Vladimir E. Zakharov
Encyclopedia
Vladimir Evgen'evich Zakharov (born August 1, 1939) is a Soviet and Russian
mathematician
and physicist
. He is currently Regents' Professor of mathematics at The University of Arizona and director of the Mathematical Physics Sector at the Lebedev Physical Institute
. Zakharov's research interests cover physical aspects of nonlinear wave theory in plasmas, hydrodynamics, oceanology, geophysics, solid state physics, optics, and general relativity.
Zakharov was awarded the Dirac Medal in 2003 for his contributions to the theory of turbulence
, with regard to the exact results and the prediction of inverse cascades, and for "putting the theory of wave turbulence
on a firm mathematical ground by finding turbulence spectra as exact solutions and solving the stability problem, and in introducing the notion of inverse and dual cascades in wave turbulence."
Vladimir Zakharov is also a poet. He has published several books of poetry in Russia and his works regularly appear in periodicals. A collection of his poetry in an English translation The Paradise for Clouds was published in the UK in 2009.
, Russian SFSR in 1939, to Evgeniy and Elena Zakharov, an engineer and a schoolteacher. He studied at the Moscow Power Engineering Institute
and at the Novosibirsk State University
, where he received his specialist degree
in physics
in 1963 and his Candidate of Sciences degree in 1966, studying under Roald Sagdeev
.
in Novosibirsk
, where in 1971 he completed his Doctor of Sciences degree. In 1974, Zakharov moved to the Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics
in Chernogolovka
, where he eventually became director. He was elected as a corresponding member of the
Academy of Sciences
of the Soviet Union in 1984 and as a full member in 1991. In 1992, Zakharov became a professor of mathematics at the University of Arizona
, and in 2004 he became the director of the Mathematical Physics Sector at the Lebedev Physical Institute
.
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....
mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and 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...
. He is currently Regents' Professor of mathematics at The University of Arizona and director of the Mathematical Physics Sector 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...
. Zakharov's research interests cover physical aspects of nonlinear wave theory in plasmas, hydrodynamics, oceanology, geophysics, solid state physics, optics, and general relativity.
Zakharov was awarded the Dirac Medal in 2003 for his contributions to the theory of turbulence
Turbulence
In fluid dynamics, turbulence or turbulent flow is a flow regime characterized by chaotic and stochastic property changes. This includes low momentum diffusion, high momentum convection, and rapid variation of pressure and velocity in space and time...
, with regard to the exact results and the prediction of inverse cascades, and for "putting the theory of wave turbulence
Wave turbulence
Wave turbulence is a set of waves deviated far from thermal equilibrium. Such state is accompanied by dissipation. It is either decaying turbulence or requires external source of energy to sustain it...
on a firm mathematical ground by finding turbulence spectra as exact solutions and solving the stability problem, and in introducing the notion of inverse and dual cascades in wave turbulence."
Vladimir Zakharov is also a poet. He has published several books of poetry in Russia and his works regularly appear in periodicals. A collection of his poetry in an English translation The Paradise for Clouds was published in the UK in 2009.
Biography
Vladimir Zakharov was born in KazanKazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
, Russian SFSR in 1939, to Evgeniy and Elena Zakharov, an engineer and a schoolteacher. He studied at the Moscow Power Engineering Institute
Moscow Power Engineering Institute
Moscow Power Engineering Institute is one of the largest and leading technical universities in the world in the area of power engineering, electronics and IT...
and at the Novosibirsk State University
Novosibirsk State University
Novosibirsk State University was founded in May 1959 in the USSR by Soviet academicians Mikhail Alekseevich Lavrentiev, Sergei Lvovich Sobolev and Sergey Alekseyevich Khristianovich in a program of establishing a Siberian branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences...
, where he received his specialist degree
Specialist degree
-The Specialist degree in the Commonwealth of Independent States:The specialist degree was the only first degree in the former Soviet Union and currently is being phased out by the bakalvr's - magister's degrees....
in physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
in 1963 and his Candidate of Sciences degree in 1966, studying under Roald Sagdeev
Roald Sagdeev
Roald Zinnurovich Sagdeev is a Soviet and Russian expert in plasma physics and former director of the Space Research Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences. He was also a science advisor to Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. Sagdeev graduated from Moscow State University. He is a member of the...
.
Academic career
After completing his Candidate of Science degree, Zakharov worked as a researcher at the Budker Institute of Nuclear PhysicsBudker Institute of Nuclear Physics
The Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics is one of the major centres of advanced study of nuclear physics in Russia. It is located in the Siberian town Akademgorodok, on Academician Lavrentiev Avenue. The institute was founded by Gersh Itskovich Budker in 1959...
in Novosibirsk
Novosibirsk
Novosibirsk is the third-largest city in Russia, after Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and the largest city of Siberia, with a population of 1,473,737 . It is the administrative center of Novosibirsk Oblast as well as of the Siberian Federal District...
, where in 1971 he completed his Doctor of Sciences degree. In 1974, Zakharov moved to the Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics
Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics
The L. D. Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences is a research institution, located in the small town of Chernogolovka near Moscow...
in Chernogolovka
Chernogolovka
Chernogolovka is a town in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located northeast from Moscow border. Population: Chernogolovka does not have a rail link but long distance buses link the town to Moscow, Noginsk and Fryanovo.-Research facilities:...
, where he eventually became director. He was elected as a corresponding member of the
Academy of Sciences
Russian Academy of Sciences
The Russian Academy of Sciences consists of the national academy of Russia and a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation as well as auxiliary scientific and social units like libraries, publishers and hospitals....
of the Soviet Union in 1984 and as a full member in 1991. In 1992, Zakharov became a professor of mathematics at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, and in 2004 he became the director of the Mathematical Physics Sector 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...
.
Awards and honors
- State Prize for research in Plasma Theory, USSR, 1987
- Order of Honors from the State, USSR, 1989
- State Prize of Russian Federation for research in Soliton Theory, Russia, 1993
- Order for the Service to Russian federation, awarded to 60th year anniversary, 1999
- Dirac Medal of the Abdul Sallam International Center for Theoretical PhysicsInternational Centre for Theoretical PhysicsThe Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics was founded in 1964 by Pakistani scientist and Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam after consulting with Munir Ahmad Khan. It operates under a tripartite agreement among the Italian Government, UNESCO, and International Atomic Energy Agency...
, Trieste, Italy, 2003 - Namesake of asteroid 7153 Vladzakharov7153 Vladzakharov7153 Vladzakharov is a main belt asteroid with an orbital period of 1316.4810112 days . The asteroid was discovered on December 2, 1975. It is named for Russian physicist Vladimir E. Zakharov.-References:...
Selected bibliography
- S. P. Novikov, S. V. Manakov, L. P. Pitaevskii, V. E. Zakharov, Theory of Solitons: The Inverse Scattering Method, Springer-Verlag (1984), ISBN 0-306-10977-8
- V. E. Zakharov, What is Integrability?, Springer-Verlag (1991), ISBN 0-387-51964-5
- V. E. Zakharov, V. S. L'vov, G. Falkovich, Kolmogorov Spectra of Turbulence I: Wave Turbulence, Springer-Verlag (1992), ISBN 0-387-54533-6
- Vladimir Zakharov, The Paradise for Clouds, Ancient Purple Translations (2009), ISBN 0-9563075-0-7