Nikolai Aleksandrovich Kozyrev
Encyclopedia
Nikolai Alexandrovich Kozyrev (September 2, 1908–February 27, 1983) was a Russia
n astronomer
/astrophysicist.
. In 1931 he began working at the Pulkovo Observatory
, located to the south of Leningrad. He was considered to be one of the most promising astrophysicists in Russia. Kozyrev was a victim of the Stalinist purges of the Pulkovo Observatory. Started by the accusations of a disgruntled graduate student, most of the observatory staff died as a result. Kozyrev was arrested in November 1936 and sentenced to 10 years for counterrevolutionary activity. In 1942, he was sentenced to be shot by firing squad, but the court later reversed its decision. He was released from prison in December 1946.
During his imprisonment, Kozyrev attempted to continue working on purely theoretical physics. He considered the problem of the energy source of stars and formulated a theory. But in his isolation, he was unaware of the discovery of atomic energy
. After his release, Kozyrev refused to believe the theory that stars are powered by atomic fusion.
Kozyrev was a bold thinker and was respected by prominent scientists of his time (Arkady Kuzmin, Vasily Moroz, and Iosef Shklovsky all speak highly of him), even though his work was often of a very doubtful nature. Among these theories was the claim that the polar caps of Mars were purely atmospheric cloud formations, rather than ice-covered ground.
in the crater Alphonsus
on the Moon
. In 1958 he observed a patch of white within the crater, and a spectrum
of the area appeared to reveal an emission cloud of carbon
particles. Transient lunar phenomenon had long recorded what appeared to be temporary emissions on the lunar surface, and Kozyrev's observation was the first observation of the kind, and appeared to provide confirmation that the Moon was volcanically
active.
In 1953, Kozyrev attempted to analyze the phenomenon of Ashen light
, a nocturnal air glow on Venus
whose existence remains controversial to this day. He also made the earliest photometric measurements of the visible and ultraviolet spectrum of Venus. His calculation of the thermal balance of Venus disputed the popular theory that the clouds of Venus consisted of dust. Kozyrev argued that energy absorbed in the upper atmosphere created high altitude storms, but the surface of Venus would be still and dimly lit. This work had an impact on the theory of Venus and Nobel Laureate Harold Urey
devoted a paper to the analysis and implications of it.
Kozyrev wrongly believed that the white poles of Mars
were caused by cloud formations in the atmosphere, not ice on the surface.
Due to his experiments and publications (Causal Mechanics/Theory of Time) he became one of the most controversial figures in the history of the Russian scientific community. In the 1930s, Kozyrev was considered the most promising new astrophysicist in Russia, but his arrest and long imprisonment destroyed his career during what is usually the most creative period of a scientist's life. Isolated from all news and publications, he pondered the source of internal heat in stars and planets, but was unaware of the discoveries being made in quantum mechanics
and atomic energy. After his release, he struggled to recover his place in science, but his own theories were out of step with the current physics by that time.
The dispute over Kozyrev's causal-mechanics theory spilled into Pravda
in 1959, with criticism by some of the Soviet Union's leading physicists, including Igor Tamm
. In January 1960, the Soviet Academy of Sciences and Bureau of Physico-Mathematical Sciences appointed a commission to resolve the dispute. The nine men were assigned to investigate the theory, experimental evidence, and the special issue of planetary asymmetry which Kozyrev claimed was evidence of a gyro-gravitational "latitude effect". Their findings were:
1. The theory is not based on accepted clearly formulated axiomatics, its conclusions are not developed by sufficiently strict logical or mathematical methods.
2. The quality and accuracy of conducted laboratory experiments do not allow drawing of specific conclusions about the nature of the effect.
3. Checking the asymmetric form of major planets by measuring their photographs, it was not found in Saturn. For Jupiter they arrived at the conclusion that the apparent asymmetry was the result of the asymmetric arrangement of bands on its disks but was not a geometrical asymmetry of the planet. [see: Selected Works]
In December 1969, the State Committee for Affairs of Discovery and Inventions at the Ministerial Council of the
USSR, awarded N. Kozyrev a diploma "For the discovery of tectonic activity of the Moon."
The following astronomical features are named for him:
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
/astrophysicist.
Biography
He was born in St. Petersburg, and by 1928 he had graduated from the Leningrad State UniversitySaint Petersburg State University
Saint Petersburg State University is a Russian federal state-owned higher education institution based in Saint Petersburg and one of the oldest and largest universities in Russia....
. In 1931 he began working at the Pulkovo Observatory
Pulkovo Observatory
The Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory астрономи́ческая обсервато́рия Росси́йской акаде́мии нау́к), the principal astronomical observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences, located 19 km south of Saint Petersburg on Pulkovo Heights...
, located to the south of Leningrad. He was considered to be one of the most promising astrophysicists in Russia. Kozyrev was a victim of the Stalinist purges of the Pulkovo Observatory. Started by the accusations of a disgruntled graduate student, most of the observatory staff died as a result. Kozyrev was arrested in November 1936 and sentenced to 10 years for counterrevolutionary activity. In 1942, he was sentenced to be shot by firing squad, but the court later reversed its decision. He was released from prison in December 1946.
During his imprisonment, Kozyrev attempted to continue working on purely theoretical physics. He considered the problem of the energy source of stars and formulated a theory. But in his isolation, he was unaware of the discovery of atomic energy
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
. After his release, Kozyrev refused to believe the theory that stars are powered by atomic fusion.
Kozyrev was a bold thinker and was respected by prominent scientists of his time (Arkady Kuzmin, Vasily Moroz, and Iosef Shklovsky all speak highly of him), even though his work was often of a very doubtful nature. Among these theories was the claim that the polar caps of Mars were purely atmospheric cloud formations, rather than ice-covered ground.
Publications
He is most noted for his observation of the transient lunar phenomenonTransient lunar phenomenon
A transient lunar phenomenon , or lunar transient phenomenon , is a short-lived light, color, or change in appearance on the lunar surface....
in the crater Alphonsus
Alphonsus (crater)
Alphonsus is an ancient impact crater on the Moon that dates from the immediate post-Nectarian era. It is located on the lunar highlands on the eastern end of Mare Nubium, west of the Imbrian Highlands, and slightly overlaps the crater Ptolemaeus to the north. The surface is broken and irregular...
on the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
. In 1958 he observed a patch of white within the crater, and a spectrum
Spectrum
A spectrum is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary infinitely within a continuum. The word saw its first scientific use within the field of optics to describe the rainbow of colors in visible light when separated using a prism; it has since been applied by...
of the area appeared to reveal an emission cloud of carbon
Carbon
Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds...
particles. Transient lunar phenomenon had long recorded what appeared to be temporary emissions on the lunar surface, and Kozyrev's observation was the first observation of the kind, and appeared to provide confirmation that the Moon was volcanically
Vulcanism
Vulcanism may refer to* Volcanism or volcanic activity.* Plutonism, a scientific theory of the Earth....
active.
In 1953, Kozyrev attempted to analyze the phenomenon of Ashen light
Ashen light
Ashen light is a subtle glow that is seen from the night side of the planet Venus. This ashen light is said to be very similar to Earthshine on our moon, but not as distinguished in brightness. It was first sighted by the astronomer Giovanni Battista Riccioli on January 9, 1643, and has been...
, a nocturnal air glow on Venus
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
whose existence remains controversial to this day. He also made the earliest photometric measurements of the visible and ultraviolet spectrum of Venus. His calculation of the thermal balance of Venus disputed the popular theory that the clouds of Venus consisted of dust. Kozyrev argued that energy absorbed in the upper atmosphere created high altitude storms, but the surface of Venus would be still and dimly lit. This work had an impact on the theory of Venus and Nobel Laureate Harold Urey
Harold Urey
Harold Clayton Urey was an American physical chemist whose pioneering work on isotopes earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1934...
devoted a paper to the analysis and implications of it.
Kozyrev wrongly believed that the white poles of Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
were caused by cloud formations in the atmosphere, not ice on the surface.
Due to his experiments and publications (Causal Mechanics/Theory of Time) he became one of the most controversial figures in the history of the Russian scientific community. In the 1930s, Kozyrev was considered the most promising new astrophysicist in Russia, but his arrest and long imprisonment destroyed his career during what is usually the most creative period of a scientist's life. Isolated from all news and publications, he pondered the source of internal heat in stars and planets, but was unaware of the discoveries being made in quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics or quantum theory, is a branch of physics providing a mathematical description of much of the dual particle-like and wave-like behavior and interactions of energy and matter. It departs from classical mechanics primarily at the atomic and subatomic...
and atomic energy. After his release, he struggled to recover his place in science, but his own theories were out of step with the current physics by that time.
The dispute over Kozyrev's causal-mechanics theory spilled into Pravda
Pravda
Pravda was a leading newspaper of the Soviet Union and an official organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party between 1912 and 1991....
in 1959, with criticism by some of the Soviet Union's leading physicists, including Igor Tamm
Igor Tamm
Igor Yevgenyevich Tamm was a Soviet physicist and Nobel laureate who received most prestigious Nobel Prize in Physics, jointly with Pavel Alekseyevich Cherenkov and Ilya Frank, for the discovery of Cherenkov radiation, made in 1934.-Biography:Tamm was born in Vladivostok, Russian Empire , in a...
. In January 1960, the Soviet Academy of Sciences and Bureau of Physico-Mathematical Sciences appointed a commission to resolve the dispute. The nine men were assigned to investigate the theory, experimental evidence, and the special issue of planetary asymmetry which Kozyrev claimed was evidence of a gyro-gravitational "latitude effect". Their findings were:
1. The theory is not based on accepted clearly formulated axiomatics, its conclusions are not developed by sufficiently strict logical or mathematical methods.
2. The quality and accuracy of conducted laboratory experiments do not allow drawing of specific conclusions about the nature of the effect.
3. Checking the asymmetric form of major planets by measuring their photographs, it was not found in Saturn. For Jupiter they arrived at the conclusion that the apparent asymmetry was the result of the asymmetric arrangement of bands on its disks but was not a geometrical asymmetry of the planet. [see: Selected Works]
Honors
In September 1969, the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA, Paris, France) awarded N. Kozyrev a nominal gold medal "For remarkable telescopic and spectral observations of luminescent phenomena on the Moon, showing that the Moon remains a still active body, and stimulating development of the methods of luminescent researches world wide."In December 1969, the State Committee for Affairs of Discovery and Inventions at the Ministerial Council of the
USSR, awarded N. Kozyrev a diploma "For the discovery of tectonic activity of the Moon."
The following astronomical features are named for him:
- AsteroidAsteroidAsteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
2536 Kozyrev2536 Kozyrev2536 Kozyrev is a main-belt asteroid discovered on August 15, 1939 by G. Neujmin at Simeis.- External links :*...
. - Kozyrev (crater)Kozyrev (crater)Kozyrev is an impact crater on the far side of the Moon. It lies to the south-southeast of the crater Carver, and to the southwest of the Roche–Pauli crater pair....
on the MoonMoonThe Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
.
Publications
- N.A.Kozyrev, On the Nightglow of Venus, Izvestiya Krymskoi Astrofizicheskoi Observatorii, Vol 12
- N.A.Kozyrev, Molecular Absorption in the Violet Part of the Spectrum of Venus Krymskoi Astrofizicheskoi Observatorii, Vol 12
- N.A.Kozyrev, Selected Works, published by Leningrad State Univ., 1991. 488 p.
- N.A.Kozyrev, V.V.Nasonov, On some properties of time, discovered by astronomical observations, in Problemy issledovaniya vselennoi, 1980, (Russian lang.)
- N.A.Kozyrev, Possibility of experimental study of properties of time, Pulkovo, September 1967 (txt available)
- N.A.Kozyrev, Sources of Stellar Energy and the Theory of the Internal Constitution of Stars, In: Progress in Physics, 2005, v.3, 61-99.
Publications with reference to Kozyrev's work
- Margerison Dr. T., Causal Mechanics - The Russian Scientific Dispute, New Scientists, London, Nov 26, 1959
- Akimov, A.E., Shipov, G. I., Torsion fields and their experimental manifestations, 1996 (html available)
- Mishin, Alexander M., The Ether Model as Result of the New Empirical Conception, International Academy of MegaSciences, St. Petersburg, Russia (html available)
- Levich, A.P., A Substantial Interpretation of N.A. Kozyrev’s Conception of Time. Singapore, New Jersey, London, Hong Kong: World Scientific, 1996, p. 1-42.
- A.E.Akimov, G.U.Kovalchuk, V.G.Medvedev, V.K.Oleinik, A.F.Pugach, The preliminary results of astronomical observations of the sky with N.A.Kozyrev's method, Chief astronomical observatory of Ukraine Acad.of Sciences, Kiev, 1992
- Ostrander, S. and Schroeder, L., Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1970.
- Hellmann, A., Aspekte der Zeit- und Äthertheorie, 2006, (http://www.safeswiss.org/arbeitsgruppen/kozyrev/publikation/Kozyrev_Artikel4-070110a.pdf)
- Lavrentiev, M.M., Yeganova, I.A., Lutset, M.K. & Fominykh, S.F. (1990). On distant influence of stars on resistor. Doklady Physical Sciences. 314 (2). 368-370.
- Lavrentiev, M.M., Gusev, V.A., Yeganova, I.A., Lutset, M.K. & Fominykh, S.F. (1990). On the registration of true Sun position. Doklady Physical Sciences. 315 (2), 368-370.
- Lavrentiev, M.M., Yeganova, I.A., Lutset, M.K. & Fominykh, S.F. (1991) On the registration of substance respond to external irreversible process. Doklady Physical Sciences. 317 (3), 635-639.
- Lavrentiev, M.M., Yeganova, I.A., Medvedev, V.G., Oleynik, V.K. & Fominykh, S.F. (1992). On the scanning of star sky by Kozyrev’s detecting unit. Doklady Physical Sciences. 323 (4), 649-652.
- Levich, A.P. (1995). Generating Flows and a Substantional Model of Space-Time. Gravitation and Cosmology. 1 (3), 237-242.
- Wilcock, David. (2011). The Source Field Investigations,
External links
- Nikolai Aleksandrovich Kozyrev: Selected Works online copy of the book (in Russian)
- Kozyrev Observations of Lunar Crater Alphonsus, 1959
- Possibility of Experimental Study of Properties of Time Seminal paper in txt format