The 213th course of the Enrico Fermi International School of the Italian Physical Society, held from June 27 to July 2 at Villa Monastero in Varenna (Lecco), on the theme "Nuclear structure and reactions from a broad perspective," was dedicated to Ricardo Broglia, a physicist and former professor at the University of Milan, who passed away in October 2022. The course was directed by Enrico Vigezzi (INFN Milan) and Francisco Barranco (University of Seville), with Gregory Potel (Livermore Laboratory in the USA) as the scientific secretary.
Ricardo Broglia, born in Argentina in 1939 but an Italian citizen, obtained his PhD in Bariloche and spent several years in the United States before becoming a professor at the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen, where he collaborated with Nobel laureates Niels Bohr and Ben Roy Mottelson.
Professor Broglia held numerous positions and in 1985 became a professor at the University of Milan through a direct appointment for his renowned expertise. Maria Pia Abbracchio, the Vice Rector for Coordination and Promotion of Research at the University of Milan, attended the inauguration of the 213th course of the school and highlighted Broglia's contributions. Paolo Milani, the director of the Physics Department "Aldo Pontremoli," and professors Franco Camera, Silvia Leoni, and Guido Tiana, long-time collaborators of Broglia, also spoke about his significant achievements in nuclear structure, atomic clusters, and biophysics.
Although the school mainly addressed issues in nuclear physics (such as interactions, nucleon configurations under different conditions, and fission), it also emphasized analogies and contributions to condensed matter physics and biophysics. Ricardo Broglia made numerous experimentally confirmed predictions in areas such as superconductivity, nanotechnology, and protein folding.
"It is very important for young people entering science to know the stories of those who came before them, laying the foundations of current knowledge," said Vice Rector Maria Pia Abbracchio. "In the case of Professor Ricardo Broglia, the memory of his eclectic, extraordinary, and vibrant figure is particularly significant for his visionary ability to anticipate a truly holistic vision of knowledge by decades. He highlighted the need for all sciences to work together beyond any disciplinary barriers, which is the only way to address new global challenges today."
"The lectures covered various topics where Ricardo Broglia made highly innovative and pioneering contributions, internationally recognized and inspiring numerous recent advances. The overall program aimed to convey the legacy left by Ricardo Broglia, who was deeply convinced of the unity of science and, more generally, intellectual activity, including the humanities, which were an integral part of his way of viewing life," commented Angela Bracco, President of the Italian Physical Society (SIF) and Professor of Experimental Physics at the University of Milan.
The Enrico Fermi International School of the SIF at Villa Monastero in Varenna (Lecco) was founded in 1953 by then SIF President Giovanni Polvani, a professor at the University of Milan and also president of the CNR. The school's courses cover various areas of physics and are renowned worldwide for their impact on training young researchers in significant physical topics. Over 60 Nobel laureates in physics have lectured and/or directed courses, contributing to the school's proceedings published by the SIF. On the occasion of its 70th anniversary in 2023, the school also received a medal from the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, in recognition of its historical, scientific, and cultural value.