Igor Dmitriyevich Novikov
Encyclopedia
Igor Dmitriyevich Novikov (born November 10, 1935 in Moscow
) is a Russian
(and former Soviet
) theoretical astrophysicist
and cosmologist
.
Novikov formulated the Novikov self-consistency principle
in the mid-1980s, an important contribution to the theory of time travel
.
Novikov gained his Ph.D.
degree in astrophysics in 1965 and the Russian D.Sc.
degree in astrophysics in 1970. From 1974 to 1990 he was head of the Department of Relativistic Astrophysics at the Russian Space Research Institute
in Moscow
. Before 1991 he was head of the Department of Theoretical Astrophysics at the Lebedev Physical Institute
in Moscow and has been professor at Moscow State University
. Since 1994 he has been director of the Theoretical Astrophysics Center (TAC) of the University of Copenhagen
, Denmark
. He is currently also a professor of astrophysics
at the Observatory of the University of Copenhagen, where he has been since 1991. From 1998 he is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
.
Novikov is married to Eleonora Kotok and has two children, Elena and Dmitry. His father disappeared under Stalin
and his mother spent years in the gulag
. He eventually came under the wing of Yakov Borisovich Zel'dovich
.
:
He has authored or co-authored 15 books on cosmology and astrophysics, and wrote, with Alexander S. Sharov, a biography of Edwin Hubble
, E. Hubble, Life and Work (Cambridge University Press 1992).
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
) is a Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
(and former Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
) theoretical astrophysicist
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
and cosmologist
Physical cosmology
Physical cosmology, as a branch of astronomy, is the study of the largest-scale structures and dynamics of the universe and is concerned with fundamental questions about its formation and evolution. For most of human history, it was a branch of metaphysics and religion...
.
Novikov formulated the Novikov self-consistency principle
Novikov self-consistency principle
The Novikov self-consistency principle, also known as the Novikov self-consistency conjecture, is a principle developed by Russian physicist Igor Dmitriyevich Novikov in the mid-1980s to solve the problem of paradoxes in time travel, which is theoretically permitted in certain solutions of general...
in the mid-1980s, an important contribution to the theory of time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
.
Novikov gained his Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
degree in astrophysics in 1965 and the Russian D.Sc.
Doktor nauk
Doktor nauk is a higher doctoral degree, the second and the highest post-graduate academic degree in the Soviet Union, Russia and in many post-Soviet states. Sometimes referred to as Dr. Hab. The prerequisite is the first degree, Kandidat nauk which is informally regarded equivalent to Ph.D....
degree in astrophysics in 1970. From 1974 to 1990 he was head of the Department of Relativistic Astrophysics at the Russian Space Research Institute
Russian Space Research Institute
The Russian Space Research Institute is the leading organization of the Russian Academy of Sciences on space exploration to benefit fundamental science....
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. Before 1991 he was head of the Department of Theoretical Astrophysics at the Lebedev Physical Institute
Lebedev Physical Institute
The Lebedev Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences , situated in Moscow, is one of the leading Russian research institutes specializing in physics. It is also one of the oldest research institutions in Russia: its history dates back to a collection of physics equipment established by...
in Moscow and has been professor at Moscow State University
Moscow State University
Lomonosov Moscow State University , previously known as Lomonosov University or MSU , is the largest university in Russia. Founded in 1755, it also claims to be one of the oldest university in Russia and to have the tallest educational building in the world. Its current rector is Viktor Sadovnichiy...
. Since 1994 he has been director of the Theoretical Astrophysics Center (TAC) of the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. He is currently also a professor of astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
at the Observatory of the University of Copenhagen, where he has been since 1991. From 1998 he is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
Royal Astronomical Society
The Royal Astronomical Society is a learned society that began as the Astronomical Society of London in 1820 to support astronomical research . It became the Royal Astronomical Society in 1831 on receiving its Royal Charter from William IV...
.
Novikov is married to Eleonora Kotok and has two children, Elena and Dmitry. His father disappeared under Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
and his mother spent years in the gulag
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
. He eventually came under the wing of Yakov Borisovich Zel'dovich
Yakov Borisovich Zel'dovich
Yakov Borisovich Zel'dovich was a prolific Soviet physicist born in Belarus. He played an important role in the development of Soviet nuclear and thermonuclear weapons, and made important contributions to the fields of adsorption and catalysis, shock waves, nuclear physics, particle physics,...
.
Publications
He wrote several popular books with a huge self-evident fascination, similar to ones of Stephen HawkingStephen Hawking
Stephen William Hawking, CH, CBE, FRS, FRSA is an English theoretical physicist and cosmologist, whose scientific books and public appearances have made him an academic celebrity...
:
- Black Holes and the Universe, (translated by Vitaly I. Kisin, Cambridge University Press 1995)
- The River of Time, (translated by Vitaly I. Kisin, Cambridge University Press 1998, 2001)
- Il ritmo del tempo, Di Renzo Editore, Roma, 2006
He has authored or co-authored 15 books on cosmology and astrophysics, and wrote, with Alexander S. Sharov, a biography of Edwin Hubble
Edwin Hubble
Edwin Powell Hubble was an American astronomer who profoundly changed the understanding of the universe by confirming the existence of galaxies other than the Milky Way - our own galaxy...
, E. Hubble, Life and Work (Cambridge University Press 1992).