Renowned Astrophysicist Jayant Vishnu Narlikar — who along with British mathematician and astronomer Fred Hoyle proposed the theory of conformal gravity as an alternative to the Big Bang theory — passed away at his residence in Pune on Tuesday.
Recognised internationally for his pioneering contributions to cosmology and for propounding an alternative model to the widely-accepted Big Bang theory, Prof Narlikar was 86.
He is survived by his three daughters Geeta, Girija and Leelavati, all of whom have followed their father’s suit and opted for research careers in Science. His wife Mangala Rajwade, a PhD in Mathematics, had died a few years ago.
Prof Narlikar was recuperating at his home from a surgery that he had undergone for a hip fracture in a Pune hospital a couple of weeks ago, when he passed away peacefully in his sleep at his Pune residence. An alumnus of Cambridge University who had worked at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Prof. Narlikar was the founder-director of the Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune. After doing PhD in 1963 under the guidance of Fred Hoyle and working along his side as a faculty member at the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy in Cambridge that the latter established, Narlikar teamed up with Hoyle to develop an alternative to the much-discussed “Big Bang” theory.
Known as the Hoyle-Narlikar theory, the alternative model to the “Big Bang” theory synthesises Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity and Mach’s principle. It proposes that the inertial mass of a particle is a function of the masses of all other particles, multiplied by a coupling constant, which is a function of cosmic epoch.
Unlike “Big Bang” theory which dwells upon how the Universe expanded from an initial state of density and temperature, the Hoyle-Narlikar theory says that the Universe has no beginning or end in time and that it has always existed in a steady state. It proposes a universe with a continuous, although not perfectly constant, expansion, where new matter is created to maintain a steady density. It says that an object’s inertia is influenced by the distribution of mass across the universe.
The Quasi-Steady State Cosmology (QSSC), developed by Prof Narlikar and Sir Hoyle, suggests that the Universe is not infinite but has a long history with periodic creation events. Sometimes called “mini-bangs”, the periodic mini-creation events occur in place of one Big-Bang.
Mourning the death of Prof Narlikar, one of India’s most distinguished astrophysicists, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on “X”: “The passing of Dr. Jayant Narlikar is a monumental loss to the scientific community. He was a luminary, especially in the field of astrophysics. His pioneering works, especially key theoretical frameworks, will be valued by generations of researchers. He made a mark as an institution builder, grooming centres of learning and innovation for young minds. His writings have also gone a long way in making science accessible to common citizens. Condolences to his family and friends in this hour of grief. Om Shanti.”
Born at Kolhapur on July 19, 1938 into a family of scholars ( his father Vishnu Vasudev Narlikar was a Mathematician and theoretical physicist and mother Sumati was a scholar in Sanskrit), Narlikar graduated in Science from Banaras Hindu University in 1957. Later on, he obtained BA (Tripos) degree in Mathematics in 1959 from the Cambridge University. After receiving his PhD degree in 1963 under the guidance of Fred Hoyle, he earned a master’s degree in astronomy and astrophysics in 1964.
After Fred Hoyle established the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy in Cambridge, Narlikar joined him and worked as the founding staff member of the institute from 1966 to 72. He went on to become a professor at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai where he worked from 1972 to 1989 and he was in-charge of the Theoretical Astrophysics Group there. When the University Grants Commission set up the IUCAA in Pune in 1988, Prof Narlikar became its founder-director.
Under his leadership, IUCAA — where he was an Emeritus Professor in the later years —has acquired a world-wide reputation as a centre for excellence in teaching and research in astronomy and astrophysics. So much so that in 2012, the Third World Academy of Sciences awarded him their prize for setting up IUCAA, a centre for excellence in science.
Prof Narlikar, who received many national and international awards and honorary doctorates during his illustrious career as an internationally-reputed astrophysicist, was conferred Padma Bhushan in 1965. Later in 2004, he was bestowed with Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honour, in recognition of vast body of research work. He received the Indira Gandhi Award of the Indian National Science Academy in 1990. He was honoured in 1996 by UNESCO with the Kalinga Prize. He received Maharashtra Bhushan Award for the year 2010.
Also known for his literary contributions, Prof Narlikar wrote a science-fiction story Dhoomaketu (The Comet) which was adapted into a film. He received the Sahitya Akademi Prize for his autobiography Chaar Nagarantale Maze Vishwa (My Tale of Four Cities). He presided over the 94th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan held at Nashik in January 2021.