Sergey Ivanovich Vavilov
Encyclopedia
Sergey Ivanovich Vavilov ( ( – January 25, 1951) was a Soviet
physicist
, the President of the USSR Academy of Sciences from July 1945 until his death. His elder brother Nikolai Vavilov
was a famous Russian geneticist
.
, known by his works in luminescence
. In 1934 he co-discovered the Vavilov-Cherenkov effect, a discovery for which Pavel Cherenkov was awarded a Nobel Prize in Physics
in 1958. The Kasha–Vavilov rule of luminescence quantum yield
s is also named for him.
He was a member of the USSR Academy of Sciences from 1932, Head of the Lebedev Institute of Physics
(since 1934), a chief editor of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia
, a member of the Supreme Soviet
from 1946 and a recipient of four Stalin Prizes (1943, 1946, 1951, 1952).
He wrote on the lives and works of great thinkers, such as Lucretius
, Galileo Galilei
, Isaac Newton
, Mikhail Lomonosov
, Michael Faraday
, and Pyotr Lebedev, among others.
) in October Revolution Island
, in the Severnaya Zemlya
group have been named after Vavilov. A minor planet
2862 Vavilov
discovered in 1977 by Soviet
astronomer Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh
is named after him and his brother Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov. The crater Vavilov
on the far side of the Moon
is also named after him and his brother.
There is a ship named after him, the Akademik Sergey Vavilov
. She is a research vessel that can carry approximately 150 crew and passengers, and is a Class-1A icebreaker
which regularly makes trips to Antarctica and the Arctic
. In the summer of 2010 she was working in and around the coast of Svalbard
.
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....
physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
, the President of the USSR Academy of Sciences from July 1945 until his death. His elder brother Nikolai Vavilov
Nikolai Vavilov
Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov was a prominent Russian and Soviet botanist and geneticist best known for having identified the centres of origin of cultivated plants...
was a famous Russian geneticist
Geneticist
A geneticist is a biologist who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a researcher or lecturer. Some geneticists perform experiments and analyze data to interpret the inheritance of skills. A geneticist is also a Consultant or...
.
Biography
Vavilov founded the Soviet school of physical opticsOptics
Optics is the branch of physics which involves the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behavior of visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light...
, known by his works in luminescence
Luminescence
Luminescence is emission of light by a substance not resulting from heat; it is thus a form of cold body radiation. It can be caused by chemical reactions, electrical energy, subatomic motions, or stress on a crystal. This distinguishes luminescence from incandescence, which is light emitted by a...
. In 1934 he co-discovered the Vavilov-Cherenkov effect, a discovery for which Pavel Cherenkov was awarded a Nobel Prize in Physics
Nobel Prize in Physics
The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded once a year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895 and awarded since 1901; the others are the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Prize, and...
in 1958. The Kasha–Vavilov rule of luminescence quantum yield
Quantum yield
The quantum yield of a radiation-induced process is the number of times that a defined event occurs per photon absorbed by the system. The "event" may represent a chemical reaction, for example the decomposition of a reactant molecule:...
s is also named for him.
He was a member of the USSR Academy of Sciences from 1932, Head of the Lebedev Institute of Physics
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...
(since 1934), a chief editor of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia
Great Soviet Encyclopedia
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia is one of the largest and most comprehensive encyclopedias in Russian and in the world, issued by the Soviet state from 1926 to 1990, and again since 2002 .-Editions:There were three editions...
, a member of the Supreme Soviet
Supreme Soviet
The Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union was the Supreme Soviet in the Soviet Union and the only one with the power to pass constitutional amendments...
from 1946 and a recipient of four Stalin Prizes (1943, 1946, 1951, 1952).
He wrote on the lives and works of great thinkers, such as Lucretius
Lucretius
Titus Lucretius Carus was a Roman poet and philosopher. His only known work is an epic philosophical poem laying out the beliefs of Epicureanism, De rerum natura, translated into English as On the Nature of Things or "On the Nature of the Universe".Virtually no details have come down concerning...
, Galileo Galilei
Galileo Galilei
Galileo Galilei , was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. His achievements include improvements to the telescope and consequent astronomical observations and support for Copernicanism...
, Isaac Newton
Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton PRS was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian, who has been "considered by many to be the greatest and most influential scientist who ever lived."...
, Mikhail Lomonosov
Mikhail Lomonosov
Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov was a Russian polymath, scientist and writer, who made important contributions to literature, education, and science. Among his discoveries was the atmosphere of Venus. His spheres of science were natural science, chemistry, physics, mineralogy, history, art,...
, Michael Faraday
Michael Faraday
Michael Faraday, FRS was an English chemist and physicist who contributed to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry....
, and Pyotr Lebedev, among others.
Legacy
A meteorological station (as well as a glacier and an ice capIce cap
An ice cap is an ice mass that covers less than 50 000 km² of land area . Masses of ice covering more than 50 000 km² are termed an ice sheet....
) in October Revolution Island
October Revolution Island
October Revolution Island is the largest island of the Severnaya Zemlya group in the Russian Arctic....
, in the Severnaya Zemlya
Severnaya Zemlya
Severnaya Zemlya is an archipelago in the Russian high Arctic at around . It is located off mainland Siberia's Taymyr Peninsula across the Vilkitsky Strait...
group have been named after Vavilov. A minor planet
Minor planet
An asteroid group or minor-planet group is a population of minor planets that have a share broadly similar orbits. Members are generally unrelated to each other, unlike in an asteroid family, which often results from the break-up of a single asteroid...
2862 Vavilov
2862 Vavilov
2862 Vavilov is a main-belt asteroid discovered on May 15, 1977 by N. Chernykh at Nauchnyj.- External links :*...
discovered in 1977 by 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....
astronomer Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh
Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh
Nikolay Stepanovich Chernykh was a Soviet and Russian astronomer.Chernykh was born in the city of Usman' in Voronezh Oblast...
is named after him and his brother Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov. The crater Vavilov
Vavilov (crater)
Vavilov is a prominent impact crater that is located to the west of the walled plain Hertzsprung. It is located on the far side of the Moon and cannot be viewed directly from the Earth. About a crater diameter to the northwest is the smaller Chaucer, and farther to the southwest is Sechenov.This is...
on the far side of the Moon
Far side of the Moon
The far side of the Moon is the lunar hemisphere that is permanently turned away, and is not visible from the surface of the Earth. The far hemisphere was first photographed by the Soviet Luna 3 probe in 1959, and was first directly observed by human eyes when the Apollo 8 mission orbited the Moon...
is also named after him and his brother.
There is a ship named after him, the Akademik Sergey Vavilov
Akademik Sergey Vavilov
The Akademik Sergey Vavilov is a Russian research vessel, named after academician Sergey Vavilov. It was completed on February 12, 1988 Rauma, Finland for the Soviet Union...
. She is a research vessel that can carry approximately 150 crew and passengers, and is a Class-1A icebreaker
Icebreaker
An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller vessels .For a ship to be considered an icebreaker, it requires three traits most...
which regularly makes trips to Antarctica and the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
. In the summer of 2010 she was working in and around the coast of Svalbard
Svalbard
Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic, constituting the northernmost part of Norway. It is located north of mainland Europe, midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The group of islands range from 74° to 81° north latitude , and from 10° to 35° east longitude. Spitsbergen is the...
.