vadim robertovich regel (on the occasion of his 85th birthday)

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1063-7745/02/4703- $22.00 © 2002 MAIK “Nauka/Interperiodica” 0524 Crystallography Reports, Vol. 47, No. 3, 2002, pp. 524–525. Translated from Kristallografiya, Vol. 47, No. 3, 2002, pp. 572–573. Original Russian Text Copyright © 2002 by the Editorial Board. In sympathy with Vadim Robertovich Regel and feeling deep gratitude to him, we cannot resist the temptation to begin this article with a quite unusual fact—Regel’s grandfather, the well-known botanist Eduard Lyudvigovich Regel, was invited from Switzer- land to organize the Imperial Botanical Gardens in St. Petersburg. It was not easy to change the well- tended and cared-for alpine valleys for the “wild” Bal- tic sea open to all winds. But luckily, the hereditary nobility promised to him in Russia took precedence over all other considerations, and Regel the eldest con- tinued his work on the banks of the Neva river. The advantage of this Swiss investment in Russian science became even more obvious when his son Robert became the head of the Bureau of Applied Botany (the future world-renowned All-Union Institute of Plant Breeding) and became the supervisor of the diploma work of future great geneticist Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov, and Regel’s grandsons Anatolii and Vadim decided to become physicists. Vadim Regel’s life was, to a large extent, determined by the friendly relations of his youth. In times much harder than ours, Regel’s mother, Elizaveta Andreevna, rented a room to a girl, who soon acquired an admirer that often visited her either via the drainpipe or the win- dow. This could not passed unnoticed and the curiosity of little Vadim grew. From that time onward, the admirer and Vadim Regel became friends for life. The admirer was none other than Anatolii Petrovich Ale- ksandrov, the future President of the USSR Academy of Sciences. It was Aleksandrov who later invited Regel, who was then (1939) a postgraduate of the Polytechnic Institute, to participate in work on the demagnetization of ships. The method that they developed soon became very popular. In 1941, when the Baltic fleet was block- aded in the Finish bay by German minefields, this method helped to free the battleship Marat and the part of the Baltic fleet that had survived German bombing. The physicists worked onboard naval ships together with sailors and the quality of their work was verified by risking their lives. During the war with Germany, the German name Regel could hardly be a letter of safe conduct, and Aleksandrov did his best to protect Regel from the interest of the “competent government organs.” Immediately after the war, Aleksandrov invited Regel to participate in a study associated with the use of thermal diffusion in the separation of ura- nium isotopes (which then was part of the Soviet project on the creation of atomic weapons). This work involved great risks. Then, no safety measures were known and they were only established in the process of the work, which was part of the development of the strategy of nuclear deterrence. This research concluded the heroic chapter of Regel’s life. In 1952, Vadim Regel started working at the Insti- tute of Crystallography, where he studied the nature of the strengthening and plasticity of materials. He was the first to establish experimentally the role of the ther- mal motion of atoms in crystals and polymers during their plastic deformation and destruction. Regel continued these studies at the Ioffe Physicote- chnical Institute, where he was a vice director, and, in 1964, he defended his doctoral dissertation (in physics and mathematics) and became a professor. He also ini- tiated the study of the physical characteristics of the deformation and fracture of composite materials. Under his guidance, a new technology for producing profile composites was developed. As one of the most prominent experts in this field, Regel also studied the durability of polymers and the physical mechanisms of their destruction. Regel spent most of his scientific life in Leningrad and Moscow. By invitation of Academician B.K. Vain- shtein, he returned to the Institute of Crystallography in JUBILEE Vadim Robertovich Regel (on the Occasion of His 85th Birthday)

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Crystallography Reports, Vol. 47, No. 3, 2002, pp. 524–525. Translated from Kristallografiya, Vol. 47, No. 3, 2002, pp. 572–573.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2002 by the Editorial Board.

JUBILEE

Vadim Robertovich Regel(on the Occasion of His 85th Birthday)

In sympathy with Vadim Robertovich Regel andfeeling deep gratitude to him, we cannot resist thetemptation to begin this article with a quite unusualfact—Regel’s grandfather, the well-known botanistEduard Lyudvigovich Regel, was invited from Switzer-land to organize the Imperial Botanical Gardens inSt. Petersburg. It was not easy to change the well-tended and cared-for alpine valleys for the “wild” Bal-tic sea open to all winds. But luckily, the hereditarynobility promised to him in Russia took precedenceover all other considerations, and Regel the eldest con-tinued his work on the banks of the Neva river. Theadvantage of this Swiss investment in Russian sciencebecame even more obvious when his son Robertbecame the head of the Bureau of Applied Botany (thefuture world-renowned All-Union Institute of PlantBreeding) and became the supervisor of the diplomawork of future great geneticist Nikolai IvanovichVavilov, and Regel’s grandsons Anatolii and Vadimdecided to become physicists.

Vadim Regel’s life was, to a large extent, determinedby the friendly relations of his youth. In times muchharder than ours, Regel’s mother, Elizaveta Andreevna,rented a room to a girl, who soon acquired an admirerthat often visited her either via the drainpipe or the win-

1063-7745/02/4703- $22.00 © 20524

dow. This could not passed unnoticed and the curiosityof little Vadim grew. From that time onward, theadmirer and Vadim Regel became friends for life. Theadmirer was none other than Anatolii Petrovich Ale-ksandrov, the future President of the USSR Academy ofSciences. It was Aleksandrov who later invited Regel,who was then (1939) a postgraduate of the PolytechnicInstitute, to participate in work on the demagnetizationof ships. The method that they developed soon becamevery popular. In 1941, when the Baltic fleet was block-aded in the Finish bay by German minefields, thismethod helped to free the battleship Marat and the partof the Baltic fleet that had survived German bombing.The physicists worked onboard naval ships togetherwith sailors and the quality of their work was verifiedby risking their lives. During the war with Germany, theGerman name Regel could hardly be a letter of safeconduct, and Aleksandrov did his best to protect Regelfrom the interest of the “competent governmentorgans.” Immediately after the war, Aleksandrovinvited Regel to participate in a study associated withthe use of thermal diffusion in the separation of ura-nium isotopes (which then was part of the Sovietproject on the creation of atomic weapons). This workinvolved great risks. Then, no safety measures wereknown and they were only established in the process ofthe work, which was part of the development of thestrategy of nuclear deterrence. This research concludedthe heroic chapter of Regel’s life.

In 1952, Vadim Regel started working at the Insti-tute of Crystallography, where he studied the nature ofthe strengthening and plasticity of materials. He wasthe first to establish experimentally the role of the ther-mal motion of atoms in crystals and polymers duringtheir plastic deformation and destruction.

Regel continued these studies at the Ioffe Physicote-chnical Institute, where he was a vice director, and, in1964, he defended his doctoral dissertation (in physicsand mathematics) and became a professor. He also ini-tiated the study of the physical characteristics of thedeformation and fracture of composite materials.Under his guidance, a new technology for producingprofile composites was developed. As one of the mostprominent experts in this field, Regel also studied thedurability of polymers and the physical mechanisms oftheir destruction.

Regel spent most of his scientific life in Leningradand Moscow. By invitation of Academician B.K. Vain-shtein, he returned to the Institute of Crystallography in

002 MAIK “Nauka/Interperiodica”

VADIM ROBERTOVICH REGEL 525

1980 and became the head of the Laboratory of theMechanical Properties of Crystals, where he continuesto work as a leading scientist to this day. From the verybeginning of this period, Regel supported all the scien-tific projects of the laboratory, in particular, the study ofthe role of point defects in the deformation of crystalsunder concentrated loads. These studies allowed us toestablish that the mass transfer caused by the collectivemotion of point defects results in the formation of ananocrystalline state. In radiation physics, Regel stud-ied the effect of beams of accelerated ions on crystals,the effect of irradiation on the defect structure, thephysical properties of alkali-halide crystals, and thebehavior of various materials under the simultaneousaction of mechanical loading and irradiation with anion beam. His methodological studies include a mod-ernization of the classical device for the active loadingof crystals, the so-called Regel–Dubov relaxometer (incooperation with the Design Bureau of the Institute ofCrystallography).

In the following years, Regel concentrated on study-ing the evolution of the defect structure of crystals inthe mechanical stress fields. In addition to the conven-tional objects of such studies, he also considered newsubstances that were very promising for use in opto-electronics and acousto-optics. Regel’s investigationsof the stability and durability of materials were aimedat establishing the physical mechanisms of plasticityand the fracture of solids. One of the questions mostoften asked by Regel is, “And what is the mechanism ofthis phenomenon?”

Regel has always been a model of self-discipline,responsibility, conscientiousness, and precision in hisexperimental work, his work with students, and in hisscientific-organizational activity. He manages to do

CRYSTALLOGRAPHY REPORTS Vol. 47 No. 3 2002

everything not only on time but ahead of time. He hassupervised numerous candidate and doctoral disserta-tions and is highly esteemed in Moscow, St. Petersburg,and in all the ex-Soviet republics. Regel was recentlyhead of the Scientific Council on the problems ofstrength and plasticity of materials and today he is amember of several scientific councils of the RussianAcademy of Sciences, a member of the editorial boardof the journal Solid State Physics, and an editor of thejournal Physical Abstracts.

A man of enormous charisma, with an easy andcheerful disposition and exceptional goodwill, Profes-sor Regel quite lives up to his family name (in German,Regel means a rule). His correctness, nobleness, andaccuracy are evident in everything he does. If hedecides to get acquainted with Moscow theater, hestarts going to the theater every Saturday and continuesfor the whole season. If he becomes interested in thearts, he systematically visits all the museums and exhi-bitions. The order underlying his “grandfather’s bot-any” and the systematic nature of his personality wereinherited by Regel from his ancestors but are luckilybalanced by his Epicurean attitude to life, i.e., the per-ception of all its manifestations with an unchangingsense of the joy, sense, and harmony of existence. Hisfavorite toast at friendly gatherings is “Let us drink tolife because, despite everything, life is beautiful!”

The editorial board of the journal Kristallografiya(Crystallography Reports) applauds this toast, all themore so because Professor Regel himself is an excel-lent illustration of its truth.

Translated by L. Man