Sisir Kumar Mitra facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
S.K. Mitra
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| শিশির কুমার মিত্র | |
S.K. Mitra, from the January 1916 issue of The Hindusthanee Student
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| Born |
Sisir Kumar Mitra
24 October 1890 |
| Died | 13 August 1963 (aged 72) Ballygunge, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
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| Nationality | Indian |
| Alma mater | University of Calcutta |
| Known for | Work on the ionosphere |
| Spouse(s) | Lilavati Biswas (1914–1939) |
| Awards |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Radiophysics Atmospheric physics |
| Institutions | Bankura Christian College Rajabazar Science College University of Paris University of Nancy University of Calcutta Curie Institute (Paris) |
| Doctoral advisor | C.V. Raman Charles Fabry |
| Other academic advisors | Jagadish Chandra Bose Marie Curie Camille Gutton |
Sisir Kumar Mitra (born October 24, 1890 – died August 13, 1963) was an important Indian physicist. He is best known for his amazing work on the ionosphere. This is a part of Earth's upper atmosphere that helps radio waves travel around the world.
Contents
Early Life and Schooling
Sisir Kumar Mitra was born in Konnagar, a town near Kolkata in West Bengal, India. His father, Joykrishna Mitra, was a schoolteacher. His mother, Saratkumari, was a medical student. His parents had modern ideas for their time. They believed in education for everyone.
When Sisir was young, his family moved to Bhagalpur. There, he started school at Bhagalpore Zilla School. When he was about six or seven, he heard a story about the first Indian to fly a hot air balloon. This sparked his interest in science and how things fly.
Even though his family faced money problems, his mother made sure he and his brother got a good education. Sisir loved reading science articles by famous scientists like Jagadish Chandra Bose. He later studied at Presidency College and the University of Calcutta. In 1912, he earned his master's degree with top honors. He even got to work with Professor Bose for a short time.
Studying and Research in France
After finishing his studies, Mitra taught at colleges to help his family. He loved creating new experiments for his students. In 1916, he returned to the University of Calcutta to do more research.
He worked with C. V. Raman, another famous physicist, on how light bends and spreads. For this important work, Mitra earned his first doctorate degree in 1919. He also wrote several scientific papers.
In 1920, Mitra traveled to France to continue his studies. He earned a second doctorate from the University of Paris in 1923. He also worked with Marie Curie at the Curie Institute (Paris). Later, he studied radio communications with Camille Gutton at the University of Nancy. This helped him learn a lot about radio waves.
Important Research in India
When Mitra came back to India in 1923, he knew how important radio science was becoming. He convinced the University of Calcutta to start a "Wireless" course. This was a new and exciting field.
In 1924, a special laboratory was set up for studying electron tubes and radio waves. Mitra led this new department. It later became the Institute of Radio Physics and Electronics. He guided many students who went on to become scientists themselves. His work helped India become a leader in radio and atmospheric science.
Awards and Honors
Sisir Kumar Mitra received many awards for his contributions to science:
- Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1938.
- Fellow of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (FIAS) in 1943.
- Fellow of the Royal Society in 1958. This is a very high honor for scientists.
- Padma Bhushan in 1962, one of India's highest civilian awards.
- He was also the president of important scientific groups like The Asiatic Society.
- The S. K. Mitra Center for Research in Space Environment at the University of Calcutta is named after him.
- Even a crater on the Moon is named Mitra in his honor!
