Joseph Samuilovich Shklovsky - an outstanding astrophysicist, corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, honorary member of foreign academies and organizations. His views and work had a significant impact on the development of world astrophysics in the 20th century. Shklovsky created a new direction - all-wave evolution. The author of a large number of modern theories regarding the star formation of the Universe, as well as works and books on astronomy.
Biography of Shklovsky Joseph Samuilovich
Joseph Samuilovich was born on July 1, 1916, in the family of a poor merchant. His native city was Ukrainian Glukhov. Then fate threw him to Kazakhstan, where in 1931 he graduated from a seven-year school in the city of Akmolinsk (currently it is the capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan - the city of Astana). After graduation, Joseph for three years participated in the construction of sections of the Baikal-Amur Railway. He was a foreman on the construction of railway lines Magnitogorsk - Karaganda - Balkhash.
Student years, graduate school
In 1933, Joseph Samuilovich was accepted as a student at the University of Vladivostok at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics.
Having studied at this educational institution for two years, he is transferred to Moscow, where he continues his studies at the Physics Department of Moscow State University.
After graduating from it in 1938, Joseph Samuilovich was admitted to graduate school of the State Astronomical Institute. P. Sternberg (GAISH). This structure was part of Moscow State University. At the Department of Astrophysics, a young optical physicist begins his ascent to the heights of star science.
Thesis defense
With the outbreak of World War II, Joseph was evacuated to Ashgabat together with Moscow institutes. Despite his requests, Shklovsky was not taken to the front due to poor vision. He returned to Moscow with the SAI immediately after the war.
Before that, in 1944, in evacuation he successfully defended his thesis. Her theme was astrophysical electron temperatures.
In 1947, Shklovsky, along with fellow astrophysicists, embarked on an expedition to Brazil, where he observed a total solar eclipse and the solar corona. It is worth noting that the expedition had at its disposal a radio telescope, which was a breakthrough for that time.
The results of observations of the luminary and the conducted studies formed the basis of the work describing the theory of the appearance of the solar corona. At its base in 1948 he defended his doctoral dissertation.
Teaching activities
In 1953, the first in the USSR, Shklovsky began to give lecture courses in radio astronomy. They were so popular that not only graduate students and students of their own university and other institutes of the capital came to listen to them, but also representatives of science from other Moscow institutions.
For students of astrophysicists in the same period, he prepared and gave a course of lectures on the problems of theoretical physics.
With the beginning of the space age, Shklovsky organized and headed a unit in the SAI that monitored the first artificial Earth satellite using tools.
Bold Assumptions
At the same time, in 1957, Joseph Samuilovich began to study the problem of the possibility of life in the universe. This topic captured him during a collaboration with V. Krasovsky to study the causes of death of dinosaurs on Earth. Researchers attributed their disappearance to a burst of high-power short-wave radiation, which was caused by an explosion located relatively close to the supernova. The results of the joint work were reported at the symposium at the SAI and were widely known.
In 1958, Shklovsky Joseph Samuilovich began to seriously study the satellites of Mars. He suggested that they may be of artificial origin. The data available in those days about the “abnormal” inhibition of Phobos led Shklovsky to the conclusion that this celestial body has a low density, suggesting an internal void, possibly artificially created. In order to confirm his conclusions, he even initiated a project, during the implementation of which it was supposed to measure the exact diameter of Phobos. For this, it was planned to use interplanetary stations, which the USSR wanted to send to Mars. However, it was not possible to implement these plans.
"Artificial Comet"
In 1959, Shklovsky organized and successfully carried out an experiment, which he called “Artificial Comet”. For its implementation by the Soviet satellite, a sodium cloud was released into outer space. Under the influence of sunlight, sodium atoms began to resonance fluorescence, which was observed and studied from the Earth's surface.
The results of this experiment became the basis for the methods of determining the location of spacecraft. Then they were successfully used to study the upper layers of the Earth's atmosphere and the external environment of the Solar system.
For research in the field of the concept of artificial comet in 1960, Shklovsky Joseph Samuilovich was awarded the Lenin Prize.
The study of deep space
In 1960, Shklovsky, regardless of American researchers, proposed to search for artificial signals coming from the depths of the Universe, at a wavelength of 21 cm. To some extent, his proposal gave impetus to the writing of the world-famous book called “The Universe, Life, Mind” who saw the light in 1962.
Subsequently, developing his vision of the Universe, Shklovsky came to the conclusion that life on Earth is perhaps a unique phenomenon. He substantiated his conclusion and position by the fact that, despite significant successes in the field of astronomical observations, Cosmos responds with silence, if life exists in the Universe, it is incredibly far.
Continuing his research, Joseph Samuilovich introduced into the world practice such well-known concepts as “relict radiation”, “presumption of naturalness”.
In the 60s of the last century, he created and headed the department of radio astronomy at the SAI. This structure has gained worldwide fame over several years, becoming the founder of a new trend in astronomy and astrophysics.
In 1966, Joseph Shklovsky was elected a corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Three years later, he becomes head of the astrophysics department at the established Space Research Institute. He headed this department until the last days of his life.
Support for dissidents, protection of the rights of persons of Jewish nationality
Iosif Samuilovich Shklovsky was also known for supporting dissidents in the USSR. Openly supported Andrei Sakharov. He actively fought against discrimination of persons of Jewish nationality, including when entering universities, in obstacles that arise in front of them in career advancement. As a result of this, he was not allowed to travel outside the USSR to various scientific events, where he was constantly invited.
On his first trip abroad, in 1979, to a symposium in Canadian Montreal, he received an offer to stay abroad forever, to refuse to return to the Soviet Union. To leave for a permanent residence in Israel. However, Shklovsky categorically rejected him.
Joseph Samuilovich Shklovsky died in Moscow on March 3, 1985. The cause of death was a stroke.
Shklovsky's legacy
Shklovsky is known to contemporaries not only as a great astrophysicist, but also as the godfather of many famous scientists. He prepared two academicians of the Academy of Sciences, 10 doctors of sciences and about 30 candidates of science.
He became a pioneer in the study of the physics of the solar corona. He was the first to study and describe in detail the ionization processes of the Sun and the parameters of its radio emission.
His works are world-famous in which he proves that radiation 21 cm long, which are generated by neutral hydrogen atoms in the Galaxy and the Universe, is observable.
People who spoke with Joseph Shklovsky also spoke of him as a sharp, extraordinary person. The environment took to heart. I tried to respond to every event. Communication with him required tension, but always he remained very attractive.
On the satellite of Mars - Phobos - a crater is named after him.
Shklovsky is the author of 300 scientific publications, as well as nine books on astronomy.