Prominent Nuclear Scientist Ashot Sarkisov Passes Away, One of the Founders of the Soviet Nuclear Fleet

Ashot Sarkisov, an academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences and one of the world's leading scientists in the field of atomic energy, has passed away. He was also a key figure in the creation of the domestic nuclear fleet, according to TASS, citing a representative of the Institute for Nuclear Energy Safety Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

“Ashot Arakelovich passed away at the age of 99. He suffered a heart failure on the morning of October 17. This is an irreparable loss for the scientific community of the world and Russia,” the representative said.

Academician Sarkisov made invaluable contributions to the study of fundamental physical processes in nuclear power plants. The results of his work enabled the development of dynamic theory of nuclear reactors, which led to the emergence of methodologies for creating information and statistical models and automatic protective systems for naval nuclear power plants. This methodology has been used in the design of several generations of Soviet and Russian nuclear icebreakers as well as floating nuclear power plants, the first of which was created in Russia.

Academician Sarkisov's theoretical and experimental research allowed for the creation of a fundamentally new infallible energy source—a thermoelectric generator embedded in the core of a nuclear reactor. He also made significant contributions to the training of engineering personnel for the fleet of nuclear submarines as the director of the Sevastopol Higher Naval Engineering School.