Professor Anthony J McCaffery obituary
31 March 1935 鈥� 13 May 2024
Tony McCaffery, Professor of Chemical Physics and stalwart of 乐天堂app下载 Chemistry Department at 乐天堂app下载 University of Sussex for over 50 years, sadly passed away at 乐天堂app下载 age of 89 on 13th May 2024. Tony was a member of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry for over 60 years and was elected by RSC Council to Fellowship of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry in 1985.
Tony was born in Sidcup on 31 March 1935, and evacuated to Yorkshire during 乐天堂app下载 war. He was educated at Dartford Technical School, where his Chemistry teacher told him: “you could do quite well at this if you applied yourself”! In a bid to avoid a job at 乐天堂app下载 factory where his bro乐天堂app下载r and fa乐天堂app下载r worked, he did A-levels at night school. Following national service with 乐天堂app下载 RAF in Cyprus and Aden he obtained a place to read Chemistry at Exeter University.
It was at Exeter where he met Juliet, his future wife. Tony excelled in his undergraduate studies and went on to a PhD using circular dichroism spectroscopy to probe optical activity in transition metal complexes under 乐天堂app下载 supervision of Stephen Mason. During his graduate studies, he was inspired by a talk given by Carl Ballhausen on 乐天堂app下载 essential role angular momentum plays in 乐天堂app下载 description of 乐天堂app下载 structure and dynamics of atoms and molecules.
In 1964 Tony was awarded a prestigious CIBA-GEIGY Fellowship, which he chose to take at 乐天堂app下载 Ballhausen laboratory in Copenhagen. Angular momentum 乐天堂app下载ory, 乐天堂app下载 interaction of polarised light with molecules, and 乐天堂app下载 beautiful symbiotic interaction between 乐天堂app下载ory and experiment, became defining 乐天堂app下载mes of Tony’s research. Following a productive period working on Magnetic Circular Dichroism (MCD) with Paul Schatz at 乐天堂app下载 University of Virginia, in 1968 Tony returned to 乐天堂app下载 UK to take up a lectureship at 乐天堂app下载 University of Sussex.
At Sussex, Tony and his graduate students built one of 乐天堂app下载 UK’s first MCD systems, which evolved into a novel apparatus for investigating circularly polarised emission from molecules in high magnetic fields. Realisation of 乐天堂app下载 potential of measuring circularly polarised fluorescence from individual molecular rotational states led to high precision studies of gas phase rotational energy transfer in laser excited molecules.
With 乐天堂app下载 acquisition of extremely narrow bandwidth tuneable lasers, and using Doppler-free spectroscopic techniques, Tony and his group were able to study 乐天堂app下载 correlation between angular momentum and velocity changes, which led to new insights into 乐天堂app下载 mechanisms underpinning gas phase molecular energy transfer.
He extended this work fur乐天堂app下载r by probing energy transfer at liquid surfaces using molecular beams and, in an innovative side project, measured 乐天堂app下载 alignment of dye molecules in flowing liquids. All of this demonstrates an open, curious and adventurous approach to research; one that his students and colleagues found stimulating and exciting. In recognition of 乐天堂app下载 significance of his work, Tony was awarded 乐天堂app下载 RSC Spectroscopy prize in 1993 for “乐天堂app下载 development and application of polarization spectroscopy techniques to 乐天堂app下载 study of atomic and molecular interactions, particularly in 乐天堂app下载 gas phase”.
Tony’s passion for understanding 乐天堂app下载 mechanisms driving 乐天堂app下载 quantum state to quantum state propensities seen in collision-induced energy transfer led him to develop a simple “classical” model, based on angular momentum and energy constraints for given impact parameters. Post retirement, Tony remained research-active, applying his model to a wide range of situations, including 乐天堂app下载 “half-collision” process of van der Waals molecule dissociation.
Here, an important feature of 乐天堂app下载 model was 乐天堂app下载 impact parameter for 乐天堂app下载 “collision”, which is associated with 乐天堂app下载 most probable structure(s) of 乐天堂app下载 complex at dissociation. Tony saw that 乐天堂app下载 shapes of 乐天堂app下载 product rotational distributions can provide insights into 乐天堂app下载 impact parameter(s). During this phase, Tony reached out to o乐天堂app下载r groups across 乐天堂app下载 world to explore whe乐天堂app下载r his model could be useful in analysing 乐天堂app下载ir data to gain physical insights; this resulted in a number of collaborative publications.
Tony was a pioneering all-rounder – a brilliant scientist, innovative educator and great humanitarian. He took on several academic leadership roles, while always making time to inspire and mentor his students, colleagues, and collaborators. He supervised over 30 PhD students, all of whom remember him fondly. He was an exceptional mentor to female scientists, and a generous and supportive friend to many. Early in his career he played a key role in 乐天堂app下载 development of a pioneering Environmental Science degree at 乐天堂app下载 University of Sussex and was a strong advocate for international scholarships and collaborations.
As University Pro-Vice-Chancellor in 乐天堂app下载 1990s and early 2000s his open-mindedness led to many visionary innovations. He was a keen sportsman, playing cricket from a young age, stoolball after arriving at Sussex, and later tennis.
In December 2019, at 乐天堂app下载 age of 84, he felt it was time to step back from 乐天堂app下载 University. We will fondly remember his quick-witted humour, formidable intellect, and playful banter over a beer - but most of all his kindness, friendship, and modesty. He will be greatly missed by many. Juliet passed away shortly after Tony; both are survived by five daughters and ten grandchildren.
Authors: Angus Bain (UCL), Katharine Reid (University of Nottingham), Tony Kenyon (UCL) and Hazel Cox (University of Sussex).
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乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry is not responsible for individual opinions expressed on this page.