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{{POV|date=April 2021|talk=Neutrality}}
{{for|the American politician|Sri Preston Kulkarni}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox scientist
|name = Shrinivas R. Kulkarni
|image = Shrinivas Kulkarni 2016 portrait crop.jpg
|caption = Kulkarni in 2016
|image_size =
|field = [[Astronomy]] <br />
{{Plainlist|
*Interstellar Medium
*Pulsars
*Millisecond Pulsars,
*Brown Dwarf
*Soft Gamma-ray Repeaters
*Gamma-ray Bursts
*Optical Transients}}
|birth_place = [[Kuruntwad]], [[Maharashtra]], India
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1956|10|4|df=yes}}
|alma_mater = {{Plainlist|
*[[Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi|IIT Delhi]],
*[[University of California, Berkeley|UC Berkeley]]}}
| doctoral_advisor = {{Plainlist|
*[[Carl E. Heiles]]
*[[Donald C. Backer]]}}
| work_institution = [[California Institute of Technology]]
|notable works =
| prizes = {{Plainlist|
* [[Fellow of the Royal Society|FRS]]<ref name="FRS">{{cite web|url=https://royalsociety.org/people/shrinivas-kulkarni-11775/|title=Shrinivas Kulkarni|website=The Royal Society|access-date=29 November 2016}}</ref> (2001)
* US NAS (2003)
* Indian Academy of Sciences (2012)
* Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (2016)
* Helen B. Warner Prize (1991)
* NSF Waterman Prize (1992)
* [[National Radio Astronomy Observatory#Jansky Prize|Jansky prize]] (2002)
* [[Dan David Prize]] (2017)}}
}}

'''Shrinivas Ramchandra Kulkarni''' (born
4 October 1956) is a US-based astronomer born and raised in India.<ref name="Ajit">{{cite web | url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl1822/18220860.htm |title= An accomplished observer |date = 2001 |last1=Kembhavi |first1=Ajit| website=Frontline}}</ref> He is currently a professor of [[astronomy]] and [[planetary science]] at [[California Institute of Technology]],<ref name="GPS">{{cite web|url=http://www.gps.caltech.edu/content/shrinivas-r-shri-kulkarni|title=Shrinivas R. (Shri) Kulkarni|website=Caltech Geology and Planetary Science|accessdate=29 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517101648/http://www.gps.caltech.edu/content/shrinivas-r-shri-kulkarni|archive-date=17 May 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> and he served as director of Caltech Optical Observatory (COO) at California Institute of Technology, in which capacity he oversaw the [[Palomar Observatory|Palomar]] and [[Keck Telescope|Keck]] among other telescopes.<ref name="GPS" /> He is the recipient of a number of awards and honours.

Kulkarni is the brother of [[Sudha Murthy]] and brother-in-law of [[N. R. Narayana Murthy|Narayana Murthy]], founder of [[Infosys]]. He has been the Jury Chair for the [[Infosys Prize]] for the discipline of [[Physical Sciences]] since 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.infosys-science-foundation.com/prize/jury/2009/index.asp |title=Jury Chairs 2009 |website=Infosys Science Foundation |accessdate=29 March 2017 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328200156/http://www.infosys-science-foundation.com/prize/jury/2009/index.asp |archivedate=28 March 2017 }}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Shrinivas Ramchandra Kulkarni was born on 4 October 1956 in the small town of [[Kurundwad]] in [[Maharashtra]], into a [[Kannada]] speaking [[Madhva Brahmins|Deshastha Madhva Brahmin]] family. His father, Dr. R. H. Kulkarni, was a surgeon based in [[Hubballi]] and his mother, Vimala Kulkarni, was a devoted home-maker. He is one of four children and has three sisters, namely Sunanda Kulkarni, [[Sudha Murthy]] (wife of [[Infosys]] founder [[N. R. Narayana Murthy|Narayana Murthy]]) and Jaishree Deshpande (wife of [[Gururaj Deshpande]]).<ref name="SuRK"/><ref name="www"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leadcampus.org/blog/daughters-indiawho-made-us-proud/|title= Two daughters who made India proud| website= www.leadcampus.org| accessdate = 29 March 2017|date= 9 March 2017}}</ref>

Kulkarni and his sisters grew up in [[Hubballi]], [[Karnataka]], and received their schooling at local schools there.<ref name="Ajit" /><ref name ="SuRK">{{cite web|url=http://www.rguhs.ac.in/senatecorrections2012/teachrepview.php?tcode=285&ccode=M009|date = 2012|title = Karnataka Online Teachers Data Base| website=Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences Karnataka}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/aug/19spec.htm|title=A star called Kulkarni|website=rediff.com|date=19 August 2003}}</ref><ref name="www">{{cite web| url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?216431/ |title=What Went Wrong?| date = 15 July 2002| author=Kamala Bhatt}}</ref> He obtained his MS in Physics (integrated master's course) from the [[Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi]] in 1978 and his PhD from the [[University of California, Berkeley]] in 1983.<ref name ="GPS" />

==Career==
In 1987, Kulkarni obtained a position as faculty at the [[California Institute of Technology]].<ref name ="GPS" /> According to his website, he has mentored 64 young scholars by the end of 2016.

Kulkarni is known for making key discoveries that open new sub-fields within astronomy, using wide range of wavelength in observation. [[Astrophysics Data System|ADS]] shows that his papers cover following fields: (1) HI absorption studies of [[Milky Way|Milky Way Galaxy]], (2) [[pulsar]]s, [[millisecond pulsar]]s, and [[globular cluster]] pulsars, (3) [[brown dwarf]]s and other sub-stellar objects, (4) [[Soft gamma repeater|soft gamma-ray repeaters]], (5) [[Gamma-ray burst|gamma-ray bursts]], and (6) optical transients. He made significant contributions in these sub-fields of astronomy.

===Key discoveries===
Kulkarni started off his career as a radio astronomer. He studied [[Milky Way Galaxy]] using HI absorption under the guidance of his advisor Carl Heiles, and observed its four arms.<ref>{{cite book| last1=Kulkarni |first1=Shrinivas R.|year= 1983 | title= Studies of galactica HI in 21-centimeter absorption (PhD Thesis: UC Berkeley)|location= Berkeley, California| bibcode = 1984PhDT.........4K}}</ref> The review articles he wrote with [[Carl Heiles]] have been highly cited in the field of interstellar medium.<ref>{{cite book|last1= Kulkarni| first1= Shrinivas R.| last2 = Heiles | first2= Carl | title= Neutral hydrogen and the diffuse interstellar medium. in Galactic and Extragalactic Radio Astronomy |year = 1988| pages= 95–153 | editor-last1= Verschuur |editor-first1 =G. L. | editor-last2 = Kellerman | editor-first2= K.I. |location=New York |publisher=Springer-Verlag| bibcode = 1988gera.book...95K}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| last1 = Kulkarni |first1 = Shrinivas R.| last2=Heiles| first2=Carl|title=The atomic component. in Interstellar Processes; Proceedings of the Symposium, Grand Teton National Park, WY, July 1-7,1986|volume = 134|pages = 87–122| year = 1987| location=Dordrecht|publisher=D. Reidel Publishing Co.|bibcode=1987ASSL..134...87K|doi = 10.1007/978-94-009-3861-8_5 |chapter = The Atomic Component|series = Astrophysics and Space Science Library|isbn = 978-90-277-2485-4}}</ref>

He discovered the first [[millisecond pulsar]] called [[PSR B1937+21]]<ref>{{Citation | last1 = Backer | first1 = D. C. | last2 = Kulkarni | first2 = S. R. | last3 = Heiles | first3 = C. | last4 = Davis | first4 = M. M. | last5 = Goss | first5 = W. M. | title = A millisecond pulsar | year = 1982 | journal = Nature | volume = 300 | issue = 5893 | pages = 615–618 | bibcode = 1982Natur.300..615B|doi = 10.1038/300615a0 }}</ref> with [[Donald Backer]] and colleagues, while he was a graduate student. In 1986, he found the first optical counterpart of binary pulsars,<ref>{{Citation | journal = Astrophysical Journal|last=Kulkarni|first=S. R.|year=1986|title=Optical Identification of Binary Pulsars - Implication for Magnetic Field Decay in Neutron Stars|volume=306|pages=L85| bibcode = 1986ApJ...306L..85K|doi = 10.1086/184711 |url=https://authors.library.caltech.edu/37479/1/1986ApJ___306L__85K.pdf}}</ref> while he was a Millikan Fellow at California Institute of Technology. He was instrumental in discovery of the first [[globular cluster]] pulsar in 1987<ref>{{Citation | last1 = Lyne |first1 = A. G. | last2 = Brinklow | first2 = A. | last3 = Middleditch | first3 = J. | last4 = Kulkarni | first4 = S. R. | last5 = Backer | first5 = D. C. | last6 = Clifton | first6 = T. R. | year = 1987 | title = The Discovery of a Millisecond Pulsar in the Globular Cluster M28) | journal = Nature | volume = 328 |issue = 6129 | pages = 399–401 | bibcode = 1987Natur.328..399L|doi = 10.1038/328399a0 }}</ref> using a supercomputer.

With [[Dale Frail]] at [[NRAO]] and Toshio Murakami and his colleagues at ISAS (predecessor of [[JAXA]] that was led by [[Yasuo Tanaka (astronomer)|Yasuo Tanaka]] at that time) Kulkarni showed that [[soft gamma repeaters|soft gamma-ray repeaters]] are [[neutron star]]s associated with [[supernova remnants]].<ref>{{Citation | last1 = Kulkarni | first1 = S. R. | last2 = Frail | first2 = D. A. | year = 1993 | title = Identification of a supernova remnant coincident with the soft gamma-ray repeater SGR 1806-20 | journal = Nature | volume = 365 | issue = 6441 | pages = 33–35 | bibcode = 1993Natur.365...33K|doi = 10.1038/365033a0 }}</ref><ref>{{Citation | last1 = Murakami | first1 = T. | last2 = Tanaka | first2 = Y. | last3 = Kulkarni | first3 = S. R. |display-authors=etal | year = 1994 | title = X-ray dentification of a supernova the soft gamma-ray repeater 1806-20 | journal = Nature | volume = 368 | issue = 6467 | pages = 127–129 | bibcode = 1994Natur.368..127K| doi = 10.1038/368127a0 }}</ref> This discovery eventually led to the understanding that [[neutron star]]s with extremely high magnetic field called [[magnetar]]s are the [[soft gamma repeaters|soft gamma-ray repeaters]].<ref>{{citation| last1=Kulkarni | first1=S. R.|last2=Thompson |first2=Christopher|year=1998| journal=Nature| volume=393 | issue=6682|pages=215–216 |title=Neutron Stars: A star powered by magnetism | bibcode=1998Natur.393..215K|doi = 10.1038/30357 }}</ref>

[[California Institute of Technology|Caltech]]-NRAO team which he led showed in 1997 that [[gamma-ray bursts]] came from extra-galactic sources,<ref>{{Citation | last1 = Metzgar | first1 = M. R. | last2 = Djorgovski | first2 = S. G. | last3 = Kulkarni | first3 = S. R. |display-authors=etal | year = 1997 | title = Spectral constraints on the redshift of the optical counterpart to the gamma-ray burst of 8 May 1997 | journal = Nature | volume = 387 | issue = 6636 | pages = 878–880 | bibcode = 1997Natur.387..878M|doi = 10.1038/43132 | doi-access = free }}</ref> and identified optical counterparts.<ref>{{Citation | last1 = Djorgovski | first1 = S. G. | last2 = Metzgar | first2 = M. R. | last3 = Kulkarni | first3 = S. R. |display-authors=etal | year = 1997 | title = The optical counterpart to the gamma-ray burst GRB970508 | journal = Nature | volume = 387 | issue = 6636 | pages = 876–878 | bibcode = 1997Natur.387..876D|doi = 10.1038/43126 | doi-access = free }}</ref> Their research initiated the detailed studies of the sources of [[gamma-ray bursts]] along with the European team led by [[Jan van Paradijs]].

He was also a member of the Caltech team that observed the first irrefutable [[brown dwarf]] in 1994 that orbited around a star called [[Gliese 229]].<ref>{{Citation | last1 = Nakajima | first1 = T. | last2 = Oppenheimer | first2 = B. R. | last3 = Kulkarni | first3 = S. R. | last4 = Golimowski | first4 = D. A. | last5 = Matthews | first5 = K. | last6 = Durrance | first6 = S. | title = Discovery of a Cool Brown Dwarf | year = 1995 | journal = Nature | volume = 378 | issue = 6556 | pages = 463–465| bibcode = 1995Natur.378..463N|doi = 10.1038/378463a0 }}</ref>

His recent work involved [[Palomar Transient Factory]] which has succeeded in identifying the new groups of optical transients such as [[superluminous supernova]],<ref>{{Citation | last1 = Quimby | first1 = R. M. | last2 = Kulkarni | first2 = S. R. | last3 = Kasliwal | first3 = M. M. |display-authors=etal | title = Hydrogen-poor super luminous stellar explosions | year = 2011 | journal = Nature | volume = 474 | issue = 7352 | pages = 487–489 | bibcode = 2011Natur.474..487Q|arxiv = 0910.0059 |doi = 10.1038/nature10095 | pmid = 21654747 }}</ref> calcium-rich supernova,<ref>{{Citation | last1 = Kasliwal | first1 = M. M. | last2 = Kulkarni | first2 = S. R. | last3 = Arcavi | first3 = I. |display-authors=etal | title = Calcium-Rich Transients in the Remote Outskerts of Galaxies | year = 2012 | journal = Astrophysical Journal| volume = 755 | issue = 2 | page = 161 | bibcode = 2012ApJ...755..161K|arxiv = 1111.6109 |doi = 10.1088/0004-637X/755/2/161 }}</ref> and [[luminous red nova]].<ref>{{Citation | last1 = Rau | first1 = A. | last2 = Kulkarni | first2 = S. R. | last3 = Ofek | first3 = E. O. | last4 = Yan | first4 = L. | title = Spitzer Observations of the New Luminous Red Nova M85 OT2006-1 | year = 2007 | journal = Astrophysical Journal | volume = 659 | issue = 2 | pages = 1536–1540 | bibcode = 2007ApJ...659.1539R | doi=10.1086/512672| arxiv = astro-ph/0612161 }}</ref><ref>{{Citation | last1 = Kasliwal | first1 = M. M. | last2 = Kulkarni | first2 = S. R. | last3 = Arcavi | first3 = I. |display-authors=etal | title = PTF 10fqs: A Luminous Red Nova in the Spiral Galaxy Messier 99 | year = 2011 | journal = Nature | volume = 730 | issue = 2 | pages = 134 | bibcode = 2012ApJ...755..161K|arxiv = 1111.6109 |doi = 10.1088/0004-637X/755/2/161 }}</ref>

The success of his astronomical research is evident by 63 Nature Letters, 7 Science Letters, and total of 479 refereed scientific articles that bear his name by the end of 2015, according to [[Astrophysics Data System|ADS]]. Recognizing his contribution to astronomy, he was awarded the [[Dan David Prize]] in 2017.<ref name="The Hindu">{{cite news|title=Indian scientist Shrinivas Kulkarni wins Dan David Prize|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/indian-scientist-shrinivas-kulkarni-wins-dan-david-prize/article18479235.ece|accessdate=18 May 2017|work=The Hindu|date=18 May 2017}}</ref>

==Awards and honours==
Kulkarni has received many awards and honours, including the NSF's [[Alan T. Waterman Award]] in 1992,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nsf.gov/od/waterman/waterman_recipients.jsp#1992|title=Alan T. Waterman Award Recipients, 1976 - present|website=American Astronomical Society|access-date=29 November 2016|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150302020546/http://www.nsf.gov/od/waterman/waterman_recipients.jsp#1992|archivedate=2 March 2015}}</ref> the [[Helen B. Warner Prize]] from the [[American Astronomical Society]] in
1991,<ref>{{Citation | title = Shrinivas Kulkarni received the 1991 Helen B. Warner Prize of the American Astronomical Society. | year = 1991 | journal = Physics Today | volume = 44 | issue = 6 | pages = f129| bibcode = 1991PhT....44f.129. | doi=10.1063/1.2810153}}</ref> the Jansky Prize in 2002<ref>{{cite web|url=https://science.nrao.edu/science/jansky-lecture|title=Jansky Lectureship |website =science.nrao.edu|date=24 August 2016}}</ref> and the Dan David Prize in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.caltech.edu/news/caltech-astronomer-receives-2017-dan-david-prize-54104 | website=www.caltech.edu|date=10 February 2017 | title=Caltech Astronomer Receives 2017 Dan David Prize}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dandavidprize.org/laureates/2017|accessdate=27 March 2017|title=Laureates 2017|website= www.dandavidprize.org}}</ref> In 2015, he received an [[honorary doctorate]] from [[Radboud University]] in the [[Netherlands]].<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.ru.nl/english/news-agenda/news/vm/2015/april/kulkarni-2015/ |title=Honorary Doctorate for astronomer Shrinivas Kulkarni |accessdate=2 June 2017}}</ref>

==Services to the field==
Kulkarni has been the Jury Chair for the [[Infosys Prize]] for the discipline of [[Physical Sciences]] since 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.infosys-science-foundation.com/prize/jury/2009/index.asp |title=Jury Chairs 2009 |website=Infosys Science Foundation |accessdate=29 March 2017 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328200156/http://www.infosys-science-foundation.com/prize/jury/2009/index.asp |archivedate=28 March 2017 }}</ref> The prize is awarded by the Infosys Foundation, whose founder is Kulkarni's brother-in-law, Narayana Murthy.

Kulkarni is a member of as many as four national academies around the globe. He was elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Society]], London, in 2001,<ref name="FRS" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://rediff.com/2001/may/31us3.htm|title=The Royal Society inducts Shrinivas Kulkarni|website=rediff.com|date=2001}}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> a member of the [[National Academy of Sciences|United States National Academy of Sciences]] in 2003,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/members/3004716.html |title=Member Directory|website = National Academy of Science, US | accessdate= 25 March 2017}}</ref> an honorary fellow of [[Indian Academy of Sciences]] in 2012,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ias.ac.in/listing/fellows/honorary | title=Honorary Fellows| website= Indian Academy of Science|accessdate= 25 March 2017}}</ref> and a foreign member of the [[Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences]] on 12 September 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.knaw.nl/nl/actueel/nieuws/knaw-kiest-zestien-nieuwe-leden-2016 |title=KNAW kiest zestien nieuwe leden |language=Dutch |publisher=Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences |accessdate=25 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.knaw.nl/en/members/foreign-members/15091 |title=Shrnivas Kulkarni |publisher=Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences |accessdate= 25 March 2017}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [https://royalsociety.org/people/shrinivas-kulkarni-11775 Royal Society, London]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170517101648/http://www.gps.caltech.edu/content/shrinivas-r-shri-kulkarni Geology and Planetary Science, Caltech]
* [http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~srk Personal webpage]
* [http://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/members/3004716.html United States National Academy of Sciences]
* [http://www.ias.ac.in/listing/fellows/honorary Indian Academy of Science]
* [https://www.knaw.nl/en/members/foreign-members/15091 Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150302020546/http://www.nsf.gov/od/waterman/waterman_recipients.jsp#1992 National Science Foundation: Waterman Prize]
* [https://science.nrao.edu/science/jansky-lecture National Radio Astronomy Observatory: Jansky Prize]
* [http://www.dandavidprize.org/laureates/2017 Dan David Prize]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170414163312/http://www.infosys-science-foundation.com/prize/jury/2016/index.asp Infosys Science Prize Jury Chairs]
* [http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl1822/18220860.htm An accomplished observer] Frontline - 27 Oct - 9 Nov 2001
* [http://www.nature.com/nature/podcast/v447/n7143/nature-2007-05-24.html Nature Podcast 24 May 2007] - Nature
* [http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/may/31us3.htm Kulkarni Inducted Into The Royal Society], 2001

{{FRS 2001}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kulkarni, Shrinivas}}
[[Category:Planetary scientists]]
[[Category:1956 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:California Institute of Technology faculty]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society]]
[[Category:Members of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences]]
[[Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian astronomers]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:IIT Delhi alumni]]
[[Category:University of California, Berkeley alumni]]
[[Category:American Hindus]]
[[Category:American people of Marathi descent]]
[[Category:Scientists from California]]
[[Category:21st-century American astronomers]]
[[Category:20th-century American physicists]]
[[Category:American academics of Indian descent]]

Shrinivas Kulkarni - Revision history

imported>Rathfelder: − 3 categories; ±Category:21st-century astronomers→Category:21st-century American astronomers using HotCat