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A very brief history
For a long time, until the 20
th
century, Ukraine
did not exist as a united independent state. Its
territory was divided between the Russian and
Austro-Hungarian empires. In the most part
of 20
th
century, with the exception of a short
period of several years, it existed as a Soviet
Socialist Republic within the USSR with a strong
subordination to the Union power centered in
Moscow. In this period, before the end of 1991,
Ukrainian vacuum scientists and engineers
worked in the institutes of the Academy of
Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, as well as in
higher educational institutions and research
laboratories of enterprises situated on its territory.
Their formal professional association did not exist,
but a close communication of vacuumists took
place at numerous scientific meetings devoted to
emission and semiconductor electronics, and to the
interaction of atomic particles with solids. Vacuum
electronics played a decisive role in the creation
of solid-state electronics, since without amplifying
tubes, various generators, oscilloscopes,
photocells and electronic multipliers, the advent
of the era of semiconductor devices would be
impossible. In the 1930s, Ukrainian scientists
have already obtained important results in the
field of vacuum technology and electronics. For
example, in 1934, N.D. Morgulis in Kiev derived
an equation describing the functioning of the
ionization manometer (Phys. Zs. Sowjetunion, 5,
407, 1934). S. Dushman cited in detail this work in
his classic monograph “Scientific Foundations of
Vacuum Technique” (2
nd
edition, J. Wiley & Sons,
N.Y., 1962). In Kharkov, A.A. Slutskin together with
D.S. Sternberg proposed in 1924 a magnetron
method for generation of electromagnetic
oscillations with the shortest wavelength at that
time (7 cm), and in 1935 A.A. Slutskin developed
the design and theory of a two-anode magnetron.
Later on, our scientists carried out numerous
studies and developments of cathodes of various
types − thermionic (N.D. Morgulis, G.Ya. Pikus,
G.V. Samsonov), photoelectronic (P.G. Borzyak,
O.G. Sarbei, G.A. Katrich), field electronic
(N.D. Morgulis, R.I. Garber, I.M. Mikhailovsky, A.F.
Yatsenko), as well as “cold” cathodes based on
island metal films (P.G. Borzyak, O.G. Sarbey,
R. D. Fedorovich). Important results were obtained
by studying the adsorption of gases and metals on
metals, the phase transitions and surface diffusion
in adsorbed monolayers (Yu.G. Ptushinsky,
B.A. Chuikov, A.G. Naumovets, A.G. Fedorus,
Yu.S. Vedula).
Original electron-beam technologies were
developed for coating and welding in vacuum
under terrestrial conditions and in space
(B.Ye. Paton, B.A. Movchan, O.K. Nazarenko).
N.G. Nakhodkin and P.V. Melnik thoroughly
investigated the possibilities of the ionization
spectroscopy and published a unique atlas of
the ionization spectra of solids. An important
contribution was made to the development of
secondary ion mass spectrometry and surface
characterization (Ya.M. Fogel, V.T. Cherepin,
S.P. Chenakin). A concept was developed and
a fundamentally new “spherotron” mass analyzer
was manufactured by V.T. Cherepin. In Kharkov,
an effective plasma technology for hardening
metal surfaces named “Bulat” was designed by
V.T. Tolok. In the same place, a number of particle
accelerators were created, as well as a Stellarator
“Uragan” for studying the processes of plasma
heating with the aim of initiating thermonuclear
reactions (K.D. Sinelnikov, V.T. Tolok) (see photos
below). The processes of cohesion and friction of
materials under space conditions were studied
in the B.I. Verkin Institute for Low-Temperature
Physics and Techniques. In Ukraine, there were
also many enterprises in the electronic industry
that extensively used vacuum technologies
(“Micropribor”, “Orion”, “Saturn” etc.).
With such a basis in the field of a variety of
vacuum technologies, Ukraine proclaimed
its independence in 1991. Many of us had
euphoric hopes that the scientific and technical
THE UKRAINIAN VACUUM SOCIETY
Professor A.G. Naumovets,
Vice-President of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Kiev, December 28, 2017
a.g.naumovets@gmail.com