The department has collaborative programme
with State Observatory, Nainital, Indian Institute of Astrophysics (Bangalore)
and IUCAA (Pune). Collaborative works have also been undertaken with scientists
of TIFR (Bombay), IPR (Ahmedabad) and CEERI (Pilani).
In the field of research,
the department has made a significant contribution in diverse fields. 90 students
have been awarded Ph. D. Degree from this department since the beginning and active
groups in the field of Stellar, Solar and Galactic Astrophysics, Semiconductor
devices and Microelectronics. Thin film, Photo voltaic, Super ionic solids, X-ray
crystallography, Molecular biophysics, Thermoelectric, Optical, Dielectric and
Magnetic properties of solids and Optical spectroscopy, Quantum field theory,
High energy Astrophysics have grown.
A brief list of research activities
in the department is given below :
(A) ASTROPHYSICS
Teaching
of Astrophysics as one of the optional papers, as started earlier, was started
in the year 1968. Since then we have been engaged in research activities in spectrophotometric
studies and solar physics in collaboration with State Observatory, Nainital. The
group working in this field has now emerged as one of the reputed centres. The
research works here on Exact Solutions of Einstein Equations, Gravitational Waves
and Cosmological Solutions have found place in research books.
At the moment
experimental research in CCD studies of Star Clusters are going on in collaboration
with scientists at IIA, Bangalore and at State Observatory, Nainital. On theoretical
side, studies in Gravitational Wave Data Analysis, Pulsar, and Black-Hole Physics
are being pursued and a collaborative project with scientists at IUCAA, Pune is
on progress.
(B) MOLECULAR BIOPHYSICS
This is a relatively new
area of research activity in the department. The areas of interest are :
(i)
Study of RNA transcription
(ii) Conformational studies of biologically important
molecules.
(iii) Semiconducting properties of nucleic acids, biopolymers and
organic polymers.
(iv) Fluorescence and spectral properties of biopolymers.
(v)
Quantum mechanical calculations of biomolecular interactions.
(vi) Model for
drug action.
(vii) Confirmation and stability of triplexes.
(viii) Molecular
modelling and crystallographic studies of DNA junction.
(ix) Conformational
studies of bioactive peptides and proteins.
(x) Molecular structure, molecular
vibrations and intermolecular force-fields, bond properties of molecules.
(xi)
Equation of state and phase transitions of solids and liquids.
(xii) Macromolecules
(Light Scattering, Fluorescence, electrical properties of polymers, conformation
and configuration and solution properties).
(C) SOLID STATE PHYSICS AND
ELECTRONICS
At present research activity is in progress on the following
topics :
(i) Theoretical and experimental studies of magnetic properties of
solids with special reference to rare earth and iron group solids.
(ii) Luminescence
(Thermo, Electro and Photo luminescence).
(iii) Conduction mechanism in organic
semiconductors and II-VI and III-V group semiconductors.
(iv) Breakdown phenomena
in solid state devices (both bipolar and unipolar) with a view to fabricate inductors.
(v)
Thin Films
(a) Thermoelectric materials
(b) Ohmic and rectifying contacts
on semiconductors.
(c) Thin film hetero-junctions and photovoltaic devices.
(d)
Electrical, magnetic and optical properties of thin films.
(vi) Materials for
solar thermal conversion (Selective surfaces).
(vii) Semiconductor junction
(viii)
Nano structure materials and multi layer systems.
(ix) Liquid crystals-preparation
and study of their electrical and optical solids.
(x) Dielectric properties
of doped alkali halides
(xi) Super ionic solids.
(D) SPECTROSCOPY
Molecular spectroscopy laboratory is one of the main centres of research activity
of the department, almost from the beginning. The main interest of the group has
been the study of the molecular spectra of diatomic and polyatomic molecules,
polyatomic molecular studies of the benzene derivatives and N-Heterocyclic compounds
of biological interest. Diatomic molecules of astrophysical interest have also
received attention.
(E) QUANTUM FIELD THEORY AND HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS
This group is interested in the study of high energy interactions and fields in
the domain of elementary particles. Topics of main interest are the following
:
(i) Exact solution of Schrodinger Equation for many potentials of physical
interest by ansatz and SUSYOM methods.
(ii) Schwinger’s mechanism and
application in e+ e- collision.
(iii) Deformation of lie groups and application
of SUq (2), SUq(1,1) ans SUq (3) to quantum optics and particle physics.
(F)
GRAVITATION AND RELATIVITY
The department has a very active group working
on the theory of gravitation, black holes and neutron stars. The work of this
group on gravitational radiation and gravitational collapse has received wide
recognition and appreciation. Most of the results have found place in reference
and text books. The group is presently working on the dynamics of perfect fluid
distributions and electromagnetic fields around black holes due to a current loop.
(G)
X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHY
The X-ray laboratory is engaged in the accurate
structure determination of simple organic compounds with a view to elucidating
the molecular structure in detail. And also to discuss the thermal vibration pattern
on the basis of molecular packing in crystal. Irradiation effect of X-rays on
some biologically important molecules and biopolymers are also being studies.
Crystallographic studies on DNA junction with the help of the Department of Biotechnology,
New Delhi is in progress.
