Vol.35 (Oct) 2025 | Article no.32 2025
We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Professor Humitaka Sato. He passed away on September 14, 2025, at the age of 87.
Professor Sato devoted his life to physics, leaving behind a legacy of pioneering achievements that shaped our modern understanding of the Universe.
Professor Sato studied physics at Kyoto University, receiving his Doctor of Science degree in 1966. He subsequently held academic positions at the Faculty of Sciences, Kyoto University and the Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kyoto University. He served as dean of the Faculty of Sciences for two years and as director of the Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics for four years. He became a professor emeritus of Kyoto University in 2001. After retirement, he continued his work in education and research as a professor at Konan University.
His scientific contributions covered a wide spectrum of fields. In general relativity, his discovery of the Tomimatsu–Sato solution to Einstein’s equations was a landmark achievement that significantly influenced subsequent research in general relativity and gravitation.
In cosmology, he played a pivotal role in establishing the hot Big-Bang model as the standard cosmological framework. Through seminal work on primordial nucleosynthesis, recombination, structure formation, and the role of neutrinos and other elementary particles in the early Universe, he laid the foundation for the fruitful intersection of particle physics and cosmology.
Professor Sato also made pioneering contributions to high-energy astrophysics. He studied the acceleration and origin of cosmic rays, and predicted gamma-ray emission from supernovae. During the appearance of Supernova 1987 A, he organized observational campaigns abroad, helping launch Japan's active role in ultra-high-energy cosmic ray and TeV gamma-ray astronomy.
In addition to his scientific career, Professor Sato authored more than 60 popular science books, which greatly advanced public understanding of astrophysics and quantum physics. He was also active in the international community, serving in leadership roles in the International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation, the IUPAP Commission on Astrophysics, and the Marcel Grossmann Meetings. Notably, he chaired the Sixth Marcel Grossmann Meeting in Kyoto in 1991.
Professor Humitaka Sato's life and work embodied a rare combination of scientific depth, vision, and dedication to the advancement of knowledge. His achievements will continue to inspire generations of physicists and cosmologists around the world. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, colleagues, and friends.
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Pham Van Ky, Nonstatic Reissner-Nordström metric in the perturbative f(R) theory: embedding in the background of the FLRW cosmology, uniqueness of solutions, the TOV equation. Eur. Phys. J. C 85(2), 170 (2025)
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