Dissertation Research: History of Scientific Instruments and Practices in India: A study of select particle accelerator facilities in India (1938-1970)

论文研究：印度科学仪器和实践的历史：对印度选定粒子加速器设施的研究（1938-1970）

• 批准号: 0451077
• 负责人: John Krige
• 金额: $ 1.19万
• 依托单位: Georgia Tech Research Corporation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-03-01 至 2007-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0451077&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; History; Scientific; Instruments

This Science and Technology Studies Dissertation Improvement Grant dissertation project is an empirical investigation into the history of physics in mid-twentieth century India. The period 1938 to 1970 makes for an interesting study for at least three reasons. First, this is the period of India's transition and transformation from a colony to an independent nation-state. Second, this is the period of the rising international prominence of big-science - especially nuclear physics - building upon cosmic ray physics among other fields, which was particularly exemplified in the United States of America through research leading up to and within the Manhattan Project. Third, this period overlaps with the Second World War and the Cold War and the gradual decline of Europe shadowed by the rising prominence of United States of America (USA) in both science research and international politics. This is an attempt to anchor a narrative weaving through the nature of scientific internationalism led by the USA, post-colonial state formation and modernity in India, and Cold War geopolitics manifested in aid programs, through the specific stories of acquisition/ donation of four particle accelerators. This will be a history of four particle accelerators that were located in the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata (Calcutta), the Tata Institute for Fundamental Research, Mumbai (Bombay), the Department of Physics, Panjab University, Chandigarh, and the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. Particle accelerators had become the state-of-art equipment to train young scientists and conduct nuclear physics research in the mid -twentieth century. History of modern scientific practices in India is a young field, and there is no other study that deals with this topic or takes this approach of history writing through instrumental platforms. The history of American scientific internationalism and leadership is incomplete without including within the same analytic frame, a discussion of its specific instances and configurations. Thus even while this study aims to add to the field of history of science by bringing in a specific history of physics in India. It also aims to enrich existing studies by extending the boundaries of inclusion within the history of American science during the Cold War. This study can provide an illustration for donor agencies to understand the constraints under which scientists have to work in developing countries, and thus contribute to informed decision-making on scientific and technical assistance to India in particular and developing countries in general. In addition, the research will inform governmental reflection on policy and inclination towards support for precision equipment manufacturing industry in India. The narratives should provide strength of argument for scientists planning and requesting funding necessary to construct experimental facilities in the present-day. Thus, this research should be able to reinforce the importance of investing in fundamental research in a developing country.

这个科学和技术研究论文改进补助金论文项目是对物理学史的实证调查在世纪中期的印度。1938年至1970年这段时期至少有三个原因，是一项有趣的研究。首先，这是印度从殖民地向独立民族国家过渡和转型的时期。第二，这是一个以宇宙射线物理学等领域为基础的大科学-特别是核物理学-在国际上日益突出的时期，美利坚合众国在曼哈顿计划之前和计划内进行的研究尤其证明了这一点。第三，这一时期与第二次世界大战和冷战以及欧洲的逐渐衰落相重叠，而美国在科学研究和国际政治中的地位不断上升。这是一个试图通过收购/捐赠四个粒子加速器的具体故事，通过美国领导的科学国际主义的性质，印度的后殖民国家形成和现代性，以及冷战地缘政治在援助计划中表现出来的叙事锚。这将是四个粒子加速器的历史，分别位于萨哈核物理研究所，加尔各答（加尔各答），塔塔基础研究所，孟买（孟买），物理系，旁遮普大学，昌迪加尔，和印度理工学院，坎普尔。 粒子加速器已成为世纪中期培养青年科学家和进行核物理研究的最先进设备。印度现代科学实践史是一个年轻的领域，没有其他研究涉及这个主题或通过工具平台采用这种历史写作方法。美国科学国际主义和领导力的历史如果不包括在同一分析框架内，对其具体实例和配置的讨论是不完整的。因此，即使这项研究旨在通过引入印度的物理学史来增加科学史领域。它还旨在通过扩大冷战期间美国科学史的包容范围来丰富现有的研究。这项研究可以为捐助机构提供一个例子，使其了解科学家在发展中国家工作所受到的限制，从而有助于就向印度和一般发展中国家提供科学和技术援助作出知情的决策。 此外，该研究还将为政府对印度精密设备制造业支持政策和倾向的思考提供信息。 这些叙述应该为科学家计划和申请建造当今实验设施所需的资金提供论据。因此，这项研究应该能够加强对发展中国家基础研究投资的重要性。