Prof. A. K. Datta
Retired Professor and former Head Dept of Applied Physics
Dept of Applied Optics and Photonics University of Calcutta
92 APC Road, Kolkata 700009 Mobile 0 93 3100 6142
(Res) 033 2274 2478
BIO-DATA : Professor (Dr.) Asit K. Datta was a Professor in the newly established Department of Applied Optics and Photonics of the University of Calcutta. He is an M.Tech in Electrical Engineering and a Ph.D in Applied Physics from the University of Calcutta. Professor Datta was instrumental in promoting teaching, research and development activities in Optoelectronics (Photonics) in India. Professor Datta has published about one hundred twenty research papers in various international and national research journals and conference proceedings. He has guided twelve research students towards their Ph. D degree of the University of Calcutta. He has also guided as principal investigator several funded research projects from DRDO, DST, UGC, MHRD, AICTE and DoT. He was called upon to adjudicate several Ph.D theses submitted at IIT-Kgp, IIT-Delhi, JU and ISI and other institutes. He is presently an expert of the National Accreditation Board. On invitation, Professor Datta visited many Universities in UK, Germany, France and USA. He represented India at the International Commission on Optics and International Commission on Illumination. Professor Datta is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers, Optical Society of India, Indian Society of Lighting Engineers and West Bengal Academy of Science and Technology.
The last decade of the nineteenth and early decades of the twentieth century witnessed a national awakening in all spheres of creativity and this phase of Indian renaissance produced many outstanding scientists. Fired by nationalism, disregarding comforts and undeterred by severe handicaps, these men did world-class contribution to the cause of science by their indomitable will.
Satyendra Nath Bose (1894-1974) was one of the most prominent torch bearers of Indian renaissance whose contributions have accelerated the growth of quantum physics. His ideas have germinated into a new chapter in Physics now known as Bose-Einstein statistics. The particles which follow this statistics (such as the photons) are now known as Bosons.
The talk will be a thumbnail life sketch of Satyendra Nath Bose as a man and the works that he has done in the light of contemporary physics. Starting briefly on the then hot topics of research in physics at the international level such as (a) black body radiation (b) quantum theory and (c) atomic model, the basis and implications of Bose-Einstein statistics shall be introduced. Passing remarks shall be made on the "zoo" of elementary particles.
Associated with the name of Satyendra Nath Bose, the proof of existence of the ultimate particles known Higgs boson and popularly depicted as God's particles is now a matter of interest for the scientists all over the world. The talk shall try to introduce the experiment that is being carried out at CERN (Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire-European Council for Nuclear Research, Geneva) in the most fascinating setup known as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).