Ginzburg, Vitaly Lazarevich

Alternate Name

Ginsberg, Vitaly Lazarevich

Born Moscow, Russia, 4 October 1916

Died Moscow, Russia, 8 November 2009

Soviet theoretical physicist Vitaly Ginzburg was one of the three founders of the modern Russian school of theoretical astrophysics (along with Joseph Shklovsky and Yakov Zel’dovich ). He has made important contributions to the understanding of the origin of cosmic rays; of nonthermal radiation from the Sun, supernova remnants, and quasars; and of the nature of compact astrophysical objects. Ginzburg was the son of an engineer father and physician mother (who died when he was two); an only child, he was largely raised by his mother’s younger sister. He was educated at home for several years, received 4 years of formal secondary schooling, and then (because 7 years of education was thought to be enough in those days) became a laboratory assistant in an X-ray diffraction lab. After a couple of tries, Ginzburg was admitted to Moscow State University through a competitive...