Palash Baran Pal
Palash Baran Pal is an Indian theoretical physicist, an Emeritus Professor in the Physics Department of Science College, Calcutta University, Kolkata, a writer, a linguist and a poet. His main area of research is Particle Physics. His works in the area of neutrino physics and relativistic treatment of particle properties in matter are well recognized in the particle physics community. Apart from his scientific contributions, he has authored well known text books in physics as well as several popular science literature in Bengali to popularize science.
Early life
Born to Amulya Bhushan Pal and Niva Pal on 4 September 1955, Palash Pal is the eldest of three siblings. He did his schooling from BE College Model School at Howrah. He received his bachelor's degree in Physics from Presidency College, Kolkata in 1975 and master's degree in Physics from the renowned Science College campus of Calcutta University, Calcutta, India in 1977. He then moved to United States for further studies. He received his Doctorate Degree from Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, United States in the year 1983. After that, he was associated with University of Maryland, University of Massachusetts, University of Oregon and University of Texas respectively as post-doctoral fellow before he came back to India in 1994.Career
After he returned to India, Pal took up professorship at Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore, India in 1994 where he stayed till 1997 before he moved to Kolkata. He then joined the Theory Division of Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata where he remained in service till September 2017. He is now an Emeritus Professor in the Physics Department of Calcutta University, Kolkata.Palash Pal has worked in various branches of modern physics.
Primarily a particle physicist, his works encompass studies in the
standard model of particle physics. Some of his pioneering works are particularly
focused on the topic of massive neutrinos, whose theoretical basis
requires physics beyond the standard model. His original contributions to the field of neutrino physics include calculation of Feynman diagrams for Majorana fermions., determination of properties of fermions in matters and magnetic fields, and a quantum field
theoretic reworking of Lincoln Wolfenstein's formula predicting the properties of
neutrino oscillation in presence of matter.
His review on the neutrino physics gives a lucid description of the
solar neutrino problem which appeals to a wider class of physicists.
Apart from his contributions to neutrino physics, Pal has done important work related to grand unification theory
and statistical field theory. Some of his works deal with the
quantum field theoretic calculations of self-energies of photon and neutrino in a
background of charged particles in thermal equilibrium. Pal has also ventured
into calculations where the background for various elementary particle
processes includes a thermal bath of charged particles in presence of
constant magnetic field.
Palash Pal is also well known for his teaching and has taught various topics of modern physics in the teaching program of Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics. Most of the material he has taught have been later turned into books which includes subjects like particle physics, statistical physics and quantum field theory. Except these books Palash B. Pal and Rabindra N. Mohapatra have written the book titled "Massive neutrinos in physics and astrophysics", which is a standard text for both newcomers and old practitioners working in the field of neutrino physics or astroparticle physics.
Pal started contributing to Bengali literature through popular science articles from as early as 1988. Eight such books and many other articles published in several magazines show his enthusiasm to reach out to an individual who has any scientific curiosity. His other writings in Bengali, which include several articles on Bengali phonetics, orthography and grammar, Bengali translations of poetries written in other foreign languages, such as the ones by Nobel Laureate Pablo Neruda, and folktales for children carry the signature of his varied interests in literature and linguistics. He has received two awards in the field of literature, Rabindra Smriti Puroshkar in 2004 and Ramendra Sundar Smriti Puroshkar in 2011, for his popular-level books Bigyān: byakti jukti somoy somāj and Einstein-er uttorādhikār, respectively.
Books
Besides many scientific papers, Palash Pal has written Physics textbooks in English, and popular-level scientific books and pedagogical scientific articles in Bengali. He has translated several poetries written in foreign languages, such as Spanish, French and Japanese, into Bengali. Among these, the Spanish and the French poetries are direct translations made from the original texts, whereas the collection of translation of Japanese Haikus was made from the English translations of these poetries. Pal's translation of the Spanish poetries written by Pablo Neruda is one of the very first translations of an entire Spanish book into Bengali. Apart from that, Palash Pal has also translated several Bengali popular literature by other Bengali literary laureates into English. He has authored books on linguistics and folktales in Bengali. An exhaustive list of the books, authored by him so far, is as follows:- Academic Books
| Title & description | Co-author | Publication details | Link |
| Massive Neutrinos in Physics and Astrophysics : A book on neutrino physics for researchers and students in the field | Rabindra N. Mahapatra | World Scientific, Singapore, 1991. | http://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/5024 |
| A first book of Quantum Field Theory : A beginning level text book on Quantum Field Theory | Amitabha Lahiri | Narosa Publishing House, New Delhi, 2000. | http://www.narosa.com/books_display.asp?catgcode=978-81-7319-654-6 |
| An introductory course of Statistical Mechanics : A text book on Statistical Mechanics for post-graduate as well as advanced undergraduate students | Narosa Publishing House, New Delhi, 2007 | http://www.narosa.com/books_display.asp?catgcode=978-81-7319-864-9 | |
| An introductory course of Particle Physics : A text book on Particle Physics for post-graduate students as well as beginning researchers | CRC Press, July 2014 | https://www.crcpress.com/An-Introductory-Course-of-Particle-Physics/Pal/p/book/9781482216981 | |
| A Physicists Introduction to Algebraic Structures : A text book on various topics of algebra which are useful for physicists. Detailed discussion of vector spaces, groups and topological spaces. Short introduction to many other algebraic structures like metric spaces, rings, fields, measure spaces, Boolean algebra. | Cambridge University Press, March 2019 | http://www.cambridgeindia.org/Academic/subjects/Mathematics/A-Physicists-Introduction-to-Algebraic-Structures?ISBN=9781108729116 |
- Popular-level Books
| Title and description | Co-author / Translator | Publication details |
| Ki diyé samastô-kichu gorhā, কী দিয়ে সমস্তকিছু গড়া : Popular book on particle physics in Bengali | West Bengal State Book Board, Calcutta, 1988. | |
| Sāl-tarikhér itihās, সাল তারিখের ইতিহাস : A book in Bengali on the development of calendars in various civilizations and its relation to the development of Astronomy | Samatat Prakashan, Calcutta, 1994. | |
| Ālôr kathā, আলোর কথা : A book for children in Bengali on light | Shishu Sahitya Samsad, Calcutta, 1999. | |
| Bigyān: byakti jukti somoy somāj, বিজ্ঞান: ব্যক্তি যুক্তি সময় সমাজ : A collection of popular scientific articles in Bengali | Anustup, Calcutta, 2001. | |
| Māpjôker itihās, মাপজোকের ইতিহাস : A book in Bengali on the evolution of various units of measurement | Anustup, Calcutta, 2002. | |
| Journey through time: a history of dates and years: English translation of his Bengali book Sāl-tarikhér itihās | Translated by : Sushan Konar | Scholastic, New Delhi, January 2008. |
| Rong-berong, রঙ-বেরঙ : A book in Bengali on the science of colors and color perception, the technology of color production and reproduction | Co-author : Shekhar Guha | Jnan Bichitra, Agartala, 2010 |
| Einstein-er uttorādhikār, আইনস্টাইনের উত্তরাধিকার : Nine essays in Bengali, discussing various aspects of Einstein's work, his predecessors from whom he derived inspiration, and his impact on society and science | Bangiya Bijnan Parishad, Calcutta, 2011 | |
| At the root of things : English translation of his Bengali book Ki diyé samastô-kichu gorhā | Translated by : Sushan Konar | CRC Press, August 2014. |
| Bigyan ebong, বিজ্ঞান এবং : 12 essays on the relation of science with other aspects of human life and thoughts, e.g., Science and superstitions, Science and religion, Science and mathematics, Science and imagination | Ababhash, Calcutta, 2016 |
- Translations
| Title | Translated from | Co-author | Publication details |
| Jekhāne brishtir janmô, যেখানে বৃষ্টির জন্ম | Pablo Neruda's "Donde nace la lluvia" | Arunā Prokāshoni, Calcutta, 1988; | |
| Sutrapāt, সূত্রপাত | Isaac Asimov's "Beginnings" | Shekhar Guha | Anustup, Calcutta, 1997 |
| Kathā, কথা | Jacques Prévért's "Paroles" | Anustup, Calcutta, 1997. | |
| Bāshor Haiku, বাশো-র হাইকু | Japanese Haikus by Matsuo Basho | Ababhāsh, Calcutta, 2004 | |
| Selected Stories by Parashuram | English translation of Bengali short stories by Parashuram | Sukanta Chaudhuri | Penguin Books, New Delhi, 2006 |
| Funny and funnier | English translation of Bengali short stories by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay | Abhijit Gupta | Scholastic, New Delhi, 2010 |
- Books on linguistics
| Title | Description | Publication details |
| Dhwônimālā bornômālā, ধ্বনিমালা বর্ণমালা | A book on Bengali phonetics | Papyrus, Calcutta, 2001 |
| Ā môri Bānglā bhāshā, আ মরি বাংলা ভাষা | Collection of a number of essays on various aspects of language, orthography and grammar | Anushtup, Calcutta, 2011 |
| Hok kothā, হক কথা | Collection of a number of short articles, written originally for newspaper supplements and literary magazines, on various aspects of language, orthography and grammar | Parampara Prakashan, Calcutta, 2013 |
| Ek theke choy, এক থেকে ছয় | Six essays on problems of transliteration, terminologies, typefaces and orthography | Parampara Prakashan, Calcutta, 2016 |
- Folktales
| Title | Description | Publication details |
| Nānā desh nānā golpô, নানা দেশ নানা গল্প | Collection of folktales from all over the world | Shishu Sahitya Samsad, Calcutta, 2010; |
Software
Palash Pal has developed two latex based packages :- bangtex : for typesetting documents in Bangla using the Tex/Latex systems
- pptalk : a Latex-based package for talk presentation
Personal life