Piotr Leonidovich Kapitza, 9 July 1894 8 April 1984
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T h e K a p i t z a C l u b , 192 2 -6 6 W h e n K a p itz a cam e to C a m b rid g e in 1921 he m isse d th e lively d isc u ssio n s o f th e Joffe se m in a rs in P e tro g ra d a n d he soon s ta rte d an in fo rm a l d isc u ssio n g ro u p o f his o w n , p ro v id in g an in je c tio n o f R u ssian te m p e ra m e n t in to his p h le g m a tic E n g lish colleagues. T h e first m e e tin g w as on 17 O c to b e r 1922 w ith K a p itz a g iv in g a talk on m a g n e tism . A lth o u g h th e e m p h a sis w as alw ays on in fo rm a lity , K a p itz a d id in sist on c e rta in rules. N o one c o u ld re m a in a m e m b e r a fte r m issin g m o re th a n a sm all n u m b e r o f c o n sec u tiv e m e e tin g s, a n d m e m b e rs w ere re g a rd e d as p e rm a n e n t o n ly a fte r th e y h a d th em se lv e s g iven a talk. T h is w eekly se m in a r soon cam e to be called th e ‘K a p itz a C lu b ’, b u t K a p itz a h im s e lf used to refe r to it m o d e stly as ‘th e c lu b ’, th o u g h he w as well aw are o f th e n a m e o th e rs u sed , an d o f th e significance o f th e c lu b in s tim u la tin g C a m b rid g e p h y sics. In a le tte r to A n n a fro m M o sco w in 1935 he w ro te: ‘. . . E v en in C a m b rid g e I left a m ark . T a k e th e c lu b w h ic h it is th e c u s to m to c o n n e ct w ith m y n a m e , of w h ic h like old P ickw ick, I w as a p e rm a n e n t p re s id e n t. I th in k it w ill stay a lon g tim e . . .’ S oo n a fte r its in c e p tio n , a m in u te b oo k w as s ta rte d a n d th e tra d itio n w as e sta b lish e d th a t th e sp eak er s h o u ld ad d his s ig n a tu re to th e title o f his talk. T h e o rig in al m in u te bo o k is in M o sco w , b u t a p h o to c o p y to g e th e r w ith th e seco n d (final) v o lu m e, is in th e C o c k c ro ft arc h iv e at C h u rc h ill C ollege. T h e re c o rd p ro v id e d by th ese m in u te s is im p ressiv e. A m o n g th e sp eak ers w ere n o t only th e m e m b e rs, b u t also m an y lead in g p h y sic ists o u tsid e C a m b rid g e : B o h r, E h re n fe s t, F ra n ck , H e is e n b e rg a n d L a n g e v in , to m e n tio n only a few . M o st o f th e key advances o f th e tim e w ere eagerly d iscu ssed at th e c lu b a n d so m e tim e s ahead of p u b lic a tio n . T h u s L a n d a u spoke o f th e m a g n e tism o f m etallic e le c tro n s in 1930, a n d in 1932 C h ad w ick , L ea a n d F e a th e r re p o rte d th e d iscov ery of th e n e u tro n on November 29, 2017 http://rsbm.royalsocietypublishing.org/ Downloaded from Piotr Leonidovich K a p itza 347
(th o u g h th e title w as c a u tio u s ly e n te re d as ‘N e u tro n s ? ’) a n d C o c k c ro ft re p o rte d th e a rtificial d is in te g ra tio n o f lith iu m . K a p itz a g re a tly e n c o u ra g e d in te r r u p tio n s a n d to b rea k th e ice he w o u ld h im s e lf o fte n ask se e m in g ly n aiv e q u e s tio n s . S o m e tim e s su ch q u e s tio n s w o u ld p ro v id e a usefu l h in t to th e sp e ak e r th a t he w as ta lk in g o v e r th e h e a d s o f his a u d ie n c e a n d n e a rly alw ays th e y w o u ld s ta rt an a rg u m e n t a n d so c la rify an o b s c u re issue. R. W . D itc h b u r n recalls h o w on one occasio n an A m e ric a n v isito r p re s e n te d a th e o ry b a se d on th e th e o re m th a t th e c u rr e n ts in a n e tw o rk a d ju s t th e m se lv e s to m ake th e e n e rg y p ro d u c tio n a m a x im u m . K a p itz a in te r r u p te d to ask ‘D o n ’t y o u m ea n a m in im u m ? ’ and o th e rs s u p p o rte d h im . T o d e c id e th e issu e K a p itz a to ok d o w n fro m his b o o k sh e lv e s M a x w e ll’s fam o u s tre a tise , w h ic h he re g a rd e d a lm o st as a B ible, a n d said ‘A h yes it says a m in im u m in Book I I , C h a p te r 7 ’ an d so m e o n e c h ip p e d in ‘V erse 12’ c a u sin g a b ig lau g h , (b u t fo r once K a p itz a c o u ld n ’t see th e jo k e). S o m e o f th e s p irit o f th e d isc u ssio n an d a rg u m e n t co m es ov er in b rie f re m a rk s in th e m in u te b o o k. F o r in sta n c e in 1923 G . N . L ew is ta lk e d on ‘W h a t is th e o rig in o f rad io a ctiv e s u b s ta n c e s? ’ a n d K a p itz a re c o rd e d a c h a ra c te ris tic rem a rk : ‘It is n o t ad v isa b le to look o n th e p h e n o m e n a on th e sta rs if y o u do n o t u n d e rs ta n d th e p h e n o m e n a on th e e a r th ’. In th e sam e y ear S k in n e r spoke a b o u t th e n ew ly d isc o v e red C o m p to n effect a n d th e c o m m e n t ‘C o m p to n is w r o n g ’ a p p e a rs o v er th e in itials o f K a p itz a , S k in n e r, H a rtre e a n d L e n n a rd -J o n e s . B u t a few m o n th s la te r ‘C o m p to n rig h t w e h o p e ’ is in itia lle d b y S to n e r a n d B lackett, w hile K a p itz a an d o th e rs still b ack ed th e w ro n g h o rse a n d w ro te ‘W e h o p e w ro n g ’. N o t long a fte r a se n sa tio n a l re p o rt in th e Sheffield D a ily T e le g ra p h (26 M ay 1924) o f a d e a th -ra y m ac h in e in v e n te d by T . F. W all (p e rh a p s an offshoot fro m his c o n d e n se r d isc h a rg e ex p e rim e n ts? ), th e m in u te book re c o rd s ‘W ill D r. W all d isin tig ra te th e U n iv e rc e ? P . K . ’ T h e 3 7 7th m e e tin g of th e c lu b o n 21 A u g u s t 1934 w as th e last w ith K a p itz a in charg e; w h en he w as u n a b le to re tu r n fro m th e S oviet U n io n , C o c k c ro ft took o v er a n d a fte r th e w a r I k ep t th e c lu b g o ing for a n o th e r 12 years. H o w e v er as p h y sics b e c am e m o re c o m p a rtm e n ta liz e d it w as only rarely th a t p h y sic ists fro m on e sp eciality co u ld be p e rs u a d e d to com e and learn w h a t w as going on in a d iffe re n t field an d e v e n tu a lly I felt th a t the c lu b h a d h a d its day. T h e last re g u la r m ee tin g , th e 675th, was on 4 M a rc h 1958 w ith a p a p e r b y S ir R o n a ld F is h e r on ‘P ro b a b ility an d scientific in fe re n c e ’. T h is , h o w ev er, w as n o t q u ite th e last m ee tin g . In 1966 K a p itz a w as at last able to v isit C a m b rid g e again an d a special m e e tin g w as a rra n g e d on 10 M ay w ith q u ite a few p re s e n t w ho h ad b een m e m b e rs w h e n K a p itz a w as in ch arg e m o re th a n 30 years earlier. T h e scientific h ig h lig h t o f th e m e e tin g was a review by K a p itz a and D irac o f a p ro je c t (38) th ey h a d m o o te d in 1933 o f s c a tte rin g ele c tro n s by sta n d in g light w aves. In 1933 lig h t so u rces w ere too weak an d electro n ic d e te c to rs too in sen sitiv e to p ro d u c e any d e te c ta b le B ragg reflection, b u t w ith th e on November 29, 2017 http://rsbm.royalsocietypublishing.org/ Downloaded from 348 Biographical Memoirs C o c k c ro ft, D ir a c a n d K a p itz a at th e final m e e tin g in 1966 o f th e K a p itz a C lu b in G o n v ille a n d C a iu s C o lleg e. tech n ical ad vances since th e n th e p ro je c t no lo n g er seem ed as ‘w ay o u t ’ as it h ad seem ed th e n . It is c o n v e n ie n t to c o n c lu d e th is sectio n w ith a b rie f a c co u n t o f th e se m in a rs th a t K a p itz a o rg a n iz e d in his M o sco w in s titu te a fte r 1936. T h e s e , like his C a m b rid g e clu b , a c q u ire d a c o n sid e rab le re p u ta tio n . As in C a m b rid g e , th ey w ere at first in tim a te affairs w ith a d o zen o r so reg u la rs fro m th e I n s titu te itse lf a n d o ccasionally a few g u ests. T h e a u d ie n c e sat in easy ch airs in K a p itz a ’s h u g e office an d in ste a d o f th e C a m b rid g e coffee an d b isc u its, R u ssian tea a n d caviare san d w ich es w ere p ro v id e d . K a p itz a p re sid e d in his id io sy n c ra tic w ay an d th e re w as th e sam e tra d itio n of irre v e re n t in te rru p tio n s fro m h im an d th e au d ie n c e .* A fter th e w ar an d after th e eig h t year in te rv al of K a p itz a ’s d e m o tio n , th e se m in a rs resu m e d , b u t g rad u a lly b ecam e m u c h larg er, w ith au d ien ces o f a h u n d re d o r so in a large lec tu re ro o m , ra th e r th a n th e sm all g ro u p in K a p itz a ’s office. A lth o u g h little o f th e in fo rm a lity and in tim a c y su rv iv e d th e g reatly in creased n u m b e rs , th e se m in a rs still served a useful p u rp o se in b rin g in g * F o r an a m u s i n g skit b a s e d o n th e e ar ly d a y s o f t h e s e m i n a r see S h a l n i k o v (1975). on November 29, 2017 http://rsbm.royalsocietypublishing.org/ Downloaded from
Piotr Leonidovich K a p itza 349
to g e th e r p h y s ic is ts fro m all o v e r M o sco w , a n d it w as re g a rd e d as a g rea t p riv ile g e to b e in v ite d to give a s e m in a r. E v e n tu a lly , a lth o u g h re g u la r d a te s w e re set asid e, only a few se m in a rs w ere a c tu a lly given an d d u r in g th e last te n y e a rs o r so th e y p ra c tic a lly ceased. R e t u r n t o t h e S o v i e t U n i o n , 1934
A s a lre a d y m e n tio n e d , K a p itz a w as r a th e r p r o u d o f his u n u s u a l sta tu s o f d ire c tin g a p re s tig io u s la b o ra to ry in C a m b rid g e w h ile re m a in in g a S ov iet c itiz e n a n d b e in g able to go in a n d o u t o f th e S o v iet U n io n at w ill. A fte r 1926 he v isite d th e S o v ie t U n io n n e a rly every su m m e r, a n d alw ays h a d h is p e rm iss io n to r e tu r n u n d e rw ritte n by h ig h -u p figures in th e S o v iet p o litic a l a n d scien tific e s ta b lis h m e n t. D u r in g th ese trip s he v isited his m o th e r, gave le c tu re s, c o n s u lte d a n d u su a lly m a n a g e d to have a good h o lid a y in th e C a u c a su s o r C rim e a . A s early as 1929 he h a d b e e n in v ite d b y L . B. K a m e n e v (th e n an im p o rta n t p o litic a l figure w ith special re s p o n s ib ility for science) to h ead th e b ig U k ra in ia n P h y s ic o -T e c h n ic a l I n s titu te b e in g set u p in K h a rk o v . K a p itz a w as able to c o n v in ce K a m e n ev th a t he c o u ld m o re u sefu lly d ev elo p his w ork in C a m b rid g e for th e tim e b e in g , w h ile a c tin g as a c o n s u lta n t to th e new I n s titu te d u rin g s h o rt visits in th e su m m e r. A lth o u g h his frie n d s w o n d e re d w h e th e r his exclusive sta tu s c o u ld c o n tin u e in d efin itely , K a p itz a lau g h in g ly s h ru g g e d off any w a rn in g s a n d in A u g u s t 1934 m ad e his u su a l s u m m e r trip , a c c o m p a n ie d by his w ife a n d tra v e llin g in th e ir V au x h all across S ca n d in a v ia. A fte r a tte n d in g a c o n g re ss in L e n in g ra d a n d le c tu rin g in K h a rk o v , he an d A n n a w ere p re p a rin g to r e tu r n to E n g la n d fro m L e n in g ra d early in O c to b e r w h e n th e blow fell. K a p itz a w as to ld th a t his p e rm issio n to r e tu r n w as no lo n g er valid a n d th a t he w o u ld h ave to stay in th e S oviet U n io n . A fte r a few days A n n a w as allow ed to r e tu r n to C a m b rid g e to look a fte r th e c h ild re n an d on 10 O c to b e r she w as able to tell R u th e rfo rd w h a t h ad h a p p e n e d . T h e sto ry o f th e s u b s e q u e n t d e v e lo p m e n ts is one o f alm o st B y zan tin e c o m p le x ity an d will only be o u tlin e d here; fo r a m o re d e ta ile d ac co u n t see W ilso n (1983, c h a p te r 16). T h e reaso n fo r K a p itz a ’s re te n tio n has been th e su b je c t o f m u c h sp e c u la tio n , b u t th e basic reaso n w as p ro b a b ly th a t su g g ested by R u th e rfo rd in a le tte r to S ir F ra n k S m ith (th e n S e c re tary of th e D e p a r tm e n t o f Scientific an d In d u s tria l R esearch): ‘I th in k I to ld y o u th a t K a p itz a in one o f his ex p ansiv e m oo ds in R u ssia to ld th e S oviet en g in e e rs th a t he h im se lf w o u ld be able to alte r th e w hole face o f electrical e n g in e e rin g in his lifetim e. . . . T h is seem s to m e a very p ro b a b le e x p la n a tio n o f th e ir action an d is d ue to o u r f rie n d ’s love of th e lim e lig h t.’ T w o o th e r c irc u m stan c e s w ere also p ro b a b ly relev an t. O ne was th a t G eo rg e G am o w , a to p y o u n g S oviet th e o re tic ia n , had recen tly failed to on November 29, 2017 http://rsbm.royalsocietypublishing.org/ Downloaded from 350 Biographical Memoirs r e tu r n fro m a v isit to th e W e st a n d K a p itz a ’s re te n tio n m ay have b e e n to som e e x te n t a tit- f o r - ta t. T h e o th e r w as th e g re a t e x p a n sio n o f th e S o v iet e c o n o m y in th e early 5 -y ear p lan s, o f w h ic h a c o n c o m ita n t w as th e n e e d for a ra p id g ro w th o f science. In p a rtic u la r, K rz h iz h a n o v s k i, an electrical e n g in e e r w h o h e ld an in flu e n tial p o s itio n in th e p o litic a l e s ta b lis h m e n t, w a n te d K a p itz a to b u ild an I n s titu te in M o sco w on th e lines o f th e M o n d , w h ic h w o u ld , as K rz h iz h a n o v s k i th o u g h t, re v o lu tio n iz e th e p ro d u c tio n o f e le c tric ity . K a p itz a w as u tte rly d e v a sta te d b y his in a b ility to r e tu r n to C a m b rid g e a n d trie d to d isa b u se th e a u th o ritie s o f th e e x a g g era te d ideas th e y h ad fo rm e d a b o u t th e im m e d ia te te c h n ic a l rele v an c e o f his w o rk. F o r a tim e he su lk e d a n d th o u g h t se rio u sly o f ta k in g u p b io p h y sic s w ith P av lo v in L e n in g ra d if he c o u ld n o t c o n tin u e his w o rk at C a m b rid g e . B u t it w as d a n g e ro u s to sulk to o lo ng in th o se days a n d g ra d u a lly K a p itz a b e g a n to go alo n g w ith th e idea o f w o rk in g in M o sco w , a lth o u g h h e still h o p e d th a t a r e tu r n to E n g la n d m ig h t be p o ssib le . In d e e d , c o n sid e ra b le effo rts w ere b e in g m ad e by R u th e rfo rd o n his b eh alf. H e a p p e ale d to I. M . M aisk i, th e S o v iet A m b a ssa d o r, in very d ip lo m a tic te rm s, he g o t e m in e n t sc ie n tists a b ro a d , su c h as L a n g e v in a n d B o h r, to m ake d isc re e t re p re s e n ta tio n s to S o v iet e s ta b lis h m e n t fig ures, a n d re p re s e n ta tio n s w ere m ad e to S ta n le y B ald w in , th e n P rim e M in is te r. N o th in g cam e o f all th ese a tte m p ts , even th o u g h th e w h ole affair h a d b een k e p t p riv a te , so th a t n o loss o f face w o u ld have b e e n in v o lv ed if th e S o v iet a u th o ritie s h a d m ad e a co n cessio n . E v e n tu a lly , h o w ev er, a n d in ev ita b ly , th e affair leaked in to th e P re ss w ith a big sp la sh in th e News Chronicle on 24 A p ril 1935. O n 1 M ay The Times p u b lish e d lette rs fro m b o th R u th e rfo rd an d G o w la n d H o p k in s (th e n P re s id e n t o f th e R oyal S ociety), s e ttin g o u t th e facts in a re s tra in e d fash io n a n d a p p e alin g for K a p itz a to be allow ed to re tu r n to C a m b rid g e to c o m p le te th e w ork he h a d s ta rte d . T h e effect o f th e se le tte rs w as so m e w h at u n d e rm in e d by a jin g o is tic le tte r to
The Times on 7 M ay fro m th e ch em ist H . E. A rm stro n g (th en the senior F ello w o f th e R oyal S ociety ), w h o cla im e d th a t E n g la n d h a d no n eed of fo reig n sc ie n tists in g en e ra l an d o f K a p itz a in p a rtic u la r: ‘In ste a d of lead in g a lo tu s life at C a m b rid g e , he, too, m ay w ell be d o in g n a tio n a l w ork (in R ussia) o f a far h ig h e r im p o rta n c e th a n even th a t in volv ed in m a g n e tiz in g a to m s to d e s tr u c tio n ’. F in a lly M aisk i p u b lic ly d e fe n d e d th e S oviet actio n in re ta in in g K a p itz a a n d co n c lu d e d : ‘C a m b rid g e w o u ld no d o u b t like to have all th e w o rld ’s g re a te st sc ie n tists in its lab o ra to rie s, in m u c h th e sam e w ay as th e S ov iet U n io n w o u ld like to have L o rd R u th e rfo rd and o th e rs o f y o u r g re a t p h y sic ists in h e r la b o ra to rie s ’. By th e e n d o f 1934, th o u g h still u n h a p p y w ith his situ a tio n a n d still o ften th in k in g o f g iv in g u p p h y sics, K a p itz a b eg an to c o o p e ra te in p la n n in g th e new In s titu te o f w h ich , as he lea rn t fro m th e n e w sp a p e rs, he h ad been a p p o in te d D ire c to r (th e In s titu te w as e sta b lish e d on 23 D e c e m b e r). T o g e th e r w ith A. I. S h aln ik o v , a clever y o u n g e x p e rim e n te r on November 29, 2017 http://rsbm.royalsocietypublishing.org/ Downloaded from Piotr Leonidovich K a p itza 351
fro m L e n in g ra d , he to u re d M o sco w lo o k in g fo r su ita b le sites. T h e y se ttle d o n an a ttra c tiv e p lace on th e L e n in H ills a n d th e n ew I n s titu te for P h y sica l P ro b le m s ( I .F .P .) b e g a n to go u p in M ay 1935. A c c o rd in g to K h r u s h c h e v ’s m e m o irs (1974, p. 63)— n o t th e m o st reliab le o f so u rc e s— th is ch o ice site h a d o rig in a lly b e e n re se rv e d fo r th e A m e ric a n E m b a ssy , b u t S ta lin h a d tak e n a g a in st B u llitt, th e th e n A m b a ssa d o r, a n d d e c re e d th a t K a p itz a sh o u ld h av e it. K a p itz a c o n tin u e d to feel v e ry f ru s tra te d a n d m ise ra b le all th ro u g h th e early m o n th s o f 1935. H e g re a tly m isse d h is fam ily a n d his w o rk a n d he w as tre a te d w ith som e rese rv e b y scien tific co lleag u es w h o w ere e ith e r too a fra id o r else to o im p o r ta n t to see h im , so th a t he felt p a rtic u la rly lonely liv in g alo ne in th e M e tro p o le H o te l. In his n e g o ta tio n s w ith V. I. M e z h la u k (th e n an im p o rta n t p o litic a l figure a n d C h a irm a n o f th e S ta te P la n n in g C o m m issio n ) he h a d g re a t d ifficu lty in g e ttin g acro ss th e idea th a t his w o rk lay p rim a rily in p u re r a th e r th a n a p p lie d p h y sic s an d th a t he c o u ld n ’t do a n y th in g u se fu l u n less he h a d facilities sim ila r to th o se in C a m b rid g e . A t tim e s h e h a d fits o f d e p re s s io n an d he w ro te to A n n a in A p ril: ‘. . . H e re I sit all alone. W h a t for? I do n o t u n d e rs ta n d . I w a n t to sc re a m a n d b re a k f u rn itu r e . I so m e tim e s th in k I b e g in to go m a d .’ H o w e v e r, g ra d u a lly K a p itz a ’s view s b e g a n to p rev a il a n d even b efo re th e n e w s p a p e r p u b lic ity , th e S o viet a u th o ritie s h ad s ta rte d n e g o tia tio n s w ith R u th e rf o r d fo r tra n s fe r rin g K a p itz a ’s special e q u ip m e n t fro m th e M o n d to th e new I n s titu te . T h e n e w s p a p e r p u b lic ity seem s to have acted as a s p u r to se ttle th in g s m o re q u ick ly , th o u g h M e z h la u k w as u n p le a sa n t to K a p itz a a b o u t it. K a p itz a w ro te to A n n a on 5 M ay: ‘. . . 1 said [to M e zh la u k ] I o bey in all I w as o rd e re d . B u t som e of th e o rd e rs so u n d as if B e e th o v en w as to ld to w rite th e 4 th S y m p h o n y to o rd er; of c o u rse B e e th o v en co u ld c o n d u c t an o rc h e s tra to o rd e r, b u t w o u ld scarcely be w illin g to w rite a s y m p h o n y to o rd e r, in any case a g o o d one . . .’ T h in g s b e g a n to get easier in o th e r resp e c ts. T h e ‘g u a rd ia n angels w en t b ack to h e a v e n ’ (he w as no lo n g er u n d e r su rv e illa n ce ), he w as allow ed to trav el freely w ith in th e S ov iet U n io n , he w as assig ned a good flat, fre q u e n t th e a tre tick ets a n d a goo d car. T h e car e v id e n tly m e a n t a lot to him : ‘Y e sterd a y th e In s titu te receiv ed a very good car, big an d c o m fo rt able a n d w h ich I can use w hile I am D ire c to r. It is r a th e r fun to have su c h a car. W h e n I cam e to th e d o o r o f th e M e tro p o le th e p o rte r h e lp e d m e o u t . . .’ T h e n e g o tia tio n s w e n t on w ith m an y u p s an d d o w n s all th ro u g h th e s u m m e r o f 1935; several tim es K a p itz a th re a te n e d to resign an d take up b io p h y sic s. A t one stage th e re was an in te rv e n tio n by M o lo to v , w ho got K a p itz a to w rite to R u th e rfo rd saying th a t he w as a loyal Soviet citizen and th a t he w as p re p a re d to w ork in th e lab o ra to ry b ein g b u ilt for him in on November 29, 2017 http://rsbm.royalsocietypublishing.org/ Downloaded from
M o sco w . T h is le tte r finishes r a th e r p a th e tic a lly : ‘I m iss y o u, m y la b o ra to ry an d specially m y w ork an d it is n o t to be e x p e cte d th a t I soon will be able to re su m e it, a n d all th is m akes m e v ery u n h a p p y . T h e s tu p id ity o f th e c re a te d p o sitio n is th a t it is b a sed on c o m p le te m is u n d e rs ta n d in g as e v e ry o n e c o n c e rn e d really acts w ith th e b e st in te n tio n s .’ T h e m o st decisive stage of th e n e g o tia tio n s cam e in A u g u s t w ith visits to M o sco w b y A d ria n an d D irac , w h e n b o th had th e o p p o r tu n ity o f frank d isc u ssio n s w ith K a p itz a th a t th ey w ere able to re p o rt to R u th e rfo rd . E v e n tu a lly , by N o v e m b e r a d efin ite a g re e m e n t h a d b een rea c h e d b e tw e en C a m b rid g e U n iv e rs ity and th e S o v iet a u th o ritie s , g iv in g K a p itz a m o st of w h a t he w a n te d an d o n 5 N o v e m b e r he fo rm a lly resig n e d his D ir e c to r sh ip of th e M o n d L a b o ra to ry . T h e a g re e m e n t p ro v id e d th a t in r e tu r n for p a y m e n t o f £ 3 0 000 th e U n iv e rs ity w o u ld tra n s fe r to M o sco w th e h ig h field e q u ip m e n t a n d d u p lic a te s of su ch ite m s (e.g. th e liq uefiers) as w ere n e e d ed in C a m b rid g e to c o n tin u e th e M o n d ’s activ ities. In a d d itio n th e U n iv e rs ity w as to give a y e a r’s leave of ab sence to K a p itz a ’s key a ssista n ts, L a u rm a n n an d P e a rso n , so th a t th ey co u ld h e lp K a p itz a set up all th e e q u ip m e n t in th e new In s titu te as q u ick ly as p o ssib le. In th e m ea n tim e A n n a h a d h a d th e difficult task o f w in d in g up e v e ry th in g in C a m b rid g e and b y th e e n d of 1935 she an d th e c h ild re n had rejo in ed K a p itz a in M osco w , w h e re b e fo re long th e y m o v ed in to a c o m fo rta b le an d c e n tra l a p a rtm e n t. E ven th o u g h th in g s now beg an to h u m , w ith C o c k c ro ft in C a m b rid g e d e v o te d ly o rg a n iz in g th e im m en se task o f s e n d in g th e e q u ip m e n t to M o sco w — th e big d y n a m o h a d alread y left by th e e n d o f D e c e m b e r 1935— a n d K a p itz a s tru g g lin g to get e v e ry th in g read y to in stall th e e q u ip m e n t as soon as it a rriv e d , he still felt f ru s tra te d th a t he co u ld n o t re tu r n to scientific w ork im m ed ia te ly . H is m o o d m ay be ju d g e d fro m one of his le tte rs to R u th e rfo rd (M a rc h 1936) in th e co u rse of w h ic h he says: ‘I feel m y self very m ise ra b le h ere, b e tte r th a n last year, b u t n o t so h a p p y as I w as in C a m b rid g e . A n n a ’s re tu r n b ro u g h t m e m u c h c o m fo rt an d h a p p in e ss an d th is is v ery im p o rta n t as I w as h e re very lonely, q u ite alone. . . . Y o u r le tte r re m in d e d m e o f m y h a p p y years in C a m b rid g e an d th e n I felt you as y ou are, ro u g h in w o rd s and m a n n e rs an d good in y o u r h e a rt su ch as I like you, a n d th is m akes m e feel ra th e r h a p p ie r. T h e lost P a ra d ise !’ 'P h is le tte r w as in rep ly to one in w h ich R u th e rfo rd , w hile s y m p a th iz ing w ith K a p itz a ’s difficulties, h ad ex p re sse d h im se lf r a th e r b lu n tly a b o u t a p rev io u s le tte r fro m K a p itz a in w h ich he h ad im p a tie n tly c o m p la in e d a b o u t v ario us delays in th e tra n s fe r a rra n g e m e n ts an d h a d m ad e fu rth e r req u e sts th a t R u th e rfo rd th o u g h t excessive. By th e su m m e r of 1936 th e b u ild in g of th e I n s titu te w as far ad v an ced , 352
Biographical Memoirs on November 29, 2017 http://rsbm.royalsocietypublishing.org/ Downloaded from Piotr Leonidovich K a p itza 353
m o s t o f th e v ita l ite m s o f e q u ip m e n t h a d a rriv e d a n d so h a d L a u r m a n n a n d P e a rs o n . T h e y im m e d ia te ly g o t b u s y in sta llin g th e m a c h in e ry a n d fa m ilia riz in g th e R u s s ia n te c h n ic ia n s w ith its o p e ra tio n a n d b y th e e n d o f 1936 th e I .F .P . w as a g o in g c o n c e rn . K a p itz a c a rrie d o n his scien tific w o rk th e r e to th e e n d o f h is life a p a rt fro m tw o in te r ru p tio n s : fro m 1941 to 1943, w h e n th e I n s titu te w as e v a c u a te d to K a z a n d u r in g th e w a r, a n d fro m 1946 to 1954 w h e n h e w as te m p o r a r ily d ism iss e d fro m h is D ir e c to r s h ip . Moscow
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