Renowned Malayali physicist and cosmologist Thanu Padmanabhan dies at 64
His research in theoretical physics had the Stanford University name him among the top scientists in the world.
Renowned Malayali theoretical physicist and cosmologist Thanu Padmanabhan died after a cardiac arrest on Friday (September 17). He was 64 and based in Pune, Maharashtra.
A distinguished professor at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Padmanabhan authored more than 300 research papers and several books, with important contributions in areas of gravitation, quantum gravity, and structure and formation of the universe.
His research in theoretical physics had the Stanford University name him among the top scientists in the world.
“Shocked to hear of the passing of Professor Thanu Padmanabhan. His research linking general relativity and thermodynamics in new ways, and in other areas, has been widely recognised. Scholar, communicator, extraordinary scientist, friend to many. He will be much missed,” tweeted K VijayRaghavan, principal scientific adviser to the government.
After completing his schooling and later his undergraduate and postgraduate studies from the University of Kerala, Padmanabhan earned his doctoral degree from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research during 1979-1983. He then pursued a postdoctoral degree from the Institute of Astronomy under the University of Cambridge, UK.
Apart from several other awards, he was also honoured with a Padma Shri and was the winner of the inaugural Infosys Prize for Physical Sciences.
