Raman, Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata
Raman, Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata (1888-1970), an Indian physicist. His work on the diffusion of light led him to discover in 1928 the Raman effect, which occurs when light is passed through a transparent substance. The molecules of the substance scatter some of the light in wavelengths shorter than those of the original beam. The effect is useful in studying the structure of molecules.
Raman was knighted in 1929 and was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics the following year. He taught at Calcutta University, 1917-33. In 1947 he founded and became director of the Raman Research Institute in Bangalore, India.