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Announcement
37th International Nathiagali Summer College on Physics and Contemporary Needs, Nathiagali (25th June - 07th July, 2012)

International Nathiagali Summer Colleges (INSC) on Physics and Contemporary Needs have been organized every year since 1976, mostly at the scenic hill resort of Nathiagali near Islamabad, Pakistan. The idea of holding these colleges came from the distinguished Nobel Laureate, Professor Abdus Salam who emphasized the vital need of communication, as well as for transferring and sharing scientific knowledge, among the scientific community of the Third World. The primary aim of the college is to break the isolation of the scientists in the developing countries by enabling them to interact with an international faculty and colleagues from the Third World.

The college is primarily intended for scientists actively engaged in teaching and research activities in developing countries. Advance postgraduate students from Pakistan are also encouraged to attend this intellectual discourse of advance level. During the last 36 years, about 650 eminent scientists including six Nobel Laureates as faculty from developed countries shared their knowledge and experience with more than 1035 foreign scientists from over seventy developing countries and 7300 scientists from Pakistan.

Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) has been regularly organizing this scientific activity since 1976. The regular sponsors of the college include the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ASICTP), the US National Science Foundation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Czech Academy of Sciences, National Centre for Physics and Commission on Science & Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS).

The scientific activities of INSC aim at the broad coverage of topics at the frontiers of knowledge in Physics and allied sciences. Every year, one or two subjects of current interest and their applications for technological development, with special reference to needs of the developing world, are highlighted. This year college is covering the following topics:

Activity-I: Astrophysics/Particle Physics/Cosmology/ Space Physics (25th June to 30th June, 2012)
The first week of 37th International Nathiagali Summer College

(INSC) will cover very broad areas of astrophysics, particle physics, cosmology and space physics. Cosmology and particle physics are deeply connected with each other. Recent announcement of 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics related to the existence of dark energy in the universe provides a motivation to choose this topic. In this area, we plan to focus on “observational astrophysics” focusing on the Chandra X-ray Observatory as well as the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. We would also like to discuss the phenomena of supernovae during the college. Some areas in theoretical astrophysics such as analytical models and models based upon numerical simulations will also be included. For the case of cosmology, we plan to include reports from deep space probes such as COBE and WAMP. For space physics, focus will be mostly on the space plasmas with emphasis on sun, solar winds with particular mention of magneto and ionospheres. It is important to note that this activity will provide the participants of INSC with a broad range of topics and lectures in the above mentioned fields helping them in turn to develop their own interests and possible future collaborations.

Activity-II: Accelerator Physics and Applications (2nd- 7th July, 2012)

The second week of 37th INSC will be a more focused activity with the precise definition of underlying topic and theme of the college. Modern world accelerators have wide ranging applications in various disciplines, which include medical, industrial and basic science. One important area for Pakistani perspective is medical application and another area is the synchrotron light source. During this week, various topics related to accelerators and their applications will be discussed. In accelerator physics, we plan to cover physics of moving charge, various interactions in an accelerator such as beam-e.m.wave, beam-beam, beam-gas and beam-wall. One of the focuses will be the discussion of electron linear accelerator (LINAC) of 100 MeV keeping in view that such an injector will be needed in future for the synchrotron light source in the Middle East called SESAME. Another area will be 20 MeV electrons LINAC for cancer therapy. In the accelerator technology area, we plan to cover topics such as radio-frequency (RF) cavities, magnets, vacuum, instrumentation and control systems.

Source: PAKATOM Newsletter -- November - December 2011 issue (SI&PR, PAEC)

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