PYOTR NIKOLAEVICH BELIKOV

On December 25, 1942, after a serious illness, P. N. Belikov, professor of physics at the Moscow Power Engineering Institute, died at the age of 53. He was known for his scientific work in the field of acoustics and for his extensive and fruitful activity in the teaching of physics and the popularization of scientific knowledge.

P. N. was born in 1889 in the city of Kholm, where his father was a gymnasium teacher. In 1908 P. N. graduated from the 2nd Moscow Gymnasium and entered the physics-and-mathematics faculty of Moscow University, from which he graduated in 1913 with a specialization in physics. While still a student, P. N. began scientific work in the laboratory of Prof. P. N. Lebedev, but the outbreak of the war and his call-up into the army did not allow him to complete this work. Mobilized during the war of 1914–1918, P. N. completed the military electrotechnical school, after which he was assigned to the front as head of the field radio station of the 1st Siberian Corps. After the October Revolution P. N. took an active part in the work of public organizations in the army and was chairman of the corps congress. After demobilization in 1918, P. N. resumed scientific work at the Physical Institute of the Moscow Scientific Institute (from which the Moscow Power Engineering Institute was later separated), and P. N. took up the chair of physics there. As a professor at the Moscow Power Engineering Institute, P. N. worked until his last days, giving all his strength to this work.

P. N. Velikov

Simultaneously with his work at the Moscow Higher Technical School and the Moscow Power Engineering Institute, P. N. was, from 1926 to 1939, a professor at the 2nd Moscow State University and, from 1936 to 1939, professor and head of the chair of physics in the physics faculty of the 1st Moscow State University.

P. N. conducted research work for many years at the Institute of Biophysics, up to its liquidation in 1931. From 1931 to 1934 P. N. was a consultant and scientific supervisor at the Scientific-Research Cine-Photo Institute (NIKFI) and then at the Scientific-Research Institute of Communications. From 1939 he served as chairman of the expert commission on physics under the Higher Attestation Commission.

P. N.’s scientific works belong entirely to the field of acoustics. Having resumed his scientific work in 1918, P. N., under the direction of Acad. Lazarev, took up questions of the theory of hearing. Taking into account the new possibilities connected with the development of radio engineering and the appearance of electron tubes, P. N. first of all set about creating new methods of measurement in acoustics and constructing new apparatus. During this period he developed the basic techniques for measuring sound strength, the sensitivity of the ear, methods for obtaining pure tones over a wide frequency range, obtaining interrupted tones, obtaining a plane sound wave, and a number of other questions. This extensive methodological work

allowed him to carry out, with extraordinary reliability, investigations of auditory adaptation, the study of changes in hearing sensitivity under the action of various factors, and the study of the perception of interrupted tones. The investigations carried out led to confirmation of the basic laws of the ionic theory of excitation developed by P. P. Lazarev. In particular, P. N. proved the applicability to hearing of Talbot’s law, known from physiological optics.

In the field of physical acoustics, P. N. carried out (in 1925) a very interesting study of the attenuation of sound when passing through a medium filled with resonators. This case is of great fundamental interest. The theory of the phenomenon had been given in 1903 by Prof. N. N. Kasterin. The results of a very skillfully arranged, difficult experiment led to good agreement with the theory and showed a sharp increase in sound absorption away from the resonant frequency.

During his work at NIKFI, under the direction of and with the immediate participation of P. N., investigations important for sound-film technology were carried out on distortions in the perception of loud tones and on the peculiarities of the perception of periodic changes in sound intensity. In addition, P. N. constructed a parabolic concentrator for directional sound reception.

P. N. took an active part in the work of the Acoustical Commission of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR and, in particular, carried out extensive work in the expert examination of the acoustical design of the Palace of Soviets.

P. N. carried on a very extensive and fruitful activity in scientific literature and in popularizing science.

An enormous and difficult task was performed by P. N. as chief editor of the Dictionary of Physics. This excellent reference work will for many years serve the benefit of our science, technology, and students, and will serve as a memorial to P. N., who created it himself.

P. N. wrote several major articles for the Technical Encyclopedia (Sound, Loudspeaker, etc.) and a large number of short articles for the Technical, Medical, and Great Soviet Encyclopedias. He translated and edited a number of books on radio and acoustics (Wagner, Principles of Radioacoustics; Günther, Radio; Engel, The Sounding Cinema; Brez, Old Technology and New Knowledge, etc.). P. N. wrote a number of excellent survey and popular-science brochures and articles (Speech and Hearing, The Telegraph, Telephone, and Radio, The Dying Engine, Achievements of Applied Acoustics, etc.) and systematically gave popular-science lectures and reports.

P. N. possessed an outstanding talent as a teacher. His lectures on physics were always models of clear and rigorous exposition and enjoyed unfailing success among students. P. N. devoted the best years of his life and all his experience as a teacher and organizer to the organization of the Department of Physics at the Moscow Power Engineering Institute. The physics practicum and lecture demonstrations, transferred from the Moscow Higher Technical School and the Plekhanov Institute, were revised, renewed, and put in exemplary order. Then the practica were regularly revised and renewed in connection with the new requirements of science and technology.

Enormous work was done by P. N. in designing a new building for the physical laboratory of the Moscow Power Engineering Institute and in preparing it for operation. At the Department of Physics the production of physical instruments was organized and, in particular, the manufacture of such complex instruments as loop oscillographs was established.

P. N. always enjoyed exceptional authority both among his comrades at work and among students, as well as among leading officials. His knowledge, his selfless devotion to the cause, his ability to defend the interests of the work entrusted to him both firmly and at the same time without complications, his simple and expedient organizational measures, his unfailing concern for his colleagues, his exceptional honesty, directness, and sensitivity toward people, together with modesty in regard to himself, made everyone who dealt with P. N. treat him with respect and love. P. N.’s work was

was highly appreciated by the leading circles, and he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor. As an outstanding public figure, P. N. was elected deputy of the Moscow Soviet twice in succession.

After P. N.’s death, summing up the results of his many-sided work, we see what a great man has left us and what a great loss science has suffered. The memory of him as a great selfless worker and teacher of several generations of engineers will long be preserved among his pupils. The bright memory of Petr Nikolaevich, as a wonderful person and comrade, will always live in the hearts of those who knew him closely.

S. Rzhevkin

LIST OF PRINTED WORKS OF PROF. P. N. BELIKOV

I. Experimental scientific works

1. Subjective method of comparing the strengths of sounds, Izv. Fiz. inst. MNI, 1, 103, 1920.
2. Phenomena of fatigue of the organ of hearing (jointly with Acad. Lazarev), Izv. fiz. inst. MNI, 1, 1921.
3. Über die Gültigkeit des Talbotschen Gesetzes für das Gehör, Pflög. Archiv., B. 209, 537, 1933.
4. Über die Wirkung kurzer Töne auf das Ohr, Pflüg. Archiv., B. 209, 540, 1923.
5. Experimental determination of the attenuation of sound passing through a medium filled with resonators, Zhurn. prikl. fiziki, 2, 41, 1925.
6. Talbot’s laws for hearing, Zhurn. prikl. fiz., 1, 182, 1924.
7. Perception of brief tones, Zhurn. prikl. fiz., 2, 47, 1925.
8. Merging of pulsating tones, Zhurn. prikl. fiz., 5, 127, 1928.
9. Absorption Schallwellen in einem Medium, welches mit Resonatoren gefüllt ist, Zs. Physik, 39, 233, 1926.
10. Über die Verschmelzung der pulsierenden Töne, Journ. d. Psychol. u. Neurol., 38, 292, 1928.
11. On the action of quinine on the centers of vision and hearing (jointly with Acad. Lazarev), DAN SSSR, No. 12, 293, 1930.
12. Perception of subjective distortions (jointly with Mikheeva and Oskolkova), in manuscript, carried out at NIKFI, 1933.
13. Perception of the “roughness” of sound (jointly with Mikheeva and Oskolkova), carried out at NIKFI, in manuscript, 1933.

II. Educational literature

1. Methodological letters for a physics course for correspondence students of pedagogical higher educational institutions, for 3 years of study, 15 printed sheets, 1928–1929.
2. Reworking and editing of Berliner’s physics course (jointly with Prof. Landsberg), 1931–1932.
3. Editing of the problem book on electricity and magnetism by Vsesvyatsky, Malov, and Radushkevich, 1932.

III. Scientific reviews, articles, and popular-science literature

1. Speech and hearing, GIZ, 1925, 5 printed sheets.
2. Sound in technology, article in the Technical Encyclopedia, 1927, 1 printed sheet.
3. Loudspeaker, article in the Technical Encyclopedia, 1927, 1/2 printed sheet.
4. Telegraph, telephone and radio, 1927, 3 printed sheets.
5. Dying engine, 1928, 3 printed sheets.
6. Practical applications of the piezoelectric properties of crystals, Uspekhi fizich. nauk, 1927.

1. Physical Processes in the Electron Tube, brochure, 1 printed sheet.
2. Oscillatory Circuit and Radio Transmitters, brochure, 1 printed sheet.
3. Achievements of Applied Acoustics, Nauchnoe slovo, 1928.
4. Selection and translation of the collection “Physical Problems of Sound Cinema” (jointly with Furduyev), 1932.
5. Translation of Quinter’s book, Radio.
6. Editing of Wagner’s book, Scientific Foundations of Radio Reception, 1933.
7. Editing of Bragg’s book, Old Crafts and New Knowledge.
8. Translation of Engl’s book, Sound Cinema.
9. A large number of short articles in the Great Soviet, Technical, and Medical Encyclopedias.
10. General editorship of the Physical Dictionary, from 1933 to 1939.
11. A large number of popular-science articles in various journals.