George Gamow: biography and photos

George Gamow is a world famous astrophysicist, theoretical physicist and popularizer of science. Famous for the scientist came thanks to written works on biology, cosmology, nuclear and atomic physics, astrophysics and quantum mechanics.

The scientist is the first who could clearly formulate the problem of the genetic code. Also considered the first to come up with a quantitative theory of alpha decay, he became the founder of the theory of the "Hot Universe".

Childhood and adolescence

Gamow Georgy Antonovich was born on March 4, 1904 in the city of Odessa, in a family of teachers. The boy's mother died early. Father was a teacher of Russian language and literature at the local gymnasium. The ancestors of George were military and priests.

Father George was pleased that his son was fond of biology, physics and astronomy. That is why Georgy Gamow entered the Odessa University in 1921, choosing the Physics and Mathematics Faculty. I managed not only to study well, but also to work as a calculator in an astronomical observatory.

Leningrad University

In 1922 Gamow Georgy Antonovich entered the Leningrad University at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics. This educational institution was then the center of the emerging physical science in the Soviet Union. Life was in need of money, so the future scientist had to get a job as an observer for the meteorological station.

In September 1923 he began to head the field meteorological observatory of the first Artillery School, where he lectured on physics. Already in 1924 Gamow worked at the State Optical Institute, developing methods for rejecting optical glass.

Work abroad. Theory of alpha decay

In 1926 he graduated from the university and entered graduate school Gamow Georgy Antonovich. Biography of the scientist continued by the fact that he became an elected candidate for an internship in Germany. But all the documents necessary for this were ready only in 1928.

Gamow seriously decided to tackle the theory of the atomic nucleus and chose the problem of atomic decay. Using the effect of the tunnel, the scientist was able to show that particles with even the smallest energy can fly out of the nucleus with a certain probability. Such a theory became the very first explanation of the behavior of radioactive substances. In addition to Gamow, Edward Condon and Ronald Gurney dealt with this issue, but only George managed to get the best quantitative results.

Based on his conclusions, physicist Georgy Gamov was able to determine the size of the nuclei (about ten to thirteen centimeters) and explained the Geiger-Nettol law, which connected the energy of the emitted particles with the half-life of the nuclei. In July 1928, a young scientist published his article in a famous scientific journal, which made him famous in the world of physics.

Homecoming

In 1931 Georgy Gamow, whose biography is described in detail in this article, returned to Leningrad and began to work in the field of nuclear physics. In the same year, the personal life of the scientist began to develop. He met a graduate of Moscow State University Lyubov Vokhmintseva. Soon the wedding took place.

In October 1931, Gamow received an invitation to the Rome Conference, but he could not leave the country. After that, he began to look for an opportunity, how can this be done (and not only legally). During the holiday in Crimea, a young couple tried to swim by boat to Turkey, but a strong storm prevented it from doing.

But in 1933, an opportunity was found. Georgy Gamow, on the recommendation of Ioffe, was appointed to the post of Soviet representative at the Seventh Solvay Congress. The scientist was able to obtain a visa not only for himself, but also for his wife. The main goal of George was to work abroad and, if desired, to return to his homeland.

George Gamow: The Big Bang Theory

In 1946, the scientist began to study the sphere of cosmology and proposed the model of the "Hot Universe". The basis for this theory was the estimate of the age of the entire universe, which was approximately equal to the age of the planet Earth, and the ratio of helium and hydrogen.

In 1948 physicist Georgy Gamow together with his students developed the theory of the formation of chemical elements by nucleosynthesis, or sequential neutron capture. However, it did not receive proper attention, and for a long time was unnoticed. As Schiven Weinberg said: "Gamow and his students explored the early Universe, namely the first three minutes of its existence."

Genetic code

In 1954, immediately after the discovery of a double-stranded DNA molecule, Gamow made an invaluable contribution to the formation of a new science - molecular biology, placing a primary solution to the problem of the genetic code. Through scientific experiments, the scientist was able to understand that proteins, consisting of twenty natural amino acids, are ciphered in a certain sequence and are part of the DNA.

Thus, Gamow was able to understand that DNA is encrypted from a sequence of four nucleotides that give a total of sixty-four possible combinations. And this is enough to record hereditary information.

Only in 1961 this theory was finally proved by Francis Crick and his assistants, for which they received the Nobel Prize.

Trip to America

After the scientist left the Soviet Union, he worked part time in different countries, but a permanent job for a long time could not be found. And only in 1934 there were invitations from America. He was appointed to the position of professor at the University of Washington. They decided to hold annual conferences, which attracted famous physicists from all over the world. At the same time, the scientist began to be interested in the connection between atomic energy and sources of stellar energy.

In 1941, after leaving Washington University, the physicist decided to start developing an atomic bomb. However, the process was not allowed to him, so he was forced to carry out minor works. And only in 1948 George received military permission and personally took part in the production of a hydrogen bomb.

George Gamow, "The Adventures of Mr. Tompkins"

The book, written by the famous physicist, is intended for students, schoolchildren and just people interested in modern scientific ideas.

The publication consists of two works. The first of these is "Mr. Tompkins in Wonderland." This is a ridiculous story telling readers about a modest banking worker serving in the world of the theory of relativity. The second novel "Mr. Tompkins explores the atom" is very interesting and simply shows all the processes that occur inside the atom and the atomic nucleus. The book consists of fifteen chapters that can easily interest readers.

Autobiography

Another interesting book about his life was written by Georgy Gamov - "My world line. Informal autobiography. "

In 1934, a scientist and author of this book moved from Europe to America. The autobiography described many jokes, which he liked to tell his friends. There was nothing serious about it, Gamov asserted.

In the USSR, "My World Line" existed in only one copy, which was kept in the Lenin Library. However Ya.B. Zeldovich was allowed to take this book home, and he let her read to his acquaintances and friends. Therefore, many people knew the content. We can say that Georgy Gamow conducted the "World Line" between America and Russia.

Another work

Georgy Gamow "The Giant of Three Sciences" was written for a wide range of readers who are interested in the history of cosmology and physics, as well as problems of fundamental science.

The works of the outstanding scientist left a bright and unforgettable mark in the field of nuclear physics, astrophysics, genetics and elementary particle physics. This book is also an autobiography and describes the most important achievements of the scientist. Here, readers can learn about the "Big Bang Theory", the quantum theory of alpha decay, as well as unraveling the genetic code.

Documentary

The documentary "Georgy Gamow. Physicist from God "was filmed in 2009 by director Irina Bakhtina. The author showed how an outstanding American physicist, who has put forward a large number of scientific theories, dreams about the Soviet Union.

Despite the fact that during the lifetime of the scientist most of his works were not appreciated, now they are of great value, as they have become the beginning for many sciences and theories. So we can assume that the Soviet-American physicist lived his life for good reason.