Kariamanickam Srinivasa Krishnan
Encyclopedia
Padma Bhushan
Sir
Kariamanickam Srinivasa Krishnan, FRS, (4 December 1898 – 14 June 1961) was an India
n physicist
. He was a co-discover of Raman scattering
, for which his mentor C. V. Raman was awarded the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physics
.
, Tamil Nadu
. His father was a farmer-scholar deeply versed in Tamil
and Sanskrit
literature. He had his early schooling in G.S. Hindu Higher Secondary school, Srivilliputhur
near to his native village, after which he attended the American College, Madurai and the Christian College, Madras where after gaining his degree in Physics he became a Lecturer in Chemistry.
In 1928 he moved to the Dacca University (now in Bangladesh) as the Reader in the physics department where he studied magnetic properties of crystals in relation to their structure. In the process he developed elegant and precise experimental technique to measures the magnetic anisotropy of dia - and paramagnetic crystals. In 1933 he returned to Kolkata to take up the post of Mahendralal Sircar Professor of Physics in the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science where he continued to study of magnetic properties of crystals in relation to their structure.
In 1940 was elected as Fellow of the Royal Society. His Royal Society candidature certificate in 1935 read:
"Distinguished for his investigations in molecular optics and in magne-crystalline action:collaborated with Sir C.V. Raman in extensive theoretical and experimental studies on light scattering, molecular optics and in the discovery of the Raman Effect (1928). More recently has been publishing many valuable investigations (Phil Trans Royal Society and elsewhere) on the significance of magnetic anisotropy
in relation to crystal architecture and thermo-magnetic behaviour at the lowest temperatures. Has published important work on pleochroism
in crystals and its relation to photo-dissociation. Leader of an active scholl of research in Calcutta."
In 1942, he moved to Allahabad University as Professor and Head of the Department of Physics where he took up the physics of solids, in particular of metals.
He was knighted in 1946 and awarded the Padma Bhushan
by the Government of India
in 1954. He was the first recipient of the prestigious Bhatnagar Award in 1958.
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
Sir
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Kariamanickam Srinivasa Krishnan, FRS, (4 December 1898 – 14 June 1961) was an India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n physicist
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
. He was a co-discover of Raman scattering
Raman scattering
Raman scattering or the Raman effect is the inelastic scattering of a photon. It was discovered by Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman and Kariamanickam Srinivasa Krishnan in liquids, and by Grigory Landsberg and Leonid Mandelstam in crystals....
, for which his mentor C. V. Raman was awarded the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physics
Nobel Prize in Physics
The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded once a year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895 and awarded since 1901; the others are the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Prize, and...
.
Early life
Kariamanickam Srinivasa Krishnan, generally referred to as K. S. Krishnan or KSK, was born on December 4, 1898 in WatrapWatrap
Watrap is a small village located in Virudhunagar District, Tamil Nadu, India. Its geographical coordinates are .The name Watrap is a corruption of "vatratha iruppu" meaning surplus water. The holy uphill shrine "Sundara Mahalingam temple" is located here...
, Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. His father was a farmer-scholar deeply versed in Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
and Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
literature. He had his early schooling in G.S. Hindu Higher Secondary school, Srivilliputhur
Srivilliputhur
Srivilliputhur is a semi-urban town and a municipality in Virudhunagar district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu....
near to his native village, after which he attended the American College, Madurai and the Christian College, Madras where after gaining his degree in Physics he became a Lecturer in Chemistry.
Career
In 1920, Krishnan went to work with C.V. Raman at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata (then Calcutta). There he engaged himself in experimental study of the scattering of light in a large number of liquids and its theoretical interpretations. He played a significant role in the discovery of the Raman Effect.In 1928 he moved to the Dacca University (now in Bangladesh) as the Reader in the physics department where he studied magnetic properties of crystals in relation to their structure. In the process he developed elegant and precise experimental technique to measures the magnetic anisotropy of dia - and paramagnetic crystals. In 1933 he returned to Kolkata to take up the post of Mahendralal Sircar Professor of Physics in the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science where he continued to study of magnetic properties of crystals in relation to their structure.
In 1940 was elected as Fellow of the Royal Society. His Royal Society candidature certificate in 1935 read:
"Distinguished for his investigations in molecular optics and in magne-crystalline action:collaborated with Sir C.V. Raman in extensive theoretical and experimental studies on light scattering, molecular optics and in the discovery of the Raman Effect (1928). More recently has been publishing many valuable investigations (Phil Trans Royal Society and elsewhere) on the significance of magnetic anisotropy
Magnetic anisotropy
Magnetic anisotropy is the direction dependence of a material's magnetic properties. In the absence of an applied magnetic field, a magnetically isotropic material has no preferential direction for its magnetic moment while a magnetically anisotropic material will align its moment with one of the...
in relation to crystal architecture and thermo-magnetic behaviour at the lowest temperatures. Has published important work on pleochroism
Pleochroism
Pleochroism is an optical phenomenon in which a substance appears to be different colors when observed at different angles with polarized light.- Background :Anisotropic crystals will have optical properties that vary with the direction of light...
in crystals and its relation to photo-dissociation. Leader of an active scholl of research in Calcutta."
In 1942, he moved to Allahabad University as Professor and Head of the Department of Physics where he took up the physics of solids, in particular of metals.
He was knighted in 1946 and awarded the Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
by the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
in 1954. He was the first recipient of the prestigious Bhatnagar Award in 1958.
Quotes about Krishnan
- What is remarkable about Krishnan is not that he is a great scientist but something much more. He is a perfect citizen, a whole man with an integrated personality. - Jawaharlal Nehru