Sir C. V. Raman By Nimmi Ouseph BIOGRAPHY Sir C. V. Raman By Nimmi Ouseph

C.V.Raman The Nobel laureate in physics

Childhood & Family details…. Story begins in a village near Tiruchirapalli Born on 8 Nov.1888 Second child of R.Chandrasekhara Iyer & Parvathi Ammal Family moved to Vishakhapatnam when he was 4 years old.

About Raman’s father…. Father was a lecturer in Mrs.A.V.Narasimha Rao College,Visakhapatanam. He taught Physics, Mathematics & physical geography Father was athletic man & took active interest in sports

Raman – A great reader Voracious reader He felt the books were like old friends He was mainly influenced by 3 books Light of Asia by Edwin Arnold The Elements of Euclid by Helmholtz The Sensations of Tone by Helmholtz

Raman’s primary education…. Completed schooling by 11 years Spent two years of studying in his father’s college.

Raman’s education at Presidency college

Encourage by teachers…. Teachers suggested him to prepare for ICS exam. ICS was a prestigious exam in those days to Indian students. He attended a medical examination before the qualifying exam Unfortunately he was disqualified by Civil surgeon of Madras as he was unfit to travel to England. This was only exam he failed in his career He felt grateful to the man who (Civil surgeon of Madras) disqualified him

IACS…. Performed the legendary experiments on light. Raman spotted IACS(Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science) sign board and joined. Performed the legendary experiments on light.

Research begins…. He was communicated with physicists around the world His papers published in international journals Gave lectures in Calcutta on his experiments He was Introduced live demonstrations in Science.

Raman @ waves and sound EKTARA He was fascinated by waves and sound, and seem to have carried in his mind the memory of reading Helmholtz’s book in his school days. He was decisive to study musical instruments. Explained the working of Ektara EKTARA

Acoustics - Waves …..

Raman’s Ektara…

A Scientist thought on violin player… Mechanical violin player did not resemble the instrument which we know It had all the essential features of the violin Stretched string-resonant box-the bow-stroke length by adjusting the mechanical wheel. This was first mechanical violin for research He brought all essential parts from a cycle shop to make mechanical violin.

Research on acoustics continue….. He continued his research on acoustics Besides the violin, he studied the Veena, Tambura, Mridangam, Tabla and others… Veena Tambura Mridangam Tabla

Raman @ around 1917…. Problem he had to overcome “A person who is applying must have foreign experience” The rule was dismissed Became an active member in university activities Got chance to move into a full-fledged career in physics around 1917 Ashutosh Mookerjee(Vice – chancellor of Calcutta university) offered him as a Palit Professor of physics. Raman had to give up his job and higher income

Raman with his scholars……

University Congress at Oxford In 1921 he was given honorary doctorate from Calcutta University Went overseas for the first time Visit to University Congress at Oxford During his voyage back to India he spent hours watching the sea from the deck of his ship. Struck by its colour

Raman’s discovery…. Water molecule could scatter light just like air molecules His thought was a radical in those days. In 1922 he wrote a brilliant essay ‘The Molecular Diffraction of Light’ He said light may exist in quanta, that is, as mass less particles of energy.

K.R.Ramanathan finding the phenomenon in 1923 Raman’s hunch His direction towards finding evidence for the corpuscular theory of light. Discovery of the Compton effect in 1923 Raman’s hunch was proved right K.R.Ramanathan spotted the phenomenon. They named the phenomenon as ‘feeble fluorescence’.

Raman @ Nobel Raman effect took his team 4 more years They were confident in 1927 Discovery on 28th February…. The famous Raman effect….the light can undergo a scattering through a liquid resulting in a change in its frequency…. The date is celebrated as National Science Day Booked tickets to Europe He had to wait 2 years Received Nobel Prize for Physics in 1930 When he thought of India as a British colony he wept.

Raman @IIS Took up directorship of Indian Institute of Science@ Bangalore He stayed there until he retired in 1948 Equal time to research and organisational work Nurtured many good students Never had a temptation leaving the country for a better life…….

Raman from 1946 to 1970….. Devoted final years to set up of the Raman Research Institute in Bangalore….. Running of the Indian Academy of Science. Edited Current Science & proceedings of the Academy journals… Died on 21 November,1970 Funeral at the institute campus itself. A solitary tree is located……

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