Masud Ahmad

In 1980, the TPG completed the calculations on how much radiation would be lost during the process of deuterium burning and, in 1982, the final design of the weapon was completed by Theoretical Physics Group (TPG). Under the leadership of PAEC chairman Munir Ahmad Khan, the TPG's theoretical designed bomb was successfully cold tested, codename Kirana-I, in 1983 near at the Kirana Hills. Masud Ahmad, and Riazuddin, had developed the capabilities for more advanced designs of a nuclear device, and reportedly gave the any designs of the nuclear device in a month to PAEC. Since then he has been staying at PAEC as a theoretical physicist. It was Ahmad and Riazuddin's indigenously theoretically designed nuclear devices that Pakistan under Munir Ahmad Khan tested several cold tests from 1983 to 1990. Masud Ahmad was one of the invited scientists who participated and eye-witnessed the country's first successful tests, codename Chagai-I, on 28 May 1998, and second test, codename Chagai-II, on 30 May 1998. He was also a part of team of theoretical physicists who led the calculations of nuclear weapons yield in both places. The Theoretical Physics Group continued to develop more advanced designs for the nuclear weapons, and the FNPG kept the testings of the designs from 1983 to 1991.

Ahmad had been working with IAEA in the peaceful issues of nuclear energy since 1976. He was a highly-respected scientist at the IAEA, and had been leading Pakistan's delegation to the IAEA. Masud lauded IAEA help and being forthcoming in assisting the countries in establishing the quality systems required to obtain national and international accreditation of the IAEA laboratories.

By 1973, the theoretical physicists from academic universities of Pakistan joined the Theoretical Physics Group, and initiated to work on developing the designs of the weapon. The Theoretical Physics Group directly reported to Abdus Salam who coordinated the research on metallurgy, weapon chemical lenses, enrichment, separation and reprocessing of the fuel. In 1974, the TPG scientists engaged in the calculations for the implosion mechanism and completed the work on Fast neutron calculations. The work was submitted to the Office of Science and Technology (now known as Ministry of Science and Technology), and Abdus Salam review the work done by the TPG. Later, Abdus Salam led the work on simultaneity where the TPG finished the calculations on how weapon would be detonated from several points at same time. In 1977, the TPG scientists completed the theoretical work on the design of an atomic bomb. In 1978, the TPG took calculations on Neutron emission – a type of radioactive decay. In 1979, Ahmad was transferred to Fast Neutron Physics Group (FNPG), where he worked under Samar Mubarakmand – a nuclear physicist. He contributed in the calculations on maximum numerical ranges of neutron temperature.

After becoming an ICTP Associate, Ahmad was one of the young and senior scientists who were working in the ICTP. In January 1972, Abdus Salam called one of his eminent students from Italy to report to Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission's chairman Munir Ahmad Khan. Masud Ahmad, along with Riazuddin, temporarily working at the International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Italy, returned to Pakistan to begin theoretical work on a fission explosive device. The scientists were posted at Quaid-e-Azam University and the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH) respectively. In the absence of the availability of computers, they use the mainframe computers at Quaid-e-Azam University for work related to the theoretical physics of a nuclear explosive device. He, along with Raziuddin Siddiqui and Riazuddin formed the Theoretical Physics Group (TPG) in PAEC, which was mandated to develop the theoretical designs of Pakistan's nuclear weapons.

Having specialised in Quantum and Statistical physics, Ahmad assisted and took part in the development of atomic bomb project as a member of Theoretical Physics Group in the 1970s, and participated in the development of the atomic bomb programme.

At IP, he published the theoretical work on Veneziano Model where he had used the Compton scattering to investigate Pions behaviour on the Veneziano Model. In 1970, along with Fayyazuddin, he carried out the work on construction of Veneziano representation for pion photoproduction amplitude, in which he predicted that, keeping the π and the ρ trajectories, the zero-free parameter fits for the sum and the difference of the differential cross sections for unpolarised photons and the asymmetry function Σ(π+π) are obtained.

Prior to the discovery of Alfvén wave in hydromagnetics in 1969, Ahmad was engaged as a theoretical physicist, working in the fields of quantum, molecular, and nuclear physics. In 1970, on an advise of Abdus Salam, Ahmad went to Italy to join International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) to pursue his further doctoral studies. In 1971, he was joined by Riazuddin and Abdus Salam where he contributed with them in an emerging theory of Quantum electrodynamics.

Born and educated in Lahore, British India, Masud Ahmad attended Punjab University in 1960, and completed his BSc degree in Physics under the contemporary supervision of Riazuddin, followed by MSc degree in Mathematical physics from the same institution in 1966. Ahmad then travelled to United Kingdom and attended Imperial College London where he began his doctoral studies under Abdus Salam's physics group. In 1968, he did his DSc degree in Theoretical physics under Abdus Salam . His dissertation dealt with the theory of Chiral symmetry and algebraic representation in Veneziano model – an early theory of stings.

Muhammad Masud Ahmad (Urdu: محمد مسعود احمد; ), best known as Masood Ahmad, (16 November 1943 – 29 December 2018) was a Pakistani theoretical physicist and ICTP laureate known for his work in dual resonance and Veneziano model, a strings sting mathematically described the fundamental forces and forms of matter in quantum state.