Abstract
Landau’s death and threat for the Landau School’s future. The author initiates the establishment of the independent Institute for Theoretical Physics within the new Research Centre of the Academy of Sciences near Moscow (Chernogolovka). Within a short time, a large group of talented physicists from all over the country comes to work at the Institute.
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Notes
- 1.
L.P. Gorkov (b. 1929) is a Soviet and American theoretical physicist. A.A. Abrikosov et al., “Lev Petrovich Gorkov (on his 80th birthday),” Phys. Usp., v. 52: 655–656 (2009).
- 2.
L.P. Pitaevskii (b. 1933) is a Soviet and Russian theoretical physicist. A.F. Andreev et al., “Lev Petrovich Pitaevskii (on his 70th birthday),” Phys. Usp., v. 46: 103–104 (2003).
- 3.
I.E. Dzyaloshinskii (b. 1931) is a Soviet and American theoretical physicist. A.A. Abrikosov et al. “Igor Ekhielyevich Dzyaloshinskii (on his 80th birthday),” Phys. Usp., v. 54(2): 221 (2011).
- 4.
Three portraits in a row were displayed on the walls in those days: of Brezhnev, Kosygin, and Podgorny. It was also customary to exhibit the entire Politburo (10 voting members).
- 5.
W.K.H. Panofsky (1919–2007) (aka “Pief”) was a German American particle physicist and advisor on arms for Kennedy and Johnson administrations.
- 6.
In what followed, one of the classic academic freedoms of the Landau Institute was the absence of regular attendance schedule with the exception of seminars.
- 7.
See footnote on p. 9.
- 8.
Yu.A. Osipyan (1931–2008) is a Soviet and Russian physicist. See Zh.I. Alferov et al., “Yurii Andreevich Osipyan (on his 70th birthday),” Phys. Usp., v. 44: 215–216 (2001).
- 9.
See footnote on p. 9.
- 10.
See footnote on p. 10.
- 11.
See footnote on p. 36.
- 12.
To M.V. Keldysh.
- 13.
N.M. Zhavoronkov (b. 1907) was a Soviet chemical engineer. See Theoretical Foundations of Chemical Engineering v. 41(6): 900, Springer (2007).
- 14.
Chernogolovka had a village status at that time.
- 15.
As far back as in 1929 Shidlovskii had already worked as an accountant in the Academy of Sciences.
- 16.
K.N Rudnev (1911–1980) was a Soviet statesman, who participated in the Soviet space program.
- 17.
[Author’s footnote] Archive of the IPP, Russian Academy of Sciences. Publication by P.E. Rubinin.
- 18.
From time to time people used to build sheds and garages in the yards or on unused lands. Legality of these constructions had been periodically disputed.
- 19.
Next year, in 1966, the Bogoliubov Institute for Theoretical Physics was founded. It is situated in a suburb of Kiev, in close proximity to the Saint Panteleimon cathedral.
- 20.
Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics is affiliated with Kyoto University. It was founded in 1952. It shared its acronym with C.N. Yang Institute of Theoretical Physics (YITP), which is a research center at the Stony Brook University, founded in 1965.
- 21.
E.G. Komar (1907–1974) was a Soviet electrical engineer, Director of Scientific Research Institute for Electro-Physical Equipment in Leningrad, and the Head of Thermonuclear Power Plant Research.
- 22.
S.P. Kapitsa (b. 1928) is a Soviet and Russian physicist, the son of P.L. Kapitsa.
- 23.
A.S. Borovik-Romanov (1920–1997) was a Soviet and Russian experimental physicist. See A.F. Andreev et al., “90th anniversary of the birth of A.S. Borovik-Romanov,” Phys.-Usp., v. 53: 843 (2010).
- 24.
One of the P.L. Kapitsa’s experimental discoveries in 1928–1929. See I.M. Lifshitz and V.G. Peschanskii, ZhETF, v. 35: 1251 (1958). See also A.A. Abrikosov “Quantum linear magnetoresistance,” Europhys. Lett., v. 49: 789 (2000).
- 25.
M.Ya. Azbel (b. 1932) is a Soviet and Israeli physicist, currently at the Tel-Aviv University.
- 26.
L.P. Gorkov and G.M. Eliashberg, “Minute Metallic Particles in an Electromagnetic Field,” Sov. Phys. JETP, v. 21: 940 (1965).
- 27.
V.L. Pokrovskii (b. 1931) is a Soviet and American theoretical physicist, currently at the Texas A&M University.
- 28.
For an early review of this work see: V.L. Pokrovskii, “Similarity hypothesis in the theory of phase transitions,” Sov. Phys. Usp., v. 11(1): 66 (1968).
- 29.
E.I. Rashba (b. 1927) is a Soviet and American theoretical physicist, currently at the Harvard University.
- 30.
G.M. Eliashberg (b. 1930) is a Soviet and Russian theoretical physicist.
- 31.
A.I. Larkin (1932–2005) was a Soviet and American theoretical physicist.
- 32.
A.B. Migdal (1911–1991) was a Soviet theoretical physicist.
- 33.
S.I. Anisimov (b. 1934) is a Soviet and Russian theoretical physicist.
- 34.
V.N. Gribov (1930–1997) was a Soviet and Russian theoretical physicist.
- 35.
V.E. Zakharov (b. 1939) is a Soviet and American mathematical physicist, see A.V. Gurevich et al., “Vladimir Evgenyevich Zakharov (on his 70th birthday)” Phys. Usp., v. 52: 863 (2009).
- 36.
S.P. Novikov (b. 1938) is a Soviet and Russian mathematician, recipient of Fields Medal (1970) and Wolf Prize (2005).
- 37.
Ya.G. Sinai (b. 1935) is a Soviet and American mathematician, recipient of Wolf Prize (1997), currently at the Princeton University.
- 38.
Y.B. Levinson (1932–2008) was a Soviet and Israeli theoretical physicist (Physics Today, December 2010 issue).
- 39.
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.
- 40.
L.D. Landau and V.L. Ginzburg, “On the theory of superconductivity,” ZhETF, v. 20: 1064 (1950).
- 41.
Russian “миг” could be translated as a “moment” or “instant,” but also as an acronym “MiG” made from the names of A.I. Mikoyan and M.I. Gurevich, the two designers of Soviet military aircrafts, whose design bureau and jet planes share this name.
- 42.
L.D. Landau, “The theory of superfluidity of helium II,” J. Phys. USSR, v. 5: 71 (1941).
- 43.
Nickname of the Kurchatov Institute.
- 44.
A.A. Migdal (b. 1945) is a Soviet and American theoretical physicist.
- 45.
Here, the process of opening the borders of the USSR. (One should also take into account the eagerness with which scientific institutions of other countries were hiring ex-Soviet scientists.)
- 46.
B. Pontecorvo (1913–1993) was an Italian and Soviet nuclear physicist, who worked as an assistant of E. Fermi and defected to USSR in 1950.
- 47.
M.A. Sheinkman (1903–1964) who used a pen name Mikhail Svetlov, was a Soviet poet and playwright.
- 48.
D.M. Krasnopevtsev (1924–1995) was a Soviet underground artist and surrealist.
- 49.
V.S. Lemport (1922–2001) was a Soviet and Russian sculptor and actor.
- 50.
N.A. Silis (b. 1928) is a Soviet and Russian sculptor and actor.
- 51.
One of the central prospects in Moscow, leading to the Kremlin.
- 52.
See footnote on p. 25.
- 53.
B.T. Geilikman (1914–1977) was a Soviet theoretical physicist. See V.G. Vaks et al., “Boris Tovyevich Geilikman,” Sov. Phys. Usp., v. 20: 1035 (1977).
- 54.
Josef Stalin was of Georgian descent.
- 55.
M.P. Rytova-Kemoklidze (b. 1941) is a Georgian, Soviet, Russian, and American theoretical physicist. See M.P. Rytova, “There is the Scientific Council and the Wednesday seminar. That will do,” Phys. Usp., v. 37: 1227 (1994). Currently at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CA, USA.
- 56.
R.I. Amiradzhibi (b. 1918) was married to Mikhail Svetlov and, second time, to Bruno Pontecorvo.
- 57.
Georgian alphabet is not widely known in Russia.
- 58.
A movement in the Communist Party in the 1980s, associated with M.S. Gorbachev.
- 59.
MIPT system relies on many research institutes (including the Landau Institute) for lecturing, laboratory classes and exams. The research institutes in this capacity are called ‘bases’.
- 60.
It exists to this day, and has an acronym VPK. It now reports directly to the President of Russia.
- 61.
A.V. Byalko (b. 1944) is a Soviet and Russian theoretical physicist.
- 62.
The State Planning Committee in (1921–1991), a centralized planning body for five-year plans, etc.
- 63.
To my knowledge, this book, published in 1971 and entitled “Pages of Landau’s Life” have not been translated into English. Its author is M.Ya. Bessarab (b. 1925), a Soviet and Russian writer, a niece of L.D. Landau’s spouse, C.T. Drobantseva-Landau. There is a second book by Bessarab, “As Landau Used to Say,” published in 2003, not translated.
- 64.
G.I. Budker (1918–1977) was a Soviet nuclear physicist. See A.P. Aleksandrov et al., Sov. Phys. Usp., v. 21: 369 (1978).
- 65.
The name was not disclosed.
- 66.
See footnote on p. 26.
- 67.
Higher Attestation Commission is a Soviet and Russian government agency that supervises and approves academic achievements.
- 68.
As with G.I. Budker above, the author hints on escalation of anti-Semitism at the end of Stalin’s reign.
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Khalatnikov, I.M. (2012). The Institute. In: From the Atomic Bomb to the Landau Institute. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27561-6_5
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