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Biography
AbstractImportant DatesOccupationPlacesSubjectsRelationships
PeopleInstitutionsResources
Archival as AuthorArchival as SubjectPublished as AuthorPublished as SubjectS. Chandrasekhar
Dates
October 19, 1910 – August 21, 1995
Authorized Form of Name
Chandrasekhar, S. (Subrahmanyan), 1910-1995
Additional Forms of Names
Chandrasekhar, Subrahmanyan, 1910-1995
Biography
Abstract
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar was an astrophysicist and Nobel laureate. His research interests included stellar structure, white dwarfs, stellar dynamics, the theory of radiative transfer, general relativity, and black holes. He was also the Morton D. Hull Distinguished Service Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics at University of Chicago for many years.
Important Dates
October 19, 1910Birth (Lahore was then part of British India), Lahore (Pakistan).
1930Obtained BA, University of Madras, Chennai (India).
1933Obtained PhD in Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (England).
1933 – 1937Fellow, Trinity College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (England).
1937 – 1995Research Associate (1937-1938); Assistant Professor to Professor (1938-1946); Distinguished Service Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics (1947-1952); Morton D. Hull Distinguished Service Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics (1952-1985); and Morton D. Hull Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus (1986-1995), University of Chicago, Chicago (Ill.).
1951 – 1954Member, Council, American Astronomical Society.
1952 – 1971Editor, The Astrophysical Journal, University of Chicago Press.
1955Member, National Academy of Sciences.
1964 – 1968Member, Council, American Physical Society.
1966Awarded National Medal of Science.
1974Awarded Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics, American Physical Society.
1979 – 1981Member, Advisory Board, Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara.
1983Awarded Nobel Prize in Physics "for his theoretical studies of the physical processes of importance to the structure and evolution of the stars".
August 21, 1995Death, Chicago (Ill.).
Occupation
Astrophysicist.
Places
Birth
Undergraduate Education
Graduate Education
Employment
Death
Subjects
Physics -- Study and teaching.
Relationships
People
Family
Ayyar, C. S.
Father.
Balakrishnan, Sita
Mother.
Chandrasekhar, Lalitha
Wife.
Uncle.
Advisors & Collaborators
PhD advisor at University of Copenhagen (Københavns universitet).
PhD advisor at University of Göttingen.
Eddington, Arthur Stanley, Sir, 1882-1944
Ph.D. advisor at University of Cambridge.
Fowler, R. H. (Ralph Howard), 1889-1994
Ph.D. advisor at University of Cambridge.
Advised by Chandrasekhar at University of Chicago, "The effect of magnetic fields on the generation of noise by isotropic turbulence."
Colleagues
Both employed at University of Chicago.
Both employed at University of Chicago.
Both employed at University of Chicago.
Both employed at University of Chicago.
Parker, E. N. (Eugene Newman), 1927-
Both employed at University of Chicago.
Ross, Frank E. (Frank Elmore), 1874-1960
Both employed at University of Chicago.
Both employed at University of Chicago.
Both employed at University of Chicago.
Both employed at University of Chicago.
Additional
Alpher, Ralph, 1921-2007
Ambart︠s︡umi︠a︡n, V. A. (Viktor Amazaspovich)
Arp, Halton C.
Babcock, Horace W.
Baker, James Gilbert
Bethe, Hans A. (Hans Albrecht), 1906-2005
Burbidge, E. Margaret
Burbidge, Geoffrey R.
Chapman, Sydney, 1888-1970
Conwell, Esther M. (Esther Marley), 1922-2014
Demarque, Pierre
Dirac, P. A. M. (Paul Adrien Maurice), 1902-1984
DuMond, Jesse W. M. (Jesse William Monroe), 1892-1976
Ebbighausen, E. G. (Edwin George), 1911-
Fujita, Yoshio, 1908-
Greenstein, Jesse L. (Jesse Leonard), 1909-2002
Hall, John S. (John Scoville), 1908-1991
Hansen, James E. (James Edward), 1941-
Hoffleit, Dorrit
Johnson, Hugh M.
King, Ivan R.
Kozyrev, Aleksei Aleksandrovich, 1916-1989
Lin, C. C. (Chia-Chʻiao), 1916-2013
Marshak, Robert E. (Robert Eugene), 1916-1992
McCrea, William Hunter
Milne, Edward Arthur, 1896-1950
Morgan, W. W. (William Wilson), 1906-1994
O'Keefe, John Aloysius, 1916-
Osterbrock, Donald E.
Ostriker, J. P.
Peierls, Rudolf E. (Rudolf Ernst), 1907-1995
Placzek, G. (George), 1905-1955
Plaskett, Harry Hemley, 1893-
Randers, Gunnar, 1914-
Robertson, H. P. (Howard Percy), 1903-1961
Runcorn, S. K.
Russell, Henry Norris, 1877-1957
Saha, Meghnad, 1893-1956
Sandage, Allan
Schwarzschild, Martin
Sciama, D. W. (Dennis William), 1926-
Stromgren, Bengt, 1908-1987
Struve, Otto, 1897-1963
Unsold, Albrecht, 1905-
Van de Kamp, Peter, 1901-1995
Wali, Kameshwar C.
Weaver, Harold F.
Wesselink, Adriaan Jan, 1909-1995
Wigner, Eugene Paul, 1902-1995
Institutions
Major Positions
University of Cambridge. Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics
Obtained PhD (Theoretical Physics) in 1933. Fellow, Trinity College.
University of Chicago. Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics
Research Associate; Assistant Professor to Professor; Distinguished Service Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics; Morton D. Hull Distinguished Service Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics; and Morton D. Hull Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus.
Professional Activities & Affiliations
Member, Council.
Member, Council. 1974 Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics Recipient.
National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)
Member.
University of California, Santa Barbara. Institute for Theoretical Physics
Member, Advisory Board.
University of Chicago. Press
Editor, The Astrophysical Journal.
University of Madras
Obtained BA (Physics) in 1933.
Yerkes Observatory
Resources
Archival Resources
Author
Banquet of the American Physical Society and the American Association of Physics Teachers [sound recording] / 1974 February 5.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Edward Arthur Milne: Recollections and reflections, 1976.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
General interest session [sound recording] : Cosmic physics ; 1974 February 5.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Gibbs Symposium records, 1964-1989.
Manuscripts and Archives
Yale University Library
Box 208240, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
Joint ceremonial session of the American Physical Society and the American Association of Physics Teachers [sound recording], 1969 February 4.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Joint symposium of the Division of Astrophysics and the Forum for History of Physics [sound recording] / 1987 April 21 & 22.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Letter to Gerard Peter Kuiper congratulating him on his recent astronomical discovery, 1944.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with S. Chandrasekhar, 1977 May 17, 18 and October 31.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, 1987 October 6.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar holograph manuscripts, 1931-1938.
Library
Trinity College
Cambridge CB2 1TQ
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar papers, 1928-1995.
The Joseph Regenstein Library. Department of Special Collections
University of Chicago
1100 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
Subject
American Astronomical Society Historical Astronomy Division addition to records: obituary files, 1995-1998.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Correspondence relating to the posthumous publication of Ramanujan's notebooks, 1917-1940.
Library
Trinity College
Cambridge CB2 1TQ
Dedication of McDonald Observatory at Fort Davis, Texas [motion picture] / taken by Peter Van de Kamp.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
E. G. Ebbighausen response to History of Modern Astrophysics Survey, 1980.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Edward Milne papers and correspondence, 1916-1976.
Bodleian Library. Department of Western Manuscripts
University of Oxford
Oxford, England, UK
Eugene N. Parker response to History of Geophysics Survey, 1997.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
George Placzek papers, 1934-1955, undated.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
H. P. Robertson papers, 1922-1980 (bulk 1936-1966).
Institute Archives
California Institute of Technology
1201 East California Blvd. (Mail Code 015A-74), Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
History of Modern Astrophysics collection, 1849-1979.
Library
American Philosophical Society
105 South Fifth Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA
Hugh M. Johnson papers, 1946-1999
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Interviews with physicists, 1989.
In private hands. Contact: Dr. A. Ratnakar, Librarian, Raman Research Institute. Banglore
Jesse W. M. DuMond papers, 1912-1976.
Institute Archives
California Institute of Technology
1201 East California Blvd. (Mail Code 015A-74), Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
John Von Neumann papers, 1912-1996 (bulk 1935-1957).
Manuscript Division
Library of Congress
James Madison Memorial Building, First Street and Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20540, USA
Kip Thorne interviews conducted for his book "Black Holes and Time Warps," 1980-1989.
Institute Archives
California Institute of Technology
1201 East California Blvd. (Mail Code 015A-74), Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
M. N. Saha correspondence, 1920-1954.
Manuscript Section
Nehru Memorial Museum and Library
New Delhi
Martin Schwarzschild papers, 1939-1994.
Department of Rare Books and Special Collections
Princeton University
1 Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
Oral history interview with Adriaan J. Wesselink, 1977 September 23 and 1978 June 21.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Albrecht Unsöld, 1978 June 6.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Albrecht Unsöld, 1984 February 24.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Aleksei Aleksandrovich Kozyrev, 1987 December.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Allan Sandage, 1974 May 16.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Bengt Georg Daniel Strömgren, 1976 May 6 and 13.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Dennis William Sciama, 1999 June 9.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral History interview with Donald E. Osterbrock, 2003 February 10.
Institute Archives
California Institute of Technology
1201 East California Blvd. (Mail Code 015A-74), Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
Oral history interview with Ellen Dorrit Hoffleit, 1979 August 4.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Esther Conwell, 2007 January 22.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Geoffrey Burbidge, 1975 June 4
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Geoffrey Burbidge, 1977 October 21.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Geoffrey R. Burbidge, 1974 November 15.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Guido Münch, 1977 July 7.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Gunnar Randers, 1986 August 19.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Halton Christian Arp, 1975 July 29.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Harold F. Weaver, 1977 July 20 and 1978 July 22.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Harry Hemley Plaskett, 1978 March 29.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Horace W. Babcock, 1977 July 25.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Ivan Robert King, 1977 July 18 and 20 July 1978.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with James Baker, 1980 June 9.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with James Hansen, 2000 October 23 and November 27.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Jeremiah P. Ostriker, 2002 May 14 and 21.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Jesse Leonard Greenstein, 1974 July 31.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Jesse Leonard Greenstein, 1977 April 7, July 21, 26 and 1978 May 19.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with John A. O'Keefe, 1993 February 2.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with John S. Hall, 1979 February 21.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral History interview with Lyman Spitzer, 1991 November 27.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Lyman Spitzer, Jr., 1977 April 8 and 1978 May 10.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Margaret Burbidge, 1978 July 13.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Masatoshi Koshiba, 1997 August 30.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Pierre Demarque, 1977 February 21.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Robert Marshak, 1970 June 15, 16, September 19, and October 4.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Rudolf Ernst Peierls, 1977 May 20.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with S. Keith Runcorn, 1993 September 16 and 17.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with V. A. Ambartsumian, 1987 October 2.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with W. W. Morgan, 1978 August 8 and 9.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with William A. Fowler, 1983 May 3 - May 31, 1984.
Institute Archives
California Institute of Technology
1201 East California Blvd. (Mail Code 015A-74), Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
Oral history interview with Yoshio Fujita, 1997 August 26.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Otto Struve selected correspondence [microform], 1932-1945.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Outtakes and candid footage from the production of : The world of Enrico Fermi, circa 1930-1968.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Sir William Hunter McCrea papers and correspondence, 1890-2004.
Royal Holloway College Library
University of London
Egham Hill, Egham, Surrey, England UK
Text materials for documentary film: The world of Enrico Fermi, circa 1930-1968.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
The world of Enrico Fermi [motion picture].
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Yerkes Observatory records, 1897-2007.
The Joseph Regenstein Library. Department of Special Collections
University of Chicago
1100 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
Published Resources
Author
An introduction to the study of stellar structure / by S. Chandrasekhar.
Eddington, the most distinguished astrophysicist of his time / S. Chandrasekhar.
Ellipsoidal figures of equilibrium / S. Chandrasekhar.
Hydrodynamics and hydromagnetic stability / S. Chandrasekhar.
Newton's Principia for the common reader / S. Chandrasekhar.
Principles of stellar dynamics / by S. Chandrasekhar.
Radiative transfer / S. Chandrasekhar.
Stellar structure and stellar atmospheres.
The mathematical theory of black holes and of colliding plane waves / S. Chandrasekhar.
Truth and beauty : aesthetics and motivations in science / S. Chandrasekhar.
Subject
"Chandra: A Biographical Portrait," Physics Today 63 (2010): 38-43.
"Chandrasekhar's Role in 20th-Century Science," Physics Today 63 (2010): 44-48.
"Some Memories of Chandra," Physics Today 63 (2010): 49-56.
Chandra: A Biography of S. Chandrasekhar (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1991).
From white dwarfs to black holes : the legacy of S. Chandrasekhar / edited by G. Srinivasan.
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar Physics Today obituary.
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar: 1910-1995, Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences.