CERN | Pakistan set to become a member.

[asaad-ul-islam]

all right, since no one is taking time to appreciate the work our scientists have done for the collider, I thought I should start this thread. I hope this is in the right section, if not the mods can redirect this.

A unique experience

Hafeez Hoorani first came to CERN in 1989 to work on the LEP project. He is now professor of physics at the National Centre for Physics, Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad, Pakistan, where he heads a group building the muon chamber for the CMS detector.

“I came to CERN in 1989 when there was much excitement as LEP was turned on. It was a very different experience for me than the previous years I had spent in North America, a very homogeneous region where everyone speaks English. CERN on the other hand is a multicultural and multinational organization. It is easy and simple to cooperate with Europe, which is very open and willing to accept people from different backgrounds and cultures. And this spirit of Europe, its acceptance, has come to CERN.

CERN is a unique experience, where many people contribute. It is rather like trying to cook dinner, where one person brings bread, the other butter, the third lentils, etc. At CERN, people also bring different things, they discuss and fight, but in the end they make a detector that works. This is very fascinating because I have never experienced it before. The final goal is purely intellectually oriented, basic physics — very beautiful.

My work here was scientifically very enriching, but culturally even more so. I have become a better human being as well as a better scientist. I can now appreciate different accents, different ways of living; I am more open to human beings than 15 years ago.

When I first came to CERN, I was mainly working on technical things but became increasingly involved in political issues. In 1999, I went back to Pakistan to set up a group working on different aspects of the LHC project. There I had to convince my people and my government to collaborate with CERN, which was rather difficult, since nobody associated science with Switzerland. It is known as a place for tourism, for its watches, and nice places to visit.

However, Pakistan already had an early connection to CERN through the late Abdus Salam, the sole Nobel laureate from Pakistan in science and one of the fathers of the electroweak theory. CERN has been known to the scientific community of Pakistan since 1973 through the discovery of neutral currents which eventually led to the Nobel Prize for Salam. We are contributing much more now because of the students who worked with Salam, who know his theories and CERN, and who are now placed at highly influential positions within the government of Pakistan. They have helped and pushed Pakistan towards a very meaningful scientific collaboration with CERN. People now know that there is an organization called CERN. It took a long time to explain what CERN is about, and I brought many people here to show them, because they did not imagine CERN this way. Many people support us now which gives us hope…”

CERN - Hafeez Hoorani: A unique experience

 

[asaad-ul-islam]

10 Years of CERN-Pakistan Cooperation Observed

Mutually beneficial cooperation between European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and Pakistan is poised to be expanded to include more areas of S&T in the coming years.

This was stated by Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad, Patron, Pakistan Nuclear Society and Special Advisor on Strategic Programme to the Prime Minister while speaking as chief guest at a get-together organized by PAEC and NCP to mark the celebration of 10 years of CERN-Pakistan cooperation and to chart out new vision for this collaboration, on December 14, 2004.

Being a pioneer of this technical cooperation, he traced its genesis and developmental stages which have culminated in a smooth and congenial sharing of scientific knowledge between CERN and Pakistan.

In his welcome address, Mr. Parvez Butt, Chairman, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission said quality and capability of the design and fabrication facilities of PAEC can be gauged from the fact that it will be supplying mechanical equipment and parts worth US $10 million to high-tech organization like CERN apart from support in software, lasers and human resource.

Mr. Butt said Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission as scientific organization has a national role and an international one at the same time and while we are serving the national industry and contributing to socio-economic uplift of the country through our programme, we have a moral duty to serve the humanity at large by providing input to international scientific organizations which we are already rendering to CERN, IAEA, WANO, Jordan based SESAME project, Professor Abdus Salam Centre, Italy, and World Nuclear Association, etc.

Chairman, PAEC said our desire to be a vibrant partner in international scientific endeavours springs from the fact that equal say in the international bodies is the best guarantee for world harmony. It is through participative efforts that we can bring about peace and prosperity, he added.

On this occasion, Prof. Dr. Riazuddin spoke on the role of National Centre for Physics towards CERN-Pakistan cooperation and mentioned the analytical and quality control work undertaken by NCP in this regard.

Dr. Diether Blechschmidt, Advisor to D.G., CERN who was here specially for deliberations aimed at giving new dimension to CERN-Pakistan cooperation said that Pakistan has a high quality human resource in Science and Technology and that is its big strength to progress.

Dr. Michel Negra, spokesperson of CERN said that the scientific work being done by his organization will open a window which has never been opened.

CERN has set up laboratories which are undertaking one of the most stupendous endeavours ever made by man to study the nature and unravel its mysteries. These efforts have resulted in acquisition of useful information for well being of human kind. The World Wide Web (WWW) is one of the fruits of research conducted at this Centre.



HMC-3, Taxila designs and manufactures equipment for CERN, Switzerland
(By M. Amjad Perwaiz, SPE / Manager, S&M, HMC-3)

European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) is one of the most sophisticated and prominent laboratories of particle and energy physics in the world. It has revolutionized physics and invented World Wide Web (WWW) and made many discoveries since its establishment in 1950. Now, it is constructing a 27 km long accelerators for firing particles at speeds nearing the speed of light, before smashing them together to re-create the conditions, scientists believe, existed less than one billionth of a second after the big bang. This accelerator is known as Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and shall help to answer many questions. The experiment is funded by 20 member countries and more than 100 associate member countries.

Govt. of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and CERN signed a Co-operation Agreement in 1994 concerning the development of scientific and technical cooperation in the research projects of CERN.

Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) and CERN, in pursuit of the above said Agreement of the Govt. of Pakistan, signed the first Protocol in 1997 to supply Magnet Steel Supports for the outer rings of the magnet barrel yoke of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS). Then, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in 1998 for Collaboration in the construction of the Detector of CMS. This Memorandum of Understanding has provided multifarious opportunities of quite a wide range to a number of Pakistani scientific, industrial and technological organizations to participate in the CERN activities.

Heavy Mechanical Complex 3 (HMC-3) Taxila is a project of State Engineering Corporation, Islamabad. It has been established for the development & application of latest know-how & up to date manufacturing & testing facilities to produce thick walled pressure vessels, sophisticated & complex process equipment, precise mechanical components, heavy steel structure, etc., in conformance with the international codes & standards.

HMC-3 is ISO 9001:2000 certified for "Design & Manufacturing of Engineering Products for Medium & Heavy Industries". It is authorized for U & U2 Stamps of American Society Mechanical Engineers. It is also registered with the Federal Safety and Pressure Vessel Board of Pakistan. The design, manufacturing and testing facilities of HMC-3 are operated by more than 1,100 professional employees that consist of graduate, post-graduate and PhD engineers & scientists, qualified and skilled technicians and well trained workers.

HMC-3 has broadened the design, engineering & development base of Pakistan. It is providing engineering support to the projects of national importance since 1994. For manufacturing the most precise & high-tech components & equipment, HMC-3 caters to the national needs as well as international requirements. CERN is one such example.

HMC-3 has produced and supplied to CERN a number of equipment and some are as under:
Magnet Support Feet, 8 Nos., Weight 224 tons

HMC-3 designed and manufactured 8 out of 10 Magnet Support Feet bearing the total load of 12,500 tons of a CMS detector having length of 21.6 meters and outer diameter of 14.8 meters. Each Support Foot comprises a plate of bulk thickness of 140 mm connected to a welded construction using 100 mm thick plate and reinforced on the outer side by 100 mm thick gussets at the level of the cavity destined to receive Muon Station. Weight of each Magnet Support Foot is 28.5 tons with an angular accuracy of 1 minute.

 Transport Beams CMS, 2 Nos., Weight 21 tons

Transport Beams are equipped by four high-pressure air pads to lift the Magnet Support Feet with the Barrel Rings and slide on floor rails during the assembly of the complete CMS.

 Raisers CMS, 8 Nos., Weight 118 tons


HMC-3 supplied Raiser Assemblies, which were used as a support structure in HF configuration for two HF Calorimeters at 6.4 meters height. These were also used to support the two HB Calorimeters during assembly phase in HB configuration.

 1 Pair each, BS & EBS, Weight 45 tons

 4 Sets Back Cryostat ATLAS, Weight 6 ton

In July 2003 another Protocol was signed between PAEC and CERN where by Pakistan will contribute in-kind value of US$ 10 million and HMC-3 is actively engaged in designing and manufacturing mechanical components for ATLAS such as Components for Toroid End Movement System, Permanent Access Platforms, Mini Van, Colorimeter X Bracket, JD Shielding Plug & Rings, Rotary Frame, Tooling, etc.

HMC-3 is supplying its products to CERN at a cost much less than that of the European cost. Besides, HMC-3 is also collaborating in design activities at CERN, Geneva. A team of one design engineer and one draughtsman is being, regularly, posted for a period of three months for mutual benefit of both the sides.

PNS Newletter

 

[asaad-ul-islam]

'Pakistani participants to gain exposure'
By ASMA GHANI September 17, 2008

ISLAMABAD - The young scientists from Pakistan who participated in ‘Big Bang’ experiment on September 10 would bring new techniques and experience with them that would be used in the country.

Dr Riazud Din, the student of Late Professor Abdus Salam and the first DG of National Centre for Physics (NCP), stated this while briefing media persons here on Tuesday.

The briefing was held to highlight the contributions of Pakistani scientists and engineers to CERN, the European organisation for nuclear research on Swiss-French border, and for that enormous experiment that created the universe 13.7 billion years ago. Dr Riazud Din informed that as many as 15 physicists, 10 engineers, 5 lasers and Opto-electronics experts, 6 computer professionals and 6 students from NCP and Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) were involved in the experiment among other thousands of scientists of the world.

CERN has provided an environment to Pakistani scientists and engineers to work in cutting edge technology, which is the only way to access that technology in the present scenario, said Badar Suleman, DG, PAEC.

“PAEC personnel received extensive exposure to good technical practices who worked on various problems. PAEC brought in some very valuable inputs during the design phase in CMS detector.” The activity in which these people were involved was the construction of components of Compact Muon Soleniod(CMS) detector, which consisted of assembling and testing of 288 Resistive Plate Chambers (RPS’s) with 46,000 channels involving front-end electronics. They also participated in physics analysis involving advanced computing for CMS data production and infrastructure for LHC Computing Grid (LCG) Node at NCP, fabrication of mechanical pieces for LHC at a cost much less than the European cost, design of Tracker Alignment and other opto-electronic related work for the CMS.

It was also disclosed that PAEC assembled carbon frames for the detector outer barrel at a cost, which was approximately a third of the European cost. The parts are sent to from CERN, assembled in Pakistan and are sent to Fermi Lab, USA, which added the front-end electronics and chipped them to CERN for final integration into rods. In recognition of PAEC’s contribution, quality of work and adherence to schedule, in 2006, CERN awarded PAEC Best Supplier Awards.

Dr Riaz said the relationship of Pakistan with CERN, one of the outstanding high-energy physics laboratories in the world, went back to 1973, which provided the first and crucial evidence of unification through experiments done at CERN.

'Pakistani participants to gain exposure' | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online

27 Pakistani scientists took part in ‘Big Bang’ experiment

ISLAMABAD, Sep 16 (APP): Around 27 Pakistani scientists and technicians took part in the flawless start to the “Big Bang” experiment that will re-enact the first moments of the universe. “15 physicists, 10 engineers, 5 Lasers and Opto-electronics experts, 6 computer professionals and 6 students from National Centre for Physics (NCP) and Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) are involved in the experiment and this opportunity provided an immense learning opportunity which would help them groom with an enabling environment towards the future endeavors of Science,” said Dr. Riazuddin, Former Director General NCP while briefing the media on the contribution of Pakistani scientists in Big Bang experiment.

Flanked by incumbent DG NCP Hamid Salim, DG Tech PAEC Dr. Tariq Jamal, Badar Suleman and others, Riazuddin said five Pakistani scientists were present during the Big Bang experiment including Dr. Jamila Bashir Butt, Hassan Shahzad, Taimur Khurshid, Saleh Muhammad and Muhammad Ahmad while Wajid A. Khan, Adeel-ur-Rehman, Ishtiaq Hussain, Waqar Ahmad, Shemoona Fawad Khan, Imran Malik, Zia Aftab and Shariq Khan were involved at different junctures.

The data of the experiment would be available for the Pakistani scientists who would examine the data and results would be accumulated afterwards by the Pakistan physists, he added.

“Our fertile minds have contributed in the construction of components of CMS detector, which consist of assembling and testing of 288 Resistive Plate Chambers (RPC’s) with 46,000 channels involving front end electronics; physics analysis involving advanced computing for CMS data production and infrastructure for LCG Node at NCP; fabrication of mechanical pieces for LHC at a cost much less than the European cost; design of Tracker Alignment and other opto-electronic related work for the CMS,” said the veteran scientist elabourating the nature of contributions made by the scientists.

The PAEC assembled carbon frames for the detector outer barrel at a cost which is approximately a third of the European cost, he said and added that the parts are sent from CERN, they are assembled in Pakistan and are sent to Fermi Lab, USA who add the front end electronics and ship them to CERN for final integration into rods.

“Pakistani staff in CERN, on jigs designed by Pakistan, then tested these rods. It is gratifying to note that in recognition of PAEC’s contribution, quality of work and adherence to schedule, in 2006, CERN awarded PAEC Best Suppliers Award,” he said.

“PAEC signed an agreement for an in kind contribution worth US$ half a million for the construction of eight magnet supports for the Compact Muon Soleniod (CMS) detector. This was followed by another agreement in 2000 increasing Pakistan’s contribution to US$1.8 million. In the same year National Centre for Physics (NCP) became a full member of CMS. In 2003 a protocol was signed enhancing Pakistan’s total contribution to the LHC program to US$ 10 million,” he added.

This collaboration has resulted in mutual benefits for Pakistan and CERN and provided an opportunity of learning in front end electronics and cutting edge computing technology for young scientists of Pakistan; extensive exposure to good technical practices was received by PAEC personnel who worked on various problems.

Simultaneously PAEC brought in some very valuable inputs during the design phase in CMS. These two activities complemented each other in the problems tackled jointly,” he said and added that for PAEC personnel and those at NCP engaged in the above mentioned activities, the exposure was one of quality and intense adherence to details and interfacing among various multidisciplinary groups in academia and industry.

“Working in an international environment with people from many diverse backgrounds was enlightening in its own right; but here it was the logical decision making methods backed by impeccable theory and empirical data that rubbed off (hopefully) to all those who worked there. It is hoped that CERN was also able to benefit from the expertise brought in by our staff to save time and money. It has certainly been satisfying for Pakistan to have contributed in a small way in this great enterprise”.

Fifty-four years ago, in September 1954, CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, officially came into existence. Its founders hoped that “It would play a fundamental role in rebuilding European Physics to its former grandeur, reverse the brain drain of the brightest and best to the US, and consolidate post war European integration.

Today, CERN, one of the outstanding high energy physics laboratories in the world, has not only more than fulfilled the goals of its founder, but is home of thousands of physicists and engineers from all over the world.

It is described as a fine example of international collaboration in which high technology and science reinforce each other.

In one aspect CERN has a very special relationship with Pakistan in that it provided the first and crucial evidence of unification through experiments done at CERN. In 1973 one of the predictions of electro-weak unification theory proposed by Prof. Abdul Salam, the only Pakistani Nobel Laureate, Weinberg and Glashow resulted in Nobel Prize in physics in 1979 to these physicists. Further the mediators, W and Z bosons, of electroweak force predicted by the electroweak theory (called the standard model) were also discovered at CERN in 1980’s.

A crucial missing link in the standard model is the Higg’s boson, the illusive particle that is believed to endow mass to all the particles is hoped to be discovered using the LHC. The LHC is designed to create temperatures and energy densities prevalent at trillionth of a second after the Big Bang.

It will produce a host of particles known, expected and unexpected. A step towards a single unified theory embracing all forces and all matter requires a new type of symmetry called super-symmetry which has physical implications of crucial relevance to the LHC. Super-symmetry implies the existence of partner species (called sparticles) to known species of particles (electrons, quarks, neutrinos, etc.).

Furthermore, such a single unified theory (called String Theory), which includes Einstein’s gravity also require that there may be extra spatial dimensions, than the familiar three spatial dimension in which we live. The LHC might provide answers to some of the outstanding questions.

Does Higgs particle exist? Do super symmetric particles exist and are source of the dark matter? Today physicists believe that the visible matter - the stars and galaxies- make up only the four percent of the energy density of the universe. The rest is believed to be some mysterious dark matter and dark energy. What lies beyond the standard model?

Is it super-symmetry to explain the dark matter? Are there higher dimensions that string theory requires?

These are the expected questions to be answered. However, finding something that we don’t expect would open new vistas on the nature of reality and that is what would be even more exciting.

Pakistan has already established a linkage with CERN. Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission in keeping with its traditions of promoting cutting edge scientific research and development in the country has played a pivotal role in establishing the linkage. The realization of decision makers that LHC, if it comes about would necessarily incorporate technologies at the most advanced level, resulted in signing a cooperation agreement in 1994.

In 2004 NCP became LHC Computing Grid (LCG) Node. In 2006, during the visit of the President of Pakistan, Government of Pakistan has announced a generous contribution of 5 million Swiss Francs further enlarging the scope of cooperation.

On September 10, at 9.30am, the start-up team in Geneva announced they had achieved “first beam” at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the biggest and most complex scientific instrument ever built.

Protons - one of the building blocks of matter - were spun round the giant particle accelerator’s 27 kilometre-long circular beam tunnel at just a fraction under the speed of light.

Getting the beam to circulate all the way round the 100 metre-deep underground tunnel was originally expected to take most of the day.

Associated Press Of Pakistan ( Pakistan's Premier NEWS Agency ) - 27 Pakistani scientists took part in ‘Big Bang’ experiment

 

[asaad-ul-islam]

CERN and Pakistan: a personal perspective

From its inception, CERN was international in character. The construction of its first 600 MeV accelerator was a fine example of international co-operation. After the Second World War, a group of European scientists realized that the brain drain during the war was a serious problem, which was continuing even after the war had ended. This realization gave birth to the idea of a European laboratory funded by several European nations. These scientists had a strong will, considerable political influence in their own countries and a commitment to do basic research, while recognizing that no single country had sufficient resources to build a large accelerator. CERN owes its creation to the dynamism and indomitable will of scientists such as Isidor Rabi, Eduardo Amaldi, Pierre Auger, John Cockroft and others. Thanks to their efforts, CERN, when it became operational, was gradually able to reverse the brain drain.

The informal scientific co-operation between CERN and Pakistan dates back to the 1960s, when Pakistan was introduced to CERN through Abdus Salam, the country's only Nobel Laureate. Salam had a desire that a group of Pakistani scientists commit themselves to both theoretical and experimental high-energy physics. On the suggestion of Salam, stacks of nuclear emulsion exposed at CERN were provided to Pakistan for the study of pions, kaons and antiprotons. In this informal co-operation, Owen Lock from CERN and the newly created Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) played an important role. Nuclear emulsions were later superseded by newer particle-detection techniques, and gradually this activity faded away. Meanwhile, some theoretical physicists from Pakistan had the opportunity to work at CERN through short visits. During the 1980s, some of the experimental physicists from Pakistan, specializing in the technique of Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (SSNTD), also benefited from CERN by exposing the stacks in the beam at the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS).

In 1994 I visited CERN as chairman of PAEC. The visit took place on the initiative of Pakistani physicist Ahmed Ali, who works at DESY. It brought back good memories of my earlier visits, which date back to 1962 when I came to CERN as a young post-doctoral fellow working at the University Institute of Theoretical Physics in Copenhagen (now the Niels Bohr Institute) to perform a nuclear emulsion experiment. During my visit in 1994, I was fascinated to see the exciting developments in physics that were taking place at CERN, and I had only one wish - that my own country, Pakistan, should somehow become involved in scientific collaboration with CERN, and that our physicists and engineers could also become part of the most advanced, challenging and rewarding scientific endeavour: the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

On my return to Pakistan, I kept my contacts with CERN, and a few months later a co-operation agreement was approved by the government of Pakistan, which was signed by me, as chairman of PAEC, and the then director-general of CERN, Chris Llewellyn Smith, who has now been appointed as director of the UK Atomic Energy Authority's fusion programme (CERN Courier September 2003 p39). In 1997, PAEC signed an agreement for an in-kind contribution worth one million Swiss francs for the construction of eight magnet supports for the CMS detector. The signing of the agreement was followed by the visit of Llewellyn Smith to Pakistan in 1998. The agreement provided an entry point for Pakistani scientists and engineers into the CMS collaboration.

In 2000, CERN's new director-general, Luciano Maiani, visited Pakistan, and during this visit another agreement was signed, which doubled the Pakistani contribution from one to two million Swiss francs. This new agreement covered the construction of the resistive plate chambers required for the CMS muon system. Recently, a protocol has been signed enhancing Pakistan's total contribution to the LHC programme to $10 million. I very much hope and wish that these developments may eventually lead to Pakistan becoming an observer state at CERN.

A source of inspiration
One of the inspirations for scientific co-operation with CERN was Salam's theories, which were always at the forefront of CERN's scientific programme. Salam, Sheldon Glashow and Steven Weinberg formulated the theory that unified the electromagnetic and weak interaction and predicted the existence of weak neutral currents. In 1973, neutral currents were observed at CERN, verifying the theory. The discovery created quite a lot of excitement in Pakistan because of Salam. A later important breakthrough was the discovery of the intermediate vector bosons, W and Z, at CERN's SPS in 1983. This provided yet another verification of the theory of Glashow, Salam and Weinberg (CERN Courier May 2003 p26).

The Large Electron Positron (LEP) collider was built at CERN to study electroweak theory and the Standard Model in more detail. It started up in 1989 and operated for 11 years, making precision tests of different aspects of the Standard Model. In particular, LEP experiments measured the number of neutrinos, and for the first time the mass of the Z boson was measured to an accuracy better than 2 MeV. However, one important ingredient of the Standard Model that is still missing is the Higgs boson, which is the elusive particle that in the Standard Model is responsible for giving masses to elementary particles.

It is hoped that the LHC, now under construction at CERN, will discover the Higgs boson, not withstanding the bet of famous physicist Stephen Hawking, and possibly physics beyond the Standard Model. The LHC will be able to explore physics at the TeV scale, where it is certain that some new physics will be found, most probably supersymmetry. Supersymmetry may explain a number of unsolved problems in the Standard Model, such as why masses differ by an order of magnitude as one moves from one quark family to another; why there are three families of quarks and three families of leptons; and how to explain the dark matter predicted by astrophysical models.

The importance of the Grid
The amount and size of experimental data generated at the LHC will pose the greatest challenge to the physicists. The collection, storage, retrieval and analysis of LHC data will require novel techniques in the field of information technology. The physicists working in different institutions around the globe will access LHC data; this implies a need for distributed computing. In recent years, a new approach in computing is emerging, called the Grid. The Grid is a natural evolution of the World Wide Web, which was invented at CERN in 1991. While the Web made information retrieval via the Internet extremely easy and simple, the proper implementation of the Grid will allow information processing and the solving of complex problems that would otherwise require supercomputers, in a very simple manner. Grid computing will be particularly useful for developing countries, where the cost of a supercomputer is prohibitive and there are also political difficulties in their purchase. It is very important for Pakistan to establish the proper infrastructure for Grid computing to acquire the full benefits of its investment in the LHC.

Information technology, on which CERN is to hold an important conference, "The Role of Science in the Information Society (RSIS)", in December this year, is going to have a tremendous effect on billions of human beings who are being increasingly exposed to pressures due to the unabated instinct of the poor to reproduce and the insatiable desire of the rich to consume. Our planet is, of course, limited in space and resources. The new interactive electronic communications will have a strong impact on society. The hope is that Grid technologies, like the Web, will be widely used in both developed and developing countries alike. In its wake, the Grid will bring many changes to the socio, economic and cultural fabric of society.

Coming back to Pakistan, it is important to note that due to the influence of Salam, a number of high-calibre Pakistani theoretical particle physicists were trained in the latter part of the 20th century. On the other hand, Pakistan has always lagged behind in experimental particle physics due to a lack of resources. It was strongly felt by the scientists of Pakistan that a national centre for physics of very high international standards was needed. In 1994, I led a group of physicists to meet the president of Pakistan to discuss this issue, and the president very kindly approved the concept of such a centre. So in 1998, during the inauguration ceremony of the 23rd International Nathiagali Summer College on Physics and Contemporary Needs, I announced the creation of the National Centre of Physics (NCP) and invited the well-known Pakistani theoretical physicist Riazuddin to head the centre, which he kindly accepted.

The NCP is the cradle and the focal point for all CERN-related activities in Pakistan. At present, the centre is involved in a number of LHC-related activities such as detector construction, detector simulation, physics analysis and Grid computing. Several other Pakistani institutes are also collaborating with CERN indirectly through the NCP. The activities of these institutes cover areas such as software development, manufacturing of mechanical equipment, alignment of the CMS tracker using lasers, and the testing of electronic equipment.

Former CERN director-general Victor Weisskopf wrote in his book The Joy of Insight that anybody who enters CERN should be regarded as European and no longer a citizen of any nation. Now CERN is open to any scientist from anywhere in the world. Moreover, beyond its 20 European member states, CERN currently has co-operation agreements with 30 countries. Had Weisskopf been alive today, he would probably have rephrased his remark by saying that "anybody who enters CERN is a citizen of the world".

About the author
Ishfaq Ahmad, special advisor to the prime minister of Pakistan and former chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission.

CERN and Pakistan: a personal perspective - CERN Courier

 

[asaad-ul-islam]

Jun 28, 2000

CERN and Pakistan strengthen agreement

Signed in Islamabad in May was an addendum to the Memorandum of Understanding between CERN and Pakistan, covering increased Pakistani involvement in the CMS experiment for CERN's LHC collider.

Pakistan is supplying six giant 25 ton support feet for the main "barrel" magnet of the CMS detector, as well as material for the magnet itself. Under the new agreement the National Centre for Physics at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, will also supply 432 resistive plate chambers (RPCs) for the CMS forward muon system as part of a collaboration that also involves China, Italy, Korea and the US. In addition the front-end electronics boards for RPC read-out will be manufactured in Pakistan.

A major CERN delegation was recently in Pakistan for the signing of the new agreement.

CERN and Pakistan strengthen agreement - CERN Courier

Pakistan Contribution in CERN

On Tuesday 21 July 1998, Director General Chris Llewellyn Smith unveiled the sign naming the Route Abdus Salam on the Meyrin site.Formerly the southern portion of the Route Pauli, the road passes near the site of the Gargamelle bubble chamber which discovered neutral currents at the PS in 1973. This, CERN’s first major physics discovery, provided the first experimental confirmation of the electroweak unification of which Salam (Pakistan only Nobel Laureate) was a major architect.

The informal scientific co-operation between CERN and Pakistan dates back to the 1960s, through Dr. Abdus Salam. Some theoretical physicists from Pakistan had the opportunity to work at CERN and in 1980s, some of the experimental physicists from Pakistan, specializing in the technique of Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (SSNTD), also benefited from CERN by exposing the stacks in the beam at the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS).

In 1997, PAEC signed an agreement for an in-kind contribution worth one million Swiss francs for the construction of eight magnet supports for the CMS detector. The signing of the agreement was followed by the visit of Llewellyn Smith to Pakistan in 1998. The agreement provided an entry point for Pakistani scientists and engineers into the CMS collaboration. These equipments engineered in Pakistan are also mentioned in this interview.

In 2000, CERN’s new director-general, Luciano Maiani, visited Pakistan, and during this visit another agreement was signed, which doubled the Pakistani contribution from one to two million Swiss francs. This new agreement covered the construction of the resistive plate chambers required for the CMS muon system
Recently, a protocol has been signed enhancing Pakistan’s total contribution to the LHC programme to $10 million.

National Centre of Physics (NCP) of Pakistan is involved in a number of LHC-related activities such as detector construction, detector simulation, physics analysis and Grid computing. Several other Pakistani institutes are also collaborating with CERN indirectly through the NCP. The activities of these institutes cover areas such as software development, manufacturing of mechanical equipment, alignment of the CMS tracker using lasers, and the testing of electronic equipment.

Pakistan Contribution in CERN Gul Aftab Diary

 

[jehangirhaider]

I also found some nice info Pakistan Contribution in LHC

All in all, Pakistan has contributed the LHC in numerous ways including some of the following in particular:

Detector construction
Detector simulation
Physics analysis
Grid computing
Different mathematical software developments
Manufacturing of mechanical equipment
Alignment of the CMS tracker using lasers
Testing of electronic equipment
Barrel Yoke: 35 Tonn each feet made in Pakistan
Assembling of CF Fins for the Silicon Trekker’s TOB
Out of the total 300 chambers of CMS 245 were made in Islamabad, out of which 226 are already installed at CERN


here is the link

http://****.in/wtf/2008/09/11/pakistans-contribution-to-the-large-hadron-collider-lhc/

 

[Cyberian]

Pakistan on way to becoming Associate Member of CERN
Wednesday June 19, 2013

Paras Ali

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, the only nuclear power from the Muslim World, is now fast approaching to have another feather in its cap as it is the strong candidate for joining the world’s most prestigious, classified and largest particle physics laboratory CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research) as an Associate Member.

“Pakistan has applied for the status of Associate Member of this physics laboratory (CERN),” a senior executive of a Pakistani organization working on the issue, disclosed to this scribe on condition of keeping anonymity.

According to the official, besides Pakistan several other states particularly India, Israel and Brazil have applied for Associate Member of the CERN.

He also said that presently Pakistan is a Non-Member State of CERN since November 1994 while India had become an ‘Observer’ at CERN in 2002, a position that literally allows it to observe the proceedings at the Council meetings and speak when invited to do so.

“Pakistan has very bright chances to become Associate Member of CERN before India, chiefly due to the extraordinary performance and collaboration of Pakistani scientists. Although the cost of having this status is very high but Pakistan might have advantages of in-kind contribution which is more than the contribution of the annual fee which is about over $10 million,” said the official.

He pleaded that our country should arrest this rare opportunity as also it reflects the international recognition that Pakistan has ability of science and technology. “The benefits we can get from CERN are more than the annual fee of membership. The advantages are human resource capacity building are too much in addition to getting various contractual projects,” remarked the official.

He further said that the CERN Associate Membership will not only open the doors of mega science experiments for the Pakistani scientists but also help them participate in training and education programmes held at the laboratory.

“Becoming the Associate Member will allow Pakistan to have the right to attend both the open and restricted sessions of the CERN Council which is highly prestigious feature,” said the official.

It is to be mentioned here that presently, the Pakistani institutes collaborating with the CERN are Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, COMSATS, Quaid-E-Azam University, Islamabad, National Center for Physics, Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, (PINSTECH), National University of Sciences and Technology, and College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering.

The CERN convention was signed in 1953 by the 12 founding states including Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Yugoslavia, and entered into force on September 29, 1954.

Regarding the progress on Pakistan’s becoming the Associate member of CERN, India has shown its concern with one of its eminent physicist Bikash Sinha saying, it would be “very embarrassing” for them if Pakistan steers ahead of India and becomes an Associate Member at CERN.

He also said that the implications are huge if Pakistan gets early entry in CERN.

Co-operation with the PINSTECH in the area of radioprotection is being organized as several high-level Pakistani officials have visited CERN, including the former President Musharraf in January 2006.

The official said that discussions are in progress with the COMSATS for the setting up of a version of the CERN physics teachers programme in Islamabad.

It is worth mentioning here that in the wake of a huge amount of annual fee for the associate membership in CERN, there is a group of certain scientists who argue that Pakistan should not go for this status against this heavy price and should work on other related areas to make it eligible for this highly privileged status, while others plead for this membership to make a big progress on particle physics in a short span of time.

Pakistan on way to becoming Associate Member of CERN | TechnologyTimes Science and Technology Weekly Newspaper

 

[Pakistanisage]

This is great news for Pakistani Scientists. Our Scientists need this kind of International exposure....BTW, 10 million USD is chicken feed compared with the knowledge gained from this membership.

 

[RazorMC]

This is great news for Pakistani Scientist. Our Scietist need this kind of International exposure....BTW, 10 million USD is chicken feed compared with the knowledge gained from this membership.

Exactly. Knowledge is priceless and I'm sure we can survive with $10m less.

 

[BATMAN]

`Embarrassing if Pakistan beats India to CERN membership`

 

[M.harris]

 

[muse]

Only in Pakistan will $10 million be seen as expensive" -- whereas a MP wearing a $ 4 million watch is no biggie

 

[Kompromat]

Only in Pakistan will $10 million be seen as expensive" -- whereas a MP wearing a $ 4 million watch is no biggie

You are such a blasphemer, how dare you talk foul about Amir ul momineen.

 

[babarhaq]

Our contribution to cern defence.pk/forums/members-club/14352-cern-pakistan-our-contribution.html

 

[Creder]

@SUPARCO

Good man you always bring good news, lifts the mood a bit. Cheers.