Chandrasekhar, S. (Subrahmanyan), 1910-1995

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Astrophysicist. B.A., Presidency College, Madras University, 1930. Ph. D., Cambridge University, 1933; Sc. D., 1942. Research Associate, Yerkes Observatory, University of Chicago, 1937. Assistant Professor, University of Chicago, 1938; Associate Professor, 1942; Professor, 1944; Distinguished Service Professor, 1946; Morton D. Hull Distinguished Service Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics, 1952. Managing editor, Astrophysical Journal, 1952-1971. Nobel Prize in Physics, 1983.

From the description of Papers, 1928-1995. (University of Chicago Library). WorldCat record id: 52246521

Chandrasekhar died in 1995.

From the description of Edward Arthur Milne: Recollections and reflections, 1976. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 82391833

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, astrophysicist, was born October 19, 1910, in Lahore, India (now Pakistan). Originally from southern India, his family returned to Madras in 1918, where Chandrasekhar received most of his schooling. He received a B.A. honors degree from Presidency College, Madras University, in 1930, and Ph.D. and Sc.D. degrees from Cambridge University in 1933 and 1942. While at Cambridge he studied with R. H. Fowler, P. A. M. Dirac, and E. A. Milne, and also spent periods of time with Niels Bohr in Copenhagen and Max Born at Göttingen. He was appointed a Fellow of Trinity College in 1933. In 1936 Chandrasekhar traveled to the U.S. to give lectures at Harvard College Observatory and at Yerkes Observatory of the University of Chicago. Offered positions at both places, he decided to accept the offer from Chicago. He returned to India briefly that year, and in September was married to Lalitha Doraiswamy, a former classmate at Presidency College.

Chandrasekhar came to Yerkes Observatory in January 1937 as a Research Associate. He was made an Assistant Professor in 1938, Associate Professor in 1942, Professor in 1944, and Distinguished Service Professor in 1946. In 1952 he was named Morton D. Hull Distinguished Service Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics. His appointment was expanded to include not only the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics but also the Department of Physics and the Enrico Fermi Institute of Nuclear Studies. Chandrasekhar also accepted the position of managing editor of the Astrophysical Journal in 1952, and served in that capacity until 1971. His duties often required him to commute from Yerkes to the University campus for several days each week, which he did until 1964 when he moved his permanent residence to Chicago. Although offered positions at other universities many times, he remained at the University of Chicago throughout his career, and continued to teach and do research well past normal retirement age.

Early in the 1930s Chandrasekhar developed a theory concerning white dwarf stars, combining Fowler's use of the new quantum statistics with special relativity. He derived the so-called "Chandrasekhar limit," which set a maximum mass beyond which a star could not remain at the white dwarf stage, but would continue collapsing indefinitely. The theory drew immediate and intense opposition from Arthur S. Eddington and other astronomers, and was not fully accepted until over 20 years later, when it became one of the key elements in the formation of ideas concerning neutron stars and black holes. Frustrated by the negative response to his work, but certain of its correctness, Chandrasekhar wrote up his research and published it as An Introduction to the Study of Stellar Structures (1939) then moved on to other topics.

A pattern emerged in Chandrasekhar's work, of researching a subject, writing a series of articles, compiling a book, then changing fields, roughly every 10 years. This, combined with his position on the editorial staff of the Astrophysical Journal, gave him a breadth of knowledge and interest. The contributions Chandrasekhar made to various fields can be seen from the titles of his books: Principles of Stellar Dynamics (1942); Radioactive Transfer (1950); Hydrodynamic and Hydromagnetic Stability (1961); Ellipsoidal Figures of Equilibrium (1969); The Mathematical Theory of Black Holes (1983); and Eddington: The Most Distinguished Astrophysicist of His Time (1983).

Among the many citations Chandrasekhar received are the Bruce Gold Medal of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society of London, the Rumford Prize of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Medal of the Royal Society of London, the National Medal of Science of the United States, and the Padma Vibhushan award of India. In 1983 Chandrasekhar was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.

From the guide to the Chandrasekhar, Subrahmanyan. Papers, 1928-1995, (Special Collections Research Center University of Chicago Library 1100 East 57th Street Chicago, Illinois 60637 U.S.A.)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Schwarzschild, Martin. Oral history interview with Martin Schwarzschild, 1977 March 10 to 19 July 1979. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
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referencedIn Burbidge, E. Margaret. Oral history interview with Margaret Burbidge, 1978 July 13. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
creatorOf Chandrasekhar, Subrahmanyan. Papers, 1928-1995 Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library,
referencedIn H. P. Robertson Papers, 1922-1980 California Institute of Technology. Archives.
referencedIn Peierls, Rudolf E. (Rudolf Ernst), 1907-1995. Oral history interview with Rudolf Ernst Peierls, 1977 May 20. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
creatorOf Chandrasekhar, S. (Subrahmanyan), 1910-. Oral history interview with Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, 1987 October 6. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Chapman, Sydney, 1888-1970. Festschrift material [microform], 1968. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Burbidge, Geoffrey R. Oral history interview with Geoffrey R. Burbidge, 1974 November 15. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Struve (Otto) Papers UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Marshak, Robert E. (Robert Eugene), 1916-1992. Oral history interview with Robert Marshak, 1970. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
creatorOf Chandrasekhar, S. (Subrahmanyan), 1910-1995. Letter, 1957 February 23, Williams Bay, Wis., to Sanborn C. Brown, Cambridge, Mass. Dartmouth College Library
creatorOf Chandrasekhar, S. (Subrahmanyan), 1910-1995. Papers, 1928-1995. University of Chicago Library
referencedIn Correspondence relating to the posthumous publication of Ramanujan's notebooks, 1917-1940. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Parker, E. N. (Eugene Newman), 1927-. Response to History of Geophysics Survey, 1997. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Antioch Review mss., 1940-2007 Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington)
referencedIn Wesselink, Adriaan J., 1909-. Oral history interview with Adriann J. Wesselink, 1977 September 23 and 1978 June 21. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Struve, Otto, 1897-1963. Selected correspondence [microform], 1932-1945. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Hansen, James R. Oral history interview with James Hansen, 2000 October 23 and November 27. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
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referencedIn Placzek, G. (George), 1905-1955. Papers, 1934-1955, undated. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
creatorOf Chandrasekhar, S. (Subrahmanyan), 1910-1995. Autograph card. Smithsonian Institution. Libraries
referencedIn Greenstein, Jesse L. (Jesse Leonard), 1909-2002. Oral history interview with Jesse Leonard Greenstein, 1977 April 7 to 1978 May 19. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
creatorOf Chandrasekhar, S. (Subrahmanyan), 1910-. Edward Arthur Milne: Recollections and reflections, 1976. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Ratnakar, A. Interviews with physicists, 1989. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Hall, J. L. (John L.), 1934-. Oral history interview with John L. Hall, 1979 February 21. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Van de Kamp, Peter, 1901-. Dedication of McDonald Observatory at Fort Davis, Texas [motion picture] / taken by Peter Van de Kamp. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Kozyrev, Aleksei Aleksandrovich, 1916-1989. Oral history interview with Aleksei Aleksandrovich Kozyrev, 1987 December. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Strömgren, Bengt, 1908-. Oral history interview with Bengt Georg Daniel Strömgren, 1976 May 6 and 13. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Spitzer, Lyman, 1914-. Oral history interview with Lyman Spitzer, Jr., 1977 April 8 and 1978 May 10. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn William B. Provine collection of evolutionary biology reprints, 20th century. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
creatorOf Angell, Norman, 1874-1967. Gilbert F. White papers, 1942-1957. Haverford College Library
creatorOf Chandrasekhar, S. (Subrahmanyan), 1910-. Oral history interview with S. Chandrasekhar, 1977 May 17 to October 31. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn History of Modern Astrophysics Collection, 1849-1979 American Philosophical Society
referencedIn Ambart︠s︡umi︠a︡n, V. A. (Viktor Amazaspovich). Oral history interview with V. A. Ambartsumian, 1987 October 2. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
creatorOf Chandrasekhar, S. (Subrahmanyan), 1910-. Letter to Gerard Peter Kuiper congratulating him on his recent astronomical discovery, 1944. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
creatorOf Gibbs Symposium (1989 : Yale University). Records of the Gibbs Symposium, 1964-1989 (inclusive). Yale University Library
referencedIn Unsöld, Albrecht, 1905-. Oral history interview with Albrecht Unsöld, 1984 February 24. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Babcock, Horace W. Oral history interview with Horace W. Babcock, 1977, July 25. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
creatorOf Chandrasekhar, S. (Subrahmanyan), 1910-. Holograph manuscripts, 1931-1938. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Herbert Friedman Papers, 1940-2000 American Philosophical Society
referencedIn Greenstein, Jesse L. (Jesse Leonard), 1909-2002. Oral history interview with Jesse Leonard Greenstein, 1974 July 31. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Johnson, Hugh M. Papers, 1946-1999. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Ebbighausen, E. G. (Edwin George), 1911-. Response to History of Modern Astrophysics Survey, 1980. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Arp, Halton C. Oral history interview with Halton Christian Arp, 1975 July 29. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn John Von Neumann Papers, 1912-1996, (bulk 1935-1957) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Koshiba, M. Oral history interview with Masatoshi Koshiba, 1997 August 30. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Saha, M. N., 1893-1956. Correspondence, 1920-1954. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Alpher, Ralph. Oral history interview with Ralph Alpher and a joint interview with Robert Herman, 1983 August 11 and 12. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Papers and correspondence of Edward Arthur Milne, 1896-1950, 1916-1976 Department of Western Manuscripts, Bodleian Library, University of Oxford
referencedIn Spitzer, Lyman, 1914-1997. Oral History interview with Lyman Spitzer, 1991 November 27. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn King, Ivan R. Oral history interview with Ivan Robert King, 1977 July 18 and 20 July 1978. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
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Place Name Admin Code Country
Subject
Astronomy
Astronomy
Astrophysicists
Astrophysics
Black holes (Astronomy)
Cosmology
Dwarf stars
General relativity (Physics)
Hydrodynamics
Interstellar matter
Magnetohydrodynamics
Nobel Prizes
Physicists
Radiative transfer
Stellar atmospheres
Stochastic processes
Theoretical physics
Occupation
Biography
Physicists
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Birth 1910-10-19

Death 1995-08-21

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English

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