QUEEN’S ROAD: Physics enthusiasts will look forward to getting their hands on a book recently released at IISc, Bengaluru.
Modern Atomic Physics, written by Vasant Natarajan, Professor of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, is a ready reference for the students of physics, written by a leader in the field. It collates contemporary developments in the area, and puts them in perspective through appendices.
At the book release function, fellow of the Royal Society and an Emeritus professor at the Banaras Hindu University prof T V Ramakrishnan explained about the importance of physics. “Today’s remote controls and bar code scanners are the results of better understanding of physics at the atomic level,” he said.
“This book will be useful to students of physics, electronics engineers and future computer scientists alike. It will make a big positive difference to a large number of people,” he added.
Since his PhD days at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the author Vasant Natarajan has immersed himself in the atomic world. As a PhD student, he accurately measured the masses of some of the charged particles, and they continue to be one of the most precise measurements reported till date. At IISc, he uses lasers to cool atoms almost to the lowest attainable temperature, -273 C, and makes precision measurements at the atomic level.
Recalling his days at the Bell Laboratories in the United States, prof Vasant said, “When I told my supervisor about my decision to join IISc, he said, ‘You are doing the biggest mistake of your life’. However, after knowing that Prof T V Ramakrishnan was at IISc, he let me go happily.”
Prof T V Ramakrishnan, a Padmashree awardee, is a world renowned condensed matter physicist. He was also instrumental in getting Vasant Natarjan into IISc.
The book has been published by CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group.