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.

Urgent Green Concern for Climate Supports Nuclear Power
(Excerpts from World Nuclear Association Newsletter- Nov Dec, 2004)

In recent months two leading environmentalists have very publicly asserted the pressing and urgent need to develop nuclear energy on a large scale to counter global warming.

 These are both individuals who have demonstrated for several decades an abiding concern with the environment and its health, which has finally caused them to distance themselves from the green movement-which on energy issues is now largely trading on populist sentiment. One man is an eminent scientist with expertise in climatology, the other a churchman and theologian who has been a trustee of Friends of the Earth in UK for 20 years, before being pushed out: “The future of the planet is more important than membership of Friends of the Earth” - not to mention being divergent from its agenda.

 Professor James Lovelock is best known as originator of the Gaia hypothesis, which arises from the notion of a ‘balance of nature’. It represents the Earth and its atmosphere-organisms and their material environment-as a self-regulating system with complex climate and chemistry feedbacks which maintain conditions for life. It countered the then prevalent scientific reductionism, included humanity with nature, and has gained significant scientific support as it has evolved.

Professor Lovelock now sees an urgent need to limit greenhouse gas emissions, pointing to the “unprecedented” northern European summer of 2003 where 20,000 people perished as evidence of accelerating global warming. He thinks we are approaching a carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere which will be a “tipping point”, when the warming becomes irreversible and civilization is threatened. Natural processes would eventually correct the situation, but the time scale involved is thousands of years. “There will always be breeding pairs of humans around, but civilization is much more fragile. I don’t want to go back to another Stone Age and then have to start all over again.”

 However, “despair is the wrong attitude altogether”. Rather than choosing “to go to war with the Earth itself-and the Earth, Gaia, is a power enemy,” we need to take urgent action.

 Bishop Hugh Montefiore has been an outspoken environmentalist within the Church of England for three decades. He was Bishop of Birmingham 1978-87. In October he wrote that “the dangers of global warming are greater than any other facing the planet….As a theologian, I believe that we have a duty to play our full part in safeguarding the future of our planet”. In the light of this “I have now come to the conclusion that the solution is to make more use of nuclear energy.” He goes on to refer to the UK government’s 60% carbon dioxide reduction aspiration, and outlines why renewables cannot achieve this.

 But “Nuclear energy provides a reliable, safe, cheap, almost limitless form of pollution-free energy. The real reason why the Government has not taken up the nuclear option is because it lacks public acceptance, due to scare stories in the media and the stonewalling opposition of powerful environmental organizations. Most, if not all, of the objections do not stand up to objective assessment.” He discusses nuclear wastes and concludes that “There is minimal risk of danger to posterity”.

 “The advantages far outweigh any objections, and I can see no practical way of meeting the world’s needs without nuclear energy. The predictions of the world’s scientists are dire and the consequences for the planet of global warming are catastrophic. This is why I believe we must now consider nuclear energy. The subject is so important that it should be a matter of informed public debate.”

 Professor Lovelock has been pro-nuclear for many years, but due to the increasing urgency of the climate situation and the dilatory responses of many governments he is now much more outspoken about the need for widespread replacement of fossil fuel generating capacity, so that most countries would get 20 to 50 percent of their power from nuclear energy. “I think that there would have to be draconian measures taken” to avoid delays and overcome objections so that building new plants could be expedited. While “nuclear power has a few dangers, they are trivial compared with the dangers of just letting global warming happen.” He particularly attacked the “absolute nonsense” voiced about nuclear wastes in current folklore.

 Asked about how he might get this message across to the green movement, he said: “They will listen to me, but they don’t act.” This is “because the green movement is to an extent political, and it depends on the perception of its supporters. It is not so much the leaders of the green movement that have to be persuaded, but the public at large, and this is where the media come in.”

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Secretary, PNS/Director (SI&PR)
P.O. Box # 1114
Islamabad
Phone: 9206384
E-mail: sipr@paec.gov.pk & mijaz@paec.gov.pk

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