The chain reaction: a golden jubilee commemorative volume on research in basic sciences at DAE Institutions. V. 1

This book has been chosen to metaphorically reflect how research in basic sciences in various institutions of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has evolved over the years, closely mimicking what goes on in a nuclear chain reactor. Since, for harnessing atomic energy for peaceful uses, nuclear physics and atomic physics are the two core activities, work was undertaken in these areas during initial days at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. These activities then promoted the growth of major programmes in a number of areas, such as, reactor physics, accelerator physics, condensed matter physics and materials science, theoretical physics and mathematical physics, astronomy and astrophysics, laser and plasma physics, radiation chemistry, photochemistry, chemical dynamics, nuclear chemistry, radiation biology and health sciences, molecular and cellular biology, structural biology and biophysics, agriculture and food sciences etc. In turn, all these programmes have been fostering the growth in several other domains of science, engineering and technology