Pyotr Kapitsa is an engineer and innovator. He is known for his work in low-temperature physics, the study of superstrong magnetic fields and the confinement of high-temperature plasma.
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P.L. Kapitsa
Pyotr Kapitsa belongs to the great generation of Soviet physicists. Nicknamed in the West “the Russian atomic czar”, for many years he headed the leading physics institute of the USSR, where outstanding scientists worked.
Peter Leonidovich Kapitsa was born on June 26 (July 9), 1894 in Kronstadt in a noble family. His father was a military engineer, and his mother was a pedagogue and folklorist. His childhood fascination with clocks and engineering led him to choose the profession of an experimental physicist. In 1912, he graduated from a real school and entered the Polytechnic Institute.
Kapitsa studied under the guidance of A.F. Ioffe. During his studies he participated in World War I and traveled to China and Japan. Kapitsa's first publications appeared in 1916. He graduated in 1919, becoming an electrical engineer, and began working at the Institute of Physics and Technology.
In 1920, Kapitsa joined a group of promising physicists under the leadership of A.F. Ioffe. In 1921 he went to the Cavendish Laboratory in London, where he worked with Rutherford. His research in low temperatures led to the discovery of the superfluidity of helium. In 1934, he remained in the USSR and became head of the Institute of Physical Problems.
Kapitsa was married twice. The first marriage ended tragically, the second - with Anna Krylova - turned out to be long and happy. The couple had two sons who became famous scientists. Kapitsa was a witty storyteller and retained English habits in everyday life.
Kapitsa died on April 8, 1984 from a stroke. He was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.
Kapitsa made significant contributions to low-temperature physics, superstrong magnetic fields, and plasma physics. His discoveries and instrumentation revolutionized research methods in these fields.
Kapitsa received many honors, including the Nobel Prize in Physics (1978), the Stalin Prizes, and the Franklin and Faraday Medals. He was an honorary member of many academies and universities around the world.
