The name "Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar" may seem daunting to spell at first glance, but with the help of IPA phonetic transcription, it becomes more manageable. The word is pronounced as /ˌsuːbrəˈmɑːnɪjən tʃʌndrəˈseɪkər/ in English. The name is of Indian origin and is a combination of two names: Subrahmanyan, meaning "belonging to the highest caste," and Chandrasekhar, meaning "lord of the moon." Despite its length, the spelling of this name is straightforward once you break down its phonetic components.
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar was an Indian-American astrophysicist who made significant contributions to our understanding of the structure and evolution of stars. Born on October 19, 1910, in Lahore (now Pakistan) and passed away on August 21, 1995, in Chicago, Illinois, Chandrasekhar's work revolutionized our knowledge of stellar dynamics and black holes.
Chandrasekhar proposed the concept of the Chandrasekhar limit, which states that when a massive star's core collapses under its own gravitational force, it cannot support its own weight anymore, leading to a supernova explosion. This limit is approximately 1.4 times the mass of our Sun, and stars exceeding this limit collapse into compact objects known as white dwarfs, neutron stars, or black holes. This fundamental limit plays a crucial role in understanding the fate of massive stars.
Furthermore, Chandrasekhar's work on the radiation and gas pressure inside stars helped establish the field of astrophysical hydrodynamics. He also made significant contributions to our understanding of stellar dynamics and the interstellar medium. His research laid the foundation for various fields of astrophysics, including the study of white dwarfs, gravitational waves, and stellar evolution.
Chandrasekhar's contributions did not go unnoticed. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1983 for his theoretical studies of the physical processes of importance to the structure and evolution of stars. Chandrasekhar's work continues to inspire astronomers and astrophysicists worldwide, shaping our understanding of the cosmos and the intricate processes occurring within stars.
The word "Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar" is not an English word with an etymology. It is the name of an Indian-American astrophysicist, who made significant contributions to our understanding of stellar evolution.