Alexander E. Volvach

Deputy Director for research, CrAO. Dr. of Science

 

Scopus AuthorID: 14042769300

 

 

 

 

 

 

A.E. Volvach was born in 1965. In 1990 he graduated from Odessa State University. Since 1990 – researcher at the Cri-mean Astrophysical Observatory. In 2003 he defended the Ph.D. thesis “Variability, structure and radio emission spec-trum of active galactic nuclei based on observations with radio telescopes”. Since 2005 – Deputy Director for research. In 2006 he was appointed to the rank of senior researcher. In 2010 he defended his Doctoral thesis “Non-stationary radia-tion of extragalactic sources on observations in the microwave range”. A member of IAU and EAS. Laureate of many prizes of the Academy of Sciences (2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012). He was awarded the certificate of honor of the Ministry of Education and Science (2007). Holder of the badge “For scientific achievements” (2009). Honored Worker of Science and Technology of Crimea (2012). Honored worker of the space industry (2008).

A.E. Volvach carried out a number of important works in the field of cosmic studies widely known in our country and abroad. There was acquired a series of high-class scientific results – from investigations of AGNs and solar system objects to the study of continents’ motion and developing research programs for space projects. The equipment was modernized and modern methods of ob-servations with RT-22 in the global VLBI network were elaborated. It enabled continuing high-sensitive investigations of the hyperfine structure of cosmic radio emission sources, for the first time to determine global geodynamical phenomena of the Eurasian tectonic plate and Crimean peninsula, to start observations of asteroids and terrestrial-group planets, to monitor space debris by combining methods of VLBI and classic radio location. The methodical, equipment and program base for electronic radio astronomy was developed, particularly by the real-time VLBI method. A.E. Volvach carried out pioneer works concerned with solving topical fundamental problems of astrophysics – studying physics of phenomena in quasars and AGNs, their circumnuclear regions, studying energy release, its variability in compact central regions of extragalactic sources. There was acquired the world’s only database of AGN variability in centimeter and millimeter wavelengths. The conducted long-term monitoring of non-stationary phenomena in AGNs allowed deriving both spectral characteristics of flux variations and dynamical parameters of the system consisting of supermassive black holes (SMBH). Based on the derived experimental data there was distinguished a class of objects consisting of two close SMBH and central accretion disk. A concept was put forward in which the problem of energy release is considered in conjunction with dynamical characteristics of the binary SMBH. A model was elaborated in which the loss of momentum in the binary SMBH system is considered as an important source of energy release in AGNs, additionally to energy released while the accretion on the disk of the central body. With RT-22 there was real-ized a possibility to carry out investigations of practically all the space masers. It is worth noting that just several radio telescopes in the world provide such possibilities for observations. The works on studying maser lines in comets were carried out for the first time in the CIS countries.

The results of researches based on the derived observational data are represented in about 350 scientific publications, 4 monographs and publications in press.

Publications in scientific journals