India celebrates a historic milestone in November-December, 2024 in all pioneering institutions (IIT’s, NIT’s, IISc and Universities across the country), the “Centenary of Bose-Einstein Statistics”. This groundbreaking development, pioneered by the visionary physicist Prof. Satyendra Nath Bose, who left an indelible mark on quantum mechanics, revolutionizing our understanding of the physical sciences world. Bose’s innovative approach reshaped quantum mechanics and established the groundwork for scientific advancements in fields as diverse as lasers, superconductivity and quantum computing. Centenary of “Bose-Einstein Statistics” celebrated, honouring Prof. Satyendra Nath Bose’s groundbreaking work on particle indistinguishability. His contributions laid the foundation for major advances in quantum mechanics, including the “Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC)” and continue to shape modern physics. Also in the various prestigious institutions of the world (Max Planck’s Institute in Munich, Dresden, Heidelberg, Berlin Germany; UCL, London and many more) celebrates the centenary of this groundbreaking inventions of Prof. Bose.
In our country, Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated “Centenary Celebrations” of iconic “Bose-Einstein Statistics” at S.N Bose National Centre of Basic Sciences in Calcutta on 14th November and will continue till 24th December 2024 which includes participation of prominent scientists from leading global institutions and award-winning physicists from around the world which includes Nobel laureates and experts from Princeton, Harvard, Oxford, other prestigious institutions and our pioneering institutes are among the speakers, showcasing India’s strong international collaborations in advanced research. Plenary lectures, Invited lectures and various kinds of presentations on this path breaking discovery of BEC are being organized regularly to mark this centenary celebration.
Born on 1st January 1894 in Calcutta, Prof. Bose was a brilliant student who excelled in physics and mathematics from an early age. As a research scholar he was inspired by Sir J.C Bose, a pioneer of radio wave research, S.N. Bose ventured into the field of quantum mechanics, which led to his groundbreaking contributions in the field. In 1924 (November-December), Bose published a paper titled “Planck’s Law and the Quantum Hypothesis of Light”, in which he presented a new way of counting particles, particularly “Photons”, as indivisible units. Albert Einstein recognized the importance of Bose’s paper and further developed his ideas, resulting in the development of “Bose-Einstein statistics” and the discovery of the “Bose-Einstein Condensate”. Bose-Einstein statistics challenged the assumption of classical mechanics that particles are indistinguishable, where each particle is considered unique and can be tracked individually. Bose-Einstein statistics distinguishes between two classes of particles in quantum mechanics: “Bosons and Fermions”. “Bosons”, which are named after Prof. S.N Bose, can occupy the same quantum state, making them indistinguishable from one another. This means that “One Boson” cannot be distinguished from another. This property makes phenomena such as “Superconductivity and Superfluidity” possible. In contrast, “Fermions” obey the “Pauli exclusion principle” (no two electrons can have the same four electronic quantum numbers), which governs the structure of matter.
Bose’s work was extended by Einstein, leading to the prediction of “BEC”, a unique state of matter that forms when bosonic atoms are cooled to near absolute zero (-273.15°C), causing them to merge into a single quantum entity with wave-like properties. The concept remained theoretical until it was experimentally confirmed in 1995 by Eric Cornell and Carl Wiman, who received the “Nobel Prize” for their work in 2001. Discoveries such as the “Higgs boson” and advances in quantum computing highlight the enduring relevance of Bose’s theories. Bose-Einstein statistics impact not just in physics but also cosmology and condensed matter science.
Prof. Satyendra Nath Bose, widely known as the “Father of the God particle”, was awarded the “Padma Vibhushan” in the year 1954. In 1959, he was named “National Professor of India”, the highest honour for a scholar, a position he held for 15 years.
Prof. Satyendra Nath Bose, widely known as the “Father of the God particle”, was awarded the “Padma Vibhushan” in the year 1954. In 1959, he was named “National Professor of India”, the highest honour for a scholar, a position he held for 15 years.
The “S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences” is an autonomous research institute engaged in research in basic sciences. The institute was established under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India in 1986 as a Registered Society. The Centre was established to honour the life and work of Professor S. N. Bose who was a colossal in theoretical physics and has made some of the most fundamental conceptual contributions in the development of Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Statistics. The Centre has emerged as a major institution for research and development in Basic Sciences.
This centenary conference will cater to researchers in both theoretical and experimental physics and will cover some of the fields where Bose-Einstein statistics and condensation are manifest, such as superconductivity, superfluidity, dilute atomic gases, quasiparticle condensation, slow light, etc.
The S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences is unique in exposing scholars to the cutting edge of research in the basic sciences through national and international conferences and an active visitors' programme evolved around an energetic core faculty with multidisciplinary interests.
(The writer is a Professor of Chemistry at Sikkim Government College (NBBGC), Tadong, Gangtok. Views are personal. Email: bhaskargtk@yahoo.com)