Piara Singh Gill
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Professor Piara Singh Gill |
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| Born | 28 October 1911 Chela in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab |
|---|---|
| Died | 23 March 2002 |
| Residence | India  |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Field | Physics |
| Institution | Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Atomic Energy Commission of India Aligarh University Punjab Agricultural University University of Chicago First Director of CSIO of India |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California University of Chicago |
| Academic advisor | Arthur Compton  |
| Known for | Advanced nuclear cosmic ray research. Scientists who worked on the Manhattan project & First director of CSIO. |
Professor Piara Singh Gill, (28 October 1911 - 23 March 2002) was a scientist (physicist) who was a pioneer in cosmic ray nuclear physics and worked on the American nuclear Manhattan project [1]. Moreover, was the first Director of Central Scientific Instruments Organization (CSIO) of India [2]. He was research fellow of Chicago University (1940), research Professorship fellow of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) (1947), Officer-on-Special Duty (OSD) with the Atomic Energy Commission in New Delhi. Professor & Head in the Department of Physics at Aligarh University (1949), Director of Central Scientific Instruments Organization (CSIO) (1959) and Professor Emeritus Punjab Agricultural University (1971) [3].
[edit] Personal life
He was born in 28 October 1911 in a Sikh Gill Jat family in the village of Chela in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab. He attended Khalsa High School in Mahilpur (1928) and left for America in 1929. He attended and graduated with a bachelors and Master's degree from University of Southern California. He worked for his PhD in Physics at University of Chicago under the supervision and guidance of Arthur Compton, the Nobel Prize winning Scientist. He received his PhD in Physics from University of Chicago in March 1940. He was a good friend and close collegue of Homi J. Bhabha, who offered him the research fellow Professorship at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in 1947 [4]. He was also a close friend of Nehru, who was one of the people he impressed with his scientific breakthroughs, he offered him the post of Officer-on-Special Duty (OSD) with the Atomic Energy Commission in New Delhi and he also asked him to become the first Director of Central Scientific Instruments Organization (CSIO) of India [5]. He as its Director established (CSIO) as a leader in advanced scientific instrument design in Asia [6]. Moreover, Dr. Robert Oppenheimer, was a close colleague and friend who he worked with on the Manhattan project. Dr. Oppenheimer asked Professor Gill to present a paper at the California Institute of Technology at a conference arranged to celebrate the 80th birthday of Professor Robert Millikan, winner of the 1928 Physics Nobel Prize. Professor Piara Singh Gill was a key advisor and planner to Nehru on India's nuclear weapons strategy in the 1950-60s [7].
[edit] References
- ^ Up Against Odds: Autobiography of an Indian Scientist. (South Asia Books, 1993. ISBN:817023364X).
- ^ [1]
- ^ http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/jun102002/1404.pdf
- ^ http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/jun102002/1404.pdf
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
- ^ Up Against Odds: Autobiography of an Indian Scientist. (South Asia Books, 1993. ISBN:817023364X).
