2011 - 2012 Front Cover: Center Left Panel: Celebration of Republic Day at Thaltej Campus of Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad. Center Right Panel Synoptic view of Mt. Abu Observatory Center Bottom Panel: Synoptic View of Udaipur Solar Observatory located in Fateh Sagar Lake, Udaipur. Inside front cover: Facilities at PRL Inside back cover: Events at PRL Back cover: The sequence of photographs of Venus Transit captured by Solar Flare Telescope at Thaltej campus of Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad. Compiled by: Office of the Dean, PRL. Published by: Physical Research Laboratary, Ahmedabad. Layout & Printed by: Creative Printers Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabad. Council of Management Chairman Nominee, Government of India Professor U. R. Rao ISRO Headquarters, Government of India, Bangalore Members Dr. K. Radhakrishnan Nominee, Government of India Secretary, DOS and Chairman, ISRO, Government of India Department of Space, Bangalore Shri A Vijay Ananad Nominee, Government of India Joint Secretary, Department of Space, Government of India, Bangalore Shri Sanjay S. Lalbhai Nominee, Ahmedabad Education Society Ahmedabad Education Society Ahmedabad Shri Kartikeya V. Sarabhai Nominee, Karmakshetra Educational Foundation Chidambaram, Usmanpura, Ahmedabad The Principal Secretary, Nominee, Government of Gujarat Department of Education (Higher & Technical Education) Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar Professor J. N. Goswami (Ex-Officio) Director, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad Member- Secretary (Ex-Officio) Shri Y.M. Trivedi Registrar Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad Contents Director’s Foreword 1 Science Highlights 3 Awards and Honours 7 Theses Submitted 10 Human Resource Development 12 Colloquia/ Public Lectures by Visitors 13 Conference / Symposia / Workshops held 15 Invited Talks at Conference / Symposia / Workshops 16 Lectures at Universities / Institutions 24 Science Astronomy and Astrophysics 29 Solar Physics 47 Planetary Sciences and PLANEX Program 66 Space and Atmospheric Sciences 78 Geosciences 90 Theoretical Physics 109 Publications Publications in Journals 121 Publications in Proceedings of Conference / Symposia / Workshops 133 Book Edited/ Review Articles 136 Other Publications 137 Facilities and Services 138 Honorary Fellows 142 Honorary Faculty 143 Academic Faculty 144 Technical Faculty 148 Statement of Audited Accounts 149 Director’s Foreword A major landmark of the current year was the formulation an enhanced and a proactive role of PRL scientists in such of the Science Goals for PRL during the 12th five year plan missions in the years to come. period. These were derived through extensive discussions The year witnessed several landmarks, some of which were and brainstorming sessions amongst faculty members and achieved using the facilities established during the 11th a comprehensive and well-defined plan is now ready. The plan period. These include the installation of Multi plan document contains the trajectory of science at PRL in Application Solar Telescope (MAST) at the Udaipur lake the coming years with new initiatives and definition of site that is nearing completion. With this facility, we pathways towards strengthening of existing research anticipate an exciting new era of solar observations and a programs. The new initiatives include the plans for refined understanding of various solar phenomena and establishing a 2.5 meter telescope at Mt. Abu for processes. First science results from the indigenously astronomical observations, making forays into laboratory developed Echelle Spectrograph, obtained in early 2012, studies of molecular genesis in simulated cold astrophysical confirmed its capability for detection of exo-planets and environment, an accelerator mass spectrometer for inferring routine observations will follow. Direct detection of water precise time scales of planetary and geological processes, in microscopic mineral phases in lunar samples was made experiments to understand the role of volatile hydrocarbon using a Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer (Nano-SIMS) in tropical troposphere and the development of optical that was acquired during the last plan. In the area of space parametric oscillator based sources for studies of photon exploration, fabrication of the two payloads for the entanglement. Chandrayaan-2 mission is progressing well and development Specific need-based augmentation of experimental facilities of a payload proposed for the Mars mission has been for research in different areas and upgrading of initiated. In basic geosciences, the studies at PRL delineated computational capabilities will also form a major component the role of the Ganga-Brahmaputra river system in controlling of the activities during the next five years. With the the trace element inventory of the world oceans. Theoretical anticipated completion of the Space Instrumentation Facility analysis showed that the claim for an elementary particle in the PRL-Thaltej campus, PRL’s commitment to actively (neutrino) moving at a speed faster than light, made by a participate in ISRO’s future space-science missions in the European experimental group, that would require fields of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Solar Physics and modification of Einstein theory of special relativity, is not Planetary & Atmospheric Sciences will now on be a more tenable, as it conflicts with well-established results on decay ambitious route. PRL has played a major role in ISRO’s of elementary particles. planetary science missions to Moon and Mars and has an The core academic faculty strength at PRL remained close active role in the Solar Mission, “Aditya” for probing the to seventy and the combined number of research scholars solar corona, the outermost layer of the Sun. I anticipate and post-doctoral fellows is nearly hundred. A large number 1 of project associates are also working in different areas. different fields in research. The regular seminar activities Preparations for the 8th UN course on Space Sciences for of all the six major divisions, where senior research scholars the Asia-Pacific region, conducted by PRL, have been are encouraged to present their work, continued with usual completed and fifteen students will join the course starting vigour. from July, 2012. Keeping in view the broad canvas of As a part of its HRD activities, PRL is working hard to research areas at PRL, an MOU was signed with Indian encourage young college and university students, by Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar (IIT-Gn), Gujarat, to inviting them to spend some quality time and partner the facilitate academic exchange and registration of PRL academic activities at PRL and interact with its scientists. research scholars at IITGn for their PhD degree. Growing PRL had a strong summer program, driven by its own involvement of PRL in Planetary and Space Explorations program and via its participation in the Indian Academies also led to signing of an MOU with the Space Application program and over seventy students participated in these Centre, Ahmedabad, for support and collaboration in programmes. The technical faculty members of PRL realizing space qualified payloads at PRL for future ISRO additionally guided a large number of B.Tech and M.Tech space missions. engineering students in their project work and dissertation. The steady and positive growth in research in different PRL continued to conduct the PLANEX and RESPOND scientific areas at PRL was also reflected both via an programmes of ISRO. These programs aim at enhancing increase in the total number of publication, and in the participation of scientists from universities and academic number of publications in high impact journals. PRL faculty institutions in the areas of space and planetary research. members were also invited to edit special issues of journals, Nearly fifty groups across the country are currently pursing and to write review articles in international journals and research under these two programmes. monographs. Fifteen research scholars completed their PhD studies during the year. The celebration of science day at PRL has now matured into a major Science outreach activity that covers higher The research at PRL was formally recognized by various secondary schools from across the state of Gujarat. PRL international and national forum through fellowship, awards held events and lectures at eleven centers across the state and honors bestowed on PRL faculty. These included the and selected over a hundred students from over hundred J. C. Bose fellowship, D.Sc. (Honoris Causa), Vice- schools who were invited to PRL along with their teachers Chairman, Committee on Space Sciences of International on Science Day to participate in various activities. Some Astronautical Academy, Goyal Prize, K. R. Ramanathan of the meritorious students from amongst these were Gold Medal (Indian Geophysical Union), D. M. Khaitan awarded scholarships and other incentives. Gold Medal (Asiatic Society), National Geoscience Award PRL made a steady improvement in the use of Hindi in its and Young Associate, Indian Academy of Sciences. Several day to day administration. The PRL website is now in a research scholars of PRL also received awards at various bilingual format. This year was the second consecutive national conferences and symposia for high quality of their year when the Town’s Official Language Committee, presentations. Senior faculty members from PRL were Ahmedabad, selected PRL for the First Prize for excellence invited to serve in Council/Board of academic and research in contribution towards implementation