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• Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman - Biographical

Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman

Biographical.

His earliest researches in optics and acoustics – the two fields of investigation to which he has dedicated his entire career – were carried out while he was a student.

Since at that time a scientific career did not appear to present the best possibilities, Raman joined the Indian Finance Department in 1907; though the duties of his office took most of his time, Raman found opportunities for carrying on experimental research in the laboratory of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science at Calcutta (of which he became Honorary Secretary in 1919).

In 1917 he was offered the newly endowed Palit Chair of Physics at Calcutta University, and decided to accept it. After 15 years at Calcutta he became Professor at the Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore (1933-1948), and since 1948 he is Director of the Raman Institute of Research at Bangalore, established and endowed by himself. He also founded the Indian Journal of Physics in 1926, of which he is the Editor. Raman sponsored the establishment of the Indian Academy of Sciences and has served as President since its inception. He also initiated the Proceedings of that academy, in which much of his work has been published, and is President of the Current Science Association, Bangalore, which publishes Current Science (India) .

Some of Raman’s early memoirs appeared as Bulletins of the Indian Associationfor the Cultivation of Science (Bull. 6 and 11, dealing with the “Maintenance of Vibrations”; Bull. 15, 1918, dealing with the theory of the musical instruments of the violin family). He contributed an article on the theory of musical instruments to the 8th Volume of the Handbuch der Physik , 1928. In 1922 he published his work on the “Molecular Diffraction of Light”, the first of a series of investigations with his collaborators which ultimately led to his discovery, on the 28th of February, 1928, of the radiation effect which bears his name (“A new radiation”, Indian J. Phys. , 2 (1928) 387), and which gained him the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Other investigations carried out by Raman were: his experimental and theoretical studies on the diffraction of light by acoustic waves of ultrasonic and hypersonic frequencies (published 1934-1942), and those on the effects produced by X-rays on infrared vibrations in crystals exposed to ordinary light. In 1948 Raman, through studying the spectroscopic behaviour of crystals, approached in a new manner fundamental problems of crystal dynamics. His laboratory has been dealing with the structure and properties of diamond, the structure and optical behaviour of numerous iridescent substances (labradorite, pearly felspar, agate, opal, and pearls).

Among his other interests have been the optics of colloids, electrical and magnetic anisotropy, and the physiology of human vision.

Raman has been honoured with a large number of honorary doctorates and memberships of scientific societies. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society early in his career (1924), and was knighted in 1929.

This autobiography/biography was written at the time of the award and first published in the book series Les Prix Nobel . It was later edited and republished in Nobel Lectures . To cite this document, always state the source as shown above.

Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman – died on November 21, 1970.

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• The Nobel Prize - Biography of Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman
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C.V. Raman was an Indian physicist who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1930 for his discovery of what became known as the Raman effect . He significantly influenced the growth of science in India through his teaching, his support of nearly every Indian research institution of his time, and his founding of the Indian Academy of Sciences.

What did C.V. Raman discover?

C.V. Raman discovered the Raman effect , which occurs when light that shines through a material is scattered and its wavelength changes from that of the original incident light because of its interactions with the molecules in the material.

Why did C.V. Raman win the Nobel Prize?

C.V. Raman was awarded the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of the Raman effect , in which light that passes through a material is scattered and the wavelength of the scattered light is changed because it has caused an energy state transition in the material’s molecules .

Recent News

C.V. Raman (born November 7, 1888, Trichinopoly , India—died November 21, 1970, Bangalore) was an Indian physicist whose work was influential in the growth of science in India . He was the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1930 for the discovery that when light traverses a transparent material, some of the light that is deflected changes in wavelength. This phenomenon is now called Raman scattering and is the result of the Raman effect .

After earning a master’s degree in physics at Presidency College, University of Madras , in 1907, Raman became an accountant in the finance department of the Indian government. He became professor of physics at the University of Calcutta in 1917. Studying the scattering of light in various substances, in 1928 he found that when a transparent substance is illuminated by a beam of light of one frequency, a small portion of the light emerges at right angles to the original direction, and some of this light is of different frequencies than that of the incident light. These so-called Raman frequencies are the energies associated with transitions between different rotational and vibrational states in the scattering material.

Raman was knighted in 1929, and in 1933 he moved to the Indian Institute of Science, at Bangalore , as head of the department of physics. In 1947 he was named director of the Raman Research Institute there and in 1961 became a member of the Pontifical Academy of Science. He contributed to the building up of nearly every Indian research institution in his time, founded the Indian Journal of Physics and the Indian Academy of Sciences, and trained hundreds of students who found important posts in universities and government in India and Myanmar (Burma). He was the uncle of Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar , who won the 1983 Nobel Prize for Physics, with William Fowler .

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• C.V. Raman: The Raman Effect

C.V. Raman and the Raman Effect

International historic chemical landmark.

Designated December 15, 1998, at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science in Jadavpur, Calcutta, India.

Commemorative Booklet (PDF)

"I propose this evening to speak to you on a new kind of radiation or light emission from atoms and molecules." With these prophetic words, Professor C. V. Raman of Calcutta University began his lecture to the South Indian Science Association in Bangalore on March 16, 1928. Raman proceeded to describe a discovery that resulted from a deceptively simple experiment. Conducted far from the great centers of scientific research in the Western world, the results would capture the attention of scientists around the world and bring many accolades, including the Nobel Prize, to their discoverer.

Raman’s Fascination with Light Scattering

Raman measures the effect of light scattering, raman effect as the physicist’s tool.

• Raman Effect as the Chemist’s Tool

The Laser and Raman Spectroscopy

Biography of sir c.v. raman, further reading, landmark designation and acknowledgments, cite this page.

Educated entirely in India, C.V. Raman made his first trip to London in 1921, where his reputation in the study of optics and especially acoustics was already known to the English physicists J. J. Thomson and Lord Rutherford, who gave him a warm reception. Raman's specialty had been the study of the vibrations and sounds of stringed instruments such as the violin, the Indian veena and tambura, and two uniquely Indian percussion instruments, the tabla and the mridangam.

But it was the return trip from London to Bombay aboard the SS Narkunda that would change forever the direction of Raman's future. During the fifteen-day voyage, his restless and probing mind became fascinated with the deep blue color of the Mediterranean. Unable to accept Lord Rayleigh's explanation that the color of the sea was just a reflection of the color of the sky, Raman proceeded to outline his thoughts on the matter while still at sea and sent a letter to the editors of the journal Nature when the ship docked in Bombay.

A short time later Raman was able to show conclusively that the color of the sea was the result of the scattering of sunlight by the water molecules. Ironically, it was exactly the same argument that Rayleigh had invoked when explaining the color of the sky — the blue was the result of the scattering of sunlight by the molecules in the air.

Raman was now obsessed with the phenomenon of light scattering. His group in Calcutta began an extensive series of measurements of light scattered primarily by liquids but also by some solids. As a result, Raman was able to explain the blue color observed in the ice of Alpine glaciers.

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Analysis of light scattered by a liquid is not an easy task, and much of the early work in Calcutta was done by the visual observation of color rather than precise measurements of the light's wavelength as shown in Figure 1 at right. The fundamentals of Raman's crucial experiment are outlined in Figure 2.

The violet light of the solar spectrum is isolated with a violet filter and passed through the liquid sample. Most of the light emerging from the liquid sample is the same color as the incident violet beam: the so-called Rayleigh scattered light. However, Raman and K. S. Krishnan were able to show that some of the scattered light was a different color, which they could isolate by using a green filter placed between the observer and the sample. The advantage of using a visual observation is that several substances can be studied quickly. In his first report to Nature , titled "A New Type of Secondary Radiation," Raman indicated that approximately 60 different liquids had been studied, and all showed the same result — some scattered light had a different color than the incident light. "It is thus," Raman said, "a phenomenon whose universal nature has to be recognized."

The Raman Effect is a very weak effect; only one in a million of the scattered light particles, or photons, actually exhibits the change in wavelength. This explains, in part, why the effect was not discovered earlier. In all of the early light-scattering studies, the excitation source was sunlight, which Raman has described as being plentiful in Calcutta, but it still lacked the desired intensity. The acquisition in 1927 by the IACS of a seven-inch (18 cm) refracting telescope enabled Raman to condense the sunlight and create a more powerful light source for his studies. By early 1928, mercury arc lamps were commercially available, and he switched to this even more intense light source.

Raman knew that visual and qualitative observations alone would not be sufficient information. He methodically set out to measure the exact wavelengths of the incident and Raman scattering by replacing the observer with a pocket spectroscope. He ultimately replaced it with a quartz spectrograph with which he could photograph the spectrum of the scattered light and measure its wavelength. These quantitative results were first published in the Indian Journal of Physics on March 31, 1928.

The significance of the Raman Effect was recognized quickly by other scientists. Professor R. W. Wood of Johns Hopkins cabled Nature to report that he had verified Raman's "brilliant and surprising discovery ... in every particular. It appears to me that this very beautiful discovery which resulted from Raman's long and patient study of the phenomenon of light scattering is one of the most convincing proofs of the quantum theory."

Raman had also recognized that his discovery was important to the debate in physics over the new quantum theory, because an explanation of the new radiation required the use of photons and their change in energy as they interacted with the atoms in a particular molecule. Raman also knew that there was a more important result, remarking in his 1930 Nobel Prize address that "... the character of the scattered radiations enables us to obtain an insight into the ultimate structure of the scattering substance."

In the first seven years after its discovery, the Raman Effect was the subject of more than 700 papers in the scientific literature, mostly by physicists who were using the technique to study the vibration and rotation of molecules and relating those phenomena to the molecular structure. Then, as noted by Raman biographer G. Venkataraman, there was a decline in interest, as "the first bloom of novelty had worn off and physicists were satisfied that they understood the origin of the effect." At the same time, chemists became interested in the Raman Effect as an analytical tool. In James Hibben's words, "The Raman Effect became the adopted child of chemistry."

Raman Effect as a Chemist’s Tool

By the late 1930s the Raman Effect had become the principal method of nondestructive chemical analysis for both organic and inorganic compounds. The unique spectrum of Raman scattered light for any particular substance served as a "fingerprint" that could be used for qualitative analysis, even in a mixture of materials. Further, the intensity of the spectral lines was related to the amount of the substance. Raman spectroscopy could be applied not only to liquids but also to gases and solids. And unlike many other analytical methods, it could be applied easily to the analysis of aqueous solutions. It was a ubiquitous technique, giving information on what and how much was present in a plethora of samples.

The use of Raman spectroscopy as a basic analytical tool changed sharply after World War II. During the war, infrared spectroscopy was enhanced by the development of sensitive detectors and advances in electronics. Infrared measurements quickly became routine operations, while Raman measurements still required skilled operators and darkroom facilities.

Raman spectroscopy could no longer compete with infrared until another development in physics — the laser — revived Raman spectroscopy in a new form beginning in the 1960s.

Raman understood the need for more intense light sources to amplify the effect and observation of the scattered light. The laser provided an even more intense source of light that not only could serve as a probe exploring the properties of the molecule but could also induce dramatically new effects.

With the development of the Fourier transform (FT) technique and the application of computers for data handling, commercial FT-Raman spectrometers became available in the late 1980s, resulting in resurgence in the use of the original Raman Effect.

The new Raman spectroscopy has been used to monitor manufacturing processes in the petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries. Illegal drugs captured at a crime scene can be analyzed rapidly without breaking the evidence seal on the plastic bag. Chemists can watch paint dry and understand what reactions are occurring as the paint hardens. Using a fiber-optic probe, they can analyze nuclear waste material from a safe distance. Photochemists and photobiologists are using laser Raman techniques to record the spectra of transient chemical species with lifetimes as small as 10 -11 seconds. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy is used for studying surfaces and reactions on surfaces. And, according to Kathy Kincade, Raman spectroscopy "has the ability to provide specific biochemical information that may foreshadow the onset of cancer and other life-threatening illnesses."

In his 1928 talk in Bangalore, Raman concluded, "We are obviously only at the fringe of a fascinating new region of experimental research which promises to throw light on diverse problems relating to radiation and wave theory, X-ray optics, atomic and molecular spectra, fluorescence and scattering, thermodynamics, and chemistry. It all remains to be worked out."

Seventy years later scientists are still actively working out the results and practical applications of Raman's deceptively simple experiment.

According to Hindu tradition, Raman was originally named Venkataraman after a Hindu deity, preceded by the initial of his father's first name, Chandrasekhara. In school his name was split to C. Venkata Raman, which later became C.V. Raman. With a father who was a professor of physics and mathematics and a mother who came from a family of Sanskrit scholars, Raman exhibited a precocious nature at an early age. He received a B.A. degree from Presidency College in Madras at the age of 16, placing first in his class and receiving a gold medal in physics.

While studying for his M.A. degree, he published his first research paper in Philosophical Magazine at the age of 18. It was the first research paper ever published from Presidency College.

Because of poor health, he was unable to go to England for further education. With nothing else available in India, in 1907 he passed the Financial Civil Service exam, married, and was posted to Calcutta as assistant accountant general.

Shortly after arriving in Calcutta, Raman began after-hours research at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS). In the first 10 years, working almost alone, he published 27 research papers and led the way for the IACS to become recognized as a vibrant research institute. Much of this early work was on the theory of vibrations as it related to musical instruments. After brief postings in Rangoon and Nagpur, he returned to Calcutta, took up residence next door to the IACS, and constructed a door that led directly into the institute, giving him access at any time. He received research prizes in 1912 and 1913 while he was still a full-time civil servant. He also increased the IACS reputation with his extensive lectures in popular science, holding the audience spellbound with his booming voice, lively demonstrations, superb diction and rich humor.

At the age of 29 he resigned from his lucrative civil service job when Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee, vice-chancellor, Calcutta University, offered him the Palit Chair Professorship. He continued to lecture even though it was not required, and he used the IACS as the research arm of the university. By the time of his first visit to England in 1921, his reputation in physics was well known. Three years later he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society — only the fourth Indian so honored. That same year he toured the United States, spending four months at the California Institute of Technology through the invitation of Nobel Laureate Robert Millikan.

After discovering the Raman Effect in 1928, he was knighted by the British government in India and received the Nobel Prize in physics in 1930. Three years later, Raman left Calcutta for Bangalore, where he served as head of the Indian Institute of Science. There he continued his work on the Raman Effect and became interested in the structure of crystals, especially diamond. In 1934 he founded the Indian Academy of Science and began the publication of its Proceedings .

In 1948 he became director of the newly constructed Raman Research Institute, where he remained continually active, delivering his last lecture just two weeks before his death. His research interests changed in later years when he primarily investigated the perception of color.

Jagdish Mehra, a biographer, states, "Educated entirely in India, Raman did outstanding work at a time when the small Indian community worked almost entirely in isolation and few made science a career. In fostering Indian science, Raman emerged as one of the heroes of the Indian political and cultural renaissance, along with ... Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru." But as Raman himself once said, outstanding investigators "are claimed as nationals by one or another of many different countries. Yet in the truest sense they belong to the whole world."

• Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science
• Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (nobelprize.org)

Landmark Designation

The American Chemical Society and the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science dedicated The Raman Effect an International Historic Chemical Landmark on December 15, 1998 at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science in Jadavpur, Calcutta, India. The plaque commemorating the event reads:

At this institute, Sir C. V. Raman discovered in 1928 that when a beam of coloured light entered a liquid, a fraction of the light scattered by that liquid was of a different color. Raman showed that the nature of this scattered light was dependent on the type of sample present. Other scientists quickly understood the significance of this phenomenon as an analytical and research tool and called it the Raman Effect. This method became even more valuable with the advent of modern computers and lasers. Its current uses range from the non-destructive identification of minerals to the early detection of life-threatening diseases. For his discovery Raman was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics in 1930.

C. V. Raman

C. V. Raman discovered that when light interacts with a molecule the light can donate a small amount of energy to the molecule. As a result of this, the light changes its color and the molecule vibrates. The change of color can act as a ‘fingerprint’ for the molecule.

Raman spectroscopy relies on these fingerprints. It is used in laboratories all over the world to identify molecules, to analyze living cells without harming them, and to detect diseases such as cancer.

Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman was born on November 7, 1888 in the city of Trichinopoly, Madras Presidency, British India. Today the city is known as Tiruchirappalli and sits in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Raman’s father was Chandrasekaran Ramanathan Iyer, a teacher of mathematics and physics. His mother was Parvathi Ammal, who was taught to read and write by her husband. At the time of Raman’s birth, the family lived on a low income. Raman was the second of eight children.

Raman’s family were Brahmins, the Hindu caste of priests and scholars. His father, however, paid little attention to religious matters: Raman grew up to share his father’s casual attitude to religion, but he did observe some Hindu rituals culturally and respected traditions such as vegetarianism.

When Raman was four years old his father got a better job, becoming a college lecturer, and the family moved to Waltair (now Visakhapatnam).

From a very young age Raman was interested in science, reading the books his father had used as a student. As he grew older, he started borrowing mathematics and physics books from his father’s college library. Entering his teenage years, he began learning from books his father had bought when he had intended taking a master’s degree in physics.

Beginning a Degree Course, aged 14

In 1903, aged just 14, Raman set off for the great city of Madras (now Chennai) to live in a hostel and begin a bachelor’s degree at Presidency College. When Raman returned home after his first year at college, his parents were shaken by his unhealthy appearance. They set up a house for him in Madras, where he could be looked after by his grandparents.

Raman was enormously enthusiastic about science. On vacations he would demonstrate experiments to his younger brothers and sisters.

He completed his degree in 1904, winning medals in physics and English. His British lecturers encouraged him to study for a master’s degree in the United Kingdom. Madras’s civil surgeon, however, told him that his health was not robust enough to withstand the British climate; he advised Raman to stay in India.

This was probably excellent advice. The brilliant mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan , born just a year before Raman, traveled from Madras to work at the University of Cambridge in 1914. Although this led to the creation of some exceptional mathematics, it had a severe impact on Ramanujan’s health.

Nobel Prize Winner Mistakes 18-year Old Raman for a Professor of Physics

Raman was awarded a scholarship and he remained at Presidency College to study for his master’s degree. His outstanding potential was recognized, and he was given unlimited access to the laboratories, where he pursued investigations of his own design.

In November 1906, aged 18, Raman had his first academic paper published. He had initially given it to one of his professors to read, but the professor had not bothered. Raman sent his paper directly to Philosophical Magazine and it was accepted. Its title was Unsymmetrical diffraction-bands due to a rectangular aperture : it was about the behavior of light.

Following the publication of his second paper in Philosophical Magazine , Raman received a letter from Lord Rayleigh, the eminent British physicist. Rayleigh, unaware that Raman was just a teenage student, sent his letter to “Professor Raman.”

In 1907, aged 19, Raman graduated with a master’s degree in physics, awarded with the highest distinction.

Full-time Government Administrator, Part-time Scientist

Although Raman was intent upon a scientific career, his brother persuaded him to take the civil service exams. Civil service jobs were highly paid and Raman’s family was deeply in debt.

For 10 years Raman worked as a civil servant in the Indian Finance Department in Calcutta (now Kolkata), rising quickly to a senior position. In his free time he carried out research into the physics of stringed instruments and drums. He did this work at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS).

The IACS had been in a state of hibernation until Raman stumbled upon it and set about reviving it. In addition to his research work, Raman gave public lectures in Calcutta popularizing science.

At Last, Full-time Science

Raman’s part-time research work and his lectures were impressive, establishing his reputation as a highly talented physicist. In 1917, the University of Calcutta sought him out and offered him the Palit Chair of Physics. Although it meant a substantial cut in pay, Raman, now aged 28, accepted – the prospect of devoting all of his time to science was worth more to him than money.

Although it was a research professorship, Raman also chose to give lecture courses: he was an exciting lecturer and he inspired his students.

The Raman Effect

Raman and rayleigh scattering.

Lord Rayleigh, who had believed the teenage Raman’s papers were the work of a professor, had been one of the great physicists of his day. He had won the 1904 Nobel Prize in Physics.

His importance to Raman’s story is that Rayleigh had been the first to explain why the sky is blue. He had then explained the sea’s color by saying it was simply a reflection of the sky’s color.

One day, in the summer of 1921, Raman was on the deck of a ship in the Mediterranean Sea en route to the Congress of Universities of the British Empire at Oxford. He looked at the beautiful blue color of the Mediterranean Sea and began to doubt Rayleigh’s explanation of its color.

Rayleigh had correctly explained that the sky looks blue because of a phenomenon now called Rayleigh scattering.

An approximate representation of Rayleigh scattering in Earth’s atmosphere.

If Earth had no atmosphere, anyone who happened to be around in such circumstances would see a white sun and a black sky. However, this is not what we see, because sunlight interacts with the gases in Earth’s atmosphere.

Rather than coming straight to our eyes from the sun, sunlight is scattered in all directions by the atmosphere. Blue light is scattered most, meaning that it comes to our eyes from everywhere in the sky, therefore the sky looks blue. Yellow and red light are scattered least, so we usually see a yellow sun, and sometimes a red sun.

Rayleigh scattering is elastic . This means that photons of light lose no energy when they interact with gas molecules. The light, therefore, stays the same color.

Raman Discovers that the Sea Scatters Light

When he sailed back to India in September 1921 Raman, an indefatigable scientist, had with him some simple physics apparatus: a prism, a miniature spectroscope, and a diffraction grating. He used these to study the sky and the sea and concluded that the sea was scattering light.

Hence when Rayleigh said the sea’s color is simply a reflection of the sky’s color, he was not wholly correct. Raman reported his findings in a letter to the journal Nature .

When he returned to his laboratory, Raman and his students began an exhaustive program of research into light scattering.

Compton Demonstrates Inelastic Scattering

In 1923, Arthur Compton in St. Louis, USA published exciting new work showing that X-rays can lose energy when they interact with electrons. The X-rays donate some of their energy to electrons, then move on carrying less energy. In other words, Compton demonstrated that inelastic scattering is possible.

Compton received the 1927 Nobel Prize in Physics for this discovery, which became known as the Compton effect.

The significance of the Compton effect is that in classical electrodynamics the scattering of X-rays and other electromagnetic radiation must always be elastic. Compton’s results agreed with quantum theory rather than classical theory.

Compton’s inelastic scattering caused X-ray wavelengths to increase. If inelastic scattering and hence longer wavelengths were possible for visible light, then the light’s color would change.

Raman and his students continued researching light scattering in gases, liquids, and solids.

They used monochromatic light – sunlight that had been filtered to leave only a single color – and found that a variety of different liquids – sixty of them – did indeed change the color of the light. They first observed this in April 1923, but very weakly.

In 1927, they found a particularly strong color change in light scattered by glycerol (then called glycerine):

Raman’s team observed the effect in gases, crystals, and glass. The effect might have been mistaken for fluorescence, another phenomenon in which light has its color changed, but in Raman’s work the light scattered by liquids was polarized, which ruled out fluorescence.

What came to be known as the Raman effect – a color change accompanied by polarization – had never been seen before. The inelastic scattering at its heart was a further, very strong, confirmation of quantum theory.

(A) Blue light approaches a molecule, and then (B) Lower energy green light leaves the molecule. This is inelastic scattering: the light has given some of its energy to the molecule, causing it to vibrate more strongly.

The Raman effect is a very small effect compared with Rayleigh scattering. Only about 1 in ten million photons undergoes inelastic scattering.

Raman and his colleague K.S. Krishnan reported their discovery in March 1928 in Nature .

Raman was awarded the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physics for “work on the scattering of light and for the discovery of the effect named after him.”

Raman Spectroscopy

Raman showed that the energy of photons scattered inelastically serves as a ‘fingerprint’ for the substance the light is scattered from. As a result of this, Raman spectroscopy is now commonly used in chemical laboratories all over the world to identify substances. It is also used in medicine to investigate living cells and tissues – even detecting cancers – without causing harm. Laser light rather than sunlight is used as the source of photons.

The Photon’s Spin

In 1932, Raman and his student Suri Bhagavantam discovered that photons of light carry angular momentum – in quantum terms, photons possess a property called spin.

Light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation pass their angular momentum to atoms that absorb them.

Some Personal Details and the End

Raman married Lokasundari Ammal in 1907. The couple had two sons: Radhakrishnan, who became a distinguished astrophysicist, and Chandrasekhar.

Raman was knighted in 1929 for his discovery of the Raman Effect, becoming Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman.

Raman’s Nobel Prize winning work was initially inspired by observations he made on a sea voyage. Coincidentally, it was on a sea voyage that another Indian Nobel Prize winner, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar , actually carried out most of his Nobel Prize winning work. And, even more coincidentally, C.V. Raman was Chandrasekhar’s uncle!

Raman had supreme confidence in his own ability. When the Palit Chair of Physics was endowed at the University of Calcutta, one of the conditions was that the holder would carry out research in other countries to increase Indian expertise. Raman refused to do this. He said that scientists should come from other countries to learn from him . He was so sure he would win the 1930 Nobel Prize that he booked tickets to Sweden four months before the winner was announced.

In 1933, Raman became the first Indian director of the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. In 1947, he became independent India’s first National Professor. In 1948, he founded the Raman Research Institute in Bangalore, where he worked until the end of his life.

Raman was suspicious of governments playing any role in fundamental science, refusing government funding for his work:

Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman died, aged 82, of heart disease on November 21, 1970 in Bangalore, India.

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Further Reading C. V. Raman The Colour of the Sea Nature Vol. 108, pp367-367, 17 November 1921

C. V. Raman and K. S. Krishnan A New Type of Secondary Radiation Nature Vol. 121, pp501-502, 31 March 1921

C. V. Raman and S. Bhagavantam Experimental proof of the spin of the photon Indian J. Phys. Vol. 6 pp353-366, 1931

G. Venkataraman Raman and His Effect Universities Press, 1995

Uma Parameswaran C. V. Raman: A Biography Penguin Books India, 2011

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C.V. Raman Biography

Birthday: November 7 , 1888 ( Scorpio )

Born In: Tiruchirappalli, Madras Province

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Also Known As: Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman

Died At Age: 82

Spouse/Ex-: Lokasundari Ammal

father: R. Chandrasekhara Iyer

mother: Parvati Amma

Physicists Indian Men

Died on: November 21 , 1970

place of death: Bangalore, India

discoveries/inventions: Raman Effect

awards: Nobel Prize in Physics (1930) Bharat Ratna (1954)

You wanted to know

What was c.v. raman's contribution to science.

C.V. Raman's major scientific contribution was the discovery of the Raman Effect, which is the inelastic scattering of light by molecules leading to changes in wavelength.

How did C.V. Raman's discovery impact the field of physics?

C.V. Raman's discovery of the Raman Effect provided a new way to study molecular vibrations and revolutionized the field of spectroscopy, leading to advancements in various scientific disciplines.

What motivated C.V. Raman to pursue a career in science?

C.V. Raman was inspired by his father's interest in science and his own curiosity about the natural world, which drove him to pursue a career in scientific research.

What challenges did C.V. Raman face during his scientific career?

C.V. Raman faced challenges such as lack of resources, limited support for scientific research in India, and skepticism from the scientific community, but he overcame these obstacles through determination and perseverance.

How did C.V. Raman's work influence future generations of scientists?

C.V. Raman's groundbreaking work in physics and his dedication to scientific research inspired and motivated future generations of scientists in India and around the world to pursue innovative research and make significant contributions to the field of science.

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Raman was known to have a remarkable sense of humor and often entertained his colleagues and friends with witty anecdotes and jokes.

Despite his groundbreaking scientific discoveries, C.V. Raman had a passion for music and could often be found playing the veena in his free time.

Raman had a deep appreciation for nature and would frequently take long walks in the countryside to observe and admire the beauty of the natural world.

Raman was a prolific writer and published numerous articles and books on a wide range of topics, showcasing his diverse interests and intellectual curiosity.

Raman was a dedicated teacher and mentor, known for his patience and willingness to guide and inspire the next generation of scientists.

See the events in life of C.V. Raman in Chronological Order

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IN 1928, Sir Venkata Raman published an account of the new radiation effect now generally known as the Raman effect, and the Indian Academy of Sciences, of which he is president, has had the happy idea of celebrating this and Sir Venkata's fiftieth birthday by the issue of a special commemorative volume. This volume, which contains thirty-eight papers, submitted from various parts of the world, opens with a brief biography of Sir C. V. Raman. The writer of this, whilst referring to the fact that Sir Venkata received his early training in physics at the Presidency College, Madras, unfortunately omits to mention how much the future Nobel prizewinner owed to the then head of the department of physics, the late Prof. R. LI. Jones, who carried to India the traditions of the Cavendish Laboratory.

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Sir C. V. Raman, F.R.S. Nature 143 , 326 (1939). https://doi.org/10.1038/143326a0

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Sir CV Raman and His Contributions

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Table of Contents

Sir CV Raman and Raman Effect

Importance of the raman effect, other scientific works of sir cv raman, honours received by sir cv raman.

Prelims:   General Science

Mains: Achievements of Indians in science and technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

Sir CV Raman was born in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, on November 7, 1888. Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, the son of a teacher who taught physics and mathematics, was raised in an academic environment from an early age. After earning his M.A. in physics in 1907 from Presidency College, Madras, Sir CV Raman was involved in research in the area of atomic physics and optics. The first Asian to get the Nobel Prize in Physics and the first Bharat Ratna awardee, Sir CV Raman is best known for his advanced theory of the scattering of light - an inelastic theory of scattering .

Sir CV Raman and his student KS Krishnan found that the light, after passing through a transparent medium, changes its wavelength and energy during the scattering - the phenomenon is called the Raman Effect or Raman Scattering , which has various applications in spectroscopy.

Rayleigh had already established the phenomenon of the scattering of light and had provided reasons for the blue colour of the sky. But his work was based on the multi-wavelength light passing through the atmospheric gases that scatter the light of lower wavelengths. C. V. Raman established a more advanced theory of scattering.

Molecular Scattering of Light

When light is scattered by a molecule, the oscillating electromagnetic field of a photon induces a polarisation of the molecular electron cloud, which leaves the molecule in a higher energy state after the energy of the photon is transferred to the molecule.

• This is sometimes referred to as the virtual state of the molecule and can be thought of as the formation of a very brief-lived complex between the photon and molecule.
• The virtual state is unstable and the photon is reemitted almost immediately, as scattered light.
• The wavelength of the scattered photon is equal to that of the incident photon in the vast majority of scattering events because the energy of the molecule remains constant following its interaction with the photon. This is the main process and is known as elastic (energy of a scattering particle is conserved) or Rayleigh scattering .
• Sir CV Raman and his student, K. S. Krishnan, in 1928 found an inelastic scattering of photons by matter (medium), meaning that there is both an exchange of energy and a shift in the light's wavelength. This phenomenon is called the Raman Effect .
• They found that there is a shift in the energy of the scattered photons (light particles) - either energy absorption (called Stokes scattering ), resulting in a redshift, or energy release (called a nti-Stokes scattering ), resulting in a blue shift.

Although termed a very weak effect, as only one scattered particle out of a million undergoes the shift in wavelength, the Raman Effect has proved to be a significant achievement in physics due to its various applications.

• Nature of light: The Raman Effect further cemented the particle theory of light, which holds that light is composed of tiny particles known as photons.
• Proof of quantum theory: The study of the phenomenon of light scattering is one of the most convincing proofs of quantum theory.
• Applications: The Raman Effect (scattering) provides information on vibrational, rotational and low-frequency modes of energy of molecules, which are the basis of its numerous applications.

Raman Spectroscopy

Raman spectroscopy is an analytical technique where scattered light is used to measure the vibrational energy modes of a sample.

• Raman spectroscopy provides chemical as well as structural information of molecules.
• Raman spectroscopy extracts this information through the detection of Raman scattering from the sample.
• Both organic and inorganic compounds can be nondestructively analysed by the Raman spectroscopy. 
• Resonance Raman Spectroscopy (RRS)
• Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS)
• Micro-Raman Spectroscopy
• Non-linear Raman Spectroscopic Techniques

Apart from scattering of light, Sir CV Raman was associated with other scientific works. 

• Spin of photons: With Suri Bhagavantam, Sir CV Raman determined the spin of photons in 1932, which further confirmed the quantum nature of light. 
• This effect has enabled optical communication components based on laser systems through the use of modulators and switching systems.
• Study on diffraction of light: He conducted theoretical and experimental studies on the effects of X-rays on infrared vibrations in crystals exposed to ordinary light, as well as on the diffraction of light by hypersonic and ultrasonic acoustic waves.
• From 1944 to 1968, he studied the structure and characteristics of diamonds .
• In the early 1950s, he studied the structure and optical behaviour of many iridescent materials, including labradorite, feldspar, agate, quartz, opal, and pearl. 
• His last interests in the 1960s were in biological properties such as the colours of flowers and the physiology of human vision.

Sir CV Raman has been honoured with a number of awards and recognitions for his contributions.

• In 1930, Sir CV Raman was conferred with the Nobel Prize in Physics. He was the first Asian to get this recognition.
• He was one of the recipients who got the Bharat Ratna for the first time in 1954 (along with S. Radhakrishnan and C. Rajagopalachari).
• Sir CV Raman was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize in 1957.
• Raman, a lunar crater, is named after Sir CV Raman.

National Science Day (NSD)

The day on which the Raman Effect was discovered by CV Raman (February 28, 1928) is commemorated as National Science Day in India.

• History: The National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC) requested that the Indian government declare February 28 as National Science Day in 1986.
• The then-Indian government agreed and announced the day as National Science Day in 1986.
• February 28, 1987, marked the first National Science Day.
• NSD 2023: "Global Science for Global Wellbeing" is NSD-2023's theme.
• The theme "Global Science for Global Wellbeing" was chosen to increase public understanding of the scientific issues in a global context that are affecting global well-being.

FAQs on Sir CV Raman

What is the raman effect, named after sir cv raman.

Sir CV Raman and his student, K. S. Krishnan, in 1928 found an inelastic scattering of photons by matter (medium), meaning that there is both an exchange of energy and a shift in the light's wavelength. This phenomenon is known as the Raman Effect.

What is the contribution of Sir CV Raman to the field of physics?

Sir CV Raman gave Raman Effect. Raman spectroscopy uses the Raman effect. He was also part of the Raman-Nath theory.

Why was Sir CV Raman awarded the Nobel Prize in physics?

On February 28, 1928, Sir C.V. Raman introduced the "Raman effect," for which he was given the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930.

Which honours have been received by Sir CV Raman?

In 1930, Sir CV Raman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. He was the first Asian to get this recognition. Sir CV Raman was one of the recipients who got the Bharat Ratna for the first time in 1954. Raman, a lunar crater, is named after him.

Where was Sir CV Raman born?

Sir CV Raman was born in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, on November 7, 1888.

When is National Science Day celebrated?

The day on which the Raman Effect (named after Sir CV Raman) was discovered, February 28, 1928, is commemorated as National Science Day in India.

© 2024 Vajiram & Ravi. All rights reserved

• general knowledge

C.V. Raman Biography: Early Life,Family, Education, Career, Awards and Achievements

Cv rama biography: november 7 marks the birth anniversary of the great scientist cv raman. he was a physicist, nobel laureate, and bharat ratna recipient who was instrumental in india’s growth in the fields of science and physics. let us read more about c.v. raman, his childhood days, education, family, discoveries, awards, and achievements.      .

National Science Day 2023: Every year, November 7 commemorates the birth of Indian physicist Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman. He discovered the Raman Effect on February 28, 1928, and for this discovery, he was honoured with the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930.

This article includes instances from his birth, early life, career, various achievements, and more.

C.V Raman: Biography

C.V. Raman, or Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, was born on November 7, 1888, at Tiruchirappalli in southern India. His father was a lecturer in mathematics and physics. At a young age, he was exposed to an academic environment. His contribution to science and innovative research helped India and the world. 

Dr. Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (C.V. Raman): Early Life and Family

Dr. C.V. Raman was born on November 7, 1888, in a South Indian Brahmin family in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. His father's name was Chandrasekhara Ramanathan Iyer. He was a lecturer in mathematics and physics at a college in Vishakhapatnam. His mother's name was Parvathi Ammal.

C. V. Raman has been an intelligent student since his early childhood. At the age of 11, he passed his matriculation and 12th grade on a scholarship. In 1902, he joined the Presidency College and received his graduate degree in 1904. At that time, he was the only student who received the first division. He has a Master's in Physics from the same college and broke all the previous records.  In 1907, he married Lokasundari Ammal and had two sons, namely Chandrasekhar and Radhakrishnan.

Dr. Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (C.V. Raman): Career

Because of his father's interest, he appeared for the Financial Civil Services (FCS) examination and topped it. In 1907, he went to Calcutta (now Kolkata) and joined as an assistant accountant general. But in his spare time, he went to the laboratory to do research at the Indian Association for Cultivation of Sciences. Let us tell you that, his job was very hectic, and he also continued his research work at night due to his core interest in science.

Though the facilities available in the laboratory were very limited, he continued his research and published his findings in leading international journals, including 'Nature', 'The Philosophical Magazine', 'Physics Review', etc. At that time, his research was focused on the areas of vibrations and acoustics.

He got an opportunity to join the University of Calcutta in 1917 as the first Palit Professor of Physics. After 15 years at Calcutta, he became a Professor at the Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore from 1933 to 1948 and since 1948, he has been the Director of the Raman Institute of Research at Bangalore which was established and endowed by him only.

Dr. Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (C.V. Raman): Works and Discovery

He established the Indian Journal of Physics in 1926 where he was the editor. He also sponsored the establishment of the Indian Academy of Sciences and served as the President since its inception. He was the President of the Current Science Association in Bangalore, which publishes Current Science (India).

In 1928, he wrote an article on the theory of musical instruments for the 8th Volume of the Handbuch der Physik. He published his work on the "Molecular Diffraction of Light" in 1922 which led to his ultimate discovery of the radiation effect on February 28, 1928, and earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930. He became the first Indian to receive a Nobel Prize.

Other research carried out by Dr. C.V. Raman was on the diffraction of light by acoustic waves of ultrasonic and hypersonic frequencies and the effects produced by X-rays on infrared vibrations in crystals exposed to ordinary light.

In 1948, he also studied the fundamental problems of crystal dynamics. His laboratory has been dealing with the structure and properties of diamonds, and the structure and optical behaviour of numerous iridescent substances like pearls, agate, opal, etc.

He was also interested in the optics of colloids, electrical and magnetic anisotropy, and the physiology of human vision.

No doubt, he was honoured with a large number of doctorates and memberships in scientific societies. In 1924, he was also elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society early in his career and was knighted in 1929.

As briefly described he is best known for discovering the 'Raman Effect' or the theory related to the scattering of light. He showed that when light traverses a transparent material, some of the deflected light changes its wavelength.

Dr. Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (C.V. Raman): Awards and Honours

- In 1924, he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society early in his career and was knighted in 1929.

- He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930.

- He was awarded the Franklin Medal in 1941.

- He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1954, the highest civilian award in India.

- In 1957, he was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize.

- The American Chemical Society and the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science in 1998 recognised Raman's discovery as an International Historic Chemical Landmark.

- On 28 February every year, India celebrates National Science Day to commemorate the discovery of the Raman Effect in 1928 in his honour.

In 1970, he received a major heart attack while working in the laboratory. He took his last breath at the Raman Research Institute on 21st November 1970.

Dr. C.V. Raman was one of the great legends from India whose hard work and determination made India proud and became the first Indian to receive a Nobel Prize in Physics. He proved that, if a person wants to pursue his/her desires nobody can stop. His interest in science and dedication towards research work made him discover the Raman Effect. He will always be remembered as a great Scientist, Physicist, and Nobel laureate.

Get here current GK and GK quiz questions in English and Hindi for India , World, Sports and Competitive exam preparation. Download the Jagran Josh Current Affairs App .

• Why is National Science Day celebrated? + NationalScience Day is observed on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of the 'Raman Effect'. In 1986, the Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day (NSD). On this Day, Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, also known as CV Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930.
• When is National Science Day observed? + Every year on 28 February, National Science Day is celebrated to pay tribute to the Nobel Laureate Dr. C.V. Raman.
• When did C.V. Raman die? + Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (C.V. Raman) died on 21 November 1970.
• When and Why was C.V. Raman awarded with Nobel Prize? + Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (C.V. Raman) won Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930 for his work on the scattering of light and for the discovery of the effect named after him that is the Raman Effect.
• What is the full name of C.V. Raman? + C.V. Raman full name is Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman. He was born at Tiruchirappalli in Southern India on 7 November 1888.
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