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Scientists of the division are among the national and international leaders in theoretical astrophysics. The research interests of the stuff of the division covers a wide field of the modern theoretical astrophysics. They can be separated into three main branches: "discology" (prof. N.I.Shakura, N. Ketsaris and grad.student G.V. Lipunova); astrophysics of neutron stars, evolution of close binaries and related problems (Prof. V.M.Lipunov, Prof. K.A.Postnov , Drs. M.E.Prokhorov, S.Nazin, I.Panchenko, S.Popov, N. Raguzova, grad. student A. Kuranov and undergraduate students); cosmology (prof. M.V.Sazhin, Drs. A.N.Petrov, A.D.Popova, A.V.Toporenski, grad. student V. Ustianski and undergraduate students); microlensing (prof. M.V.Sazhin and grad. student V. Belokurov.

Prof. N.I.Shakura is one of the founding fathers of the modern theory of accretion disks (so called alpha-disks). His well-known articles in collaboration with R.A.Sunyaev and Ya.B.Zeldovich are among the most cited in the astrophysics. Now, with his colleagues, he is into physics of selected X-ray binaries (Her X-1, some X-ray novae, etc). They develop numerical methods of studying such binary systems.

In area of physics of close binaries and related phenomena both numerical and analytical methods are used. For numerical study of the evolution of close binary systems, the computer code - "Scenario Machine" - was developed by prof. V.M.Lipunov with collaborators. One of the main feature of the code is the advanced calculation of the spin evolution of neutron stars and interaction with matter. The code allows one to get statistics of all types of X-ray binaries for different initial parameters and successfully reproduces the observable data. Based on these simulations the gravitational map of the sky was obtained. Moreover, members of the group are actively interested in a number of other areas: theory of accretion, gravitational waves, astrophysics of compact objects, gamma-ray bursts, etc.

A number of very important results were obtained in recent years by the cosmologists of the division. Their main areas of investigation are: microlensing and study of the CMB (prof. M.V.Sazhin), quantum cosmology (Dr. A.V.Toporenskii and grad. student V. Ustianski), non-orthodoxal cosmology in different spatial dimensions (Dr. A.D.Popova), theory of gravitation (Dr. A.N.Petrov).