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In memoriam: Louis A. Capone
ICARUS 59, 303 (1984)
IN MEMORIAM: LOUIS A. CAPONE Louis A. Capone, atmospheric chemist and a man of many interests, died unexpectedly on April 25, 1984, while undergoing heart surgery. Born on July 29, 1943, into a well-known Italian family, Louis was raised in N e w York and Florida. The loss of most of his sight to glaucoma at the age of 18 was the first of a series of physical setbacks. H o w e v e r , Louis responded to all of these with courage and a truly unusual sense of perspective. During his student years at Florida State and the University of Florida, where he studied under S. S. Prasad, he developed a heightened use of his m e m o r y and a prodigious capability for mental organization; he could, for example, keep his bookcase in order merely by running a finger along the backs of the books. It is a tribute to Louis' scientific talent and dedication that he was able not only to survive, but to contribute meaningfully, in a field such as ours which requires so much visual activity. Imagine keeping up with the literature, or debugging a massive atmospheric transport code, one or two letters at a time. Yet, in spite of his severe handicap, Louie was responsible for several notable scientific achievements. His first contributions related to the chemistry of the atmospheres and ionospheres of Jupiter and the other outer planets, and demonstration of the pathways leading to the trace hydrocarbons that provide so much of the interest in these regions. During the last decade, Louis partook naturally of the increasing interest in Titan's atmosphere. He and his collaborators were the first to point out the importance of cosmic-ray-induced chemistry: only cosmic rays are able to break the strong N2 band deep in the atmosphere and initiate the complex chain of nitrogen-based organic chemistry which is of great interest to studies of the origin of life. In the field of stratospheric aerosols, Louis and his collaborators at Ames Research Center and J P L made notable pro-
gress in our understanding of ozone chemistry and aerosol transport processes. Louis had just developed the first successful two-dimensional model to incorporate both reasonable gas phase chemistry and the essential microphysical processes. This model, recently applied to the El Chichon volcanic aerosol, has already provided new insights into the processes at work in volcanic aerosol clouds. Louis was actively engaged in this research at the time of his death, and much of the fruit of this labor remains to be harvested. In spite of the great amount of time involved, Louie's professional attainments were not made at the expense of his personal development. He maintained a lively interest in sports, and (especially Italian) opera. His collection of baseball cards was legendary; he could, with a close look at a scruffy, 30-year-old card and some finger work, immediately tell you the player's name and best year, as well as the condition and value of the card as a collector's item. Similarly, his collection of 78 rpm records was vast and varied, running the gamut from Caruso to Spike Jones. He had a regular radio program while in graduate school, and hosted several radio shows in the San Francisco area in recent years. Louie will be best remembered by his friends and colleagues for his warm human qualities. He was a loving husband and proud father. His sense of humor was unfailing; it was directed as often to his own foibles as to those of the world in general. He was a very approachable, even humble, man who maintained an old world sense of civility and propriety. Yet, this gentle demeanor was supported by a remarkable inner strength. In all, those who have known him have profited from his example and are saddened by his untimely loss. JEFFREY N. C u z z l ROBERT C. WHITTEN OWEN
B. TOON
303 0019-1035/84 $3.00 Copyright © 1984by AcademicPress, Inc. All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.
IN MEMORIAM: LOUIS A. CAPONE Louis A. Capone, atmospheric chemist and a man of many interests, died unexpectedly on April 25, 1984, while undergoing heart surgery. Born on July 29, 1943, into a well-known Italian family, Louis was raised in N e w York and Florida. The loss of most of his sight to glaucoma at the age of 18 was the first of a series of physical setbacks. H o w e v e r , Louis responded to all of these with courage and a truly unusual sense of perspective. During his student years at Florida State and the University of Florida, where he studied under S. S. Prasad, he developed a heightened use of his m e m o r y and a prodigious capability for mental organization; he could, for example, keep his bookcase in order merely by running a finger along the backs of the books. It is a tribute to Louis' scientific talent and dedication that he was able not only to survive, but to contribute meaningfully, in a field such as ours which requires so much visual activity. Imagine keeping up with the literature, or debugging a massive atmospheric transport code, one or two letters at a time. Yet, in spite of his severe handicap, Louie was responsible for several notable scientific achievements. His first contributions related to the chemistry of the atmospheres and ionospheres of Jupiter and the other outer planets, and demonstration of the pathways leading to the trace hydrocarbons that provide so much of the interest in these regions. During the last decade, Louis partook naturally of the increasing interest in Titan's atmosphere. He and his collaborators were the first to point out the importance of cosmic-ray-induced chemistry: only cosmic rays are able to break the strong N2 band deep in the atmosphere and initiate the complex chain of nitrogen-based organic chemistry which is of great interest to studies of the origin of life. In the field of stratospheric aerosols, Louis and his collaborators at Ames Research Center and J P L made notable pro-
gress in our understanding of ozone chemistry and aerosol transport processes. Louis had just developed the first successful two-dimensional model to incorporate both reasonable gas phase chemistry and the essential microphysical processes. This model, recently applied to the El Chichon volcanic aerosol, has already provided new insights into the processes at work in volcanic aerosol clouds. Louis was actively engaged in this research at the time of his death, and much of the fruit of this labor remains to be harvested. In spite of the great amount of time involved, Louie's professional attainments were not made at the expense of his personal development. He maintained a lively interest in sports, and (especially Italian) opera. His collection of baseball cards was legendary; he could, with a close look at a scruffy, 30-year-old card and some finger work, immediately tell you the player's name and best year, as well as the condition and value of the card as a collector's item. Similarly, his collection of 78 rpm records was vast and varied, running the gamut from Caruso to Spike Jones. He had a regular radio program while in graduate school, and hosted several radio shows in the San Francisco area in recent years. Louie will be best remembered by his friends and colleagues for his warm human qualities. He was a loving husband and proud father. His sense of humor was unfailing; it was directed as often to his own foibles as to those of the world in general. He was a very approachable, even humble, man who maintained an old world sense of civility and propriety. Yet, this gentle demeanor was supported by a remarkable inner strength. In all, those who have known him have profited from his example and are saddened by his untimely loss. JEFFREY N. C u z z l ROBERT C. WHITTEN OWEN
B. TOON
303 0019-1035/84 $3.00 Copyright © 1984by AcademicPress, Inc. All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.