Student Education Repository (மாணவர்கள் கல்விக் களஞ்சியம்): Today (June 29, 1931) is the birthday of Padma Bhushan Award winning Pokhran nuclear scientist Padmanabhan Krishnagopalan Iyengar.

Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Today (June 29, 1931) is the birthday of Padma Bhushan Award winning Pokhran nuclear scientist Padmanabhan Krishnagopalan Iyengar.

Today (June 29, 1931) is the birthday of Padma Bhushan Award-winning Pokhran nuclear scientist Padmanabhan Krishnagopalan Iyengar.

Padmanabhan Krishnagopalan Iyengar was born on June 29, 1931, in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu. Iyengar joined the Tata Institute of Basic Research (TIFR) in 1952 as a junior research scientist in the field of nuclear energy. Carried out various types of research on neutron scattering. He was later transferred to the Nuclear Power Plant, which he created in 1954. Renamed Baba Atomic Research Center. In 1956, Iyengar trained in Canada. Bertram Neville, the winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics, worked at the Brockhouse. Contributed to lattice-breaking research on lattice mechanics in Germanium. At DAE, he formed and led an internationally recognized team of physicists and chemists for their original research contributions in this field. In the 1960s, he designed the Purnima nuclear reactor locally and headed the team that successfully operated the reactor at BARC on 18 May 1972.

When Ramanna took over as the Director of the Baba Atomic Research Center in 1972, the post of Director of the Physics Committee (PG) was handed over to Iyengar. He was one of the leading scientists in the development of India's first nuclear device. The team under Raja Ramanna tested the device on May 18, 1974, under the code name Smiling Buddha. Iyengar played a vital role in the peaceful nuclear explosion at Pokhran-1. For this, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1975. Iyengar became the director of the Baba Atomic Research Center in 1984. As a director, one of his first tasks was to assume responsibility for the construction of polar reactors, the completion of which was then questionable. It was under his leadership that it came to a successful conclusion. Realizing the importance of transferring newly developed technology from research institutes to industry, he introduced a technology transfer cell at BARC.

He encouraged basic research in molecular biology, chemistry, and material science. Made new nuclear technologies such as lasers and accelerators. This led to the establishment of a new center for advanced technology in Indore. In 1990, Iyengar was appointed Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India and Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy. He was also appointed President of the Atomic Energy Corporation of India. Under his leadership, the Department of Atomic Energy actively pursued the nuclear program by operating two new reactors at Narora and Khakrabar and continued with the development of new reactor systems such as liquid-sodium-based reactors. Equal importance was given to the advanced production of heavy water, nuclear fuel, and specialty nuclear products. He also initiated plans to export heavy water, research reactors, and hardware for nuclear applications to obtain valuable foreign exchange.

Pin on Eid Nuclear propulsion - Wikipedia

Commenting on Iyengar's involvement in Indian cold fusion research, the Indian newspaper Daily News & Analysis wrote, "Iyengar carried out cold fusion experiments in the 1980s to prove the hypothesis that nuclear fusion could occur at normal temperatures under certain conditions. Padma Bhushan Award (1975), Patnagar Award (1971)) Recipient of honors and distinctions. In addition to serving on various national committees, the French Forum Iyengar's later interests include advances in nuclear technology for nuclear applications, nuclear policy and national security, scientific education and Focused on the use of science in nation building.

Participated in various international meetings on non-local issues. Most recently, as the founding trustee of the Augustine International Foundation, he focused on promoting a creative and scientific attitude in rural education and rural children and government school teachers. He was instrumental in securing the support of the Homi Baba Center for Science Education to launch Augustine's Rural Science Exhibitions and its first mobile science laboratory in 2002. Padmanabhan Krishnagopalan Iyengar, a renowned Indian nuclear scientist, passed away on December 21, 2011, in Mumbai at the age of 80, as he opposed the Indo - US civilian nuclear deal in favor of the United States.

Source By: Wikipedia

Information: Ramesh, Assistant Professor of Physics, Nehru Memorial College, Puthanampatti, Trichy.