INDIA - PRL

PHYSICAL RESEARCH LABORATORY

Navrangpura, Ahmedabad 380 009

Telephone: +91 79 630 2129
Telefax: +91 79 630 1502
E-mail: director@prl.res.in
URL:   http://www.prl.res.in/

Director:

Agarwal, G.S. (Prof.)

Research activities:

1. Experimental Physics:
   1. ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS: Studies on star formation, evolution of intermediate mass stars, photometric and polarimetric studies of active galaxies and BL Lac objects. High angular resolution studies by lunar occultations, study on circumstellar structure. Astronomical observations are taken using a 1.2 m telescope at Mount Abu. Solar photospheric and chromospheric studies, International Global Oscillations Network Group (GONG) project at Udaipur Solar Observatory (using 12 ft SPAR telescope).
   2. PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES AND AERONOMY (Physics of middle and upper atmosphere, atomic and molecular physics): Investigations of the electric and magnetic fields, plasma instabilities and the dynamics of the upper atmosphere are being carried out by elegant radio, optical and plasma diagnostic techniques. The role of trace gases in the chemical and radiative properties of the earth's atmosphere and their impact on climate, ionization and electrodynamical parameters of the middle atmosphere are a few of the topics which are also being studied actively.
   3. EARTH SCIENCES (geochronology and geochemistry, hydrology, oceanography and palaeoclimatology, isotope geology).
   4. ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES AND AERONOMY: Atmospheric minor constituents and chemistry, aerosols and radiative transfer, turbulence, dynamics and electrical parameters of the middle atmosphere. Upper atmospheric research related to plasma bubble and ionization-hole, equatorial ionization anomaly, dayglow, thermosphere ionosphere coupling and studies on planetary and cometary atmospheres. Laboratory experiments to study photoabsorption cross section ionic fluorescent quantum yields, electron scattering cross section and multi-photon ionization of atoms and molecules.
   5. EARTH SCIENCES: Isotope Geology and Geochemistry, palaeoclimate and paleoenvironmental studies, Gondwana climate, catastrophic boundaries like Pre-Cambrian/Cambrian(PC/C), Permian/Triassic (P/Tr), Cretacious/Tertiary (K/T), isotope tagging of trace gases in the atmosphere, radiocarbon and thermo-luminescence dating. Oceanography and Isotope Hydrology. Origin of Sun and Planets, Cosmo and Geochemistry, isotopic anamolies in meteorites, Geochronology, crust-mantle interaction, evolution of lithosphere, cosmic ray effects on Earth, Moon and Meteorites.
2. Theoretical Physics: Gravitational Physics, Accretion disks, Galactic dynamics. Astrophysics and Cosmology. High Energy and Particle Physics, Neutrino Physics, CP violation. Plasma Physics, Ionospheric Plasmas, partially ionized plasmas, Dusty Plasmas. Nonlinear dynamics and Computational Physics. Classical and Quantum Chaos. Atomic and Nuclear Physics, Scattering processes, Photoionization, Nuclear Spectroscopy, Beta decay rates, Laser Physics and Quantum Optics, Squeezed states and nonclassical light, Photon localization, Cavity Quantum Electro Dynamics. Foundations of Quantum Mechanics.