Upon graduation from Moscow Engineering Physics Institute (MEPhI) in 1952, Boris Trubnikov started working as one of the lead researchers the Kurchatov Institute's plasma theory Laboratory headed by Academician M.A. Leontovich. B.A. Trubnikov won international acclaim for his pioneer works in numerous areas of laboratory and space plasma physics.

Trubnikov's theory of electron cyclotron radiation of hot magnetized plasma is the basis of modern energy balance calculations and plasma diagnostics in a very wide range of scientific research ranging from controlled fusion to deep space exploration. B.A. Trubnikov was the first to explain the landmark phenomenon in fusion history: he has shown that the neutrons generated in early experiments with in plasma focus and Z-pinch devices were of non-fusion origin. The competition between the fusion and "Trubnikov" or "accelerative" mechanisms of speeding up charged particles producing neutrons is the classics of plasma physics in pulsed power discharges.

Trubnikov's theory for the sausage-type Z-pinch instability created at that time was then transferred into space and became the model of galactic cosmic rays generation in ultra-powerful plasma pinches. The scope of B.A. Trubnikov's scientific interests is truly impressive. He successfully developed models allowing the quantitative description of phenomena such as: the plasma kinetics and hydrodynamics; mass spectra of gravitationally bound astronomical bodies; physics of volcanoes, including the "Coulomb law" for the decrease in the ash deposit thickness; universal model of "quasi-gaseous unstable mediums" describing tens of different non-linear phenomena; models of cosmic gamma-ray bursts; universal "Trubnikov" density distribution law (1/m) describing various physical, biological, and social phenomena (e.g., mass distribution of volcanic ash, distribution of predators with respect to their masses, distribution of companies with respect to number of persons employed, etc.). This list is far from being exhaustive. B.A. Trubnikov published more than 150 scientific papers in academic journals and many popular science articles. He is a sole author of first plasma theory textbook in Russia and a co-author of a few monographs, articles on plasma physics in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, Physical Encyclopedic Dictionary.

For 55 years, B.A. Trubnikov was a professor at MEPhI and lectured students of Plasma Physics and Theoretical Physics departments. He was the thesis supervisor of many graduate and postgraduate students, some of whom have become well-known scientists. Boris Andreevich was not only an outstanding theoretician and superb educator, but also a multi-talented person, a poet, a mountain-climber, an alpine skier, the champion of MEPhI in running and swimming when he was a student, and a very jovial and sociable man. The cherished memory of this outstanding person will always remain in our hearts.

Condolences and remembrances may be sent via his colleague Valery Kurnaev at kurnaev@yandex.ru