Prof. Harnam Singh Hans, often referred to as the ”Father of Accelerator-Based Nuclear Physics in Indian Universities,” played an instrumental role in transforming AMU into a center for experimental nuclear physics. Born in 1922, Prof. Hans completed his graduate studies at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and joined AMU as a Ph.D. student under Prof. Gill in 1950.
His doctoral work focused on the experimental study of neutron scattering using a 1 MV accelerator. This laid the groundwork for AMU’s future in accelerator-based research. During his doctoral research, he conducted experiments on the elastic and inelastic scattering of 3.7 MeV neutrons at Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, United States, using a 1 MV accelerator. In 1958, he was appointed as a Reader at the Physics Department, AMU Aligarh a position he held until 1962. During 1962-1963 he served as an Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University, USA. Prof. Hans was known for his deep passion for accelerator-based nuclear physics research. In 1958, coming back to AMU Aligarh he began planning to construct of a Cockcroft-Walton accelerator—a type of particle accelerator used to produce neutrons. With the assistance of Dr. D. C. Sarkar and Dr. C. S. Khurana, Prof. Hans led the team that successfully built and installed the first Cockcroft-Walton neutron generator at AMU in 1958. This accelerator was first of its kind in an Indian university. The construction of the Cockcroft-Walton generator was a great achievement for the Physics Department, AMU Aligarh. It facilitated studies in nuclear reactions and nuclear spectroscopy, marking the department as a center of experimental nuclear science. The accelerator enabled research on neutron induced reactions, including those producing fast neutrons with energies up to 14 MeV. This was important in the study of nuclear reaction mechanisms and applications in nuclear energy development
The Physics Department at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Aligarh, has a legacy that spans over a century, distinguished by groundbreaking contributions to various fields, especially nuclear physics. The department, founded in 1908, emerged as a beacon of excellence in teaching and research. The journey that began under Prof. H. B. Duncliff ’s leadership in the early 20th century, with Dr. Wali Mohammad as the first head, has continued through the years. Several influential figures, contributed immensely to both experimental and theoretical nuclear physics. This article explores the remarkable history of the Physics Department at AMU, the pioneering contributions of its faculty, and its legacy in the field of nuclear physics, which continues to resonate today. Some of the references consulted for this write-up are provided at the end. Additionally, I have sought insights from several senior professors, both from this department and other universities, to enrich the historical narrative of the Physics Department at AMU. Special acknowledgment goes to Prof. H. S. Hans’s son, now an accomplished industrialist, whose valuable input added depth to the discussion on Prof. Hans’s contributions.
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