Pucadyil Ittoop John
Encyclopedia
Professor
P. I. John is a prominent India
n plasma
physicist
. He occupies the Meghnad Saha
Chair in Plasma Science and Technology at the Institute for Plasma Research
.
After completing his Ph.D.
at Aligarh Muslim University
, John joined the Physical Research Laboratory
, where he established an experimental plasma physics program in 1972. He was the Chairman of the Plasma Physics Group at PRL
until 1982.
John was one of the leading members of the group who initiated India’s Fusion Research Program, also known as Plasma Physics Program (PPP), which developed into the Institute for Plasma Research
(IPR). He supervised the erection and commissioning of the first indigenously built Indian Tokamak
, Aditya
, and was also the project leader of its pulsed power systems.
In the early 1990s, he started a plasma processing program at the Institute for Plasma Research
(IPR) to facilitate plasma based industrial applications, which grew into the Facilitation Centre for Industrial Plasma Technologies
(FCIPT) at Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India. He was the head of FCIPT for many years, and is still a member of its governing Council.
In 2002-03, John served as Head of the Physics Section of the International Atomic Energy Agency
. He was also part of the Indian Task Force for ITER
negotiations, before India joined the ITER as a full member. Currently, also, he is chairman of the Board Of Research in Fusion Science & Technology (BRFST), which is involved with the National Fusion Program in India. Through the National Fusion Program, John was reported in 2010 to be "currently working on an administrative framework for funding universities and educational institutions in basic research, and human resource development in fusion science and technology."
John has supervised many doctoral students and has authored and co-authored numerous scientific articles published in international and national journals. He also holds a number of patents and wrote the book Plasma Sciences and the Creation of Wealth.
He is a Fellow
of the Indian Academy of Sciences
and the Gujarat Academy of Science. In 2010, Professor John received the prestigious Padma Shri
award from the Government of India
.
John also writes poetry
, and some of his poems can be read on his blogs.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
P. I. John is a prominent India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n plasma
Plasma (physics)
In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
. He occupies the Meghnad Saha
Meghnad Saha
Meghnad Saha FRS was an Indian astrophysicist best known for his development of the Saha equation, used to describe chemical and physical conditions in stars.-Early life:...
Chair in Plasma Science and Technology at the Institute for Plasma Research
Institute for Plasma Research
Institute for Plasma Research is an autonomous physics research institute located in India. The institute is involved in research in aspects of plasma science including basic plasma physics, research on magnetically confined hot plasmas and plasma technologies for industrial applications. It is a...
.
After completing his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
at Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University ,is a residential academic university, established in 1875 by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan as Mohammedan Angelo-Oriental College and later granted the status of Central University by an Act of the Indian Parliament in 1920...
, John joined the Physical Research Laboratory
Physical Research Laboratory
The Physical Research Laboratory is a national Research Institute for space and allied sciences, supported mainly by Department of Space, Government of India. This research laboratory has ongoing research programmes in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Atmospheric Sciences and Aeronomy, Earth Sciences,...
, where he established an experimental plasma physics program in 1972. He was the Chairman of the Plasma Physics Group at PRL
Physical Research Laboratory
The Physical Research Laboratory is a national Research Institute for space and allied sciences, supported mainly by Department of Space, Government of India. This research laboratory has ongoing research programmes in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Atmospheric Sciences and Aeronomy, Earth Sciences,...
until 1982.
John was one of the leading members of the group who initiated India’s Fusion Research Program, also known as Plasma Physics Program (PPP), which developed into the Institute for Plasma Research
Institute for Plasma Research
Institute for Plasma Research is an autonomous physics research institute located in India. The institute is involved in research in aspects of plasma science including basic plasma physics, research on magnetically confined hot plasmas and plasma technologies for industrial applications. It is a...
(IPR). He supervised the erection and commissioning of the first indigenously built Indian Tokamak
Tokamak
A tokamak is a device using a magnetic field to confine a plasma in the shape of a torus . Achieving a stable plasma equilibrium requires magnetic field lines that move around the torus in a helical shape...
, Aditya
Aditya (tokamak)
ADITYA is a medium size tokamak installed at the Institute for Plasma Research in India. It has a major radius of 0.75 metres and a minor radius of the plasma is 0.25 metres. The maximum field strength is 1.2 tesla produced by the help of 20 toroidal field coils spaced symmetrically in the toroidal...
, and was also the project leader of its pulsed power systems.
In the early 1990s, he started a plasma processing program at the Institute for Plasma Research
Institute for Plasma Research
Institute for Plasma Research is an autonomous physics research institute located in India. The institute is involved in research in aspects of plasma science including basic plasma physics, research on magnetically confined hot plasmas and plasma technologies for industrial applications. It is a...
(IPR) to facilitate plasma based industrial applications, which grew into the Facilitation Centre for Industrial Plasma Technologies
Facilitation Centre for Industrial Plasma Technologies
The Facilitation Centre for Industrial Plasma Technologies is a research institute for plasma sciences in Gandhinagar, India. It is a division of the Institute for Plasma Research but has had a separate campus since 1998.-External links:*...
(FCIPT) at Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India. He was the head of FCIPT for many years, and is still a member of its governing Council.
In 2002-03, John served as Head of the Physics Section of the International Atomic Energy Agency
International Atomic Energy Agency
The International Atomic Energy Agency is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957...
. He was also part of the Indian Task Force for ITER
ITER
ITER is an international nuclear fusion research and engineering project, which is currently building the world's largest and most advanced experimental tokamak nuclear fusion reactor at Cadarache in the south of France...
negotiations, before India joined the ITER as a full member. Currently, also, he is chairman of the Board Of Research in Fusion Science & Technology (BRFST), which is involved with the National Fusion Program in India. Through the National Fusion Program, John was reported in 2010 to be "currently working on an administrative framework for funding universities and educational institutions in basic research, and human resource development in fusion science and technology."
John has supervised many doctoral students and has authored and co-authored numerous scientific articles published in international and national journals. He also holds a number of patents and wrote the book Plasma Sciences and the Creation of Wealth.
He is a Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of the Indian Academy of Sciences
Indian Academy of Sciences
The Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore was founded by Sir C. V. Raman, and was registered as a Society on 24 April 1934. Inaugurated on 31 July 1934, it began with 65 founding fellows. The first general meeting of Fellows, held on the same day, elected Professor Raman as President, and adopted...
and the Gujarat Academy of Science. In 2010, Professor John received the prestigious Padma Shri
Padma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
award from the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
.
John also writes poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, and some of his poems can be read on his blogs.