Indore : Atomic Energy Commission member and former ISRO director K Kasturirangan inaugurated the 24th National Laser Symposium (NLS) at Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT) on Wednesday.
Director of RRCAT PD Gupta welcomed key note speaker physicist and faculty at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, AK Sood, and chief guest K Kasturirangan. After the formal introductions, Kasturirangan addressed the scientists and researchers. He delivered a talk on ‘ASTROSAT: a unique observatory in space’. ASTROSAT is India’s first multi wavelength space observatory. He discussed the satellite that was launched a month back design, uses and mission in detail.
“This is a unique technology with a wide potential for research and to make India stronger, various institutes have to come together to reap benefits of the development,” Kasturirangan said. He discussed the essential considerations of studying the universe whether it is in particle form or not. “Discovering the source of particle itself is a typical process because particles face stellar and galactic refractions,” he explained. Further, he explained the importance of viewing the universe under different wavelengths using the pictures of sun under wavelengths that show its layers: Photosphere, Chromosphere and Corona.
Kasturirangan showcased recent developments and achievements of India for researching space. He illuminated the audience with five recently developed devices. “The unique feature that makes ‘large area x-ray proportional counter’ that empowers India’s science forces is the development of two atmospheres,” he explained. He elucidated the benefits and uses of soft x-ray telescope, cadmium zinc telluride imager, ultraviolet imaging telescope and scanning sky monitor.
He continued his lecture with the possibilities and glimpses of the latest readings from these devices. “A sudden high energy growth has been traced on CRAB reading that rises in 2 minutes and decays in 18!” Kasturirangan said. He inflicted curiosity among the researchers saying the reasons for such phenomenon are still unknown.
In the second session, Sood discussed various applications of hard condensed lasers and soft matter lasers. “The discussion about applications of lasers can be divided into general applications, high power applications and ultrafast laser applications,” he said. He started the lecture with the development of nanotechnology and its uses.
He enlightened researchers about various aspects of graphene (a form of carbon consisting of planar sheets which are one atom thick, with the atoms arranged in a honeycomb-shaped lattice). In an interesting example, he quoted, “A graphene car has 100% chances of tunnelling through a wall unlike a normal car which would bang into the wall.”
The session was concluded with an optimistic view at the future of technology followed by a vote of thanks by Gupta.
