International Journal of Mass Spectrometry 228 (2003) xi–xiii

Editor’s Foreword

Trying to capture the essence of Helmut Schwarz ina brief foreword is like trying to capture a whirlwindin a paper bag or getting the genie back in the bottle.Rodgers and Hammerstein confronted a similar prob-lem in the Sound of Music in trying to describe Maria(von Trapp). The whole song “Maria” was a series ofquestions ending with ‘How do you hold a moonbeamin your hand?” Lacking the musical talent of Rodgersand Hammerstein and reluctant to describe Helmut asa moonbeam, I chose a different method. Followingthese brief remarks are a series of snapshots that tryto shed some small light on the phenomenon of Hel-mut Schwarz. First there is a personal foreword fromlong time friend and collaborator Chava Lifshitz. Init Chava details the many connections Helmut hasestablished and maintained with Israeli scientistsand scientific institutions. Next there is a remark-able short paper definitively documenting Helmut’sinterstellar (intergalactic?) presence and the appar-ent attempt of extraterrestrials to communicate withhim. We are very fortunate an extraterrestrial rockwas figuratively thrown through the window of thenoted analytical sleuth Renato Zenobi. Following thisastounding paper there is an insightful commentaryby long time Elsevier editor Swan Go, who not onlygives a brief account of Elsevier’s interaction withHelmut but has collected an extensive assortment ofhand written notes from many of his colleagues andfriends. Leo Radom compliments this “note collage”with a “photo collage” gleaned from his personalcollection.

The final items are the more traditional curriculumvitae and list of students, postdocs and senior visitorsHelmut has mentored and worked with throughouthis career; an impressive list indeed. We chose not to

include a list of his publications (approaching 800)because we would have had to eliminate the researchpapers that follow to keep the size of the volume inhand! Besides, the over 60 research groups that con-tributed manuscripts from literally around the globemight not have approved. And of course these arethe true testament to Helmut; science of top qualityspanning all aspects of chemistry and delving intobiochemistry trying somehow to mirror his very broadand energetic approach to science.

Before ending, I should add a few personal notes.I have known Helmut for many years on several lev-els. First, we shared common research interests fornearly two decades, primarily in the areas of carbonclusters/fullerenes and in the reaction mechanisms oftransition metal ions with small molecular systems.We have only “butted heads” a few times and onlyonce did the “issue in question” actually make it intoprint. It was correctly pointed out by the Berlin groupthat some metastable intensities we reported on largecarbon clusters could be contaminated by metastablereactions of even larger carbon clusters. [Actually theclaim was made by Detlef Schroeder who was a stu-dent of Helmuts at the time, but I blame you anywayHelmut!] In truth I was honored by the exchange ofcomments made in J. Chem. Phys. over a decade agosince it indicated Helmut actually read my papers!(Not to mention my getting another publication outof the work.) That I never retaliated by criticizinga future paper of Helmut’s could have several ex-planations, but I will leave the reader to figure outthe most logical. Several years later Helmut actuallyinvited me to Berlin for a Carbon Cluster work-shop, correctly guessing I would not be showing anymetastable spectra! He was, of course, a perfect host

1387-3806/$ – see front matter © 2003 Published by Elsevier B.V.doi:10.1016/S1387-3806(03)00307-5

xii Editor’s Foreword

having arranged tickets for the workshop attendeesto see Sir Georg Solti conduct the combined BerlinPhilharmonic and Master Chorale doing a BeethovenMass. When I surprised him by showing up with mywife Nancy, leaving him one ticket short, he quicklymanaged to find two tickets in the first row, apolo-gizing for the “inferior acoustical” seats. Of coursethe seats were perfect, we were about 10 ft from Soltiand had unobstructed views of both the Chorale andorchestra.

Helmut being Helmut he has invited me backto Berlin many times “whenever I am in the area”which to him means anything east of Bermuda. Ihave never taken him up on it, but always suspectedhe wanted me to visit so he could pick my brain onhow I managed to publish so few papers a year (itis a well kept secret). I also recall inviting him toSanta Barbara (at least I think I did Helmut) but henever accepted. You can imagine my astonishmentwhen I saw a UCSB Seminar Notice a number ofyears ago that indicated that none other than HelmutSchwarz was giving a Departmental Seminar the nextweek. Apparently the Organic Chemists invited him.I say apparently because I was out of town the dayhe gave the seminar attending a scientific meetingand never did find out who invited him. I have al-ways hoped it was not me that invited you that weekHelmut!

Helmut was asked to serve as Editor of the thenInternational Journal of Mass Spectrometry and IonPhysics at the Vienna International Mass Spectrome-try Conference in 1982, beginning his editorial workcommencing with volume 52 in the Spring of 1983. Hereplaced J. Franzen of Bremen at the same time JohnBeynon replaced Alan Quayle. An almost immediatechange was made in the name of the journal, replac-ing “Ion Physics” with “Ion Processes” in recognitionof the fact that ion-molecule reactions and metastableion chemistry were playing a very significant role inMass Spectrometry at that time. Three years later An-drew Dempster, Elsevier publishing Editor at that time,asked me to become an Editor at the Swansea Inter-national Mass Spectrometry Conference to replace thelast founding editor, Harry Svec of Iowa State. A large

part of my agreeing to the job had to do with Hel-mut being one of the other Editors and knowing wehad the potential to do great things with the Journal. Iofficially started at volume 70 in the winter of 1986.Milestones since then have been volume 100 (Helmutedited), volume 200 (I edited) and over 40 special is-sues on a wide variety of topics and honoring manyof the great mass spectroscopists of our time. We alsomanaged to change the name of the Journal droppingthe Ion Processes part to better reflect the Journal’schanging focus. This time it was to reflect the growingmove toward biological mass spectrometry. As part ofthe change we added Scott McLuckey as an Editor.Both changes took place at the IJMS conference atTampere, Finland in 1997, over a dinner of reindeerrollups at a restaurant of Swan Go’s choosing. Swanwas the penultimate Elsevier editor Helmut and I haveworked with. The others are Andrew Dempster, PeterShepherd, Egbert von Weezenbeck, Kostos Marinakusand the current editor Michiel Thijssen. Obviously ev-eryone at Elsevier wants a chance to work with youHelmut!!

When I was close to turning 60 it was suggested at aboard meeting that a special issue should be publishedhonoring my career. I objected rather strongly becauseI felt it was both too soon (the jury was still out!) andinappropriate because I was an Editor. However, theBoard voted for it and Helmut edited it. Helmut spentthe next 3 years actively lobbying against the samefate befalling him at age 60 but at a Board meeting hefailed to attend we unanimously decided to go forwardand, knowing the history of my Special Issue, he couldnot refuse. I told him that after all was said and doneI was very grateful for the gesture made by all myfriends and colleagues contributing to my special issueand it had turned out to be one of the true highlightsof my career. I assured Helmut of this at the timeand, this foreword aside, I can assure him again ofit now.

This Special Issue will be presented to Helmut ata Special Symposium held in Berlin in his honor inlate August 2003. It is being coorganized by DetlefSchroeder and myself (Detlef is doing all the work)and will be attended by a goodly number of Helmut’s

Editor’s Foreword xiii

German colleagues and other collaborators. Helmuthas demanded (to Detlef) that no speeches be madeon his behalf (no chance Helmut) and suggested hemight develop a conflict for the days selected (againno chance Helmut). The response both to this issueand to the Special Symposium has been overwhelm-ing and enthusiastic, a great testament to the respectand affection Helmut has engendered among hisprofessional colleagues. I am honored to be part ofthis celebration and to have been drafted along in

his scientific and editorial slip stream these manyyears.

With admiration and affection

Mike BowersDepartment of Chemistry

University of CaliforniaSanta Barbara, CA 93106, USA

Tel.: +1-805-893-3049; fax:+1-805-893-8703E-mail: bowers@chem.ucsb.edu