Vavilov, Sergey Ivanovich

Sergei Vavilov was born on March 12 (24), 1891 in Moscow into the family of a prosperous merchant, a merchant of the 2nd guild , a vowel of the Moscow City Duma Ivan Ilyich Vavilov (1863-1928) and Alexandra Mikhailovna Vavilova, nee Postnikova (1868-1938).

He studied at the commercial school at Ostozhenka , then, since 1909, at the Physics and Mathematics Faculty of Moscow University . The student published two scientific papers: the first, “Photometry of multi-colored sources” ^[4] , and the second, for which he received the gold medal, - “On the kinetics of thermal fading of dyes” ^[5] . After graduating from university in 1914 with a degree in physics, with a first degree diploma, he received an offer to stay at the university to prepare for a professorship, but rejected it in protest against the reactionary policy of the Minister of Education L. A. Cassau .

In July 1914 he enrolled as a volunteer in the 25th Sapper Battalion of the Moscow Military District. During the First World War, Vavilov served first as a private soldier, then as an ensign in various technical units of the Russian army. At the front, Sergei Ivanovich completed an experimental-theoretical work "Frequency of oscillations of a loaded antenna" ^[6] . Demobilized in February 1918.

In 1918-1932, he worked at Moscow State Technical University ( associate professor , professor), where he taught courses in physics and theoretical lighting ^{[7] [8]} , headed the department of physical optics at the Institute of Physics and Biophysics of the People's Commissariat of Health of the RSFSR, created and headed by P. P. Lazarev . He taught at the Moscow Higher Zootechnical Institute (professor) and at Moscow State University ( privat-docent , professor, head of the department). In 1919 he passed the exam for the Master of Physics degree at Moscow University ^[9] .

In 1920, he married Olga Mikhailovna Bagrinovskaya (1894-1978), the daughter of a Moscow attorney at law , assistant to a well-known lawyer and judicial orator F. N. Plevako ^[10] . A son, Victor (1921-1999), was born in marriage.

In 1926 he was sent to Germany to work at the Physics Institute of the University of Berlin.

In 1929-1932 - full member of the Research Institute of Physics at Moscow State University. In 1930-1932 - Chairman of the Production Commission of the Physics Department of Moscow State University.

On January 31, 1931, S. I. Vavilov was elected a corresponding member , and on March 29, 1932, he was a full member of the USSR Academy of Sciences .

In September 1932, Vavilov was appointed scientific director of the State Optical Institute (GOI) ^[11] , and therefore moved to Leningrad, where he lived in 1932-1941 at the Birzhevaya Line , 12-15, in 1941 and 1945-1946 - Exchange Line, 4-3. At the same time, he headed the Physics Department of the Physics and Mathematics Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences located in Leningrad.

From 1933 to 1937, Vavilov was chairman of the Commission for the Study of the Stratosphere under the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences ^[12] . In December 1933, he headed the organizing committee for the 1st All-Union Stratosphere Research Conference in Leningrad in March 1934.

In September 1933, he took part in the 1st All-Union Conference on the Study of the Atomic Nucleus (Leningrad), whose foreign participants included Irene and Frederic Joliot-Curie and Paul Dirac .

Since 1933 - the permanent chairman of the Commission of the Academy of Sciences on the publication of popular science literature.

In 1933–1934, P. A. Cherenkov and S. I. Vavilov discovered and investigated radiation, known as “ radiation (effect) of Vavilov-Cherenkov ” ^[13] .

In 1934, the Physics and Mathematics Institute was divided into two independent institutes — the Physical Institute ( FIAN ), which, at the suggestion of Vavilov, was named after PN Lebedev , and the Mathematical Institute. V.A. Steklova ( Steklov Mathematical Institute ). Vavilov was appointed director of LPI. In the same year, FIAN, like the Academy of Sciences, was transferred to Moscow. Vavilov continued to head the institute, for which he regularly came to Moscow several times a month.

In 1934-1936 - Head of the Section of Physics and Mathematics of the Institute of History of Science and Technology, USSR Academy of Sciences, a member of the scientific council of the institute.

In 1935 he was sent to Poland, Italy, France, Germany, Austria to get acquainted with the work of optical laboratories and factories.

In the years 1935-1938 Vavilov was elected deputy of the Leningrad City Council.

In 1935-1938 - member of the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences. In 1935-1938 - Deputy Chairman of the Physical Group of the Branch of Mathematical and Natural Sciences of the USSR Academy of Sciences.

Since 1936 - Chairman of the Editorial Board of the journal "Nature" .

In March 1936, he made a presentation entitled “Ways for the Development of the Optical Institute” ^[14] at a session of the Academy of Sciences dedicated to the activities of leading Russian physical schools headed by academicians D. S. Rozhdestvensky and S. I. Vavilov in GOI, A. F. Ioffe in FTI and LI Mandelstam at Moscow State University .

In 1938 he was elected deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR from Leningrad. In October 1938 he was appointed Chairman of the Commission on the History of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR and Chairman of the Commission of the USSR Academy of Sciences for the Study of the Atomic Nucleus.

Since 1939 - Deputy Academic Secretary and member of the Bureau of the Department of Physical and Mathematical Sciences of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Executive editor of the Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics and the Physical Journal.

In 1940, S. I. Vavilov learned about the arrest of his brother, N. I. Vavilov . In this regard, he obtained a reception from V. M. Molotov and L. P. Beria in order to free his brother from arrest ^[15] . However, N. I. Vavilov was not released, and on January 26, 1943, died in the Saratov prison. S. I. Vavilov learned about the death of his brother on July 5, 1943 from the telegram of Oleg , the son of N. I. Vavilov. He received official notification from the NKVD only on October 26, 1943 ^[16] .

During World War II, Vavilov and his wife were evacuated to Yoshkar-Ola , where GOI worked at that time ^[17] . Son Victor, a soldier, remained in besieged Leningrad. FIAN, headed by Vavilov, was evacuated to Kazan .

1943 - Awarded the Stalin Prize for scientific work on physical optics: "Theory of concentration quenching of fluorescence solutions", "Theory of concentration depolarization of fluorescence in solutions" and "Visual measurements of quantum fluctuations." He was awarded the Order of Lenin for successful work on the development of the domestic optical-mechanical industry, fulfilling government assignments to develop new types of optical devices and scientific achievements. In June 1943 he was appointed authorized by the State Committee of the USSR State Committee on the development and coordination of scientific work in the field of infrared technology ^[18] .

In 1945 he was awarded the second Order of Lenin for outstanding achievements in the development of science and technology in connection with the 220th anniversary of the Academy of Sciences.

On July 17, 1945, he was elected President of the USSR Academy of Sciences , replacing VL Komarov in this post. In 1945, by a resolution of the USSR Council of Ministers at the Academy of Sciences, the Council for the Coordination of Scientific Activities of the Academies of Sciences of the Union Republics was created, the main organizer and permanent chairman of which was S. I. Vavilov ^[19] .

1945-1951 - Chairman of the Commissions of the USSR Academy of Sciences on luminescence and on the history of physical and mathematical sciences. Chairman of the Editorial Board of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Chief editor of the "Reports of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR" Editor-in-chief of the publication of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR "Materials for bio-bibliography of USSR scientists" Deputy (since 1949 Chairman) of the Physical Section of the Committee for the Award of Stalin Prizes.

In 1946, Vavilov, along with Cherenkov, I. M. Frank and I. Ye. Tamm, received the Stalin Prize for discovering and explaining the nature of the new type of radiation . In 1946 and 1950, he was elected a deputy to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR , in 1947, a deputy to the Moscow City Council. On March 6, 1947, he joined the first staff of the scientific council of the Physics and Technology Faculty of Moscow State University (hereinafter MIPT).

1947-1951 - Chairman of the Board of the All-Union Society for the Spread of Political and Scientific Knowledge established on his initiative.

1948-1951 - chief editor of the second edition of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia . In June — August 1950, during the summer holidays, he wrote his last fundamental work, The Microstructure of Light.

At the end of 1950, S. I. Vavilov’s health deteriorated significantly - heart and lung diseases that had been transferred during the evacuation. In December and January, he was treated in a sanatorium Barvikha. Returning from the sanatorium on January 12, 1951, he chaired the extended meeting of the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences. On January 25, 1951, at 4:45 am, he died of a myocardial infarction . He was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery (station number 1).

Work in GOI

In September 1932, Vavilov was appointed scientific director of the GOI and remained until the election in 1945 as president of the USSR Academy of Sciences. He made a great contribution to the scientific activity of the institute, organized and headed the laboratory of luminescent analysis, which he headed until the last days of his life. He actively participated in the development of the optical-mechanical industry of the country and GOI as a branch research center. He upheld the need for a close connection between science and production, opposed the division of science into “big” and “small”. During the period of the Great Patriotic War, he provided a reorientation of the scientific activities of the institute to the work of defense subjects.

FIAN Director

In the summer of 1932, at the suggestion of VL Komarov, Vice-President of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR , Vavilov headed the Physical Department of the small Physics and Mathematics Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR Academy of Sciences located in Leningrad. By that time, the entire staff of the institute was less than 10 employees, in 1928 academician A. N. Krylov was elected director. Several staff members of the physical department published, on average, one article per year. With the arrival of S. I. Vavilov, the reorganization of the physics department of the institute began, which worked almost independently of the mathematical department headed by academician I. M. Vinogradov . SI Vavilov considered the study of the structure of matter in solid, liquid and gaseous states as the main direction of the department’s activities. Less than a year, a specific research topic was determined - the properties of newly discovered neutrons , the glow of liquids under the action of radioactive radiation, colored crystals, the microstructure of liquids, electrical breakdown in gases, etc. The first result of this period was the discovery in 1933 by graduate student P. A Cherenkov weak glow of liquids under the action of gamma radiation ("Vavilov-Cherenkov radiation"), experimental studies of the collision of neutrons and protons , new results in the field of dielectric firmly gases, the nature of the hidden photographic image, the optical and electrical properties of colored crystals.

On April 28, 1934, the general meeting of the USSR Academy of Sciences adopted a resolution on dividing the Physics and Mathematics Institute into two independent ones - the Physical Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences (FIAN) ^[20] , which was soon named after P. N. Lebedev and Vavilov’s suggestion V.A. Steklova (Steklov Mathematical Institute). This date is considered the official date of the creation of FIAN. Despite the FIAN relocation simultaneously with the Academy of Sciences in August 1934 to Moscow, Vavilov was appointed its director. He invited to work at the Institute physicists already known by that time - D.I. Blokhintsev , V.I. Veksler , G.S. Landsberg , V.L. Levshin , M.A. Leontovich , L.I. Mandelstam , P. A. Rebinder , D. V. Skobeltsyna , I. E. Tamm , S. N. Rzhevkina and a number of others.

The Laboratory of the Atomic Nucleus was one of the first to be organized in the physical department with the inclusion of the nature of cosmic rays in its subjects ^[21] . Anticipating the importance and prospects of the development of nuclear physics in early 1930, S. I. Vavilov attracted P. A. Cherenkov and N. A. Dobrodin, young physicists I. M. Frank, L. V. Grosheva to work in the laboratory of their post-graduate students. , a little later, D. V. Skobeltsyn , (who headed the laboratory at FIAN), V. I. Veksler, S. N. Vernova, S. N. Rzhevkin. A significant result was the theory of "Vavilov-Cherenkov radiation" developed by S. I. Vavilov, I. E. Tamm and I. M. Frank. Laboratory staff took an active part up to 1940 in complex Elbrus expeditions to measure cosmic rays and observe a number of atmospheric-optical phenomena ^[12] .

On the initiative of S.I. Vavilov in 1940, a “cyclotron brigade” was created to study the possibility of building a cyclotron with a pole diameter of several meters. Its structure includes Wexler, Vernov, Groshev, Feinberg and Cherenkov. Even during the Second World War, in 1944, Weksler discovered the principle of autophasing , on the basis of which an electronic synchrotron with an energy of up to 250 million eV was built at FIAN in 1947.

In accordance with the intention of S.I. Vavilov to create a broad-profile physics institute, following the Laboratory of the Atomic Nucleus, over the next few years, laboratories were established at the FIAN on the relevant areas of physics:

• Laboratory of Physics of Oscillations (hand. - L. I. Mandelstam (since 1935 - N. D. Papaleksi , the main direction is the study of the propagation of electromagnetic waves and the problem of nonlinear oscillations)).

• Laboratory of Physical Optics (hand. - G. S. Landsberg, the main direction - Raman scattering, molecular analysis, the study of the structure of liquids and crystals).

• Laboratory of luminescence (supervised by - S.I. Vavilov, the main direction is the study of the nature and applications of crystalline phosphors).

• Laboratory of Spectral Analysis (supervisor - S. L. Mandelstam, the main direction - the development of the theory of spectral-analytical research methods).

• Laboratory of Physics of Dielectrics (hand. - B. Vul , the main direction - the study of the dielectric properties and electrical breakdown of materials).

• Laboratory of Theoretical Physics (supervised by I. Ye. Tamm, the main direction is the theory of the atomic nucleus, cosmic rays and other issues of theoretical physics).

• Laboratory of Acoustics (supervised by S. N. Rzhevkin, since 1940 - N. N. Andreev , the main focus is on hydroacoustics ).

From 1934 to 1937, the Institute included a laboratory of surface phenomena (supervised by P. A. Rehbinder ).

At the end of July 1941, LPI was evacuated to Kazan and worked there until the autumn of 1943. SI Vavilov insisted on sending to Kazan a large part of the fund of the scientific library of the institute, which turned out to be the only open academic library for all institutions. Constantly living in Yoshkar-Ola, where the GOI was evacuated, he continued to lead the institute, coming several times a month to Kazan, and then, after the FIAN re-evacuation, to Moscow.

During the years of the Great Patriotic War, LPI substantially rebuilt its work, bringing it as close as possible to the needs of wartime. Under the direct supervision of S. I. Vavilov, luminescence laboratories of luminous compositions were developed for applying to the scales of instruments and orientation in complete darkness. Employees of the acoustic laboratory created a trawl to detonate German floating mines, and worked to improve methods for detecting enemy aircraft. The laboratory of the atomic nucleus has developed new flaw detection devices. The laboratory of spectral analysis has created and introduced into production devices ( styloscopes ) for express analysis and sorting of metal parts coming from the front of broken domestic and trophy military equipment.

In June 1945, the Academy of Sciences celebrated the 220th anniversary of its foundation. At the same time, the FIAN marked the 220th anniversary as a "direct descendant" of the Academy's physical office. In the article ^[22] devoted to the jubilee date, Vavilov briefly summarized the results of FIAN’s activities over the past 12 years, that is, during the period of his leadership of the institute. He notes, in particular, that the number of works published by the Institute’s staff during this period is close to a thousand. For the most outstanding results, the Stalin awards received:

• Academicians L.I. Mandelstam and N.D. Papaleksi for their work on radio wave propagation
• Academician S.I. Vavilov for research in the field of luminescence and visual quantum fluctuations
• Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences G. S. Landsberg for his work on spectral analysis
• S. A. Friedman for his work on luminous compositions

The increase in the volume of work in a number of areas led to the formation of new scientific institutions on the basis of divisions and with the participation of FIAN employees:

• 1937 - Colloid Electrochemical Institute ( P. A. Rehbinder )
• 1946 - Research Institute of Nuclear Physics, Moscow State University ( D.V. Skobeltsyn )
• 1946 - Radio Engineering Laboratory of the USSR Academy of Sciences ( A.L. Mints ), since 1957 - Radio Engineering Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences
• 1947 - Obninsk Research Laboratory ( D.I. Blokhintsev ), in 1950 transformed into the Physics and Energy Institute
• 1951 - High Energy Laboratory of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research ( Dubna ; V.I. Veksler )
• 1953 - Acoustic Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences ( N. N. Andreev , L. M. Brekhovskikh )

President of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1945-1951)

On July 17, 1945, he was elected President of the USSR Academy of Sciences , replacing VL Komarov in this post. On March 6, 1947, he joined the first staff of the scientific council of the Physics and Technology Faculty of Moscow State University (hereinafter MIPT).

SI Vavilov was a popularizer of science, the initiator of the creation of the All-Union Society for the Spread of Political and Scientific Knowledge and its first chairman (1947-1951); in many respects it was precisely his efforts that established the name of M. V. Lomonosov as a symbol of Russian science, at his suggestion a museum of M. Lomonosov was organized in the structure of the USSR Academy of Sciences .

Chief editor of the Complete Works of M. V. Lomonosov in 10 volumes (1950-1957; Volume 11 was published in 1983).

Chief editor of the second edition of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1-7 volumes; 1949-1951).

Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR (1938-1947). Deputy USSR Armed Forces 2-3 convocation of the Leninsky district of Moscow (1946-1951).

The main direction in science for S. I. Vavilov was research in the field of physical optics, in particular the phenomenon of luminescence . In 1925, together with V. L. Levshin, he conducted a series of experiments in which a decrease in the absorption rate of uranium glass was found at high light intensities. The observed effect formed the basis of nonlinear optics ^[23] . He introduced the concept of quantum yield of luminescence and investigated the dependence of this parameter on the wavelength of the exciting light ( Vavilov's law ). Investigated the phenomenon of polarization of luminescence, became the founder of a new direction - micro - optics , did much for the development of nonlinear optics . Together with his graduate student P. A. Cherenkov , he discovered the Vavilov – Cherenkov effect in 1934, for which Cherenkov in 1958, after Vavilov’s death, was awarded the Nobel Prize ^[24] . Sam I. Vavilov himself was nominated for the Nobel Prize twice (in 1957 and 1958) ^[25] .

In the 1920s, on the initiative of S. I. Vavilov, research began on the creation of new for that time light sources — fluorescent lamps . Then, under his leadership, the work was continued simultaneously in three scientific organizations - at the LPI named after PN Lebedev , GOI , and at the VEI named after V.I. Lenin . Shortly before the beginning of the war, on May 30, 1941, at the General Meeting of the USSR Academy of Sciences, S. I. Vavilov gave a report “Luminescent Sources of Light”, accompanying him with a demonstration of the first samples of fluorescent lamps. Later, in the post-war years, with the most active participation of S. I. Vavilov, their widespread industrial production began ^[26] .

• two orders of Lenin (1943, 10.06.1945)
• Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1939) - for the fulfillment of government tasks and the development of new types of weapons and the strengthening of the combat power of the Red Army and Navy
• medal "For Valiant Labor in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945" (1945)
• Medal "In memory of the 800th anniversary of Moscow" (1947)
• Stalin Prize of the second degree (1943) - for scientific work on physical optics "Theory of concentration quenching of fluorescence solutions", "Theory of concentration depolarization of fluorescence in solutions", "Visual measurements of quantum fluctuations" (1942)
• Stalin Prize of the first degree (1946) - for the discovery and study of the emission of electrons during their movement in a substance with superluminal speed, the results of which are summarized and published in "Works of LPI named after P. N. Lebedev" (1944)
• Stalin Prize of the second degree (1951 - posthumously ) - for the development of fluorescent lamps
• Stalin Prize of the first degree (1952 - posthumously ) - for the scientific works "The Microstructure of Light" and "The Eye and the Sun" (1950)
• S.I. Vavilov was an honorary member of the Academies of Sciences of the Armenian SSR, Belarusian SSR, Kazakh SSR, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences , Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts, Committee of Sciences of Mongolia, National Geographic Society of the USA , Indian Academy of Sciences in Bangalore; Corresponding Member of the German Academy of Sciences in Berlin, the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts ; Honorary Doctor of Science, University of Prague ; an honorary member of the Moscow Society of Naturalists .

• State Optical Institute . S.I. Vavilova (St. Petersburg)
• Institute of the History of Science and Technology named after S. I. Vavilov, Russian Academy of Sciences (1991)
• Prior to assignment to the Institute of Physical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences named after P. L. Kapitsa, the institute was named after S. I. Vavilov
• The gold medal named after S. I. Vavilov - awarded annually for outstanding work in the field of physics, established in 1951 by the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences
• All-Union Scientific and Research Lighting Institute. S.I. Vavilova
• Scientific and Technical Society of Instrument Engineering Industry. Acad. S.I. Vavilova
• Streets in various locations in the states of the former USSR
• Research vessels "Sergey Vavilov" and "Academician Sergey Vavilov"
• The asteroid (2862) Vavilov , discovered by the astronomer of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory N. S. Chernykh on May 15, 1977, was named after S. I. Vavilov and his brother N. I. Vavilov on May 15, 1977 ^[27]
• Crater on the far side of the moon ^[28]
• All-Russian Research and Design Institute of Electric Locomotive them. S.I. Vavilova (Moscow)
• Plaques on the building of the State Optical Institute, on the old building of the Physics Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Miusskaya Square) and on the house where S.I. Vavilov lived
• Monument to S. I. Vavilov in front of the main building of the State Optical Institute (1971)
• Minsk Mechanical Plant them. S.I. Vavilova (1957, since 1971 as part of BelOMO ) ^[29]

In philately

• In the USSR, postage stamps dedicated to Vavilov were issued:

•  

  1961

• Vavilov Sergey Ivanovich // Brasos - Vesh. - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1971. - P. 216. - ( Great Soviet Encyclopedia : [in 30 t.] / Ch. Ed. AM Prokhorov ; 1969-1978, t. 4).
• Kravets, T.P.P.S.I. Vavilov (Essay on Life and Activities) // UFN. - 1952. - V. 46 , no. 1 . - p . 3-22 .
• Köhler V.R. Sergey Vavilov. Biographical story. - M .: Children's literature, 1984. - p. 74-76. - 271 s. - 100 000 copies
• Miroshnikov M.M. Academician S.I. Vavilov, Scientific Director of the State Optical Institute, an outstanding organizer of Soviet science (on the 100th anniversary of his birth) // Optical-mechanical industry. - 1991. - p . 4-10 .
• Vernov S.N.S.I. Vavilov - the leader of the assault on the stratosphere and space // Sergey Ivanovich Vavilov. Essays and memories. - M .: "Science", 1981. - p. 238-241. - 352 s. - 12 000 copies
• In memory of S. I. Vavilov. M., 1952;
• Levshin L.V.S.I. Vavilov. M., 1960 (4th ed. 2003; in the middle. "Scientific biographies");
• Köhler V.R. Sergey Vavilov. M., 1961 (2nd ed. 1975; in the middle. " ZhZL ");
• Sergey Ivanovich Vavilov: Essays and Memories / ed. I.M. Frank . M., 1979 (3rd ed. 1991);
• Levshin L.V. Light - my vocation. - M .: Moscow Worker, 1987. - (Ser. "The Creators of Science and Technology").
• Khramov Yu. A. Vavilov Sergey Ivanovich // Physics: A Biographical Reference / Ed. A.I. Akhiezer . - Ed. 2nd, rev. and add. - M .: Science , 1983. - p. 51. - 400 p. - 200 000 copies (in the lane)
• Bolotovsky B. M. Sergey Ivanovich Vavilov - a scientist and a man: a view from the threshold of the 21st century . M., 1998;
• Соловьёв Ю. И. Академик С. И. Вавилов: драма русского интеллигента // Вопросы истории естествознания и техники . 1999. № 1;
• Фейнберг Е. Л. Эпоха и личность. Физики: Сборник. — М.: Физматгиз, 2003.
• Вавилов Ю. Н. В долгом поиске. Книга о братьях Николае и Сергее Вавиловых. М.: ФИАН, 2004.
• Сергей Иванович Вавилов. Новые штрихи к портрету / Авт.-сост. В. М. Березанская; Физический институт им. П. Н. Лебедева РАН . М., 2004.

Bibliography

• Собрание сочинений, т. 1—4. — М.: Изд-во АН СССР. — 1952—1956.
• Дневники, 1909—1951 : в 2 кн. / Сергей Иванович Вавилов; status В. В. Вавилова; редактор-составитель Ю. И. Кривоносов; rep. ed. В. М. Орел. — М. : Наука, 2012. — (Научное наследство ; Т. 35 : в 2 кн.). ISBN 978-5-02-037639-7
• Экспериментальные основания теории относительности. — М.—Л.: Госиздат. — 1928. — 168 с.
• Исаак Ньютон (1643—1727). 4 изд. (доп.) — М.: Изд-во «Наука». — 1989. — 271 с.
• Ломоносов и русская наука. 2 изд. — М.: Военное изд-во Мин. Воор. Сил СССР. — 1947. — 46 с.
• О «теплом» и «холодном» свете (Тепловое излучение и люминесценция). — М.— Л.: Изд-во АН СССР. — 1949. — 75с.
• Микроструктура света (Исследования и очерки. — М.: Изд-во АН СССР. — 1950. — 199 с.
• Глаз и Солнце. — М., 1927, 1932 [2-е изд.], 1938 [3-е изд.], 1941 [4-е изд.], 1950 [5-е изд.], 195? [6-е изд.], 1956 [7-е изд.], 1961 [8-е изд.], 1976 [9-е изд.], 1981 [10-е изд.], 2006 [переиздание, «Амфора»]. ISBN 5-367-00060-6 .

• Профиль Сергея Ивановича Вавилова на официальном сайте РАН
• Материалы на сайте Архива РАН
• Список статей С. И. Вавилова на сайте РАН
• Вавилов Сергей Иванович (неопр.) . Chronicle of Moscow University . Дата обращения 9 ноября 2017.
• Краткая биография на сайте Музея землеведения МГУ
• Статья в энциклопедии « Кругосвет »
• Вавилов, Сергей Иванович . On the site " Chronos " .
• Статья на сайте книжной серии « Литературные памятники »
• Краткая биография на сайте Виртуального музея СПбГУ ИТМО
• С архивной полки
• Кривоносов Ю. И. С. И. Вавилов: биографический очерк