  Michel Barat passed away in November 2018 at the age of 80 after a rich
career in atomic and molecular collisions. He had participated actively in
formalizing to the electron promotion model, contributed to low energy reactive
collisions at the frontier of chemistry. He investigated electron capture
mechanisms by highly charged ions, switched to collision induced cluster
dissociation and finally to UV laser excitation induced fragmentation
mechanisms of biological molecules. During this highly active time he created a
lab, organized ICPEAC and participated actively in the administration of
research. This paper covers the ten years where he mentored my scientific
activity in the blossoming field of electron capture by highly charge ions
(HCI). In spite of an impressive number of open channels, Michel found a way to
capture the important parameters and to simplify the description of several
electron capture processes; orientation propensity, electron promotion, true
double electron capture, Transfer ionisation, Transfer excitation, formation of
Rydberg states, and electron capture by metastable states. Each time Michel
established fruitful collaborations with other groups.

Atomic Physics