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Vol. 2012, Issue No.8, Dated: 1 August 2012 : Time 4h13m P.M.

by

Professor. Dr.Kotcherlakota Lakshminarayana

(Retd Prof. of Physics, Shivaji Univeristy, India)   17-11-10, Narasimha Ashram,  Official Colony, Maharanipeta. P .O, Visakhapatnam -530002. A. P.

Second of the Series of Articles on

Prof. K. R. Rao

    D.Sc. (Madras) D.Sc. (London)

      [9^th September 1899 to 20^thJune 1972]

        {A Researcher of the Universe}

He was a singular personality who nurtured the entire Electromagnetic Spectrum from one end to the other and gave a fill up to several people.

Prof. K. R. Rao made some earnings by way of part time employment as a demonstrator and lecturer during the years 1916 to 1919. He got married at the age of 19 years to his wife Vaddadi Peramma, then of only 14 years old. They had a fruitful 54 years happy married life.

        Mrs. Peramma was born on 1^st June 1904 as per the Godavari school record of the year 1913 with the father’s name mentioned as Vaddadi Krishnamurthi has been endorsed as a Brahmin with obvious details of Nationality and religion. Her mother’s name is Subhadramma.

Vaddadi family were neighbours to Kotcherlakota family in the old town of Visakhapatnam and their fabulous bungalows were the remnants of the erstwhile Vaisakhapuri Kotcherlakota Empire dating back beyond BC 600 that lasted practically until the British who got the total control of the city known as Vizagapatnam.

From Lagna in Rasi Chakra taken as 1 the second house is Ravi, Buddha and Shukra, third by kuza, fourth by Guruvu and Chandhra, fifth house by Shani, 7^th house occupied by Rahuvu, 12^th house by Ketuvu. The Rasi chakra shows remarkable binding of the seven  planets 1.Ravi, 2.Buddha, 3.Shukra,  4. kuzudu, 5. guruvu, 6.chandhra  and 7. Sani in between Rahuvu and Ketuvu. This is regarded as a Kalasarpa dosa of the Horoscope and prevents the due highest rewards to be achieved in Public Life.

Unfortunately he has not adopted any remedial measures of astrology for it positively, in view of his strong ambition of higher educational achievements.

In the 1700-1800AD there were several bungalows with one having 89 doorways a vary spacious interior open space (haveli) of a round building with very huge rooms in the area now known as the woodhouse area belonging to the Kotcherlakota family.

Several Niyogi Brahmins domination of the area of Visakhapatnam gradually gave way  to others especially the Vaidhikulu and the Komati (vyapari) families with the patronage during the Independence movement.

The establishment of the ILP (Indian Law Of Publications) press led to the employment for ordinary workers unskilled who have gradually occupied the area with the dwindling of the ILP press and the sudden spurt of other printing press shops during 1860s, other Chetti, and Business community people became prosperous with the suppression of righteous ruling of Brahmins.

The Aurangzeb 1500-1600 representative though occupied the land luckily was only interested in collecting the revenue amounts of the fertile agricultural lands from the Karanams of the Villages situated in and around Visakhapatnam. The community of Vaidhikulu moved to this area in 10,000 AD.

The migration of Niyogi  and other Brahmins to the deep forest areas of Icchapuram, Barampuram, Ganjam, Parlkamidi and Rajyam etc Kalinga Desha, took place only during the time when Sri Krishna Devaraya devastated the Kotcherlakota empire by employing more than 1000 elephants and ruthlessly uprooted the people of the area. He destroyed the erstwhile empire city of Visakhapatnam. Many Niyogi Brahmins ran from the area.

This was the second blow of ugly war following the major one at Ranasthala, that destroyed the city in its wealth and valour when Magadha King Asoka attacked the Kalinga Desh in BC250, on a jealous idea of a Greek Traveller Megastenees, who described the Kalinga Desh as much more fabulous than that of Magadha, which led to the war.

The history of ancient Visakhapatnam has been variedly described by historians to justify the significance of Buddhists, Jains, and other kings.

      The Principals of the Mrs A. V. N. College during the years of study of Prof K. R. Rao were Mr. P. T. Srinivas Iyengar M.A.L.T (1890-1917) and Mr. S. Krishnaswamy Iyer B.A.L.T. (1917-1930). In 1878, the Hindu College was made as Mrs A. V. N. College. In the years 1916-1917, he did his first year Intermediate at Mrs. A. V. N. College and later the second year in 1917-1918. Date of communication of his B A. (Hons) Part IIA was 28^th August 1923 . Register Number 110 in Examination of March 1923.

Dr. M.V. Ramana Murthy, a Close friend and  a well wisher of Prof K.R. Rao who wanted, the Later to join Medicine Course but, due to financial crunch Prof K. R. Rao couldn’t join medicine course, though his friend offered  financial support.

K Rangadhama Rao earned excellent reports from his Professors and is described by them as a student of good character and excellent conduct of more than average abilities, punctual, assiduous, earnest and neat in his work, conscientious and reliable, in a word a moral deserving student.

      He was throughout his course a regular diligent and intelligent student with more than ordinarily clear grasp of the subject theoretical and practical. He was easily one of the good students of the class ...as immensely liked by his Professors and classmates. He is very good all round.

Postgraduate student in the years 1921-1923 He was an excellent student keen on doing his duty well and thoroughly. He is by nature modest and no-self advertising. He was however one of the best students of his class, both in theory and in practical work in the laboratory, his work being characterized by carefulness, thoroughness and  completeness.

His character can perhaps be surmised  up in  following words.- he showed himself ever non-assuming, obedient to directions given by the Professors, loyal to his duty at all times and very grateful for the least services rendered to him. He was a very amenable companion to the other students and an intelligent careful worker.

The Ultra Violet Vacuum tube set up designed and self-financed by Professor Kotcherlakota Rangadhama Rao for securing his D. Sc. (Madras) during the years 1920-1925 at Maharaja College Vijayanagaram as a Madras University research fellow. His studies on Nuclear Charge in Series spectra and Optical Doublets are monumental.

        The period from 1911 to year 1925 has been specifically significant since Prof K R Rao has entered collegiate education and achieved his D.Sc. (Madras) Degree during the years 1920-1924. In 1926-1927, he travelled abroad to London.

R. S. Mullikan wrote “the time was now approaching the summer of 1925 when I planned a visit to Europe, so I wrote Jevons ...I visit him and somehow I also arranged visits to nearly everybody in Europe who had done something worthwhile in the field of line or band spectroscopy, and they were all very kind in welcoming me......My next visit to Europe was in summer of 1927. In those days we necessarily went by ship to Europe, and Lindbergh flew in the plane, and arrived in France two days or so before we did.

Bohr had put forth his Aufbauprinzip for periodic system of atoms in 1922-23 and Sommerfeld gave a beautiful survey of the subject in his Atombau. R Mecke in 1924 interested in electronic states of Diatomic molecules and in 1925-1926 Sponer discussed the analogy of NO with Al. On a class of one valence electron emitters of Band Spectra. Phy Rev vol.26, p.561, 1925. In Berlin I met Prof. Paschen, at Technische Hochschule, with massive doors and high-ceilinged lab rooms. From Copenhagen to Lund, I crossed by Ferry, to know about Band Spectra and saw the ancient cathedral with massive columns and had drinks specially Schnapps with an orchestra play Star Spangled Banner.”

        

         Prof K R Rao as a young researcher discussed with Prof. M. N. Saha at University of Allahabad during 1925 i.e. after completion of his monumental work in Spectroscopy. 

      Fig.1 Prof K R Rao in London University

Professor K Rangadhama Rao was delighted to eat the nuts brought by an admirer at Berlin in 1929. With Tiger Cubs at University of London, with Mr. J. S. Badami and Sonti Dakshinamurthy. His school of students at London City during the years 1925-1929 were Icchapurapu Ramakrishna Rao, Sonti Dakshinamurthy, R. K. Asundi, Telikicharla Vasundara Devi, K. Krishnamurthy, J. S. Badami

Prof K. R. Rao  was always tip-top during the days he researched in the Imperial College at London University and was one with the wits of the western wisdom of scientific enquiry and creativity. The photo taken in the year 1928-1029 in England shows his clean suit with the matching tie. He was a total western minded and sought only the research achievements. The loss of his affectionate father Mr. K. V. N. Rao a postmaster (retd) led him, however, to bow down to observe the Indian Ritual of an offering to the departed soul probably in the year 1928, with the kind co-operation six of his most affectionate colleagues from India while in London.

In India after, his return, from London, it may be noted that he has been subject to a prayschita, for going abroad, of a visit to Kasi temple and bathe in the Ganges River, on his return to India, by his elder joint family members. [Even Mahatma Gandhi accepted such a practice of ritual in India].

Prof R. S. Mullikan had been to England and met Jevons who arranged his meet with Lord Rayleigh at a breakfast at the later’s residence, and also called on A. Fowler, Prof. of Astrophysics, at Imperial College.

      A. Fowler and H. Paschen at Berlin were the leading Atomic Spectroscopists on that side of Atlantic according to Prof R S Mullikan (p.4 tech. report 1965, university of Chicago). At Newcastle he visited Prof. W. E. Curtis. Prof K R Rao was denied by a ship owner to travel to USA from England while his fellow colleague could board the ship and traveled to USA.

Fig.2 Prof K R Rao and his students in London.

Fig.3 Prof K R Rao and his students in London

Fig.4 With tiger cubs held in hand along with his students in London.

Fig.5 Some colleagues in London of Prof K R Rao

R.S. Mullikan showed in 1925 that electronic levels of BO, CN and other iso-electronic molecules as analogous to one-valence-electron atoms needed to be replaced by an analogy to a closed-shell system LACKING one electron.

The famous easy chair of Prof K R Rao, has been taken along with him to London to continue his ambitious research career in London.

When Prof K R Rao retired there was a jealous query of proof of ownership of the UV tube built under the guidance by Dr K. R. Rao by H Lesche in Berlin University at Paschen Laboratories and  the charges to which were paid personally by Prof K. R. Rao.

                          The Ultra Violet Vacuum tube designed by
Professor Kotcherlakota Rangadhama Rao D.Sc. (Madras), D.Sc.(London) during the years 1920-1925. It was rebuilt at Berlin laboratories during his stay in Germany and Uppsala, Sweden in July-December 1930 as for his specifications and modifications.

Fundamental research in various disciplines was initiated by him in Andhra State under his magnanimous and Generous support of educational endeavor. Many of his disciples have migrated overseas.

J. S. Badami whose scientific papers were revised by Prof K R Rao on a suggestion by  A. Fowler. It’s very amazing that an Indian like Prof . K. Rangadhama Rao has been given a warm reception and hospitality at no less a person than Prof. Paschen in the University of Berlin in the year 1929-30.

In Berlin  Prof K R Rao has been invited during 1929-1930 to visit Prof. Paschen, laboratories at Technische Hochschule. The Institute is known for its  massive doors and high-ceiling lab rooms.

Fig.6 Prof. K.R. Rao in the middle flanked by Prof. Paschen the man in suit and on his left the technician Mr. H Lesche. The extreme right is J. S. Badami whose rejected thesis was rewritten by Prof. K. R. Rao on advice of A. Fowler.

Fig.7 A Group of Prof.K. R. Rao Colleagues in Paschen Labs, at University of Berlin in 1930.

Professor K R Rao was a very amicable personality and many a scientist and technical people of Modern Physics and Spectroscopy took keen interest in his thoughts and were ready to discuss with him.  This slide shows some of his  contemporary scientists at Germany. It’s very amazing that an Indian like Prof. K. Rangadhama Rao has been given a warm reception and hospitality at no less a person than Prof. Paschen in the University of Berlin in the year 1929-30. Prof. K.  R. Rao. Undoubtedly he was the pioneer in India of such an exactitude spectroscopy work that has been positively and affirmatively lauded by scientists in the countries like Britain, Germany, Scandinavia and Sweden. He was not only thorough in his experiments but also was meticulously precise in reporting the data for scientific International Standards.

Fig.8 Professor K R Rao was  a very amicable personality and many a scientist and technical people of Modern Physics and Spectroscopy took keen interest in his thoughts and were ready to discuss with him.  This slide shows some of his  contemporary scientists at Germany.

 Fig.9 At Bohr Research Institute 1930.

Prof K R Rao modelled his new UV Tube at this laboratory and took the help of a technician to build it to the precision required in the research work of UV spectroscopy. Later he imported it to Andhra University, where several people used it.

Fig.10 Prof K R Rao modelled his new UV Tube

Jealous colleagues tried in vain even by committing thefts of documentary proofs of such an effort by young Prof. K. R. Rao. Undoubtedly he was the pioneer in India of such an exactitude spectroscopy work that has been positively and affirmatively lauded by scientists in the countries like Britain, Germany, Scandinavia and Sweden. He was not only thorough in his experiments but also was meticulously precise in reporting the data for scientific International Standards.

Fig.11 Professor K R Rao was  a very amicable personality and many a scientist and technical people of Modern Physics and Spectroscopy took keen interest in his thoughts and were ready to discuss with him.  This slide shows some of his contemporary scientists at Germany.

Did research at Imperial College, London University during 1926-1929 for D.Sc. (London).

He was invited to  Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden and Berlin University 1929-1930 for guidance in Research.

Fig.12 At FYSIKUM Nobel Laboratories at Uppsala

Discovered and built an Ultra Violet tube to study the electronic, Infra-Red, Band spectra of alkaline & rare earth metals and Nuclear properties. His wave length assignments are International Standards extremely useful in Hi-Tech, Nano-Technologies and Optical computer Quantum chips designing and manufacture. His obsession with precision details of UV grating tube is evident.

At FYSIKUM Nobel Laboratories at Uppsala, his obsession with precision details of UV grating tube is evident.

Fig.13 Nohlden’s young  daughter Brita with her father posing a photograph, by Prof. K R Rao their family friend and a well wisher at Uppsala City in 1930.

Fig.14a Nohlden’s Young Children 

Fig.14b Handwriting of Prof K R Rao in 1931

Fig.14c  In the deep snow and Nohlden’s children 

play photographed by Prof K R Rao in Sweden in 1930-1931.

Fig.15a Manne Siegbahn’s family.

Fig.15b Madam Manne Sieghbahn

                                   Professor Kotcherlakota Rangadhama Rao
D.Sc (Madras) D.Sc. (London)  and his Grating element discoveries discussion at FYSIKUM,Uppsla, Sweden in 1930.

Fig.16 This slide shows a group photo of the researchers at FYSIKUM Prof Manne Siegbahn’s laboratories to which 

Prof. K. R. Rao was invited from London University.

In the picture the Grating Element Theory was being presented by Prof. K. R. Rao. Limitations of UV etc., studies were pointed out by Prof K R Rao following his findings at University of Madras and University of London.

Fig.17 Prof K R Rao D.Sc.(London) explaining the details to J E Mack (later was at Wisconsin, Madison,USA) at FYSIKUM university of Uppsala  and regarding the grating element theory of UV spectra recording. Extensive work on such spectra were later reported by Prof J E Mack.

When Prof K R Rao retired  from Andhra University, Waltair, there was a jealous query of proof of ownership of the UV tube built under the guidance by Dr K. R. Rao by H Lesche in Berlin University at Paschen Laboratories and  the charges to which were paid personally by Prof K. R. Rao.

Fig.18 Grating Element Theory and Experimental Investigations by Prof K. R. Rao during year 1920-30.

Fig.19 On Alps Mountains Prof K R Rao.

Fig.20 Skiing sports witnessed and 

photographed by Prof K R Rao.

Fig.21 Prof K Rangadhama Rao sitting on mound of ice hill on a boulder has salutation to the God Almighty for having given the opportunity to do Namaskara with folded hands in the typical Indian style of great Rushiees of Vedas.

Prof K R Rao witnessed the winter sports and also sledge skiing competitions in the European Snow Mountains and Scandinavian countries.

Fig.22 Prof K Rangadhama Rao has enjoyed the severest of the snow on the Alps mountains and also witnessed the Aurora Borealis spectral colours at the City of Uppsala and at other places.

Fig.23 Professor Kotcherlakota Rangadhama Rao (1920-1924) discovered and built an Ultra Violet tube details of the findings were presented at the Dahlem Dorf  held on 24^th May 1931.

Prof K R Rao tried to get the help of Rockefeller foundation fellowship in-vain from USA and  also his travel to USA was rejected by a ship  captain sailing to USA from England that carried  Mr. Curtis (An Infra Red expert). But the Captain of the ship rejected the boarding of his ship by Prof Dr. K R Rao who was refused the permission on the pretext of his black colour. Prof K R Rao was denied travel, by a ship captain to USA, under racial discrimination of his colour, with just an obstructing hand while boarding the ship in England. His colleague was allowed to travel in spite that Prof K R Rao paid all the money for the travel bound to USA.

See the letter given below from The Rockfellor Foundation addressed to his Prof. A, Fowler in UK. His colleague Curtis was allowed to travel by the ship but the captain refused Prof. K. R. Rao D.Sc.(London). D.Sc.(Madras)., to board the Ship that he was termed as a blackie.

The Rockfellor Foundation

New York

                                                European Office

The Natural Sciences,                                                                                     20, Rue de la Ban

H. A. Spoehr Director                                                                                                Paris (8 e) France

Lauder W. Jones, Associate                                                                      Cable Address Rockfund

                        Director                                                                                                          Paris

W.E. Tisdale|in charge of

F.B. Hansen|Fellowships

                                                                                                                   Paris June 30, 1931.

Professor A Fowler,

  Imperial College,

   London S.W.7

 My dear Prof. Fowler,

                        I beg to acknowledge your letter of June 25^th,

regarding the possibility of a Fellowship experience to Dr Rao. At this

present time we do not have a programme of fellowships for

India, and I regret to have to write to you that it will not

be possible to consider a request for Mr. Rao. We have found it

necessary to confine our Fellowship programme to the countries

of Europe where we know well the conditions, can have personal

interviews with the candidates before they are appointed and ascertain

that subsequent to the fellowship year they can return to a post

worthy of their abilities, with time & equipment to carry out their

Researches. At the present time we do not have a staff in

India and have therefore no machinery for administering

fellowships under the rules of present programmes.

                        I regret sincerely the disappointment this

communication may cause to you & Dr Rao. Our trust that

you may be able to find some other means of accomplishing

his desires.

            With best wishes,

                                    I am

                                    Yours Sincerely

                                                            F. B. Hansen

_____________

F3HJK.      

Note: The entire Atomic Spectra Investigations made by Prof K R Rao D.Sc. (Madras) D.Sc. (London) during the several years (1919-1945 presumably) in Vijayanagaram,  Visakhapatnam, London have been enlisted, by a graceful  American Lady in a series of three volumes on Atomic Spectra Published Volumes in America (of which the second volume has the complete details of many publications of Prof. K. R. Rao). This would be detailed in a subsequent publication by the present author.