Georges Charpak, who won the 1992 Nobel prize for physics, has died at age 86, his family announced in Thursday's edition of the daily Le Figaro.
Charpak received the award for his work with particle detectors, in particular an instrument called the multiwire proportional chamber. This is a detector for particles of ionizing radiation, DPA reported.
Charpak was born on August 1, 1924, in the Polish town of Dabrowica, which is today a part of Ukraine. He and his family moved to Paris when he was seven years old.
During World War II, Charpak joined the French resistance at age 17 and was imprisoned and deported to the Nazi concentration camp of Dachau. He remained a prisoner until the camp was liberated in 1945. He became a French citizen after the war.
In a press statement released by his office, President Nicolas Sarkozy called Charpak a "great humanitarian whose life and commitment are an example for the nation and its youth."