Biography
Barry Ramachandra Rao, Indian physicist (Visakhapatnan District, Andhra Pradesh State 21 November 1922 – Visakhapatnan District, Andhra Pradesh State 24 September 2005)
Authored over 300 papers
Discovered a new phenomenon in light diffraction, absorption and dispersion and ionospheric drifts
With P.R.K.L. Padmini found a new relation between ultra-sonic velocity and latent heat of vaporization (1960)
Found that the ratio of the temperature coefficients of the ultrasonic velocity and density is nearly equal to 3 for most organic liquids
Performed theoretical and modelling studies of low latitude ionosphere
Discovered that in the high frequency region in the diffraction patterns follow Bragg’s law
First to derive the low-latitude upper atmospheric winds
First to report some basic features of spread-F including the background plasma state conducive for their occurrence
First to adopt advanced correlation techniques to derive the scale size and anisotropy characteristics of the irregularities of ionospheric plasma drift velocities
Eponym of Rao’s molar sound velocity
DEVELOPED METHODS
With C.R. Reddi. The direction of movement of F2 region perturbations. Radio and Electronic Engineer, 34 (1): 53-9, 1967
With K. J. M. Rao. Determination of the effective life time and transit times of minority carriers in the base region of a transistor. Proceedings of the Indian Division of the Institution of Electronic and Radio Engineers, 3 (2):38-42, 1965
With M.S.V. Gopal Rao. Nocturnal and seasonal variations of equatorial spread-F Journal of Atmospheric and Terrestrial Physics, 22 (1):13-22, 1961
With P. R. K. L. Padmini. Molar sound velocity in molten hydrated salts. Nature 191: 694-5, 1961
With M. S. V. Gopala Rao & P. Ramachandra Rao Pant. Correlation of spread-F activity with F-region height changes. Journal of Atmospheric and Terrestrial Physics, 17 (4): 345-7, 1960
With H.S. Rama Rao. A method of studying the variation with temperature of ultrasonic absorption in liquids. Nature 182:1794-5, 1958
With C. Abhirama Reddy & M. Srirama Rao. Magneto-ionic fading in pulsed radio waves reflected at vertical incidence from the ionosphere Journal of the British Institution of Radio Engineers, 18 (11): 669-76, 1958
With K. Subba Rao. A simple method of determining ultrasonic velocities in rocks. Nature 180: 978, 1957
With M. Srirama Rao. Analysis of fading records from four spaced receivers for ionospheric wind measurements Journal of Atmospheric and Terrestrial Physics, 10 (5-6):307-17, 1957.
With M. Ramakrishna Raju. A new diffraction method for measuring ultrasonic velocities in liquids. Current Science 25 (12):390-2, 1956
With D. Satyanarayana Murty, D. A simple method of studying winds in the ionosphere by using continuous-wave radio Nature 177:1222-3, 1956
With P. Venugopala Rao, P. A modified wedge method for exciting shear modes in isotropic media. Nature 174:835, 1954
With K. Subba Rao. Investigation of ultrasonic velocities in liquids by a new method Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Section A, 39 (3):132-6, 1954
With E. Bhagiratha Rao, E. Investigation of travelling disturbances in the ionosphere by continuous-wave radio. Nature, 172:819-20, 1953
With K. Subba Rao. A new precision method for the measurement of ultrasonic velocities in liquids Nature, 171:1077-8, 1953
Ultrasonic velocities in liquids by a new method. Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Section A, 34 (1):24-6, 1951
A new method for measuring velocities of ultrasonic waves in liquids. Nature 166:742, 1950
A new ultrasonic method for determining elastic constants. Current Science 19 (5):148-9, 1950
With S. Bhagavantam. Elastic constants of alum determined by a new ultrasonic method Nature 162:818-9, 1948
With S. Bhagavantam. Determination of the elastic constants of isotropic media: a new method. Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Section A, 23 (5): 254-256, 1946
DEVELOPED APPARATUSES
With R. Raghava Rao. A new type of ionospheric drift recorder. Journal of Atmospheric and Terrestrial Physics, 21 (2-3):208-10, 1961
The first multi-frequency HF pulse radar in spaced-receiver configuration
First to design HF phase path sounder
A meteor radar
A sodar
