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Faculty of Physics
Brief history
Moscow State University (MSU) is the oldest University in Russia. It was founded in 1755 and originally consisted of three faculties: law, medicine and philosophy. The tradition of physics research at Moscow University goes back to the very foundation of the university, when a physics laboratory was established at the Philosophy Department. Since 1757 lectures on experimental physics have been delivered and experiments have been demonstrated. In 859 at Moscow University the Physics-Mathematics Department was founded; in 1933 the Physics Department separated and it became an independent Department.
Among the great Russian scientists of the 19th century who laid the foundation for modern physics were Professors of Moscow University: A.G.Stoletov, who discovered the laws of the photoelectric effect and was a pioneer in ferromagnetism; N.A.Umov, who derived the general equation for motion of energy, and P.N.Lebedev; who was the first to measure the pressure of light on gases and solids.
Chronicle of the Department of Physics
In 1934 in the Lebedev Physics Institute of the USSR, Academy of Science (FIAN), Academician S.I.Vavilov (who graduated from Moscow University in 1914) and his post-graduate student P.A.Cherenkov discovered the phenomenon of luminescence of pure fluids under the action of gamma-rays. In 1937 Professor of the Department of Physics MSU I.E.Tamm (a graduate of 1918) and the FIAN researcher I.M.Frank (a graduate of 1930) developed a theory of this phenomenon. For the discovery and interpretation of the Vavilov-Cherenkov effect P.A.Cherenkov, I.E.Tamm and I.M.Frank were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1958.
In 1938 MSU Professor A.A.Vlasov (a graduate of 1931) derived the fundamental kinetic equation. The Vlasov equation underlies the modern theory of plasma.
In 1928 Academicians L.I.Mandelshtam and G.S.Landsberg discovered the fundamental physical phenomenon of combination scattering of light by quartz crystals.
In the 1920-30 Academician L.I.Mandelshtam established a universally recognized school of the non-linear theory of oscillation.
In the 1950-70 the school of theoretical and experimental research on non- linear waves was set up, Academician R.V.Khokhlov (graduated from the Department of Physics in 1948) being one of its founders.
In 1943 the future Nobel Prize winner P.L.Kapitsa founded the Chair of Low Temperature Physics at the Department of Physics.
In 1946 on the basis of the Chair of Radioactivity and Atomic Nucleus the Research Institute for Nuclear Physics was established. From 1946 through 1960 Academician D.V.Skobel'tsyn was the director. He was succeeded by Academician S.N.Vernov, who led research in the physics of cosmic rays and space physics, arranged the first explorations beyond the Earth's atmosphere using rockets and satellites and established the existence of the Earth's radiation belts.
In 1943 Academician V.V.Shuleikin set up and headed the Chair of the Earth's liquid shell (now known as the Chair of Sea and Inland Waters) and arranged training of the first specialists in this field.
In 1944 the Chair of Seismology was set up. By 1945 the Geophysical Chair had been formed and it was headed by Academician O.Ju.Shmidt.
In 1956 in connection with the P.K.Shternberg State Astronomy Institute an Astronomy Department was formed and became part of the Department of Physics. Today this Institute is working in the traditions established by the outstanding astrophysicists Academician V.G.Fesenkov and professor D.Ja.Martynov.
In 1958 the Chair of Biophysics was established, it was the first Biophysics Chair in the world. The prominent theoretical physicist Academician N.N.Bogolyubov founded the Chair of Quantum Statistics at the Department of Physics in 1966.
From 1933 to 2001:
1. More than 20 thousand students graduated from the Department of Physics
2. More than 300 Doctors of Science (D.Sc.) and 3700 Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) defended their theses at the Department of Physics
3. 24 discoveries were made by the scientists of the Department
4. 35 Professors of the Department were awarded the title Honored Scientist of Russia
5. 5 Nobel Prize winners, 38 Lenin Prize winners, 166 winners of the USSR State Prize, 60 winners of the Lomonosov Prize have worked /are working now at the Department.
6. One third of Academicians and Correspondent Members of the Russian Academy of Science in the field of physics, geophysics, astronomy are graduates of the Department of Physics, M.V.LomonosovMoscow State University.
Today the Department of Physics consists of: 6 Departments, 32 Divisions and is represented by 2500 students and 360 post-graduates.
Divisions
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