C. V. Raman and Colonial Physics: Acoustics and the Quantum
Abstract
Presenting the social and historical context of Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, this paper clarifies the nature and development of his work in early twentieth-century colonial India. Raman's early fascination with acoustics became the basis of his later insights into the nature of the light quantum. His work on light scattering played an important role in the experimental verification of quantum mechanics. In general, Raman's worldview corrects certain Orientalist stereotypes about scientific practice in Asia.
- Publication:
-
Physics in Perspective
- Pub Date:
- June 2014
- DOI:
- 10.1007/s00016-014-0134-8
- Bibcode:
- 2014PhP....16..146B
- Keywords:
-
- Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman;
- Raman effect;
- Quantum theory;
- Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science;
- Indian Institute of Science;
- Physics in India;
- Orientalism