CPMS

Study of our Universe is by no means an easy task. The complex astrophysical phenomena involved makes the problem very challenging and indeed knowhow of basic sciences, engineering, modeling and simulation is the minimal requirement for a better understanding of our Universe. The nucleosynthesis problem (r-, s-, p- and rp-process), evolution phases of stars and supernova explosions are few astrophysical phenomena that require microscopic calculation of weak interaction rates at high temperatures (of the order of billions of kelvin) and high densities (of the order of 10¹¹ g/cm³). Besides we also need calculation of other input data before we can run the mega codes on supercomputers to model these phenomena. Our group is part of a world-wide effort to microscopically calculate the inputs for these simulation and modeling codes. The group is mainly concerned with the calculation of nuclear data. The results are then given to collaborators running the simulation codes. Various nuclear models (e.g. QRPA, shell model) are employed to calculate the inputs. Numerical techniques, computer programming and understanding of the physical phenomena are the basic requirements in our group.

Research Topics:

• Calculation of β-decay half-lives for exotic nuclei.
• Calculation of allowed Gamow-Teller, Fermi and forbidden charge-changing transitions.
• Calculation of weak-interaction mediated rates in stellar conditions.
• Calculation of nuclear partition functions, nuclear level densities and nuclear abundances.
• r-, s-, p- and rp-process calculations.
• Double beta decay calculations (two-neutrino and neutrinoless modes)
• Use of pn-QRPA, Shell model, Pyatov method, Schematic Model and other nuclear models to microscopically calculate the nuclear data.
• Fuel cells, PVs, semitransparent thermoelectric and semitransparent photo-thermoelectric cells

Ongoing research / projects:

• Calculation of β-decay half-lives for exotic nuclei.
• Calculation of allowed Gamow-Teller, Fermi and forbidden charge-changing transitions.
• Calculation of weak-interaction mediated rates in stellar conditions.
• Calculation of nuclear partition functions, nuclear level densities and nuclear abundances.
• r-, s-, p- and rp-process calculations.
• Use of pn-QRPA, Shell model, Pyatov method, Schematic Model and other nuclear models to microscopically calculate the nuclear data.
• Two-dimensional layered heterostructures for fuel cells and solar photovoltaic applications.
• Fabrication and analysis of semitransparent thermoelectric and semitransparent photo-thermoelectric cells.

PhD Students

1. Muneeb-ur Rahman, Thesis Title: The GT strength functions and associated weak decay rates in stellar matter, 2007
2. Muhammad Sajjad, Thesis Title: Calculation of First Forbidden Stellar Decay Rates for Neutron-Rich Nuclei and Analysis of Allowed Weak Rates in the pn-QRPA model, 2011
3. Sadiye Cakmak (Celal Bayar University, Turkey), Thesis Title: Study of Gamow-Teller Transitions under Astrophysical Conditions, 2015
4. Muhammad Fayaz, Thesis Title: Gamma Ray Heating and Neutrino Cooling Rates in Supernovae, 2017
5. Muhammad Majid, Thesis Title: Allowed and forbidden β-decay rates for astrophysical applications, 2018
6. Mavra Ishfaq, Thesis Title: Study of β-decay half-lives measurement and microscopic calculations, 2019
7. Muhammad Riaz, Thesis Title: Investigation of Sensing Properties of Semitransparent PTB7-Th and PCBM Blend for Electronic Applications, 2019
8. Abdul Muneem (research work in progress)
9. Abdul Kabir (research work in progress)
10. Asim Ullah (research work in progress)
11. Fakeha Farooq (research work in progress)

Funding:

International:

1. Project title: Fellowship grants for promotion of graduate studies at GIKI.

Donor Agency: Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy. Project Number: Prj-16 Duration: January 2005 – December 2007 (3 years) Status: Completed

2. Project title: The Department of Science Fellowships & Grant Programs (BIDEB) 2221.

Donor Agency: The Scientific & Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), Turkey. Project Number: 1059B211402772 Duration: June 2014 – July 2014 (2 months) Status: Completed

3. Project title: An Investigation of the Ground-state and Stellar Properties of Mo isotopes using RMF + pn-QRPA Hybrid Calculations.

Donor Agency: Turkish Higher Education Council (under the scope of Project Based Mevlana Exchange Program). Project Number: MEV-201 6-094 Duration: October 2016 – September 2017 (12 months) Status: Completed

4. Project title: The Department of Science Fellowships & Grant Programs (BIDEB) 2221.

Donor Agency: The Scientific & Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), Turkey. Project Number: 1059B211700192 Duration: 1 July 2017 – 31 July 2017 (1 month) Status: Completed

5. Project title: Half-life measurements using coincidence technique and theoretical prediction using the pn-QRPA model of rp-process nuclei.

Donor Agency: The Scientific & Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), Turkey and Pakistan Science Foundation. Project Number: PSF-TUBITAK/KP-GIKI(02) Duration: July 2017 – Dec 2019 (2.5 years) Status: In progress.

6. Project title: Beta decay properties and thermonuclear reaction rates of reactor produced radioisotopes.

Donor Agency: Council of Higher Education (CoHE) Turkey and Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan. Project Number: 9-5(Ph-1-MG-7)Pak-Turk/R&D/HEC/2017 Duration: January 2018 – December 2019 (2 years) Status: In progress.

7. Project title: Investigation of β-decay half-lives and nuclear structure of exotic nuclei under rp-process conditions

Donor Agency: Council of Higher Education (CoHE) Turkey Project Number: MEV-2019-1745 Duration: January 2020 – June 2021 Status: Recently awarded

National:

1. Project title: Theoretical researches of the reactions important for nuclear astrophysics.

Donor Agency: Higher Education Commission, Pakistan. Project Number: 20-1171 Duration: September 2008 – August 2010 (2 years) Status: Completed

2. Project title: Microscopic calculation of nuclear physics inputs for core-collapse simulation.

Donor Agency: Higher Education Commission, Pakistan. Project Number: 20-1283 Duration: July 2009 – June 2012 (3 years) Status: Completed

3. Project title: Study of Gamow-Teller transitions using the pn-QRPA theory and Pyatov method for astrophysical applications.

Donor Agency: Higher Education Commission, Pakistan. Project Number: 20-3099 Duration: July 2014 – June 2017 (3 years) Status: Completed

4. Project title: Study of role of forbidden transitions to accelerate the r-process nucleosynthesis.

Donor Agency: Higher Education Commission, Pakistan. Project Number: 5557/KPK/NRPU/R&D/HEC/2016 Duration: July 2017 – June 2020 (3 years) Status: In progress

5. Project title: Two-dimensional layered heterostructures for fuel cells and solar photovoltaic applications.

Donor Agency: Higher Education Commission, Pakistan. Project Number: 5544/KPK/NRPU/R&D/HEC/2016 Duration: July 2017 – June 2020 (3 years) Status: In progress

Collaborators:

Group Members:

• Prof. Dr. Jameel-Un Nabi, FInstP (GIK Institute, Pakistan) (Group Leader)
• Prof. Dr. Khasan Karimov, (Foreign Professor, GIK Institute Pakistan)
• Prof. Dr. Irgaziev Bakhadir, (Foreign Professor, GIK Institute, Pakistan)
• Dr. Taqi Cheema (GIK Institute, Pakistan)
• Dr. Muhammad Zahir Iqbal (GIK Institute, Pakistan)

Researchers/Collaborators:

• Prof. Dr. Calvin Johnson (San Diego State University, USA)
• Prof. Dr. V. B. Belayaev (Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Russia)
• Prof. Dr. Takehiko Saito (High Energy Nuclear Physics Laboratory, RIKEN, Japan, GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research, Germany, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou, China)
• Prof. Dr. Sabin Stoica (IFIN-HH, Romania)
• Prof. Dr. Francesca Gulminelli (University of Caen, France)
• Prof. Dr. Mahmut Boyükata (Kirikkale University, Turkey)
• Prof. Dr. Cevad Salam (Mus University, Turkey)
• Prof. Dr. Abdul Nasser Tawfik (Egyptian Centre for Theoretical Physics, Egypt)
• Prof. Dr. Mihail Mirea (IFIN-HH, Romania)
• Prof. Dr. Tahsin Babacan (Celal Bayar University, Turkey)
• Prof. Dr. Ismail Maras (Celal Bayar University, Turkey)
• Prof. Dr. Ismail Boztosun (Akdeniz University, Turkey)
• Prof. Dr. Nihal Buyukcizmeci (Selcuk University, Turkey)
• Prof. Dr. Natalie Jachowicz (Ghent University, Belgium)
• Dr. Necla Cakmak (Karabük University, Turkey)
• Dr. Tuncay Bayram (Karadeniz Technical University, Turkey)
• Dr. Haris Djapo (Akdeniz University, Turkey)
• Dr. Mesut Karakoc (Akdeniz University, Turkey)
• Dr. Ramoona Shehzadi (University of the Punjab, Lahore Pakistan)
• Dr. Sadiye Cakmak (Eskisehir University, Turkey)
• Dr. Muneeb-Ur Rahman (Islamia College Peshawar, Pakistan)
• Dr. Bulent Yilmaz (Ankara University, Turkey)