Miro Andrea Preger, a distinguished accelerator physicist in the Accelerator Division of the Frascati National Laboratories (LNF), passed away on 1 September 2025.
Originally an employee of the Italian National Committee for Nuclear Energy (CNEN), Miro had a long career as a key figure in the INFN institutions.
He made his mark at the pioneering ADONE collider in the 1970s, optimising its performance, developing an innovative luminosity monitor, and improving the machine optics and injection system. Later he served as the director of ADONE, participating in all second-generation experiments, colliding beams for particle physics and producing synchrotron radiation and gamma rays for nuclear physics.
Beyond LNF, Miro played an important role in the design of the Italian synchrotron radiation source ELETTRA in Trieste, and the ESRF in Grenoble; he also collaborated on many other accelerator projects, including CTF3 and CLIC at CERN.
Miro made outstanding contributions to the DAΦNE collider project, leading the realisation of the electron–positron injection system
Miro held many institutional roles, and as head of the Accelerator Physics Service, he taught the art and science of accelerators to many young scientists, with clarity, patience and dedication. As a mentor, he leaves a legacy of accelerator experts who have ensured the success of many LNF initiatives.
Miro made outstanding contributions to the DAφNE collider project from the beginning, leading the design and realisation of the entire electron–positron injection system. He was deeply involved in the very challenging commissioning and achieving the high luminosity that was required by the experiments.
Besides his characteristic dynamism, one of Miro’s distinctive traits was his ability to foster harmonious collaboration among technicians, technologists and researchers.
Away from physics, Miro was an excellent tennis player and skier, along with being a skilled sailor, activities that he often shared with colleagues.
