When asked for an interview, Dr. Tapomoy Guha Sarkar smiled and
replied with a jaunty “Who doesn’t like to give an interview?” From there
on, this professor, whose chosen research topic is theoretical cosmology
went onto give us the lowdown on the Autumn School on Cosmology.
Autumn School of Cosmology
The Autumn School on Cosmology was a joint initiative by the BITS
Pilani, Physics department and the Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), conducted for a period of 10 days from
the 5th to the 15th of November. The workshop was mainly targeted at
first yearites as well as newly enrolled PhD students so as to present to
them the various avenues that research in cosmology could yield to them
and to fire up their interest in research of such a topic. For this purpose,
30 students from around the country who had previously submitted applications were selected. However, several first and higher degree students of BITS Pilani, also attended this lecture.
like CMBR physics. Prof. Sarkar assured us that all the lectures were able
to cater to the needs and the quirks of the people of various backgrounds
who turned up.
Prof. Sarkar was enthusiastic about the outcome of the workshop. In his
own words, the workshop was “applauded by the vice chancellor”. Apart
from a few run of the mill issues about accommodation and Pilani’s general far flung location, we were told that the participants had few complaints about the workshop. He stated that the workshop has managed to
inspire many of the people who attended. Even though a workshop of
th ?2???B?2??B&VV?GFV?FVB??&V6V?BF??W2??R6VW27V6?6???&?&F???22w&VBv?f?"7GVFV?G2F??V&??W7V6?????F??727V6?26?6????w?F?B&R7F???w&?v??r????F??F?Rv?&?6??v2F?f?FVB??F?Gv?6W&FRvVV?2?&?b?6&?"??f?&?VBW2?v?F?F?Rf?'7BvVV?&V??rFVF?6FVBF???&R&6?26??6WG2??`?F?R???BF?B6?V?B&R??F?VB'?WfV?f?'7BFVw&VR??6?727GVFV?@?v?F?F?RW?W&?V?6R?bGv??"F?&VR4D72?F?R6V6??BvVV?6??6?7FV@??b??&R7V6??6VBF??72?F?R&?vR?bF??726?fW&VB??F?Rv?&?6?? ?v2f&?VB?7F'F??rg&??vV?W&???G&?GV7F???F?6?&R&W6V&6?F??70??6?v?N( ?2???Bf?"$?E2?????f?'7B?2&?b?6&?"F??BW2??Bv?V?@?6W'fRF?WB??????F?R&W6V&6???V?7W&??rF?B66???'27&?72F?P?6?V?G'????rF?B&W6V&6???$?E2?2f?&?R?F????'Bg&??V&?6?G??2?T4F?W2??B?fR&W6?W&6R6V?G&R??F??2'B?bF?R6?V?G'???????v?B&R6??6?FW&VB??F????7V6?FWfV???V?Bv?V?@?&W7V?B????7&V6??rF?RV?G??bVGV6F???B$?E2??D2FG2"?w'??V???7FvP?F?R6fW7B?BV6?W7Bv?F?V?7W&R??( ?27V66W72?2F?&6R?@?W???V?"6?76?2?F?W2??B6??W22??7W'&?6RF?BF?R?D0???( ?V?'V??Vf?6?( ?&?fVBF?&RvV???67&?FVB?BV?vv??r??&6VBW??F?R6?76?2( ?"?w'??V?( ??F?R??7V66VVFVB???'G&???rF?Rv?7B?bF?R7F?'?v?F??WB&V??r6???WFR&???fb??F?RG&?V?f??FVB&?v?Bg&??F?R7F'B?v?F?F?R??G&?GV7F????`?F?R&6?7F?'??B???VF?FRG&?6?F???F?F?RG&???F?R7F?'?vV?@?F?&?Vv????Gv?7G2?BGW&?22??F?R???6?&7FW'2vW&R??G&?GV6VBV?FR6?WfW&??F?R???WW&VBv?F?fWrG??6?&???v??B6?6?:?2?V?7W&VBF?BF?W&Rv2?WfW"GV?????V?B?F?Rf?'7@???b6V?FW&VB??V?WfV?FgV????BF?R??B&V6?VB7&W66V?F??v?F?F?R6??f?7F????bF?R??V?r???F??2?2F?R???Bg&??v?W&P??f?"F??6Rv??7GV??vF6?VBF?R??f?R?F?R7GV?7F?'?&Vv???g&???W&R?F?RV?F?&R???6??F??VBv?F???F?R?W&?"&????&?w&W76VBB6???( ?26R?v?F????r?v??FVBF???wVW2?BW???F???2???vWfW"?'&VF?W'26?R??F?Rf?&??b6?WfW&?6??7G'V7FV@?f?6?&6?2?B&??V?66V?W2???&WG&?7V7F????F?R7F?'2( 2W7V6???F?R?W'?( 2?VVBF?&R6???V?FVBf?"7V66VVF??r??V?7F??r?????F???W2?B7FF?266V?Rf?"??7B?bF?RGW&F???v?F??WB&V??r&??VB?fg7FvR???vWfW"?F?W?F??&V??VBF?R???'F?6R?`?G???6???F?VG&R?BF?&Wr??6??7F?BV?GV?F???2?bV??F?????BFV?W'2???F??27V7B?F?R??FWf?FVBg&??F?R??f?R?'WB?@?v2?V6W76'?F??VWF?R&W7F?W72VF?V?6R????F?R??f??fV?V?B?bF?RVF?V?6R??7&V6VB2F?R??&?w&W76VB??&V6?W26???V?G2?Bv??f?6???v?26VV?VBF?6???V?V?BF?P?67&?B?F?R7F?'?&WfV?VB?G2&?vvW7BGv?7B2?V?&W'2?bF?R?W'??6??vVBF?V?"FV6?6????v???F?R??f?^( ?27???7?'B???R'???R??fWr6?VW7??F??Vv?&V?Wf?B?66V?W27&WB??F?v&G2F?RV?B?'W@?F?R7F?'?&Vv??VB?G26???7W&Rv?F?F?RV?????W27'??b( ???@?wV??G?( ?'?F?R?W'???F?F?G??F?R??v27V66W72???B?W7B&V6W6R?Bv2&6VB?????R?'WB&V6W6R?bF?R( ???F??VN( ?Gv?7G2?BFFVBG&?V?F?V?B?f?"v??6?F?R?D2&?GV7F???FV?6??V?B&Rv?fV?7&VF?B??7V6???V?F???6??V?B&R?FRf?"F?R??6V???W7V6????GW&??rF?R??FW'&?vF???66V?R???R6????wVW72??r?V6??P??BV????VBF?B?2f?"F?R?F?W"7F?'2?F??Vv?F?W?FV?BF??fW ??G&?F??R6??RV??F???2???6V6??BF??Vv?B?F?VG&RFV??G2?B??2??6VBF?f???2??F?W???R7W&RF?B??R?WfW"f?&vWBF?P?6?v?G2F?W?6??r??R?TD>( ?2( ???F?( ?vWG2??VB&Wf?Ww0??B?2F?R#7B6V?GW'??BF??Vv?F?R??&?&FF?W26VV?WGFW&???F????v?6??F?Rv?&?Bv2fW'?'W7??6Rc?V'2v???@?F??6RvW&RfW'?&V?F??W2???v27F???F?&?V?FVB'?F?RfW'??V??F???2F?B?R?2F?FV?v?F?F?F???W7B?w&VVB??F?R?V"?2C"?2?BF?R?V???bF?R'????vF??????'F?vW7B??F?6?G2???r??F???v?G??B??&?R'V?W"?'WB??Rv????2f??2&W?F???2?v?FW6?&W2??7WBF??F???fV?&W"#2?F?RVF?F?&?V??$?E2?????F?RV?v?6?G&?6?V"&W6V?FVB( ??F?( ???6??V????g&??F?R??&?&F??W&?2F?R??7BvV?????v?6?FW"g&??F?R?fR?`????r??F?????WG6?V???F?R??GFV?FVBF??'G&?F?R?W7B??w&VVB?b??R???F?R6V?f?6??WB6VV??v?67&?f?6??W'6???G??`???F?W"?F?Rf?W'?7?&?B?bv????BF?R&?FR?b??F?W"??&??FVB'???fGVF????B??2W&vRF?6??r??F???2??WF??F?P?&?Fv???7B???F?F?W6?( ?B?W6?FFRF?gV?f????2FW6?&W2?'WBF?W2?P?&V?6RF?R???6F???2?b??27G3?F?R&??R?bF?R?6R??B??6?&?6?F??v2?f?F?F?F?RV?F?&R??B?v?F?F?R6?&7FW ?6??v??r6???W'2F?&?Vv??WBF?R???V?F?6??rF?R???rB??P????B?6WF?????r???B??F?W"??&?VBBF?R&Vv?????r?B??W0?F?v&G2F?RV?B?v?V?&??6RW'R?F?R6???b??F??w&VW2F??F?RW??F?R7W'6R?b??BvR???6R?b??2fF?W"???Rv??FW'0?v?WF?W"?B?2?7B?b7W&V?R67&?f?6R?"?2F?W&R?V?FW&??"??F?fR????2FVVB?F?R??V?G2??6B??FR?V??F???2??6WfW&VB??F?RF?&VG2F?B&??BF?R&???f??&R??FGFW'2?BF?R&??6W70?????2?W'6V?b?W&?2?F?RF?Rv?g&??F?R??v2?V?BF?&P?( ?&R6&VgV?&?WBv?B??Rv?6?f?.( ???F??Vv?F?RF?V?R?Bv26WBW??v2??B?F?vWF?W"V?F?F???v0?F?W&R7V66W76gV?6???V7B&WGvVV?F?R67B?BF?R7&?vC?F?P?WfV???rF?B6VV?F?&R?6???rvVR??F?Bg&??B?v???R&F?W ?vV???FV?fW&VB??????wVR'?6?&?6?F?V?B&BGFV?F????@???F?v2vV???&V6V?fVB'?F?RvF?W&??r???R6?V?B7?BF?R?666????W?V?BG&???F?RV?F?&RG&?v2W&f?&?VBv??7B6??v?R7FvR6WGF??r?B??F?Rv?&G2?b??R?V?&W"?bF?RVF?V?6P?( ?6??vR?b66V?R?B7FvR&?2v?V?B?fR&VV?&F?W"vV?6??R?( ?6??Rv??FW&VB?bF?RF?&V7F?"6??V?B?fRF?&?v????GF?P???&R7F?????F?W'2F?6w&VVB?( ?vR&RvWGF??r&?BF??67W7F??V@?F?F?R?W&??2W????G2F?B??f?W2?ffW"?'WBF?N( ?2??Bv?B?F?????G&?6??V?B&R&?WN( ??F?V?FR??F?W"?V?&W"?bF?R7&?vB??( ??F?( ?F?B?fR?G2f?"6?&R?b6F6??&VfW&V?6W2??V??@?v?V?F?W&Rv2 ??666????7F66F???F?R???V?GV???7FvR??F?R7&?vB?WBF?V?6V?fW2V?FW'F??VB?6??G&?'WF??rv?F?6???V?B?W&R?B?Vv??"F??F?W&R???F?Rv???R?( ??F?( ?v2??WfV???r7V?BvV???B?V7Bf?"F??6Rv??FV?fR??F?F?RFWF?2?`?F?R??G&?66?W2?b??B?6?&7FW"?BV??F???F?BG&?'&??w0????rv?F??B??VF?2F?F?RTD2f?"V???r?B?fb??6??'B7??`?F??R??