Yakov Zeldovich
Yakov Borisovich Zeldovich ForMemRS (Russian: Я́ков Бори́сович Зельдо́вич , Belarusian: Я́каў Бары́савіч Зяльдо́віч ; 8 March 1914 – 2 December 1987), also known as YaB, was a prominent Soviet physicist of Belarusian heritage. He made important contributions to physical cosmology, the study of thermonuclear reactions, combustion, and fluid movement. Starting in 1943, Zeldovich, who taught himself physics, played a key role in the Soviet Union’s nuclear weapons program.