Bachinskii, Aleksei Iosifovich

Born Mar. 21 (Apr. 2), 1877, in the city of Kholm, Lublin Province; died July 31, 1944, in Moscow. Soviet physicist. Professor at Moscow University (1918) and doctor of physics and the mathematical sciences (1934).

Bachinskii worked at Moscow University following his graduation from it in 1899. In 1930 he lost his eyesight and was forced to abandon teaching; however, he continued his scientific investigations. His primary works were in molecular physics and thermodynamics. In 1901, Bachinskii published his first two works, Toward a Dynamic Theory of Electricity and On the Law of Variation of the Viscosity of Mercury With Temperature. His works on the surface tension and viscosity of fluids have retained their value up to the present. He established the law of viscosity of fluids which bears his name (1912–13). A number of Bachinskii’s works are devoted to the study of the dependence of the pressure of saturated vapors on temperature. He is also the author of several physics textbooks.