Annamaneni Peraiah

India

1937-2016

Obituary:

Childhood and Family Background:

Prof Annamaneni Peraiah was born in a farmer’s family on 15th July 1937 in Ghadiyapudi village of Prakasam District, Andhra Pradesh. He had excelled in his studies from childhood and supported his own education by giving tuitions for children.

Educational qualifications:

He studied under-graduation with mathematics and physics in AC College Guntur with merit scholarship and went to prestigious University of Delhi to study mathematical physics. After completing his master’s degree, he had worked as a lecturer in Osmania University, Hyderabad during 1962-1966. Apart from teaching he did research work on "Apsidal motion in Binary systems".

He had done research work in astronomy in David Dunlop Observatory, Toronto, during 1967-1969 and later he moved to Oxford University for doing Ph.D. He worked under the supervision of Prof I. P. Grantfor on "Discrete space theory of Radiative transfer” and completed his D.Phil., in 18 months. Soon after completion he returned to India and worked as a visiting fellow in Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bombay during 1971-1973. He had worked at University of Heidelberg, Germany during 1973-1977 and as a guest Observer of Astronomical Institute of Utretcht, Netherlands during April- July 1976 on different problems on stellar atmosphere.

His fellowships include ‘The Walter Helm Fellowship in Astronomy’ by the University of Toronto and ‘Graduate Studies Committee Scholarship’ at the University of Oxford.

Research Contributions at Indian Institute of Astrophysics:

The founder director of Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Prof MK VainuBappu, had offered him a job as a Reader to develop theoretical Astrophysics group in the institute which he accepted. He later guided several students on various topics in radiative transfer problems in stellar atmosphere. Some of the topics are partial redistribution on spectral line formation, Time dependent radiative transfer and Polarized light transfer etc.

Positions held:

He had several administrative responsibilities in IIA, like acting director of the institute during 1991 and 1992 and as a Chairman of the Group committee on Theoretical Astrophysics.

He was Vice-President of Astronomical Society of India (ASI) during 1992 and 1995. He was a member of Organizing Committee of Commission 36 and a member of International Astronomical Union (IAU), Indian Physics Association, Royal Astronomical Society of London, Royal astronomical Society of Canada and American Astronomical Society.

Scientific contributions:

He had developed a solution of radiative transfer equation in spherical symmetry using method of discrete space theory. He had also extended above algorithm to spectral line formation in expanding and extended stellar atmospheres and further extended the method to comoving frame calculations in the expanding atmospheres. He had developed integral operation technique and treated near relativistic velocities in some stellar atmospheres by taking into physical effects like aberration and advection. He also applied discrete space theory for Compton scattering and computed line profiles in a fully expanding stellar atmospheres. Peraiah had worked on reflection effect phenomenon in a close binary system and further continued to work on 3- Dimensional radiative transfer problem, which will be the realistic approach to many stellar objects. He guided several students who obtained doctoral degrees from various universities. He published nearly 100 scientific articles in different national and international journals. He also wrote a book titled “An introduction to Radiative transfer –Methods and applicaions in astrophysics” by Annamaneni Peraiah, Cambridge University Press, 2002.

Peraiah had delivered several lectures on stellar atmospheres problems in many educational institutes and universities which include the Bangalore University at Bangalore and Punjab University at Patiala and others.

Working style/Personal Association:

Generally Prof Peraiah used to work on different types of stellar atmosphere problems simultaneously. He used to write himself the mathematical algorithm of a scientific problem and its computer code. He was very brilliant and efficient in finding out errors in computer code. All his scientific codes were written and developed by him and used by many others.

I have maintained close association with Prof A. Peraiah for more than three and a half decades (In fact, even after his retirement we have published scientific articles in national and international journals and we were moving very closely). Peraiah was a magnanimous, humorous, broad-minded person. He is larger than life in all respects like, with human values, scientific contributions etc. He gave more than what he took from others. He believed in independent thinking and allowed us to grow on our own. Due to his training all his students and collaborators could develop originality in their research career. Many of his students and collaborators are happy and proud to say that they were closely associated with him.

Peraiah Foundation Award:

Mrs Peraiah and their children have instituted “Peraiah Foundation” award to encourage and support theoretical astrophysics research in India. This award is given to Indian theoretical astrophysicist once in two years

As a person and Family:

He was a very simple living and a generous person. He was fond of his native place and his mother tongue, the “Telugu” language. He liked the former Chief Minister Sri N. T. Rama Rao who brought recognition to Telugu people through his role as a famous actor and also as a chief minister of the state.
Prof A. Peraiah got married in the year 1963 and was blessed with two daughters and one son. All are well settled in different parts of the globe. He also has three grandchildren. He used to tell that, he wants to teach all the stanzas of “Vemana, Sumathi and Bhaskara Satakam” to his grandchildren. He and Mrs Peraiah (Jayalakshmi) are very cordial with very good understanding. We are very free to walk into their house whenever needed. She is very nice to all of his/her relatives and friends. He used to invite all of us to his family functions and he honoured us by attending all of our family celebrations.
Hobbies

Reading newspapers on regular basis and discussing with others. Apart from that he was well versed with Indian epics and most of the mythological stories. Moreover, he was also well conversant about Old and New Testament’s, Europeon history etc. He was always very humorous with all of us and we all miss him a lot now.

Contributed by : Dr M. Srinivasa Rao