On 7 January, RAS Academician Igor Nikolaevich Meshkov turns 85. Igor Nikolaevich Meshkov is a world-known specialist in the fields of charged particle beam physics, accelerator physics and technology, high energy physics, plasma physics and radiation materials-processing methods.

I. N. Meshkov graduated from the MSU Faculty of Physics in 1959 and started his career at the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences where he rose from a senior laboratory assistant to the head of the laboratory. There, together with his colleagues, he first developed and demonstrated the method of electron cooling, took part in the creation of the systems for electron cooling as well as carried out experiments at them in a number of foreign centres: at LEAR in CERN, in the Fermilab (USA), at COSY in Julich, and at ESR in GSI (Germany), at HIMAC (Japan).

Nowadays, the electron cooling systems (SEA) are effectively used in many laboratories around the world, and the SEA scheme proposed by I. N. Meshkov is used in all such facilities. I. N. Meshkov was awarded the State Prize of the Russian Federation and the Prize of the European Physical Society for pioneering work in this field.

In 1989, I. N. Meshkov established a branch of the Institute of Nuclear Physics at the Physical and Technological Centre in Lipetsk. The main activity field of the Centre was the development of advanced technologies with the use of charged particle beams in the fields of metallurgical production. A series of experiments on radiation and chemical purification of gases during their irradiation with electron beams was conducted at this Centre. Studies on physics of beam-plasma discharge were conducted, including with injection of the electron beam into the ionospheric plasma in rocket experiments with the use of an “onboard” accelerator.

Since November 1993, Igor Nikolaevich has been working at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research. In 1998 – 2003, he was JINR Chief Engineer. The Institute created a storage ring of electrons and low-energy positrons under his supervision. The task of this storage ring is to generate a positronium flux for studies of fundamental questions of physics. This type of storage rings can be used jointly with an antiproton storage ring to generate antihydrogen atoms on the fly.

I. N. Meshkov is currently a chief researcher at the Veksler and Baldin Laboratory of High Energy Physics. The international project of the unique accelerator complex of heavy ions NICA is being successfully developed under his scientific guidance. He and his colleagues optimized parameters of the complex, and its building and work on the Booster launch are underway.

Since 1964, Igor Nikolaevich has been teaching at leading universities of Russia. He has been a Professor and the head of the Physics Department of the Novosibirsk State University for many years. He gave courses and headed the Physics Department at Lipetsk Technical University since 1989. Since 1995, I. N. Meshkov has been providing courses for JINR postgraduates and at the JINR University Centre. In 1998, he established a UC JINR based Department “Electronics of physical facilities” at the MIREA – Russian Technological University. Graduates of the Department work at JINR, EDB “Raduga”, and other scientific and production enterprises of Dubna. Since 2017, Igor Nikolaevich has been a Professor at the Department of Information and Nuclear Technologies at SPBU.

I. N. Meshkov has trained 14 candidates and 4 doctors of physics and mathematics. His students successfully work at JINR and leading accelerator centres all over the world. He authored more than 450 scientific papers published in leading journals and reports at international conferences. He is a member of the editorial board of the journal “Physics of Elementary Particles and Atomic Nuclei” (PEPAN). From 1995 to 2012, Igor Nikolaevich chaired the Scientific Council of the RAS Department of Nuclear Physics on the topic “Accelerators of charged particles”, nowadays he holds the post of a deputy chairman.

Igor Nikolaevich was awarded the medal “For Labour Merit”, the Order of Friendship, badges of Honor of JINR and the Member States.

Academician Meshkov has achievements not only in science but also in sports: he is a master of sports in mountain climbing and the owner of the honorary title “Snow Leopard”.

JINR Directorate, colleagues, students

Photo by Elena Puzynina

The JINR Directorate, colleagues, and pupils heartily congratulate Igor Nikolaevich on his jubilee and wish him good health and every success!