Stepanov, Aleksandr Vasilevich
Stepanov, Aleksandr Vasil’evich
Born Aug. 13 (26), 1908, in St. Petersburg; died May 16, 1972, in Leningrad. Soviet physicist. Corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1968).
Stepanov graduated from the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute in 1930. In 1926 he joined the staff of the Leningrad Physicotech-nical Institute. From 1933 he also taught at the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute, where he became a professor in 1938. Between 1958 and 1963 he was a professor at the A. I. Herzen Leningrad Pedagogical Institute.
Stepanov’s principal works were in solid-state physics. He proposed and developed new methods of growing crystals —particularly crystals of metals, such as aluminum, and of semiconductors—of specified habit and cross section (the Stepanov method). He studied plastic deformation, strength, and the mechanical properties of metals. Stepanov proposed the use of halogen compounds of silver and thallium as a model of a transparent crystal. He also investigated the mechanical properties of crystals at low temperatures.
Stepanov was awarded the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Badge of Honor, and several medals.
WORKS
Budushchee metalloobrabotki. Leningrad, 1963.Osnovy prakticheskoiprochnosti. Moscow, 1974.
REFERENCE
Kurdiumov, G. V., and M. V. Klassen-Nekliudova. “Razvitie ucheniia o prochnosti i plastichnosti tverdykh tel.” Uspekhi fizicheskikh nauk, 1973, vol. Ill, issue 3, p. 525.V. IA. FRENKEL’