On 16 December, the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research remembers an outstanding world-famous theoretical physicist, Doctor of Physics and Mathematics, Professor, Academician of RAS Albert Nikiforovich Tavkhelidze (16.12.1930 – 27.02.2010).

In 1956, on the invitation of N. N. Bogoliubov and A. A. Logunov, A. N. Tavkhelidze started his scientific career at the Laboratory of Theoretical Physics JINR. From 1964 to 1970, he was the Deputy Director of LTP and simultaneously headed the Sector of Theoretical Physics. In cooperation with academicians N. N. Bogoliubov and A. A. Logunov, A. N. Tavkhelidze developed the scientific team of the Laboratory. Despite being very busy, A. N. Tavkhelidze paid great attention to the Institute’s development even after he left Dubna.

In 2003 – 2008, Academician Tavkhelidze was a member of the JINR Scientific Council, in 2004-2010, he was a Plenipotentiary Representative of the Government of Georgia in JINR.

Albert Tavkhelidze always balanced a number of leading, organizational, professorial, editorial, and even political posts in his scientific life. He was the Director and the Head of the Department of Theoretical Physics and the Department of Particle Physics at several institutes in Russia, Georgia, and Ukraine. A. N. Tavkhelidze was a founder and the first Director (1970–1986) of the Institute for Nuclear Research of the USSR Academy of Sciences (INR RAS). He was also a member of several committees for awarding prizes to scientists.

From 1986 to 2005, Albert Tavkhelidze headed the Georgian Academy of Sciences.

A. N. Tavkhelidze was the organizer of a series of large-scale international conferences, seminars, and schools for young scientists. He was an editor of several scientific journals including the JINR Journal “Physics of Elementary Particles and Atomic Nuclei” in which he was a member of the Editorial Board since 1992.

The area of his scientific interests included quantum field theory and elementary particle physics. He authored more than 200 scientific publications.

Albert Tavkhelidze together with A. A. Logunov obtained the Logunov–Tavkhelidze quasipotential equation. Together with N. N. Bogoliubov and B. V. Struminsky, he proposed a new quantum number of quarks – “colour”, and put forward the hypothesis on colourless hadrons. Together with A. A. Logunov and L. D. Soloviev, he obtained finite-energy sum rules. He formulated the principle of self-similarity in high-energy physics and developed a unified approach to the description of deep-elastic processes based on this principle. Together with V. A. Matveev and R. M. Muradyan, he established the Matveev-Muradyan-Tavkhelidze quark counting rules confirmed experimentally.

In the photo (from left to right): V. A. Matveev, A. N. Tavkhelidze, R. M. Muradyan

A. N. Tavkhelidze received the USSR State Prize, the Lenin Prize, the State Prize of the Russian Federation for the creation of the Baksan Neutrino Observatory, the Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation for the creation of the high current linear proton accelerator of the Moscow Meson Factory.

He was an Honorary Doctor of JINR and the N. N. Bogoliubov Institute for Theoretical Physics of the NAS of Ukraine and an Honorary Citizen of the cities of Tbilisi, Telavi, Bagdati and Troitsk. His name was listed first in the Book of Honour of the INR RAS. In 2012, the INR RAS established the Academician A. N. Tavkhelidze Prize for young scientists.

In warm memories of colleagues and students, Albert Nikiforovich remained a man who could always back. Being a friend to many, he was able to unite people to achieve a higher goal, showed great willpower and rare efficiency, was devoted to the ideals of science.