Pune, Sep 17 (IANS): Cosmologist Prof. T. Padmanabhan, a globally renowned theoretical physicist and Dean of the Academic Department of Inter-University Centre for Astronomy & Astrophysics, passed away following a massive heart attack, a top official said here on Friday.

He was 64 and is survived by his wife Vasanthi and daughter Hamsa.

Padmanabhan, who hailed from Thiruvananthapuram and was conferred with the Padma Shri in 2007, breathed his last at his home here, stunning the scientific community.

"This is one of the saddest days in the history of the IUCAA and the Indian scientific community today. Prof Thanu Padmanabhan passed away this morning as a result of a cardiac arrest," IUCAA Director Somak Raychaudhury said in a message.

Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government, K. VijayRaghavan, condoled his death.

"Shocked to hear of the passing of Prof Thanu Padmanabhan. His research linking general relativity and thermodynamics in new ways, and in other areas, has been widely recognised. Scholar, communicator, extraordinary scientist, friend to many. He will be much missed," he said.