Biography
edit
Vitaly Ginzburg was born to a
Jewish family
in Moscow on 4 October 1916? the son of an engineer, Lazar Yefimovich Ginzburg, and a doctor, Augusta Wildauer who was a graduate from the Physics Faculty of
Moscow State University
in 1938. After attending his mother's alma mater, he defended his qualifications of the
candidate's
(
Kandidat Nauk
) dissertation in 1940, and his comprehensive thesis for the
doctor's
(
Doktor Nauk
) qualification in 1942. In 1944, he became a member of the
Communist Party
of the Soviet Union. Among his achievements are a partially
phenomenological
theory of
superconductivity
, the
Ginzburg?Landau theory
, developed with
Lev Landau
in 1950;
[6]
the theory of
electromagnetic wave
propagation in
plasmas
(for example, in the
ionosphere
); and a theory of the origin of
cosmic radiation
. He is also known to biologists as being part of the group of scientists that helped bring down the reign of the politically connected anti-
Mendelian
agronomist
Trofim Lysenko
, thus allowing modern
genetic science
to return to the
USSR
.
[7]
In 1937, Ginzburg married Olga Zamsha. In 1946, he married his second wife, Nina Ginzburg (
nee
Yermakova), who had spent more than a year in custody on fabricated charges of plotting to assassinate the Soviet leader
Joseph Stalin
.
[8]
As a renowned professor and researcher, Ginzburg was an obvious candidate for the
Soviet bomb project
. From 1948 through 1952 Ginzburg worked under
Igor Kurchatov
to help with the
hydrogen bomb
.
[9]
Ginzburg and
Igor Tamm
both proposed ideas that would make it possible to build a hydrogen bomb. When the bomb project moved to
Arzamas-16
to continue in even more secrecy, Ginzburg was not allowed to follow. Instead he stayed in Moscow and supported from afar, staying under watch due to his background and past.
[2]
As the work got continuously more classified, Ginzburg was phased out of the project and allowed to pursue his true passion, superconductors. During the
Cold War
, the thirst for knowledge and technological advancement was never-ending. This was no different with the research done on superconductors. The Soviet Union believed an the research done on superconductors would place them ahead of their American counterparts. Both sides sought to leverage the
potential military applications
of superconductors.
Ginzburg was the
editor-in-chief
of the
scientific journal
Uspekhi Fizicheskikh Nauk
.
[4]
He also headed the Academic Department of Physics and Astrophysics Problems, which Ginzburg founded at the
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
in 1968.
[10]
Ginzburg identified as a secular Jew, and following the
collapse of communism
in the former Soviet Union, he was very active in Jewish life, especially in Russia, where he served on the board of directors of the
Russian Jewish Congress
. He is also well known for fighting anti-Semitism and supporting the state of
Israel
.
[11]
In the 2000s (decade), Ginzburg was politically active, supporting the Russian liberal opposition and
human rights
movement.
[12]
He defended
Igor Sutyagin
and
Valentin Danilov
against charges of espionage put forth by the authorities. On 2 April 2009, in an interview to the
Radio Liberty
Ginzburg denounced the
FSB
as an institution harmful to Russia and the ongoing expansion of its authority as a return to
Stalinism
.
[13]
Ginzburg worked at the
P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute
of
Soviet and Russian Academy of Sciences
in Moscow since 1940.
Russian Academy of Sciences
is a major institution where mostly all Nobel Prize laureates of physics from Russia have done their studies and/or research works.
[14]
Stance on religion
edit
Nobel Prize
edit
Vitaly Ginzburg, along with
Anthony Leggett
and
Alexei Abrikosov
were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2003 for their groundbreaking work on the theory of
superconductors
.
[2]
The Nobel Prize recognized Ginzburg's work in
theoretical physics
, specifically his contributions to understanding the behavior of matter at extremely low temperatures.
His collaboration with
Lev Landau
in 1950 led to the development of the
Ginzburg-Landau
theory, which became paramount to later work on superconductors. Landau had been working on superconductors for years before their partnership, with Landau publishing many papers between 1941 and 1947 on the properties of
quantum fluids
at extremely low temperatures. Lev Landau would later receive a Nobel Prize in 1962 for this research on the properties of the
superfluid
liquid helium in 1941.
[19]
Before their collaboration, Landau had just done research on liquid helium and other quantum fluids, but Ginzburg allowed them to go a step further.
Ginzburg introduced the concept of an order parameter, which would allow them to characterize the state of the superconductor. To do this, they derived a
complex set of equations
that would allow them to describe the behavior of the superconductor.
[20]
These equations provided a model from which researchers can understand the transition between a normal and superconducting state, as well as be able to predict various properties of other superconductors. Using these equations, they were also able to introduce the Ginzburg-Landau Parameter. This parameter used a separate set of equations in order to classify if they were looking at a
Type-I
or
Type-II
superconductor. This advancement allowed Anthony Leggett to build upon it and complete his own research on superconductors.
This research on superconductors allowed many new technological advancements to unfold, including some we can see in everyday life. The use of superconductors can be seen in
MRI
machines,
[21]
engines
, and new
Maglev trains
.
A spokeswoman for the Russian Academy of Sciences announced that Ginzburg died in Moscow on 8 November 2009 from
cardiac arrest
.
[3]
[22]
He had been suffering from ill health for several years,
[22]
and three years before his death said "In general, I envy believers. I am 90, and [am] being overcome by illnesses. For believers, it is easier to deal with them and with life's other hardships. But what can be done? I cannot believe in resurrection after death."
[22]
Prime Minister of Russia
Vladimir Putin
sent his condolences to Ginzburg's family, saying "We bid farewell to an extraordinary personality whose outstanding talent, exceptional strength of character and firmness of convictions evoked true respect from his colleagues".
[22]
President of Russia
Dmitry Medvedev
, in his letter of condolences, described Ginzburg as a "top physicist of our time whose discoveries had a huge impact on the development of national and world science."
[23]
Ginzburg was buried on 11 November in the
Novodevichy Cemetery
in Moscow, the resting place of many famous politicians, writers and scientists of Russia.
[3]
The first wife (in 1937?1946) is a graduate of the Faculty of Physics of
Moscow State University
(1938) Olga Ivanovna Zamsha (born 1915,
Yeysk
), candidate of physical and mathematical sciences (1945), associate professor at
MEPhI
(1949?1985), author of the “Collection of problems on general physics" (with co-authors, 1968, 1972, 1975).
The second wife (since 1946) is a graduate of the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of Moscow State University, experimental physicist Nina Ivanovna Ginzburg (nee Ermakova) (October 2, 1922 ? May 19, 2019).
Daughter ? Irina Vitalievna Dorman (born 1939), graduate of the Faculty of Physics of Moscow State University (1961), candidate of physical and mathematical sciences, historian of science (her husband is a cosmophysicist, doctor of physical and mathematical sciences Leib (Lev) Isaakovich Dorman).
Granddaughter ? Victoria Lvovna Dorman, American physicist, graduate of the physics department of Moscow State University and
Princeton University
, deputy dean for academic affairs at the Princeton School of Engineering and Applied Science; her husband is physicist and writer Mikhail Petrov.
Great cousin ?
Mark Ginzburg
.
Other honors and awards
edit
See also
edit
References
edit
- ^
a
b
c
Longair, M. S.
(2011). "Vitaly Lazarevich Ginzburg. 4 October 1916 ? 8 November 2009".
Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society
.
57
: 129?146.
doi
:
10.1098/rsbm.2011.0002
.
S2CID
71295700
.
- ^
a
b
c
"The Nobel Prize in Physics 2003"
.
Nobel Foundation
. Retrieved
November 9,
2009
.
- ^
a
b
c
Thomas H. Maugh II (November 10, 2009).
"Vitaly Ginzburg dies at 93; Nobel Prize-winning Russian physicist"
.
Los Angeles Times
.
- ^
a
b
"Vitaly Lazarevich Ginzburg ? editor in chief of UFN"
.
- ^
Nikonov, Vyacheslav (September 30, 2004).
"Physicists have nothing to do with miracles"
.
Social Sciences
(3): 148?150
. Retrieved
September 9,
2007
.
- ^
Ledenyov, Dimitri O.; Ledenyov, Viktor O. (2012). "Nonlinearities in Microwave Superconductivity".
arXiv
:
1206.4426
[
cond-mat.supr-con
].
- ^
Medvedev, Zhores (1969).
The Rise and Fall of T.D. Lysenko
. New York:
Columbia University Press
.
- ^
"Виталий Гинзбург: с Ландау трудно было спорить ? Юрий Медведев."Уравнение Гинзбурга ? Ландау" ? Российская Газета ? Академику и нобелевскому лауреату Виталию Гинзбургу исполняется 90 лет. Накануне юбилея он рассказал в интервью "РГ", как стал физиком-теоретиком, будучи "плохим" математиком, и почему он брал расписки со своего друга и учителя ? знаменитого Льва Ландау, с которым вместе работал над сверхпроводимостью. Именно за эту работу Гинзбург впоследствии получил Нобелевскую премию. "Общаясь с Ландау, я много думал о его феномене, о пределах возможностей человека, огромных резервах мозга", ? признался он"
.
Rg.ru
. 20 September 2006
. Retrieved
November 11,
2009
.
- ^
"Vitaly L. Ginzburg - Nuclear Museum"
.
ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/
. Retrieved
2024-05-07
.
- ^
"About Academic Department of Physics and Astrophysics Problems"
(in Russian). Archived from
the original
on 21 June 2007.
- ^
Hein, Avi.
"Vitaly Ginzburg"
.
Jewish Virtual Library
.
- ^
"Russia: Religious revival troubles Vitaly Ginzburg"
. University World News
. Retrieved
November 11,
2009
.
- ^
Mikhail Sokolov.
"2009 RFE/RL, Inc"
.
Svobodanews.ru
. Retrieved
November 11,
2009
.
[
permanent dead link
]
- ^
"Nobel Prize laureates affiliated with the Russian Academy of Sciences"
.
- ^
"Vitaly L. Ginzburg ? Autobiography"
.
nobelprize.org
. Archived from
the original
on 2006-07-11.
- ^
Ginzburg, Vitaly (2009). "About atheism, religion and secular humanism". Moscow:
FIAN
.
- ^
Церковь ждет исповеди академиков
(in Russian).
- ^
Клирики против физика. Православные требуют привлечь к ответственности академика Гинзбурга
.
Grani.ru
(in Russian). July 24, 2007.
- ^
"Lev Davidovich Landau, Soviet physicist and Nobel laureate".
Physics Today
.
57
(2): 62. 2004.
Bibcode
:2004PhT....57Q..62..
doi
:10.1063/1.2408530.
- ^
Hohenberg, P. C.; Krekhov, A. P. (2015-04-04).
"An introduction to the Ginzburg?Landau theory of phase transitions and nonequilibrium patterns"
.
Physics Reports
.
572
: 1?42.
arXiv
:
1410.7285
.
doi
:
10.1016/j.physrep.2015.01.001
.
ISSN
0370-1573
.
- ^
Parizh, Michael; Lvovsky, Yuri; Sumption, Michael (January 2017).
"Conductors for commercial MRI magnets beyond NbTi: requirements and challenges"
.
Superconductor Science & Technology
.
30
(1): 014007.
doi
:
10.1088/0953-2048/30/1/014007
.
ISSN
0953-2048
.
PMC
5472374
.
PMID
28626340
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Osipovich, Alexander (November 9, 2009).
"Russian bomb physicist Ginzburg dead at 93"
.
AFP
. Archived from
the original
on April 13, 2010
. Retrieved
November 9,
2009
.
- ^
"Dmitry Medvedev sent his condolences to the family of Nobel Prize Winner Vitaly Ginzburg following the scientist's passing"
. President of Russia: Official Web Portal. November 9, 2009
. Retrieved
July 16,
2016
.
- ^
"APS Fellow Archive"
. APS
. Retrieved
15 September
2020
.
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