Description:
(Astrophysicist Known for his 'Theoritical Studies of the Physical processes of importance to the Structure and Evolution of the Stars')
A Nobel laureate, who along with William A. Fowler, won the Nobel Prize for Physics for his mathematical theory of black holes,, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar was an Indian-American astrophysicist best known for his work on the theoretical structure and evolution of stars. A highly intelligent man, his work ranged across the fields of stellar structure, radiative transfer, white dwarfs, quantum theory, hydrodynamic stability and mathematical theory of black holes. Born into a large family in Lahore, Punjab, young Chandrasekhar was expected to follow in his father’s footsteps and get himself established in government service. But fate had something else in store for him and the young boy found himself inexplicably pulled towards science and scientific pursuits. Even this was not totally unexpected—after all, the youngster’s paternal uncle, Sir C. V. Raman had already done the country proud by bagging a Nobel Prize for Physics. A brilliant student, he was awarded a Government of India scholarship to study at the University of Cambridge. Eventually he would become best known for what would become famous as the ‘Chandrasekhar Limit’. An unassuming man, he encouraged people to call him Chandra.
Birthday
October 19, 1910 (Libra)
City
Lahore, Pakistan
Died on
August 21, 1995
Spouse/Ex-
Lalitha Chandrasekhar
Parents
and Chandrasekhara Subrahmanya
What was Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar known for?
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar was known for his groundbreaking work in astrophysics, particularly for his discovery of the Chandrasekhar limit which explains the ultimate fate of massive stars.
What is the Chandrasekhar limit?
The Chandrasekhar limit is the maximum mass of a stable white dwarf star, approximately 1.4 times the mass of the Sun. Beyond this limit, the white dwarf cannot support itself against gravitational collapse and may undergo a supernova explosion.
What is the significance of Chandrasekhar's work in astrophysics?
Chandrasekhar's work revolutionized our understanding of stellar evolution and the behavior of stars. His discoveries on the Chandrasekhar limit and black holes have had a lasting impact on the field of astrophysics.
How did Chandrasekhar contribute to our understanding of black holes?
Chandrasekhar's work laid the foundation for our understanding of black holes by predicting the existence of stellar remnants beyond the Chandrasekhar limit that would collapse into black holes, a concept that was later confirmed by observations.
What is the Chandrasekhar's Nobel Prize-winning contribution?
Chandrasekhar was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1983 for his theoretical studies of the physical processes of importance to the structure and evolution of stars. This recognition highlighted the profound impact of his work on astrophysics.