Dr. Somnath Nag

Assistant Professor
Department/School/Unit Name
Department of Physics, IIT (BHU), Varanasi
Phone No(s): 9932584517
Email: somnathn.phy@iitbhu.ac.in
Area of Interest: To experimentally explore a nucleus using gamma ray spectroscopy in order to understand various phenomena related to nuclear structure such as termination of bands, vibrations and rotations, phase transitions, triaxiality through wobbling and chirality etc. We are also involved in rigorous theoretical modelling of nuclei using cranked Nilsson Strutinsky calculations, ultimate cranker and shell model calculations. Nuclear astrophysics, nuclear photonics and detector simulation are also pursued.

Gamma ray spectroscopy is an extensive tool to explore nuclear structure at desired excitation energy and angular momentum.  We carry out the  experiments with Indian National Gamma Array (INGA) at different accelerator  facilities like  TIFR Mumbai, IUAC New  Delhi and VECC Kolkata.
   
Primary motivation is to address key queries in the field of nuclear structure. These include evolution of collectivity in nuclei and its coexistence with the non-collective behavior, phase transition in finite dimensional nuclear domain, shape coexistence, octupole correlation and octupole deformations, evolution of triaxiality mediated through chiral rotation or wobbling or observation of gamma bands, magnetic and anti-magnetic rotations, isomers and applications etc. 

Experimental works are supported by corresponding theoretical models. Our team is rigorously involved in calculations based on the framework of cranked Nilsson Strutinsky model which mostly deals with collective behavior of nucleus at medium to high-spin states. We are also involved with the calculations using ultimate cranker. Further, we also carry out shell model based calculations to address phenomena dependent on single-particle excitations or their coherent effect. 

Several UG and PG students also contribute towards preliminary studies in the field of nuclear astrophysics as well as detector simulations.
 

Journal and Conference Publications : ( Please refer to Google scholar : ‪Dr. Somnath Nag‬ - ‪Google Scholar‬ )

  • Assistant Professor, Dept. of Physics, Balurghat College(Gov. Sponsore), Balurghat, Dakshin Dinajpur. April 2015 to May 2015.
  • Assistant Professor, Dept. of Physics, Dept. of Physics, NIT Raipur, Raipur. May 2015 to January 2018.
  • Assistant Professor, Dept. of Physics, Dept. of Physics, IIT (BHU) Varanasi Januray 2018 till date.

PhD, 2014
Indian Institute of Technology (I.I.T.), Kharagpur, West Bengal, India
• Thesis Title : EVOLUTION OF SHAPES THROUGH COLLECTIVE AND NON-COLLECTIVE
EXCITATIONS IN 120Te, 122 Te AND 124 Xe.
• Advisor: Prof. Ajay Kumar Singh Dept. of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology
(I.I.T) Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal

MSc in Physics, 2008
Indian Institute of Technology (I.I.T.) Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India
Master Thesis Title: Study of high spin states of  125 I.

BSc in Physics, 2006,
Banaras Hindu University (B.H.U.), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

 

Teaching at IIT (BHU) Varanasi
Course Title Level Semesters Units
PHY 504 Advanced Mathematical and Computational Physics PhD Course Work 2 (2017-18 Even Sem), (2018-19 Even Sem) Complex Analysis, Linear Vector Spaces and Hilbert Space, Fourier and Laplace Transforms.
PHY 401/PYM 501 Nuclear and Particle Physics IDD IV, MSc - 2nd year 7 ( 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 Odd Sem) Nuclear Structure, Nuclear Reaction, Nuclear Detectors, Nuclear Lab ( GM counter experiment, Gamma spectroscopy, NMR.
PHY 503 Advanced Experimental Technique PhD Course Work 6 (2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 Even Sem) Application of Nuclear Techniques in Condensed Matter and Material Science
PHY-102 Physics II : Introduction to Engineering Electromagnetic BTech/IDD I 7 ( 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21,  2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 Odd Sem) Vector and Scalar Fields and operations, Electromagentic Theory, Wave Optics
PHY-103  Modern Physics IDD I 1 (2018-19, Even Sem) Crystallography, Nuclear and Particle Physics
PHY 101 Mechanics Lab IDD I/BTech I
 
2 (2018-19, 2023-24, Even Sem)  
MSC Physics I : General Lab MSc 2yrs - I 3 ( 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22 Odd Sem) Millikan Oil Drop Experiment, Michelson Interferrometer and its application in Magnetostriction effect, e/m measurement using Helmoltz coil, Single diffraction and calibration of photo sensor, BJT characteristics.
PHY 406 Advanced Nuclear Physics IDD-IV year, MSc-2nd year, PhD course work 5(2019-20 Even Sem, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23,  2023-24 Even Sem) Two-body problem, Nuclear Scattering, Nuclear Models, Collective systems, Experimental techniques
PYM 592 Nuclear Physics Lab MSc 2nd year 5 (2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 odd sem) Nuclear Lab ( GM counter experiment, Gamma spectroscopy, NMR.)
EP 101 Practices in Engineering Physics IDD I year 5( 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 even sem ) Demonstration of GM counter working and data acquisition
PHY 102 Optics Lab IDD I/BTech I 2023-24 odd sem  

 

Teaching at NIT Raipur

Course Title Level Semesters Units
Course Title & No.
 0020113(PH) Applied Physics
 and 0020122(PH)
 Applied Physics Lab.
 
 UG
 (BTech 1st year)
 
5 Wave optics,
 acoustics,
 Dielectrics and
magnetic materials,
superconductivity and
quantum mechanics
 
0020213(PH) Basic Electronics
 and 0020223(PH)
 Basic Electronics Lab
 
 UG
 (BTech 1st year)
 
5   Crystallography
 and semiconductors,
 solid state device
and digital electronics
and EM Theory.

 
 

 

Teaching at IIT Kharagpur as Teaching Assistant during PhD
Course Title Level Semesters
Nuclear and Particle Physics Lab I MSc 4 terms
Nuclear and Particle Physics Lab II MSc 4 terms
Electronics lab MSc 1 term
First year B. Tech tutorial UG
 (BTech 1st year)
1 term
2nd year B.Tech tutorial UG
 (BTech 2nd year)
2 terms

 Exploratory Projects :

1. Exploratory Project Even Sem 2019 : Path detection of particles in a Cloud Chamber by Mr. Ashutosh Aman

2. Exploratory Project Even Sem 2020 : Ms. Ananya Verma and Mr. Ritvik Singh

3. Exploratory Project Even Sem 2021 : Mr. B. Niranjan and Mr. Sujubkang Daimary

4. Exploratory Project Even Sem 2022 : Mr. Abhishek Chadravanshi and Mr.  V ABHINAV RAM

5. Exploratory Project Even Sem 2023 : Mr. Aakash and Mr. Rishabh Raj 

 

UG Projects / Stream Projects : 

1. UG Project Jan - Dec 2019 : Nuclear Structure analysis in mass 120  region through gamma spectroscopy by Mr. Sunarkani Rajesh.

2. Stream Project July 2019-Dec 2020 : Mr. Ashutosh Aman

3. UG Project Jan 2021-Dec 2021 : Mr. Ankit

4. UG Project Jan 2022- Dec 2022 : Mr. Sujubkang Daimary and Mr. Ananad Kumar Mishra

5. UG Project Jan 2023- Dec 2023 : Ms. Sameeksha Murdia

6. Stream Project July 2022-Dec 2023 : Ms Deepa

7. UG Project Jan 2024-Dec 2024 :  Mr. Rishabh Raj  and Mr. Ankit

Master Thesis (IDD and MSc)

1. IDD Master Thesis Jan 2020-May 2021 : Mr. Sunarkani Rajesh and Mr. Vaibhav Verma

2. MSc Master Thesis July 2020-May 2021 : Mr. Shailendra Kumar Pandey

3. IDD Master Thesis Jan 2022-June 2023 :  Ms. Riya Gupta and Mr. Ankit

4. MSc Master Thesis July 2022-May 2023 : Mr. Rohan Bhagwandas Mandrai 

5. IDD Master Thesis Jan 2023-June 2024 : Mr. Sujubkang Daimary and Mr. Ananad Kumar Mishra

6. MSc Master Thesis July 2023-May 2024 : Mr. Yash 

7. IDD Master Thesis Jan 2024 - June 2025 : Ms Deepa

8. MSc Master Thesis July 2024-May 2025 : Mr. Sabyasachi Chattopadhyay

 

  • First position in Physics at Bsc(Hons.) BHU 2006
  •     Institute silver medal was awarded for 2007 2008 on being adjudged to be the best student in order of merit among MSc students at IIT      Kharagpur.
  •     Certificate of proficiency for best project work, 2007 2008 in Msc Physics
  •     The paper Description of collective and non-collective states in 120Te by Somnath Nag et al. has been awarded third prize in the poster presentation in DAE Symp. on Nuclear Physics 2010
  •     The paper Study of valence space excitations in 122Te by Somnath Nag et al. has been awarded first prize in the poster presentation in DAE Symp. on Nuclear Physics 2011.
  •    The paper  Alignment through shape-coexistence in  124Cs, by Somnath Nag, I. Ragnarsson, and A. K. Singh, has been awarded best poster prize in the gamma spectroscopy section during DAE Symp. on Nuclear Physics 2011.

Ongoing :

1. Ms. Nidhi Goel (TAship)

2. Ms. Mamta Prajapati (DST-INSPIRE Fellow)

3. Mr. Aalakh Kumar (TAship)

Experimental study of anisotropy in nuclear charge and current distribution that results in interplay of electric and magnetic rotation in Xe nuclei 

2022-03 to 2025-03

Science and Engineering Research Board (Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, IN)