Konstantin Petrzhak: Difference between revisions

Konstantin Petrzhak
Konstantin Petrzhak
Константин Антонович Петржак
Born	September 7, 1907; Łuków, Congress Poland, Russian Empire; (now Łuków, Poland)
Died	October 10, 1998 (aged 91); Russia
Nationality	Pole
Alma mater	Saint Petersburg State University
Known for	Discovery of spontaneous fission
Awards
	Scientific career
Fields	Physics (nuclear)
Institutions	Khlopin Radium Institute; Saint Petersburg State Institute of Technology;
Doctoral advisor	Igor Kurchatov
Other academic advisors	Vitaly Khlopin

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Konstantin Petrzhak (Russian: Константи́н Анто́нович Петржак, IPA: [kənstɐnʲˈtʲin ɐnˈtonɐvɪt͡ɕ pʲɛtʐak]; 1907-1998) was a Soviet physicist of Polish origin. He discovered spontaneous fission of uranium jointly with Georgy Flyorov in 1940.^[1]

Biography

Konstantin Petrzhak was born on 3 September 1907 in Łuków (Congress Poland, Russian Empire, now in Poland). Antoni Petrzhak was his father. When Konstantin was 12 years old he started working as a painter at a glass-making factory in Malaya Vishera. In 1928 he went to Saint-Petersburg to study at rabfak of Saint Petersburg State University (which was then called Leningrad State University). In 1931 he started studying in radiology group there.^[2] In 1936 Konstantin Petrzhak graduated from Saint Petersburg State University.

In 1934 he started working at Khlopin Radium Institute in Saint Petersburg (which was named First Radium Institute at that time).^[3] Igor Kurchatov was the head of laboratory where he started working. There Konstantin Petrzhak wrote his thesis. Vitaly Khlopin and Igor Kurchatov were his scientific advisors. From 1939 to 1940 he and Georgy Flyorov studied uranium radiation under general supervision of Igor Kurchatov. In 1939 the experiments were carried out in Saint Petersburg.^[4] In 1940 they were verified in Moscow in an underground lab under Dinamo station of Moscow Metro. They created a highly sensitive ionization chamber to detect daughter nuclei fragments which originate from fission of uranium.^[5] The ionization chamber had electrodes in it with the total square of about 1000 cm².^[6] The samples of uranium were placed inside the chamber.^[7] The detector was checked while measuring background.^[7] When the source of neutrons was taken away the detector still detected particles. Then they assumed that spontaneous fission was discovered.^[8] The certificate of discovery stated "the new type of radioactivity with mother nucleus decays into two nuclei, that have kinetic energy of about 160 MeV".^[9]^[10]

In 1940 Konstantin Petrzhak was suggested to enter the leading team of soviet atomic bomb project.^[11] He is rumoured to participate in soviet atomic project.

When Soviet Union entered the World War II Petrzhak was eligible for serving in Red Army. If he was awarded the Stalin Prize he could avoid entering the regular army. The Academy of Sciences of USSR nominated him to receive this prize in early 1940s. But he didn't receive the prize. So during World War II Petrzhak served as an senior leutenant of military intelligence of a CIWS regiment.^[12]^[13] Since 28 June 1941 he participated in battle on Karelian Isthmus. Later he fought in Volkhov Front.^[14]

Konstantin Petrzhak founded a laboratory of neutron physics and nuclear fission in Khlopin Radium Institute in 1947 and was the head of this laboratory until 1986.^[15] Later he was one of the founders of Engineering faculty of Saint Petersburg State Institute of Technology.^[16] There he founded a department of nuclear physics in 1949^[15] and was the head of it for 22 years.^[17] In 1961 he founded a laboratory of nuclear energy there. Konstantin Petrzhak created an express method of detection of plutonium and associated radioisotopes in samples of irradiated uranium.^[15] Konstantin Petrzhak was doktor nauk and a professor. He was awarded Stalin prize in 1946 (jointly with Georgy Flyorov for discovery of spontaneous fission) and in 1953. He died on October 10, 1998 and was buried in Saint Petersburg.

Selected works

Adamov VM, Drapchinsky LV, Kovalenko SS, Petrzhak KA, Pleskachevsky LA, Tyutyugin II (1974). "Polar light particle emission in spontaneous fission of ²⁵²Cf". Physics Letters B. 48 (4): 311–314. doi:10.1016/0370-2693(74)90597-8.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

References

^ Flerov GN, Petrzhak KA (1940). "Spontaneous fission of uranium". Proc USSR Acad Sci (28): 500.
^ Драпчинский, Л.В. "К 100-летию со дня рождения К.А. Петржака" [To 100-year anniversary of K. A. Petrzhak]. Семейные истории. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
^ Асташенков, Петр Тимофеевич (1968). Курчатов. М.: Молодая гвардия. p. 24. Retrieved October 28, 2014. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
^ Уран. III. Как было открыто спонтанное деление [Uranium. III. How spontaneous fission was discovered]. Популярная библиотека химических элементов (in Russian). 27 September 2003.
^ Oganessian, Yuri (2003). Г. Н. Флёров. Молодые годы [G. Flyorov. Early years] (DOC) (in Russian). {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
^ Кузнецова, Р.В. Многослойная ионизационная камера [Multilayer ionization chamber]. Приборы и инструменты России (in Russian). p. 15.
^ ^a ^b Flerov GN, Petrzhak KA (1961). "Спонтанное деление ядер" [Spontaneous fission of nuclei] (PDF). Physics-Uspekhi (in Russian). LXXIII (4): 657.
^ Holloway, David. Сталин и бомба [Stalin and the Bomb] (in Russian). ISBN 0300066643.
^ Открытие спонтанного деления урана [Discovery of spontaneous fission in uranium] (in Russian).
^ Флеров, Петржак – Научное открытие №33 Спонтанное деление ядер урана [Flerov, Petrzhak - Scientific discovery №33. Spontaneous fission of uranium]. Научные открытия России (in Russian). Retrieved October 24, 2014.
^ Создание первой атомной бомбы в СССР [Works on creation of the first atomic bomb in USSR]. "BioFile.ru" (in Russian).
^ Зенькович, Николай (2004). Тайны ушедшего века. Власть. Распри. Подоплека [Mysteries of the passing century. Power. Arguements. Causes.] (in Russian). Moscow: ОЛМА Медиа Групп. ISBN 5224046769. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
^ Крюков, С.Г. Достоин ли А. Сахаров почестей? [Whether A. Sakharov is worth ceremonial?]. Своими именами (in Russian). Retrieved October 31, 2014.
^ Рояль эмоций, Творцы - ч. 170 (in Russian). Retrieved October 31, 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Konstantin Petrzhak" Константин Петржак. Russian Engineers (in Russian). 2010.
^ Выпускники и преподаватели [Alumni and Faculty]. Saint Petersburg State Institute of Technology (in Russian).
^ История кафедры [History of department]. Saint Petersburg State Institute of Technology (in Russian).

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[1] Flerov GN, Petrzhak KA (1940). "Spontaneous fission of uranium". Proc USSR Acad Sci (28): 500.

[2] Драпчинский, Л.В. "К 100-летию со дня рождения К.А. Петржака" [To 100-year anniversary of K. A. Petrzhak]. Семейные истории. Retrieved October 31, 2014.

[3] Асташенков, Петр Тимофеевич (1968). Курчатов. М.: Молодая гвардия. p. 24. Retrieved October 28, 2014. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)

[4] Уран. III. Как было открыто спонтанное деление [Uranium. III. How spontaneous fission was discovered]. Популярная библиотека химических элементов (in Russian). 27 September 2003.

[5] Oganessian, Yuri (2003). Г. Н. Флёров. Молодые годы [G. Flyorov. Early years] (DOC) (in Russian). {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)

[6] Кузнецова, Р.В. Многослойная ионизационная камера [Multilayer ionization chamber]. Приборы и инструменты России (in Russian). p. 15.

[ufn-7] Flerov GN, Petrzhak KA (1961). "Спонтанное деление ядер" [Spontaneous fission of nuclei] (PDF). Physics-Uspekhi (in Russian). LXXIII (4): 657.

[8] Holloway, David. Сталин и бомба [Stalin and the Bomb] (in Russian). ISBN 0300066643.

[9] Открытие спонтанного деления урана [Discovery of spontaneous fission in uranium] (in Russian).

[10] Флеров, Петржак – Научное открытие №33 Спонтанное деление ядер урана [Flerov, Petrzhak - Scientific discovery №33. Spontaneous fission of uranium]. Научные открытия России (in Russian). Retrieved October 24, 2014.

[11] Создание первой атомной бомбы в СССР [Works on creation of the first atomic bomb in USSR]. "BioFile.ru" (in Russian).

[12] Зенькович, Николай (2004). Тайны ушедшего века. Власть. Распри. Подоплека [Mysteries of the passing century. Power. Arguements. Causes.] (in Russian). Moscow: ОЛМА Медиа Групп. ISBN 5224046769. Retrieved October 22, 2012.

[13] Крюков, С.Г. Достоин ли А. Сахаров почестей? [Whether A. Sakharov is worth ceremonial?]. Своими именами (in Russian). Retrieved October 31, 2014.

[14] Рояль эмоций, Творцы - ч. 170 (in Russian). Retrieved October 31, 2014.

[rus-eng-15] "Konstantin Petrzhak" Константин Петржак. Russian Engineers (in Russian). 2010.

[16] Выпускники и преподаватели [Alumni and Faculty]. Saint Petersburg State Institute of Technology (in Russian).

[17] История кафедры [History of department]. Saint Petersburg State Institute of Technology (in Russian).

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 == Biography ==
+Konstantin Petrzhak was born on 3 September 1907 in [[Łuków]] ([[Congress Poland]], Russian Empire, now in [[Poland]]). Antoni Petrzhak was his father. When Konstantin was 12 years old he started working as a painter at a glass-making factory in [[Malaya Vishera]]. In 1928 he went to Saint-Petersburg to study at [[rabfak]] of [[Saint Petersburg State University]] (which was then called Leningrad State University). In 1931 he started studying in radiology group there.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.famhist.ru/famhist/tanki/0008092f.htm |title= К 100-летию со дня рождения К.А. Петржака|trans-title=To 100-year anniversary of K. A. Petrzhak|last1=Драпчинский |first1=Л.В. |date= |website=Семейные истории |publisher= |accessdate=October 31, 2014}}</ref> In 1936 Konstantin Petrzhak graduated from [[Saint Petersburg State University]].
-Konstantin Petrzhak was born on 3 September 1907 in [[Łuków]] ([[Congress Poland]], Russian Empire, now in [[Poland]]). Antoni Petrzhak was his father. In 1936 Konstantin Petrzhak graduated from [[Saint Petersburg State University]]. In 1934 he started working at [[V. G. Khlopin Radium Institute|Khlopin Radium Institute]] in Saint Petersburg (which was named First Radium Institute at that time).<ref>{{cite book |last= Асташенков |first=Петр Тимофеевич |year=1968 |title= |script-title=ru:Курчатов |trans_title=Kurchatov |url=http://www.litmir.net/br/?b=2082&p=24 |location=М. |publisher=Молодая гвардия |page=24 |accessdate=October 28, 2014}}</ref> [[Igor Kurchatov]] was the head of laboratory where he started working. There Konstantin Petrzhak wrote his thesis. [[Vitaly Khlopin]] and [[Igor Kurchatov]] were his scientific advisors. From 1939 to 1940 he and [[Georgy Flyorov]] studied uranium radiation under general supervision of Igor Kurchatov. In 1939 the experiments were carried out in Saint Petersburg.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://n-t.ru/ri/ps/pb092.htm|script-title=ru:Уран. III. Как было открыто спонтанное деление|trans-title=Uranium. III. How spontaneous fission was discovered |website=Популярная библиотека химических элементов| language      =Russian|date=27 September 2003}}</ref> In 1940 they were verified in Moscow in an underground lab under [[Dinamo (Moscow Metro)|Dinamo station]] of Moscow Metro. They created a highly sensitive [[ionization chamber]] to detect daughter nuclei fragments which originate from fission of uranium.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://flerovlab.jinr.ru/linkc/flerov/doc/%D0%A4%D0%BB%D1%91%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%20(%D0%B1%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F)%20%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%8C%D1%8F%20%D0%B2%20%D0%94%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%BD%D1%83.doc| trans-title=G. Flyorov. Early years |script-title=ru:Г. Н. Флёров. Молодые годы |format=DOC|last=Oganessian |first=Yuri |authorlink=Yuri Oganessian |year=2003 |language=ru|}}</ref> The ionization chamber had electrodes in it with the total square of about 1000 cm<sup>2</sup>.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://files.school-collection.edu.ru/dlrstore/bab9ee0a-7e14-4561-890b-b29ca67435ce/KameraMnogoslojnajaIonizacionnaja-opis.htm |trans-title=Multilayer ionization chamber |script-title=ru:Многослойная ионизационная камера |last=Кузнецова|first=Р.В.|language=ru|page=15|website=Приборы и инструменты России}}</ref> The samples of uranium were placed inside the chamber.<ref name=ufn>{{cite journal |author=Flerov GN, Petrzhak KA|year=1961 |title=Спонтанное деление ядер| trans-title =Spontaneous fission of nuclei | language = Russian |url=http://nuclphys.sinp.msu.ru/UFN/r614f.pdf |journal=Physics-Uspekhi |volume=LXXIII |issue=4 |pages=657 |pmc= }}</ref> The detector was checked while measuring background.<ref name=ufn/> When the source of neutrons was taken away the detector still detected particles. Then they assumed that [[spontaneous fission]] was discovered.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hirosima.scepsis.ru/library/lib_27.html |trans-title=Stalin and the Bomb |script-title=ru:Сталин и бомба |last=Holloway |first= David |language=ru |isbn=0300066643}}</ref> The certificate of discovery stated "the new type of radioactivity with mother nucleus decays into two nuclei, that have kinetic energy of about 160 MeV".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aes1.ru/mission/dates/d11 |trans-title=Discovery of spontaneous fission in uranium |script-title=ru:Открытие спонтанного деления урана |language=ru}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://ross-nauka.narod.ru/04/04-033.html |trans-title=Flerov, Petrzhak - Scientific discovery №33. Spontaneous fission of uranium |script-title=ru:Флеров, Петржак – Научное открытие №33 Спонтанное деление ядер урана |accessdate=October 24, 2014|website=Научные открытия России| language =ru}}</ref>
+In 1934 he started working at [[V. G. Khlopin Radium Institute|Khlopin Radium Institute]] in Saint Petersburg (which was named First Radium Institute at that time).<ref>{{cite book |last= Асташенков |first=Петр Тимофеевич |year=1968 |title= |script-title=ru:Курчатов |trans_title=Kurchatov |url=http://www.litmir.net/br/?b=2082&p=24 |location=М. |publisher=Молодая гвардия |page=24 |accessdate=October 28, 2014}}</ref> [[Igor Kurchatov]] was the head of laboratory where he started working. There Konstantin Petrzhak wrote his thesis. [[Vitaly Khlopin]] and [[Igor Kurchatov]] were his scientific advisors. From 1939 to 1940 he and [[Georgy Flyorov]] studied uranium radiation under general supervision of Igor Kurchatov. In 1939 the experiments were carried out in Saint Petersburg.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://n-t.ru/ri/ps/pb092.htm|script-title=ru:Уран. III. Как было открыто спонтанное деление|trans-title=Uranium. III. How spontaneous fission was discovered |website=Популярная библиотека химических элементов| language      =Russian|date=27 September 2003}}</ref> In 1940 they were verified in Moscow in an underground lab under [[Dinamo (Moscow Metro)|Dinamo station]] of Moscow Metro. They created a highly sensitive [[ionization chamber]] to detect daughter nuclei fragments which originate from fission of uranium.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://flerovlab.jinr.ru/linkc/flerov/doc/%D0%A4%D0%BB%D1%91%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%20(%D0%B1%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F)%20%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%8C%D1%8F%20%D0%B2%20%D0%94%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%BD%D1%83.doc| trans-title=G. Flyorov. Early years |script-title=ru:Г. Н. Флёров. Молодые годы |format=DOC|last=Oganessian |first=Yuri |authorlink=Yuri Oganessian |year=2003 |language=ru|}}</ref> The ionization chamber had electrodes in it with the total square of about 1000 cm<sup>2</sup>.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://files.school-collection.edu.ru/dlrstore/bab9ee0a-7e14-4561-890b-b29ca67435ce/KameraMnogoslojnajaIonizacionnaja-opis.htm |trans-title=Multilayer ionization chamber |script-title=ru:Многослойная ионизационная камера |last=Кузнецова|first=Р.В.|language=ru|page=15|website=Приборы и инструменты России}}</ref> The samples of uranium were placed inside the chamber.<ref name=ufn>{{cite journal |author=Flerov GN, Petrzhak KA|year=1961 |title=Спонтанное деление ядер| trans-title =Spontaneous fission of nuclei | language = Russian |url=http://nuclphys.sinp.msu.ru/UFN/r614f.pdf |journal=Physics-Uspekhi |volume=LXXIII |issue=4 |pages=657 |pmc= }}</ref> The detector was checked while measuring background.<ref name=ufn/> When the source of neutrons was taken away the detector still detected particles. Then they assumed that [[spontaneous fission]] was discovered.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hirosima.scepsis.ru/library/lib_27.html |trans-title=Stalin and the Bomb |script-title=ru:Сталин и бомба |last=Holloway |first= David |language=ru |isbn=0300066643}}</ref> The certificate of discovery stated "the new type of radioactivity with mother nucleus decays into two nuclei, that have kinetic energy of about 160 MeV".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aes1.ru/mission/dates/d11 |trans-title=Discovery of spontaneous fission in uranium |script-title=ru:Открытие спонтанного деления урана |language=ru}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://ross-nauka.narod.ru/04/04-033.html |trans-title=Flerov, Petrzhak - Scientific discovery №33. Spontaneous fission of uranium |script-title=ru:Флеров, Петржак – Научное открытие №33 Спонтанное деление ядер урана |accessdate=October 24, 2014|website=Научные открытия России| language =ru}}</ref>
 In 1940 Konstantin Petrzhak was suggested to enter the leading team of [[soviet atomic bomb project]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://biofile.ru/his/528.html |trans-title=Works on creation of the first atomic bomb in USSR |script-title=ru:Создание первой атомной бомбы в СССР |website="BioFile.ru" |language=ru}}</ref> He is rumoured to participate in soviet atomic project.