Dear all,
I am happy to share blog written by young Arts student – Aarohi Dhumale who is studying in 12th standard. She has narrated career lessons for Father of Indian Radio Astronomy – Govind Swarup. I am sure you will find the learning interesting and I will look forward to your feedback.
Regards,
Prof. Jagdish Bhide, Founder of Bhide’s Science Classes
A twinkling star
Ever looked at the dark sky at night and couldn’t take your eyes off the innumerous twinkling stars? Watching them makes one feel so small, and at the same time awestruck with the amazing creation of the universe.
One can’t help but think how exciting it would be to watch those celestial objects closely! How exhilarating it would be to travel there! How amazing it would be if they are habitable! How thrilling it would be if there is life somewhere out there! This curiosity of human being has made us achieve what seemed even unthinkable until a century ago. Thanks to the endless efforts of scientists and their thirst for innovation, human beings have been able to venture into space to study and learn so many things about the universe. Amongst the numerous pioneers of science and astronomy, India’s trailblazer in radio astronomy, Prof. Govind Swarup holds a special place in India’s stepping stones towards astronomical progress.
Early life and education of Prof. Swarup
Born in Thakurdwara, Uttar Pradesh in 1929, Prof. Swarup received his Bachelor of Science (BSc) and Master of Science (MSc) degrees in Physics from the Allahabad University. Later, he began working in the area of paramagnetic resonance under the direction of the eminent physicist K. S. Krishnan. Krishnan attended a conference in Australia in 1952, and was impressed with progress made in the field of radio astronomy since the end of the Second World War. Radio astronomy was still a nascent field back then. A lot of innovation was taking place at The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) is an Australian Government agency’s Division of Radio Physics. It was a leading institute and attracted researchers from all over the world. Krishnan recommended Govind Swarup for a fellowship to spend two years at Pott’s Hill near Sydney to work with an Australian group and come up to speed with the latest technology in the field. Prof. Joseph Pawsey, founder of radio astronomy in Australia, became a mentor to Swarup and guided him closely over the next decade of his career. In 1956, Swarup joined the Fort Davis Radio Astronomy station of Harvard Observatory, Texas. He discovered a new type of burst from the Sun – a Type U burst – during his stay at Harvard. Later, he completed his Ph.D. from Stanford University. He was immediately offered the position of Assistant Professor at the University which he accepted. In 1962 he found the first example of a steep spectrum ‘bridge’ of radio emission between the two radio lobes of the powerful radio galaxy, Cyg-A, using the Stanford Compound Interferometer; such bridges allow estimates of the age of a radio galaxy. After contemplating for some time, he decided to return back to India with an aim of developing the field of radio astronomy in India. He wrote to various agencies in India about this, of which, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai was quick to approve the proposal. The then Director of TIFR was the renowned nuclear physicist and the founder of TIFR Dr. Homi Bhabha himself. This was the beginning of radio astronomy in India.
Prof. Swarup’s contributions in the Indian radio astronomy
India, because of its ideal location on the globe and pertinent geography, is an excellent place for studying astronomy. These beneficial facts and their importance were understood by Prof. Swarup and he decided to set up a giant telescope. He used the dishes from the Pott’s Hill Telescope to set up a solar telescope at Kalyan, near Mumbai. He devised another 530x30m telescope and set it up on an inclined hill at an altitude of 2,100m at Ooty, Karnataka. This telescope used lunar occultation to find accurate positions of radio sources and helped to provide evidence and distinguish between the Steady State and Big Bang theories. Many critical mechanical and electronic components required for the telescope were manufactured for the first time ingeniously in India. The design and construction effort were led by a young team. The Ooty Radio Telescope made many new discoveries in astronomy and contributed to studies of the Sun, interplanetary scintillation, pulsars and the most distant radio quasars. Swarup and his student Vijay Kapahi showed that radio source counts were consistent with the predictions of the Big Bang theory C. V. Raman elected him to the Fellowship of the Indian Academy of Sciences in 1967. Prof. Swarup continued to dream big. He dreamt of setting up yet a bigger telescope. The goal of setting this massive new telescope was to discover primordial hydrogen clouds in the very distant Universe. This idea led to the setting up of the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope, which is now widely known as GMRT, at Narayangaon in Pune. The GMRT consists of 30 parabolic dishes of 45m diameter each and the reflecting surface is made from thin stainless-steel wires, making the dish light and reducing wind effects. This telescope is still regularly used by astronomers all over the world to study various astronomical objects such as HII regions, galaxies, pulsars, supernovae, and Sun and solar winds. He made important contributions in areas such as solar radio emissions, interplanetary scintillations, pulsars, radio galaxies, quasars and cosmology. He was elected into the Royal Society of London in 1991 and Pontifical Academy in the Vatican. He became the Centre Director of TIFR in 1993 and held the post till his retirement from the institute in 1994. He published over 125 research papers and edited 4 books and had two patents. He was bestowed with the prestigious Padma Shri in 1973, 2005 Herschel Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society, Homi Bhabha Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Prime minister of India and numerous such awards and accolades.
Taking inspiration from Prof. Swarup’s career
Many youngsters from country like India want to go abroad to study and then settle down. People want a more comfortable life with a great standard of living. It is natural to think that way. When asked why do you want to move abroad, people often reply with the standard of living is better, pay is high, the country is more developed, technology is advanced etc. But how many of us think of staying here and making India better or at least on par to the other countries? Many youngsters want to go abroad for better education and better quality of life, few think about what should be done to make education in India better and increase the quality of life here. This talented radio astronomer was exceptional, because even after getting offers and jobs from renowned universities and research institutions, he chose to return to India and work for development and research in India. Back then, radio astronomy was hardly known to common people in India, but it is because of his diligence and efforts, India carved its special place in the field of astronomy.
Out of the so many things we can learn from his career, never giving up on one’s dream is a significant one to remember. After his achievements and discoveries at Stanford and Harvard, he returned to India to contribute to radio astronomy. The Ooty Radio Telescope set up by him is still one of the most sensitive radio telescopes in the world. He continued to dream and built the famous GMRT. Even after these achievements, he did not stop. Even after his retirement, he kept pursuing his interests in radio astronomy. This is something we should all inculcate in ourselves. Innovation, diligence, the ability to dream and strive to turn our dreams into reality is something which the world needs for its betterment. If each one of us follows our dreams, the world will undergo a positive transition and be a much better, developed and a happier place to live in. What do you think?
References: https://www.wikipedia.org/ And https://artsandculture.google.com/
Written by Aarohi Dhumale, studying in 12th Arts Stream at Modern College of Arts, Science & Commerce and edited by Dr. Sachin Mohan Bhide, Founder of Eha Management Consultancy
