Indian Contributions to High Energy Physics in the 20th Century

Abstract

The inward bound path of discovery unravelling the mysteries of matter and the forces that hold it together has culminated at the end of the twentieth century in a theory of the Fundamental Forces of Nature based on Nonabelian Gauge Fields, called the Standard Model of High Energy Physics. In this article we trace the historical development of the ideas and the experimental discoveries on which this theory is based. We also mark significant Indian contributions wherever possible. Finally we have a glimpse at future developments. An Appendix on more Indian contributions is added at the end.