Bibha Chowdhuri

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Bibha Chowdhuri
Born(1913-07-03)3 July 1913
Calcutta, British India
Died2 June 1991(1991-06-02) (aged 77–78)
Calcutta, India
Alma mater
Known for
Scientific career
FieldsParticle physics, Cosmic rays
Institutions
ThesisExtensive air showers associated with penetrating particles (1949)
Doctoral advisorSir Patrick Blackett
Other academic advisorsDebendra Mohan Bose

Bibha Chowdhuri (3 July[5] 1913 – 2 June 1991[6]) was an Indian particle physicist known for her investigations into cosmic rays. Working with D M Bose, she utilized photographic nuclear emulsion to become the first to detect and identify mesons. The IAU named the star HD 86081 Bibha, after her.[7]

Early life[edit]

Chowdhuri was born in Kolkata[8] to a family of Zamindars.[9] Her father, Banku Behari Chowdhuri, was a doctor.[9] Her mother, Urmila Devi, practiced Brahmo Samaj, which held the belief that young women should be allowed to go to school.[9][10] By marrying Urmila, Banku was converted to Brahmo and outcast from Hindu circles.[9] Many of the Chowdhuri children (apart from the second daughter who died early on[9]) went on to become highly educated.[10] Chowdhuri was the middle child of her five siblings, with one brother.[10] Her aunt, Nirmala Devi, was married to Sir Nilratan Sircar.[9] Her sister, Roma Chowdhuri, went on to become a teacher at Brahmo Balika Shikshalaya.

Education[edit]

Bibha studied physics at Rajabazar Science College of Calcutta University and was the only woman to complete M.Sc. degree in the year 1936. She joined the Bose Institute after graduating in 1939 and worked with Debendra Mohan Bose.[8] Together, they experimentally observed and published on mesotron showers, later called mesons.[9][11] She studied batches of Ilford half-tone plates that were exposed to cosmic rays at two different altitudes, one in Sandakphu and a higher one at Pharijong.[9] The particles had decreased mass at lower altitudes, suggesting that they had decayed over time.[9] She noticed that the decays were curved, likely due to multiple scattering of particles.[9] They could not take the investigation further because there were not more sensitive emulsion plates available.[12] Chowdhuri joined the laboratory of Patrick Blackett for her doctoral studies, working on cosmic rays at the University of Manchester.[8] Her PhD thesis investigated extensive air showers.[13] Her examiner was Lajos Jánossy.[14] It is unclear how much her work contributed to Blackett's Nobel Prize.

Career and research[edit]

Chowdhuri demonstrated that the density of penetrating events is proportional to the total particle density of an extensive air shower.[9] She was interviewed by The Manchester Herald in an article called "Meet India's New Woman Scientist — She has an eye for cosmic rays", saying that "it is a tragedy that we have so few women physicists today."[8]

Chowdhuri at the International Conference in Pisa, Italy in 1955

Chowdhuri returned to India after her PhD, working at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research for eight years.[8] During her time at TIFR, Chowdhuri's cosmic ray studies contributed heavily to the discovery of K mesons.[15] In 1954 she was a visiting researcher at the University of Michigan.[16] She was appointed because Homi Bhabha was still establishing the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, and contacted her thesis examiners for advice on outstanding graduate students. She joined the Physical Research Laboratory and became involved with the Kolar Gold Fields experiments. She moved to Kolkata to work at the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics.[8] She taught physics in French.[citation needed]

Her life was described in the books A Jewel Unearthed: Bibha Chowdhuri.[17] and Bibha Chowdhuri, eine indische Hochenergiephysikerin als "Star" am Himmel.[18][19] She was described by The Statesman as a forgotten legend.[20] She continued to publish until she died in 1991.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Wire, India Science (18 December 2019). "A star and its planet get Indian names after a global contest". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  2. ^ "Book Title: A Jewel Unearthed: Bibha Chowdhuri (The Story of an Indian Woman Scientist who deserves to be called Marie Curie of India). Review of book by HS Virk".
  3. ^ "The invisible women in science". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  4. ^ "Pramana – Journal of Physics | Indian Academy of Sciences". www.ias.ac.in. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  5. ^ The University of Manchester Library Archived Information.
  6. ^ Roy, Pragya (18 June 2019). "Bibha Chowdhuri: The Invisibilised Physicist| #IndianWomenInHistory". Feminism In India. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  7. ^ "Approved names". NameExoWorlds. 17 December 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Bhattacharya, Amitabha (2018). "The woman who could have won a Nobel". telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Roy, S. C.; Singh, Rajinder (2018). "Historical Note: Bibha Chowdhuri – Her Cosmic Ray Studies in Manchester". Indian Journal of History of Science. 53 (3). doi:10.16943/ijhs/2018/v53i3/49466. ISSN 0019-5235.
  10. ^ a b c "Bibha Chowdhuri – A Forgotten Legend". whastic.com. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  11. ^ Bose, D; Chowdhry, B (1940). "Photographic Plates as Detectors of Mesotron Showers". Nature. 145 (3684): 894–895. doi:10.1038/145894a0.
  12. ^ Priya, Pekshmi (2018). "This Brilliant Woman Could Have Won a Physics Nobel for India. Yet Few Indians Know Her Story". thebetterindia.com. The Better India. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  13. ^ Chowdhuri, Bibha (1949). Extensive air showers associated with penetrating particles. jisc.ac.uk (PhD thesis). University of Manchester. OCLC 643572452. EThOS uk.bl.ethos.601680. Archived from the original on 6 December 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  14. ^ Roy, S. C.; Singh, Rajinder (1 August 2018). "Historical Note: Bibha Chowdhuri – Her Cosmic Ray Studies in Manchester" (PDF). Indian Journal of History of Science. 53 (3). doi:10.16943/ijhs/2018/v53i3/49466. ISSN 0019-5235.
  15. ^ Sreekantan, B. V. (10 April 2006). "Sixty years of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research 1945–2005: The role of young men in the creation and development of this institute". Current Science. 90 (7): 1012–1025. JSTOR 24091966 – via JSTOR.
  16. ^ Proceedings of the Board of Regents. The University. 1954. [ISBN missing]
  17. ^ Singh, Rajinder; Roy, Suprakash C. (30 August 2018). A Jewel Unearthed: Bibha Chowdhuri: The Story of an Indian Woman Scientist (1 ed.). Shaker. ISBN 9783844061260.
  18. ^ "Rajinder Singh, Suprakash C. Roy - Bibha Chowdhuri, eine indische Hochenergiephysikerin als Star am Himmel". www.shaker.de. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  19. ^ Singh, Rajinder; Roy, Suprakash C. (2020). Bibha Chowdhuri, eine indische Hochenergiephysikerin als "Star" am Himmel (in German) (1 ed.). Shaker. ISBN 9783844072969.
  20. ^ Bhattacharya, Amitabha (23 September 2018). "A forgotten legend". thestatesman.com. The Statesman. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
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