As many as 30 Pakistani scientists working at CERN made visible contribution in the research that has finally led to discover the Higgs boson, also nicknamed the “God particle” that travels faster than light.
According to the working mechanism, 15 Pakistani scientists used to work at the main laboratory in CERN, developed in the northwest suburbs of Geneva on the Franco-Swiss border in 1954, while remaining 15 were engaged in carrying out research work simultaneously in line with the directions given by a team of senior CERN scientists using 8 MV Pelletron Tandem accelerator facility based on sophisticated technology at National Centre for Physics (NCP).
NCP’s Director General, Hamid Saleem, told this correspondent that in all, 15 physicists, ten engineers and five lasers and opto-electronics experts contributed in the research that led to the discovery being widely considered as one of the greatest achievements in the field of science.
These scientists included Dr Hafiz Hoorani, Dr Jamila Bashir Butt, Hassan Shahzad, Taimoor Khursheed, Saleh Muhammad, Muhammad Ahmad, Wajid Ali Khan, Adilur Rehman Zafar, Ishtiaq Hussain, Waqar Ahmad, Shamoona Fawad Qazi, Imran Malik, Zia Aftab and Muhammad Shariq Khan.
He said a grid having 500 computers was set up in NCP and the Pakistani scientists have so far contributed in numerous ways including detector construction, simulation, physics analysis, grid computing, computational software development and manufacturing of mechanical equipment.
The data provided by NCP stated that Pakistan has made material contribution to the tune of 10 million dollars. It also signed an agreement with CERN that doubled the Pakistani contribution from one to two million Swiss francs. With this new agreement Pakistan started construction of the resistive plate chambers required for the CMS muon system. While more recently, a protocol has been signed enhancing Pakistan’s total contribution to 10 million dollar.
Hamid Saleem said the Pakistani scientists were also among those proud fellows who were wildly applauding the most ambitious experiment held at CERN with protons being fired in 27-km tunnel in an attempt to unlock the secrets of the universe.
He said they prepared CMS detector consisting of assembling and testing of 288 Resistive Plate Chambers, helped in fabrication of mechanical pieces at the cost much less than the European cost and designed tracker alignment and other opto-electronic related work.
It is also pertinent to mention here that CERN has given best supplier award to Heavy Mechanical Complex in recognition of its services in providing necessary equipment in the preparatory phases of the experiment.
Hamid Saleem said NCP is offering basic facilities to conduct research in various fields including centrifuge, accelerator, fission and fusion, coating and metallization, medical and pharmaceutical, semi-conductor, solar, live stock, plasma sterilization, food processing and packaging.
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