Saha, Meghnad (māgnädˈ säˈhä) [key], 1893–1956, Indian
physicist. He was a professor at Allahabad Univ. from 1923 to
1938 and a professor and physics department head at Calcutta
Univ. from 1938. His theory of high-temperature ionization of
elements and its application to stellar atmospheres, expressed
in the Saha equation, is fundamental to modern astrophysics;
subsequent development of his ideas has led to increased
knowledge of the pressure and temperature distributions of
stellar atmospheres. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th
ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights
reserved. See more Encyclopedia articles on: Physics:
Biographies