Sergei Mikhailovich Rytov (; 3 July 1908 – 22 October 1996) was a Soviet physicist and member of the

Russian Academy of Sciences The Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS; ''Rossíyskaya akadémiya naúk'') consists of the national academy of Russia; a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation; and additional scientific and social units such ...

. Rytov contributed to the fields of statistical

radiophysics Radiophysics (also modern writing radio physics) is a branch of physics focused on the theoretical and experimental study of certain kinds of radiation, its emission, propagation and interaction with matter. The term is used in the following maj ...

, and fluctuational electrodynamics. The Rytov number for laser propagation in the atmosphere and the Rytov approximation for wave propagation in inhomogeneous media bear his name.

Life

Sergei Mikhailovich Rytov was born in

Kharkov Kharkiv, also known as Kharkov, is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city in Ukraine.

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

in 1908. Rytov graduated from

Moscow State University Moscow State University (MSU), officially M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University,. is a public university, public research university in Moscow, Russia. The university includes 15 research institutes, 43 faculties, more than 300 departments, a ...

(MGU) in 1930, and continued his studies as a post-graduate at MGU's Research Institute of Physics, which he completed in 1933. Later, Rytov worked at the Gorky Research Institute for Engineering Physics (1932–1934), the

Lebedev Physical Institute The Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (LPI RAS or just LPI) (in ), situated in Moscow, is a Russian research institute specializing in physics. The institute was established in its present shape in 1934 by academician ...

(1934–1938), and finally in the Mints Institute of Radio Engineering until his death. He also lectured in MGU (1930 –1932 and 1934–1938), in the Gorky State University (1932–1934 and 1945–1947) and in the and at the

Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT; , also known as PhysTech), is a public university, public research university located in Moscow Oblast, Russia. It prepares specialists in theoretical physics, theoretical and applied physics, ...

(1947–1978). Rytov became an expert on the theory of thermal electromagnetic radiation based on the generalization of the fluctuation-dissipation theorem.

Evgeny Lifshitz Evgeny Mikhailovich Lifshitz (; ; 21 February 1915 – 29 October 1985) was a leading Soviet physicist and brother of the physicist Ilya Lifshitz. Work Born into a Ukrainian Jewish family in Kharkov, Kharkov Governorate, Russian Empire (now K ...

was inspired by Rytov's theory to develop his theory of van der Waals forces in 1955. Rytov's work would later be summarized in a series of books ''Principles of Radiophysics'', co-authored with Yurii A. Kravtsov and Valeryan I. Tatarsky on

(Russian term for the theory of linear and nonlinear wave phenomena), where he discussed a series of topics related on fluctuation phenomena in electronic systems random fields and random propagation waves. Rytov theory would be simplified by Dirk Polder and Michael van Hove in 1971 to describe thermal radiation between closely spaced bodies. This led to the development of near-field radiative heat transfer theory, to which Rytov also contributed later. Rytov was well known for his pedagogic skills.

Awards

* Three Orders of the Red Banner of Labour *

Order of the Badge of Honour The Order of the Badge of Honour () was a civilian award of the Soviet Union. It was established on 25 November 1935, and was conferred on citizens of the USSR for outstanding achievements in sports, production, scientific research and socia ...

USSR State Prize The USSR State Prize () was one of the Soviet Union’s highest civilian honours, awarded from its establishment in September 1966 until the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. It recognised outstanding contributions in the fields of science, mathem ...

(1990) * A. S. Popov Gold Medal (1959) for a series of works in the field of statistical radiophysics. * Mandeshltam Prize.

Books

* * * * * *

References

1908 births 1996 deaths {{Russia-physicist-stub 20th-century Russian physicists Scientists from Kharkiv Corresponding Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences Corresponding Members of the USSR Academy of Sciences Recipients of the Order of the Badge of Honour Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Recipients of the USSR State Prize Soviet physicists Burials at Donskoye Cemetery