Tahir Hussain (physicist)
Encyclopedia
Dr. Prof. Tahir Hussain (1923-2010) was a Pakistan
i nuclear physicist and a emeritus professor of nuclear physics
at the Government College University
whose research was engaged in Long-lived fission product
and Electrostatic nuclear accelerator
s. As an eminent educator and scientist, he has mentored noted Pakistani physicists at the Government College University
and is considered one of the noted physicist in his country.
and Master's degree (M.Sc.)
with distinction in physics
from there. After the Partition of India
, he declined the Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru
's offer to join Physics Laboratories of India. Instead, after personally being requested by Founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah
, he along with his mentor Dr. Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry
, migrated to Pakistan in 1948.
at Government College
, Lahore, and after some time, proceeded to Oxford University and did PhD
in Nuclear Physics
in 1954. After his Ph.D, he came back to Pakistan where he joined Government College University
. In 1954, he along with dr. R. M. Chaudhry founded the "Center For Advance Studies In Physics (CASP). In 1964, he was elevated as the Head of the Physics Department whereas, in 1965, he became a director of Center For Advance Studies In Physics (CASP).
, Muzaffarabad
. Thereafter, he was appointed Chairman of Literacy and Mass Education for some time. Dr. Tahir was associated with the Ministry of Education of Pakistan
as Consultant for Science and also worked as Chairman, USA Education Foundation. He has published a number of research papers in journals of international repute. Dr. Tahir Hussain has contributed in the foundation and development of the first Nuclear Research Laboratory. In the High Tension Laboratory, scientists like Dr. Samar Mubarakmand
, Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad, Dr. Mansoor and others worked under his supervision. He also had supervised the undergraduate and post graduate education
of renowned nuclear scientist and physicist
dr. Ishfaq Ahmad
.
s and, also trained a number of young Pakistani scientists in the field of nuclear technology. In 1972, he was delegated by his student Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad
to participate in Kahuta Project. As a senior scientist at PAEC, he began in research in Electrostatic nuclear accelerator
s. He served as senior research scientist at the PARR-Reactor
, and was significantly involved in mass calculations in isotopic radiation
and ionization
nuclear
and atomic energy
. Later, he focused his research in Long-lived fission product
s where he published investigative papers in peer journals. He also performed an experiment on 93Zr, an element that produced at a relatively high yield of about 6% but its decay is 7.5 time slower than 99Tc
. In 1977, Hussain then joined Centre for Solid State Physics, University of the Punjab
. In 1983, he then rejoined his alma mater
as a professor emeritus of nuclear physics
in 1977.
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...
i nuclear physicist and a emeritus professor of 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...
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...
whose research was engaged in Long-lived fission product
Long-lived fission product
Long-lived fission products are radioactive materials with a long half-life produced by nuclear fission.-Evolution of radioactivity in nuclear waste:...
and Electrostatic nuclear accelerator
Electrostatic nuclear accelerator
An electrostatic nuclear accelerator is one of the two main types of particle accelerators, where charged particles can be accelerated by subjection to a static high voltage potential. The static high voltage method is contrasted with the dynamic fields used in oscillating field particle...
s. As an eminent educator and scientist, he has mentored noted Pakistani physicists 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...
and is considered one of the noted physicist in his country.
Life and Education
Born in Aligarh, Hussain received his education from Aligarh University where he received his Bachelor (B.S.)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...
and Master's degree (M.Sc.)
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:...
with distinction in physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
from there. After the Partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
, he declined the Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
's offer to join Physics Laboratories of India. Instead, after personally being requested by Founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a Muslim lawyer, politician, statesman and the founder of Pakistan. He is popularly and officially known in Pakistan as Quaid-e-Azam and Baba-e-Qaum ....
, he along with his mentor Dr. 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...
, migrated to Pakistan in 1948.
Academic career
At first he taught physicsPhysics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
at 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...
, Lahore, and after some time, proceeded to Oxford University and did PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in 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...
in 1954. After his Ph.D, he came back to Pakistan where he joined Government College University
Government College University
Government College University, Lahore is a co-educational public university located on The Mall in Lahore, Pakistan...
. In 1954, he along with dr. R. M. Chaudhry founded the "Center For Advance Studies In Physics (CASP). In 1964, he was elevated as the Head of the Physics Department whereas, in 1965, he became a director of Center For Advance Studies In Physics (CASP).
Public service
In 1965, after the retirement of dr. R.M. Chaudhry, he subsequently became a head of High Tension Laboratory and continued the research and work of his mentor. In 1968, while at the Dr. Tahir Hussain was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Azad Kashmir UniversityUniversity of Azad Jammu and Kashmir
The University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir is a university at Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. It was established in 1980 and is currently ranked at No.14 in HEC ranking of General category universities in Pakistan...
, Muzaffarabad
Muzaffarabad
Muzaffarabad is the capital of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Pakistan. It is located in Muzaffarabad District on the banks of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers...
. Thereafter, he was appointed Chairman of Literacy and Mass Education for some time. Dr. Tahir was associated with the Ministry of Education of Pakistan
Ministry of Education (Pakistan)
The Ministry of Education, also referred as MEd, is a Cabinet-leveled ministry of the Government of Pakistan. The ministry's political figure is known as Education Minister of Pakistan, and Parliamentarian Sardar Asif Ahmad Ali is the current Federal Education Minister of Pakistan while Mr. Ghulam...
as Consultant for Science and also worked as Chairman, USA Education Foundation. He has published a number of research papers in journals of international repute. Dr. Tahir Hussain has contributed in the foundation and development of the first Nuclear Research Laboratory. In the High Tension Laboratory, scientists like Dr. Samar Mubarakmand
Samar Mubarakmand
Samar Mubarakmand , , is a Pakistani nuclear physicist, who served as the founding chairman of National Engineering and Scientific Commission from 2001 till 2007. Samar Mubarak-Mand launched the Missile Integration Programme in 1987 which was successfully completed in 2005...
, Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad, Dr. Mansoor and others worked under his supervision. He also had supervised the undergraduate and post graduate education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
of renowned nuclear scientist and physicist
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...
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...
.
Research in Physics
After the retirement of his mentor, Hussain became a director of High Tension Laboratory (HTL) in 1965. He continued his research in Electrostatic nuclear acceleratorElectrostatic nuclear accelerator
An electrostatic nuclear accelerator is one of the two main types of particle accelerators, where charged particles can be accelerated by subjection to a static high voltage potential. The static high voltage method is contrasted with the dynamic fields used in oscillating field particle...
s and, also trained a number of young Pakistani scientists in the field of nuclear technology. In 1972, he was delegated by his student 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...
to participate in Kahuta Project. As a senior scientist at PAEC, he began in research in Electrostatic nuclear accelerator
Electrostatic nuclear accelerator
An electrostatic nuclear accelerator is one of the two main types of particle accelerators, where charged particles can be accelerated by subjection to a static high voltage potential. The static high voltage method is contrasted with the dynamic fields used in oscillating field particle...
s. He served as senior research scientist at the PARR-Reactor
PARR-Reactor
The Pakistan Atomic Research Reactor or , are the three nuclear and two experimental neutron sources located in the PINSTECH Laboratory, Nilore, Islamabad, Pakistan. The PARR Reactor is a graphite-moderated, Gas Cooled, nuclear reactor....
, and was significantly involved in mass calculations in isotopic radiation
Radionuclide
A radionuclide is an atom with an unstable nucleus, which is a nucleus characterized by excess energy available to be imparted either to a newly created radiation particle within the nucleus or to an atomic electron. The radionuclide, in this process, undergoes radioactive decay, and emits gamma...
and ionization
Ionization
Ionization is the process of converting an atom or molecule into an ion by adding or removing charged particles such as electrons or other ions. This is often confused with dissociation. A substance may dissociate without necessarily producing ions. As an example, the molecules of table sugar...
nuclear
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
and atomic energy
Radioactive decay
Radioactive decay is the process by which an atomic nucleus of an unstable atom loses energy by emitting ionizing particles . The emission is spontaneous, in that the atom decays without any physical interaction with another particle from outside the atom...
. Later, he focused his research in Long-lived fission product
Long-lived fission product
Long-lived fission products are radioactive materials with a long half-life produced by nuclear fission.-Evolution of radioactivity in nuclear waste:...
s where he published investigative papers in peer journals. He also performed an experiment on 93Zr, an element that produced at a relatively high yield of about 6% but its decay is 7.5 time slower than 99Tc
Technetium-99
Technetium-99 is an isotope of technetium which decays with a half-life of 211,000 years to stable ruthenium-99, emitting soft beta rays, but no gamma rays....
. In 1977, Hussain then joined Centre for Solid State Physics, University of the Punjab
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...
. In 1983, he then rejoined his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
as a professor emeritus of 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...
in 1977.