Abdus Salam

Biography

Abstract

Abdus Salam was awarded the 1979 Nobel Prize in Physics alongside Sheldon Lee Glashow and Steven Weinberg "for their contributions to the theory of the unified weak and electromagnetic interaction between elementary particles, including, inter alia, the prediction of the weak neutral current." Salam also established the International Centre for Theoretical Physics with the hopes of supporting and encouraging physicists in developing countries like his home country, Pakistan.

Important Dates

January 29, 1926Birth, Jhang District (Pakistan).

1946Obtained MA degree, University of the Punjab, Lahore (Pakistan).

1949Obtained BA in Mathematics and Physics, St. John's College, Cambridge (England).

1950Awarded Smith's Prize for pre-doctoral contributions to physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (England).

1951Obtained PhD in Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (England).

1951Mathematics Instructor, Government College University, Lahore (Pakistan).

1952Head of Mathematics Department, University of the Punjab.

1954Fellow, Pakistan Academy of Sciences.

1954Lectureship, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (England).

1957Professor of Theoretical Physics, Imperial College, London (England).

1961 – 1974Chief Scientific Advisor to the President of Pakistan.

1964Founder and Director, International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste (Italy).

1968Awarded the Atoms for Peace Award, Ford Motor Company.

1971Awarded the J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Prize, Center for Theoretical Studies, University of Miami.

1979Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics alongside Sheldon Lee Glashow and Steven Weinberg "for their contributions to the theory of the unified weak and electromagnetic interaction between elementary particles, including, inter alia, the prediction of the weak neutral current".

1983Founder, Third World Academy of Sciences.

November 21, 1996Death, Oxford (England).

Occupation

Theoretical physicist.

Places

Birth

Jhang District (Pakistan)

Undergraduate Education

Lahore (Pakistan)

Graduate Education

Cambridge (England)

Employment

Lahore (Pakistan)

Cambridge (England)

Trieste (Italy)

Death

Oxford (England)

Subjects

Particle physics.

Theoretical physics.

Weak interactions (Nuclear physics).

Relationships

People

Advisors & Collaborators

Elias, Victor

Advised by Salam at International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP).

Eliezer, Shalom

Advised by Salam at Imperial College, London.

Gilbert, Walter

Advised by Salam at University of Cambridge.

Glashow, Sheldon L.

Shared the 1979 Nobel Prize in Physics along with Steven Weinberg "for their contributions to the theory of the unified weak and electromagnetic interaction between elementary particles, including, inter alia, the prediction of the weak neutral current".

Jones, H. F. (Hugh F.)

Advised by Salam at Imperial College, London.

Kemmer, N.

Advisor at University of Cambridge.

Macfarlane, Alan J.

Advised by Salam at Imperial College, London.

Moffat, John W.

Advised by Salam at University of Cambridge.

Ne'eman, Yuval

Advised by Salam at Imperial College.

Ne'eman, Yuval

Advised by Salam at Imperial College, London.

Polkinghorne, J. C., 1930-

Advised by Salam at University of Cambridge.

Shafi, Q.

Advised by Salam at Imperial College, London.

Taylor, John C. (John Clayton), 1930-

Advised by Salam at University of Cambridge.

Usmani, Ishrat Husain, 1917-

Collaborated to establish scientific institutions in Pakistan.

Weinberg, Steven, 1933-

Shared the 1979 Nobel Prize in Physics along with Sheldon Glashow "for their contributions to the theory of the unified weak and electromagnetic interaction between elementary particles, including, inter alia, the prediction of the weak neutral current".

Wigner, Eugene Paul, 1902-1995

Co-edited "Aspects of Quantum Theory."

Additional

Burbidge, Geoffrey R.

Dirac, P. A. M. (Paul Adrien Maurice), 1902-1984

Feldman, Gordon

Ferris, Timothy

Gell-Mann, Murray

Isham, C. J.

Klein, Oskar

Lederman, Leon M.

Pauli, Wolfgang, 1900-1958

Pickering, Andrew, 1948-

Rivers, R. J.

Sciama, D. W. (Dennis William), 1926-

Tamm, I. E. (Igor' Evgen'evich), 1895-1971

Waller, Ivar, 1898-1991

Institutions

Major Positions

Government College University (Faiṣalābād, Pakistan)

Mathematics Instructor.

Imperial College, London. Department of Physics

Professor of Theoretical Physics.

International Centre for Theoretical Physics

Founder and Director.

University of Cambridge. Department of Physics

Awarded Smith's Prize (1950); received PhD in Theoretical Physics (1951); and Lectureship.

University of the Punjab

Received MA degree (1946) and Head, Mathematics Department.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

Ford Motor Company

Awarded the Atoms for Peace Award (1968).

Pakistan Academy of Sciences

Fellow.

St. John's College (University of Cambridge)

Received BA in Mathematics and Physics (1949).

Third World Academy of Sciences

Founder.

University of Miami. Center for Theoretical Studies

Awarded the J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Prize (1971).

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Abdus Salam papers and correspondence of Abdus Salam, 1939-2000.

Library

Abdus Salam International Centre of Theoretical Physics.

Strada Costiera, 11-34014, Trieste, Italy

Andrew Pickering interviews conducted for his book CONSTRUCTING QUARKS, 1978-1982.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Ideals and realities, 1975.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

International Science and Technology Journal interviews, 1962-1967.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Personal dossier, 1989.

Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Física y Naturales

Av. Alvear 1711, 1015 Buenos Aires, Argentina

University of Miami. Center for Theoretical Studies J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Prize acceptance speeches, 1969-1973.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Subject

From a life of physics [motion picture] / produced by the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (Trieste, Italy).

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Igor E. Tamm papers, 1921-1971.

private

contact Tamm family

Moscow

Ivar Waller papers, circa 1912-1989.

Centrum för Vetenskapshistoria

Kungl. Svenska vetenskapsakademien

Stockholm, Sweden

Murray Gell-Mann papers, 1931-2001 (bulk 1955-1993).

Institute Archives

California Institute of Technology

1201 East California Blvd. (Mail Code 015A-74), Pasadena, CA 91125, USA

Oral history interview with Christopher Isham, 1999 March 15.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Dennis William Sciama, 1999 June 9.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Dr. Ray Rivers, 2001 September 13.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Geoffrey Burbidge, 1977 October 21.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Gordon Feldman, 2000.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Leon Lederman, 2002 August 12.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oskar Klein papers, 1916-1970.

Niels Bohr Archive

Blegdamsvej 17, Copenhagen, Denmark

Proceedings of the ECFA-RAL topical meeting : The challenge of ultra-high energies, 1982.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Timothy Ferris interviews conducted for the television program, The Creation of the Universe, circa 1982-1988.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Published Resources

Author

Aspects of quantum theory; edited by Abdus Salam and E. P. Wigner.

High-energy physics and elementary particles; lectures. Contributions by V. De Alfaro [and others] Scientific secretary: C. Fronsdal. Director: Abdus Salam.

Ideals and realities : selected essays of Abdus Salam / editor, C.H. Lai.

Memorial volume on Abdus Salam's 90th birthday / editors, Lars Brink, Michael Duff, Kok Khoo Phua.

Nonpolynomial Lagrangians, renormalisation [sic] and gravity; lectures. Abdus Salam, session leader and reviewer.

Selected papers of Abdus Salam : (with commentary) / editors, A. Ali … [et al.].

Theoretical physics : lectures presented at the Seminar on Theoretical Physics organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Subject

Abdus Salam Nobel Prize biography.

Abdus Salam Physics Today obituary.

Abdus Salam: The real story of Pakistan's Nobel prize winner.

Cosmic anger : Abdus Salam - the first Muslim Nobel scientist / by Gordon Fraser.

Salam + 50 : proceedings of the conference / edited by Michael Duff.