Ukrainian Virtual Observatory

Papaleksi Nikolay Dmyckovich

General data:

02.12.1880 - 03.02.1947

Place of birth: Simferopol city, Tavriya province, Russian Empire

Studied in: Berlin University, German Empire (since 1990 Berlin University, Federal Republic of Germany) (1899-1900); University of Strasbourg, Imperial Land of Alsace-Lorraine, German Empire (since 1 January 2016, University of Strasbourg, Administrative Region of Grande Est, French Republic) (1900-1904);

Key interests: decameter radio astronomy, instruments and devices, physics, exploration of the Moon, radiophysics, theory of nonlinear oscillations. PhD Thesis: Dynamometer rapid electrical oscillations. Theory and Experiments (1904 University in Strasbourg);

Biography:

He was born on November 20 (according to the Julian calendar or December 2, according to the Gregorian calendar) in 1880, in the city of Simferopol city, the Tavria province of the Russian Empire in the military's family who comes from the Greeks. His father died when boy was four years old.

Boy studied first in Simferopol city, and then in Poltava Gymnasium, which in 1899 graduated with a gold medal. Here in the report of the Poltava circle of amateurs of physics, he published his first scientific work "On the harmonic properties of a complete quadrilateral and some of its applications."

During the semester in 1899-1900 he studied at the Berlin University, and in 1900 he entered the University of Strasbourg.

1904 he passed exams with the highest honors (summa cum laude), defended at the University of Strasbourg the dissertation "Dynamometer for rapid electric oscillations. Theory and Experiments ", obtained the degree of Doctor of Natural Philosophy.

In 1907, at the laboratory of J. J. Thomson at Cambridge, he studied the time of excitation of fluorescence. The following year was spent on family affairs in the Canary Islands. In 1911 he presented his thesis for the right to read lectures: "On processes in the circle of an alternating current with an electric valve" and was appointed as a private assistant professor at the University, at the end of that year he took an active part in the work of the 2nd Mendeleev Congress. Here in Strasbourg, together with L.I. Mandelstam, performed research on electromagnetic oscillations and radio telegraphy, developed methods for measuring high-frequency currents.

In 1914 he returned to the Russian Empire and received a position as a consultant on physical issues and the head of the research laboratory of the plant of the Russian Society of Wireless Telegraphs and Telephones in Petrograd (since 1991, St. Petersburg). In early 1918, together with the laboratory, he moved to Moscow City. In the autumn of the same year, at the invitation of L.I.Mandelstam came to Odessa city, where he actively participated in the organization of the Odessa polytechnic institute. He was a lecturer in the Department of Physics and Head of the Physical Practice, since 1920 he worked as a professor in theoretical electrical engineering, he lectured on courses in this discipline, the theory of oscillations and meteorology. He was headed by a group of young scientists who, based on the physical vauukum laboratory of the institute, created by him with L. I. Mandelstam, engaged in the development of radio lamps; He was a consultant at the Odessa Radio Factory, where his industrial lamps were installed. This provided the work of many radio stations of the Black Sea merchant fleet, the south of modern Ukraine and, even, Siberia and the Far East.

In 1925-1935 he worked in Moscow City and Leningrad city(since 1991 St. Petersburg) in the radio laboratory of the Electric Trust of weak current plants (from 1924, the Central Radio Laboratory, Leningrad). During the 1924-1936 biennium, he headed the nonlinear problems (department of scientific radio engineering) of the Leningrad Scientific-Research Electrophysical Institute and during 1926-1935 he was a professor at the Department of Radiophysics at the Faculty of Physics and Mechanics of Leningrad Industrial Polytechnic Institute.

In 1930, a scientist was elected president of the Physico-Chemical Society at the Leningrad University. For many years, the electric welding plant "Svetlana" has been advising.

In 1923-1932, he repeatedly traveled to scientific trips abroad.

In 1935 Papaleksi was headed by the Laboratory of Fluctuations of the P.M. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (FIAS). The Academy of Sciences of the USSR and became the chairman of the group of technical physics, the Department of Technical Sciences of the USSR Academy of Sciences, in 1938, he also headed the Laboratory of the Energy Institute, became Deputy Chairman, and since 1944 headed the All-Union Scientific Council on Radiophysics and Radio Engineering. Together with L. I. Mandelstam created in these years a scientific school in the field of nonlinear oscillations and radiophysics. In the laboratory of oscillations FIAS scientist has deployed research on the propagation of radio waves. Together with the great theoretical, experimental and design work, it was necessary to conduct experiments in real conditions and the scientist directed all expeditions that were held annually since 1935 to 1941.

In 1934 he was awarded the academic degree of Doctor of Science for a lot of works.

In 1934 he was elected a Vice-correspondent of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, and in 1939 he became a full member of the USSR Academy of Sciences.

During the Great Patriotic War The USSR against the German-fascist invaders, which was part of the Second World War, the scientist created the experimental base of FIAS near Kazan city, participated in the planning of defense research of the USSR Academy of Sciences.

In the postwar years, he created a new experimental FIAS base in the Crimea, led the colloquium on fluctuations of FIAS, was chairman of the commission for the publication of works by Mandelstam, edited a number of physical journals.

M.D.Papalesi carried out fundamental research in the field of radiophysics, radio engineering, theory of nonlinear oscillations, was one of the founders of radio astronomy. Together with L.I. Mandelstam, the researches that became the basis of a new direction which is the theory of nonlinear oscillations - discovered and studied new types of resonances, in particular resonance of the nth kind, combinational and parametric resonances, phenomena of auto-parametric and combinational excitation, proposed a new method of excitation of electric oscillations which is a parametric generator of alternating currents. He worked on the creation of the first domestic electronic lamps, together with L. I. Mandelstam developed new methods of radiotelegraphic and radiotelephone modulation, an effective method to combat interference in the radio - auto-parametric filters, the method of determining the distance using radio waves interference. Scientists have studied the problem of propagation of radio waves along the earth's surface, with a high degree of accuracy, they measured the speed of their spread.

In 1942, together with L.I. Mandelstam the advent of the idea of radar and optical location of the Moon and carried out first of its. Latter, in 1947, an expedition to Brazil for the first in the history of radio observation of a complete solar eclipse was organized on his initiative. In 1936 together with LI Mandelstam was awarded the prize to them. D.I.Mendeleev and the awards to him. JV Stalin in 1942 for the development of the theory of oscillations and the propagation of radio waves. He was awarded the Order of Lenin.

He died on February 3, 1947 in Moscow City.

In 1970 he International Astronomical Union named Nikolai Dmitrievich Papaleksi crater on the reverse side of the Moon.

Main publications:
  1. Папалекси Н. Д. об измерении расстояния от Земли до Луны с помощью электромагнитных волн. - УФН, 1946, т. 29, 250–268
  2. Собрание трудов / под ред. С. М. Рытова. - М. : Изд-во АН СССР, 1948. – 426 с.
  3. Новые исследования в области нелинейных колебаний. – М. : Госрадиоиздат, 1936. – 36 с.
  4. Радиопомехи и борьба с ними. – М. : Гостехиздат, 1942. – 116 с.

Sources:
  1 Вчені ВУЗів Одеси. Біобібліографічний довідник. Випуск І Природничі науки. 1865-1945 Частина 4 Фізики. Астрономи /Упорядник І.Е.Рікун.- Одеса: Одеська державна наукова бібліотека ім. М.Горького . 2003.- С. 53-56
  2 Храмов Ю. А. Физики. Биографический справочник. — К: "Наукова думка", 1977.—С.249-250
  3 Рытов С. М. Академик Николай Дмитриевич Папалекси / С. М. Рытов // Изв. АН СССР. Сер. Физ. – 1948. – Т. XII, № 1 – 3. - С. 7 – 21.
  4 Соломонович А. Е. Н. Д. Папалекси и советская радиоастрономия / А. Е. Соломонович // Успехи физ. наук. – 1981. - Т. 134, вып. 3. – С. 541 – 550.