V Balasubramanian - Session 01, 2024-06-19
Scope and Contents
V Balasubramanian talks about being born in Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) and having had a childhood shaped by his father’s railway job, requiring frequent relocations across South India. His early education spanned multiple schools, transitioning from Tamil to Malayalam medium. Influenced by his maternal grandfather, an electrical engineer, and his uncle, he developed a deep interest in physics. His academic journey led him to Government Victoria College, Palghat, where he pursued physics before joining the Atomic Energy Establishment, Trombay [now Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)].
He shares that his career took shape at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) under Govind Swarup, where he played a crucial role in constructing the Ooty Radio Telescope (ORT). He details the technical innovations and challenges of building the 540-meter-long telescope, which became instrumental in pulsar studies and interplanetary scintillation research. Balasubramanian also talks about focussing on low-loss transmission lines, contributing to the development of the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT), and digital processing.
He emphasises different collaborations over the years and the importance of indigenous technological development. Reflecting on his career, he expresses pride in his team’s ability to overcome financial and technical limitations, highlighting their impact on global astronomy.
He also offers advice to aspiring radio astronomers, and discusses post-retirement interests in reading and history.
(00:00:00) Introduction
(00:00:27) Early life and education
(00:13:29) Hobbies growing up
(00:16:02) Developing an interest in physics and joining Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR)
(00:20:40) Identification of 3C 273 quasar, the Ooty Radio Telescope (ORT) and lunar occultation
(00:26:43) Training school of the Atomic Energy Establishment, Trombay [later called Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)] and joining the radio astronomy group at TIFR
(00:33:45) Building the ORT
(00:42:13) Discoveries, collaborations and V. Balasubramanian and others’ roles
(00:46:37) Imports required and the development of domestic manufacturing capabilities
(00:54:02) Evolution of ORT and structural failure in 1971
(00:59:34) Comparison of ORT to other telescopes
(01:01:19) Technological advancements and collaborations with other institutes
(01:09:58) Rebuilding and improving ORT and discoveries made using ORT
(01:16:59) Evolution and building of Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT)
(01:26:59) Very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) and coming up with ideas in informal settings
(01:32:36) Challenges and solutions during construction and development of ORT: “teething troubles”
(01:43:44) Need for different expertise and specialised tools and components
(01:48:35) Advice for a young scientist keen to start a career in radio astronomy today
(01:51:05) Regrets, limitations and the team at TIFR
(01:53:54) Retirement and interest in reading and history
(01:58:13) Winding up the session
Dates
- Creation: 2024-06-19
Creator
- Venkatram, Preeti Shree (Interviewer, Person)
- V, Balasubramanian (Interviewee, Person)
- Venkatram, Preeti Shree (Processing Archivist, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Access Level 1: Online. See
Biographical / Historical
V Balasubramanian, a physicist, was born in Tamil Nadu in 1943. His schooling took place in both Tamil Nadu and Kerala and he went on to pursue physics at the Government Victoria College, Palghat. Thereafter, he attended the training school of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) – known as the Atomic Energy Establishment, Trombay at the time – where he was part of the physics batch from 1965-66.
He then joined the Radio Astronomy Group at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in 1966 and for the rest of his career, was closely associated with the Ooty Radio Telescope (ORT) and its further development. He was involved in the implementation of the Stretched Mesh Attached to Rope Trusses (SMART) design for the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) antennas. His research focussed on pulsar scintillations, interplanetary scintillation studies related to space weather, and solar concentrators.
Full Extent
119 Minutes
Language of Materials
English
Repository Details
Part of the Archives at NCBS Repository
National Centre for Biological Sciences - Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Bangalore Karnataka 560065 India
+9180 6717 6010
+9180 6717 6011
archives@ncbs.res.in
