当然、教授であるはずであったが阪大卒のＢｒｏｗｎ留学教授に阻まれ栄達できず、豊橋技術大学へ栄転した。Ｈ大は大きな金の卵を見逃したものよ！
Ｂｒｏｗｎ留学教授の口癖は”その研究の目的は何だ？”ばかりであった。発見が面白くて研究をやっているというと睨まれてアウトである！この教授は研究ができない秀才好みであった。
nature.com
Abstract
In 1985 the football structure of C60, buckminsterfullerene was proposed and subsequently confirmed following its macroscopic synthesis in 1990.
From the very beginning the role of C60 and C60+ in space was considered, particularly in the context of the enigmatic diffuse interstellar bands.
These are absorption features found in the spectra of reddened star light. The first astronomical observations were made around one hundred years ago and despite significant efforts none of the interstellar molecules responsible have been identified.
The absorption spectrum of C60+ was measured in a 5K neon matrix in 1993 and two prominent bands near9583Åand 9645Å were observed.
On the basis of this data the likely wavelength range in which the gas phase C60+ absorptions should lie was predicted. In 1994 two diffuse interstellar bands were found in this spectral region and proposed to be due to C60+.
It took over 20years to measure the absorption spectrum of C60+ under conditions similar to those prevailing in diffuse clouds.
In 2015, sophisticated laboratory experiments led to the confirmation that these two interstellar bands are indeed caused by C60+, providing the first answer to this century old puzzle.
Here, we describe the experiments, concepts and astronomical observations that led to the detection of C60+ in interstellar space.
kroto.info/dibs/