physics

Igor Novikov (astrophysicist)

Igor Novikov (astrophysicist) is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Igor Novikov (astrophysicist) rather than just read about it. In short: Igor Dmitriyevich Novikov (Russian: И́горь Дми́триевич Но́виков; born November 10, 1935) is a Russian theoretical astrophysicist and cosmologist. Novikov put forward the idea of white holes in 1964.

Key takeaways

Igor Novikov (astrophysicist) belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Igor Novikov (astrophysicist) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Igor Novikov (astrophysicist) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Igor Dmitriyevich Novikov (Russian: И́горь Дми́триевич Но́виков; born November 10, 1935) is a Russian theoretical astrophysicist and cosmologist. Novikov put forward the idea of white holes in 1964. He also formulated the Novikov self-consistency principle in the mid-1980s, a contribution to the theory of time travel. Novikov moved to Copenhagen, Denmark, where he worked and taught at the Niels Bohr Institute. He returned to Russia in 2001.

Biography Novikov gained his PhD degree in astrophysics in 1965 and the Russian D.Sc. degree in astrophysics in 1970. From 1974 to 1990 he was head of the Department of Relativistic Astrophysics at the Russian Space Research Institute in Moscow. Before 1991 he was head of the Department of Theoretical Astrophysics at the Lebedev Physical Institute in Moscow and has been a professor at Moscow State University. Since 1994 he has been director of the Theoretical Astrophysics Center (TAC) of the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He is currently also a professor of astrophysics at the Observatory of the University of Copenhagen, where he has been since 1991. Since 1998 he has been a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. In 2020 Novikov was awarded the first John Archibald Wheeler Prize, together with physicist Kip Thorne (Caltech) and Oxford University professor Roger Penrose. The award was given for his contribution to the development of the general theory of relativity and the physics of black holes. The prize was awarded by the President of the Italian Physical Society at the official awards ceremony in Rome on May 30, 2022 (delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic).

See also Closed timelike curve Cosmic microwave background Observational cosmology Quantum mechanics of time travel Primordial black hole Superradiance White hole

References

General references Kolchinsky, I. G.; Korsun, A. A.; Rodriges, M. G. (1986). Astronomy: Biografichesky spravochnik Астрономы: Биографический справочник [Astronomy: Biographical Dictionary] (in Russian) (2 ed.). Kiev: Naukova Dumka. p. 512. Bisnovatyi-Kogan, G. S.; Doroshkevich, A. G.; Zelenyi, L. M.; Kardashev, N. S.; Kolachevsky, N. N.; Komberg, B. V.; Kompaneets, D. A.; Lukash, V. N.; Mesyats, G. A.; Pariiskii, Yu. N.; Rubakov, V. A.; Cherepashchuk, A. M. (2016). "Igor Dmitrievich Novikov (on his 80th birthday)". Physics-Uspekhi. 59 (1): 96–97. doi:10.3367/UFNe.0186.201601f.0105.

External links Oral history interview transcript with Igor Dmitriyevich Novikov on 21 August 1979, American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library & Archives - interview conducted with Spencer R. Weart in Montreal, Canada

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Igor Novikov (astrophysicist)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Igor Novikov (astrophysicist) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Igor Novikov (astrophysicist) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Igor Novikov (astrophysicist) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Igor Novikov (astrophysicist)

In research: Igor Novikov (astrophysicist) appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Igor Novikov (astrophysicist) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Igor Novikov (astrophysicist) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1935 births, Corresponding Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Living people, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Igor Novikov (astrophysicist) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Igor Novikov (astrophysicist)” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Igor Novikov (astrophysicist) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Igor Novikov (astrophysicist) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Igor Novikov (astrophysicist) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Igor Novikov (astrophysicist) in simple terms?

Why does Igor Novikov (astrophysicist) matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Igor Novikov (astrophysicist)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Igor Novikov (astrophysicist).