This is a collection of anecdotes and gossip. Of course, the collection represents only a minor fraction of the stories floating around when (ion-) beam-foil / beam-gas / beam-laser colleagues meet socially. Since the first call for contributions to this collection went out via electronic mail, colleagues whose addresses were not known or who did not have e-mail at the time were missed. Unfortunately a number of the people involved in this field, particularly in its infancy, have explicitly denied to contribute anecdotes on some prominent people whom they consider as too influential as to dish out stories about them (although they clearly hinted that they would have stories to tell!). Maybe time will make those oral history documents available after more than 30 years ... and bring to the light the stories about those special characters as well.

Most of the stories are based on hearsay and have been filtered through the editors' imperfect memories. (American readers are advised that the language may be rough (non-PC) in parts, and that parental guidance may be warranted for the meeker souls.) There are vast gaps, many of them obvious from the notes below. Since my fellow editor, Indrek Martinson, the kind spirit and international communicator, has died in December of 2009, please send your comments, corrections, complaints, and complementary material to me at traebert@astro.rub.de.
E. T.

Beam-foil stories: Introduction

Beam-foil stories: The early years

Beam-foil stories: The middle period

Beam-foil stories: Late years

Beam-foil stories: Recipe for refereeing bfs manuscripts

Elmar Träbert Physics home page

Updated: 10 Jan 2010