My Stint as a Researcher in Microwave laboratories of Andhra University

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Volume 2010, Issue No.6, Dated: 8th June 2010

“Theoretical and Experimental studies on Dipole Moments and Relaxation times of certain Organic Compounds”

by
Professor Dr. (Mrs.) V. Syamalamba,
Retd. Professor & Head of Engineering Physics, Andhra University, Waltair.
Res: 47-1-105, BVKCollege-Sankara Mattam Lane, Dwarakanagar,
Visakhapatnam-530016, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Phone: 08912754814
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Preamble:
MY STINT AS A RESEARCHER at Prof K. Rangadhama Rao {and Dr. D.Premswarup D.Phil. (Oxon)} Laboratories of JVD College of Science & Technology, Andhra University, Waltair.
MY SELF INTRODUCTION:
Born on 20th August 1936, in Manyasthalam Srimukhalingeswaram and studied in Menamama (mother’s brother) house in Parlkamidi. My elementary school studies were in a school at Parlakmidi. My mother belongs to Gorthi family just as my colleague in Intermediate. I studied high school in Girls College, Vizianagaram up to the 10th Standard. Then Intermediate in Mrs. A. V. N. College during 1954-56. Gorthi Padmavathi was my class colleague during the Intermediate MPC group. Another Intermediate colleague was Dr. Kotcherlakota Ramaleela, who studied Biology subject and who married, late in life at 42 years, Shri Juluri Anananda Rao, and she is the daughter of our Magnanimous Professor Dr. Kotcherlakota Rangadhama Rao D.Sc. (Madras). D.Sc. (London). At Mrs A. V. N. College I have also studied B.Sc. (Physics).
MY RESEARCH EFFORT:
During 1960 to 1963 I was a Government of India Research Scholar and in I was a 1963-1964 Senior Research Scholar in a Defence Research Project, in Andhra University. I did my Doctorate degree research under the guidance of Dr D Premswarup and with the help of several continuous scholarships and fellowships of Govt, of India, Defence and other scientific agencies. My thesis was adjudged by three foreign experts and was entitled as “Theoretical and Experimental studies on Dipole Moments and Relaxation times of certain Organic Compounds” on the date: 18th July 1964.
The first fellowship was of Rs.200/- Dr. D. Premswarup D.Phil. (Oxon) has given it suggesting that I may be able to undertake research work. Then in 1964 to 1967 became a Scientist Pool officer, CSIR and in 1967 Associate Lecturer in Physics department. 1967-1970 became an Associate Lecturer in Engineering College. In 1970-1983 was a Lecturer, became Reader in 1983 in the Engineering Department of Physics. In May 1985 has attended the International Programme on “use of photovoltaic systems for energy applications” held at Bangalore, Bangkok and Kaulalumpur.
My paper on “Electrical & Magnetic properties of Indium substituted Nickel-Zinc ferrite” was accepted for presentation at Analytical Techniques for Material Characterization, Southern University, Baton Rouge La, USA, but with meagre amounts of the salaries paid to us and with no financial sponsorship like many of colleagues I couldn’t attend it in the year 1987.
The trend of shift:
. The dramatic, vicious and tyrannically intentional shift of more than sixty experts and talented research scholars, from Physics department of J. V. D College of Science & Technology, to the Engineering College and other institutions in Andhra Pradesh, was of a very planned and schematic procedure that practically dismantled the Internationally Famous research centre of Late Professor K. R. Rao D.Sc. (Madras). D.Sc. (London), as he is popularly known. Only person untouched and most favoured was Dr Bhanumathi of Akella family, who later after the demise of Prof K. R. Rao D.Sc. (Madras). D.Sc. (London) got the hold of the internationally famous Microwave, NQR, Solid State and NMR laboratories. With the help of the then authority of Physics Department and the blessings of the administrative people, most of the equipment and the other research facilities were squandered away carelessly and soon the motivated scholars who worked there and who are aware of the ambitious and determined effort gone in to develop the school of study and centre of research were outlawed and barred from looking at the facilities available. The other person who got the benefit of staying at the Physics Department of Andhra University J. V. D College of Science & Technology was Prof. Dr. P. Tiruvengana Rao who got the full control of the entire Spectroscopy Laboratories of Professor K R Rao. Dr. C. Santhamma, Reader in Physics, was also somewhat retained with lots of purges on her.
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Worst was the case of Dr. Gorthi Padmavathi who has just was waiting to have her result of Ph.D. to be announced and then in 1974 was literally in tears when she was not allowed to work on the wide 100MHz NMR apparatus lying idle bundled to a corner, though she appealed and requested that it is necessary of use for her post-doctoral research ambitions. The room was converted to a new computer facility.

My Research Mentor:
I am not that much of an intellectual level as my Research Mentors whom I simply state as the set of great intellectuals. They were so ready and apt that within a few hours of time they were able to solve our difficulties with utmost modesty and accuracy suitable for presentation of articles to the International Journals. Especially Dr D Premswarup D.Phil. (Oxon) my guide always bowed his head and never spoke straight into the eyes of the girl students. Of course, while talking to my guide I have several times taken the help of my colleague at M.Sc., Shri Muralidharan who readily presented my queries to the research guide.
Once when I showed Dr D Premswarup D.Phil. (Oxon) my guide, the empirical data of Relaxation Times of polar liquids obtained by way of my research, he asked me to develop the theoretical formulae behind it. I told him I don’t have that much of a background to visualize the formulae. Just overnight he gave the theoretical formulae of my empirical findings and it is that boosted me to submit my doctorate degree, within just three months time of completion of experimental investigations.
The set of Great Intellectuals:
We always remember the Saturday Research Seminars with the ardent students of Prof K. R. Rao D.Sc. (Madras) D.Sc. (London) and all the research students, including those from other sister laboratories of Andhra University and the guides at our laboratories of Science & Technology. We many a student of those laboratories were very eagerly awaiting like “Chokar Pakshulu” to listen to his learned words. The spirit of enquiry and intellectual exercises initiated by him originally, has become a blood bound among his disciples. I have no doubt he was the one he provided the necessary ideas and initiation of outstanding research effort and technological progress of our Unforgettable Andhra University of those Golden Days.
I remember Kanthimathi (Kolkata), Bhanumathi (AU), Sashikala (ECIL), Parvathi(?), D. Lalitha (Mass,USA), Muralidhar Rao (Defence), K. Narasimhamurthy (USA), V. Nagarajan (TIFR, Mumbai), J.Sobhandhri (IIT), J. Ramakrishna (IISc, Bangalore), A V Krishna Rao (IIT, Khargapur), D S N Murthy(a drop out), K. Srinivasachari (Plasma Physics, TN), C.G.Rama Rao ( Engineering College, AU), K.V.S. Rama Rao (IIT, Guindy), B Lakshmi Narayana (Hyderabad, Defence) and many others whom I am unable to list, they were all attending the weekly seminars.


SOME MOMENTS OF MY LIFE:
An important aspect of life was the interaction between my mother and me during the late evenings, immediately after return from intensive research work at the Physics laboratories of J. V. D College of Science & Technology, she used to scold me for being late to return to home in the evenings. She never understood the difficulty of having to board a bus that seldom ran in time and was most irregular to return from AU (Waltair) to the city (Visakhapatnam). She was accusing me of spending unnecessary time with friends and others. For the girls to go out and do research or higher education especially among the traditional Brahmin families was of a great momentous occasion. Perhaps I was unlucky to have lost my father in early life. But, I was brought up by mother with her feminine affection and love to me. God is otherwise grateful that my family now has achieved a great success in professionalism par excellent than perhaps myself.
MY LUCK:
When I was selected as a Lecturer in Physics in Engineering College, the authority in the Chair told me that the syndicate of Andhra University doesn’t favour the appointment of Ladies to teach the Engineering graduates. To my great luck the next morning there was the news of Lady Madam Indira Gandhi became the Prime Minister of India. Immediately the concerned authority in Andhra University told me that the syndicate has removed the objection and I may be appointed as a Lecturer in Physics in the Engineering College. It is however unfortunate that the authority has not sanctioned me and others like me the facilities of research work earlier used by us at the Microwave, Solid Sate and the Magnetic resonance laboratories of which the Late Professor K. Rangadhama Rao D.Sc. (Madras). D.Sc. (London), was our Director of research, even on a co-operative ventures of Research Projects & Schemes submission to CSIR, UGC etc agencies till the year 1985.
MY PROFESSIONALISM:
Later I don’t remember the exact dates when I am promoted as a Reader, as a Professor and then as the Head of the Department of Physics in the Engineering College. Only in the year 1985 after a lapse of 15years I have succeeded to get a grant of some research facility, by way of a minor UGC Minor Research scheme, sanctioned to me for Rs. 5500/- for the two years from 25th Dec.1985 to 24th Dec.1987. I have retired as the Professor & Head of the Department of Engineering Physics in 1996.
Submitted to the grant of a CSIR, Research project on 30th April 1987 along with my dear and near colleague Dr. Gorthi Padmavathi as the Co-investigator a project entitled:”EFFECT OF INDIUM SUBSTITUTION ON THE CHARACTERIZATION AND PROPERTIES OF NICKEL-ZINC FERRITES” References given to support the research scheme: Prof D. Ranga Rao, IIT, Khargpur; Prof J. Sobhanadhri, IIT, Madras; Dr. V. R. K. Murthy, IIT, Madras and Prof. J. Ramakrishna, IISc, Bangalore.
MY HABIT:
Since my childhood, I have the habit of calculations in Astrology, fixing marriage date & time (muhurthams) and other aspects of our traditional home life. The traditional habit preserved by me, has been confined for use to our close associates and the friendly home people and I never went to the commercial line of exploitation of that habit.
MY FAMILY:
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My husband was retired Branch Manger of Heavy Engineering Corporation and was an expert in design of heavy machine building applications. He posses about three Govt. of India patents on Aerodynamic Technology which he guards himself. My son and daughter-in-law both stay in Delhi and have achieved good positions of service to the Government of India. My grandchild is very fond of me.
AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
I am thankful to Prof Dr Kotcherlakota Lakshmi Narayana for having met me at my residence several times in Dwarakanagar, Visakhapatnam and manipulating the information revival by repeated enquiries and out of my age old memories of 45 years ago.
MY LIST OF PUBLICATIONS:
1.) Calculations of Dipole moments J. Pure & Appl. Phys.(1964)
of Disubstituted Napthalens Vol.2, No.1,pp.11-13.
K.Syamalamba and D.Premswarup.

2). Calculations of Dipole moments J. Pure & Appl. Phys.(1965)
of substituted phenols,nilines Vol.3,No.9,pp.350-352
and Dimethyl Anilines
K.Syamalamba and D.Premswarup.

3). Dipole moments of certain sub- J. Pure & Appl. Phys.(1966)
stituted Amino and Hydroxy vol.4,No.3,pp.131-132
naphthalenes K.Syamalamba

4). Empirical equation for the cal- J. Pure & App. Phys.(1965)
culation of Dielectric Relaxation Vol.3,No.10,pp.389-91
time of pure and polar liquids.
K.Syamalamba and D.Premswarup.
5). An empirical relation for calcu- J. Pure & Appl. Phys.(1966)
lating the dielectric relaxation Vol.4, No.2 pp.84-85.
time of polar molecules in dilute
solutions
K.Syamalamba and D.Premswarup.

6). Dielectric dispersion of pure Ind Jour.of Pure and Appl. Phys.
liquids-Butyrates. K.Syamalamba Vol. 2,No.9,pp.281-284(1966)

7). Dielectric dispersion of some J. Pure and Appl. Phys.
Aromatic Esters Vol.3,No.7,pp.243-245.(1965) K.Syamalamba and D.Premswarup.

8). Dielectric dispersion of pure J. Pure and Appl. Phys.
liquids-Acryrlates. Vol.3.No.7.pp 267-269(1965)
K.Syamalamba and D.Premswarup

9). Diffraction of Microwaves by J. Pure and Appl. Phys.
cylindrical objects. Vol.5,No.7 pp.275-277.(1967)
K.Syamalamba and D.Premswarup

10). Spurious NQR signals Current Science. 20th Dec 1967
K. Syamalamba and C R K Murthy Vol.36,No.24, pp.664.

11). NQR Zeeman effects of Cl35 Presented at the Magnetic Reso-
in Ba(ClO)3. 2H2O nance symposium 1968.
K. Syamalamba and C R K Murthy

12). Zeeman effect study of Cl35 Presented at the Magnetic Reso-
NQR in Ca(ClO) 3. 2H2O nance symposium 1968.
K. Syamalamba and C R K Murthy

13). Temperature variation of Dipole Presented in S.S.R.I Convention
movement of 1,2 dibrome propane. 1967.
K. Syamalamba

14). Determination of U and T at a Material in the Ph.D thesis(1964)
single Microwave frequency

15). Electrical and Magnetic properties Accepted to present in the
of Indium substituted Nickel-Zinc International Workshop on
ferrite: Analytical Techniques for
Material Characterization
Southern University, Baton
Rouge La, USA.
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