Moisey N. Adamov
(18.04.1920 - 12.02.2005)

Moisey N. Adamov was born in 1920 in Leningrad. His father was a musician: he played violoncello in the opera-house orchestra. At the age of two M. N. Adamov lost sight and remained blind for the rest of his life. In spite of this tragedy he managed to graduate from school with brilliant results, and in 1938 he entered the Physics Department of the Leningrad State University. During the World War II he was staying with his father in the city of Perm and continued his education in the Perm State University. In 1944 the family returned to Leningrad, and M. N. Adamov proceeded with the study of quantum mechanics, now as a graduate student. His scientific adviser was academician V. A. Fock, one of the greatest theoretical physicists of the 20-th century. In 1948 M. N. Adamov got his Ph.D. and became an assistant professor.

For many years running he was giving a course named “Quantum mechanics of molecules”. His lectures were perfectly clear and efficient, containing the latest achievements and new results in this line. One of his students always assisted him during the lectures. M. N. Adamov was scientific adviser of many students (27 altogether), most of whom have got their Ph.D. and some became Doctor of Science.

The scientific activity of M. N. Adamov concerned quantum theory of atoms and molecules, most of all atomic and molecular polarizabilities in exterior fields. His first researches in this area of study were carried out together with Professor M. G. Veselov, the great authority in molecular quantum theory and one of the founders of quantum chemistry in the USSR. Other lines of theoretical investigation, performed together with his colleagues and his students were: calculation of optical properties of F-centers in alkali-haloid crystals; calculation of nuclear quadrupole interaction constants; examination of validity of Born-Oppenheimer approximation; examination of new applications of variational principle and virial theorems. He got his degree of Doctor of Science in 1970 and has published altogether more than 100 papers.

M. N. Adamov never complained though his life was not easy. He was always friendly and amicable with his colleagues and his students who will remember him for his outstanding victory over the disease.

He died on 12 February 2005.