Tanwarpal Singh at 06:12, 6 February 2026

2026-02-06T06:12:17Z

New page

{{Short description|Indian physicist (1938–2017)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox scientist
|name = C.V.Vishveshwara
|caption =
|birth_date= 6 March 1938
|death_date= {{death date and age text|16 January 2017|6 March 1938}}
|fields = General relativity
|workplaces = [[Raman Research Institute]]<br />[[Indian Institute of Astrophysics]]
|alma_mater = [[University of Maryland, College Park|University of Maryland]]
|doctoral_advisor = [[Charles W. Misner]]
|academic_advisors =
|known_for = ''Stability of Schwarzschild Blackhole''<br />''Quasinormal Modes''
|author_abbrev_bot =
|author_abbrev_zoo =
|influences =
|influenced =
|awards =
|spouse = [[Saraswathi Vishveshwara]]
|signature = 
|footnotes =
|religion =
}}

'''C.V. Vishveshwara''' (6 March 1938 – 16 January 2017), commonly known as '''Vishu''', was an Indian scientist and [[black hole]] physicist. Specializing in Einstein's [[General Relativity]], he worked extensively on the theory of black holes and made major contributions to this field of research since its very beginning.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2017/01/17/c-v-vishveshwara-a-pioneer-in-black-hole-research-dies-at-78/|title=C.V. Vishveshwara, A Pioneer In Black Hole Research, Dies At 78|work=huffingtonpost.in|accessdate=17 January 2017}}</ref> He is popularly known as the 'black hole man of India'.<ref>Sumangala S. Mummigatti, Science Reporter, NISCAIR, CSIR, Dr KS Krishnan Marg, New Delhi - 110 012. p. 31 (ed. April 2017)</ref>

== Biography ==
=== Academic training and university positions ===
With initial interest in [[particle physics]] Vishveshwara joined [[Columbia University]], where [[Robert W. Fuller]] was his mentor. Later he developed interest in General Relativity and encouraged by Fuller, transferred to [[University of Maryland]] to work with [[Charles W. Misner]]. He received his AM degree from Columbia University. Working on the Stability of the Schwarzschild Black Hole under Misner, he obtained his PhD from the University of Maryland. After a [[postdoctoral researcher|postdoctoral appointment]] at the [[Goddard Institute for Space Studies]],<ref name="arxiv2024">{{cite arXiv|last1=Dadhich|first1=Naresh|last2=Nayak|first2=K. Rayesh|title=C. V. Vishveshwara (Vishu) On The Black Hole Trek|eprint=2402.11503|date=18 February 2024|class=gr-qc}}</ref> he served on the faculties of [[New York University]], and [[University of Pittsburgh]]. After his return to his hometown, Channapatna, famous for wooden toys, of Bengaluru, India, he was a senior professor at the [[Raman Research Institute]] and the [[Indian Institute of Astrophysics]]. Vishveshwara has also held the position of Visiting Professor at several universities including [[University of Pennsylvania]], [[University of Maryland]], [[Boston University]], [[University of London]], and [[Universidad del Pais Vasco]].

=== Research ===
Vishveshwara was one of the first to analyze the structure of black holes employing [[spacetime symmetries]] thereby demonstrating the existence of the [[ergosphere]].<ref>{{cite journal | last=Vishveshwara | first=C. V. | title=Generalization of the ''Schwarzschild Surface'' to Arbitrary Static and Stationary Metrics | journal=Journal of Mathematical Physics | publisher=AIP Publishing | volume=9 | issue=8 | year=1968 | issn=0022-2488 | doi=10.1063/1.1664717 | pages=1319–1322| bibcode=1968JMP.....9.1319V }}</ref> He proved the stability of the non-rotating [[Schwarzschild black hole]], a crucial factor that ensures its continued existence after formation.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Vishveshwara | first=C. V. | title=Stability of the Schwarzschild Metric | journal=Physical Review D | publisher=American Physical Society (APS) | volume=1 | issue=10 | date=1970-05-15 | issn=0556-2821 | doi=10.1103/physrevd.1.2870 | pages=2870–2879| bibcode=1970PhRvD...1.2870V | hdl=1903/17449 | hdl-access=free }}</ref> Further, he discovered the [[quasinormal mode]]s of black holes.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Vishveshwara | first=C. V. | title=Scattering of Gravitational Radiation by a Schwarzschild Black-hole | journal=Nature | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=227 | issue=5261 | year=1970 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/227936a0 | pages=936–938| pmid=16058209 | bibcode=1970Natur.227..936V | s2cid=4160946 }}</ref> These modes of black hole vibrations are one of the main targets of observation using the [[gravitational wave detector]]s. In later years, he investigated black holes in cosmological backgrounds, an important aspect of black hole physics that had hardly been explored. Vishveshwara has also made significant contributions to other areas of general relativity such as the [[exact solutions of Einstein's field equations]], [[gravitational collapse]], [[compact star|compact stellar object]]s, [[inertial force]]s, and spacetime [[perturbation theory|perturbation]]s.

== Books and other publications ==
In addition to authoring a number of technical papers, Vishveshwara has co-edited ten volumes on relativity, astrophysics and cosmology including those published by Cambridge University Press and Kluwer Academic Publishers. He has contributed articles to these volumes and illustrated two of the volumes with his cartoons. Further, he has written a number of popular articles on various topics in science.

His book "Einstein's Enigma or Black Holes in My Bubble Bath" received highly complimentary comments from [[Roger Penrose]],{{Citation needed|date=July 2015}} Nobel laureate [[Anthony James Leggett]],{{Citation needed|date=July 2015}} [[Charles Misner]]{{Citation needed|date=July 2015}} and other readers worldwide.{{Citation needed|date=July 2015}} It has also been translated to Italian.{{Citation needed|date=July 2015}}

"Black Holes, Gravitational Radiation and the Universe: Essays in Honour of C.V. Vishveshwara,- Bala R. Iyer and Biplab Bhawal(eds)", (Kluwer Academic Publishers (1999)) contains essays contributed by [[Roger Penrose]], [[Jacob Bekenstein]], [[Abhay Ashtekar]], [[Ashoke Sen]] etc.

== Planetarium and promotion of science ==
As founder-director of the Planetarium in Bangalore, he has written the scripts of several planetarium programmes and directed them. These are aimed at presenting difficult concepts in a simple and attractive manner. Vishveshwara has also produced two short science films.

To promote research as a part of education he started "Research Education Advancement Program".<ref>[http://www.taralaya.org/reap1.htm The Bangalore Association For Science Education (Base)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927095931/http://www.taralaya.org/reap1.htm |date=2011-09-27 }}</ref> As a part of it, undergraduate students are taught in fundamentals of Physics or Biology by practicing scientists in the field and selected students are involved in research projects at institutes like [[Indian Institute of Science]], [[Raman Research Institute]], [[Indian Institute of Astrophysics]], [[The National Centre for Biological Sciences]].

==See also==
* [[Charles W. Misner]]
* [[Quasinormal mode]]s
* [[Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar]]
* [[Engelbert Schücking]]
* [[Golden age of general relativity]]
* [[Smitha Vishveshwara]], Vishveshwara's daughter

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/apr252000/generalia.pdf Leaves from an unwritten diary]
* [https://www.tifr.res.in/~ipa1970/news/2017/PN_JanMar17_ObitVishu.pdf Obituary to C V Vishveshwara]
* [http://prints.iiap.res.in/bitstream/2248/4915/3/The%20Engelbert%20experience%20pathways%20from%20the%20past The Engelbert Experience-Pathways from the Past]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vishveshwara, C. V}}
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:2017 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian physicists]]
[[Category:Relativity theorists]]
[[Category:Scientists from Karnataka]]
[[Category:University of Maryland, College Park alumni]]
[[Category:Columbia University alumni]]

C. V. Vishveshwara - Revision history

Tanwarpal Singh at 06:12, 6 February 2026