May 1, 2018 (PO64). Vincenzo (Enzo) Palmieri, Research Director at Legnaro National Laboratories of INFN (LSC Group) and Director of the innovative Master in Surface Treatments for Industrial Applications of the University of Padua, passed away on March 16th, 2018.

Enzo was one of the most active members of the community of Superconducting RF for accelerators: after graduating cum laude in Physics at the University of Naples Federico II and training at CERN as a technical student, he was hired by INFN in Legnaro, where he developed the techniques to sputter quarter-wave cavities for the accelerator ALPI. Working in the field of SRF technologies for more than 30 years, he was the inventor of several techniques that have been real breakthroughs in the field of Superconducting RF, such as the fabrication of seamless cavities by spinning and the chemical treatments with ionic liquids and without hydrofluoric acid, to reduce cost and environmental impact of the treatments. He dedicated his professional career to improve the performances of superconducting cavities, investigating and giving his fundamental contribution on many topics: from Nb thin film to Nb thick film on copper, from A15 materials to atmospheric plasma treatments, from the influence of sputtering geometry on superconducting thin films to the study of the role of interfaces in the SRF properties. Moreover, he developed high power targets for the production of biomedical radioisotopes and was a pioneer in technological transfer within the collaborations between INFN and industries.

Enzo was the author of more than 280 publications and 3 patents and was the supervisor of more than 100 PhD and Master’s degree theses. Appointed Professor at the University of Padua where he taught Superconducting Materials and Vacuum Techniques, he was also the Responsible of the Material Science and Technologies for Nuclear Physics Service at LNL-INFN, where he had been training generations of scientists.

His family, a large community of colleagues, and friends will always remember him for his outstanding, peerless and eclectic personality.

Today his research group at LNL is honored to carry on his scientific legacy.