Valeriy I. Zagrebaev

Scientific Path

Valeriy Zagrebaev was born on 11 September 1950 in Stavropol, Kuibyshev Region USSR. In 1973, he graduated from the Physics Faculty of Leningrad State University with a degree in theoretical nuclear physics. He defended his Candidate’s (PhD) thesis there in 1979 and his Doctoral thesis in 1990.

His career began at I.N. Ulyanov Chuvash State University in Cheboksary, where he rose from assistant to Professor at the Department of Theoretical and Experimental Physics. He worked at the Chuvash University for 25 years, from 1973 to 1997.

In 1997, Professor Zagrebaev moved to the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna as a leading researcher at the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions. In 1999, he established and headed the Group of Theoretical and Computational Physics in this laboratory. From 2007 until the end of his life, he served as Deputy Director of the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions.

Scientific Achievements

Valeriy Zagrebaev’s research interests covered the dynamics of nuclear reactions at low and intermediate energies, heavy‑ion physics, the synthesis of superheavy elements, and reactions with exotic nuclei. He developed a multidimensional and multichannel quasiclassical approach to describe nuclear collision processes and introduced a new method for accounting for dissipative forces (quantum friction) in the equations of motion.

• Discovery of the dineutron configuration in the ⁶He nucleus — experimental confirmation of the “two‑neutron halo”, published in Physical Review Letters in 1999.
• Explanation of the mechanism for the production of ultrafast light particles in heavy‑ion collisions published in Annals of Physics.
• Theoretical prediction of cross sections for the synthesis of superheavy elements in “hot” fusion reactions — calculations that formed the basis of the entire superheavy element synthesis programme at the FLNR JINR.
• Co‑authorship in the discovery of superheavy elements with atomic numbers 113, 114, 115, 116, and 118 — results recognised by the global scientific community and marking the beginning of a new period in the Periodic Table.
• Prediction of the sequential fusion mechanism and the enhancement of sub‑barrier fusion for neutron‑rich, weakly bound nuclei.
• Conceptualisation of the production of unknown heavy neutron‑rich nuclei along the closed neutron shell N = 126 — the “waiting point” in the astrophysical r‑process.

V. Zagrebaev authored more than 190 scientific papers published in leading journals, including Physical Review C, Physical Review Letters, Nuclear Physics A, Journal of Physics G, and European Physical Journal A.

Nuclear Reaction Video (NRV)

Under his leadership, a unique online knowledge base for low‑energy nuclear physics was created and continues to evolve: the NRV (Nuclear Reaction Video) project. It is the world’s first interactive web database for visualising and modelling nuclear reactions. The project integrates theoretical models, computational codes, and interactive visualisations accessible to researchers worldwide.

Teaching and Training of New Scientists

Throughout his life, Professor Zagrebaev paid great attention to training scientific personnel. During his teaching career, he supervised several Candidate’s theses and served as a scientific consultant for Doctoral theses.

With his direct involvement, the Department of Nuclear Physics was established at the International University “Dubna” in 2003; its graduates successfully work in various JINR laboratories. From 2004, he served as Professor at the Department of Nuclear Physics at this university.

Recognition

Valeriy Ivanovich’s scientific achievements were honoured with JINR prizes in 1997, 2002, and 2007. He was a member of Academia Europaea and served as an editor of the international journal International Journal of Modern Physics E.

In 2011, under Zagrebaev’s initiative and leadership, work began at FLNR JINR on the development of the prospective GALS facility for selective laser ionisation and separation of nuclear reaction products.

After his passing, the book Heavy Ion Reactions at Low Energies, based on his lecture materials and original works, was published by Springer Nature.

Memory

Valeriy Zagrebaev passed away suddenly on 17 January 2015 at the age of 64.

The staff of the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions wrote about him: “Valeriy was a profound and versatile person who made a great contribution to the development of fundamental science. The memory of him will forever remain in our hearts.”

His scientific legacy lives on — in the discovered elements of the Periodic Table, in the operational codes and databases, in the students who continue his research, and in the book that educates a new generation of nuclear physicists.

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