Milestone-Proposal:Boson: Invented by Satyendra Nath Bose 1924-1925
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Docket #:2024-34
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To the proposer’s knowledge, is this achievement subject to litigation? No
Is the achievement you are proposing more than 25 years old? Yes
Is the achievement you are proposing within IEEE’s designated fields as defined by IEEE Bylaw I-104.11, namely: Engineering, Computer Sciences and Information Technology, Physical Sciences, Biological and Medical Sciences, Mathematics, Technical Communications, Education, Management, and Law and Policy. Yes
Did the achievement provide a meaningful benefit for humanity? Yes
Was it of at least regional importance? Yes
Has an IEEE Organizational Unit agreed to pay for the milestone plaque(s)? Yes
Has the IEEE Section(s) in which the plaque(s) will be located agreed to arrange the dedication ceremony? Yes
Has the IEEE Section in which the milestone is located agreed to take responsibility for the plaque after it is dedicated? Yes
Has the owner of the site agreed to have it designated as an IEEE Milestone? Yes
Year or range of years in which the achievement occurred:
1924-1925
Title of the proposed milestone:
Boson: Invented by Satyendra Nath Bose 1924-1925
Plaque citation summarizing the achievement and its significance; if personal name(s) are included, such name(s) must follow the achievement itself in the citation wording: Text absolutely limited by plaque dimensions to 70 words; 60 is preferable for aesthetic reasons.
Satyendra Nath Bose (1894-1974) is one of the founding fathers of quantum mechanics and his inventions played pivotal roles in quantum computing, communications, and superfluids. His collaboration with Einstein resulted in Bose-Einstein statistics and Bose-Einstein condensate in early 1920s. His revolutionary publication in 1924 led to the new quantum mechanics. "Boson" was coined to name half the fundamental particles in his honour and many boson-related works later received Nobel Prizes.
200-250 word abstract describing the significance of the technical achievement being proposed, the person(s) involved, historical context, humanitarian and social impact, as well as any possible controversies the advocate might need to review.
Satyendranath Bose, renowned as Satyen Bose, dedicated 24 pivotal years of his life to Dhaka University's Physics Department, starting in 1921, coinciding with the birth of the university. Bose's groundbreaking contributions revolutionized physics, particularly through his 1924 publication, which introduced quantum statistics, now known as Bose-Einstein statistics, marking Dhaka University as the birthplace of quantum statistics. His derivation of Planck’s law, impressing Einstein, laid the foundation for new theories like Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC), subsequently garnering Nobel Prizes, including the 2001 Physics Prize for BEC and the 2013 Prize for the Higgs Boson discovery, naming half the fundamental particles after him. 0 Bose's work not only formed the basis of quantum statistics but also spurred advancements in technologies integral to the Second Quantum Revolution. BEC applications range from atom lasers to atomic clocks and highly sensitive sensors for gravitational, rotational, or magnetic fields. Producing atomic BECs in laboratories has become routine, facilitating precision measurements and interference techniques. BECs play pivotal roles in quantum computing, communications, and superfluids, with ongoing research exploring their potential in nanotechnology and material science.
In essence, Bose's legacy extends far beyond theoretical physics, permeating into diverse fields, fueling technological innovations, and laying the groundwork for future scientific endeavors.
IEEE technical societies and technical councils within whose fields of interest the Milestone proposal resides.
IEEE Electron Device Society IEEE Photonics Society IEEE Computer Society IEEE Signal Processing Society
In what IEEE section(s) does it reside?
IEEE Bangladesh Section
IEEE Organizational Unit(s) which have agreed to sponsor the Milestone:
IEEE Organizational Unit(s) paying for milestone plaque(s):
Unit: IEEE Bangladesh Section
Senior Officer Name: Mohammed Moshiul Hoque
IEEE Organizational Unit(s) arranging the dedication ceremony:
Unit: IEEE Bangladesh Section
Senior Officer Name: Mohammed Moshiul Hoque
IEEE section(s) monitoring the plaque(s):
IEEE Section: IEEE Bangladesh Section
IEEE Section Chair name: Mohammed Moshiul Hoque
Milestone proposer(s):
Proposer name: Md. Kamrul Hassan
Proposer email: Proposer's email masked to public
Proposer name: Shaikh Anowarul Fattah
Proposer email: Proposer's email masked to public
Please note: your email address and contact information will be masked on the website for privacy reasons. Only IEEE History Center Staff will be able to view the email address.
Street address(es) and GPS coordinates in decimal form of the intended milestone plaque site(s):
University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, Latitude: 23.731549 and Longitude: 90.39249
Describe briefly the intended site(s) of the milestone plaque(s). The intended site(s) must have a direct connection with the achievement (e.g. where developed, invented, tested, demonstrated, installed, or operated, etc.). A museum where a device or example of the technology is displayed, or the university where the inventor studied, are not, in themselves, sufficient connection for a milestone plaque.
Please give the address(es) of the plaque site(s) (GPS coordinates if you have them). Also please give the details of the mounting, i.e. on the outside of the building, in the ground floor entrance hall, on a plinth on the grounds, etc. If visitors to the plaque site will need to go through security, or make an appointment, please give the contact information visitors will need. Dhaka University was founded in 1921, initially comprising only four departments, one of which was the Physics Department situated within the historic Curzon Hall main building. This British Raj-era structure serves as the home of the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Dhaka. One of the rooms in Curzon Hall served as the office of the then "head of the department," and now it continues to be utilized as the office of the Chairman of the Physics Department. This particular room holds historical significance as the birthplace of the Bose-Einstein theory, and we intend to designate it as the site for the milestone plaque.
The room where Satyendra Nath Bose used to work in the Department of Physics, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. In 1921, Satyendra Nath Bose joined as Reader in the Department of Physics of the recently founded University of Dhaka. In 1924, whilst a Reader in the Physics Department of the University of Dhaka, Bose wrote a paper deriving Planck's quantum radiation law without any reference to classical physics by using a novel way of counting states with identical particles. This paper was seminal in creating the important field of quantum statistics.[19] Though not accepted at once for publication, he sent the article directly to Albert Einstein in Germany. Einstein, recognizing the importance of the paper, translated it into German himself and submitted it on Bose's behalf to the Zeitschrift für Physik.
Are the original buildings extant?
Yes
Details of the plaque mounting:
In front of the room of Satyendra Nath Bose (Room of the Chairman of the Department of Physics, Dhaka University)
How is the site protected/secured, and in what ways is it accessible to the public?
The University of Dhaka protects such historical buildings/rooms. Open for visitors during working days. The Department of Physics will issue a visiting pass to allow a visitor to visit the room.
Who is the present owner of the site(s)?
Department of Physics, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
What is the historical significance of the work (its technological, scientific, or social importance)? If personal names are included in citation, include detailed support at the end of this section preceded by "Justification for Inclusion of Name(s)". (see section 6 of Milestone Guidelines)
The historical significance of the Boson particle and the work of Satyendra Nath Bose lies in their groundbreaking contributions to modern physics, particularly in the fields of quantum mechanics and particle physics.
1. Bose-Einstein Statistics: In the 1920s, Satyendra Nath Bose, collaborated with Albert Einstein to develop a new statistical theory to describe the behavior of particles with integer spin, now known as bosons. This work led to the formulation of Bose-Einstein statistics, which provided a fundamental understanding of the behavior of identical particles at low temperatures. Bose's insights paved the way for the development of quantum mechanics and laid the foundation for the study of phenomena such as superfluidity and superconductivity.
2. Boson Particle: The term "boson" was later coined in honor of Satyendra Nath Bose to describe particles that obey Bose-Einstein statistics. Bosons include fundamental particles such as photons, gluons, and the W and Z bosons, as well as composite particles like mesons and some atomic nuclei. The discovery of the Higgs Boson, a fundamental particle predicted by the Standard Model of particle physics, provided experimental confirmation of the Higgs mechanism and the existence of the Higgs field, which imparts mass to other particles via the interaction with the Higgs Boson.
3. Standard Model of Particle Physics: The inclusion of the Higgs Boson in the Standard Model of particle physics completed the theoretical framework for understanding the fundamental forces and particles of the universe. The Standard Model describes the interactions between elementary particles and the fundamental forces of electromagnetism, weak nuclear force, and strong nuclear force. The discovery of the Higgs Boson at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in 2012 validated the predictions of the Standard Model and provided crucial insights into the origin of mass and the fundamental nature of spacetime.
Overall, the work of Satyendra Nath Bose and the discovery of the Boson particle have had a profound impact on our understanding of the fundamental laws of nature, shaping the development of modern physics and inspiring further research and exploration in the field.
What obstacles (technical, political, geographic) needed to be overcome?
“Centennial Celebration of Bose-Einstein Statistics: A Legacy of Dhaka”- Recently in Nov. 2024, a four-day long international scientific conference was organized at Dhaka University. The Chief Advisor of Bangladesh Professor Muhammad Yunus inaugurated the conference as the chief guest. The Department of Physics and Bose Center for Advanced Study & Research in Natural Sciences of Dhaka University (DU) jointly organized this event. Education Advisor, Vice-Chancellor of DU and Pro-Vice Chancellors joined the event. Around thirty scientists from USA, Germany, Brazil, Japan, Hong Kong, India, Pakistan, and Nepal joined the conference. The grand success of the event on Centennial Celebration of Bose-Einstein Statistics has shown the potential of the Department of Physics. There will be no problem in establishing the milestone.
What features set this work apart from similar achievements?
Satyendra Nath Bose was known for his significant contributions to theoretical physics, particularly in quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics. Bose was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1954. Unfortunately, his work did not receive the Nobel Prize but many boson-related works later received Nobel Prizes. His discovery remains one of the top achievements of the 20th century, and S N Bose is a name which rests right among the top names in theoretical physics.
In 1924, Bose derived a new way to count states of indistinguishable particles, which led to what is now known as Bose-Einstein statistics. It describes how these particles behave at low temperatures and in quantum states.
Bose's work laid the groundwork for the prediction of a new state of matter known as Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), which occurs at temperatures close to absolute zero. In this state, a group of bosons occupies the same quantum state, leading to unique physical properties.
Satyendra Nath Bose is celebrated as one of the pioneers of modern physics. His work has had a lasting impact on both theoretical physics and experimental research, leading to advancements in various technologies, including lasers and superconductors. Bose's contributions are fundamental to our understanding of quantum mechanics and have paved the way for numerous scientific advancements in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Why was the achievement successful and impactful?
Satyendra Nath Bose is indeed credited for his pioneering work in the development of Bose-Einstein statistics, which laid the foundation for understanding particles that obey Bose-Einstein statistics, now referred to as bosons. However, it's essential to clarify that Bose himself did not "invent" the boson particle as a specific particle entity. Instead, he proposed a statistical framework to describe the behavior of certain types of particles, which later became known as bosons.
Bose's groundbreaking contribution came in 1924 when he derived a novel statistical distribution for particles with integer spin, based on principles of quantum mechanics and the assumption of identical particles being indistinguishable. He sent his findings to Albert Einstein, who recognized their significance and helped Bose publish his work. This collaboration led to the formulation of Bose-Einstein statistics, which describes the statistical behavior of bosons and their propensity to occupy the same quantum state.
The term "boson" was later coined to honor Satyendra Nath Bose and to describe particles that obey Bose-Einstein statistics. Bosons include fundamental particles such as photons, gluons, and the W and Z bosons, as well as composite particles like mesons and some atomic nuclei. The discovery of the Higgs Boson in 2012 at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) provided experimental confirmation of the existence of the Higgs field and the mechanism by which particles acquire mass, as predicted by the Standard Model of particle physics.
Therefore, while Satyendra Nath Bose's work was instrumental in laying the theoretical groundwork for the concept of bosons and their statistical behavior, the discovery and identification of specific boson particles, such as the Higgs Boson, involved subsequent experimental research and validation within the framework of modern particle physics.
Supporting texts and citations to establish the dates, location, and importance of the achievement: Minimum of five (5), but as many as needed to support the milestone, such as patents, contemporary newspaper articles, journal articles, or chapters in scholarly books. 'Scholarly' is defined as peer-reviewed, with references, and published. You must supply the texts or excerpts themselves, not just the references. At least one of the references must be from a scholarly book or journal article. All supporting materials must be in English, or accompanied by an English translation.
● Klaers, J., Schmitt, J., Vewinger, F. et al. (2010). “Bose–Einstein condensation of photons in an optical microcavity.” Nature 468, 545–548. doi.org/10.1038/nature09567
Bose–Einstein condensation (BEC)—the macroscopic ground-state accumulation of particles with integer spin (bosons) at low temperature and high density—has been observed in several physical systems1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, including cold atomic gases and solid-state quasiparticles. However, the most omnipresent Bose gas, blackbody radiation (radiation in thermal equilibrium with the cavity walls) does not show this phase transition.
● Gorroochurn, P. The End of Statistical Independence: The Story of Bose–Einstein Statistics. Math Intelligencer 40, 12–17 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00283-017-9772-4
The history of science is sprinkled with serendipities, and Bose’s discovery in 1924 of what later came to be known as Bose–Einstein statisticsFootnote1 is a prime example. Not only was Bose’s discovery fortuitous, it also had deep implications about the statistical behavior of atomic and subatomic particles. More specifically, it addressed a fundamental statistical question: do these particles behave independently of each other? As we shall see, this statistical question has far-reaching implications.
● Satyendra Nath Bose -- His Life And Times: Selected Works
April 2009 by Kameshwar C Wali (Editor)
Satyendra Nath Bose became a legendary figure of science in the 20th century in India with his revolutionary discovery on the nature of radiation. Despite the association with Einstein, however, little is known about him outside of India.
● Ghosh, S. (2024). “As the world looks for quantum solutions, Bose statistics turns 100”. Nature India, Feb. 2024 doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d44151-024-00018-6
Interactions between Bose and Einstein resulted in a new statistical tool, the Bose-Einstein statistics, introduced for photons in 1924 by Bose and generalized to atoms by Einstein in 1924–25. It also led to the prediction of a new state of matter, the Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), a supercooled collection of bosons, all at the same energy, in a quantum wave.
● Crease, R. P. (2024) “When Bose wrote to Einstein: the power of diverse thinking”. Physics World, Feb 2024.
“The correspondence between Bose and Einstein,” Banerjee wrote in The Making of Modern Physics in Colonial India, “is a special moment in the history of science”. Bose did not come from out of the blue to contribute a piece to a growing jigsaw puzzle. By virtue of his working far from Europe in a colonized land, Banerjee argues, Bose was uniquely poised to facilitate change in Western thinking about quantum theory.
Relevant References:
1. Satyendra Nath Bose's Original Paper:
● Bose, S. N. (1924). "Plancks Gesetz und Lichtquantenhypothese" (in German). Zeitschrift für Physik. 26 (1): 178–181. doi:10.1007/BF01327326.
● English translation: Bose, S. N. (1924). "Planck's Law and Hypothesis of Light Quanta". Science and Culture. 2: 183–188.
2. Bose-Einstein Statistics:
● Einstein, A. (1924). "Quantentheorie des einatomigen idealen Gases". Sitzungsberichte der Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Physikalisch-Mathematische Klasse: 261–267.
● Bose, S. N. (1924). "Plancks Gesetz und Lichtquantenhypothese" (in German). Zeitschrift für Physik. 26 (1): 178–181. doi:10.1007/BF01327326.
● Griffiths, D. J. (2005). Introduction to Quantum Mechanics (2nd ed.). Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-111892-8.
● Klaers, J., Schmitt, J., Vewinger, F. et al. (2010). “Bose–Einstein condensation of photons in an optical microcavity.” Nature 468, 545–548. doi.org/10.1038/nature09567
● Gorroochurn, P. The End of Statistical Independence: The Story of Bose–Einstein Statistics. Math Intelligencer 40, 12–17 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00283-017-9772-4
3. Discovery of the Higgs Boson:
● Aad, G.; et al. (ATLAS Collaboration) (2012). "Observation of a new particle in the search for the Standard Model Higgs boson with the ATLAS detector at the LHC". Physics Letters B. 716 (1): 1–29. doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2012.08.020.
● Chatrchyan, S.; et al. (CMS Collaboration) (2012). "Observation of a new boson at a mass of 125 GeV with the CMS experiment at the LHC". Physics Letters B. 716 (1): 30–61. doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2012.08.021.
4. Standard Model of Particle Physics:
● Griffiths, D. J. (2008). Introduction to Elementary Particles (2nd ed.). Wiley-VCH. ISBN 978-3-527-40601-2.
● Peskin, M. E.; Schroeder, D. V. (1995). An Introduction to Quantum Field Theory. Westview Press. ISBN 0-201-50397-2.
5. Biographies of Satyendra Nath Bose:
● Mehra, J. (2001). "Bose, Satyendra Nath". In Hazen, R. M. (ed.). The New Dictionary of Scientific Biography. 1. Charles Scribner's Sons. pp. 391–393. ISBN 978-0-684-80698-1.
● Bag, A. K. (2017). "Bose, Satyendra Nath". Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography. 7. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons. pp. 171–176. ISBN 978-0-684-31236-0.
● Satyendra Nath Bose -- His Life And Times: Selected Works April 2009 by Kameshwar C Wali (Editor)
6. 100 years celebration of Boson
● Ghosh, S. (2024). “As the world looks for quantum solutions, Bose statistics turns 100”. Nature India, Feb. 2024 doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d44151-024-00018-6
● Crease, R. P. (2024) “When Bose wrote to Einstein: the power of diverse thinking”. Physics World, Feb 2024.
Supporting materials (supported formats: GIF, JPEG, PNG, PDF, DOC): All supporting materials must be in English, or if not in English, accompanied by an English translation. You must supply the texts or excerpts themselves, not just the references. For documents that are copyright-encumbered, or which you do not have rights to post, email the documents themselves to ieee-history@ieee.org. Please see the Milestone Program Guidelines for more information.
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