Their names are in the history of science

Academician N.Sodnom is 100 years old

25 May marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding scientist and organizer of science, the founder of the Mongolian School of Nuclear Physics, Academician Namsrayn Sodnom (1923-2002), Vice-Director of JINR in 1967-1973 and Member of the Scientific Council of the Institute in 1956-1991.

Namsrayn Sodnom was born on 25 May, 1923 in Aldarkhaan sum of Zavkhan aimag. His father Dondog Namsrai was a clerk under the Khoshun administration during the period of the Mongolian Bogd Khanate and after having graduated from a publishing school (1913-1918) in the city of Harbin, he became a teacher of Russian and Chinese writing. Therefore, he paid great attention to the education of his son. In 1931-1938, Sodnom studied at an elementary school in the city of Ulaanbaatar. When his father was executed on false charges in 1937, he was expelled from school as the son of an enemy. In 1939, he joined the philological sector of the Science Committee as a junior researcher. Under the supervision of the famous scientists Ts.Damdinsuren and Y.Tsevel, he started translating a textbook on literature from Russian for higher grades of the secondary school and it was the beginning of a long journey for this well-known scientist with a broad outlook. Later, he translated three textbooks on physics by A.V.Peryshkin and A.A.Fadeev's novel "Rout" into his native language.

In 1942-1946, N.Sodnom studied at the Mongolian State University (MonSU) a teacher of mathematics and physics by profession. He graduated from the university with honors and kept on teaching at his native university. He was soon appointed Head of the department. In 1949-1953, he studied at the graduate school of the Lomonosov Moscow State University and defended the degree of candidate of physical and mathematical sciences. After graduating from graduate school, the young scientist N. Sodnom was appointed Head teacher of MonSU in 1953. He had worked at the university for more than forty years, holding the positions of a teacher, head of the department, head teacher and for 17 years of a rector.

In March 1956, in Moscow, N.Sodnom participated in the signing of an agreement on the establishment of JINR. Since then, his life and work had been inextricably interacted with the Institute. In the same year, he started his nuclear physics research at JINR. Despite the lack of experience in the field of nuclear physics, the young scientist mastered the methodology and technique of experiments in implementing physics research on low-energy accelerators; together with a group of Soviet and Korean scientists, he carried out research on the nuclear reaction T+He³ with the neutron yield. As one of the prominent scientists, N.Sodnom was a member of the JINR Scientific Council from 1956 to 1991.

In 1967-1973, as Vice-Director of JINR, Professor N.Sodnom carried out a great deal of scientific and administrative work. As Chairman of the Section on low energy physics at JINR, he deeply delved into the scientific plans of the Laboratories of Neutron Physics, Nuclear Problems and Nuclear Reactions, as well as into the problems of their financing. In 1984-1987, Academician N.Sodnom worked as Head of the Sector in the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions.

N.Sodnom laid the foundation for cooperation with research organizations, nuclear physics centres in Austria, Egypt, India and other countries. About a meeting in 1957 with Japanese physicists, Nobel Prize winners Sakata and Tomonaga, he wrote in his memoirs: "In 1957, we (the Mongolian delegation) took part in a conference on nuclear disarmament. In addition to the main conference, we had many different meetings with people of our professions. I visited many laboratories and met many physicists. Among them, I was fortunate to meet theorists Shinichiro Tomonaga and Shoichi Sakata more than once that subsequently were internationally recognized and were awarded the Nobel Prize. Since at that time I was working in the newly established Joint Institute for Nuclear Research of the Socialist Countries in the city of Dubna, in the Soviet Union... under the name of Dubna, these scientists became interested in me and told about their search for a possibility of establishing contact with JINR. So, they turned to me with a request. According to them, in Japan at that time, scientific experts employed in industry were well-funded and scientists engaged in basic research suffered from insufficient funding. They did not have the opportunity to cooperate with famous Russian scientists, so they asked me to convey to JINR Directorate their request to invite several Japanese scientists to work in Dubna. I agreed and upon returning to Dubna, conveyed the request of the Japanese to JINR Director Professor D.I.Blokhintsev and asked him to support it. Although my director was pleased in his heart, he was cautious and said: "You should write about this to our central committee of the party. We will support." I wrote to the Central Committee of the Party and requested permission for scientific cooperation with Japan, noting its importance. In 1957, Dubna was a closed city where people from capitalist countries were almost not allowed. Soon several scientists from Japan came to Dubna for the first time for a short time, including Professor Kobe from Osaka and started to work."

In 1972, as a member of the JINR delegation that included N.N.Bogolyubov, G.N.Flerov, D.I.Blokhintsev and other scientists, N.Sodnom took part in the International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy. He also took the initiative and put a lot of effort into the development of cooperation between JINR and Mongolia, to the training of completely new specialists in the field of electronic and computer science necessary for Mongolia. In 1967, a neutron generator with a high power of 200 kV, obtained from JINR as assistance, was put into operation at MonSU. On the initiative of Academician N. Sodnom, Mongolia joined the IAEA in 1973 and in 1975, the X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, delivered as technical assistance in the framework of cooperation with the IAEA, was put into operation. Thus, the development of research in this area was initiated. In the 1990s, the 22 MeV microtron was obtained from JINR as international assistance and put into operation, headed by N.Sodnom. Hence, the Laboratory of Nuclear Research, established on the initiative and under the direct supervision of Professor N.Sodnom and with the support of JINR, expanded and became the Centre for Nuclear Physics Research, turning into an educational and research complex.

In 1980-1982, N.Sodnom was Chairman of the State Committee for Higher, Special Secondary and Professional Technical Education of the MPR. In 1987, he was elected President of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences and made a significant contribution to expanding cooperation with foreign academies and scientists, as well as developing international relations. He personally supervised the holding of the next conference of Mongolian scholars in 1987, the implementation of the Mongolian-Japanese joint project "Three Rivers" and the organization of the 750th anniversary of the historical source "The Secret History of Mongolia". In 1988, he signed the first agreement with the International Research and Exchanges Council (IREX) for the exchange of Mongolian and American scientists. The law on the status of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, developed under his supervision, played an important role in the transition of research work to market relations.

Since the 1990s, N.Sodnom had led research related to the use of atomic energy in Mongolia, the development of nuclear analysis techniques, the implementation in the production and the use of nuclear technologies.

Academician N.Sodnom was a major statesman and a public figure. He was Deputy Member of the Central Committee of MPRP and was repeatedly elected Deputy of the Great People's Khural. His deputy activities included the following duties: Chairman of the Mongolian Peace Committee, Member of the Mongolian National Committee of UNESCO, Chairman of the Committee on State Awards under the Council of Ministers, Deputy Chairman of the Atomic Energy Committee, Plenipotentiary Representative of the Mongolian People's Republic at JINR. He was also elected Chairman of the Mongolian-German, Mongolian-English, Mongolian-Indian and Mongolian-Japanese friendship societies. In 1961, N.Sodnom received the title of professor, was elected Corresponding Member of MAS and in 1975 - Full Member of MAS. He was awarded the title of Honored Teacher of the Country, the Orders of Sukhbaatar, the Red Banner of Labor, the Polar Star and honorary medals in honor of the anniversaries of the people's revolution, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor of the USSR, honorary medals in honor of the anniversaries of international organizations of the world.

One of the central streets of the city of Ulaanbaatar was named in honor of Academician N.Sodnom. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Academician N.Sodnom, a decision was made to assign his name to the Nuclear Physics Research Centre of the Mongolian State University. The groundbreaking ceremony for the monument to the outstanding scientist took place on 25 May, 2023.

The material was prepared by the Office of the Plenipotentiary Representative of Mongolia at JINR