IKON
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar was an Indian American astrophysicist who was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize for Physics with William A. Fowler “for his theoretical studies of the physical processes of importance to the structure and evolution of the stars”. His mathematical treatment of stellar evolution yielded many of the best current theoretical models of the later evolutionary stages of massive star and black holes. The Chandrasekhar limit is named after him.
Chandrasekhar worked on a wide variety of astrophysical problems in his lifetime, contributing to the contemporary understanding of stellar structure, white dwarves, stellar dynamics, radiative transfer, the quantum theory of the hydrogen anion, hydrodynamic and hydro-magnetic stability, equilibrium and the stability of ellipsoidal figures of equilibrium, general relativity, mathematical theory of black holes and theory of colliding gravitational waves. At the University of Cambridge, he developed a theoretical model explaining the structure of white dwarf stars that took into account the relativistic variation of mass with the velocities of electrons that comprise their degenerate matter. He showed that the mass of a white dwarf could not exceed 1.44 times that of the Sun – the Chandrasekhar limit.
Chandrasekhar revised the models of stellar dynamics first outlined by Jan Oort and others by considering the effects of fluctuating gravitational fields within the Milky Way on stars rotating about the galactic centre. His solution to this complex dynamical problem involved a set of twenty partial differential equations, describing a new quantity he termed ‘dynamical friction’, which has the dual effects of decelerating the star and helping to stabilize clusters of stars. Chandrasekhar extended this analysis to the interstellar medium, showing that clouds of galactic gas and dust are distributed very unevenly.
What is the job all about?
Astrophysics is a branch of space science that applies the laws of physics and chemistry to explain the birth, life and death of stars, planets, galaxies, nebulae and other objects in the universe. It has two sibling sciences, astronomy and cosmology, and the lines between them blur.
Astrophysicists seek to understand the universe and our place in it. At NASA, the goals of astrophysics are “to discover how the universe work, explore how it began and evolved, and search for life on planets around other stars.
Can I go for it?
Astrophysics is a demanding field, but if you have a passion for the stars and love unravelling the mysteries of the universe, it can also be a highly rewarding career path. You need an advanced degree for a fulfilling career in Astrophysics.A Bachelor’s degree in Physics ,astronomy or Maths may get you a job as a research assistant in the field.To land a good job you will definitely need to pursue your Masters followed by a Ph.D
You will also need to have a much focused research mind and have tons of patience and meet deadlines. You need strong communications skills, need to be strong in computers and have a mastery over data collected.
Is there a future in this field?
There is a great future as hunger for knowledge is insatiable.
Where do I start?
In Goa
A BSc in Physics & Mathematics is the first step. There is no scope for Astro Physics in Goa at post graduate level. You could then do your Masters in Physics or Maths. There is no program for Astro-Physics.
Outside Goa
One should pursue an Master’s Program in Astro Physics followed by a Ph.D.
The Indian Institute of Astro-Physics in Bangalore is a good place for further studies.
Joint Entrance Screening Test (JEST) is conducted at an all India level every year in the month of February for admission to Ph.D. programme. The institutions participating in this programme are :
Harish-Chandra Research Institute
Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bangalore
Institute of Physics (IOP), Bhubhaneswar
Institute for Plasma Research (IPR)
Inter-University Centre for Astronomy & Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune
Inter-University Consortium for DAE Facilities (IUC-DAEF), Indore
Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bangalore
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore
National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA)
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Pune
Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad
Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bangalore
The Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc.), Chennai
Employment Opportunities
Basically this Career is limited to Government or large Research establishments or as Lecturers / Professors in Universities. So if you are armed with a Ph.D then you can get entry into these Institutions and devote your life spending time on experimentation on expensive equipment which involves faraway celestial bodies and draw logical conclusions from observational data. So if you a keen to obtain a doctorate in this field and have the zeal to work in this field then there is good scope for Career satisfaction.
Monies
Good money for Scientists and Researchers
Please do not be satisfied with just acquiring a Degree/Diploma – try and enhance your CV by doing online learning programs (with a certificate) of programs relevant to your choice of career. Your chances of employment will be much better than just a plain degree/diploma.
Please check this website under other details for places you can learn online. Also try and develop your confidence by doing a public speaking training program with people like Toast Masters International.
For government jobs: please check : http://www.employment-newspaper.com/