Discover
/
Article

Yakov Il’ich Frenkel

JUN 01, 1994
Self‐taught in theoretical physics as a high school student in Tsarist Russia, he was a pioneer of the study of physics in the Soviet Union, making significant contributions to fields as varied as electrodynamics, condensed matter physics and geophysics.

DOI: 10.1063/1.881435

Rudolf Peierls

February 1994 saw the centenary of the birth of Yakov Il’ich Frenkel, a distinguished Russian theoretical physicist. His was one of the well‐known names among physicists in the first half of the century. He belonged to the generation of universalists, and his contributions range from condensed matter to nuclear physics, and from classical electrodynamics to geophysics and biophysics. He was a prolific writer, and his books, translated into German and English, were widely used texts. He educated many graduate students and played an important part in building up physics institutions in the Soviet Union in the late 1920s and ‘30s

References

  1. 1. V. M. Tuchkevich, ed., Ya. I. Frenkel: Reminiscences, Letters and Documents, Nauka, Leningrad (1986).

  2. 2. V. Ya. Frenkel, ed., Yakov Il’ich Frenkel, Nauka, Moscow (1966).

More about the Authors

Rudolf Peierls. University of Oxford, England.

This Content Appeared In
pt-cover_1994_06.jpeg

Volume 47, Number 6

Related content
/
Article
Technical knowledge and skills are only some of the considerations that managers have when hiring physical scientists. Soft skills, in particular communication, are also high on the list.
/
Article
Professional societies can foster a sense of belonging and offer early-career scientists opportunities to give back to their community.
/
Article
Interviews offer a glimpse of how physicists get into—and thrive in—myriad nonacademic careers.
/
Article
Research exchanges between US and Soviet scientists during the second half of the 20th century may be instructive for navigating today’s debates on scientific collaboration.
/
Article
The Eisenhower administration dismissed the director of the National Bureau of Standards in 1953. Suspecting political interference with the agency’s research, scientists fought back—and won.
/
Article
Alternative undergraduate physics courses expand access to students and address socioeconomic barriers that prevent many of them from entering physics and engineering fields. The courses also help all students develop quantitative skills.

Get PT in your inbox

Physics Today - The Week in Physics

The Week in Physics" is likely a reference to the regular updates or summaries of new physics research, such as those found in publications like Physics Today from AIP Publishing or on news aggregators like Phys.org.

Physics Today - Table of Contents
Physics Today - Whitepapers & Webinars
By signing up you agree to allow AIP to send you email newsletters. You further agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.