Edoardo Amaldi, Gilberto Bernardini, Bruno Ferretti and Enrico Persico, at that time CISE advisors. Emilio Gatti started developing into an international reference for the sector; his capacity to devise and implement electronic circuits and complex and highly precise equipment for experiments in Physics had achieved fame in the Anglo-Saxon labs as well. The CISE electronic lab became an international reference in the sector; Emilio’s ideas and ingenuity were the engine around which an ever increasing number of researchers gathered, first at CISE, then also at other Italian and international venues. At CISE, prototypes of electronic equipment were built and for several of them the possibility arose of their industrialisation for a scientific instrumentation market properly so-called. Emilio engaged in this as well, becoming the catalyst for the birth, in 1958, and the success of LABEN, as industry dedicated to nuclear instrumentation.
In 1951, he was appointed professor in charge of the course of Mathematics at Politecnico di Milano, and in 1953, he obtained a teaching post in Applied Electronics, which enabled him to keep on heading the lab in CISE.
In 1957, he became full professor of Electronics at Politecnico di Milano, leaving the management of the CISE lab to his student Vito Svelto while remaining a CISE advisor until 1968. From 1961, he was Full Professor of Nuclear Electronics and from 1962 Full Professor of Physics at Politecnico di Milano. From 1980, he resumed the chair of Applied Electronics.
At Politecnico di Milano, he occupied various institutional posts: he was Head of the Department of Physics (1958-‘67), member of the Board of Governors (1969-’74), member of the University Board (1981-’93), and President of the Study Program Board in Electronic Engineering (1990-‘93).
From 1969 to 1971, he was Vice Rector of Politecnico di Milano.
At Politecnico di Milano, Emilio Gatti ran the courses of Physics, Nuclear Electronics, Electronic Technologies, and Applied Electronics. In 1997, at the age of 75, he retired. In 1998, he was appointed emeritus professor.
From 1961 to 1993, he was director of the scientific journal ‘Alta Frequenza’ of the Italian Electrotechnics[GB1] and Electronics Association (AEI).
From 1964 to 1967, he was President of the Italian Section of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Member (1971-1995) and President (1983-1995) of the Scientific Council of Tecnomare (Venice).
From 1979 to 1981, he was President of the National Circuits and Components Group (CCTE) of the National Research Council (CNR).
From 1983 to 1985, he was President of the Milan Section and from 1992 to 1994 general Vice-president of the Italian Electrotechnics[GB1] and Electronics Association (AEI), as well as meritorious partner since 1987.
From 1970 to 1992, he was a member and from 1978 to 1981 Director of the Scientific Council of LAMEL (Materials for Electronics Lab) of the National Research Council (CNR), based in Bologna.
From 1973, he was annually invited to spend the month of October at the Brookhaven National Laboratory (Upton, New York, US) to conduct studies and researches at the Instrumentation Division headed by Dr Veliko Radeka.
From 1969, he was a corresponding partner, from 1980 regular member, from 2000 to 2002 Vice-president and from 2003 to 2005 President of Istituto Lombardo Accademia di Scienze e Lettere (Lombard Institute Academy of Sciences and Arts).
He was a member since 1981 of the National Academy of Sciences, also called Accademia Nazionale dei XL.
Since 1988, he has been a corresponding partner and since 2003 a national partner of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei (Lincei National Academy).
Since 1989, he was honorary member of the College of Engineers of Milan.
From 1996 to 2001, he was a member of the Governing Council of Centro Linceo.
He died on 9 July 2016 at his Milan home surrounded by the affection of his wife, children and grandchildren.
Researches
Emilio Gatti’s main field of Researches was that of measurements and electronic instrumentation for Physics, especially that of radiation and elementary particle detectors and that of electronic instrumentation for energy, time and position spectrometry. In 1953, he introduced the added step method to obtain high precision single channel discriminators.
In 1955, he suggested replacing the traditional configuration of the voltage amplifier with a new configuration, eventually called charge preamplifier, as first stage in processing the signals of Ionization chambers. The charge preamplifier later became of general use and is currently the amplification stage most widely resorted to for semiconductor radiation detectors.
In 1956, he introduced the Vernier method to improve the temporal localisation of events. He formulated the statistical theory of the scintillation counter and the synthesis of optimal filters for the temporal localisation of events detected by the scintillation counters. In the field of radiation detectors, he identified the correct method of calculating the charge induced to the electrodes in solid-state detectors, correcting a widespread error in the literature.
In 1961, he invented the streamer chamber.
In 1963, he invented the sliding scale method to obtain high differential linearity in the multi-channel amplitude analyzers used in radiation and particle spectroscopy[3]. The method gave rise to scientific developments and to implementations throughout the world and is currently used in high differential linearity analog-to-digital converters (ADC). In 1997, the scientific mission for the NASA Pathfinder Mars exploration employed the Sojourner (rover) on which a spectrometer Alpha particle X-ray spectrometer (APXS) – used to analyse the composition of the soil – is installed, in whose electronics the sliding scale method, called “The Gatti correction”, is implemented to arrive at the required high linearity.
A series of researches undertaken throughout his career led to the theoretical synthesis of the optimal filters for processing the signals of nuclear detectors to measure energy and time under various constraint conditions. These studies contributed to the development of modern digital pulse processors of the radiation detectors currently used in multiple scientific experiments.
The experience in the field of nuclear instrumentation led E. Gatti to contribute to biomedical electronic instrumentation, especially with instruments to detect the potential maps on the chest arising from the electric activity of the heart (1972) and with the first instrument for detecting the speed profiles of blood in the vessels, based on the pulsed Doppler ultrasonography (1980).
In 1983 Emilio Gatti, together with Pavel Rehak, researcher from the Brookhaven National Laboratory (USA), invented the SDD: Solid-state (or Silicon) Drift Detector, which represents nowadays one of the semiconductor detectors with the highest energy resolution for X-ray spectroscopy[4]. In the following years, thanks to Emilio Gatti, a close research collaboration was established between Politecnico di Milano, the Brookhaven National Laboratory (where many of his students are invited to spend a period as researchers) and Munich’s Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, to conduct an intense research and development on the SDD detectors and on the associated electronics; these researches, under Gatti’s guidance, result in several innovations and implementations. In 2004, two twin rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, landed on planet Mars, using in the Alpha particle X-ray spectrometer a Silicon Drift Detector for the X-ray analysis of the soil and the rocks[5][6]. In 2014, the space probe of the European Space Agency’s Rosetta mission launched in 2004 reached the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, and its lander Philae, which includes among its instruments an APXS fitted with a SDD detector[7], landed on the comet to analyse the nucleus. At Geneva’s CERN (European Council for Particle Physics), [[ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) has been operational since 2008 on the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) particle accelerator for the study of interactions between heavy ions: it employs a large particle detection system that includes 260 Silicon Drift Detectors.
Solid-state Drift Detectors are nowadays used in several applications, both scientific and industrial, throughout the world.
The scientific and human personality
Emilio Gatti has been a genuine pioneer in the scientific research associated with electronic instrumentation for experiments in atomic and nuclear physics for over sixty years. In his professional activity, he has combined creativity and intuition with an exceptional theoretical ability based on a deep knowledge of electromagnetism and the most advanced methods of mathematical analyses, which he used in the solution of complex problems.
Emilio Gatti has been a mentor for the several collaborators who have learnt from him his methods of analysis, his attention and precision in examining the experimental results of the measurements, and his passion for science, engineering and research. Many of his students and collaborators have subsequently given birth to research teams in the field of electronics, both at Politecnico di Milano and at other Italian Universities.
Emilio Gatti was a man in whose character extreme gentleness and mildness stood out together with a humility and generosity as evolved as his intelligence and scientific culture. Emilio Gatti loved working alongside his collaborators and students, generously sharing his extraordinary skills and his vast and profound knowledge, without ever making anyone uncomfortable but rather making everyone an active participant in the work.
Sergio Cova, emeritus professor of Electronics at Politecnico di Milano, student and collaborator of Prof Emilio Gatti wrote about him:
“Emilio Gatti was a genius, a creative mind that used to generate new ideas, far beyond us who can only receive them and let them grow. Anyone who discussed scientific problems with him quickly and neatly perceived this extraordinary sensation.”
Vito Svelto, emeritus professor of Electronics at the University of Pavia and one of the first students of Prof Emilio Gatti, wrote about him:
“Emilio Gatti is the most genial person I have met in my scientific life. His fantasy, critical intelligence and analytical ability remain unmatched, always on the forefront of scientific knowledge in identifying problems and suggesting solutions. He is certainly one of the best minds Italy has had in the last decades.”
Awards and honors
- In 1953, he received the Bianchi award from the Italian Electrical Association.
- In 1968, he received the national award from the Fondazione Angelo della Riccia per la Fisica (Angelo della Riccia Foundation for Physics).
- In 1971, he received the Righi award from the Italian Electrical and Electronics Association (AEI).
- In 1972, he was decorated by the President of the Republic with the Golden medal to the deserving protagonists of school, culture and art.
- In 1973, he was elected Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
- In 1982, he received the “Pubblicazioni” (“Publications”) award from the Italian Electrical and Electronics Association (AEI).
- In 1984, he received the IEEE Centennial Medal from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
- In 1986, he was awarded the Feltrinelli Price for physical sciences by the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei (Lincei National Academy)
- In 1988, he received from the Nuclear & Plasma Sciences Society the “Annual Merit Award” for his contributions to the theory and development of nuclear particle detectors and the methods for processing the related signals.
- In 1995, he was awarded the Honorary Degree (Laurea honoris causa) in Physics by the University of Milan.
- In 1996, he received the International Gerolamo Cardano Award from the Rotary Club of Pavia and the University of Pavia.
- In 2003, he received the “IEEE Radiation Instrumentation Outstanding Achievement Award” from the IEEE Nuclear & Plasma Sciences Society.
- In 2012, the journal IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine dedicated a special issue to him on his ninetieth birthday.
- On 6 July 2017, the Conference Hall of the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering of Politecnico di Milano was named after him[8].
Works
Besides the publication of over 250 scientific contributions in international journals, Emilio Gatti authored the following books:
- E. Gatti, P. F. Manfredi, A. Rimini, “Elementi di teoria delle reti lineari” Casa Editrice Ambrosiana 1966.
- F. Carassa, E. Gatti, “Elettronica” in Enciclopedia del 900, Treccani, 1977.
- S. Bobbio, E. Gatti, “Elementi di Elettromagnetismo”, Ed. Boringhieri, 1984.
- E. Gatti, P.F. Manfredi, “Processing The Signals From Solid-State Detectors in Elementary-Particle Physics”, La Rivista del Nuovo Cimento, vol. 9, issue 1, 1986.
- S. Bobbio, E. Gatti, “Elettromagnetismo. Ottica”, Ed. Bollati Boringhieri, 1991.
References
- ↑ "An Instrumental Force: Emilio Gatti and Integrated Signal Processing [Guest Editorial] - IEEE Journals & Magazine". ieeexplore.ieee.org. Retrieved 2018-07-12.
- ↑ varaschin. "ADDIO AD EMILIO GATTI". Retrieved 2018-07-12.
- ↑ Cottini, C; Gatti, E; Svelto, V (1963-07-01). "A new method for analog to digital conversion". Nuclear Instruments and Methods. 24: 241–242. Bibcode:1963NucIM..24..241C. doi:10.1016/0029-554X(63)90314-8. ISSN 0029-554X.
- ↑ "25th Anniversary of Rehak's and Gatti's Innovative Detector | BNL Newsroom". www.bnl.gov. Retrieved 2018-07-12.
- ↑ Rieder, R.; Wänke, H.; Economou, T.; Turkevich, A. (1997-02-01). "Determination of the chemical composition of Martian soil and rocks: The alpha proton X ray spectrometer". Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. 102 (E2): 4027–4044. Bibcode:1997JGR...102.4027R. doi:10.1029/96je03918. ISSN 0148-0227.
- ↑ Rieder, R.; Gellert, R.; Brückner, J.; Klingelhöfer, G.; Dreibus, G.; Yen, A.; Squyres, S. W. (2003-11-11). "The new Athena alpha particle X-ray spectrometer for the Mars Exploration Rovers". Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. 108 (E12). Bibcode:2003JGRE..108.8066R. doi:10.1029/2003je002150. ISSN 0148-0227.
- ↑ Goestar, Klingelhoefer,; Jordi, Girones Lopez,; Dirk, Schmanke,; Cristina, Markovski,; Brü; Johannes, ckner,; Claude, d'Uston,; Tom, Economu,; Ralf, Gellert, (2015-4). "The Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer APXS on the Rosetta lander Philae to explore the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko". 17. Bibcode:2015EGUGA..1713614K. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - ↑ "Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria". www.deib.polimi.it (in italiano). Retrieved 2018-07-12.
- E. Gatti, “Instruments of Progress: the scientific career of Emilio Gatti in his own words” IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine, summer 2012, vol. 4, no. 3, 2012.
- E. Gatti, Curriculum Vitae, 1969, Archivio dell’Istituto Lombardo Accademia di Scienze e Lettere, Milan.
- E. Gatti, Curriculum Vitae, 1986, Archivio dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Rome.
- E. Gatti, Curriculum Vitae, 2005, Archivio dell’Istituto Lombardo Accademia di Scienze e Lettere, Milan.
- E. Gatti, Curriculum Vitae, Annuario dei Professori e dei Ricercatori, anno accademico 1994-95, Facoltà di Ingegneria, Politecnico di Milano.
- S. Cova, “Per Emilio Gatti”, message to the teaching staff of Politecnico di Milano, July 2016.
- V. Svelto, “Ricordo di Emilio Gatti (1922-2016)”, letter to the colleagues of the Italian Electronics Association, September 2016.
This article "Emilio Gatti" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Emilio Gatti. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
|
This page exists already on Wikipedia. |
