Dmitri Ivanenko

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Dmitri Ivanenko SCIENCE NEWSLETTER Faculty of Physics, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University 1/2014 HOW TO EDUCATE REAL PHYSICISTS Interview with the Dean of the Faculty of Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Prof. N.N. Sysoev taken by Andrew Shmarov and Dan Medovnikov for the project Page 42 (page 42.ru) in February 2014. From basic science to engineering In this issue: ndrew Shmarov: What is this new trend — Engineer- Aing at the Faculty of Physics? Faculty of Physics, Lomonosov Mos- cow State University is seemingly Scientific News 1 an absolutely academic story. And suddenly, words such as engineer- Awards 10 ing... Is that correct that you run Dissertations 12 mostly R&D, rather than engineer- ing? Conferences 14 Nikolay Sysoev: We do both Scientists of Faculty of R&D and design & development Physics, Lomonosov Moscow (D&D) nowadays. The matter is that State University 16 the situation has been changed both in our country and surely in Face-to-School 19 the World. Previously, we were most- ly engaged in basic research and Dan Medovnikov: When I start- then our results were implemented ed to study Physics as a student at at applied institutions. Now, this Lomonosov Moscow State University, does not work. Therefore, in order to my first thoughts were that I came survive, make money and teach our to the temple of high science, will students not only basic research, but do pure theory, will write a beauti- also applications, innovative devel- ful formula on the blackboard. By opments, we try to give them not contrast, first thing I was forced to only the fundamental knowledge, but work on during the first year — an also engineering. At the moment we introduction to experimental tech- are trying to create at the Faculty of niques. I started to learn how to Physics a new department of Physi- use a soldering iron in order to cal Engineering, where we will teach create a generator, for instance. For our students not only the fundamen- this you must to learn how to create tal science, but also what is the D&D the box it will be assembled in and and how to run it. many other things. And we passed Science Newsletter № 1 / 2014 almost the entire production cycle in the world in less than an hour. A Dan Medovnikov: Let us talk in the workshops of the Physics key element of such technologies is about the hyper-sound. Which Faculty. I would estimate that some hyper-sound. And why the plasma speed does it mean? Already up to 70 % of the stuff of the Faculty of aerodynamics is important here, as 10 Mach, perhaps? Physics have always been experi- you said?. mentalists, people who can create Nikolay Sysoev: The Mach almost everything by their hands. Nikolay Sysoev: Plasma aero- number shows how many times the dynamics is important not only for speed of the body exceeds the Nikolay Sysoev: Absolutely! for the hyper-sound, it can really speed of the sound. At our depart- Without such practical skills nowa- affect the drag coefficient. We work ment, we experimentally obtained days with microchips and micropro- experimentally on this at the Chair a speed of Mach 40. For this, we cessors, with other serious instru- of Molecular Physics. There are so speeded up the gas in a shock ments, a student of physics cannot be called gas-dynamic tables joining multi-diaphragm tube and then it educated. And physical engineer- the body, for example, in the Earth’s wrapped around the pipe installed ing, which is extremely interesting, atmosphere, and it is necessary at the exit of the tube, reaching that is a completely new approach for to consider the pressure, density, speed. To register, we visualised developing new technologies and speed — everything changes. These shock wave using a complex system apparatus. Physicist, if he does not tables were created for the space of interferometers, shadow and know what’s inside your phone and age, and they were secret. Ameri- other methods while filming that how the chip works, is not a physicist cans calculated their own tables, time on the tape. Shooting speed anymore. Surely, we do have strong we — our own. Then, Americans must be a few (2–3) million frames theoreticians, but as Physics is largely recognized that our tables that were per second. How to do this? No an experimental science, engineer- calculated at the Faculty of Phys- one film will stand it... ing skills become obligatory. ics were much more accurate. Why molecular physics, although here not Dan Medovnikov: During the Dan Medovnikov: Kapitsa or only molecules interact? Because Atomic Project our engineers fig- Rutherford did almost everything these processes are occurring ured out how to shoot explosions! by their own hands. Please tell us behind the shock front — molecules about your academic interests. rotate, oscillate, move forward, and Nikolay Sysoev: Yes, they used all this at the molecular level is tak- a rotating mirror. We initially used Nikolay Sysoev: I am interested en into account in the calculations in our experiments at the Faculty in physics of explosion. It com- and is observed in experiments. of Physics exactly those devices, but bines gas dynamics, plasma phys- This is the real nanotechnology, this had to utilize them shortly because ics, fluid dynamics, supersonic jets was done for decades ago. Though, of their remaining radiation. Any- and plasma aerodynamics, cold it becomes fashionable just recently way, it is interesting to see how plasma. Suppose, a body flies at a to talk about nanotechnologies. You molecules behave at these speeds, supersonic speed and it is covered probably know that the explosion what are their translational, rotation- in a supersonic flow by a so-called of a kilogram of TNT generates al characteristics, how they behave, plasma sheet. This affects the drag approximately 10–12 % of nano- how transmit energy. coefficient, gives you the opportu- diamonds? It’s also nanotechnology! nity to effectively control the flight And we were doing it for decades Andrew Shmarov: Can some at these altitudes. This is what offers before beginning of nano-era. We real artefacts — a missile or war- you a plasma aerodynamics... have shock tubes, in which we get head, for instance, be speed up up supersonic flows. For example, the to 40 Mach? Dan Medovnikov: Tell me, now plasma sheet was obtained experi- this topic of hypersonic weapons mentally in our laboratory on the Nikolay Sysoev: Surely, not! But is very fashionable. Again, I am third floor of the Physics Faculty. to hypersonic, up to 5–6 Mach that sorry, the message of V.V. Putin would be possible to speed them addressed the American concept of up, so that it would be impossible lighting a strike anywhere to “catch” them. We however are mostly engaged in basic research. 2 Research highlights from the Faculty of Physics Science Newsletter № 1 / 2014 Innovations from the Faculty of Physics: In telecommunications and engine construction. Dan Medovnikov: There are very explosion and the shock wave — Dan Medovnikov: It generally interesting properties seem to arise. similar to what happens in a regular seems to be one of the most com- Well, apart from that of the plasma explosion. Physics of explosion is a plex physical processes. When sheet, the plasma itself behaves field of science, a certain direction. I detonated an atomic bomb, what a extremely interesting. lecture a novel course on Physics of beautiful physics, where both fun- Explosion for the 5th year students damental and applied science are Nikolay Sysoev: Absolutely! The of Physics, which has never been present, and the gap between them plasma itself, its density and turbu- delivered at the Physics Faculty. This is extremely small. lence in the flow around. Explosion field of Physics really absorbs all is not only ignited by the explosives physical sciences: quantum mechan- Nikolay Sysoev: This is an ex- (TNT, RDX or others). Laser blast, ics and electrodynamics, theoretical ample of merging the fundamental for example. If one focuses even mechanics and others. Practically, and applied science. No innova- an ordinary laser, not very powerful, many field of Physics come into the tion is possible without basic sci- the energy released in the focus play here. ence. spot would be enough to trigger Lomonosov Moscow State University was ranked among 50 best universities all over the World in Physics and Mathematics Lomonosov Moscow State University was ranked among 50 best World universities by criteria of education quality and research under Physics and Astronomy and Mathemat- ics. According to the annual QS rating 2014 published by the British company Quac- quarelli Symonds, the Moscow State holds 49 position in both fields. y comparison with the previous year, MSU de- Operational Studies, and Machinery. Thee best universities graded a bit in Mathematics (had position 42), but were called Harward University (USA), MIT (USA), and Ox- Braised in Physics (5–100 in 2013). Moreover, MSU ford University (UK). is also within the first 100 universities by modern languages and philosophy. In 2014 the ranking of the World universities was made for 30 specialities (fields). This ranking evaluates the univer- In the group of universities of 101 to 151 positions, the sities by four parameters: academic reputation, employers MSU falls in Chemistry, Information, Geology, and Hydrology. reputation, average citation index of s specific paper, and by It also took position in top-200 by Material Sciences, Statistics, Hirsch-index. Research highlights from the Faculty of Physics 3 Science Newsletter № 1 / 2014 A NEW TYPE OF PLASMA ACTUATOR BASED ON THE DISTRIBUTED HIGH-CURRENT SURFACE DISCHARGE WAS SUGGESTED AND STUDIED Physicists from Moscow State Univ.
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