Low-temperature investigations of the physico-mechanical properties of solids and topical problems of cryogenic materials science: Studies in NSC kIPT NAS of Ukraine related to V. I. Startsev's scientific activity (Review article).

The article reviews the significant scientific achievements at the National Scientific Center "Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology" (NSC KIPT) of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in the low-temperature physics of strength and plasticity of metals and alloys from the 1930s to recent years. It details foundational studies on mechanical properties, deformation mechanisms, and structural transformations of various metals at cryogenic temperatures, including phenomena such as cold brittleness, deformation-induced polymorphism, fatigue behavior, and the magnetoplastic and electroplastic effects. The review also highlights advances in creating nanostructured materials through severe low-temperature deformation methods and the modification of their properties via ultrasonic treatment and irradiation. These results have relevance for cryogenic engineering, aerospace, nuclear and hydrogen energy, and electronics, reflecting the development of a scientific school at NSC KIPT and its collaboration with other Ukrainian institutes.