Department of Physical and Chemical Mechanics was founded in 1968 with the aim of preparing students of Faculty of Molecular and Chemical Physics of Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) specializing at solving interdiscpline problems demanding knowledge of physics, chemistry, classical and quantum mechanics.

Work with students and graduate students of the department is carried out at the Ishlinsky Institute for Problems in Mechanics of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IPMech RAS), where they are preparing a dissertation for the degree of bachelor and master of science, as well as PhD theses under the guidance of leading experts of the institute. The department trains specialists in computer science, theoretical and applied physics in the following areas:

  • Aerophsyics and radiative gas dynamics;
  • Physics of shock waves and nonequilibrium hightemperature gas dynamic processes;
  • Physical mechanics of gas discharges, electric-discharge and gas-dynamic lasers;
  • Physics of the interaction of radiation with matter;
  • Physics and chemistry of combustion and detonation processes;
  • Physics of nonequilibrium processes in turbulent flows, self-organization processes in gas and plasma flows;
  • Physics of magneto-hydrodynamic phenomena in astrophysics, geophysics and energy;
  • Physics of radiative heat transfer;
  • Applied quantum mechanics and spectral optical properties of gases and plasma;
  • Collision-radiation models of physical gas dynamics;
  • Creation of computer methods for solving problems of physical and chemical mechanics and dynamics of a radiating gas;

Students of the department carry out theoretical and computational studies using multiprocessor computing systems. To carry out scientific research students can be provided with access to:

  • MIPT computing cluster;
  • VNIIA Óomputing clusters (for students undergoing internships at the Laboratory of Physical and Chemical Gas Dynamics);
  • "Lomonosov" supercomputer;

Lecture courses taught at the department are selected in such a way that students who have attended them have enough basic knowledge to solve problems that arise in the process of performing their scientific work. Below is a list of the main lecture courses taught at the department:

  • Physical theory of gas dynamics;
  • Physics of gas discharge;
  • Fluid and gas mechanics;
  • Physics of processes in shock waves;
  • Chemical hydrodynamics;
  • Numerical models of continuum mechanics;
  • Theory of radiation processes and heat transfer;
  • Physicochemical processes in gaseous media;
  • Theory of combustion and explosion;
  • Dynamics of radiative gas;
  • Mathematical models of fluid and gas mechanics;
  • Heterogeneous combustion of solid fuels;
  • Computer and information support of scientific research;
  • Nonequilibrium statistical mechanics and thermodynamics;

Weekly cathedral seminar in computational physics is an integral part of the educational process in the field of mathematical modeling of physical processes. The work of the seminar is carried out in two forms:

  1. Reports or a short course of lectures by leading experts of the institute;
  2. A discussion of the current work of the seminar participants or essays on a given topic.

Students who pass the exams for the taken courses taken receive the recommendations of the department for admission to the graduate school of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, IPMech RAS or for participation in various competitions and projects in the field of computational physics.

For students and PhD students of the department, within the framework of the annual scientefic conference of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, a meeting of the section "Computational Models of Molecular Physics and Physico-Chemical Mechanics" is held within the walls of the IPMech RAS. Teachers of the department motivate even 4 year students who are just starting their scientific career to participate in this conference. Participation in this conference enables students to quickly integrate into the learning process at the department, master the principles of scientific work, and more actively develop the skills of public speaking, preparing scientific presentations and reports.

Teachers, students and graduate students of the department take an active part in organizing and conducting the All-Russian school-seminar "Aerophysics and physical mechanics of classical and quantum systems". This conference is held annually at the IPMech RAS, tentatively in late November - early December. Both students and scientists with extensive research experience participate in it. The format of the conference includes oral presentations, and poster sessions. The work of the conference is structured in such a way that each of its participants (including participants in poster sessions) can present their main scientific results to the scientific community. Based on the results of the conference, works are published in russian and foreign electronic journals.

All scientific areas under research at the department are supported by domestic and foreign grants and contracts, which allows the department staff and students and PhD students working under their leadership to actively participate in various international projects and scientific programs in the field of physical mechanics. The experience of working together with leading foreign scientific centers and universities shows that the graduates of the department are in great demand in scientific groups conducting research in these scientific areas. The most successful PhD students and students of the department go on internships and to continue their studies at leading foreign universities. Currently, in England, France, Italy and the United States there are several graduate students and PhD students, as well as graduates of the department.