Abdus Salam

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Abdus Salam bigraphy, stories - Pakistani physicist

Abdus Salam : biography

29 January 1926 – 21 November 1996

Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk, KBEThis is the standard transliteration (e.g. see the and ). Other transliterations include Abdus Salam; see Abd as-Salam for more details. (Punjabi, ; ; 29 January 192621 November 1996) was a theoretical physicist who, when he shared the 1979 award for his contribution to electroweak unification, became the first Muslim and first Pakistani to receive a Nobel Prize in Physics.

Salam was a science advisor to the Government of Pakistan from 1960 to 1974, a position from which he played a major and influential role in Pakistan’s science infrastructure. Salam was responsible for not only major development and contribution in theoretical and particle physics, but as well as promoting scientific research at maximum level in his country. Salam was the founding director of Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), and responsible for the establishment of the Theoretical Physics Group (TPG) in Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC). As Science Advisor, Salam played an integral role in Pakistan’s development of peaceful use of nuclear energy, and directed the research on development of atomic bomb project of Pakistan in 1972; for this, he is viewed as the "scientific father" of this programme in the views of the scientists who researched under his scientific umbrella. In 1974, Abdus Salam departed from his country, in protest, after the Pakistan Parliament passed a controversial parliamentary bill declaring the Ahmadiyya denomination as non-Islamic. Even after his death, Salam remained one of the most influential scientists in his country. In 1998, following the country’s nuclear tests, the Government of Pakistan issued a commemorative stamp, as a part of "Scientists of Pakistan", to honour the services of Salam.

Salam’s major and notable achievements include the Pati–Salam model, magnetic photon, vector meson, Grand Unified Theory, work on supersymmetry and, most importantly, electroweak theory, for which he was awarded the most prestigious award in Physics – the Nobel Prize. Salam made a major contribution in Quantum Field Theory and advancement of Mathematics at Imperial College London. With his student, Riazuddin, Salam made important contributions to the modern theory on neutrinos, neutron stars and black holes, as well as the work on modernising the quantum mechanics and quantum field theory. As a teacher and science promoter, Salam is remembered as a founder and scientific father of mathematical and theoretical physics in Pakistan during his term as the chief scientific advisor to the president.Abdus Salam, As I Know him: Riazuddin, NCP Salam heavily contributed to the rise of Pakistani physics to the Physics community in the world. Even until his death, Salam continued to contribute to physics and tirelessly advocated for the development of science in Third-World countries.

In popular culture

Documentaries on Abdus Salam

Abdus Salam Documentary Film (working title)

started formally researching and developing a in 2004, two years after the producers had conceived of the idea. A [https://vimeo.com/58447727/ fundraising teaser] was released by Kailoola Productions to coincide with Salam’s birth anniversary on January 29, 2013. The post-production phase of this documentary film, , is estimated at US$ 150, 000. The anticipated release date is December 2013.

Abdus Salam: The Dream of Symmetry

Pilgrim Films released in September 2011. Their press-kit describes it as presenting ""

Government work

Salam immediately returned to Pakistan in 1960 to take charge of a government post that was given to him by President Field Marshal Ayub Khan. From her independence, Pakistan has never had a coherent Science policy, and the total expenditure on research and development represent ~1.0% of Pakistan’s GDP. Even the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) headquarter was located in a small room, and less than 10 scientists were working on a fundamental concepts of physics. Salam replaced Salimuzzaman Siddiqui as Science Advisor, became first Member (technical) of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. Salam expanded the web of physics research and development in Pakistan by sending more than 500 scientists abroad.Ishfaq Ahmad, Salam was responsible for sending more than 500 scientists to thr United States In September 1961, Salam approached President Ayub Khan to set up the country’s first national space agency. On 16 September 1961, through an executive order, Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission was established, in which Salam served as the first director. Before 1960, very little work on scientific development was done, and scientific activities in Pakistan were almost diminished. Salam called Ishfaq Ahmad, a nuclear physicist, who had left the country for Switzerland where he joined CERN, to Pakistan. With the support of Salam, PAEC established PAEC Lahore Center-6, with Ishfaq Ahmad as its first director. In 1967, Salam became a central and administrative figure to lead the research in both Theoretical and Particle physics. With the establishment of Institute of Physics at Quaid-e-Azam University, the research in theoretical and particle physics was engaged. Under Salam’s direction, physicists tackled the greatest outstanding problems in physics and mathematics. Another physicist, Raziuddin Siddiqui, established numerous physics research group and supervised research activities in the academic institutions of Pakistan. Under the direction of Salam, research in physics reached a point that prompted worldwide recognition of Pakistani physicists.