Center of Gravity vs Center of Mass The center of mass and center of gravity are two concepts frequently encounters

in the study of physics. These are also concepts that are most confused between, and often people use them interchangeably, which is erroneous. This article will explain the difference between center of mass and center of gravity and let readers have a clearer understanding. Center of mass of a rigid body is also called its center of gravity. However, this is true only in circumstances where gravitational forces are uniform. Since gravitational force of earth is taken to be uniform at all places, the center of mass and the center of gravity are effectively same. Center of gravity is defined as the average location of the weight of an object. In the case of earth, since gravitational pull is same at all places, each mass element would weigh the same so the center of gravity is identical to the center of mass. However, in a non uniform gravitational field, the center of gravity is not the same as the center of mass. Center of mass is a fixed property which is the average location of the mass of the body. It has nothing to do with gravity. In the case of artificial satellites, gravitational pull is not uniform and in such conditions, center of gravity refers to the mean location of the gravitational pull acting on the body of the satellite. This obviously results in slight difference between its center of mass and the center of gravity. The center of mass of a body does not coincide with its center of gravity and this is a property that is exploited by sport car makers to keep the center of mass as low as possible to make the car have a better balance. The concept of difference between center of mass and center of gravity is also exploited by high jumpers when they perform Fosbury Flop and bend their bodies in such a way so as to clear the high bar without touching it. They bend their bodies in such a way that they clear the bar despite their center of mass not clearing the bar. Center of Mass vs Center of Gravity Center of mass and center of gravity are often taken as one in the study of physics because of the uniform gravitational pull of earth. However, in non uniform gravitational fields, center of mass is away from the center of gravity This fact is used by designers to make cars with a very low center of mass so as to give better balance. OR The center of mass is a geometrical measurement considering only mass distribution and not weight distribution. Centre of mass is a mathematically defined point for an object, which is unaffected by external field/force unless it is deformed by the external field/ force. However, centre of gravity is a point from where net weight is assumed to act. Clearly it depends on gravity which is an external force. Normally, centre of mass and gravity are same, this is because Earths gravitational field is uniform. Now, consider a situation in which gravitational field is non-uniform. Also, imagine a very long uniform rod. If you consider two parts of rod with same mass, the force of gravitation (weight) will be different on both instead of same mass. Due to which, its centre of gravity and center of mass will be different. Because of this, the position of centre of mass of this rod will be different from that of centre of weight. Normally, on Earth gravity is uniform so center of mass and gravity are same for most of the objects. But again be cautious! APPLICATIONS Finding the center of mass of a system is very useful in observing and recording many physical phenomena. Mathematically, the center of mass of a system is merely the result of a summation or integral where the masses of differing points times their distance from the 'center' squared, and then an infinite amount of these
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values are taken, the integral, and added together. Everyday activities can be explained better with the concept of the center of mass. Gravity The acceleration due to the gravitational force between an object and the earth is considered to be 9.8m/s^2 or 32ft/s^2. Many people go under the assumption that everything in the earth's atmosphere is thought to accelerate at this speed downwards, but it's untrue. This constant of gravity is the acceleration that the center of mass of a system moves with, and not everything within that system has to move with that acceleration. For instance, if a meter stick is raised about 40 degrees to the horizontal and a penny is atop the highest point of the meter stick, the two objects will not fall at the same speed. The meter stick will fall faster, in a vacuum, because the penny is part of the meter stick to begin with and then when the meter stick is dropped, the center of mass travels faster than the penny, making it very evident as the penny just falls short of the same speed of the meter stick. The Human Body When jumping in the air, one would assume that the entire weight of the body has to lifted uniformly, but it's not true. The body has a center of mass just like anything else, and with the ability of the body to stretch, the total height of someones jump is not necessarily the same height as the weight of their body. Usually when someone jumps up they squat down to gain force through their legs and the ground, and while jumping, stretch their arm up to it's highest point. The center of mass is usually around the waist(depends upon the individual), thereby letting the jumper travel a larger distance upward without doing as much work. A great representation of the center of mass is the high jumper and how, through proper technique, they can elevate their center of mass over the bar while letting the rest of their body just flex around the bar, creating a technique that enables less work, and thereby a greater vertical distance to be achieved. When lifting a heavy object, one has the tendency to lean in the opposite direction of side where the object is being held. This is because the body wants to achieve a balance that can enable it to move more uniformly. The center of mass is originally symmetrical with the body, but when, say a suitcase, is lifted with one arm, the body tends to lean in the opposite direction, as to reform the center of mass with this new object introduced into the system. Center of mass In physics, the center of mass, or barycenter, of a distribution of mass in space is the unique point where the weighted relative position of the distributed mass sums to zero. The distribution of mass is balanced around the center of mass and the average of the weighted position coordinates of the distributed mass defines its coordinates. Calculations in mechanics are simplified when formulated with respect to the center of mass. In the case of a single rigid body, the center of mass is fixed in relation to the body, and if the body has uniform density, it will be located at the centroid. The center of mass may be located outside the physical body, as is sometimes the case for hollow or open-shaped objects, such as a horseshoe. In the case of a distribution of separate bodies, such as the planets of the Solar System, the center of mass may not correspond to the position of any individual member of the system. The center of mass is a useful reference point for calculations in mechanics that involve masses distributed in space, such as the linearand angular momentum of planetary bodies and rigid body dynamics. In orbital mechanics, the equations of motion of planets are formulated as point masses located at the centers of mass. The center of mass frame is an inertial frame in which the center of mass of a system is at rest at with respect the origin of the coordinate system. History The concept of "center of mass" in the form of the "center of gravity" was first introduced by the ancient Greek physicist, mathematician, and engineer Archimedes of Syracuse. He worked with simplified assumptions about gravity that amount to a uniform field, thus arriving at the mathematical properties of what we now call the center of mass. Archimedes showed that the torque exerted on a lever by weights resting at various points along the lever is the same as what it would be if all of the weights were moved to a single point their center of mass. In work on floating bodies he demonstrated that the orientation of a
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floating object is the one that makes its center of mass as low as possible. He developed mathematical techniques for finding the centers of mass of objects of uniform density of various well-defined shapes.[1] Later mathematicians who developed the theory of the center of mass include Pappus of Alexandria, Guido Ubaldi, Francesco Maurolico,[2] Federico Commandino,[3] Simon Stevin,[4] Luca Valerio,[5] Jean-Charles de la Faille, Paul Guldin,[6] John Wallis, Louis Carr, Pierre Varignon, and Alexis Clairaut.[7] Newton's second law is reformulated with respect to the center of mass in Euler's first law.[8]

Diagram of an educational toy that balances on a point: the CM (C) settles below its support (P) [edit]Definition of center of mass The center of mass is the unique point at the center of a distribution of mass in space that has the property that the weighted position vectors relative to this point sum to zero. [edit]A system of particles In the case of a system of particles Pi, i=1, ..., n, each with mass mi that are located in space with coordinates ri, i=1,...,n,, the coordinates R of the center of mass satisfy the condition,

Solve this equation for R to obtain the formula,

where M is the sum of the masses of all of the particles. [edit]A continuous volume If the mass distribution is continuous with the density (r) within a volume V, then the integral of the weighted position coordinates of the points in this volume relative to the center of mass R is zero, that is

Solve this equation for the coordinates R to obtain

where M is the total mass in the volume. If a continuous mass distribution has uniform density, which means is constant, then the center of mass is the same as the centroid of the volume.[9] [edit]Barycentric coordinates The coordinates R of the center of mass of a two-particle system, P1 and P2, with masses m1 and m2 is given by

Let the percentage of the total mass divided between these two particles vary from 100% P1 and 0% P2 through 50% P1 and 50% P2 to 0% P1 and 100% P2, then the center of mass R moves along the line from P1 to P2. The percentages of mass at each point can be viewed as projective coordinates of the point R on this line, and are termed barycentric coordinates. This can be generalized to three points and four points to define projective coordinates in the plane, and in space, respectively. [edit]Systems with periodic boundary conditions For particles in a system with periodic boundary conditions two particles can be neighbors even though they are on opposite sides of the system. This occurs often in molecular dynamics simulations, for example, in which clusters form at random locations and sometimes neighboring atoms cross the periodic boundary. When a cluster straddles the periodic boundary, a naive calculation of the center of mass will be incorrect. A generalized method for calculating the center of mass for periodic systems is to treat each coordinate, x and y and/or z, as if it were on a circle instead of a line. [10] The calculation takes every particle's x coordinate and maps it to an angle,

where xmax is the system size in the x direction. From this angle, two new points

can be generated:

In the

plane, these coordinates lie on a circle of radius xmax. From the collection of

and

values

from all the particles, the averages and are calculated. These values are mapped back into a new angle, , from which the x coordinate of the center of mass can be obtained:

The process can be repeated for all dimensions of the system to determine the complete center of mass. The utility of the algorithm is that it allows the mathematics to determine where the "best" center of mass is, instead of guessing or using cluster analysis to "unfold" a cluster straddling the periodic boundaries. It must be noted that if both average values are zero, , then is undefined. This is a correct result, because it only occurs when all particles are exactly evenly spaced. In that condition, their x coordinates are mathematically identical in a periodic system. [edit]Center of gravity Center of gravity is the point in a body around which the resultant torque due to gravity forces vanish. Near the surface of the earth, where the gravity acts downward as a parallel force field, the center of gravity and the center of mass are the same. The study of the dynamics of aircraft, vehicles and vessels assumes that the system moves in near-earth gravity, and therefore the terms center of gravity and center of mass are used interchangeably. In physics the benefits of using the center of mass to model a mass distribution can be seen by considering the resultant of the gravity forces on a continuous body. Consider a body of volume V with density (r) at each point r in the volume. In a parallel gravity field the force f at each point r is given by, where dm is the mass at the point r, g is the acceleration of gravity, and k is a unit vector defining the vertical direction. Choose a reference point R in the volume and compute theresultant force and torque at this point,

and

If the reference point R is chosen so that it is the center of mass, then

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which means the resultant torque T=0. Because the resultant torque is zero the body will move as though it is a particle with its mass concentrated at the center of mass. By selecting the center of gravity as the reference point for a rigid body, the gravity forces will not cause the body to rotate, which means weight of the body can be considered to be concentrated at the center of mass. [edit]Linear and angular momentum The linear and angular momentum of a collection of particles can be simplified by measuring the position and velocity of the particles relative to the center of mass. Let the system of particles Pi, i=1,...,n be located at the coordinates ri and velocities vi. Select a reference point R and compute the relative position and velocity vectors,

The total linear and angular momentum vectors relative to the reference point R are

and

If R is chosen as the center of mass these equations simplify to

Newton's laws of motion require that for any system with no external forces the momentum of the system is constant, which means the center of mass moves with constant velocity. This applies for all systems with classical internal forces, including magnetic fields, electric fields, chemical reactions, and so on. More formally, this is true for any internal forces that satisfy Newton's Third Law.[11] [edit]Locating the center of mass Main article: Locating the center of mass

Plumb line method The experimental determination of the center of mass of a body uses gravity forces on the body and relies on the fact that in the parallel gravity field near the surface of the earth the center of mass is the same as the center of gravity.
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The center of mass of a body with an axis of symmetry and constant density must lie on this axis. Thus, the center of mass of a circular cylinder of constant density has its center of mass on the axis of the cylinder. In the same way, the center of mass of a spherically symmetric body of constant density is at the center of the sphere. In general, for any symmetry of a body, its center of mass will be a fixed point of that symmetry.[12] [edit]In two dimensions An experimental method for locating the center of mass is to suspend the object from two locations and to drop plumb lines from the suspension points. The intersection of the two lines is the center of mass.[13] The shape of an object might already be mathematically determined, but it may be too complex to use a known formula. In this case, one can subdivide the complex shape into simpler, more elementary shapes, whose centers of mass are easy to find. If the total mass and center of mass can be determined for each area, then the center of mass of the whole is the weighted average of the centers.[14] This method can even work for objects with holes, which can be accounted for as negative masses.[15] A direct development of the planimeter known as an integraph, or integerometer, can be used to establish the position of the centroid or center of mass of an irregular two-dimensional shape. This method can be applied to a shape with an irregular, smooth or complex boundary where other methods are too difficult. It was regularly used by ship builders to compare with the required displacement and centre of buoyancy of a ship, and ensure it would not capsize.[16][17] [edit]In three dimensions An experimental method to locate the three dimensional coordinates of the center of mass begins by supporting the object at three points and measuring the forces, F1, F2, and F3that resist the weight of the object, W= -Wk (k is the unit vector in the vertical direction). Let r1, r2, and r3 be the position coordinates of the support points, then the coordinates Rof the center of mass satisfy the condition that the resultant torque is zero, or This equation yields the coordinates of the center of mass R* in the horizontal plane as,

The center of mass lies on the vertical line L, given by The three dimensional coordinates of the center of mass are determined by performing this experiment twice with the object positioned so that these forces are measured for two different horizontal planes through the object. The center of mass will be the intersection of the two lines L1 and L2 obtained from the two experiments. [edit]Applications

Estimated center of mass/gravity (blue sphere) of a gymnast at the end of performing a cartwheel. Notice center is outside the body in this position.
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Engineers try to design a sports car's center of mass as low as possible to make the car handle better. When high jumpers perform a "Fosbury Flop", they bend their body in such a way that it clears the bar while its center of mass does not.[18] [edit]Aeronautics Main article: Center of gravity of an aircraft The center of mass is an important point on an aircraft, which significantly affects the stability of the aircraft. To ensure the aircraft is stable enough to be safe to fly, the center of mass must fall within specified limits. If the center of mass is ahead of the forward limit, the aircraft will be less maneuverable, possibly to the point of being unable to rotate for takeoff or flare for landing.[19] If the center of mass is behind the aft limit, the aircraft will be more maneuverable, but also less stable, and possibly so unstable that it is impossible to fly. The moment arm of the elevator will also be reduced, which makes it more difficult to recover from a stalled condition.[20] For helicopters in hover, the center of mass is always directly below the rotorhead. In forward flight, the center of mass will move aft to balance the negative pitch torque produced by applying cyclic control to propel the helicopter forward; consequently a cruising helicopter flies "nose-down" in level flight. [edit]Astronomy

Two bodies orbiting a barycenter inside one body Main article: Barycentric coordinates (astronomy) The center of mass plays an important role in astronomy and astrophysics, where it is commonly referred to as the barycenter. The barycenter is the point between two objects where they balance each other; it is the center of mass where two or more celestial bodies orbiteach other. When a moon orbits a planet, or a planet orbits a star, both bodies are actually orbiting around a point that lies away from the center of the primary (larger) body.[21] For example, the Moon does not orbit the exact center of the Earth, but a point on a line between the center of the Earth and the Moon, approximately 1,710 km (1062 miles) below the surface of the Earth, where their respective masses balance. This is the point about which the Earth and Moon orbit as they travel around the Sun. If the masses are more similar, e.g., Pluto and Charon, the barycenter will fall outside both bodies. [edit] Question: Center of Gravity Definition The term "center of gravity" has implications for all things related to posture, including postural issues such as swayback and designingposture exercise programs and more. The center of gravity is a theoretical place in your body where your mass is considered to concentrate. Answer: What do I mean by that? Well, here on earth, weight and mass are pretty much the same thing. You can think of mass as how much resistance your body has when moving - or the force of inertia as it applies to your weight. (In outer space, you become weightless, but your mass stays the same. This is because in outer space the force of gravity does not act on your body.)

Center of Mass - Theory and Application Another way of looking at this is that the center of gravity (mass) is the point at which the body's mass is equally balanced. This changes depending on one's position (arms up/down, leaning, etc). Dancers, gymnasts and tight-rope walkers are examples of how the human body compensates for changes in the center of gravity to maintain balance. Usually the center of gravity is located in front of your sacrum bone, at about the second sacral level. (The sacrum is made up of five bones fused together vertically.) So when you are on planet earth your weight, or mass, is thought to be concentrated at this point in front of your sacrum. The downward pull of gravity (line of gravity) passes through this point, as well. To understand the difference between theory and practical application of this concept, lets compare the human body to a baseball for a minute. From a point in the exact center, the baseball is of equal weight and shape all the way around, is it not? So, with any movement of the ball, this center point moves right along with it. Easy. But when we consider center of gravity in the human body, things get more complicated. As we mentioned before, because the body has moving parts (arms, legs, head, various areas of the trunk), every time you do, well, anything, the shape of your overall form changes. And if you carry something like a suitcase or grocery bag or if you wear a backpack, this adds weight, which changes the center of gravity, too. So, we can say that the center of gravity is a constantly changing point in the body that represents where the weight (mass) of the rest of your body is equally balanced in every direction. This point can and does change based on what youre carrying and how youre carrying it, as well as the position you take and the movements you make. My personal take on it this: In an ideal situation I like to think of the center of gravity as the place from which you can operate your whole body as a unit, while gracefully coordinating the movement of appendages as you go. When calculating in single particle systems such as an atom or a defined point, the physical shape and geometry of its mass is insignificant. However in real life, no object is simply a particle and possess a great complications in its physical geometry. When dealing with such problems, we calculate the kinematics relative to its center of mass. But not only is the center of mass used for physical objects, also for multiparticle systems which can be treated as a single entity and the dynamics of each particle is calculated relative to the system's center of mass. COM IN ASTRONOMY In astronomy, barycentric coordinates are non-rotating coordinates with origin at the center of mass of two or more bodies. The barycenter (or barycentre; from the Greek - heavy + - centre + -ic[1]) is the point between two objects where they balance each other. For example, it is the center of mass where two or more celestial bodies orbit each other. When a moonorbits a planet, or a planet orbits a star, both bodies are actually orbiting around a point that is not at the center of the primary (the larger body). For example, the moon does not orbit the exact center of the Earth, but a point on a line between the center of the Earth and the Moon, approximately 1,710 km below the surface of the Earth, where their respective masses balance. This is the point about which the Earth and Moon orbit as they travel around the Sun.

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Contents [hide] 1 Two-body problem 1.1 Examples 1.2 Inside or outside the Sun? 1.3 Animations 2 Relativistic corrections 3 Selected barycentric orbital elements 4 References [edit]Two-body problem The barycenter is one of the foci of the elliptical orbit of each body. This is an important concept in the fields of astronomy, astrophysics, and the like (see two-body problem). In a simple two-body case, r1, the distance from the center of the primary to the barycenter is given by:

If a is the semi-major axis of the system, r1 is the semi-major axis of the primary's orbit around the barycenter, and r2 = a r1 is the semi-major axis of the secondary's orbit. When the barycenter is located within the more massive body, that body will appear to "wobble" rather than following a discernible orbit. [edit]Examples The following table sets out some examples from the Solar System. Figures are given rounded to three significant figures. The last two columns show R1, the radius of the first (more massive) body, and r1/R1, the ratio of the distance to the barycenter and that radius: a value less than one shows that the barycenter lies inside the first body. Examples Larger body Earth m1 (mE=1) 1 Smaller body Moon m2 (mE=1) Remarks 0.0123 0.000254 (0.121 mPluto) 384,000 4,670 6,380 0.732 The Earth has a perceptible "wobble"; see tides. Pluto 0.0021 Charon 19,600 2,110 1,150 1.83 a (km) r1 (km) R1 (km) r1/R1

Both bodies have distinct orbits around the barycenter, and as such Pluto and Charon were considered as a double planet by many before the redefinition of planet in August 2006. Sun 333,000 Earth 1 150,000,000 (1 AU) 778,000,000 (5.20 AU) 449 696,000 0.000646

The Sun's wobble is barely perceptible. Sun 333,000 Jupiter 318 (0.000955 mSun) 742,000 696,000 1.07

The Sun orbits a barycenter just above its surface.[2] [edit]Inside or outside the Sun? If m1 m2 which is true for the Sun and any planet then the ratio r1/R1 approximates to: Hence, the barycenter of the Sun-planet system will lie outside the Sun only if:
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Two bodies of similar mass orbiting a common barycenter (similar to the 90 Antiope system)

Two bodies with a difference in mass orbiting a common barycenter external to both bodies, as in the Pluto Charon system

Two bodies with a major difference in mass orbiting a common barycenter internal to one body (similar to the EarthMoonsystem)

That is, where the planet is heavy and far from the Sun. If Jupiter had Mercury's orbit (57,900,000 km, 0.387 AU), the Sun-Jupiter barycenter would be only 5,500 km from the center of the Sun (r1/R1 ~ 0.08). But even if the Earth had Eris'orbit (68 AU), the Sun-Earth barycenter would still be within the Sun (just over 30,000 km from the center). To calculate the actual motion of the Sun, you would need to sum all the influences from all the planets, comets, asteroids, etc. of the Solar System (see n-body problem). If all the planets were aligned on the same side of the Sun, the combined center of mass would lie about 500,000 km above the Sun's surface. The calculations above are based on the mean distance between the bodies and yield the mean value r1. But all celestial orbits are elliptical, and the distance between the bodies varies between the apses, depending on the eccentricity, e. Hence, the position of the barycenter varies too, and it is possible in some systems for the barycenter to be sometimes inside and sometimes outside the more massive body. This occurs where:

Note that the Sun-Jupiter system, with eJupiter = 0.0484, just fails to qualify: 1.05 1.07 > 0.954. [edit]Animations Images are representative (made by hand), not simulated.

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Two bodies with similar mass orbiting a common barycenter, external to both bodies, with eccentric elliptic orbits (a common situation forbinary stars)

Two bodies with an extreme difference in mass orbiting a common barycenter internal to one body (similar to the Sun Earthsyste m)

[edit]Relativistic corrections In classical mechanics, this definition simplifies calculations and introduces no known problems. In general relativity, problems arise because, while it is possible, within reasonable approximations, to define the barycenter, the associated coordinate system does not fully reflect the inequality of clock rates at different locations. Brumberg explains how to set up barycentric coordinates in general relativity.[3] The coordinate systems involve a world-time, i.e., a global time coordinate that could be set up by telemetry. Individual clocks of similar construction will not agree with this standard, because they are subject to differing gravitational potentials or move at various velocities, so the world-time must be slaved to some ideal clock; that one is assumed to be very far from the whole self-gravitating system. This time standard is called Barycentric Coordinate Time, "TCB". [edit]Selected barycentric orbital elements Barycentric osculating orbital elements for some objects in the Solar System:[4] Semi-major axis Apoapsis Object Orbital period in years (in AU) (in AU) C/2006 P1 (McNaught) Comet Hyakutake C/2006 M4 (SWAN) (308933) 2006 SQ372 (87269) 2000 OO67 90377 Sedna 2050 1700 1300 799 549 506 4100 3410 2600 1570 1078 937 92600 70000 47000 22600 12800 11400

2007 TG422 501 967 11200 For objects at such high eccentricity, the Sun's barycentric coordinates are more stable than heliocentric coordinates.[5] Top Research Institutes Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay Indian Institute of Science (IISc) (www.iisc.ernet.in) Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Indian Institute of Astrophysics Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics All India Institute of Medical Sciences
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Indian Statistical Institute Top 20 Scientific Research Institutes in India 1. Indian Institute of Science (Bangalore) 2. National Physical Laboratory (New Delhi) 3. Defence Research Development Organisation (New Delhi) 4. Institute of Physics (Bhubhaneswar) 5. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (Mumbai) 6. Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (Pune) 7. National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (Pune) 8. Inter-University Consortium for DAE Facilities (Indore) Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (Bangalore) 9. Institute of Mathematical Sciences (Chennai) 10. Centre for Advanced Technology (Indore) 11. Indian Spare Research Organisation- (1) Physical Research Laboratory (Ahmedabad); and (2) Space Physics Laboratory (Thiruvananthapuram) 12. Mehta Research Institute of Mathematics and Mathematical Physics (Allahabad) 13. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (Mumbai) 14. Physical Research Laboratory (Ahmedabad) 15. Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (Kolkata) S N Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (Kolkata) 16. Raman Research Institute (Bangalore) 17. Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu) 18. Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (Hyderabad). 19. Indian Institute of Astrophysics (Bangalore) 20. Institute of Plasma Research (Gandhinagar) Launch Vehicles are used to transport and put satellites or spacecrafts into space. In India, the launch vehicles development programme began in the early 1970s. The first experimental Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-3) was developed in 1980. An Augmented version of this, ASLV, was launched successfully in 1992. India has made tremendous strides in launch vehicle technology to achieve self-reliance in satellite launch vehicle programme with the operationalisation of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). PSLV represents ISRO's first attempt to design and develop an operational vehicle that can be used to orbit application satellites. While SLV-3 secured for India a place in the community of space-faring nations, the ASLV provided the rites of passage into launch vehicle technology for ISRO. And with PSLV, a new world-class vehicle has arrived. PSLV has repeatedly proved its reliability and versatility by launching 55satellites / spacecrafts ( 26 Indian and 29 Foreign Satellites) into a variety of orbits so far. ISRO also makes the Rohini series of sounding rockets used by the Indian and international scientific community to launch payloads to various altitudes for atmospheric research and other scientific investigations. These rockets are also used to qualify some of the critical systems used for advanced launch vehicles.

Landmark achievements in ISRO's Launch Vehicle Development PSLV has 21 consecutively successful flights out of 22 launches PSLV used for launching a total of 27 satellites for foreign customers under commercial agreements, demonstrating its multi-satellite launch capability PSLV used to launch Space capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE-1), Chandrayaan-1 and
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ISRO's exclusive meteorological satellite, KALPANA-1, proving its versatility GSLV with four successful flights of seven launches can launch 2 to 2.5 tonne satellite into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) Successful testing of indigenously developed cryogenic upper stage on November 15, 2007. ISRO's Launch Fleet at a Glance ISRO developed two experimental satellite launch vehicles, SLV-3 and ASLV Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle(PSLV) commissioned in 1997 Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-Mk I) commissioned after second successful flight in May 2003 GSLV - MK II will use indigenously developed cryogenic Upper Stage GSLV - MK III is under development

SLV-3

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Satellite Launch Vehicle-3 (SLV-3), India's first experimental satellite launch vehicle was successfully launched on July 18, 1980 from SHAR Centre Sriharikota, when Rohini satellite, RS-1, was placed in orbit. SLV-3 was a 22 m long, all solid, four stage vehicle weighing 17 tonnes capable of placing 40 kg class payloads in low earth orbit. It employed an open loop guidance (with stored pitch programme) to steer the vehicle in flight along pre-determined trajectory. The first experimental flight of SLV-3, in August 1979, was only partially successful. Apart from the July 1980 launch, there were two more launches held in May 1981 and April 1983, orbiting Rohini satellites carrying remote sensing sensors.

ASLV Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV) was developed to act as a low cost intermediate vehicle to demonstrate and validate critical technologies. With a lift off weight of 40 tonnes, the 23.8 m tall ASLV was configured as a five stage, all-solid propellant vehicle, with a mission of orbiting 150 kg class satellites into 400 km circular orbits. The strap-on stage consisted of two identical 1m diameter solid propellant motors, Under the ASLV programme four developmental flights were conducted. The first developmental flight took place on March 24, 1987 and the second on July 13, 1988. ASLV-D3 was successfully launched on May 20, 1992, when SROSS-C (106 kg) was put into an orbit of 255 x 430 km. ASLV-D4, launched on May 4, 1994, orbited SROSS-C2 weighing 106 kg. It had two payloads, Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) Experiment and Retarding Potentio Analyser (RPA) and functioned for seven years. ASLV provided valuable inputs for further development.

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle,usually known by its abbreviation PSLV is the first operational launch vehicle of ISRO. PSLV is capable of launching 1600 kg satellites in 620 km sun-synchronous polar orbit and 1050 kg satellite in geo-synchronous transfer orbit. In the standard configuration, it measures 44.4 m tall, with a lift off weight of 295 tonnes. PSLV has four stages using solid and liquid propulsion systems alternately.
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The first stage is one of the largest solid propellant boosters in the world and carries 139 tonnes of propellant. A cluster of six strap-ons attached to the first stage motor, four of which are ignited on the ground and two are air-lit. The reliability rate of PSLV has been superb. There had been 21 continuously successful flights of PSLV, till September 2012 . With its variant configurations, PSLV has proved its multi-payload, multi-mission capability in a single launch and its geosynchronous launch capability. In the Chandrayaan-mission, another variant of PSLV with an extended version of strap-on motors, PSOM-XL, the payload haul was enhanced to 1750 kg in 620 km SSPO. PSLV has rightfully earned the status of workhorse launch vehicle of ISRO. Typical Parameters of PSLV Lift-off weight 295 tonne

1600 kg in to 620 km Polar Orbit, Pay Load 1060 kg in to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) Height PSLV Milestones PSLV-C21 launched SPOT 6 and PROITERES on September 09, 2012 (Successful) PSLV-C19 launched RISAT-1 on April 26, 2012 (Successful) PSLV-C18 launched Megha-Tropiques, SRMSat, VesselSat-1 and Jugnu on October 12, 2011 (Successful) PSLV-C17 launched GSAT - 12 on July 15, 2011 (Successful) PSLV-C16 launched RESOURCESAT - 2, YOUTHSAT and X-SAT on April 20, 2011 (Successful) PSLV-C15 launched CARTOSAT-2B, ALSAT-2A, NLS 6.1 & 6.2 and STUDSAT on July 12, 2010 (Successful) PSLV-C14 launched Oceansat - 2 and Six Nanosatellites on September 23, 2009 (Successful) PSLV-C12 launched RISAT-2 and ANUSAT on April 20, 2009 (Successfully) PSLV-C11 launched CHANDRAYAAN-I, on October 22, 2008 (Successful) PSLV-C9 launched CARTOSAT-2A, IMS-1 and Eight nano-satellites on April 28, 2008 (Successful) PSLV-C10 launched TECSAR on January 23, 2008 (Successful) PSLV-C8 launched AGILE on April 23, 2007 (Successful)
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44 metre

PSLV-C7 launched CARTOSAT-2, SRE-1, LAPAN-TUBSAT and PEHUENSAT-1 on January 10, 2007 (Successful) PSLV-C6 launched CARTOSAT-1 and HAMSAT on May 5, 2005 (Successful) PSLV-C5 launched RESOURCESAT-1(IRS-P6) on October 17, 2003 (Successful) PSLV-C4 launched KALPANA-1(METSAT) on September 12, 2002 (Successful) PSLV-C3 launched TES on October 22, 2001 (Successful) PSLV-C2 launched OCEANSAT(IRS-P4), KITSAT-3 and DLR-TUBSAT on May 26, 1999 (Successful) PSLV-C1 launched IRS-1D on September 29, 1997 (Successful) PSLV-D3 launched IRS-P3 on March 21, 1996 (Successful) PSLV-D2 launched IRS-P2 on October 15, 1994 (Successful) PSLV-D1 launched IRS-1E on September 20, 1993 (Unsuccessful) Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle(GSLV)-Mark I&II ,is capable of placing INSATII class of satellites (2000 2,500 kg) into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). GSLV is a three stage vehicle GSLV is 49 m tall, with 414 t lift off weight. It has a maximum diameter of 3.4 m at the payload fairing. First stage comprises S125 solid booster with four liquid (L40) strap-ons. Second stage (GS2) is liquid engine and the third stage (GS3) is a cryo stage. The vehicle develops a lift off thrust of 6573 kn. The first flight of GSLV took place from SHAR on April 18, 2001 by launching 1540 kg GSAT-1. It was followed by six more launches , GSLV-D2 on May 8, 2003 (GSAT-2 1825 kg), GSLV-F01 on September 20, 2004 (EDUSAT 1950 kg), GSLV-F02 on July 10, 2006, GSLV-F04 on September 2, 2007 (INSAT-4CR 2130 kg), GSLV-D3 on April 15, 2010 and GSLV-F06 on December 25, 2010.

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Typical Parameters of GSLV Lift-off weight 414 tonne

2 to 2.5 Tonne in to Pay Load Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) Height 49 metre

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GSLV Milestones GSLV-F06 launched GSAT-5P on December 25, 2010 (Unsuccessful) GSLV-D3 launched GSAT-4 on April 15, 2010 (Unsuccessful) GSLV-F04 launched INSAT-4CR on September 2, 2007 (Successful) GSLV-F02 launched INSAT-4C on July 10, 2006 (Unsuccessful) GSLV-F01 launched EDUSAT(GSAT-3) on September 20, 2004 (Successful) GSLV-D2 launched GSAT-2 on May 8, 2003 (Successful) GSLV-D1 launched GSAT-1 on April 18, 2001 (Successful)

The GSLV-III or Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III , is a launch vehicle currently under development by the Indian Space Research Organization. GSLV Mk III is conceived and designed to make ISRO fully self reliant in launching heavier communication satellites of INSAT-4 class, which weigh 4500 to 5000 kg. It would also enhance the capability of the country to be a competitive player in the multimillion dollar commercial launch market. The vehicle envisages multi-mission launch capability for GTO, LEO, Polar and intermediate circular orbits. GSLV-Mk III is designed to be a three stage vehicle, with 42.4 m tall with a lift off weight of 630 tonnes. First stage comprises two identical S200 Large Solid Booster (LSB) with 200 tonne solid propellant, that are strapped on to the second stage, the L110 re-startable liquid stage. The third stage is the C25 LOX/LH2 cryo stage. The large payload fairing measures 5 m in diameter and can accommodate a payload volume of 100 cu m. Realisation of GSLV Mk-III will help ISRO to put heavier satellites into orbit. Typical Parameters of GSLV Mark III Lift-off weight Pay Load Height 630 Tonne 4 Tonne in to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) 42.4 metre

For the past four decades, ISRO has launched more than 65 satellites for various scientific and technological applications like mobile communications, Direct-to-Home services, meteorological observations,
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telemedicine, tele-education, disaster warning, radio networking, search and rescue operations, remote sensing and scientific studies of the space. ISRO has established two major space systems, the Indian National Satellite System (INSAT) series for communication, television broadcasting and meteorological services which isGeo-Stationary Satellites, and Indian Remote Sensing Satellites (IRS) system for resources monitoring and management which is Earth Observation Satellites. ISRO has launched many Experimental Satellites which are generally small comparing to INSAT or IRS and Space Missions to explore the space. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) was conceived as a Research Institute or University of Research by Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, in the final years of the 19th century. A long period of almost thirteen years was to elapse from the initial conception in 1896 to the birth of the institute on May 27, 1909. The early history of the Institute is a fascinating chapter in the story of higher education and scientific research in India. The cast of characters in the drama that led to the establishment of the Institute includes, in addition to its charismatic and generous founder J.N. Tata, figures from the pages of Indian history. There is Swami Vivekananda, whom J.N. Tata befriended on his famous voyage to the United States, the Maharaja of Mysore, Shri Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV and his mother then acting on his behalf, and Lord Curzon the Viceroy of India, whose first task on arrival on December 31, 1898 was to receive a draft proposal prepared by the Provisional Committee set up to plan the establishment of the Institute. The plan was shepherded through many difficult years by Burjorji Padshah, a close associate of J.N. Tata. Unfortunately, J.N. Tata died in 1904 unaware that his vision would indeed be realized a few years later. When the British Government fi nally issued the Vesting Order in 1909, an unmatched experiment in higher education and research was launched in India. IISc is truly the first example of a public-private partnership in this country; an institution, whose evolution over a century is testimony to the robustness of its foundations. The Institute occupies nearly 400 acres of prime land in Bangalore, generously donated by the Maharaja of Mysore in March 1907. Indeed, the contribution from the princely state of Mysore was the decisive element in determining the location of J.N. Tatas proposed institution. Remarkably, in a gesture unmatched in the annals of private philanthropy in India, Tata did not wish his name to be associated with the Institute. His dream was to create an institution that would contribute to the development of India. The name, Indian Institute of Science, which was finally chosen, reflects in every way the wishes of J.N. Tata. Visitors to Bangalore who seek out IISc still have to ask local residents for directions to the Tata Institute, a clear recognition that Jamsetji Tatas act of generosity has remained undimmed in public memory, despite the passage of a century. The Institute began with only two departments: General and Applied Chemistry and Electro-Technology. The first Director, Morris W Travers began the task of organizing the Institute shortly after his arrival in India at the end of 1906. Travers began the construction of the main building, which is one of Bangalores landmarks today. The Departments of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry were among the earliest to be established. The Physics department came into being in 1933, when C.V. Raman became the first Indian Director of the Institute. In the century that has passed since its inception, IISc has grown to become Indias premier centre for research and postgraduate education in science and engineering. The evolution of the Institute over the past one hundred years has mirrored the development of science and technology in India. A long history, a strong tradition of academic research and an ambience that favours scholarly activity have been important elements in making the Institute a most attractive place for students and faculty. As the Institute has grown, several new areas of research have been established, many of them for the first time in India. The Institutes departments in fields ranging from Biochemistry to Aerospace Engineering have served to nucleate research and development in both the public and private sectors. The faculty and alumni of the Institute have been responsible for establishing and spearheading many new institutions and programs across the country, reflecting in a real sense, a major contribution of this centre of learning to national growth and development. Homi Bhabha conceived the idea of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and an Atomic Energy Program while working in the Department of Physics. Vikram Sarabhai, the founder of Indias space program was an alumnus. Following his premature death, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) was built by the farsighted leadership of Satish Dhawan, who simultaneously held the position of the Director of the
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Institute with the greatest distinction. The first Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) at Kharagpur was established by J.C. Ghosh, who was the Director of IISc in the critical period 1939-48, during which much of the activity in engineering was initiated at the Institute. Many of Indias most distinguished scientists have been associated with the Institute as students or faculty. Notable among them are G.N. Ramachandran, Harish Chandra, S. Ramaseshan, A. Ramachandran, C.N.R. Rao and R. Narasimha. Alumni of the Institute head many major organizations in India and abroad. The Institute offers a variety of Masters degree programs in Engineering, an integrated Ph.D. (post-B.Sc.) program in Sciences and Ph.D. programs in a wide spectrum of disciplines in science and engineering. Last year the Institute launched a 4-year undergraduate program leading to a B.S. degree, with an opportunity for students to obtain a broad foundation in science, including an exposure to research. The research laboratories at the Institute are extremely well equipped. Many national facilities are housed at the Institute. The library and computational facilities at the Institute are amongst the best in India. A major program for modernizing laboratories is underway. The Institute hosts hundreds of visitors from India and abroad every year and is the venue for many major national and international academic events. The face of science and engineering research has been changing very rapidly over the past few years. In approaching the second century of the Institute many new activities have been initiated. Notable among them are the interdisciplinary Ph.D. programs in Mathematical Sciences and Nanoscience and Engineering. A new program in Bioengineering has been launched this year. These programs are intended to blur the traditional boundaries between disciplines, thereby promoting cross-disciplinary research. An M.Tech. program in Transportation Engineering was introduced in 2010 and a Masters program in Management with a focus on Technology Management and Business Analytics was started last year. New centres in the areas of Earth Sciences, Climate Change and Neuroscience have been established in the last few years. The Institute hopes to foster collaborative and interdisciplinary research in a vigorous fashion in the years to come. The Institute is also committed to promoting post-doctoral research in the areas of science and engineering. The Institute engages in interactions with society and industry through a variety of outreach programs. The Centre for Scientific and Industrial Consultancy (CSIC) and the Society for Innovation and Development (SID) promote collaborative interactions with industry, while the Centre for Continuing Education (CCE) provides an opportunity for working scientists and engineers to enrich themselves academically. The Institute actively promotes programs that encourage bright young school and undergraduate students to undertake research careers. The Institute administers the Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) program of the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The Institutes commitment to socially relevant research is specifically emphasized by the activities undertaken at the Centre for Sustainable Technologies (CST), together with the Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology (KSCST), which is housed on the campus. The Institute completed a century of existence in 2009. It has embarked on a new phase of expansion and renewal. To live and work at the Institute is a special privilege. The Faculty, Staff and Students of the Institute can be rightly proud of its past and optimistic about its future. What Is a Rocket? NASA's Saturn V rocket carried humans to the moon. Image Credit: NASA The word "rocket" can mean different things. Most people think of a tall, thin, round vehicle. They think of a rocket that launches into space. "Rocket" can mean a type of engine. The word also can mean a vehicle that uses that engine. How Does a Rocket Engine Work? Like most engines, rockets burn fuel. Most rocket engines turn the fuel into hot gas. The engine pushes the gas out its back. The gas makes the rocket move forward.
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A rocket is different from a jet engine. A jet engine needs air to work. A rocket engine doesn't need air. It carries with it everything it needs. A rocket engine works in space, where there is no air. There are two main types of rocket engines. Some rockets use liquid fuel. The main engines on the space shuttle orbiter use liquid fuel. The Russian Soyuz uses liquid fuels. Other rockets use solid fuels. On the side of the space shuttle are two white solid rocket boosters. They use solid fuels. Fireworks and model rockets also fly using solid fuels. Why Does a Rocket Work? In space, an engine has nothing to push against. So how do rockets move there? Rockets work by a scientific rule called Newton's third law of motion. English scientist Sir Isaac Newton listed three Laws of Motion. He did this more than 300 years ago. His third law says that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The rocket pushes on its exhaust. The exhaust pushes the rocket, too. The rocket pushes the exhaust backward. The exhaust makes the rocket move forward. This rule can be seen on Earth. Imagine a person standing on a skateboard. Imagine that person throwing a bowling ball. The ball will go forward. The person on the skateboard will move, too. The person will move backward. Because the person is heavier, the bowling ball will move farther.

Robert Goddard built the first liquid-fuel rocket. Image Credit: NASA When Were Rockets Invented? The first rockets we know about were used in China in the 1200s. These solid rockets were used for fireworks. Armies also used them in wars. In the next 700 years, people made bigger and better solid rockets. Many of these were used for wars too. In 1969, the United States launched the first men to land on the moon using a Saturn V rocket. How Does NASA Use Rockets? Early NASA missions used rockets built by the military. Alan Shepard was the first American in space. He flew on the U.S. Army's Redstone rocket. John Glenn was the first American in orbit. He flew on an Atlas rocket. NASA's Gemini missions used the Titan II rocket. The first rockets NASA built to launch astronauts were the Saturn I, the Saturn IB and the Saturn V. These rockets were used for the Apollo missions. The Apollo missions sent men to the moon. A Saturn V also launched the Skylab space station. The space shuttle uses rocket engines. NASA uses rockets to launch satellites. It also uses rockets to send probes to other worlds. These rockets include the Atlas V, the Delta II, the Pegasus and Taurus. NASA uses smaller "sounding rockets" for scientific research. These rockets go up and come back down. They do not fly into orbit.
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The Falcon 9 rocket may someday carry supplies to the space station. Image Credit: NASA How Will NASA Use Rockets in the Future? New rockets are being developed today. They will launch astronauts on future missions. The new rockets will not look like the space shuttle. These rockets will look more like earlier ones. They will be tall and round and thin. These rockets will take astronauts into space. They will take supplies to the International Space Station. NASA also is working on a powerful new rocket called a heavy lift vehicle. This rocket will be able to take big loads into space. Together, these new rockets will make it possible to explore other worlds. Someday they will send humans to Mars. Center of Gravity vs Center of Mass The center of mass and center of gravity are two concepts frequently encounters in the study of physics. These are also concepts that are most confused between, and often people use them interchangeably, which is erroneous. This article will explain the difference between center of mass and center of gravity and let readers have a clearer understanding. Center of mass of a rigid body is also called its center of gravity. However, this is true only in circumstances where gravitational forces are uniform. Since gravitational force of earth is taken to be uniform at all places, the center of mass and the center of gravity are effectively same. Center of gravity is defined as the average location of the weight of an object. In the case of earth, since gravitational pull is same at all places, each mass element would weigh the same so the center of gravity is identical to the center of mass. However, in a non uniform gravitational field, the center of gravity is not the same as the center of mass. Center of mass is a fixed property which is the average location of the mass of the body. It has nothing to do with gravity. In the case of artificial satellites, gravitational pull is not uniform and in such conditions, center of gravity refers to the mean location of the gravitational pull acting on the body of the satellite. This obviously results in slight difference between its center of mass and the center of gravity. The center of mass of a body does not coincide with its center of gravity and this is a property that is exploited by sport car makers to keep the center of mass as low as possible to make the car have a better balance. The concept of difference between center of mass and center of gravity is also exploited by high jumpers when they perform Fosbury Flop and bend their bodies in such a way so as to clear the high bar without touching it. They bend their bodies in such a way that they clear the bar despite their center of mass not clearing the bar. Center of Mass vs Center of Gravity Center of mass and center of gravity are often taken as one in the study of physics because of the uniform gravitational pull of earth. However, in non uniform gravitational fields, center of mass is away from the center of gravity This fact is used by designers to make cars with a very low center of mass so as to give better balance.
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OR The center of mass is a geometrical measurement considering only mass distribution and not weight distribution. Centre of mass is a mathematically defined point for an object, which is unaffected by external field/force unless it is deformed by the external field/ force. However, centre of gravity is a point from where net weight is assumed to act. Clearly it depends on gravity which is an external force. Normally, centre of mass and gravity are same, this is because Earths gravitational field is uniform. Now, consider a situation in which gravitational field is non-uniform. Also, imagine a very long uniform rod. If you consider two parts of rod with same mass, the force of gravitation (weight) will be different on both instead of same mass. Due to which, its centre of gravity and center of mass will be different. Because of this, the position of centre of mass of this rod will be different from that of centre of weight. Normally, on Earth gravity is uniform so center of mass and gravity are same for most of the objects. But again be cautious! Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology The Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology is a unit of Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India, engaged inR&D in non-nuclear front-line research areas of Lasers, Particle Accelerators and related technologies. [1] [edit]History On February 19, 1984 the President of India, Gyani Zail Singh, laid the foundation stone of the centre. Construction of laboratories and houses began in May 1984.In June 1986, the first batch of scientists from BARC, Mumbai, moved to RRCAT and scientific activities were started. Since then, the centre has rapidly grown into a premier institute for research and development in lasers, accelerators and their applications. Originally called the Centre for Advanced Technology, it was renamed by the Indian Prime Minister in December 2005 as Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology. [2] [edit]Location The Centre is situated at the south-western end of the Indore. It is about 12 kms from the Indore Railway station as well as the Indore airport. The nearest residential locality is Rajendra Nagar. [3] [edit]Research Activities RRCAT has developed two synchrotron radiation sources going by the name of "INDUS": INDUS-1 is a 450 MeV electron storage ring, whereas INDUS-2 is a booster cum storage ring that can accelerate electrons from an injection energy of 550 MeV to 2.5 GeV. RRCAT also provide training to young scientists at BARC Training School located in its campus who later join several DAE units like BARC Mumbai, IGCAR Kalpakkam, VECC Kolkata and RRCAT itself as Scientific Officers. RRCAT has also been actively involved in providing scientific and material assistance to the CERN sponsored Large Hadron Collider. In addition to this, the centre conducts Trainings, Doctoral Programs to take up research and development work in the frontline areas of particle accelerators, lasers, cryogenics, superconductivity, plasma physics and related high technology fields.[4] Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology was established by the Department of Atomic Energy, India to expand the activities carried out at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, in two frontline areas of science and technology namely Lasers and Accelerators. On February 19, 1984 the President of India, Gyani Zail Singh, laid the foundation stone of the centre. Construction of laboratories and houses began in May 1984. In June 1986, the first batch of scientists from BARC, Mumbai, moved to RRCAT and scientific activities were
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started. Since then, the centre has rapidly grown into a premier institute for research and development in lasers, accelerators and their applications. The RRCAT campus is spread over a 760 hectare picturesque site on the outskirts of Indore city. The campus encompasses laboratories, staff housing colony and other basic amenities like school, sports facilities, shopping complex, gardens etc. Laser RRCAT is involved in development of a variety of laser systems and their utilization for applications in industry, medicine and research. The laser systems developed include high power CO2 lasers, flash lamp and diode laser pumped Nd lasers, semiconductor lasers, chemical lasers, excimer lasers and high energy/intensity pulsed lasers. Crystals of a variety of materials of interest to laser technology have been grown. The industrial applications being pursued include cutting, drilling, welding, surface modifications and rapid manufacturing. Various laser based instruments such as uranium analyzer, land leveler, compact N2 laser, photo-coagulator, fibre based temperature sensor, surgical CO2 laser system have been developed. Home-made and commercial lasers are being used for research in the areas of laser plasma interaction, laserbased charged particle acceleration, laser cooling and trapping of atoms, nonlinear optics, ultra-fast dynamics, material processing, laser fluorescence spectroscopy of tissues, effects of narrow bandwidth light on cells and animal models, imaging through turbid media, laser micromanipulation of microscopic objects etc.
o o o o

Laser Biomedical Applications & Instrumentation Division o Laser Materials Development and Devices o Division Solid State Laser Division o Semi Conductor Laser Section o Diode Pumped Solid State Laser Lab Fibre Optics Lab Laser Material Processing Division o Excimer Laser Section o Laser Electronics Support Division

Laser Plasma Division Laser Plasma Lab High Power Laser Optics La Computer Division Computer Centre Library Laser Systems Engineering Section Mechanical & Optical Support Section Optical Workshop Workshop - B Glass Blowing Facility Laser Physics Applications Section

Laser RRCAT is involved in development of a variety of laser systems and their utilization for applications in industry, medicine and research. The laser systems developed include high power CO2 lasers, flash lamp and diode laser pumped Nd lasers, semiconductor lasers, chemical lasers, excimer lasers and high energy/intensity pulsed lasers. Crystals of a variety of materials of interest to laser technology have been grown. The industrial applications being pursued include cutting, drilling, welding, surface modifications and rapid manufacturing. Various laser based instruments such as uranium analyzer, land leveler, compact N2 laser, photo-coagulator, fibre based temperature sensor, surgical CO2 laser system have been developed. Home-made and commercial lasers are being used for research in the areas of laser plasma interaction, laserbased charged particle acceleration, laser cooling and trapping of atoms, nonlinear optics, ultra-fast dynamics, material processing, laser fluorescence spectroscopy of tissues, effects of narrow bandwidth light on cells and animal models, imaging through turbid media, laser micromanipulation of microscopic objects etc.

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 o o o o

Laser Biomedical Applications & Instrumentation Division o Laser Materials Development and Devices o Division Solid State Laser Division o Semi Conductor Laser Section o Diode Pumped Solid State Laser Lab Fibre Optics Lab Laser Material Processing Division o Excimer Laser Section o Laser Electronics Support Division

Laser Plasma Division Laser Plasma Lab High Power Laser Optics La Computer Division Computer Centre Library Laser Systems Engineering Section Mechanical & Optical Support Section Optical Workshop Workshop - B Glass Blowing Facility Laser Physics Applications Section

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