Lev Andreevich Artsimovich(February 25th 1909 - March 1st 1973), physicist, graduated from physico-mathematical department of Belarus State University (Minsk) in 1928.
He earned his Ph.D. in 1937 and Dr.Sc. in 1939.
In 1930-1944 he worked in Leningrad physico-technical insitute of USSR Academy of Sciences, since 1944 - in Institute of the Atomic Energy. In 1947 becoming MSU professor he founded and in 1954-1973 was the first head of the Chair of the Atomic Physics, Plasma Physics and Microelectronics of Faculty of Physics (first name - Chair of the Atomic Physics and Electronic Phenomena).
Since 1955 he gave the general course of Atomic Physics and special courses of Plasma Physics and Additional Chapters of Atomic Physics in MSU.
In 1946 he becomes the associate member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, in 1953 - full member of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Since 1957 he is the academian-secretary of the Department of General Physics and Astronomy. In 1969 he becomes the Hero of Socialist Labour. He is awarded four Orders of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner of Labour.
He was the recepient of the USSR State Prize in 1953 and 1971, and the recepient of Lenin Prize in 1958.
His main works are in the area of atomic, nuclear and plasma physics as well as controlled fusion. The results of the investigations of processes fast electrons interaction with matter and in paticular data on bremsstrahlung intensity and total energy loss dependency on fast electron energy confirmed the conclusions and predictions of quantum mechanics. In 1935 together with I. V. Kurchatov L. A. Artsimovich demonstrated neutron capture by proton. In 1936 together with A. I. Alikhanov and A. I. Alikhanian he demostrated the momentum conservation in electron-positron annihilation. He conducted a number of studies on electron optics and designed the method of electromagnetic isotope separation. Since 1950 he led the experimental research on controlled fusion in USSR. In 1952 he discovered neutron radiation in high-temperature plasma. He led the research on thermonuclear "Tokamak" setups that concluded with achieving physical thermonuclear reaction in 1968.
His Ph.D. thesis topic is "Absorption of Slow Neutrons".
His Dr.Sc. thesis topic is "Fast Electron Bremsstrahlung".
He is the author of monographs "Controlled Fusion", "Elementary Plasma Physics", "What Every Physicist Should Know about Plasma", "Charged particle motion in electric and magnetic field" (together with S. Yu. Lukyanov), "Plasma physics for Physicists" (together with R. Z. Sagdeev).