Noble prize nominator Sisir Kumar Mitra F.R.S.

En savoir plus sur le livre

Sisir Kumar Mitra F. R. S. (1890-1963) was a pioneer in ionospheric science in Calcutta, India, with a lunar crater and various places named in his honor. He was affiliated with prestigious institutions like the Asiatic Society of Bengal and the University of Calcutta, and held key positions in the Indian National Science Academy and the Indian Science Congress Association. Mitra mentored numerous young scientists, including Mrinal Kumar Mitra, who discovered the first double radio galaxy. He began his research in optics under C. V. Raman, a Nobel laureate, and developed a new theory to explain diffraction patterns in heliometers. His studies of the atmosphere led to the experimental discovery of the D-layer and interpretations of the E-layer and F2-layer anomalies. Mitra proposed "The ionic theory" to explain night sky luminescence, later known as "The metastable atomic theory." His notable work includes "The upper atmosphere," covering atmospheric research up to 1952. Elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society, he was the only Indian physicist invited thrice to nominate Nobel candidates until 1955. This work analyzes Mitra's scientific contributions in an international context and explores the reception of his ideas by the global scientific community, with insights drawn from documents obtained from the Nobel Committee and the Royal Society.