Lev Landau

Soviet theoretical physicist, founder of a powerful school of theoretical physics. Contributed to quantum mechanics, condensed matter physics (superfluidity), nuclear physics, astrophysics. Nobel Prize laureate for the theory of liquid helium.

Biography

Born in 1908 in Baku. At age 14 entered Baku University, then transferred to Leningrad University, which he graduated in 1927. Trained in Europe under Bohr, Pauli, Heisenberg. Returning to the USSR, worked in Kharkov and Moscow, founded the Institute for Physical Problems. Arrested in 1938, released thanks to Kapitza's intervention. Developed the famous course of theoretical physics with Lifshitz. Received the Nobel Prize in 1962 for the theory of superfluidity of helium. A severe car accident in 1962 cut short his scientific work.

Key discoveries

Theory of superfluidity of helium-4 (1941)
explaining the absence of viscosity
discovery of Landau damping in plasma and many-particle systems
theory of second-order phase transitions
introduction of the concept of diamagnetism of free electrons (Landau diamagnetism)
works on quantum electrodynamics and the minimum principle
concept of a two-fluid model for superfluid helium.

💡 Landau created a humorous scale of physicists' genius, giving Newton 0, Einstein 0.5, and himself 2.5. He was known for his sharp tongue and intolerance of ignorance. When asked why he didn't write textbooks alone, he replied: 'I find it boring to write the same thing twice, so I dictate to Lifshitz.'

Quote: "Science is what we know and what we are just beginning to understand. A physicist must be crazy enough to assume things that boggle the mind."

Biography

Key discoveries

Related articles