physics

Orest Khvolson

Orest Khvolson 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 Orest Khvolson rather than just read about it. In short: Orest Danilovich Khvolson or Chwolson (Russian: Орест Данилович Хвольсон; December 4 [O.S. November 22] 1852 – May 11, 1934) was a Russian and later Soviet physicist and honorary member of the Soviet Academy of Sciences (1920).

Key takeaways

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Reference excerpt

Orest Danilovich Khvolson or Chwolson (Russian: Орест Данилович Хвольсон; December 4 [O.S. November 22] 1852 – May 11, 1934) was a Russian and later Soviet physicist and honorary member of the Soviet Academy of Sciences (1920). He is most noted for being one of the first to study the astronomical gravitational lens effect.

Early life and education Orest Danilovich Khvolson was born on 22 November (4 December, New Style) 1852 in Saint Petersburg, into the family of Daniel Abramovich Chwolson, a noted Orientalist and Semiticist. Khvolson received his secondary education at the Karl May Gymnasium, where he studied from 1861 to 1869. He displayed a keen interest in a variety of scientific disciplines, particularly chemistry and physics, often conducting experiments and constructing his own instruments. In 1869, he enrolled at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of the Imperial Saint Petersburg University, graduating in 1873 with the degree of Candidate of Sciences. He was awarded a gold medal for his thesis entitled "On Possible Velocities and the Conditions of Equilibrium of Contacting Surfaces" (О возможных скоростях и условиях равновесия соприкасающихся поверхностей). Following his graduation, Khvolson continued his studies in mathematics and physics at the University of Leipzig until the autumn of 1874. Upon returning to Russia, he passed his master’s examinations in 1875 and successfully defended his master's thesis in the spring of 1876 on the topic "On the Mechanism of Magnetic Induction in Steel" (О механизме магнитной индукции в стали).

Career Khvolson began teaching at his alma mater in 1876 and became a professor in 1891. He authored works on electricity, magnetism, photometry, and actinometry. He proposed the designs of an actinometer and a pyrheliometer, which would be used by Russian weather stations for many years. After 1896, Khvolson was mainly engaged in compiling the five-volume Physics Course (Курс физики), which would improve immensely the teaching of physics throughout the country and remain a principal textbook in universities for years to come. It was even translated into the German, French, and Spanish languages. His most noted accomplishment was in 1924, when he published about gravitational lenses in Astronomische Nachrichten, a scientific journal on astronomy. In the article he mentioned the "halo effect" of gravitation when the source, lens, and observer are in near-perfect alignment (now referred to as the Einstein ring), although he did not explicitly discuss the use of the ring as lens. The concept of gravitational lenses did not get much attention until 1936, when Albert Einstein wrote about the gravitational lens effect. The "halo" effect of a gravitational lens, where one source (sun or galaxy) produces a ring around another source is referred to as an Chwolson ring, or Einstein ring. He became an honorary member of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour. The crater Khvolson on the Moon is named after him.

Personal life His wife was Matilda (Ida-Matilda) Vasilyevna Khvolson, née Shondorf (1854–1929). They had two daughters, Anna Orestovna Khvolson (1880–1942) and Vera Orestovna Khvolson (1890-?).

Publications Lehre von der strahlenden Energie (in French). Vol. 2. Paris: Librairie scientifique Hermann et C.ie. 1906. Die Lehre von den gasformingen, flussigen und festen Korpern (in French). Vol. 1. Paris: Librairie scientifique Hermann et C.ie. 1907. Lehre von der strahlenden Energie (in French). Vol. 2. Paris: Librairie scientifique Hermann et C.ie. 1909. Lehre von der Elektrizität (in French). Vol. 4. Paris: Librairie scientifique Hermann et C.ie. 1910. Lehre von der Elektrizität (in French). Vol. 4. Paris: Librairie scientifique Hermann et C.ie. 1913. Lehre von der Elektrizität (in French). Vol. 5. Paris: Librairie scientifique Hermann et C.ie. 1914. Lehre von der Warme (in French). Vol. 3. Paris: Librairie scientifique Hermann et C.ie. 1909. Lehre von der Warme (in French). Vol. 3. Paris: Librairie scientifique Hermann et C.ie. 1910. Lehre von der Warme (in French). Vol. 3. Paris: Librairie scientifique Hermann et C.ie. 1911. Lehre von der strahlenden Energie (in French). Vol. 2. Paris: Librairie scientifique Hermann et C.ie. 1906. Lehre von der strahlenden Energie (in French). Vol. 2. Paris: Librairie scientifique Hermann et C.ie. 1907. Lehre vom Schall (in French). Vol. 1. Paris: Librairie scientifique Hermann et C.ie. 1908. Chwolson, O (1924). "Über eine mögliche Form fiktiver Doppelsterne". Astronomische Nachrichten. 221 (20): 329–330. Bibcode:1924AN....221..329C. doi:10.1002/asna.19242212003. Davaux, E. (1906–1928). Traité de physique [Kurs fiziki] (in French). Translated by O.-D. Chwolson. Paris: A. Hermann – via gallica.bnf.fr.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Orest Khvolson

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Orest Khvolson 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 Orest Khvolson 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 Orest Khvolson 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 Orest Khvolson

In research: Orest Khvolson 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 Orest Khvolson 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: Orest Khvolson is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1852 births, 1934 deaths, Corresponding members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Orest Khvolson 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.

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How to study Orest Khvolson in 20 minutes

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Frequently asked questions

What is Orest Khvolson in simple terms?

Why does Orest Khvolson 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 Orest Khvolson?

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 Orest Khvolson.