Ioviţu’s life

The book presents the life of the well-known and appreciated academician Ion-Iovitz Popescu, with a complex and varied scientific activity, having revolutionary contributions in the field of electric discharges in gas, in plasma physics and in laser spectroscopy, where he elaborated a system of quantitative analysis of poetry.
The fragments of electronic correspondence, the memorialist passages and the testimonies of those who know him reveal his love for physics in particular and for knowledge in general, indissociably intertwined with love for his wife, Denisa, also a world-renowned researcher, four times nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physics for her experimental discovery of atomic multiphoton spectra. Chapter 6 (‟Announcing Laser Spectroscopy”. Dr. Denisa-Georgeta Popescu) is thus dedicated to her remarkable professional activity, while Chapter 7 (‟The Tragedy of Târgu Mureş”) and the following chapters 8, 9, 10 (‟Courage”, ‟The Mystery of Cristina Barbu” and ‟the Dream of Victory”) recounts the tragedy of Denisa’s death, but also the unexpected ways in which communication between her and her husband continued beyond death.
While chapter 2 (‟A More Literary Autobiography”) is autobiographical and chronologically recreates the existence of the author, from tender or dramatic memories, memorable moments, passages from emails, documents and photographs, chapters 3 and 5 (‟Iovitzu seen by Nicolae Ionescu-Pallas” and ‟Iovitzu Seen by Gheorghe Dinescu”) are bringing in the perspectives of two renowned physicists. The book ends with an excerpt from Pope Francis’ prayer of March 27, 2020, in the midst of a pandemic, conveying a profound message of faith, courage and hope.