Piotr Leonidovich Kapitza, 9 July 1894 8 April 1984
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N i k o l i n a G o r a , 1 9 4 6 -5 4 A lth o u g h K a p itz a w as d ism iss e d fro m h is I n s titu te h e re ta in e d h is p o s itio n (a n d salary ) as an A c a d e m ic ia n a n d ch o se to live at his d a c h a (c o u n try h o u se ) at N ik o lin a G o ra , w h e re h e m a n a g e d to c a rry o n scien tific w o rk u n til h e w as re in s ta te d e ig h t y e a rs la te r, w h e n it w as a c k n o w le d g e d th a t th e u n fa v o u ra b le r e p o r t o n h is o x y g e n w o rk w as m ista k e n . M o s t o f h is effo rt w e n t in to b u ild in g u p a la b o ra to ry in v a rio u s o u th o u s e s at th e d a c h a w h e re , a id e d b y h is son s (p a rtic u la rly S erg ei) a n d F ilim o n o v , h e c o u ld c o n tin u e e x p e rim e n ta l w o rk . T h is la b o ra to ry w as jo k in g ly c alled th e Iz b a fo r P h y sic a l P ro b le m s (izb a m e a n s a p e a s a n t’s h u t) w ith th e sam e in itia ls as th e I .F .P . H e also w ro te th e o re tic a l p a p e rs o n v a rio u s to p ic s, su c h as h e a t tra n s fe r in tw o -d im e n s io n a l tu r b u le n t flow (50), w ave flow in a th in lay er o f I v isco u s flu id (5 1 ,5 2 ), fo rm a tio n o f sea w aves b y w in d (54), a n d th e h y d ro d y n a m ic th e o ry o f lu b ric a tio n in ro llin g (59). A ll th is w o rk w as c h a ra c te riz e d b y c o n s id e ra b le in g e n u ity in s im p lify in g th e m a th e m a tic a l an aly sis w ith o u t lo sin g th e essen ce o f th e p ro b le m ; th e lu b ric a tio n w o rk is d e s c rib e d as ‘c la ssic ’ in a re c e n t rev iew (D o w s o n 1979). T h e th e o ry o f w ave flow alo n g liq u id flow ing o v e r th e o u tsid e su rfa c e o f a c y lin d ric a l tu b e w as v erified e x p e rim e n ta lly in c o lla b o ra tio n w ith S e rg ei (53), w ith c a re fu lly d e sig n e d a p p a ra tu s e n tire ly b u ilt w ith th e rela tiv e ly p rim itiv e re so u rc e s o f th e izba, a n d r a th e r in th e style o f K a p itz a ’s early w o rk in th e C a v e n d ish . B u t a g o o d d eal o f o th e r w o rk w as g o in g o n at N ik o lin a G o ra th a t b e c au se o f its p o te n tia l a p p lic a tio n s w as in itia lly classified a n d only p u b lis h e d in 1962 (66, 67). A n early h in t o f th is w o rk w as a p a p e r on ball lig h tn in g (60) in w h ic h it w as su g g e ste d th a t th e b all o f h o t gas is esse n tia lly a re s o n a to r fed by h ig h -fre q u e n c y rad io w aves ty p ic a lly of w a v e le n g th 50 cm , w h ic h are so m e h o w g e n e ra te d b y th e sto rm . L a te r K a p itz a trie d to v erify th is id ea e x p e rim e n ta lly (73), b u t no co n clusiv e ev id en ce w as o b ta in e d a n d his h y p o th e s is h as n o t fo u n d gen eral ac c e p ta n c e. A n o th e r a n d less d ire c t h in t (55) w as a nov el th eo re tic al d e m o n s tra tio n o f th e s ta b ility o f an in v e rte d p e n d u lu m w ith th e p o in t of s u p p o rt v ib ra tin g m u c h fa ste r th a n th e p e rio d o f th e p e n d u lu m ; an ele g a n t e x p e rim e n ta l d e m o n s tra tio n o f th e effect w as also d e sc rib e d . A s w as late r m ad e clear, b o th th ese stu d ie s w ere sp in -offs fro m K a p itz a ’s m ain th r u s t, th e d e v e lo p m e n t o f p o w e rfu l h ig h -fre q u e n c y rad io g e n e ra to rs o f th e m a g n e tro n ty p e. In a series o f research es, e ssen tially c o m p le te d by 1952, he h a d w o rk e d o u t th e d e ta ile d th e o ry in an ex p licit fo rm o f a ‘p la n a tro n ’ (essen tially a lin e a r m a g n e tro n , so m e on November 29, 2017 http://rsbm.royalsocietypublishing.org/ Downloaded from
360 Biographical Memoirs tim es called a ‘d ic o tr o n ’) a n d c o n s tru c te d a n d te s te d a w o rk in g m o d el. T h e m e rit o f his a p p ro a c h w as th a t it p ro v id e d an o b jec tiv e m e th o d of d esig n o f p o w e rfu l o scillato rs, in c o n tra s t to th e trial a n d e rr o r m e th o d s th a t h ad m o stly b een used u p to th e n . It w as th e form al an alo gy o f th e d ifferen tial e q u a tio n s in v o lv ed w ith th o se o f th e v ib ra tin g p e n d u lu m s u p p o rt p ro b le m th a t led h im to tack le th e la tte r by th e sam e te c h n iq u e . T h e p la n a tro n gave several k ilo w atts o u tp u t of 10 cm w aves a n d a strik in g o b se rv a tio n w as th a t if th e w aves fell on a q u a rtz s p h e re c o n ta in in g low - p re s s u re h e liu m , a vivid d isc h a rg e took place, w h ic h a fte r a few se co n d s raised th e te m p e ra tu re e n o u g h to m elt th e q u a rtz . It w as th is o b se rv a tio n th a t led to th e ball lig h tn in g h y p o th e sis, b u t m o re sig n ifican tly , it led to th e idea th a t w ith a still m o re p o w e rfu l m icro w av e so u rce a p lasm a m ig h t be h e a te d sufficiently to p ro d u c e a th e rm o n u c le a r rea c tio n . T h e n e x t step w as th e d e v e lo p m e n t of a m o re p o w e rfu l ty p e o f m a g n e tro n , called a ‘n ig o tr o n ’ (after N ik o lin a G o ra ), b u t by th e tim e th is w as d o n e K a p itz a was back in his old In s titu te . W h a t h a d b e e n ach iev ed at N ik o lin a G o ra w as im p re ssiv e c o n sid e rin g th e lim ite d reso u rc es available a n d again illu stra te s K a p itz a ’s d riv e an d his in te lle c tu a l p o w ers in fo rm u la tin g an d solving difficult p ro b le m s. H o w e v er, d u rin g th e 10 years b e fo re p u b lic a tio n m u c h of th is a c h ie v e m e n t w as o v e rta k e n by d e v e lo p m e n ts in m icro w av e g e n e ra to rs elsew h ere (for review s see O k re ss 1961 an d H a rv e y 1963) an d its im p a c t has n o t b een g re a t o u tsid e th e S o viet U n io n . M o s c o w , 1954-8 4 O n ce back in M o sco w K a p itz a w o rk ed m ain ly on th e n ig o tro n s, th o u g h he still m a in ta in e d his in te re s t in liq u e fa c tio n te c h n iq u e s (61, 64, 65, 85). T h e scale o f th e h ig h p o w e r e le c tro n ics w o rk w as g reatly in creased an d a special w in g w as set aside for th e ‘P h y sical L a b o r a to ry ’ w h ere th e n ig o tro n s co u ld be d ev e lo p e d an d ap p lie d . T h e secrecy of th e w ork w as p a rtly lifted in 1962 a n d m o re c o m p le te ly in 1969, w h en strik in g o b se rv a tio n s, m ad e as early as 1958, o f very h o t p lasm a w ere d e sc rib e d (77). T h e g lo w in g reg io n had a sh a rp ly defined sh ape th a t co uld be v aried fro m sp h e ric al to strin g lik e an d it co u ld be k e p t w ell away fro m th e w alls of th e vessel in to w h ich th e m icro w av es w ere fed. S p e c tra l stu d ie s su g g ested th a t e le c tro n te m p e ra tu re s o f o rd e r 106 K w ere reach ed , th o u g h th e ion te m p e ra tu re s w ere m u c h low er. K a p itz a w as c o n v in ced th a t it sh o u ld be p o ssib le to ex p lo it su ch h o t p lasm a strin g s to reach th e c o n d itio n s n ecessary for a su sta in e d th e r m o n u c le a r reactio n and th a t his m icro w av e h e a tin g a p p ro a c h offered a b e tte r chance of success th a n th e T o k a m a k an d laser h e a tin g m e th o d s so actively b ein g p u rsu e d in th e S oviet U n io n an d in th e W est. H e p ro p o se d a sch em atic design fo r a realistic re a c to r (78, P I 9) an d c o n tin u e d h o t plasm a e x p e rim e n ts (7 9 -8 4 ) on an ever larg er scale to th e e n d o f his life. A lth o u g h he claim ed to have ach ieved e le c tro n te m p e ra tu re s as h ig h as on November 29, 2017 http://rsbm.royalsocietypublishing.org/ Downloaded from
Piotr Leonidovich K apitza 361
5 x 1 0 7K (83, 84) h is claim m ay h ave b e e n b a sed on fau lty d ia g n o stic m e th o d s , a n d som e o f th e b asic a s su m p tio n s in his analy sis o f th e p ro b le m have b e e n q u e s tio n e d . T h e w h o le re se a rc h m u s t be re g a rd e d as a b ra v e effo rt in K a p itz a ’s ty p ical sty le o f g o in g it alone a n d tak in g little n o tic e o f w h a t o th e rs w ere d o in g a ro u n d h im , b u t he c o u ld h a rd ly c o m p e te w ith th e b ig b a tta lio n s . A lth o u g h he p ro d u c e d m u c h in te re s tin g p lasm a p h y sic s, his efforts w ere larg ely e c lip sed by th e w o rk o f th e p o w e rfu l tea m s at th e K u rc h a to v In s titu te a n d in th e W e st u sin g th e T o k a m a k sy stem . I t s h o u ld be n o te d , h o w ev er, th a t th e re is an echo o f K a p itz a ’s ideas in th e late st T o k a m a k s th a t m ake use o f m icro w av e h e a tin g o f p lasm a c o n fin ed in q u a s i-d .c . m a g n e tic fields (see, fo r ex am p le, A likaev et a l. 1985).
In h is style o f r u n n in g his In s titu te , K a p itz a m o d elle d h im se lf closely on R u th e rf o r d an d o fte n ex p lic itly said so. W h e n g ivin g ad vice a b o u t p o ssib le re se a rc h p ro je c ts he w as fo n d o f tellin g how , m an y years ago, M o seley h a d su g g e ste d several p ro je c ts to R u th e rfo rd an d R u th e rfo rd w ith u n e rrin g in tu itio n h a d p ick ed th e w in n e r. L ike R u th e rfo rd he in siste d th a t la b o ra to ry w ork s h o u ld sto p at 6 p m (la ter 7 p m ) ex cep t by special p e rm issio n , so th a t rese a rc h w o rk e rs w o u ld have tim e to reflect. J u s t as R u th e rfo rd h a d once in siste d th a t K a p itz a s h o u ld take a h o lid ay a fte r a p e rio d o f h ectic w o rk , so K a p itz a too in siste d on occasion th a t his s u b o rd in a te s m u st take a b reak w h e th e r it su ite d th e m o r n o t. O lip h a n t (1972) recalls an occasion w h e n R u th e rfo rd w as so im p a tie n t to see a p h o to g ra p h ic o sc illo g ra p h re c o rd th a t he ru in e d it a n d sta in e d his clo th es by aw k w ard h a n d lin g b e fo re th e film had b een p ro p e rly p ro cessed; so too w as K a p itz a fam o u s fo r sp o ilin g film s an d w e ttin g his clo th es by u n d u e im p a tie n c e . A p p a llin g h a n d w ritin g w as a n o th e r c o m m o n fea tu re , th o u g h th is w as p e rh a p s c o in c id en ta l. A gain like R u th e rfo rd , he m ad e a p o in t of k ee p in g in to u c h w ith w h a t ev ery o n e w as d o in g , an d m ad e sh re w d c o m m e n ts even if th e to p ic w as re m o te fro m his p e rso n a l research . O ften he w o u ld achieve th is c o n ta c t th ro u g h a ru le he m ad e th a t any new a p p a ra tu s h a d to be a p p ro v e d by h im b efo re it w as m ad e by th e w o rk sh o p an d th is gave h im th e o p p o rtu n ity of rev iew in g p ro g re ss fro m tim e to tim e. A lso it w as usual for any c o m p le te d w ork to be p re s e n te d at his s e m in a r b efo re it co u ld be sen t for p u b lic a tio n . K a p itz a ’s fo n d n ess for n ick n a m es su ch as ‘C ro c o d ile ’ an d ‘B a ro n ’ has alread y b een m e n tio n e d — a n o th e r was ‘R a t’ fo r A n n a b ecause of h e r b u rro w in g in archaeolo g ical arch iv es (his calling o u t ‘R a t’ to h er at th e th e a tre cau sed som e alarm to n e ig h b o u rin g ladies on one occasion!). It w as p e rh a p s p o etic ju stic e th a t he an d his I n s titu te sh o u ld also be w idely k no w n by n ick n am es. T h e In s titu te and th e se m in a r w ere u sually called th e K a p ic h n ik , w hich so u n d s a b it com ic in R u ssian, th o u g h oth erw ise h a rm less, b u t his ow n n ick n am e was less flatterin g . It cam e a b o u t w hen a v isito r asked som eone in th e In s titu te ‘W h a t so rt of a chap is y o u r boss? Is he a m an o r a b e a st? ’ T h e an sw er was a b it h esitan t: ‘I t ’s difficult to say— a on November 29, 2017 http://rsbm.royalsocietypublishing.org/ Downloaded from 362 Biographical Memoirs b it o f each p e rh a p s ’ a n d th e v isito r im m e d ia te ly said ‘O h , I see, a c e n ta u r ’ a n d ‘c e n ta u r ’ stu c k fo r m a n y y ears, th o u g h la te r it w as g ra d u a lly rep la ce d by th e m o re affectio n ate ‘g r a n d f a th e r ’. T h e r e w as in d e e d som e t r u th b e h in d th e ‘c e n ta u r ’ c h a ra c te riz a tio n . H e co u ld o n occasio n fly in to a rage a n d be v e ry ab u siv e (once again like R u th e rfo rd ), he c o u ld be a u to c ra tic in d e a lin g w ith s u b o rd in a te s , a n d if, u n re a s o n a b ly , he to ok a g a in st so m e o n e , it w as difficu lt to m ak e h im ch an g e his m in d . O n th e o th e r side o f th e co in , h o w ev er, he c o u ld be e x tre m e ly g e n e ro u s in h e lp in g w h e re h elp w as n e e d e d — in d e e d n o t only g e n e ro u s, b u t c o u ra g e o u s. H is in te rv e n tio n to save L a n d a u is o nly one ex a m p le. O th e r e x a m p les w ere his p u b lic d e n u n c ia tio n o f a n ti-s e m itis m (G 1 8 ), his sp eak in g o u t for th e d iss id e n t g e n e ticist, Z h . M e d v e d e v , w ho h a d b e e n p u t in a p sy c h ia tric in s titu tio n , his sp o n s o rin g talk s on g en etics at his se m in a r by o p p o n e n ts o f L y se n k o , at a tim e w h en L y se n k o w as still in fav o u r, a n d o p p o sin g a m o v e to ex pel S a k h a ro v fro m th e A c a d e m y by th e r e m in d e r th a t even th e N azis h a d n e v e r e x p elled E in s te in fro m th e P ru s sia n A cad em y . M o re o v e r, ev ery o n e in th e I n s titu te g rea tly a p p re c ia te d th e re m a rk a b le w o rk in g c o n d itio n s he had c re a te d , p ro b a b ly u n iq u e in th e S o v iet U n io n , a n d th e p ro te c tio n th e y e n jo y ed th e re in v a rio u s w ays. A n d o f co u rse , above all, w h e n he w as in th e m o o d , it w as a d e lig h t to e x p e rien c e his sense of fu n a n d w a rm c o rd ia lity , w h ich he w o u ld e x te n d to ev ery o n e irre sp e c tiv e o f ran k. D u r in g th e last h a lf of his life, a lth o u g h K a p itz a w as v ery actively p u rs u in g his la b o ra to ry w o rk he m an a g e d to find tim e fo r m an y o th e r activ ities. H e th o u g h t d eep ly a b o u t th e o rg a n iz a tio n of science a n d its rela tio n to te c h n o lo g y a n d in v a rio u s sp eech es an d article s h e w as o ften s h a rp ly critical o f th e e s ta b lis h m e n t. A n e x am p le is his re p o rt (G 2 8 ) on th e o rg a n iz a tio n o f his ow n In s titu te , w h e re he e m p h a size s th a t p u re sc ie n tists s h o u ld n o t be m ad e to d ev elo p th e tec h n ic a l a p p lic a tio n s of th e ir w ork: ‘. . . if S e m en o v [his close frien d ] w ere to a tte m p t to b u ild an in te rn a l c o m b u s tio n en g in e . . . th e re s u lt w o u ld on ly be a w aste of p re c io u s tim e an d en e rg y b e st sp e n t in p u re science, w h ere he is n o th in g less th a n a v irtu o so . . . . I f th e sin g e r c a n n o t p o ssib ly a c co m p a n y his ow n songs, w hy force h im to do it? . . .’ H o w e v er, K a p itz a p o in ts o u t th a t he h im se lf is an e x c ep tio n to th e rule, b ein g b o th sc ie n tist a n d en gineer! C losely re la te d w as K a p itz a ’s active in te re st in e d u c a tio n (G 5 9 , G 64, G 6 6 , G 80). H e to o k a lead in g p a rt in o rg an iz in g a new a n d so m ew h at e litist k in d of u n iv e rsity in s titu tio n , th e M o sco w P h y s ic o -T e c h n ic a l In s titu te ( M .F .T .I .) w h ere s tu d e n ts cam e in to active c o n ta c t w ith rese a rc h d u rin g th e ir last u n d e rg ra d u a te years. T h is e n a b le d th e research in stitu te to get to know th e s tu d e n ts w ell a n d so to be able to pick th e best of th e m for f u rth e r research in a ratio n al w ay. T h e M .F .T .I . w as set u p in on November 29, 2017 http://rsbm.royalsocietypublishing.org/ Downloaded from Piotr Leonidovich 363
1946 ju s t b e fo re K a p itz a ’s d e m o tio n a n d he le c tu re d th e re for a y e a r or tw o a fte rw a rd s ; a fte r his re in s ta te m e n t he c o n tin u e d to be in v o lv e d in th e o rg a n iz a tio n o f M .F . T .I . b u t d id n o t give m a n y le c tu re s h im se lf. H e took an active p a rt in e x a m in in g , a n d d e v ise d (p a rtly d u rin g his tim e at N ik o lin a G o ra ) m a n y p ro b le m s o f a k in d r e q u irin g in tu itio n a n d u n d e rs ta n d in g ra th e r th a n m e re b o o k le a rn in g (B5). H e w as c o n c e rn e d w ith m a in ta in in g a h ig h s ta n d a rd o f scientific p u b lic a tio n an d fro m 1956 w as E d ito r - in - c h ie f o f th e Journal of Experim ental and Theoretical Physics. H e also to o k an active in te re s t in global p ro b le m s su ch as ecology a n d e n e rg y (G 6 9 , G 7 6 —G 7 9 ) a n d p a rtic ip a te d in th e P u g w a sh m o v e m e n t. H e w as m u c h in d e m a n d fo r k e y n o te a d d re sse s at c o n fe re n ce s an d c o u ld on o ccasio n m ake s o m e w h a t s h a rp re m a rk s, su c h as in c o m m e n tin g on w h a t he th o u g h t w as r a th e r an in a d e q u a te level o f p re s e n ta tio n at a lo w -te m p e ra tu re m e e tin g : ‘I t is im p o r ta n t n o t o n ly th a t th e d ish sh o u ld be n u tritio u s , b u t th a t it s h o u ld be w ell s e rv e d ’. H e c o u ld alw ays rise to th e occasio n a n d say s o m e th in g o rig in al w h e n he h a d to re s p o n d a fte r a c e re m o n ia l a w ard o r give an a d d re ss c o m m e m o ra tin g som e g rea t figure in science. In su c h a d d re sse s a n d article s (B8) he sh o w ed a ta le n t for p ick in g o u t w h a t it w as th a t c h a ra c te riz e d th e life a n d w o rk o f his su b je c ts and m ad e th e m g rea t. P a rtic u la rly in te re s tin g are his re c o lle c tio n s o f R u th e r fo rd (G 1 0 , G 5 5 ). In 1971 he o rg a n iz e d a R u th e rfo rd C e n te n a ry C o llo q u iu m in M o sco w (B7) to w h ic h he in v ite d th e few B ritish p h y sic ists still alive w ith p e rso n a l m e m o rie s o f th e g rea t m an . O ne o f th ese , T . E. A llib o n e , in a le tte r to The Times (3 N o v e m b e r 1971) c o m p la in e d th a t he h a d b e e n u n a b le to p e rs u a d e th e B ritish P o st Office to issue a R u th e rfo rd c o m m e m o ra tiv e sta m p , a n d said th a t he h a d asked K a p itz a how he m a n a g e d to p e rs u a d e th e S o v iet p o stal a u th o ritie s to issue one. K a p itz a p o in te d to a seco n d te le p h o n e on his desk an d said it w as c o n n e c te d T h e R u th e r f o rd sta m p . on November 29, 2017 http://rsbm.royalsocietypublishing.org/ Downloaded from
364 Biographical Memoirs d ire c tly to th e K re m lin . H e h a d p ick e d it u p a n d said ‘M r B re z h n ev , I w a n t a sta m p to c o m m e m o ra te th e c e n te n a ry of th e b ir th o f L o rd R u th e r f o r d ’ an d B re z h n ev h a d said ‘O .K .’. A llib o n e re g re tte d th a t he h a d no seco n d te le p h o n e on his ow n desk! F o r m an y years K a p itz a w as d e n ie d th e p o ssib ility o f tra v e llin g b e y o n d th e E a s te rn Bloc c o u n trie s , even th o u g h he w as fre q u e n tly in v ite d . H o w e v er, in 1965 th e ice w as b ro k e n w h e n he w as allow ed to trav el to C o p e n h a g e n to receive th e N iels B o h r G o ld M e d al o f th e D a n ish E n g in e e rin g S ociety. A year la te r he w as aw a rd ed th e R u th e rfo rd M ed al o f th e In s titu te o f P h y sics a n d re tu rn e d to E n g la n d a fte r a lapse o f 32 years. H e m ad e C a m b rid g e his h e a d q u a rte rs a n d w as d e lig h te d to find so m an y of his old frie n d s still th e re , m o st o f th e m now e s ta b lis h m e n t figures. H e p a rtic u la rly a p p re c ia te d th e h o s p ita lity o f C h u rc h ill C ollege, of w h ich his old frie n d C o c k c ro ft w as th e n M a ste r, an d w hile in C a m b rid g e he a rra n g e d fo r his fo rm e r h o u se at 173 H u n tin g d o n R o ad to be used by th e C ollege as a h o stel (now k n o w n as K a p itz a H o u se ), p a rtic u la rly for S oviet acad em ic v isito rs. In s u b s e q u e n t years he w as able to in d u lg e his love o f trav el to th e full an d v isited C a n a d a , U .S .A ., In d ia , S w itz e rla n d an d m an y o th e r c o u n trie s to receive h o n o ra ry d eg rees, h o n o ra ry m e m b e rs h ip o f acad em ies an d m ed a ls (for a full list see K e d ro v 1984). H e cam e back to E n g la n d on tw o m o re occasions: in 1973 to receive th e S im o n M e m o ria l P riz e o f th e I n s titu te o f P h y sics an d in 1976 to give th e B ernal L e c tu re (G 7 8 ) at th e R oyal S ociety. O n th e secon d o ccasion, a lth o u g h sa d d e n e d to find so m an y o f his old frie n d s no lo n g er alive, he en jo y ed th e o p p o rtu n ity of m ak in g new frie n d s d u rin g his stay at C h u rc h ill C ollege, w h ich had m ad e h im an H o n o ra ry F ello w in 1974. The c u lm in a tin g ev en t w as th e aw ard of th e N o b e l P riz e in 1978, for his w ork in lo w -te m p e ra tu re p h y sics. In his N o b e l le c tu re (83), K a p itz a ra th e r w ittily m ad e it clear th a t he th o u g h t th e aw ard w as a b it b elated: ‘. . . I left th is field som e 30 years ago, a lth o u g h at th e In s titu te u n d e r m y d ire c tio n low te m p e ra tu re rese a rc h is still b e in g done. P e rso n a lly I am now s tu d y in g p lasm a p h e n o m e n a at th o se v ery h ig h te m p e ra tu re s th a t are necessary for a th e rm o n u c le a r rea c to r. . . . I th in k th a t as a su b je c t for th e le c tu re it is of m o re in te re s t th a n m y p ast low te m p e ra tu re w ork. F o r it is said “ les e x tre m e s se to u c h e n t” ’. H e th e n w en t on to review his p lasm a w ork. T h e visit to S to c k h o lm has b een am u sin g ly d e scrib ed by R u b in in (1984). T h e K a p itz a s also led an active social life in M o scow , e n jo y in g th e co m p an y n o t only o f th e ir fam ily (five g ra n d c h ild re n an d seven g re a t g ra n d c h ild re n as well as th e tw o sons an d n u m e ro u s n ep h ew s, nieces and cousins) b u t of a w ide circle o f frie n d s am o n g th e ‘in te llig e n ts ia ’: artists, sc u lp to rs, w rite rs, m u sician s, acto rs, film d ire c to rs an d so on. O n his 80th on November 29, 2017 http://rsbm.royalsocietypublishing.org/ Downloaded from
Piotr Leonidovich K a p itza 365
b ir th d a y a lm o st e v e ry o n e in th e S o v iet c u ltu ra l w o rld w as at th e h u g e p a rty giv en at N ik o lin a G o ra . K a p itz a s u p p o rte d m a n y n o n -c o n fo rm is t a rtis ts by a rra n g in g e x h ib itio n s o f th e ir w o rk at th e I n s titu te , p a rtic u la rly d u r in g th e 1960s. T h e s e e x h ib itio n s w ere th e talk o f M o sco w a n d h e lp e d th e a rtis ts sell so m e of th e ir w o rk . K a p itz a h im s e lf b o u g h t a few , th o u g h h is o w n c o lle ctio n w as m o stly o f K u s to d ie v , F o n v is in a n d F alk , w h o se p a in tin g s h a d b e e n fro w n e d o n in th e S ta lin era b u t h a d , by th e 1960s, p a rtly r e tu r n e d to fav o u r. K u s to d ie v ’s fine p o r tr a it (see p. 337) of K a p itz a as a y o u n g m a n is at p re s e n t o n loan to D a rw in C ollege, C a m b rid g e fro m th e F itz w illia m M u s e u m . T h e K a p itz a s ’ social life e x te n d e d also to v isito rs fro m a b ro a d , p a rtic u la rly th o se w ith C a m b rid g e c o n n e c tio n s . M a n y su c h v isito rs recall th e w a rm h o sp ita lity th ey receiv ed in M o sco w o r N ik o lin a G o ra an d K a p itz a ’s lively c o n v e rsa tio n . It is a s to n is h in g th a t he m a n a g e d to c o m b in e su c h a b u sy social a n d in te lle c tu a l life o u tsid e th e la b o ra to ry w ith his in te n siv e scientific w ork. T h is in te n se a c tiv ity c o n tin u e d a lm o st to th e e n d of his life, th o u g h la tte rly he w as b e c o m in g r a th e r frail. A t th e e n d o f M a rc h 1984 he had a severe stro k e an d d ied on 8 A p ril a fte r a few days in h o sp ita l. T h e a n n o u n c e m e n t o f his d e a th in
w ell as b y th e to p scientific e s ta b lis h m e n t, a n d m a n y trib u te s have a p p e a re d in S ov iet jo u rn a ls (p a rtic u la rly in
as a b ro a d . G re a t p re p a ra tio n s h a d b e e n in h a n d for his 9 0th b irth d a y , b u t sadly it w as in ste a d a m em o ria l m e e tin g at th e In s titu te , a m o v in g occasion w ith m an y p e rso n a l rec o lle c tio n s by close colleag ues and frie n d s.
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