Michael Mark Woolfson. 9 January 1927—23 December 2019

Abstract

Michael Woolfson contributed enormously to the theory and practice of X-ray crystallography for almost 60 years. He extended the theory of ‘direct methods’, which provided a general solution of the crystallographic phase problem from the measured diffraction data alone, and provided tools to exploit this theory. Software developed in his laboratory, such as the computer package MULTAN, was responsible for about half of the structures determined around the world in the 1970s and 1980s. His parallel work on the origin of the Solar System renewed interest in the Capture theory, and he contributed numerous stimulating ideas to the general study of the origin and dynamical evolution of the Solar System. Michael was a great educator and mentor for both undergraduates and young researchers, and many of these went on to make significant scientific contributions.