Abram A. Slutskin

Who was Abram A. Slutskin?

Abram A. Slutskin was a Russian scientist and professor who had a major role in shaping radio science in the Soviet Union. He was a pioneer in cavity magnetron development and the application of these devices in radio-location systems.

Slutskin, a native of Ukraine, entered the Kharkov University in 1910. He received the Kandidat Nauk from the Physics-Mathematics Department in 1916, and remained there as a docent and researcher during the turbulent times of the Russian Revolution. In 1921, prominent physicist Dmitry Rozhansky started a research department of physics at KU. Slutskin joined this activity as soon as it was formed.

Rozhansky had a strong interest in high-frequency electromagnetic oscillations, and influenced Slutskin to begin research in this area. The earlier work on magnetrons by Albert Hull, August Žáček, and Erich Habann was studied and improved, resulting in devices generating oscillations with wavelengths between 300 to 40 cm., During 1928-1930, Slutskin studied in Germany under Heinrich Barkhausen at the Dresden Technische Hochschule.