I. E. Tamm

Biography

Abstract

Igor Tamm was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1958 "for the discovery and the interpretation of the Cherenkov effect,” alongside Pavel A. Cherenkov and Ilja M. Frank. He is well known for his work on the Russian hydrogen bomb. Throughout the majority of his career he was affiliated with Lomonosov Moscow State University and the Lebedev Physical Institute in Moscow.

Important Dates

July 8, 1895Birth, Vladivostok (Russia).

1913 – 1914Completed some undergraduate studies at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh (Scotland).

1918Earned a physics degree, Lomonosov Moscow State University (Moskovskii gosudarstvennyi universitet im. M.V. Lomonosova. Fizika), Moscow (Russia).

1923Lecturer and Chair of Theoretical Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University (Moskovskii gosudarstvennyi universitet im. M.V. Lomonosova. Fizika), Moscow (Russia).

1928Studied under Paul Ehrenfest for a short time, University of Leiden.

1933Corresponding member and Academician, USSR Academy of Science (Akademiia nauk SSSR).

1934 – 1971Head of the Theoretical Division, Lebedev Physical Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences (Fizicheskiĭ institut imeni P.N. Lebedeva).

1948Tasked with developing Russia's first thermonuclear bomb in a secret mission by the government, Sarov (Russia).

1953Part of team that successfully tested the first Russian Hydrogen Bomb, Sarov (Russia).

April 12, 1971Death, Moscow (Russia).

Occupation

Atomic physicist.

Places

Birth

Vladivostok (Russia)

Undergraduate Education

Edinburgh (Scotland)

Moscow (Russia)

Employment

Moscow (Russia)

Sarov (Russia)

Death

Moscow (Russia)

Subjects

Atomic and molecular physics.

Hydrogen bomb.

Light Scattering.

Nuclear forces (Physics).

Quantum physics.

Radiation -- Testing.

Radiation.

Relativity (Physics).

Relationships

People

Advisors & Collaborators

Blokhint︠s︡ev, D. I. (Dmitrii Ivanovich),

Advised by Tamm at Lomonosov Moscow State University.

Budker, G. I., (Gersh Itskovich)

Advised by Tamm.

Cherenkov, P. A.

Awarded 1958 Nobel Prize in Physics with Frank and Tamm "for the discovery and the interpretation of the Cherenkov effect".

Davydov, A. S. (Aleksandr Sergeevich), 1912-1993

Advised by Tamm.

Ehrenfest, Paul, 1880-1933

Advisor for a short time at University of Leiden.

Fradkin, Efim Samoilovich

Advised by Tamm at Lebedev Physical Institute.

Frank, I. M. (Il'ia Mikhailovich), 1908-1990

Awarded 1958 Nobel Prize in Physics with Cherenkov and Tamm "for the discovery and the interpretation of the Cherenkov effect".

Ginzburg, V. L. (Vitaliĭ Lazarevich), 1916-2009

Advised by Tamm at Imperatorskai︠a︡ akademīi︠a︡ nauk (Russian Academy of Sciences).

Mandel'shtam, L. I. (Leonid Isaakovich), 1879-1944

Advisor at Moscow State University.

Sakharov, Andreĭ, 1921-1989

Advised by Tamm at Lebedev Physical Institute and collaborated on building Soviet hydrogen bomb.

Additional

Andreev, Aleksandr Fedorovich

Bell, L. N. (Leon Natanovich)

Bethe, Hans A. (Hans Albrecht), 1906-2005

Blackett, P. M. S. (Patrick Maynard Stuart), Baron Blackett, 1897-1974

Bloch, Felix, 1905-

Bohr, Niels, 1885-1962

Born, Max, 1882-1970

Chamberlain, O. (Owen)

Cockcroft, John, Sir, 1897-1967

Dirac, P. A. M. (Paul Adrien Maurice), 1902-1984

Drell, Sidney D. (Sidney David), 1926-

Einstein, Albert, 1879-1955

Elsasser, Walter M., 1904-

Feinberg, Evgenii L'vovich

Fok, V. A. (Vladimir Aleksandrovich), 1898-1974

Gell-Mann, Murray

Heisenberg, Werner, 1901-1976

IAglom, A. M.

Kurchatov, I. V. (Igorʹ Vasilʹevich), 1903-1960

Lorentz, H. A. (Hendrik Antoon), 1853-1928

Marshak, Robert E. (Robert Eugene), 1916-1992

Mott, N. F. (Nevill Francis), Sir, 1905-1996

Oppenheimer, J. Robert, 1904-1967

Prigogine, I. (Ilya)

Salam, Abdus, 1926-1996

Segrè, Emilio

Szilard, Leo

Weisskopf, Victor Frederick, 1908-2002

Yukawa, Hideki, 1907-1981

Institutions

Major Positions

Fizicheskiĭ institut imeni P.N. Lebedeva

Head of the Theoretical Division.

Moskovskii gosudarstvennyi universitet im. M.V. Lomonosova. Fizika

Obtained Physics degree (1918). Lecturer and Chair of Theoretical Physics.

Rossijskij federal'nyj jadernyj centr - VNIIÈF

Tasked with creating first Russian thermonuclear bombs.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

Akademiia nauk SSSR

Corresponding member and Academician.

Rijksuniversiteit te Leiden

Studied for a time under Paul Ehrenfest.

University of Edinburgh

Completed some undergraduate studies.

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Igor E. Tamm papers, 1921-1971.

private

contact Tamm family

Moscow

Subject

L. I. Mandelshtam papers, 1914-1944.

Archive

Russian Academy of Sciences

ul. Novocheremushkinskaia, 34, Moscow, 117218, Russia

Max Born Journey to Russia, 1945.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Akiva Moiseevich Yaglom, 1994 July 7.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Evgenii Lvovich Feinberg, 1989 October 12, 1990 February 28 and 1992 September 30.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Leon Bell, 1994 August 30.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Vitali Ginzburg, 1990 September 25, 1992 March 28 and July 27.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Paul Dirac correspondence with I. E. Tamm, 1928-1932.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

V. A. Fok papers, 1919-1974.

St. Petersburg Branch. Archive

Russian Academy of Sciences

Universitetskaia hab., 1, Korp. 2, St. Petersburg 199034

Published Resources

Author

Akademik Igor ︣Evgene︣vich Tamm : sbornik stateĭ / [sostaviteli, B.M. Bolotovskiĭ, V. I︠A︡. Frenkel]︣.

Mezon; monografiia sostavlennaia kollekrivom sotrunikov. Pad. red. I.E. Tamma.

Osnovy teorii elektrichestva / I.E. Tamm.

Paul Dirac and Igor Tamm corrrespondence / Commented by Alexei B. Kojevnikov.

Selected papers / I.E. Tamm ; edited by B.M. Bolotovskii and V.Ya. Frenkel.

Sobranie nauchnykh trudov / Al'bert Einshtein ; (eds). I. E. Tamm, IA. A. Smorodinskii, B. G. Kuznetsov.

Subject

Epokha i lichnost fiziki : ocherki i vospominaniia / E.L. Feinberg.

Geni: Academician Igor Yevgenyevich Tamm, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1958.

Igor E. Tamm Nobel Prize biography.

Kapitsa, Tamm, Semenov v ocherkakh i pismakh / [pod obshchei redaktsiei A.F. Andreeva].

New York Times obituary for Igor Tamm.

Reminiscences about I.E. Tamm / under the editorship of E.L. Feinberg.