February 01, 2022

Homi J Bhabha | Father of India's Nuclear Programme

 The man who pioneered the Indian nuclear research program Homi Jehangir Bhabha was a nuclear physicist who laid the foundation for nuclear research in India often called the father of the Indian nuclear program. He established the main two institutions one them is TIFR(Tata Institute of Fundamental Research) and the second AEET(Atomic Energy ) which later after his demise was changed to Bhabha Atomic Research Center(BARC) is located in Trombay.

Father of India's Nuclear power Programme | BARC | TIFR

An institution builder and a visionary scientist Dr. Homi Bhabha was a brilliant and hardworking student since childhood and his parents dreamed of him becoming a mechanical engineer. However young Bhabha's interest fibbed in studying physics and not in becoming an engineer yet he honored his parent's wish and completed his degree in mechanical engineering. His parents appreciated their son's genuine interest and supported him in his pursuit of scientific research. Studying in Europe Bhabha became familiarized with many great physicists of his time and was resolute in contributing to India's scientific research on his return, he had wildly ambitious plans upon returning to his home country. From establishing the Cosmic Rays Research Unit he helped to formulate India's strategy in the field of nuclear power for which he is fondly remembered as the “Father of Indian nuclear power”.

Early life Homi Bhabha's

Dr. Homi J Bhabha was born on 30 October 1909 in Bombay into the home of a well-known Parsi lawyer Jahangir Hormuji Bhabha and his wife Meheren his family was very wealthy and prominent and he was related to the Dorabji Tata after receiving his primary education at Bombay's Cathedral and John Connon school. He took his secondary college at Elphinstone College(located in Mumbai, Fort). Then he studied at the Royal Institute of Science till 1927 his parents and uncle Dorabji Tata who was a big industrialist at that time wanted the brilliant young Homi to study mechanical engineering at Cambridge University so that he could join Tata Steel Mills upon his return to India.

Homi Bhabha Turning point of Life

Going to Cambridge University can also be called his turning point. Because at that time Cambridge University had become the center of the latest innovations. Homi went to Cambridge University where he began studying mechanical engineering but soon he realized that his true potential wasn't engineering but the pursuit of science. He told his parents of his goal his father was a thoughtful person and promised to finance Homi’s further studies in science. He completed his mechanical engineering in first-class passing the mechanical engineering exam in 1930. Keeping up with his promise his father let him continue his studies Homi studied mathematics under Paul Dirac and he was influenced by him very much. Paul Dirac was the one who articulated the existence of 'anti-matter' for the first time. Later for his contribution, he was awarded a Nobel prize.

Development of Nuclear physics

Impressed with his work, Homi J Bhabha started getting interested in nuclear research. Later he worked towards his doctorate in theoretical physics in 1933 he received his doctorate in nuclear physics and published his first scientific paper, “The Absorption of Cosmic Radiation” which helped him win the Isaac Newton studentship in 1934 which he held for the next three years. During the 1930s nuclear physics was an emerging area that usually was in the discussions in the scientific community several transformations were taking place in this field and Homi Bhabha was profoundly attracted to research in this domain.

During his studentship, he also worked with Neil Bohr in Copenhagen along with his research work at Cambridge where he published paper proceedings of the Royal Society Series A in 1935, wherein he gave the calculation to determine the cross-section of electron-positron scattering along with Neil Bohr he published a paper “the passage of fast electrons and the theory of cosmic showers” in 1936, where he explained how primary cosmic rays from outer space interact with the upper atmosphere. For his work, Bhabha was awarded the senior studentship in 1937 which permitted him to continue his work at Cambridge in 1939.

How did Homi Bhabha establish BARC?

Bhabha came to India for a short vacation when World War II broke out and this obstructed him from returning to Cambridge. So he accepted a position at the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore as a reader in the Department of Physics which was headed by the renowned physicist CV Raman.

In 1944 Baba felt that India needed laboratories and facilities to conduct research in nuclear science thus he decided to solicit the support of visionary and industrialist Dorabji Tata the Tata Trust accepted his proposal and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) was established. In 1945 in Bombay which had the facilities for conducting large-scale research in physics, chemistry, electronics, and mathematics he also played a key role in the formation of the Atomic Energy Commission in 1948.

Then Homi Bhabha felt that atomic research would not be able to completed at TIFR so he requested the government to build a new laboratory government accepted his request and allotted 1200 acres of ground to build the laboratory and the Department of Atomic Energy in 1954 established naming AEET(Atomic Energy Establishment Trombay). Also known as Bhabha Atomic Research Center(BARC). He had acquaintances with other scientists all over the world whom he used to call in India and introduced them to Indian scientists so that Indian scientists could get something to learn and get encouragement.

Bhabha Scattering

He started research on Parmanu weapons. He was appointed as director of the parmanu program after the independence in 1948. And was officially given permission to develop Parmanu. His research on Bhabha scattering is been in the curriculum of nuclear sciences all over the world through nuclear physics. His research on Bhabha Scattering is still widely used today in the field of nuclear physics.

How Homi Bhabha helped Dr. Vikram Sarabhai

A visionary who had realized the importance of nuclear research programs way back in the 1940s when India was still under British rule. Their research has led to the development of nuclear sciences all over the world through nuclear physics. He envisioned a three-stage nuclear program consisting of the utilization of natural uranium, thorium, and plutonium in advanced nuclear reactors with a closed full circle because of this he was called the “father of India's nuclear power program”.

In 1954 he was honored with the Padma Bhushan the third-highest civilian award in India for his invaluable contributions to science and engineering. He also helped Vikram Sarabhai, a renowned scientist of that time, to form a national committee for space research. They were also known as Rocket Boys as they had achieved tremendous success in Rocketry. 

Rocket Boys

Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai played a significant role in the development of rocketry and space technology in their respective countries.

Homi Bhabha was an Indian nuclear physicist who played a crucial role in the development of India's nuclear program. He was also instrumental in setting up the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, which played a significant role in India's early rocketry and space exploration efforts.

Vikram Sarabhai was an Indian physicist and astronomer who is often referred to as the father of India's space program. He established the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 1969 and oversaw the development of India's first satellite, Aryabhata, which was launched in 1975.

Their contribution towards the Indian Space program and Nuclear energy Programme is tremendous so a web series dedicated to the life of Nuclear Scientist Dr. Homi J. Bhabha and Space Research scientist Dr. Vikram Sarabhai named Rocket Boys is streaming on Sony Liv.

How did Homi Bhabha die?

Homi Bhabha was a bachelor man who fully devoted his life to science he had a hobby of painting and loved classical music and opera. He abhorred the Air India flight 101 which crashed near Mount Blanc in the Alps on January 24th, 1966 and he died in that plane crash. The great scientist's brilliant career was cut short by a plane crash that claimed his life. Later,  AEET was renamed Bhabha Atomic Research Center in memory of Dr. Homi J. Bhabha. He will be always remembered for his tremendous contribution to the area of Parmanu.

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