was a renowned  expert in plasma physics and gas discharge phenomena. His pioneer studies of relaxation processes in hydrodynamics and calculations of thermodynamic properties of gases at high temperatures have found numerous applications, including those arising from the early stages of circumterrestrial space  research ¹.
     Theory of the low-voltage discharge ^{2, 3, 4} developed by I.P.Stakhanov formed a basis of   the experimental researches and became an important contribution to the creations of the thermoemission energy transformer. Due to these works, in USSR for the first time in the world reactor with direct transformation of nuclear energy into electricity was created. In the 80-ies the transformer reactor were used as onboard source of energy on space-vehicles. These achievements remain not surpassed till now.
         In the years 1969 to 1975, I.P.Stakhanov, working at IZMIRAN, developed the physics of the nonlinear phenomena in the ionosphere and space plasma ^{5, 6}. Simultaneously he put forward an original hypothesis (1973) about the cluster nature of the ball lightning.  In opinion of many physicists, the cluster model requires the minimum number of additional assumptions to explain various properties of this object. The monograph ^{7, 8} written by Stakhanov has played an important role in putting the problem of ball lightning in its proper place in scientific research. The third post-mortem edition  of the monograph ⁹ has been supported by the Russian Foundation of Basic Researches (grant RFBR ¹ 96-02-30084). Another monograph  was published post-mortem too ¹⁰.
           The scope of I.P.Stakhanov’s research on plasma physics, the problems of controlled thermonuclear fusion. Together with his co-workers he has developed the concept of an "active first wall", which absorbs and liberates active gas ¹¹. In this connection, the problem of hydrogen diffusion in solids with a plasma atmosphere was formulated and solved under nonequilibrium, nonlinear and non-stationary boundary conditions.
          I.P.Stakhanov was deeply interested in the philosophical questions of scientific knowledge. His works on this subject were published in the journal "Voprosy Filosofii" (Problems of Philosophy) and included into the monographs devoted to the methodology of science.  His archive ¹² contain a book, written by himself, "Discussion on the structure and laws of development of the scientific knowledge".

¹A.S. Predvoditelev, E.V.Stupochenko, E.V.Samuilov, I.P.Stakhanov, A.S.Pleshanov, and I.B.Rozhdestvenskii, 1957, Handbook of thermodynamic function of air at temperatures from 6000 to 12000 K and pressures from 0.001 to 1000 atmospheres, Moscow: Izd. AN SSSR.
²  I.P.Stakhanov, A.S.Stepanov, V.P.Pashchenko, and Yu.K.Gus’kov, 1968, Plasma Thermoemissive Transformation of Energy , Moscow: Atomizdat
³I.P.Stakhanov (editor), 1973, Physical Foundations of Thermoemissive Transformation of Energy  , Moscow: Atomizdat
⁴I.P.Stakhanov and V.E.Cherkovets, 1985,Physics of Thermoemission Transformers,  Moscow: Energoatomizdat
⁵V.P.Vlasov, N.E. Ivanov, G.M.Fedorenko, A.A.Korchak, I.P.Stakhanov, N.A.Savich, B.M.Chikhachev, A method to study transient processes in space plasma, Authorship certificate ¹ 506228 of 13.09.1975
⁶ V.P.Vlasov, N.E. Ivanov, V.D.Novikov, I.P.Stakhanov, G.M.Fedorenko, Device for studying transient processes in space plasma, Authorship certificate ¹ 657377 of 19.05.1977
⁷I.P.Stakhanov, 1979,The Physical Nature of Ball Lightning, Moscow: Atomizdat
⁸I.P.Stakhanov, 1985, The Physical Nature of Ball Lightning, Moscow: Energoatomizdat
⁹I.P.Stakhanov, 1996,  The Physical Nature of Ball Lightning, Moscow: Nauchnyi Mir
¹⁰O.A.Sinkevich, and I.P.Stakhanov, 1991, Physics of plasma, Moscow: Vysshaya shkola
¹¹ I.P.Stakhanov, and M.M.Fiks,  First wall of plasma facility,  Authorship certificate ¹ 782553 of 25.07.1979.
¹²I.P.Stakhanov, 1987, Personal archive, Foundation ¹ 1903, (Archives of the Russian Academy of  Sciences).