Anatoly Vlasov
Encyclopedia
Anatoly Alexandrovich Vlasov ' onMouseout='HidePop("82237")' href="/topics/Balashov">Balashov
, Saratov Oblast
, Russia
— 22 December 1975, Moscow
) was a Russia
n theoretical physicist prominent in the fields of statistical mechanics
, kinetics, and especially in plasma physics.
, in the family of a steamfitter. In 1927 he entered into the Moscow State University
(MSU) and graduated from the MSU in 1931. After the graduation Vlasov continued to work in the MSU, where he spent all his life, collaborating with Nobelists Pyotr Kapitsa
, Lev Landau
, and other leading physicists. He became a full Professor at the Moscow State University in 1944 and was the head of the theoretical physics department in the Faculty of Physics
at Moscow State University in the period 1945—1953.
In 1970 he received the Lenin Prize
.
, plasma physics, physics of crystal
s, theory of gravitation
, and statistical physics
.
is not suitable for a description of plasma dynamics due to the existence in plasma of long range collective forces. Instead, a system of equations known now as Vlasov equation
was suggested for the correct description to take into account the long range collective forces through a self-consistent field.
The Vlasov equation
, which is related to the Liouville equation and the collisionless Boltzmann equation, is fundamental to plasma
physics. In 1945, Vlasov showed that this equation, with the collective interaction taken into account, can explain without any additional hypotheses and specifications such effects as the presence and spontaneous origin of eigenfrequencies in polyatomic systems, the spontaneous origin of crystal structure from a "gas" medium, and the presence and spontaneous origin of currents in the media due to the collective interaction of the particles.
, density
, and microscopic interaction of particles of the medium.
Balashov
Balashov is a town in Saratov Oblast, Russia, located on the Khopyor River. Population: Town status was granted to it in 1780.It was home to Balashov air base....
, Saratov Oblast
Saratov Oblast
Saratov Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in the Volga Federal District. Its administrative center is the city of Saratov. Population: -Demographics:Population:...
, Russia
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...
— 22 December 1975, 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...
) was a Russia
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 theoretical physicist prominent in the fields of statistical mechanics
Statistical mechanics
Statistical mechanics or statistical thermodynamicsThe terms statistical mechanics and statistical thermodynamics are used interchangeably...
, kinetics, and especially in plasma physics.
Biography
Anatoly Vlasov was born in BalashovBalashov
Balashov is a town in Saratov Oblast, Russia, located on the Khopyor River. Population: Town status was granted to it in 1780.It was home to Balashov air base....
, in the family of a steamfitter. In 1927 he entered into the 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...
(MSU) and graduated from the MSU in 1931. After the graduation Vlasov continued to work in the MSU, where he spent all his life, collaborating with Nobelists Pyotr Kapitsa
Pyotr Kapitsa
Pyotr Leonidovich Kapitsa was a prominent Soviet/Russian physicist and Nobel laureate.-Biography:Kapitsa was born in the city of Kronstadt and graduated from the Petrograd Polytechnical Institute in 1918. He worked for over ten years with Ernest Rutherford in the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge...
, Lev Landau
Lev Landau
Lev Davidovich Landau was a prominent Soviet physicist who made fundamental contributions to many areas of theoretical physics...
, and other leading physicists. He became a full Professor at the Moscow State University in 1944 and was the head of the theoretical physics department in the Faculty of Physics
MSU Faculty of Physics
The Faculty of Physics of Moscow State University is the largest faculty of Moscow State University.-Nobel winners:*Igor Tamm *Ilya Frank *Lev Davidovich Landau...
at Moscow State University in the period 1945—1953.
In 1970 he received the Lenin Prize
Lenin Prize
The Lenin Prize was one of the most prestigious awards of the USSR, presented to individuals for accomplishments relating to science, literature, arts, architecture, and technology. It was created on June 23, 1925 and was awarded until 1934. During the period from 1935 to 1956, the Lenin Prize was...
.
Research
His main works are in 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...
, plasma physics, physics of crystal
Crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an orderly repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. The scientific study of crystals and crystal formation is known as crystallography...
s, theory of gravitation
Gravitation
Gravitation, or gravity, is a natural phenomenon by which physical bodies attract with a force proportional to their mass. Gravitation is most familiar as the agent that gives weight to objects with mass and causes them to fall to the ground when dropped...
, and statistical physics
Statistical physics
Statistical physics is the branch of physics that uses methods of probability theory and statistics, and particularly the mathematical tools for dealing with large populations and approximations, in solving physical problems. It can describe a wide variety of fields with an inherently stochastic...
.
Optics
In optics he analyzed, partially jointly with Vasily Fursov, spectral line broadening in gases at large densities (1936—1938). A new suggestion in these works was to use long range collective interactions between atoms for a correct description of spectra line broading at large densities.Plasma physics
Vlasov became world famous for his work on plasma physics (1938) (see also ). He showed that Boltzmann equationBoltzmann equation
The Boltzmann equation, also often known as the Boltzmann transport equation, devised by Ludwig Boltzmann, describes the statistical distribution of one particle in rarefied gas...
is not suitable for a description of plasma dynamics due to the existence in plasma of long range collective forces. Instead, a system of equations known now as Vlasov equation
Vlasov equation
The Vlasov equation is a differential equation describing time evolution of the distribution function of plasma consisting of charged particles with long-range interaction...
was suggested for the correct description to take into account the long range collective forces through a self-consistent field.
The Vlasov equation
Vlasov equation
The Vlasov equation is a differential equation describing time evolution of the distribution function of plasma consisting of charged particles with long-range interaction...
, which is related to the Liouville equation and the collisionless Boltzmann equation, is fundamental to plasma
Plasma (physics)
In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
physics. In 1945, Vlasov showed that this equation, with the collective interaction taken into account, can explain without any additional hypotheses and specifications such effects as the presence and spontaneous origin of eigenfrequencies in polyatomic systems, the spontaneous origin of crystal structure from a "gas" medium, and the presence and spontaneous origin of currents in the media due to the collective interaction of the particles.
Physics of crystals
In this subject Vlasov in particular studied using the linearized Vlasov equation the conditions for spontaneous origin of crystal structure in the medium and found the criteria for the origin of the periodic structure in terms of the temperatureTemperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
, density
Density
The mass density or density of a material is defined as its mass per unit volume. The symbol most often used for density is ρ . In some cases , density is also defined as its weight per unit volume; although, this quantity is more properly called specific weight...
, and microscopic interaction of particles of the medium.
Selected publications
- A. A. Vlasov (1961). Many-Particle Theory and Its Application to Plasma. New York, Gordon and Breach. ISBN 0677203306; ISBN 9780677203300.
- A. A. Vlasov (1966). Statistical Distribution Functions [in Russian]. Nauka.
- A. A. Vlasov (1978). Nonlocal Statistical Mechanics [in Russian]. Nauka, Moscow.
External links
- Anatolii Aleksandrovich Vlasov (obituary) (in English), I. P. Bazarov et al., Soviet Physics Uspekhi 19, 545—546 (1976).
- Anatoly Vlasov in the Great Soviet EncyclopediaGreat Soviet EncyclopediaThe 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...
- Anatoly Vlasov in the All-Russia Genealogical Tree