Matvei Petrovich Bronstein and the Soviet Theoretical Physics in the Thirties: (v. 12 Science Networks. Historical Studies)

Matvei Petrovich Bronstein with his short life and tragic death (1906-1938) may be seen as a symbol of his time and his Country. One of the most remarkable features of Soviet history was the repressive advance of its physical sciences against the burial and violent background of totalitarianism- Soviet advances in nuclear and space technology form an important part of world history. These achievements had their roots in the 30s, when Bronstein's generation entered science. Among his friends were the famous physicists Lev Landau and George Gamow. Bronstein worked in the vast field of theoretical physics, ranging from nuclear physics to astrophysics and from relativistic quantum theory to cosmology. His pioneering work on quantizing gravitation goes beyond the history of physics, because today the quantum theory of gravitation occupies a special place in fundamental physics. Bronstein was also a master of scientific explanation to his profound knowledge, enthusiasm as a teacher and a gift for literature. This enabled him to write popular science for children, the widest and most responsive group of readers. He became a writer with the help of his wife Lidiya Chukovskaya, known now as an outstanding writer and fighter for human rights. Bronstein's life was closely interwined with the social, historical and scientific context of one of the most tragic and intriguing periods of Russian history.

Table of Contents:
Foreword Chapter 1 Childhood and Youth. Road to Science. First Scientific Works Chapter 2 In the Leningrad University (1926 -- 1932) 2.1. Entering the University 2.2. The Jazz-Band 2.3. The Abbot and his Astronomer Friends 2.4. First Works in Astrophysics, Geophysics and Popular Science 2.5. At the Shenroks on the Vasiliev Island Chapter 3 At the Leningrad Physics-Technological, institute 3.1. Theoretical Physics in St. Petersburg and Petrograd 3.2. The Physics-Technological Institute and Its Seminars 3.3. Quantising Free Electrons in a Magnetic Field<1-70> 3.4. A New Crisis in the Theory of Quanta 3.5. Science and Society 3.6. Quantum Mechanics in the Early Thirties 3.7. Cosmology in the Early Thirties 3.8. The Ether and the Theory of Relativity 3.9. Styles and Generations 3.10. The Physics of Semiconductors and Nuclear Physics Chapter 4 Hard Times for the Laws of Conservation and for Theoreticians 4.1. Three Attempts to Topple Down the Law of Conservation of Energy 4.2. The Hypothesis of Nonconservation and the Arguments of its Supporters 4.3. Non-Physical Arguments as Applied to Physics 4.4. A Duel in Sorena 4.5. The Death of a Hypothesis Chapter 5 cGh'- Physics in Bronstein's Life 5.1. An Unsuitable Thesis 5.2. The Roots of Bronstein's Interest in cGh'-physics 5.3. The Quantum Theory of the Weak Gravitational Field 5.4. ... the Fundamental Differences Between Quantum Electrodynamics and the Quantum Theory of Gravitational Field. The Quantum Gravitational Limits 5.5. Physics and Cosmology Chapter 6 Creative Personality 6.1. Ideas about the World 6.2. Vocation of a Techaer 6.3. Science and Literature 6.4. Personality Afterword Bibliography Appendix. Two Articles by Matvei Bronstein Published in a Popular Science Magazine Chelovek i Priroda (Man and Nature) in 1929 Name Index.