Ramanuja Vijayaraghavan
Encyclopedia
Ramanuja Vijayaraghavan is an India
n physicist
, specializing in condensed matter physics
.
Vijayaraghavan pioneered active research in the areas of metal physics, magnetic resonance
in biophysical systems, and fine particle physics, a forerunner to nanoscience. He is a fellow of several science academies and twice elected as a member of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics
commission on magnetism.
After graduating from the Annamalai University
in 1951, he joined the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
(TIFR) at Bombay as a Research Student, eventually rising to the position of Distinguished Professor and Dean (Physics Faculty). He formally retired in 1996 . He was deputed twice by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria, as an Expert to set up the Magnetic Resonance Laboratory at the Atomic Energy Centre, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. He was awarded an Indian National Science Academy
Senior Scientist position from 1996 to 2001, during which he worked at SAMEER, Mumbai
, in collaboration with TIFR.
As a tribute to his contribution to physics, two felicitation volumes were published in 1991 on the occasion of his 60th birthday: Frontiers in solid state series, Superconductivity (Vol.1), and Magnetism (Vol. 2), by World Scientific Publishing, in Singapore. These volumes incorporate articles written by leading international scientists, including Nobel laureates. His group is credited with the discovery of superconductivity in rare earth borocarbides in the presence of magnetic elements.
Vijayaraghavan was conferred the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award
in 1976, and received the UGC Raman award in Physical Sciences in 1983. Apart from science, he is well versed in Hindu philosophy
and Tamil
literature.
Professor Vijayaraghavan is from a family of Iyengar
s. One of his forefathers was the deputy chief minister of Ramnad Samasthanam, and his grandfather was Mahawidwan R. Raghava Iyengar, a renowned Tamil and Sanskrit
scholar of the twentieth century.
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
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
, specializing in condensed matter physics
Condensed matter physics
Condensed matter physics deals with the physical properties of condensed phases of matter. These properties appear when a number of atoms at the supramolecular and macromolecular scale interact strongly and adhere to each other or are otherwise highly concentrated in a system. The most familiar...
.
Vijayaraghavan pioneered active research in the areas of metal physics, magnetic resonance
Magnetic resonance
Magnetic resonance can mean:*Nuclear magnetic resonance*Electron spin resonance*Magnetic resonance imaging *Functional magnetic resonance imaging *Muon spin spectroscopy...
in biophysical systems, and fine particle physics, a forerunner to nanoscience. He is a fellow of several science academies and twice elected as a member of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics
International Union of Pure and Applied Physics
The International Union of Pure and Applied Physics is an international non-governmental organization devoted to the advancement of physics...
commission on magnetism.
After graduating from the Annamalai University
Annamalai University
Annamalai University is a Public University located in Annamalai Nagar, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India. The university offers courses of higher education in arts, sciences and engineering.The university also provides around 380 courses under distance mode...
in 1951, he joined the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
The Tata Institute of Fundamental Research is a research institution in India dedicated to basic research in mathematics and the sciences. It is a Deemed University and works under the umbrella of the Department of Atomic Energy of the Government of India. It is located at Navy Nagar, Colaba, Mumbai...
(TIFR) at Bombay as a Research Student, eventually rising to the position of Distinguished Professor and Dean (Physics Faculty). He formally retired in 1996 . He was deputed twice by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria, as an Expert to set up the Magnetic Resonance Laboratory at the Atomic Energy Centre, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. He was awarded an Indian National Science Academy
Indian National Science Academy
The Indian National Science Academy , New Delhi is the apex body of Indian scientists representing all branches of science & technology.-History:...
Senior Scientist position from 1996 to 2001, during which he worked at SAMEER, Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, in collaboration with TIFR.
As a tribute to his contribution to physics, two felicitation volumes were published in 1991 on the occasion of his 60th birthday: Frontiers in solid state series, Superconductivity (Vol.1), and Magnetism (Vol. 2), by World Scientific Publishing, in Singapore. These volumes incorporate articles written by leading international scientists, including Nobel laureates. His group is credited with the discovery of superconductivity in rare earth borocarbides in the presence of magnetic elements.
Vijayaraghavan was conferred the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award
The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology is awarded annually by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research for notable and outstanding research, applied or fundamental, in biology, chemistry, environmental science, engineering, mathematics, medicine and Physics...
in 1976, and received the UGC Raman award in Physical Sciences in 1983. Apart from science, he is well versed in Hindu philosophy
Hindu philosophy
Hindu philosophy is divided into six schools of thought, or , which accept the Vedas as supreme revealed scriptures. Three other schools do not accept the Vedas as authoritative...
and 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...
literature.
Professor Vijayaraghavan is from a family of Iyengar
Iyengar
Iyengar or Ayyangar is a caste given to Hindu Brahmins of Tamil origin who follow the Visishtadvaita philosophy propounded by Sri Ramanujacharya. They are found mostly in Tamil Nadu as they are generally native to the Tamil Nadu state of the Republic of India...
s. One of his forefathers was the deputy chief minister of Ramnad Samasthanam, and his grandfather was Mahawidwan R. Raghava Iyengar, a renowned Tamil 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...
scholar of the twentieth century.