Rabotnov Yuri Nikolayevich (February 24, 1914, Nizhny Novgorod — May 13, 1985, Moscow) was a Soviet scientist in the field of mechanics and an academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1958; corresponding member from 1953). A native of Nizhny Novgorod, he was one of the founders of the Soviet theory of metal creep and made fundamental contributions to the theory of plasticity, the theory of shells, fracture mechanics, and the mechanics of composite materials.[2][4]

Education and early career

In 1935, Rabotnov graduated from the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of Moscow State University.[2] After graduating, he began scientific and teaching work at the All-Union Electrotechnical Institute and the Moscow Power Engineering Institute, where he taught in 1935–1941 and 1943–1947; in 1941–1943 he worked at the All-Union Electrotechnical Institute.[4][5] In 1939–1940 he taught at the Red Army Air Force Academy.[4]

From 1943, Rabotnov worked at Moscow State University — first as an associate professor, and from 1947, after defending his doctoral dissertation ("Theory of Thin Shells"), as a professor. The degree of Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences was conferred in 1945–1946.[2][4] Alongside his teaching at Moscow State University, he conducted research at the Institute of Mechanics of the USSR Academy of Sciences, where he headed the strength laboratory.[3] In 1952–1954 he served as dean of the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of Moscow State University and oversaw the faculty's move to its new building on the Lenin Hills.[2] In 1953 he founded and headed the Department of the Theory of Plasticity at Moscow State University.[3]

Scientific work

After being elected a full member of the USSR Academy of Sciences in 1958, Rabotnov moved to Novosibirsk and worked at the Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences until 1964–1965: he headed a laboratory and served as deputy director of the Institute of Hydrodynamics of the Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences, and also chaired the Department of the Theory of Elasticity and Plasticity at Novosibirsk State University.[4][3] He took an active part in organizing the Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences and in building the Novosibirsk Academgorodok (Academic Town).[2] Returning to Moscow in 1965, he headed the laboratory (later the department) of strength of engineering materials at the Institute of Mechanical Engineering of the USSR Academy of Sciences, while continuing to head the Department of the Theory of Plasticity at Moscow State University until 1985.[4][2]

The central focus of Rabotnov's scientific work was the theory of creep. He developed a general phenomenological theory of creep in metals, comprising equations of state and kinetic equations, which unified the theories of hardening, flow, and aging as special cases.[3] He proposed the fractional-exponential kernel of the integral equation of viscoelasticity and created a corresponding algebra of operators, which made it possible to describe the properties of polymer and composite materials effectively and to solve boundary value problems.[2][4] Under his leadership, applied problems were tackled: calculating the creep of gas turbine disks, the reliability of nuclear power plants, the cold brittleness of structures designed for northern conditions, the long-term strength of polymer components, and the use of composites in aircraft and aerospace vehicles.[2]

Rabotnov also made a significant contribution to the theory of elastic shells, proposing the so-called technical theory of shells, applicable to the elastic-plastic stage of structural behavior.[3] He initiated domestic research in the mechanics of composite materials, developed methods for analyzing the elastic-plastic behavior of composite structures, and devised new strength criteria for composites.[4]

Rabotnov served as editor-in-chief of the journals "Izvestiya AN. Otdeleniye Tekhnicheskikh Nauk" (1954–1958) and "Zhurnal Prikladnoy Mekhaniki i Tekhnicheskoy Fiziki" (1959–1965).[4] He was a member of the Presidium of the Siberian Branch of the Academy of Sciences (1961–1963), the bureau of the Department of Mechanics and Control Processes of the USSR Academy of Sciences, and the Presidium of the National Committee on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics; he was a vice president of the International Congress on Fracture (from 1968).[4]

Major Works

Among Rabotnov's published works are the monographs "Creep of Structural Elements" (1966, 752 pp.; reissued in 2014 for the scientist's 100th anniversary[1]), "Short-Term Creep" (1970, co-authored), "Elements of Hereditary Mechanics of Solids" (1977), and "Mechanics of Deformable Solids" (1979), as well as the textbooks "Strength of Materials" (1950) and "Lectures on the Theory of Elasticity" (1967).[2][4]

Awards and Legacy

Rabotnov was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor (1951), the Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1964), the Order of the October Revolution (1974), the Order of Friendship of Peoples (1980), and the medal "For Valiant Labor in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945" (1946).[4][2] The Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences established the Yu. N. Rabotnov Prize for young scientists.[4] His personal file is held in the Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ARAN. Fond 411. Inventory 3. File 478).[6]

Sources

  1. labirint.ru — Book: Creep of Structural Elements — Yuri Rabotnov. Buy the book, read reviews — Labirint
  2. letopis.msu.ru — ES: Yu. N. Rabotnov — Chronicle of Moscow University (archive)
  3. mecheng.imash.ru — Rabotnov Yuri Nikolayevich
  4. prometeus.nsc.ru — Full Members of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 1957–2007 — Rabotnov Yuri Nikolayevich (archive)
  5. teoretmeh.ru — Rabotnov (archive)
  6. isaran.ru — Rabotnov Yuri Nikolayevich. — IS ARAN