History

An actual chronicle of the Institute started on April 1969 with foundation of the Lviv Department for Statistical Theory of Condensed Matter of the Kyiv Institute for Theoretical Physics (ITP) of the Academy of Sciences of Ukrainian SSR. This department was founded by young and active professor Igor Yukhnovskii, the head of the Chair for Theoretical Physics of Ivan Franko Lviv State University. An idea to establish this department was the natural continuation of the active scientific collaboration between Yukhnovskii and the head of ITP academic M. M. Bogolyubov along with representatives of his scientific group.

At the beginning, the staff of the newly-formed department consisted of only two persons: the head and the laboratory assistant. Later on, the gifted students and post-graduate students of Lviv State University were attracted to its activities; gradually this becomes a good regular tradition. In 1980, when the department got stronger, two more scientific subdivisions were founded on its base: the Department for Theory of Solutions (the head – doctor of physical and mathematical sciences Myroslav Holovko) and Department for Quantum Statistics (the head - doctor of physical and mathematical sciences Ivan Vakarchuk), which permitted this year to set up the Lviv Division of Statistical Physics of the ITP. In 1990, by resolution of Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of UkrSSR № 213 (7th of September 1990), the Institute for Condensed Matter Physics was created on the base of this Division, which became the first academic centre for fundamental investigations in physics in West Ukraine. Five new departments and three laboratories were founded then. From the time of foundation and till May 2006, the Institute was headed by Academic of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Ihor Rafailovich Yukhnovskii.

Gradually, the whole scientific school of academic Yukhnovskii was formed in Lviv, the main achievement of which is a rich collection of novel effective statistical physics methods, in particular the method of collective variables (I.R. Yukhnovskii, I.O. Vakarchuk, Yu.K. Rudavskii, M. P. Kozlovskii I. M. Mryglod, Yu. V. Holovatch, I. M. Idzyk, M. A. Korynevskii, O.V. Patsahan), statistical theory of ionic and molecular systems (I. R. Yukhnovskii, M. F. Holovko, Yu. V. Kalyuzhnyi, O. O. Pizio, A. D. Trokhymchuk), quantum theory of strongly correlated electronic, proton and spin systems (I.V. Stasyuk, R.R. Levitsky, O.V. Derzhko, A.M. Shvaika), original methods of nonequilibrium statistical physics (M.V. Tokarchuk, I.M. Mryglod, T.M. Bryk) and microscopic theory of metals and alloys (Z.О.Gurskii, M.V. Vavrukh). From the middle of 1990ies, a new direction in statistical physics was  started at the Institute, namely the computer simulations of equilibrium and nonequlibrium properties of fluids, polydisperse systems, crystals and glasses, biological systems (T.M. Bryk, I.P. Omelyan, Y.G.Chushak, A.F. Kovalenko, Ya.M. Ilnytskii, A.M. Baumketner, N.I. Pavlenko).

The principle directions of scientific research in ICMP are elaboration and development of analytical methods in statistical physics and computer simulations of physical and chemical processes in solids and fluids.

In 1992, the new project UARNet (Ukrainian academic and research network) was established, which was the first in Ukraine to build in February 1993 its own satellite connection channel to global information network. Later (1995), a separate laboratory for information technologies and computer networks was founded in ICMP, known since 1999 as independent state enterprise “Research and Telecommunication Centre “Ukrainian Academic and Research Network” of the ICMP of NAS of Ukraine (the head – I. A. Protsykevich).

Since 1993 the Institute issues a quarterly journal “Condensed Matter Physics”, which publishes both original and review papers on statistical physics and theory of condensed matter. The journal is recognized by the European Physical Society; since 2005 it is included into the list of the main scientific editions, created by the American Institute for Scientific Information, and in 2008 it was the first in Ukraine to be evaluated by an impact-factor. The international editorial board is working with the journal, consisting of leading specialists from ten countries of the world.

Since 90ies of the last century, the Institute is actively involved in investigations of physical and chemical properties and states of fuel-containing materials (FCM) in the “Ukryttja” (“Shelter”) facility and their changes in time.

In February 2001, the first in Ukraine computational cluster is launched, which is permanently modernized and steadily increases its power. In 2007 the cluster was connected to GRID network of the NAS of Ukraine, and in 2009 the West Regional GRID node of the academic GRID-network was created on its base.

Since 2006 the Institute is headed by the former student of I. R. Yukhnovskii, the corresponding member of NAS of Ukraine Ihor Myronovych Mryglod, Ihor Rafailovich being elected an honorary director of ICMP.

The main Institute building, located at the address Svientsitski Str. 1 (the former Instytutska Str.), was built in 1900 according to the project of Ludvig Verzhbitsky – a well-known architector, art critic, public figure and designer of many municipal buildings in Galychyna. Previously, the Society for Scientific Assistance was located here. In Soviet times, the building belongs to Lviv Committee of Communistic Party of Ukraine (the school of supreme party active members, local Komsomol league school). The Institute for Condensed Matter Physics of NAS of Ukraine moved into this building in 1991.