Kariamanikkam Srinivasa Krishnan: His Life and Work
D C V Mallik, S Chatterjee
Price
2250
ISBN
9788173717482
Language
English
Pages
516
Format
Hardback
Dimensions
158 x 240 mm
Year of Publishing
2011
Territorial Rights
World
Imprint
Universities Press

The first four decades of the 20th century were glorious years for science, especially physics. Our view of the physical world changed forever with the emergence of quantum mechanics and Einstein’s formulation of the theory of relativity. India too contributed significantly to this scientific revolution with the discoveries made by S N Bose, C V Raman and M N Saha, all in the space of about a decade. Kariamanikkam Srinivasa Krishnan (1898- 1961) belonged to the same illustrious group. He was perhaps the only Indian physicist of his generation who was equally adept in theory and experiment. Besides a life of excellence in science, Krishnan’s destiny led him to be an able science policy maker and administrator. He was also a great teacher, a humanist and a scholar of Sanskrit, Tamil literature and philosophy.

This biography, besides being a detailed and meticulously documented account of Krishnan’s life and his scientific work, is also an exciting account of the history of Indian science of the period. The source material of this work, most of which  are being used for the first time, comes from the private papers of K S Krishnan that  had remained in the custody of his family.

D C V Mallik, formerly professor of astronomy at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore, has an abiding interest in the history of science. This biography is the result of several years of his research on the life and times of Dr Krishnan. His professional research has been mainly in the area of interstellar matter and astrophysics of nebulae.

Sabyasachi Chatterjee joined the Indian Institute of Astrophysics in 1985 and has been pursuing scientific problems in condensed matter physics, astrophysics and optics. He has a very keen interest in the popularisation of science and science teaching and has been actively involved in furthering this cause for the past thirty years.

Foreword
Acknowledgement
Prologue
1. Background
2. Childhood and Schooling
3. College Years
4. Science Education and Its Beginnings in Calcutta
5. Calcutta
6. Scattering of Light
7. Discovery of the Raman Effect
8. Dacca
9. Bonds of Magnetism I: The Dacca Phase
10. Winds of Change
11. Bonds of Magnetism II: The Calcutta Phase
12. Graphite and Its anomalous Diamagnetism
13. Honours and Offers
14. The Physics Chair at Allahabad
15. Rejuvenating Physics in Allahabad
16. The Widening Vista
17. Krishnan in Delhi
18. NPL: The Initial Years
19. Oscillating Lattices, Emitting Surfaces, Heated Tubes
20. The Broader Stage
21. Into the Twilight

Appendix:
1. Raman Scattering
2. Diamagnetic and Paramagnetic Susceptibilities
3. Formulae for Electrical Resistivity of Metals
Primary Sources
Bibliography
Index

Release Date : 04-Oct-2011 Venue : Bangalore
1. Madras Musings Vol XXII No 22 1-15 March 2013
2. Physics News
3. Science and Culture Vol. 78 No. 7-8 July-August 2012
4. American Journal of Physics Vol.80 No.11, Nov 2012