An interview with Francis Netter: one of the first followers of EPS!
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the European Physical Society met with members from the very beginning. Here is the interview with Francis Netter, a member of the EPS since 1968.
How did you come to study physics?
I was interested in sciences. I started my studies during the Second World War and it was easier to access higher education when you chose sciences. I decided to specialise in mathematics and passed a competitive examination in 1945 at the Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS) in Paris. However, the teaching of maths at the ENS didn’t satisfy me and I turned towards physics.
Where did you start your career?
I started my career in 1949 and was introduced to well-known physicists at the Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique (CEA) and worked at the Fort de Châtillon near Paris. I saw the creation of the Saclay site (a centre specialised in nuclear physics and later biology, energy and IT), where I stayed until my retirement in 1987.
Did you work in the same field, or did you discover new areas of interest during your career?
I started to work in nuclear physics with Lew Kowarski on neutrons with the atomic reactor ZOE (Zero, Oxyde d’uranium, Eau lourde). In 1962, I participated in the construction and the working of the ALS (Accélérateur Linéaire de Saclay). This linear accelerator was stopped in 1990 and its tunnel is now buried.
What events marked you most during your career?
In nuclear physics, scientists couldn’t access data as they were kept secret after the Second World War. Two international conferences (1955 and 1958) were a turning point in the field when data were eventually released. Both conferences had been organised in Geneva under the auspices of the United Nations and I was invited to attend as a delegate of the CEA.
How did you get to know about the European Physical Society?
I was secretary general of the French Physical Society from 1967 to 1975. I participated in the various meetings preceding the creation of the European Physical Society at its founding meeting in Geneva and later in Florence at the Palazzo degli Uffizi. I found it interesting for Western physics societies to have a bond with Eastern Europe.
I naturally became a member of the EPS in September 1968 and remained as such since then.
What is interesting for you as a member of the European Physical Society?
I read the different publications of the EPS and like to be informed about the evolution of the Society and its statutes. I find subjects such as the history of physics, education and the evolution of the role of women in physics interesting.
Do you have a role model in physics?
I do not have a specific model. However, as a student, I was influenced by the teachings of Frédéric Joliot-Curie. I had the opportunity to work with him for several years and together with two physicists I organised, as secretary, the first congress of nuclear physics held in France after WWII and chaired by Joliot-Curie.
I was also guided by well-known figures like Lew Kowarski, Jacques Friedel (former EPS president), Albert Messiah or Claude Bloch, to name but a few.
Would you recommend an interesting reading in physics?
I have no recent book to recommend. As a student, several readings guided my learning. I found an interesting book by Yves Rocard on the dynamics of vibrations. This book was a revelation to me. Even if there were obvious mistakes in the calculations, the ideas were worth the reading.
What are your main activities now?
I try to keep myself informed about physics through the French Physical Society and other physics associations in which I am a member, by attending some of their meetings and reading their publications.
What would you say to young people who consider studying physics?
Physics is evolving rapidly and this is what makes it interesting. I find the concrete aspect of physics really attractive. When you face a problem, it is always nice and fun to find a solution!
