Ashoke Sen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ashoke Sen
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Sen in the Physics department of Scottish Church College in 2019
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| Born | 15 July 1956 Kolkata, West Bengal, India
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| Known for | Contributions to string field theory S-duality Sen Conjecture |
| Spouse(s) | Sumathi Rao |
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| Fields | Physics |
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Ashoke Sen is a famous theoretical physicist from India. He is a distinguished professor at the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS) in Bangalore. He is known for his important work in string theory.
Professor Sen was one of the first people to receive the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics. He earned this award for showing that different string theories are actually connected. They are like different ways of looking at the same basic idea about the universe.
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Who is Ashoke Sen?
Ashoke Sen was born on July 15, 1956, in Kolkata, India. His father, Anil Kumar Sen, was also a physics professor. His mother, Gouri Sen, was a homemaker.
His Early Life and Education
Ashoke Sen went to school at Sailendra Sircar Vidyalaya in Kolkata. After that, he studied at Presidency College in Kolkata. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1975.
He then got his master's degree from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur a year later. During his college days, he was greatly inspired by his teacher, Amal Kumar Raychaudhuri. Later, he went to Stony Brook University to earn his PhD in physics.
What He Discovered in Physics
Ashoke Sen has made many big contributions to string theory. String theory is a way of thinking about the universe where tiny, vibrating "strings" are the basic building blocks.
His Big Ideas in String Theory
One of his most important ideas is called S-duality. This idea showed that different string theories, which seemed separate, are actually connected. It helped change how scientists thought about string theory research.
He also studied something called unstable D-branes. These are like special surfaces where the "strings" in string theory can end. He came up with the famous Sen Conjecture. This idea explains how these unstable D-branes can change into stable ones.
His work on "rolling tachyons" has also been important for understanding the early universe. He has also written many important papers about string field theory. This is a way to describe how strings interact with each other.
In 1998, a famous physicist named Stephen Hawking nominated him. Because of this, Ashoke Sen became a fellow of the Royal Society. He has also worked on understanding the "disorder" or information inside black holes. He is currently a distinguished professor at ICTS in Bangalore. There, he continues to work on string theory.
Awards and Recognition
Ashoke Sen has received many important awards for his work. These awards show how much his contributions to physics are valued.
- ICTP Prize in 1989
- Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences in 1991
- S.S. Bhatnagar award in 1994
- TWAS Prize in 1997
- Fellow of the Royal Society in 1998
- Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy in 1996
- Padma Shri in 2001 (a high honor from the Indian government)
- Infosys Prize in Mathematical Sciences in 2009
- Fundamental Physics Prize in 2012 (for his work on string theory)
- Padma Bhushan in 2013 (another high honor from the Indian government)
- M.P. Birla Memorial Award in 2013
- Dirac Medal in 2014
Gallery
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Sen and Prof. Sumathi Rao with students at Harish-Chandra Research Institute, 2018.
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Sen preparing barbecue chicken at Barbecue Festival (Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Feb 2019)
