S Chandrasekhar - Selected Correspondence and Conversations of Lalitha and Chandra
Author: Kameshwar C. Wali
Publisher: World Scientific Publishing Company
Published: 2020-02-06
Total Pages: 328
ISBN-13: 9789811208324
DOWNLOAD EBOOKThe correspondence in Chandra's journals revealed in his own words the depth of his pursuit of science as well as his personal struggles, and such material is significant for the public to have a deeper understanding of the man behind the legend. The first part of the project was completed at the time of the Chandra birth centennial in 2010 with the publication of A Scientific Autobiography: Chandrasekhar. It provided a rare and personal insight into the joys and struggles of a brilliant scientist at work.There remained yet a wealth of correspondence that shed significant insight into Chandra's life, and this included the correspondence during his days as a student in India and Cambridge, his trials and tribulations in the competitive world of British academia, his travels to Russia and Germany, and his unexpected encounter with Sir Arthur Eddington. It also included selected correspondence and conversations with Lalitha, his wife of over sixty years. These letters and conversations with her reflect her own views of their life. She, a student of physics herself, eventually gave up her own work in science to become an integral part of Chandra's life. As Chandra wrote, 'The full measure of of my indebtedness] cannot really be recorded; it is too deep and too all persuasive. Let me then record simply that Lalitha was the motivating source and strength of my life ...'
