NA Narasimham obtained his PhD (1952) from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi specializing in atomic and molecular physics, spectroscopy and astrophysics. He served as the Head, Spectroscopy Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai; Head, Analysis Group and Spectroscopy Group, BARC (1957-82) and INSA Senior Scientist (1985-87).

Academic and Research Achievements:Narasimham has done extensive work on high resolution spectra of molecules of astrophysical importance, e.g. P2, NH, NS, PS, PO, SO and S2 and ions O2+, P2+, PH+ and PD+. He discovered the missing lines of S2 (3?g-3?v+) to be antisymmetric rotational lines, thus establishing the nuclear spin of 34S to be zero and obtained diffuse bands in the electronic emission spectra of xenon and krypton halides which are found to be intense sources of laser emission in the much –desired ultraviolet region. His other studies relate to laser spectroscopy and laser spectroscopic techniques for trace analysis and X-ray spectroscopy and atomic spectra of rate-earth ions in crystalline matrice and garnets.

Others Contributions:He had edited and published Invited Talks: International Conference on Spectroscopy (Tata Press Ltd., 1968); Member of editorial board of Pramana (1982-90), Indian Journal of Physics. He was a Member, IUPAP Commission C-15, on Atomic and Molecular Physics and Spectroscopy (1981-87). He was Member, INSA Council (1981-82).

Awards and Honours:Narasimham received the Plaque and Citation of Instrument Society of India (1983); Sir CV Raman Birth Centenary Medal (1988); K Rangadhama Rao Memorial Lecture (INSA) (1983) and delivered the Sanjeeviah Memorial Lecture (Sri Venkateswara University) (1990) and Silver Jubilee Lecture (Andhra Pradesh Academy of Sciences) (1988). He was a Fellow, Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore and Maharashtra Academy of Sciences; Foundation Fellow, Andhra Pradesh Academy of Sciences; Member, American Physical Society, Optical Society of America, and American Association for the Advancement of Science.