Noor Muhammad Butt
Encyclopedia
Noor Muhammad Butt (Urdu: ڈاکٹر این ایم بٹ or ڈاکٹر نور بٹ), (born 3 June, 1936), best known as "Dr. N. M. Butt", is a Pakistani nuclear physicist and an International Centre for Theoretical Physics
(ITCP) laureate
who received the ICTP Prize
in 1970 and in 1979, in the honor of Dr. Abdus Salam
in the field of nuclear
and solid state physics. A nuclear weapon
expert by profession, Butt served as the chairman of the Pakistan Science foundation from 2005 to 2008, and is currently serving as the Chairman of the National Commission on Nano-Science and Technology (NCNST) which he was appointed to in 2003 by the President
of Pakistan. Butt is amongst one of very few in Pakistan
who attained Sc.D.
in physics.
He is a recipient of the third highest
civil award, the Sitara-i-Imtiaz
, which he was awarded by then-Prime Minister of Pakistan
, Nawaz Sharif
, in 1992. Butt is also a representative in Pakistans Council for Meetings of Nobel Laureates, which he was elected to in 2003.
, British Punjab
, in 1936. Having completed his High-school from Sialkot, he completed his matriculation from Murray College, gaining a pre-science diploma from Murray College in 1950. In 1951, he attended Punjab University
, majoring in applied physics
and had received his B.Sc
in Applied Physics
from Punjab University in 1955.
The same year, he was accepted at the Government College University
to do his Master's degree
in physics. In 1957, he completed his Master of Science
(M.Sc.) with experimental specialization in the Nuclear physics under the renowned nuclear physicist Professor Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry
, the Head of the Department of Physics at the Government College
at that time. It was under Chaudhry's supervision that Butt studied nuclear physics
and supervised Butts' master degree's thesis in experimental nuclear physics using the 1.2 MeV
Cockcrof-Walton Nuclear Accelerator installed at the College. His master degree's thesis was written on "The nuclear reactions when the protons from this accelerator strike the nuclear target of lithium
produce a nuclear reaction
, breaking the atomic nucleus
of lithium". After his master's degree, Butt joined Government College University as a lecturer in physics. He stayed there till 1960. In 1961, he won a Commonwealth Scholarship
and the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission Scholarship to pursue his doctoral studies in Europe
. On his mentors' advice, Butt travelled to the United Kingdom
where he attended the University of Birmingham
.
During his studies, Butt learned the course on the Kinetic theory of solids from Prof. Rudolf Peierls
, a leading member and senior scientist who participated in the Manhattan Project
and who was till working as the Head of the implosion device being developed under this project in early 1940’s. Thus, at Birmingham University during his studies for Ph.D.
, Butt had studied and taught nuclear physics under three world known nuclear professors whose names form part of the nuclear history of the world. Later, Butt had a rich and full interaction with a large number of nuclear and material scientists of over 25 countries during his lectures and seminars at the laboratories of these countries of the East and the West.
In 1967, he received his Doctor of Science
(Sc.D.) in nuclear physics under the supervision of Dr. Philip Burton Moon. He joined the "Department of Nuclear Physics", Birmingham University, where he earned the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
(D.Phil.), thereafter. In 1968, he became a distinguished professor of nuclear physics at the University of Birmingham where he had continued his research in Fission product
. In 1970, Dr. Abdus Salam
had met with Butt where Salam had advised him to carry out his research at ICTP in Trieste
, Italy
. Butt followed Salam's advise and joined ICTP as a "Senior Associate" (SA). During his stay at ICTP, he began his studies and research in the field of Solid-state physics
which led him to win the "Associate ICTP Award
in Solid-State Physics". In 1979, Butt was also conferred with an "ICTP Award in Nuclear Physics" in the honour of Dr. Abdus Salam.
(PAEC) in 1961 as a "Principle Scientific Officer" (PSO). While in Europe in 1974, Butt had learned that India had secretly tested its miniature nuclear device in the Thar Desert
. He at first, had approached Pakistani government
respresentatives offering to help with their nuclear weapons research programme
, however, he did not receive any particular response from the government officials. In January 1975, Abdus Salam personally asked Butt to report to PAEC chairman Munir Ahmad Khan
who was heading Pakistan's nuclear weapon program. He along with Dr. Riazuddin and Dr. Masud Ahmad
came back to Pakistan where he attended a meeting with Abdus Salam in PAEC Headquarters. As the work on nuclear weapon design was initiated, Butt was given a transfer to the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology
(PINSTECH) where, with the support of Abdus Salam, he was appointed as a director-general
of the Nuclear Physics Division (NPD). Butt worked closely with Dr. Naeem Ahmad Khan in the development of the fissionable device throughout the 1970s. He was the first technical director at the "New Labs" where he was the head of the team of scientists discovering the fissionable isotopes
of 93Pu(Plutonium
). At New Labs, Butt began his research in the Mössbauer effect
and spectroscopy where, using the Mössbauer spectroscopy and Mössbauer effect applications, Butt's team had solved nuclear emission problems, and had discovered an effective technique to deal with Gamma ray
radiation in a nuclear device effecting environmental isotope
s around the nuclear test site.
In 1983, Butt was a part of teams of scientists that eye-witnessed the cold test
of a nuclear device near the Kirana Hills. In 1984, he was promoted and became an "Associate Director (AD)" of PINSTECH, and was responsible for the research undertaken in the institute. In 1991, as Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad
became a chairman of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, Butt was appointed and became director (or Deputy Director-General) of the PINSTECH institute, with the full support of Ishfaq Ahmad. In 1995, Butt was elected and became a President of Pakistan Nuclear Society (PNS). In 1996, Ishfaq Ahmad had promoted him as Director-general
of the institute. The same year, when the Pakistani Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence
(ISI) learnt that India was soon going to test its device, the Government of Pakistan ordered him to place and prepare the devices to be tested in the nuclear test sites. However, the decision was taken back as India had postponed its nuclear device tests.
Butt was part of a team of scientists that visited European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) along with -PAEC
Chairman Ishfaq Ahmad
in 1997, where he had led the experiments by Pakistani physicists. It was by his efforts that in 1997 the Atomic Energy Agency reached an agreement with CERN to contribute to the construction of eight magnet supports for the Compact Muon Solenoid
(CMS) detector, worth one million Swiss francs. PAEC was a financer of the CMS detector as well as providing its scientists and engineers to lead the construction of the detector. From 1970-1990s, Butt had closely worked with Ishfaq Ahmad in the field of nuclear physics where they produced numerous physics articles. He also helped established the first science journal in PINSTECH. His research repeatedly published in "The Nucleus (Journal)" published by the PINSTECH.
In 1998, he was promoted as a "Chief Scientist (CS)" at PINSTECH. In May 1998, when India tested
its fission devices in Pokhran
, the Pakistani government gave the scientists a green signal to test the nuclear weapon. In May 28, 1998, Butt was among one of the scientists that eye-witnessed the successful Chagai-I tests
of six nuclear devices in Ras Koh Hills.
As a Chief Scientist (CS) at PAEC, Butt took retirement from the PAEC in late 1998. In 2000,t he PAEC had made him "Scientist of Emeritus" (SE) in PINSTECH Institute to which he is still attached. The same year, he was elected President of Pakistan Physical Society. On October 2003, he was appointed as National Commission on Nano-Science and Technology (NCNST). In 2005 he was appointed Chairman of the Pakistan Science Foundation.
Butt is an elected fellow of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences
and Islamic Academy of Sciences to which he was last elected in 1993. Since his retirement, he has participated in over 125 national and international conferences and presented invited papers in many of them. He has contributed articles to Newspapers, and to contributed Radio and TV programmes for propagation Science and Technology from time to time.
International Centre for Theoretical Physics
The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics was founded in 1964 by Pakistani scientist and Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam after consulting with Munir Ahmad Khan. It operates under a tripartite agreement among the Italian Government, UNESCO, and International Atomic Energy Agency...
(ITCP) laureate
Laureate
In English, the word laureate has come to signify eminence or association with literary or military glory. It is also used for winners of the Nobel Prize.-History:...
who received the ICTP Prize
ICTP Prize
The International Centre for Theoretical Physics Prize, ICTP Prize, worth 3000 Euros is awarded to young researcher in physics and mathematics from developing countries to promote theoretical research in physics and mathematics in developing countries...
in 1970 and in 1979, in the honor of Dr. Abdus Salam
Abdus Salam
Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk (Urdu: محمد عبد السلام, pronounced , (January 29, 1926– November 21, 1996) was a Pakistani theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate in Physics for his work on the electroweak unification of the...
in the field of nuclear
Nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei. The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology, but the research has provided application in many fields, including those...
and solid state physics. A nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
expert by profession, Butt served as the chairman of the Pakistan Science foundation from 2005 to 2008, and is currently serving as the Chairman of the National Commission on Nano-Science and Technology (NCNST) which he was appointed to in 2003 by the President
President of Pakistan
The President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...
of Pakistan. Butt is amongst one of very few in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
who attained Sc.D.
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
in physics.
He is a recipient of the third highest
Civil decorations of Pakistan
The Pakistan Civil Awards were established on March 19, 1957, following the proclamation of Pakistan as an independent Republic on March 23, 1956. The announcement of civil awards is generally made once a year on Independence Day, August 14, and their investiture takes place on the following...
civil award, the Sitara-i-Imtiaz
Sitara-i-Imtiaz
The Sitara-i-Imtiaz , is the third highest honour and civilian award in the State of Pakistan. It recognizes the individuals who made an "especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of Pakistan, world peace, cultural or other significant public endeavors"...
, which he was awarded by then-Prime Minister of Pakistan
Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government...
, Nawaz Sharif
Nawaz Sharif
Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif is a Pakistani conservative politician and steel magnate who served as 12th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from November 1990 to July 1993, and from February 1997 to October 12, 1999...
, in 1992. Butt is also a representative in Pakistans Council for Meetings of Nobel Laureates, which he was elected to in 2003.
Biography
Noor Muhammad Butt was born in SialkotSialkot
Sialkot is a city in Pakistan situated in the north-east of the Punjab province at the foothills of snow-covered peaks of Kashmir near the Chenab river. It is the capital of Sialkot District. The city is about north-west of Lahore and only a few kilometers from Indian-controlled Jammu.The...
, British Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
, in 1936. Having completed his High-school from Sialkot, he completed his matriculation from Murray College, gaining a pre-science diploma from Murray College in 1950. In 1951, he attended Punjab University
University of the Punjab
University of the Punjab , colloquially known as Punjab University, is located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The University of the Punjab is the oldest and biggest University of Pakistan. The University of the Punjab was formally established with the convening of the first meeting of its...
, majoring in applied physics
Applied physics
Applied physics is a general term for physics which is intended for a particular technological or practical use.It is usually considered as a bridge or a connection between "pure" physics and engineering....
and had received his B.Sc
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Applied Physics
Applied physics
Applied physics is a general term for physics which is intended for a particular technological or practical use.It is usually considered as a bridge or a connection between "pure" physics and engineering....
from Punjab University in 1955.
The same year, he was accepted at the Government College University
Government College University
Government College University, Lahore is a co-educational public university located on The Mall in Lahore, Pakistan...
to do his Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in physics. In 1957, he completed his Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
(M.Sc.) with experimental specialization in the Nuclear physics under the renowned nuclear physicist Professor Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry
Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry
Professor Dr. Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry or R. M. Chaudhry , FPAS HI, NI, SI, Skdt, was a Pakistani nuclear physicist and a professor of particle physics at the Government College University...
, the Head of the Department of Physics at the Government College
Government College
Government College refers to various colleges.* Government College University, Lahore, is probably the most frequent college referred to by this name. It may also refer to:* Government College of Technology, Coimbatore, India* Darjeeling Government College...
at that time. It was under Chaudhry's supervision that Butt studied nuclear physics
Nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei. The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology, but the research has provided application in many fields, including those...
and supervised Butts' master degree's thesis in experimental nuclear physics using the 1.2 MeV
MEV
MeV and meV are multiples and submultiples of the electron volt unit referring to 1,000,000 eV and 0.001 eV, respectively.Mev or MEV may refer to:In entertainment:* Musica Elettronica Viva, an Italian musical group...
Cockcrof-Walton Nuclear Accelerator installed at the College. His master degree's thesis was written on "The nuclear reactions when the protons from this accelerator strike the nuclear target of lithium
Lithium
Lithium is a soft, silver-white metal that belongs to the alkali metal group of chemical elements. It is represented by the symbol Li, and it has the atomic number 3. Under standard conditions it is the lightest metal and the least dense solid element. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly...
produce a nuclear reaction
Nuclear reaction
In nuclear physics and nuclear chemistry, a nuclear reaction is semantically considered to be the process in which two nuclei, or else a nucleus of an atom and a subatomic particle from outside the atom, collide to produce products different from the initial particles...
, breaking the atomic nucleus
Atomic nucleus
The nucleus is the very dense region consisting of protons and neutrons at the center of an atom. It was discovered in 1911, as a result of Ernest Rutherford's interpretation of the famous 1909 Rutherford experiment performed by Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden, under the direction of Rutherford. The...
of lithium". After his master's degree, Butt joined Government College University as a lecturer in physics. He stayed there till 1960. In 1961, he won a Commonwealth Scholarship
Commonwealth Scholarship
The Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan is an international programme under which Commonwealth governments offer scholarships and fellowships to citizens of other Commonwealth countries.-History:...
and the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission Scholarship to pursue his doctoral studies in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. On his mentors' advice, Butt travelled to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
where he attended the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
.
During his studies, Butt learned the course on the Kinetic theory of solids from Prof. Rudolf Peierls
Rudolf Peierls
Sir Rudolf Ernst Peierls, CBE was a German-born British physicist. Rudolf Peierls had a major role in Britain's nuclear program, but he also had a role in many modern sciences...
, a leading member and senior scientist who participated in the Manhattan Project
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...
and who was till working as the Head of the implosion device being developed under this project in early 1940’s. Thus, at Birmingham University during his studies for Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
, Butt had studied and taught nuclear physics under three world known nuclear professors whose names form part of the nuclear history of the world. Later, Butt had a rich and full interaction with a large number of nuclear and material scientists of over 25 countries during his lectures and seminars at the laboratories of these countries of the East and the West.
In 1967, he received his Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
(Sc.D.) in nuclear physics under the supervision of Dr. Philip Burton Moon. He joined the "Department of Nuclear Physics", Birmingham University, where he earned the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
(D.Phil.), thereafter. In 1968, he became a distinguished professor of nuclear physics at the University of Birmingham where he had continued his research in Fission product
Fission product
Nuclear fission products are the atomic fragments left after a large atomic nucleus fissions. Typically, a large nucleus like that of uranium fissions by splitting into two smaller nuclei, along with a few neutrons and a large release of energy in the form of heat , gamma rays and neutrinos. The...
. In 1970, Dr. Abdus Salam
Abdus Salam
Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk (Urdu: محمد عبد السلام, pronounced , (January 29, 1926– November 21, 1996) was a Pakistani theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate in Physics for his work on the electroweak unification of the...
had met with Butt where Salam had advised him to carry out his research at ICTP in Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Butt followed Salam's advise and joined ICTP as a "Senior Associate" (SA). During his stay at ICTP, he began his studies and research in the field of Solid-state physics
Solid-state physics
Solid-state physics is the study of rigid matter, or solids, through methods such as quantum mechanics, crystallography, electromagnetism, and metallurgy. It is the largest branch of condensed matter physics. Solid-state physics studies how the large-scale properties of solid materials result from...
which led him to win the "Associate ICTP Award
International Centre for Theoretical Physics
The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics was founded in 1964 by Pakistani scientist and Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam after consulting with Munir Ahmad Khan. It operates under a tripartite agreement among the Italian Government, UNESCO, and International Atomic Energy Agency...
in Solid-State Physics". In 1979, Butt was also conferred with an "ICTP Award in Nuclear Physics" in the honour of Dr. Abdus Salam.
Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
Butt joined the Pakistan Atomic Energy CommissionPakistan Atomic Energy Commission
The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, , is an administrative governmental and autonomous science and technology governmental department of Pakistan, responsible for development of nuclear energy and development of nuclear power sector in Pakistan...
(PAEC) in 1961 as a "Principle Scientific Officer" (PSO). While in Europe in 1974, Butt had learned that India had secretly tested its miniature nuclear device in the Thar Desert
Thar Desert
The Thar Desert |Punjab]] province. The Cholistan Desert adjoins the Thar desert spreading into Pakistani Punjab province.-Location and description:...
. He at first, had approached Pakistani government
Government of Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan is a federal parliamentary system, with an indirectly-elected President as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Armed Forces, and an indirectly-elected Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The President’s appointment and term are...
respresentatives offering to help with their nuclear weapons research programme
Pakistan and weapons of mass destruction
Pakistan began focusing on nuclear weapons development in January 1972 under the leadership of Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who delegated the program to the Chairman of PAEC Munir Ahmad Khan...
, however, he did not receive any particular response from the government officials. In January 1975, Abdus Salam personally asked Butt to report to PAEC chairman Munir Ahmad Khan
Munir Ahmad Khan
Munir Ahmad Khan , HI, was a Pakistani nuclear engineer and a scientist who served as the Chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission from 1972 to 1991...
who was heading Pakistan's nuclear weapon program. He along with Dr. Riazuddin and Dr. Masud Ahmad
Masud Ahmad
Muhammad Masud Ahmad, Born: 1942, known as Masood Ahmad, D.Phil, Sc.D, SI, HI , is a Pakistani theoretical physicist and ICTP laureate who is renowned for his work in Neutron t scattering...
came back to Pakistan where he attended a meeting with Abdus Salam in PAEC Headquarters. As the work on nuclear weapon design was initiated, Butt was given a transfer to the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology
Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology
The Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, or commonly known as "PINSTECH", is a multi-program science and technology national research institute managed by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. The PINSTECH offers a post-graduate and post-doctoral research in the field of nuclear...
(PINSTECH) where, with the support of Abdus Salam, he was appointed as a director-general
Director-general
The term director-general is a title given the highest executive officer within a governmental, statutory, NGO, third sector or not-for-profit institution.-European Union:...
of the Nuclear Physics Division (NPD). Butt worked closely with Dr. Naeem Ahmad Khan in the development of the fissionable device throughout the 1970s. He was the first technical director at the "New Labs" where he was the head of the team of scientists discovering the fissionable isotopes
Isotopes of plutonium
Plutonium is an artificial element, except for trace quantities of primordial 244Pu, and thus a standard atomic mass cannot be given. Like all artificial elements, it has no stable isotopes. It was synthesized long before being found in nature, the first isotope synthesized being 238Pu in 1940....
of 93Pu(Plutonium
Plutonium
Plutonium is a transuranic radioactive chemical element with the chemical symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, forming a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibits six allotropes and four oxidation...
). At New Labs, Butt began his research in the Mössbauer effect
Mössbauer effect
The Mössbauer effect, or recoilless nuclear resonance fluorescence, is a physical phenomenon discovered by Rudolf Mössbauer in 1958. It involves the resonant and recoil-free emission and absorption of γ radiation by atomic nuclei bound in a solid...
and spectroscopy where, using the Mössbauer spectroscopy and Mössbauer effect applications, Butt's team had solved nuclear emission problems, and had discovered an effective technique to deal with Gamma ray
Gamma ray
Gamma radiation, also known as gamma rays or hyphenated as gamma-rays and denoted as γ, is electromagnetic radiation of high frequency . Gamma rays are usually naturally produced on Earth by decay of high energy states in atomic nuclei...
radiation in a nuclear device effecting environmental isotope
Environmental isotopes
The environmental isotopes are a subset of the isotopes, both stable and radioactive, which are the object of Isotope geochemistry.The most used environmental isotopes are:* deuterium* tritium* carbon-13* carbon-14* nitrogen-15* oxygen-18...
s around the nuclear test site.
In 1983, Butt was a part of teams of scientists that eye-witnessed the cold test
Cold fission
Cold fission or cold nuclear fission is defined as involving fission events for which fission fragments have such low excitation energy that no neutrons or gammas are emitted....
of a nuclear device near the Kirana Hills. In 1984, he was promoted and became an "Associate Director (AD)" of PINSTECH, and was responsible for the research undertaken in the institute. In 1991, as Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad
Ishfaq Ahmad
Ishfaq Ahmad , D.Sc., Minister of State, SI, HI, NI, FPAS, is a Pakistani nuclear physicist, and well-known educationist and academic from Pakistan...
became a chairman of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, Butt was appointed and became director (or Deputy Director-General) of the PINSTECH institute, with the full support of Ishfaq Ahmad. In 1995, Butt was elected and became a President of Pakistan Nuclear Society (PNS). In 1996, Ishfaq Ahmad had promoted him as Director-general
Director-general
The term director-general is a title given the highest executive officer within a governmental, statutory, NGO, third sector or not-for-profit institution.-European Union:...
of the institute. The same year, when the Pakistani Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence
Inter-Services Intelligence
The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence , is Pakistan's premier intelligence agency, responsible for providing critical national security intelligence assessment to the Government of Pakistan...
(ISI) learnt that India was soon going to test its device, the Government of Pakistan ordered him to place and prepare the devices to be tested in the nuclear test sites. However, the decision was taken back as India had postponed its nuclear device tests.
Butt was part of a team of scientists that visited European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) along with -PAEC
Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, , is an administrative governmental and autonomous science and technology governmental department of Pakistan, responsible for development of nuclear energy and development of nuclear power sector in Pakistan...
Chairman Ishfaq Ahmad
Ishfaq Ahmad
Ishfaq Ahmad , D.Sc., Minister of State, SI, HI, NI, FPAS, is a Pakistani nuclear physicist, and well-known educationist and academic from Pakistan...
in 1997, where he had led the experiments by Pakistani physicists. It was by his efforts that in 1997 the Atomic Energy Agency reached an agreement with CERN to contribute to the construction of eight magnet supports for the Compact Muon Solenoid
Compact Muon Solenoid
The Compact Muon Solenoid experiment is one of two large general-purpose particle physics detectors built on the proton-proton Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland and France. Approximately 3,600 people from 183 scientific institutes, representing 38 countries form the CMS collaboration...
(CMS) detector, worth one million Swiss francs. PAEC was a financer of the CMS detector as well as providing its scientists and engineers to lead the construction of the detector. From 1970-1990s, Butt had closely worked with Ishfaq Ahmad in the field of nuclear physics where they produced numerous physics articles. He also helped established the first science journal in PINSTECH. His research repeatedly published in "The Nucleus (Journal)" published by the PINSTECH.
In 1998, he was promoted as a "Chief Scientist (CS)" at PINSTECH. In May 1998, when India tested
Pokhran-II
Pokharan-II refers to test explosions of five nuclear devices, three on 11 May and two on 13 May 1998, conducted by India at the Pokhran test range. These nuclear tests resulted in a variety of sanctions against India by a number of major states....
its fission devices in Pokhran
Pokhran
Pokhran is a city and a municipality located in Jaisalmer district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is a remote location in the Thar Desert region and served as the test site for India's first underground nuclear weapon detonation.-Geography:Pokhran http://marupradesh.org/ located at...
, the Pakistani government gave the scientists a green signal to test the nuclear weapon. In May 28, 1998, Butt was among one of the scientists that eye-witnessed the successful Chagai-I tests
Chagai-I
The Chagai-I was a codename referring to the five underground nuclear tests conducted by Pakistan at 15:15hrs in 28th May of 1998. It was named Chagai-I, as the tests were conducted in the Chagai District...
of six nuclear devices in Ras Koh Hills.
As a Chief Scientist (CS) at PAEC, Butt took retirement from the PAEC in late 1998. In 2000,t he PAEC had made him "Scientist of Emeritus" (SE) in PINSTECH Institute to which he is still attached. The same year, he was elected President of Pakistan Physical Society. On October 2003, he was appointed as National Commission on Nano-Science and Technology (NCNST). In 2005 he was appointed Chairman of the Pakistan Science Foundation.
Butt is an elected fellow of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences
Pakistan Academy of Sciences
The Pakistan Academy of Sciences The Pakistan Academy of Sciences The Pakistan Academy of Sciences (Urdu: پاکستان اكيڈ مى ﺁف سائس; shortened to PAS, is a learned society for science and technology based in Pakistan. The academy consisted and served as the network of science across the Pakistan as...
and Islamic Academy of Sciences to which he was last elected in 1993. Since his retirement, he has participated in over 125 national and international conferences and presented invited papers in many of them. He has contributed articles to Newspapers, and to contributed Radio and TV programmes for propagation Science and Technology from time to time.
Awards and honors
- Khwarizmi International AwardKhwarizmi International AwardThe Khwarizmi International Award is given annually by the Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology to individuals who have made outstanding achievements in research, innovation and invention, in fields related to science and technology....
(1995) - Sitara-e-Imtiaz (1992)
- Gold MedalGold MedalGold Medal is the sixth studio album by the American hard rock band The Donnas, released in 2004 on Atlantic Records. It was one of the first albums released in the DualDisc format, but was recalled due to a mastering error which resulted in the final track being partially omitted from the CD...
, Pakistan Academy of SciencesPakistan Academy of SciencesThe Pakistan Academy of Sciences The Pakistan Academy of Sciences The Pakistan Academy of Sciences (Urdu: پاکستان اكيڈ مى ﺁف سائس; shortened to PAS, is a learned society for science and technology based in Pakistan. The academy consisted and served as the network of science across the Pakistan as...
(1990) - ICTP AwardAwardAn award is something given to a person or a group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field; a certificate of excellence. Awards are often signifiedby trophies, titles, certificates, commemorative plaques, medals, badges, pins, or ribbons...
in Solid State Physics (1979) - ICTP AwardAwardAn award is something given to a person or a group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field; a certificate of excellence. Awards are often signifiedby trophies, titles, certificates, commemorative plaques, medals, badges, pins, or ribbons...
in Nuclear PhysicsNuclear physicsNuclear physics is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei. The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology, but the research has provided application in many fields, including those...
(1970) - Academic Roll of Honour (1957)
- Youngson Gold MedalGold MedalGold Medal is the sixth studio album by the American hard rock band The Donnas, released in 2004 on Atlantic Records. It was one of the first albums released in the DualDisc format, but was recalled due to a mastering error which resulted in the final track being partially omitted from the CD...
, Murray College, 1955 - Gold Medal from Murray College (1955)
Fellowships and memberships
- Life Member, Pakistan Physical Society (2000)
- Fellow of the Pakistan Institute of Physics (2000)
- Associate Member, Institute of Physics of London (2000–2001)
- Member American Physical Society, New York (2000)
- An elected President of ICTP-Chapter in Pakistan (2000)
- A Fellow of the Islamic Academy of Sciences (1993)
- An elected Fellow and Life Member, Pakistan Nuclear Society (1995–1997)
Published Research papers
- The detection of the inelastic sacttering of gamma-rays at crystal diffraction maxima using the Mossbauer Effect. [cited in over 100 papers over 30 years (1963–93)] D.A.O'Connor and N. M. Butt. Phys. Lett., 7, 233, 1963.(Holland)
- The determination of x-ray temperature factors for aluminium and potassium chloride single crystals using the nuclear resonant radiation. N. M. Butt and D. A.O'ConnorProc. Phys. Soc., 90, 247, 1967 (U.K).
- Utilisation of Pakistan's Research Reactor (PARR). N. M. Butt (Proceedings).Proc. IAEA Regional Meeting, August 1971, Bandung, pp 41–74, 1971.(Indonesia)
- Phonon disopersion in the mixed Crystal K0.5 Rb0.5 I.B. Renker, N. M. Butt, N. E. Massa Phys. Rev. B27, 1450–1452, 1983.(USA).
- Study of cation distribution in the Mn-Zn ferrites using Mossbauer effect. M. Arshad, N. M. Butt, M. Siddique and M. Anwar-ul-Islam. Solid Stat. Commun. 84, 717-719, 1992.(U.K).
- Correlation of temperature factors with physical properties in cubic elements. N. M. Butt, J. Bashir and M. Nasir Khan. J. Mat. Sci., 28, 1595–1606, 1993.(U.K).
- Mechanism of quasi-morphine withdrawal behaviour induced by methylxanthines. N M Butt, H O Collier, N J Cuthbert, D L Francis, S A Saeed
- Autografting as a risk factor for persisting iron overload in long-term survivors of acute myeloid leukaemia. N M Butt, R E Clark
- High frequency of positive surveillance for cytomegalovirus (CMV) by PCR in allograft recipients at low risk of CMV. N M Butt, R E Clark
- Selective inhibition of rat lung cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase and cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase by cyclic nucleotides and their analogues and various drugs. N M Butt, S A Saeed, H O Collier
- Differential effects of haptoglobin and albumin on the oxygenation of arachidonic acid during prostaglandin biosynthesis. P A Denning-Kendall, N M Butt, S A Saeed, H O Collier
- Physics in Nano-Science & Technology by N. M. Butt
- Endogenous peptides that inhibit brain cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase. H O Collier, N M Butt, S A Saeed
- NUCLEAR RADIATION EDUCATION AND NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN PAKISTAN by N. M Butt
- Study of magnetic properties in Ni-Mn ferrites by Mossbauer Spectroscopy by M. Siddique, M. Anwar-ul-Islam, N.M. Butt, M. Shafi, T. Abbas and misbah-ul-Islam, 6th International Symposium on Advanced Materials 19–23 September (1999), Islamabad, Pakistan.
- Mossbauer Spectroscopy Study of Ni-Mn Ferrites byM. Siddique, M. Anwar-ul-Islam, N.M. Butt, M. Shafi, T. Abbas and Misbah-ul-Islam, Abstract has been accepted in ICAME-99 (Germany) 29 August-03 Sep. 1999, (Paper could not be presented due to non-availability of funds).
- Composition dependence of quadrupole splitting in Cd-Zn ferrites. By M. Siddique, M. Anwar-ul-Islam, N.M. Butt, T. Abbas and Misbah-ul-Islam, Phys. Stat. Sol. (b) 216 (1999) 1069, Nuclear Physics Division, PINSTECH.
Online resources
- http://www.paspk.org/fellow2.htm
- http://www.ias-worldwide.org/profiles/prof15.htm
- http://www.ncp.edu.pk/docs/nsc_2008/24-03-08/Dr_N_M_Butt.pdf
- http://www.psf.gov.pk/home/images/staff/cvchairman.pdf
- https://www.researchgate.net/author/N+M+Butt
- Zoominfo entry
- Profile
- N. M. Butt