Vladilen Minin

V.Minin graduated from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. His graduate work was devoted to the research of a high-voltage electric discharge in liquid. V.S. Komelkov (one of the chief of the Department of Atomic Energy Institute) who refereed his theses and later offered him the work in his department.

In 1958, at the invitation of Mikhail Lavrentyev, Minin moved to Novosibirsk Akademgorodok (scientific centre) to work at Lavrentyev Institute of Hydrodynamics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He initiated some new research directions : electromagnetic throwing of the body, shock waves interaction with bubbles in water with air layers, anomalous properties of nitrogen plasma, explosive sound sources, explosion plume, etc.[2][3] At that time the research in these fields was not being conducted in any other laboratory of the Institute of Hydrodynamics.

In 2005 professor Christopher Earls Brennen published his monograph «Cavitation and Bubble Dynamics» where special focus was given to the research of shock waves interaction with gas bubbles in water and experimental discovery of cumulative jet formation effect in case of bubble collapse conducted by Minin.

Minin initiated a new direction for the research, i.e. experimental study of solitary wave propagation features in the shallows as applied to tsunami.[4]

In 1959 (by the order of Lavrentyev) Minin was appointed the chief engineer to be responsible for the construction and provision of scientific instruments made in his laboratory not only for the Institute of Hydrodynamics, but also for other institutes to-be-built for the Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences.

In 1961 Minin passed his defense for a degree of a candidate of technical sciences.[5] In his theses he offered to apply explosion for low-soluble gas dilution in water.[6]

In 1963 Minin was conferred a degree of a senior research assistant in chemical physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union.[7]

In 1963-1964 he started working on branch-oriented optoelectronic systems.

Vladilen Minin and Mstislav Keldysh (President of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union) testing “Teplo”

At the same period he delivered lectures to his first students at the preliminary courses of Novosibirsk State University. Later he was invited by Vice-rector Rem Soloukhin to take part in establishing demonstration hall for the Department of General Physics and practical physics. Over 100 demonstration scenarios for a course in physics were made by Minin. In 1959-1969 he worked as an associate professor at the Department of General Physics.[8]

In 1966 Minin established a State Special Design Bureau (later renamed into “Sosna”) for radio-electronic solutions. In 1968 the bureau was reorganized into the Institute of Applied Physics and he became the head of it. He was to mobilize various institutes of the Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences around common work on diversification and branch-oriented fundamental research and pilot works.

In 1973 the Institute proceeded with the execution of additional objectives set by the head organization of the Ministry of Machine-Building i.e. development of aircraft-launch rockets. At the same time (the period of preparation for Moscow 1980 Summer Olympic Games) by the government order the Institute was to develop and produce the series of X-ray security systems, explosive detectors (a range of gas analyzers М01, М02) and explosion-proof facilities and other systems.[9]

In the late 1970s – the early 1980s joint works with the laboratory of millimeter and submillimeter-wave metrics (Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics of Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union) were started. These were the research works on millimeter and submillimeter wave range for transmission and reflection spectra of the explosives and their simulators. For the first time measurements of their spectral characteristics were determined. Collaborative works directed by V.F. Minin were started to develop high-quality non-aberrational quasi-optical lens of submillimeter-wave range on the basis of theoretical insights and the unique equipment of the Institute of Applied Physics. They were used for producing image visualization systems with regard to weapon detection in a human body as well as for producing a submillimeter microscope.

At the same period pioneering investigations were carried out as concerns the effects of anomalous back scattering of dielectric particles and aerospace monitoring of the environment (1970s – 1980s).[10]

For more than 30 years (up to 1996) Minin was a scientific advisor, general director and chief designer of the Institute of Applied Physics.[11][12][13]

Over 70 types of armaments families were created under the guidance of Minin, in particular, those for the navy (passive decoy projectiles, optoelectronic systems for PK-2 (Russian:ПК-2), PK-10 (Russian:ПК-10), PK-16 (Russian:ПК-16) complexes and others), air force and army of the USSR and Russian Federation (aircraft launch rockets S-8, S-13 family and others). Some of them have no analogues in the world up to now and are used as a basis for further modifications.[14][15]

Minin was also at the head of the research works for developing the techniques and algorithms for numerical simulation of physical and mechanical processes. The research conducted for the development of hardware and software formed the basis for automated computing complexes.[16][17][18]

Minin was elected a member of the presidium of the regional branch of Siberia and the Far East of the Scientific Council of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union as regards a complex problem of “Mathematical simulation” and a member of Novosibirsk territorial coordination Council for science, vocational education and policy in science and technology.[19]

In the field of numerical techniques and algorithmization he was in charge of the research on creating efficient machine-dependent techniques and algorithms for numerical simulation of the mechanics of continua processes.

Being in charge of the investigations Minin took part in the works on adaptation of the developed algorithms and creation of the brand new parallel ones for numerical simulation, implemented on the basis of upgraded 128-processor machine PS-2000 as all-in-one decision field. Together with the display stations “Gamma” type it is incorporated in general simulation complex. This system which had no analogues in the USSR made it possible to simulate various significant nonstationary processes of the mechanics of continua.[20] By 1990-91 all the TV centres of the USSR were equipped with video-computer graphic stations GAMMA-T.

By means of the developed software-hardware complex the problems of meteoroid protection for spaceship “Vega” (in “Vega-Galley” project) were solved.[21] Pioneering works on cosmogenic safety and Earth protection against asteroids were conducted.

In physics of high-speed processes Minin solved the problem of rotating cumulative charges.[22] He also presented and gave proof of hypercumulative charges.[23]

In the field of cumulative charges in 1969 V.F. Minin received the first empirical results with cylindrical liners. The experiments were conducted at the focal distance equal to the double value of the charge diameter for different masses of explosive charges. Soon afterwards the author's certificate for invention No. 64442 with priority was obtained of 18 June 1970.[24]

The obtained knowledge was applied for making cumulative tandem tank projectile for 2A46. It passed complete cycle of governmental and manufacturer's tests with positive results.[25][26] Under Minin's guidance the works were conducted on the investigation and production of rotating hollow charge shells with a record depth of penetration.[27][25]

It was Minin who discovered a new previously unknown field of cumulation, i.e. hypercumulation in which a number of problems have been solved or nearly solved.[23][28]

Under him pioneering works were conducted in the field of 3D penetrators impact mechanics.[29]

Vladilen Minin is also a co-author of some discoveries in the field of high-speed processes.[30] He developed new methods of magnetic pulse arc welding with high-speed impact of the parts to be fused together and short-time welding process, and applied them to production.[31][32][33][34] The welder developed for aluminum-copper nipples of refrigerator sets and the technique for electric-and-magnetic welding were patented by many countries.

Under his leadership efficient metal casting processes were developed which have no analogues in the world.[35][36][37]

For the first time a complex of the radar and optoelectronic close-in jammers “Smeliy” (Brave) PK-16 (Russian:ПК-16)) was produced. A considerable contribution into passive jamming development was made by Minin.[38]

In 1991 Minin was elected a president of the Urals-Siberian Branch of the Academy of Technological Sciences and a member of the Academy Council for new information technologies.

He is an author and co-author of over 600 treatises including some monographs, and more than 100 patents and discoveries.[39][40]