N ewsletter National Centre for Physics

January - June 2016 From the Desk of DG NCP

We at NCP are jointly working for the promotion of Physics and allied disciplines in Pakistan. A world without science would mean that we would still be living in a very different way to that of what we live today. Science is actually based on curiosity. Science makes everyday life easier than it ever has been. Inside this Issue Science results in technology that people rely on for Message from DG NCP health, communication and transportation. Scientific knowledge helps people understand the world from a Scientific Events cellular to a universal level.

MOUs Science generates knowledge by means of new discoveries that are often met with disbelief at first, Scientific Visits but such knowledge eventually becomes widespread Academic Achievements and common. Science has led us to find out things that give us what we have today. In fact, without science we would not have electricity which would mean Sports Gala no mobiles, internet, Facebook, we would not have fridges to keep food fresh, television to entertain or even cars to travel in. So in nutshell we can say that the importance of science cannot be negated because there is not one aspect of daily living that science has not made easier, faster or safer. Editor’s Note Scientific Events “Thinking scientifically means being open minded to the possibility of being wrong” ISS-2016 Few days back, I read this quotation “The high class research being carried out in Pakistani research institutes is radically which further strengthened my helping to minimize the scientific void between opinion to think scientifically. Thinking developed and developing countries”, said by Dr. with reasoning is a rationale. If we see James Joseph Niemela Director of the office of around and observe the development of mankind we can easily come to the External Affairs at the International conclusion that all scientific inventions Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) while and breakthroughs were based on addressing the audience at the inaugural open mindedness. The progress and session of the 8th International Scientific Spring inventions of man history were based (ISS) held at NCP from 7-11 March, 2016 on thinking with the possibility of Newsletter Jan-Jun 2016 being wrong and this phenomenon Dr. Niemela said “he always feels like home in Pakistan”. He is very much boosted the curiosity which escalated hopeful about the scientific research scenario of Pakistan. He said that in the the socioeconomic growth. ICTP research studies programs, we receive about 50% research students from developed countries while the remaining 50% comes from the rest of the world. He emphasized the researchers to explore more collaborative horizons within the domain of ICTP and NCP research collaborations. Patron: Dr. Hafeez R. Hoorani Speaking at the occasion, Dr. Hafeez Hoorani, Director General NCP said that Editor in Chief: Mr. Abdul Hamid NCP has become a world class research institute with international acclamation. Designing: Mr. Syed Hasnat Gillani He said that NCP has user oriented research facilities and all researchers across Photography: Mr. M. Imran Iqbal the country are getting benefit from technical facilities established at this centre. 1 Dr. Khurshid Hasanain Scientific Secretary of the ISS-216, welcomed the distinguished guests. He said that objective of holding this activity is to acquaint and familiarize young Pakistani researchers with the knowledge of foreign experts. He thanked The Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) and ICTP for their generous support in organizing this event. Over three hundred young Pakistani M.Phil/ Ph.D students, researchers, university faculty and more than 20 foreign invited speakers and participants from Algeria, Switzerland, China, USA, Italy, Sweden, Turkey and Saudi Arabia shared latest scientific research with local participants took part in this activity.

This year, the plenary and parallel lectures contained mostly overviews of advances in the chosen areas for general audience while the lectures/talks in parallel sessions covered the recent research on the specific topics encompossing Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics, Condensed Matter and Nano Sciences, & Cosmology, Plasma Physics.

Regional Conference on Women in Physics

A three-day “Regional Conference on Women in Physics” was held on April 25-27, 2016 with an aim to take women on board in the efforts being made for the promotion of the science and technology. The event was jointly organized by National Centre for Physics (NCP) and University of Peshawar (UoP) in collaboration with The Abdus Salam international for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Higher Education Commission, COMSTECH () and Centre for Physics Education (CPE), .

The event was inaugurated by Dr. Sania Nishtar Minister of Health and CEO of Heartfile. While addressing at the inaugural ceremony, she highlighted that, “Fundamental strategic investment in higher education sector enabled many countries to take quantum leap economically and scientifically. Government’s promising budget for higher education is producing continued escalating trends in Ph.Ds students for last 10-12 years. There is a dire need to develop an ecosystem to reap the benefits of science to society”

At the occasion Dr. Hafeez R. Hoorani, Director General NCP said that the recent trends show that women enrolment in universities are higher than male enrolment but to pursue a career in research and development for females’ support from family is very important. He thanked the foreign and local participants of the conference for their precious time. He was also indebted to the Centre for Physics Education (CPE), Karachi, Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy, Higher education Commission and COMSTECH for their generous financial support in holding this event.

Dr. Rasul Jan Vice Chancellor University of Peshawar (UoP) said that this is the best time to eradicate the stereotype thinking that women cannot deliver things up to the mark. He said that in our university despite many social barriers the enrolment of female student is more than 60%. He further stressed that conducive working environment will be helpful in nullifying this stereotype thinking.

Prior to this, talking about the aims and objectives of the conference, Dr. Anisa Qamar, Scientific Secretary of the event said that this activity will help to plan a line of action and form a working group for women in all areas of physics and allied disciplines.

On the final day of the conference, various scholars from across the country andabroad presented their research papers on nano technology, magnetism, solar waves, cosmology, lasers and art in science education. Newsletter Jan-Jun 2016 Newsletter Jan-Jun 2 Dr. Dina Izadi from Iran , while talking about the role of arts in science education said that allowing young learners to experience science actively rather than being passive makes a difference in their lives.

Dr. Anisa Qamar , Scientific Secretary of the regional conference said that to create awareness among the women for science promotion, there is a need for trained, polished and groomed scientists who would in future explore and maintain their role to enhance and improve the economy of the country.

Five foreign experts from Canada, Iran and USA participated in this conference. During the event, more than 32 oral presentations were delivered by the local and foreign experts. Workshop on Plasma Physics

The Department of Theoretical Physics (TPD) of National Centre for Physics (NCP) organized the 2nd Workshop on Plasma Physics from May 2 - 4, 2016. The 1st workshop on Plasma Physics was held in 2015 and covered topics such as, Basics of Plasma Physics, MHD Theory, Fundamentals of Kinetic Theory, Space and Astrophysical Plasmas and Laser Induced Plasmas. The 2nd workshop was more devoted to pedagogy of the rudimentary principles of plasma physics, aspects of electromagnetism and fluid theory of plasmas. The idea of holding the workshop on plasma physics at NCP is to inspire the young researchers by providing them a platform to meet and exchange scientific knowledge about recent developments in the field of Plasma Physics. The event consists of invited talks by experts in the field of Plasma Physics. As such, the activity will serve as a forum where the young participants in the field will have a chance to initiate research collaborations at national and international level. BS level students/graduate & post graduate students enrolled in Physics program at HEC recognized universities/Institutes were encouraged to apply. Following topics were covered during the event. • Basic Plasma Physics • Two Fluid Theory • Fluid Instabilities • Astrophysical Plasmas • Laser Induced Plasma

Workshop on X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS)

The Nanoscience and Technology Department (NS & TD) at National Centre for Physics (NCP) has organized a two-days “National Workshop on X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS)” from May 30-31, 2016. NS & TD is equipped with several state of the art characterization techniques, XPS being the latest addition to these. Photoelectron spectroscopy is an immensely valuable non-destructive surface analysis technique (≤ 10nm) based on the photoelectric effect that provides composition and chemical bonding information on the Newsletter Jan-Jun 2016 surface of almost any material (conducting or insulating). The XPS equipment at NCP is the only one in the entire country and has therefore become the focus of attention of a large number of researchers. This workshop aims to orient the participants to the basics of this system and its multifaceted applications. Introductory lectures and case studies from XPS experts, as well as interactive sessions were held during the event. There were ample opportunities for the prospective users to learn the potentials of this technique and to determine the prospects of collaborations in this area.

3 Workshop on Ion Beam Applications

A two-days “National workshop on Ion Beam Applications” was organized at the National Centre for Physics (NCP) Islamabad from 02-03 June 2016. Pelletron Tandem Accelerator being the first of its type in Pakistan offers research opportunity in vast areas: ranging from material science; semiconductor industry; nuclear science research; environment and biological sciences; nano-technology; radiation hardness testing of satellite electronic components.

4 invited speakers and 48 numbers of participants participated in this conference. Primarily, the focus of users meeting on Ion Beam Applications was to raise awareness among young scientists, researchers and engineers both from academia and Industry. Moreover, this platform enhanced the ability and expertise of respective users starting from data acquisition and its refinement along with hands on tutorials on operational hardware namely Ion sources (SNICS & (Alphatross); Operation and Control of Tandem Accelerator; Ion Beam Analysis (IBA); Theory & Data Acquisition; IBA Data Analysis using XRUMP & SIMNRA. Following topics were covered in this workshop. • Depth profiling of polycrystalline multilayers (Rutherford Back Scattering-RBS) • Assessment of Crystalline quality rendering strain free surface (RBS/Channeling) • Precise estimation of elemental composition (Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis-ERDA) • Detection and monitoring of trace elements in sample matrix (PIXE) • Analysis of light elements at the verge of detection limit. (PIGE)

• Diverse Industrial application (namely pharmaceutical, petrochemical, food, agricultural and mining industries) • Ion beam modification and analysis of thin films for various technological applications • Charged particle activation (CPA) and nuclear reaction study MoU with the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP), Chinese Academy of Sciences

National Centre for Physics (NCP) and Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote scientific cooperation between both the countries for development of the scientific research on March 8, 2016. Dr. Hafeez Hoorani Director General NCP and Prof. Yifang Wang Director IHEP signed the agreement on behalf of their respective institutes. Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad Chairman BoG, NCP and Chinese delegation also witnessed the MoU signing ceremony. Speaking on the occasion, DG NCP Dr. Hoorani apprised the visiting delegates about the scope of scientific research and development in the country and government policies to promote the sector. He said this MoU will open a new window for Pakistani scientists and researchers to work in large future scientific projects of this region, in particular for the development future colliders and light sources. He said that Pakistani researchers has huge potential to grow and current MoU would open new vistas of exchanging knowledge and scientific experiences between institutes of both Newsletter Jan-Jun 2016 Newsletter Jan-Jun 4 the countries. This important development will improve Pakistan’s visibility in international scientific arena. Prof. Yifang Wang Director IHEP said that this MoU will enable both institutes to conduct joint cooperative projects, seminars, conferences and research programs. On basis of this MoU, Pakistani researchers will be encouraged to collaborate in very important experiments relevant to high energy physics. He was hopeful that the exchange of trained human resources will be beneficial for both countries. Pakistani students will get a better chance to apply for Chinese fellowships offered by IHEP, he also added.

90th Birthday Celebrations of Dr. Abdus Salam

The 90th birthday of Dr. Abdus Salam, Pakistani Nobel Laureate, was celebrated on January 29, 2016 by National Centre for Physics (NCP) in collaboration with Pakistan Academy of Sciences (PAS) and COMSTECH. Nearly 170 theoretical and experimental physicists graced the occasion. Mr. Fazal Abbas Maken, Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, inaugurated the event. Dr. Shaukat Hameed Khan, Coordinator General COMSTECH, welcomed the participants of the event and shed light on the scientific achievements of Dr. Abdus Salam. He traced Salam’s journey from a humble school in Jhang to his life in Government College Lahore, Cambridge University and Imperial College, London. Also speaking on the occasion Dr. M. Aslam Baig (H.I., S.I., T.I.), Dr. N. M. Butt (S.I.) and Dr. Fayyazuddin (H.I.) highlighted the achievements and supportive role of Prof. Salam played in the lives of several hundred young Pakistani scientists and researchers. Dr Fayyazuddin gave an illuminating discourse on his research which led to Salam the Noble Award and his attempt to understand symmetry and unification among the four fundamental forces of nature. Mr. Muhammad Naeem, Chairman PAEC, paid rich tributes to the scientific mettle and diverse personality of Prof. Salam. Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad (N.I., H.I., S.I.), former Chairman PAEC/

Chairman BoG, NCP, passionately described his association Newsletter Jan-Jun 2016 with Dr. Abdus Salam and elaborated many occasions when he went out of the way to help young scientists and researchers of Pakistani origin. He informed the audience that Prof. Salam played a crucial role in the development of scientific and technical human resource of PAEC when the institution was in the nascent stage. His role in the creation of Pakistan’s space agency, SUPARCO, as well as PINSTECH, the ‘mother institute’ of PAEC, was highlighted.

5 All the speakers lauded his work in breaking the gap between the developed and developing countries, which led to the creation of The International Centre of Theoretical Physics (ICTP) , now named as the Abdus Salam International Centre of Theoretical Physics (AS-ICTP). Dr. Anwar Nasim, President of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences (PAS), presented vote of thanks and described the literary talent of Prof. Salam as he had been the editor of both English and Urdu languages of “RAVI” magazine the theme of Government College Lahore. Scientific Visits to NCP Students, Faculty members and senior officials of the following institutes visited NCP technical facilities 1. US-Pak Center for Advanced Studies in Energy (USPCAS-E), NUST, Islamabad 2. Air University, Islamabad 3. Riphah University, Islamabad 4. University of Wah, Wah Cantt 5. University of Management Sciences & Information Technology (UMSIT), Kotli, Azad Kashmir 6. University of Gujrat, Gujrat 7. Atomic Energy Mineral Centre (AEMC), Lahore

Students and faculty of UMSIT Students and faculty of University of Students and faculty of Riphah Wah University

Officials of AEMC Visit of Students of NUST Students and faculty of Air University Visit Abroad for Training / Research Assignment of NCP Researchers • Mr. Hassan Shahzad, SSO EHEP visited San Jose, California USA to attend conference on “GPU Technology Conference” held from April 4-7, 2016. • Dr. Muhammad Sultan, Dr. Yaqoob Khan & Mr. Muhammad Arshad visited Germany for Advanced Training on XPS System with Attachments of AFM & STM at Omicron, Germany from Feb 7-28, 2016 • Mr. Waqar Ahmed, Sr. Engineer visited CERN on one-year training in relevance to GEM DAQ system Newsletter Jan-Jun 2016 Newsletter Jan-Jun 6 Lectures Delivered by NCP Officials • Mr. Hassan Shahzad, SSO (EHEP) has delivered a lecture on “GPUs: An Inovative Way of Scientific Computing” on Feb 25, 2016 at NCP. • Dr. Hafeez Hoorani, DG NCP delivered a talk on “LHC Physics & Beyond” on 13th May 2016 at NCP. • Mr. Zeeshan Ahmad Siddqui, Manager PR delivered two lectures on Science Communications in University of Science & Technology, Bannu and Hazara University on May 31 and June 02, 2016 respectively. Academic Achievements Dr. Shahin Muhammad Iqbal, SSO (Physics) working in Theoretical Physics Departement has completed his Ph.D from University of Virginia Charlottesville, USA

NCP Sports Gala

A colourful sports gala with fun, festivity and fervour was organized by NCP Sports & Leisure Club in which different sports events including athletics, cricket, table tennis, volleyball, tug of war, badminton, short put and basketball were held. The event was inaugurated on March 22, 2016. The event continued till April 4, 2016. Sheikh Anser Aziz, Mayor Islamabad was the chief guest of the ceremony while Dr. Hafeez Hoorani, Director General NCP and other officials were also present on the occasion. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony Dr. Hafeez Hoorani said that NCP is committed to provide its employees equal opportunities of participating in curricular and co-curricular activities. He told that NCP women employees are also taking active part in sports activities which is a sign that we provide better working environment for everyone. The chief guest Sheikh Anser Aziz said that sports related activities help to polish the hidden potential. He said that women are the half of country’s population and through healthy sports activities we can prepare them for the tough future challenges. Newsletter Jan-Jun 2016 During his visit of NCP facilities he was really impressed and happy to see research facilities of NCP.

For Further Information: Publishing Department: [email protected] Collaboration & Academic Activities Department (CAAD) National Centre for Physics, NCP Campus, Shahdra Valley Road, Islamabad, Pakistan Tel: +92-51-2077348, Fax: +92-51-2077342, Website: www.ncp.edu.pk

7 National Centre for Physics Islamabad, Pakistan International Scientific School March 13-17, 2017 The National Center for Physics (NCP), Islamabad, Pakistan and The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy are jointly organizing the International Scientific School (ISS) in Islamabad, Pakistan from March 13 - 17, 2017. The ISS-2017 will be directed by H. R. Hoorani (NCP) and J. Niemela (ICTP).

Introduction International Scientific Spring (ISS) which was held for the first time in 2009, has become a major regular annual scientific activity of NCP. Since 2012, The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Italy has become a partner of NCP for organizing this scientific event in Islamabad, Pakistan. During the ISS- 2016 it was agreed to rename the activity as International Scientific School (ISS). The idea of holding the ISS at NCP is to provide a platform for the local and the foreign participants to exchange scientific knowledge and to generate enthusiasm for science and discovery. Around three hundred young Pakistani M.Phil/Ph.D students, researchers, university faculty and many foreign invited speakers and participants take part in the deliberations of ISS.

Format Directors Each year, the topics (technical activities) of ISS are chosen keeping in view the present and future research Hafeez R. Hoorani (NCP, Pakistan) interests of NCP, universities and national R&D institutions in Pakistan. The ISS consists of plenary and parallel Joseph Niemela (ICTP, Italy) sessions as well as tutorials and structured discussions relevant to various technical activities in the chosen topics. The plenary lectures contain mostly overviews of advances in the chosen areas for general audience International Advisory Committee while the lectures/talks in parallel sessions cover the recent research on the specific topics. Alessandro Baraldi (Italy) Tallat Rehman (USA) Topics and Coordinators A. Condensed Matter and Nano Sciences Joe Buttler (USA) Modern materials from both theoretical and experimental perspectives: Electronic, thermal and Raza Ashari (Iran) atomic transport and magnetism in lower dimensional systems; Functionalized nanostructures: their synthesis and nanoscale characterization Key Speakers Coordinators: Sara Qaisar, Javed Akhter and G. H. Jaffary Thomas Meredith Brown (Italy) B. Particle Physics & Cosmology Bjorgvin Hjorvarsson (Sweden) Phenomenology of elementary particles, Flavor physics, B-meson physics, Neutrino physics, Kemal Celebi (Turkey) Inflation gravity waves, Black hole physics, Dark matter, Si detectors in particle physics Mehrdad Atabak (Germany) Coordinators: Ashfaq Ahmad, Rizwan Khalid, Jamil Aslam Ali Ghorban Zadeh Moghaddam (Iran) Zhanpeng Wu (China) Participation Active graduate & post graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, faculty and research scientists who have Thomas Muller (Germany) also published research work in recognized international journals during the last three years will be encouraged Dmitri Tsybychev (USA) to participate (oral or poster presentation). Local hospitality will be provided to the participants. As a rule, travel Patrick Meade (USA) expenses of the participants should be borne by their home institutes. However, partial travel assistance may be Bruce Mellado (South Africa) provided to selected local participants residing outside Islamabad. A few travel grants may also be provided to Rachid Mazini (Switzerland) the foreign participants, especially those from the developing countries in the region. Albert De Roeck (Switzerland) Abdelhak Djouadi (France) How to apply Gigi Rolandi (Italy) Online Registration Form can be accessed at: http://www.ncp.edu.pk:8080/CAAD/. Application Form should be submitted on or before 30 November, 2016. Selection will be made by the Technical Committee of ISS-2017. Foreign applicants are required to attach/provide first two relevant pages of their passport valid up to at least Scientific Secretary six months after the ISS-2017 event. These documents may be submitted to the activity secretariat by email or S. Khurshid Hasanain (NCP) fax before the deadline for registration. Selected applicants will be required to pay registration fee (employed person: Rs. 2000/- students: Rs. 1000/-). There is no registration fee for invited speakers and foreign participants.

Sponsors • Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) Application • Organization of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) Deadline

For further Information, Please Contact: Activity Secretariat: [email protected] Nov. 30, 2016 Collaborations & Academic Activities Department (CAAD) National Centre for Physics, QAU Campus, Shahdra Valley Road, Islamabad, Pakistan Tel: +92-51-2077363, Fax: +92-51-2077342 Website: www.ncp.edu.pk Newsletter Jan-Jun 2016 Newsletter Jan-Jun 8