Professor Dr. Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry or R. M. Chaudhry (July 1, 1903- December 4, 1988), FPAS HI, NI, SI, Skdt, was a Pakistani nuclear physicist and a professor of particle physics at the Government College University.[1] He is best known and widely regarded as the pioneer of experimental nuclear physics research in Pakistan. [2] He is considered one of the main wings and instruments of Pakistan's nuclear weapons research program. Along with Dr. Abdus salam and Dr. Ishrat Hussain Usmani, Dr. Rafi built and orchestrated Pakistan's nuclear research program.
While serving as Professor of nuclear physics at Government College University; Dr. Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry and his students became prime instruments for the development of Pakistan's nuclear research program during the 1970s. In an interview with a group of journalists, Dr. Samar Mubarakmand, one of his students, called Dr. Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry as "the true father of the Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme".[3][4] To his student, he is often considered as the "Father of Nuclear Physics in Pakistan" due to his pioneering research work in nuclear physics in Pakistan.[3][5]
Contents |
Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry was born in 1903 to a middle class (Rao - Ranghar ) - Rajput family in Kahnaur — a small village in Rohtak district of Eastern Punjab.In Pakistan, he owened some land in chack no 157/E.B near Arif wala Distt Sahiwal.N Ab[6] his high-school from Rotak District passed the university entrance exam with highest marks, and earned a scholarship awarded by the Viceroy Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading. He moved Aligarh to attend Aligarh University and enrolled as an student of Chemical engineering in 1923.[7] But after attending an engineering physics course, Chaudhry decided to change and began his studies in thermodynamics and multivariable calculus.[7] He succeeded as a brilliant physics student, and gained a respected reputation among his peers and professors.[6]
In 1927, Chaudhry took his B.Sc. in Experimental physics, and followed by his M.Sc. in physics in 1929 with a First Class Honours which remained an academic record for quarter of a century in the history of the Aligarh University.[6] The same year, Chaudhry gained attention from Nawab of Bhopal, and sent him a letter asking for a meeting. Hamidullah Khan, the Nawab of Bhopal of princely state of Bhopal awarded a science scholarship for higher studies.[6] Chaudhry traveled to United Kingdom to study for his doctoral studies. Chaudhry joined the Cavendish Laboratory of the University of Cambridge. At Cambridge, Chaudhry studied Calculus of mathematical Integrals, and learned Tensor calculus, quantum physics, and general relativity under renowned Nobel laureate in Chemistry Ernest Rutherford, who later who became known as the father of nuclear physics in the world.[7] At Cavendish, he studied with Mark Oliphant who particularly influenced him to study nuclear physics. Chaudhry, with Oliphant carried, research in artificial disintegration of the atomic nucleus and positive ions. In 1933, Chaudhry did his D.Phil in Nuclear physics under Ernest Rutherford, and reluctantly returned to British Indian Empire in 1933.[6]
At age 30, Chaudhry moved to Lahore and took the academic professorship at the Lahore Islamia College, and became professor of Physics there.[6] In 1935, he became Chairman of Department of Physics at the Islamia College, where he stayed until 1938. In 1938, Chaudhry moved back to him Alma mater — Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) — to teach physics there.[6] At AMU, he became Head of the Department of Physics where he created a lively physics group and engaged research in nuclear and atomic physics there. In 1944, Chaudhry was contacted by Oliphant who offered him back to Cavendish Laboratory. Chaudhry went to United Kingdom, where he joined Oxford University's Nuffield College.[6] In 1946, he joined Birmingham University as Nuffield Fellow at the invitation of Professor Sir Mark Oliphant. Along with Oliphant and Bhabha, Chaudhry created a vital group of physicists that took research in theory of Gamma and Beta decay, with the inclusion of the neutrino postulated by Wolfgang Pauli in 1930, Compton scattering, and the behavior of slow neutrons during the atomic bombardment process. On the recommendation of Oliphant, Chaudhry joined Atomic Energy Research Establishment to continue research in nuclear physics. There, he established a laboratory to conduct research in nuclear power plants. There, he applied his research work on the behavior slow neutrons in research nuclear reactor. There, Chaudhry observed and calculated the heavier particles emitted in an alpha decay and its extension to the Cluster decay.
In 1948, months after the Partition of India, while in Great-Britain, he was personally contacted by Indian Premier Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru offered him a senior position at the Physics Laboratory of India.[6] Chaudhry consulted this offer to his physicist friend Mark Oliphant at Birmingham University. Oliphant wrote a letter to Founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Governor-General that time. The letter encouraged Jinnah engaged research in Nuclear technology, particularly Nuclear physics.[6] According to Oliphant, no other Muslim Scientist was available in the subcontinent except Dr. Chaudhary who could prove useful for the newly born country in the field of Nuclear Technology. However, Nehru came to know of this development, and personally offered him a position of "Deputy Directorship" of Physics Laboratory of India.[6]
While the request was being considered, Jinnah sent him a letter where Jinnah had personally requested him to come to Pakistan, and join Government College University. After being request by Jinnah, Chaudhry had consulted Oliphant and his students where he decided to move to Pakistan. Nehru then again contacted Chaudhry via telephone, but Chaudhry had declined the offer. In 1948, Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry, along with one of his student dr. Tahir Hussain, migrated to Pakistan and joined Government College University as a professor of nuclear physics as well as the Head of the Physics Department in 1948.
Following his settlement in Pakistan, the Government of Pakistan asked him to engage research in physics at the Government College University. In 1952, Dr. Rafi established the "High Tension Laboratory" (now “Centre for Advanced Studies in Physics”) as an off shoot of the Physics Department at Government College.[8] Dr. Rafi was an instrumental figure in the installation of 1.2 MeV Cockcroft-Walton accelerator in the High Tension Laboratory (HTL) in 1954 for carrying out basic research in Atomic and Nuclear Physics.[9] Rafi led the scientific projects that tackled the fundamental problems of Physics concerning Gaseous diffusion, Ion and electron impact phenomena, nuclear physics, radioactivity and cosmic rays was carried out.[9] The HTL produces a number of scientists and became the center of attention of foreign scientists. Later in the future, during the late 1970s, HTL became a focal point for Pakistan's nuclear weapons research program. The research carried out at the laboratory resulted in research publications in Nature and it was visited by the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in 1958.[9] His abilities as a great scientist, combining theoretical and applied nuclear physics, were acknowledge by all. At HTL, he influenced many physicists, who studied under him, such as N. M. Butt and Samar Mubarakmand, who became the senior scientists in Pakistan's indigenous nuclear development . While at GCU, he developed an extreme cordial relationship with Abdus Salam, and supported him unconditionally as Salam wanted to established a research institute. After retirement from Government College, Lahore in 1958 he continued as Director of High Tension Laboratory till 1965.
In 1960, per Salam recommendation, Chaudhry joined the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission where he engaged the research in nuclear technology. With the establishment of Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, Chaudhry served its first director. Chaudhry was an instrumental in PINSTECH where he led the installation of nuclear particle accelerator. At Pinstech, dr. Rafi published 42 research papers, and due to its sensitivity, the papers are highly classified. Rafi was an administrative and influential figure in the establishment of PARR-I reactor. Rafi was part of Abdus Salam's team that supervised the first reactor Criticality in Pinstech institute. In 1967, Rafi supervised the team of scientists at Pinstech, that successfully produces the first batch of radioisotopes at Pinstech institute.
In 1968, Chaudhry went to United States with a fellowship awarded by University of California at Berkley. There, he was joined by Hafeez Qureshi, a mechanical engineer who built the weapons in 1970s. In 1969, Chaudhry moved to University of Chicago where he did his research at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). In 1970, Chaudhry with Qureshi visited National Museum of the United States Air Force where they had seen the actual design of Fat Man — an implosion device built during the World War II.[10]
In 1971, after the 1971 Indo-Pak Winter War, Chaudhry returned to Pakistan and joined Government College University. In January 1972, Salam sent a telegram to Chaudhry's place, in which, Salam asked Chaudhry to come to Multan in a shortest time possible. Chaudhry represented the HTL's delegation at the Multan Meeting, convened by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.[10] During the meeting, Chaudhry spoke, as he said: I was perhaps the only one among the scientists who had seen an actual atom bomb.[10] Chaudhry was immediately posted at Pinstech institute, in which he was made director of Radiation Physics Division (RPD). Chaudhry was among one of the senior scientists that built the first nuclear pile PARR-II reactor at Pinstech.[3] Under Chaudhry, the RPD scientists engaged research in radiation physics.
In 1973, Rafi moved back to High Tension Laboratory at GCU Lahore. In 1975, Dr. Rafi Mohammad joined the Centre for Solid State Physics at the Punjab University and continued to work there as an honorary Professor and was made Professor Emeritus in 1977. Nuclear physics was a life long passion for Chaudhry which remained until his death. Chaudhry peacefully died at the age of 85 in Lahore.
Chaudhry had been an influential figure at the Government College University. And, his work in PAEC and PINSTECH has been far reaching. In 1998, on personal recommendation of Noor Muhammad Butt, the Government of Pakistan awarded him Nishan-e-Imtiaz — the first high civil award.[11] In 2004, the "High Tension Laboratory (HTL)" was renamed as "Rafi Chaudhry High Tension Laboratory" by the then-President of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharaff[12] in the honor of Chaudhry. Due to his work, scientists at PINSTECH as Dr. Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry as "Father of the Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme".[3]
Dr Rafi had nine children, all physicists. The most distinguished ones are Dr Anwar Chaudhri, currently working in Germany, and Dr Munawar Chaudhri, working at the Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, UK.