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Home Department of Physics and Materials Science People B. N. Narahari Achar
B. N. Narahari Achar

B. N. Narahari Achar

Professor Emeritus

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Biography

Professor Achar received his early education in India. He earned his MS and PhD degrees from the Pennsylvania State University. After his Post-Doctoral work at the Argonne National Laboratory, he taught at the Bucknell University, Pa before joining the Physics Department faculty in 1984. He has been nominated for Distinguished Teaching award and has been awarded Faculty Development Assignment Award, Summer Faculty Fellowship Award at NASA Glenn Research Center, TAF-SIST and TAF-IEL awards, and Professor Emeritus Award.

His research interests span nonlinear elastic, dielectric properties of solids, ferro-electricity, electrostriction, superconductivity including High temperature superconductivity and helicon-wave propagation. His recent interests are in the application of fractional calculus to Physics. Another area of research is in Archaeoastronomy, with particular interest in Ancient Indian astronomy, where he has received international recognition.

He has published 110 refereed journal articles, 5 chapters in monographs and books including five submissions to Biography of Astronomers. He has made hundreds of presentations in National and International Conferences.

He is a Life Member of the American Physical Society and is a member of several Professional Associations. His professional service includes reviewing for several journals and textbooks for publishers.

Teaching

  • PHYS 2020-002 General Physics II/ Trig
  • PHYS 3111 Mechanics I

Research

Professor Achar's current interests are in applications of Fractional Calculus to Physics. He has done pioneering work in this area, developing the theory of fractional oscillators, fractional mechanics of particles including motion under gravity. He has studied intrinsic dissipation in fractional order systems and developed microscopic approach to the theory of fractional viscoelasticity and a path integral approach to fractional quantum mechanics.

Another area of current interest is in the application of Planetarium Software to study ancient astronomy, particularly ancient astronomy of India. Planetarium software can project the view of the sky at any time and at any place in the world. Ancient Sanskrit texts of India such as the Vedas and the Epics contain a lot of astronomical information. With suitable interpretation, the Planetarium software can be advantageously used to determine the dates of these texts. This has led to major contributions to the study of ancient civilization of India.

Details can be gathered from the list of publications in the last dozen years.

Applications of Fractional Calculus (Selected Publications)

  1. B. N. Narahari Achar, John W. Hanneken, Thomas Enck, Ted Clarke, "Dynamics of the Fractional Oscillator", Physica A 297 (2001) 361-367. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0378-4371(01)00200-X
  2. B. N. Narahari Achar, John W. Hanneken, and Ted Clarke, "Response Characteristics of a Fractional Oscillator", Physica A 309 (2002) 275-288. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0378-4371(02)00609-X
  3. B.N. Narahari Achar, John W. Hanneken, "Surprising Non-Scaling Behavior in Fractional Diffusion", Physica A 322 (2003) 195-200 and 326 (2003) 609-610. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0378-4371(02)01911-8 and http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0378-4371(03)00390-X
  4. B. N. Narahari Achar, Carl F Lorenzo and Tom Hartley, "Initialization and the Caputo Fractional Derivative", (2003) NASA/TM-2003-212482
  5. John W. Hanneken, B. N. Narahari Achar, David M. Vaught, Kristine L. Harrington, "A Random Walk Simulation of Fractional Diffusion", Journal of Molecular Liquids 114 (2004) 153-157 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2004.02.013
  6. B.N. Narahari Achar, John W. Hanneken, "Fractional Radial Diffusion in a Cylinder", Journal of Molecular Liquids 114 (2004) 147-151 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2004.02.012
  7. Ted Clarke, B. N. Narahari Achar, John W. Hanneken, "Mittag-Leffler Functions and Transmission Lines", Journal of Molecular Liquids 114 (2004) 159-163 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2004.02.014
  8. B. N. Narahari Achar, John W. Hanneken, T. Clarke, "Damping characteristics of a fractional oscillator", Physica A 339 (2004) 311-319 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physa.2004.03.030
  9. B.N. Narahari Achar and John W. Hanneken, "Damping in a Fractional Relaxor-Oscillator Driven by a Harmonic Force", Proceedings of IDETC/CIE 2005: 2005 ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computer and Information in Engineering Conference held September 24-28, 2005 in Long Beach, California. DETC2005-84345 pp.1-7 ISBN: 0-7918-3766-1
  10. John W. Hanneken, David M. Vaught and B. N. Narahari Achar, "The Number of Real Zeros of the Single Parameter Mittag-Leffler Function for Parameter Values Between 1 and 2", Proceedings of IDETC/CIE 2005: 2005 ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computer and Information in Engineering Conference held September 24-28, 2005 in Long Beach, California. DETC2005-84172 pp.1-5 ISBN: 0-7918-3766-1

Archaeoastronomy (Selected Publications)

  1. B. N. Narahari Achar "A Mesopotamian Origin for Vedaanga Jyotisha: Is It Justified?" Jour. Ind. Phil. and Rel. (1997) 2, 29.
  2. B. N. Narahari Achar, "A Note on the Five-year Yuga of VedAGga jyotiSa", EJVS, 3-4, (1997).
  3. B. N. Narahari Achar, " Enigma of the Five-year Yuga of Vedanga Jyotisa," Ind. Jour. Hist. Sci. 33, (1998), 101-109.
  4. B. N. Narahari Achar, " On the meaning of AV XIX.53.3: Measurement of Time?" EJVS, 4-2, (1998).
  5. B. N. Narahari Achar, " On the Vedic Origin of the Ancient Mathematical Astronomy of India", Jour. Stu. Anc. India 1, 95 (1998)
  6. B. N. Narahari Achar, "On an Astronomical Concept in Vishnupurana," Ind. Jour. Hist. Sci. 34, 109-115, (1999)
  7. B. N. Narahari Achar, " On Exploring the Vedic Sky with Modern Computer software", EJVS, 5,-2,(1999).
  8. B. N. Narahari Achar, "Concept of the Five-Year Yuga system of Vedanga Jyotisa", in New Perspectives on Vedic and Ancient Indian Civilization, Bhu Bev Sharma (ed), World Association for Vedic Studies, New York, (2000), pp 148-156.
  9. B. N. Narahari Achar, " Measurement of Time Using a Water Clock : An interpretation of the Third Mantra of the Kala sukta of Atharvaveda (XIX.53.3)", in New Perspectives on Vedic and Ancient Indian Civilization, Bhu Bev Sharma (ed), World Association for Vedic Studies, New York, (2000), pp 157-165
  10. M. Rajagopalan and B. N. Narahari Achar, " Aryabhata's Kuttaka Method for Solving Linear Indeterminate Equations with Integral Coefficients", in New Perspectives on Vedic and Ancient Indian Civilization, Bhu Bev Sharma (ed), World Association for Vedic Studies, New York, (2000), pp 1171-178.

Book Chapters

  • B. N. Narahari Achar
    "Date of the Mahabharata War Based on Simulations using Planetarium Software" in The Date of the Mahabharata War Based on Astronomical Data Edited by Suryakanth U. Kamath, The Mythic Society, Bangalore, India, (2004) pp. 65-115
  • B. N. Narahari Achar
    "Planetarium Software and the Date of the Mahabharata War" in The Mahabharata: What is not here is nowhere else, Edited by T. S. Rukmani, Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, New Delhi, India (2005), Pp. 247-263
  • B. N. Narahari Achar
    "Planetary Configurations in the Epic Mahabharata: Revisiting an Exercise in Archaeoastronomy" in Viewing the Sky Through Past and Present Cultures: Proceedings of the Oxford VII International Conference on Archaeoastronomy, Edited by Todd W. Boswick and Byran Bates, City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department (2006), pp 433-449.
  • B. N. Narahari Achar
    The Mahabharata War: It's Date on the basis of Astronomical References in Origin of Indian Civilization, Edited by Bal Ram Singh, D K Print World , New Delhi, India (2010), Pp. 202-252
  • B. N. Narahari Achar
    Revised Chronology of the Vedic People in Origins of Civilization, edited by Sureshwar D Sinha and B. R. Mani Bharatiya Kala Prakashan, Delhi, India, (2011), pp 69-96
  • B. N. Narahari Achar and John W. Hanneken,
    Microscopic Formulation of Fractional Theory of Viscoelasticity", in Viscoelasticity – From Theory to Biological Applications, edited by Juan de Vicente (Ed), Intech Publishing, NY, (2012) ISBN: 978-953-51-0841-2 http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/51493
  • B. N. Narahari Achar
    Rgveda Its Chronology on the basis of Astronomical References in Perspectives on the Origin of Indian Civilization, edited by Angela Marcantonio and Girish Nath Jha, Center for Indic Studies, Dartmouth MA and D K Print world, New Delhi, India,(2013), pp 155-192 .

Collaboration

Dr. B. N. Narahari Achar
Professor of Physics
University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152

Dr. David M. Vaught
Adjunct Professor of Physics
University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152