Andrey K. Kazansky
(07.06.1949 - 19.04.2023)

Leading Researcher

Andrey Kronidovich Kazansky was born on June 7, 1949 in Leningrad. After graduating from school No. 45 at the Leningrad State University in 1966, he entered the Department of Physics of Leningrad State University. During his studies, he specialized in the Theory of the Nucleus and Elemetary Particles. After graduating from the university in 1971, he entered graduate school, where his supervisor was a well-known expert on the quantum field theory A. N. Vasiliev. After completing his postgraduate studies in 1974, he defended his Ph.D. thesis on "Functional Legendre transformations in quantum field theory". From 1974 to 1979 A. K. Kazansky worked at the Leningrad Hydrometeorological Institute as a senior researcher, and in 1979 he returned to Leningrad University as a junior researcher in the theoretical department of the Research Institute of Physics. In 1985, he was promoted to the position of senior research fellow. In 1998 A. K. Kazansky defended his second thesis (Doctor of Science) on the topic "Investigation of the temporal evolution of the wave function as a method for solving various problems of quantum mechanics" and was appointed to the position of a leading researcher in the theoretical department of the Research Institute of Physics. Since 2003, Andrey Kronidovich mainly worked at the International Physical Center in Donostia/San Sebastian (Basque Country, Spain), where he was elected professor of the Basque Science Foundation, but he also participated in research activities at the Division of Quantum Mechanics and regularly visited St. Petersburg.

The area of research interests of A. K. Kazansky was very wide. In different periods of his research work, he solved problems in the quantum field theory; quantum theory of scattering and collisions of particles, including those with the surface of a solid body; theories of the electronic structure of atoms and molecules; theory of interaction of atoms, molecules, nanoparticles and surfaces with ultrashort laser pulses. Of particular note are his studies of the charge and momentum transfer in collisions of charged particles with Rydberg atoms; study of electron correlations in the continuum near the threshold, in particular, in the case of double photoionization of an atom by one photon; studies of resonance processes in slow collisions of electrons with molecules; development of an accurate description of the decay of a localized state upon interaction with the continuum. A. K. Kazansky is the author of an original approach to solving various problems of theoretical atomic and molecular physics using the wave packet evolution method, which formed the basis of his Doctor of Science dissertation. In particular, Andrey Kronidovich studied various aspects of the evolution of near-surface states on the surfaces of noble metals, caused by atoms adsorbed on the surface, carried out calculations of processes in various atom-scale systems (atoms, molecules, clusters) caused by attosecond pulses of electromagnetic radiation in the presence of a powerful infrared laser field. His amazing scientific intuition, based on a deep understanding of quantum physics, allowed him to find unexpected and elegant approaches to solving even the most complex problems. His fundamental knowledge of physics in general and quantum mechanics in particular gave him the ability to draw parallels between different fields, allowing him to create simple yet accurate models for developing theory and explaining experiment. Andrey Kronidovich was also extremely scillful in numerical methods of theoretical physics, which made it possible for him to find solutions to the most complex problems not feasible to solve with analytical methods. A. K. Kazansky is the author of about 300 reasearch articles in leading international journals, including Nature Publishing Group and Science.

In addition to extensive research, Andrey Kronidovich in different years taught at the Department of Physics of Leningrad State University and at the school No. 45 (now the Academic Gymnasium). His total teaching experience is about 15 years.

In communication with colleagues at work A. K. Kazansky was invariably open and friendly, and scientific discussions with him enriched the collaborators with new ideas and left a pleasant impression of a conversation with an erudite researcher and friendly person. Andrey Kronidovich had an amazing sensitivity to the subtleties of the Russian language, which, combined with a peculiar sense of humor, made communication with him interesting and memorable.

We will forever keep the bright memory of Andrey Kronidovich Kazansky, a talented scientist and a wonderful person.