NPS Newsle er - Nepal Physical Society
Transcription
NPS Newsle er - Nepal Physical Society
Nepal Physical Society P.O.Box. 2934, Tri-‐Chandra Campus, Ghantaghar, Kathmandu, Nepal NPS NewsleCer NPS Newsletter IN THIS ISSUE Title Editorial NPS News Seminars Talks/Scien9fic Visits Physics Related News NPS Execu9ve Board Volume 34 Issue No. 1 Page No. 1 2 4 6 9 10 EDITORIAL Welcome you all NPS members on the 32nd Annual Convention! We wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year 2016! May you have a great and a wonderful time ahead! This year becomes a very difficult time to us. Massive Earthquake occurring on Baishakh 12 and 29, 2072 struck our country that has destroyed much of her entire nation. Along with many Nepalese, our two NPS members also lost their lives in the earthquake. We were not able to enter the NPS office for four months because of the building was levelled as an unsafe due to the earthquake. As life had started to become a normal condition, we announced to organize 32nd NPS convention on 22-23 Ashwin 2072. The situation again became horrible due to Taraian movement and boarder blockade from southern neighbour as a reaction of promulgation of Nepal Constitution 2072. Consequently, the convention was pending and took time to organize this convention as we were waiting for the recovery of the normal situation in Nepal. We, on behalf of NPS executive committee, would like to apologize for not being able to organize the convention in time. Last year, NPS held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Central Department of Physics, Kirtipur. Since the last year publication of the NPS newsletter, some noteworthy events have been transpired. We organized a couple of scientific talks and seminars. Some of our NPS members have acquired great achievements, and have involved on several research activities including conference and seminar organization on collaboration with the national and international institutions. January 2016 (Magh 2072) NPS has published a Journal of Nepal Physical Society (JNPS), a peer review research journal. The main objective of the journal is to encourage Nepalese physicists to publish their research articles and to highlight the recent findings in the field of physics. We have included original and high-quality relevant research articles from the fields of physics. This is one of the great achievements of the NPS activities. Furthermore, the NPS sent a team of five Nepalese Physics Champions along with two members as a team leader to participate in the 46th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) in Mumbai, India. This team also participated on Asian Physics Olympaid 2015 (APO15) held in China. The most of the NPS effort has been devoted for the selection procedure for IPhO participants, the top 5 candidates throughout the country. We are thankful to all professors/ faculties and NPS members who supported for the selection and tutoring of the students. Without their cherished support, it would have been almost impossible to complete such tasks. We highly appreciate the contribution of Prof. Dr. Devendra Raj Mishra for his constant involvement and guidance for the selection and training for the participants. We are also grateful to Mr. Basant Kumar Gautam, NPS life member, for his cooperation to obtain the travel grant for the IPhO participants. On behalf of the NPS executive committee, I would like to thank all the NPS members for their significant supports to make the NPS accomplishments successful. Finally, any comments, queries, suggestions, and correspondences are highly appreciable. Narayan P. Chapagain, Ph.D. Editor, NPS 1 NPS Newsletter Vol. 34 No. 1 January 2016 THE NPS NEWS The 31st Annual Convention of NPS The 31st annual convention of Nepal Physical Society was held at the Central Department of Physics, Kirtipur on 26th Paush, 2071. The theme of the convention was "Opportunities and Challenges of Physics Education in Nepal, 2071". The ceremony was chaired by Prof. Dr. Jeevan Jyoti Nakarmi, President of NPS. The convention was inaugurated by chief guest Prof. Chirika Shova Tamrakar, Dean, Institute of Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University. In her speech, she focused the importance of science and demand of Physics education and research. The President Prof. Nakarmi also delivered the welcome speech. Secretary of Society Prof. Dr. Indra Bahadur Karki highlighted on the theme of seminar and history of NPS. During the programme, Past President of NPS, Prof. Dr. Devendra Raj Mishra shared his experience and suggested to have more interactions of society with the Government of Nepal and wished for further development of the society. The theme session was chaired by Prof. Dr. Shekhar Gurung and seven papers were presented by 1. Prof. Dr. Shesh Kanta Aryal. 2. Prof. Dr. Lok. N. Jha, 3. Mr. Basant K Gautam, first Personal Secretary of Prime Minister of Nepal, 4. Prof. Dr. Sitaram Byaut, 5. Prof. Dr. Udaya Raj Khanal, 6. Prof. Dr. Pradeep K. Bhattarai, and 7. Prof. Dr. Binil Aryal, HOD, CDP, Kirtipur. The scientific session was also chaired by Prof. Dr. Shekhar Gurung and during the session, five papers were presented. 1. Dr. Rajendra Adhikari, USA, (Electronic and structural properties of LaO d-doped SrTiO3), 2. Dr. Madhav Pd Ghimire (First principles investigation on the electronic and magnetic properties of mixed-valent NaCr2O4), 3. Manoj K Thapa, PhD Scholar (Impacts of Aerosols in Solar Radiation), 4. Dr. Gopi Chandra Kaphle, Assoc. Prof., TU (Electronic and Magnetic Properties of Elements, Binary and Ternary Alloys), and 5. Dr. Rudra Aryal, Asst. Professor, Franklin Pierce University, USA, (Study of Aerosol particles and Optical properties). After the scientific session, the annual general body meeting of the society was held under the chairmanship of the President, Prof. Dr. Jeevan Jyoti Nakarmi. The annual reports were presented by Secretary of NPS, Prof. Dr. Indra Bahadur Karki. The audit reports of the regular expenses of NPS was presented by treasurer of NPS, Prof. Dr. Nilam Shrestha. Publication of Journal of Nepal Physical Society (JNPS) Editorial Board of NPS has published the peer review journal, the Journal of Nepal Physical Society (JNPS). NPS used to publish the research articles and conference proceedings as an integral part of its activities since its inception. However, the publication of the journal could not be continuing on regular way. The present issue of the publication is a novel start toward the publication of a peer review journal of the NPS. We have taken the ISSN number of the JNPS and also it is available in online in NepJol. Present issue of the JNPS comprises of original research articles contributed by our NPS members, university faculties, researchers, and students on contemporary issues in all the domain of physics. The articles incorporated in this journal are rigorously reviewed by the national and international experts in their respective fields. We, on behalf of the editorial board of Nepal Physical Society, would like to thank reviewers for their esteemed suggestions and feedbacks to standardize the articles. Announcement: The Nepal Physics Olympiad (NePhO) is an annual national competition in physics for +2 and ALevel students. It involves individual t h e o re t i c a l a n d e x p e r i m e n t a l competitions in physics. The 10th NePhO-2016 exam will be held at the d i f f e re n t c e n t e r s ( B i r a t n a g a r, Kathmandu, Birganj, Bharatpur, Pokhara, Butwal and Mahendra Nagar) organized by Nepal Physical Society on Saturday, February 20, 2016 (Falgun 8, 2072). 2 NPS Newsletter Vol. 34 No. 1 January 2016 THE NPS NEWS 46th the International Physics Olympiad Participation Nepal Physics Olympiad Committee (NePhO), a subcommittee of NPS, conducted national level preselection test exam for higher secondary school Graduates for the participation in 46th International Physics Olympiad on 5-12 July 2015 in Mumbai, India. The test was held on 24th Magh 2071 (Feb. 07, 2015). It was conducted in Tri-Chandra Campus, Ghantaghar, Biratnagar, Birgunj, Bharatpur, Nepalgunj and Mahendranagar. About 400 students appeared in the test. NePhO selected top 21 students for further training. Those students were trained for one week before a final test. After the final test, top five students were selected as a Nepalese Physics Champions for the participation of 46th IPhO 2015 in Mumbai, India. The Nepalese Champions are: Mr. Bibek Kumar Pandit , Mr. Prabhat Devkota, Mr. Satish Wasti , Mr. Aayush Kumar Shah, Mr. Ajoy Mishra. Team leaders are Dr. Jeevan Jyoti Nakarmi and Mr Bablu Kant Thakur. The Nepal IPhO team performed in competition very well and Mr. Bibek Kumar Pandit, was awarded Honorable Mention Title. We extend our hearty congratulation to the winner. Furthermore, we would like to thank Prof. Dr. Devendra R Mishra, Prof. Dr. Sekhar Gurung, Prof. Dr. Sitaram Byaut, Prof. Dr. Udaya R Khanal, Asso. Prof. Ishwar Koirala, Asso. Prof. Dr. Narayan Adhikati, Asso.Prof. Dr. Raju Khanal, Dr. Sanju Shrestha, and other teachers for their supports for tutorial and training classes to the IPhO team. We are also very grateful to Mr. Basant Gautam, NPS life member, for his kind support to get the financial assistant for the IPhO participants at Mumbai, India Nepalese team also participated on the 16thAsian Physics Olympaid (APHO16) held on May 3-11 in Hangzhou, China. A team of five members from Nepal: Rajesh Sharma Poudel, Prashant Shrestha, Bipin Lekhak, Bidhan Pandey and Biplov Adhikari were participated and Bablu Kant Thakur was the team leader in the event. Talk Programs • Prof. Dr. Kedar Lal Shrestha, Former VC of NAST, delivered a talk on "Research on Physics: Past and Present" on 9th June 2015 at Department of Physics, Patan Multiple Campus. • Prof. Dr. Lok Narayan Jha, former Head, CDP, T.U., gave a talk on “Teaching and Research in Physics in Tribhuvan University” on 26th June 2015 at the Department of Physics, Patan Multiple Campus • Dr. Amba Datt Pant, Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Japan delivered a talk on "Hydration effect on electron transfer in cytochrome c protein monitored byµSR" on Sep.7, 2015 at the Department of Physics, Patan Multiple Campus. • Mr. Krishna Raj Adhikari, PhD Scholar, IOE, Pokhara, gave the talk program in at the Department of Physics, Patan Multiple Campus on “Influence of Work Function of Front Contact and Working Temperature on Perovskite Based Solar Cells”. A Colloquium on Particle Physics A colloquium on “Voyage to the heart of matter & why Nepal should get on board” was organized at the CV Raman Auditorium of Kathmandu University on January 7, 2016. The speakers in the program were Dr. Kate Shaw from International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Italy and Dr. Suyog Shrestha, & Dr. Joerg Stelzer from European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN), Switzerland. The program was attended by faculty, staffs and students of School of Science and Engineering. 3 NPS Newsletter Vol. 34 No. 1 January 2016 THE NPS NEWS Conference and Seminar Seminar on Plasma Physics Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Nepal A one-day seminar on plasma physics was organized on 27th of December 2015 to mark 10th year of the establishment of Plasma Physics Laboratory at the Department of Natural Sciences, School of Science, Kathmandu University (KU), Dhulikhel. The main objective of the program was to review the progress made in teaching and research in plasma physics in the past 10 years and set-up goals for the future. The program was held at the CV Raman Auditorium Hall at KU, Dhulikhel. Prof. Suresh Raj Sharma, Founder VC of KU was the Chief Guest of the program. The opening ceremony was chaired by Prof. Bhola Thapa, Registrar of KU. Other distinguished persons present in the program were: Prof. Sitaram Adhikari (Founder Registrar, KU), Prof. Bhadraman Tuladhar (Founder Member, KU) Prof. Mohan B. Gweali (Dean, School of Science, KU), Mr. Mukunda Prasad Upadhyay (Chief Administrative officer, KU), Prof. Sanjay Nath Khanal (Controller of Examination, KU), Prof. Lok Narayan Jha, Prof. Jeevan Jyoti Nakarmi, and Prof. Homnath Poudel from Tribhuvan University. The Chief Guest and Chairman of the program jointly launched the bulletin of Plasma Physics Laboratory. It was followed by welcome speech by Prof. Deepak Prasad Subedi, Associate Dean, School of Science and also the organizer of the event. Prof. L.N. Jha, briefly outlined the development in teaching and research of the subject in Nepal. Prof. Gewali highlighted the qualities of a good teacher and importance in inspiring young generation. Similarly, Prof. Adhikari, Prof. Tuladhar, Chief Guest Prof. Sharma, Prof. Thapa, and Prof. Khanal delivered their speeches and presentations. The second part of the program was devoted to presentations of research work by research scholars and students from various institutions and was chaired by Prof. Lok Narayan Jha. Altogether eleven papers, including two posters, were presented covering various areas of research. The second part of the program was devoted to presentations of research work by research scholars and students from various institutions and was chaired by Prof. Lok Narayan Jha. Altogether eleven papers, including two posters, were presented covering various areas of research. 4 Group photo of the Guests and Par4cipants 4 NPS Newsletter Vol. 34 No. 1 January 2016 THE NPS NEWS Congratulations !!! • NPS would like to express a wholeheartedly congratulation and extend best wishes to recently PhD graduates in Physics, Dr. Nilam Shrestha and Dr. Khem Narayan Paudyal from TU in 2015. • HoD of CDP, Prof. Dr. Binil Aryal is nominated as a SENATOR of TU ASSEMBLY, the highest body of Tribhuvan University. He is representing 13 central departments of IoST, TU. NPS congratulates Prof. Aryal for this achievement. He is also the member of Academic Council of TU and Faculty Board Standing Committee member of IoST, TU. • NPS Congratulate to Prof. Dr. Bhadra Pokharel, IOE, TU, as being elected as a President of IEEE. Promotions: Hearty congratulations to the following members of NPS who have been recently promoted to the Professor and Associate Professor of Physics, Tribhuvan University. Professors of Physics: 1. Dr. Indra Bahadur Karki, 2. Dr. Nilam Shrestha Pradhan 3. Dr. Anant Panthi 4. Dr. Narayan Prasad Adhikari 5. Dr. Saroj Nepal 6. Mr. Nawendra Kumar Nidhi 7. Mr. Hom Nath Poudel 8. Dr. Purna Bahadur Chanda 9. Dr. Tika Bahadur Katuwal 10. Mr. Arun Kumar Shrestha 11. Mr. Manoranjan Kumar Dutta 12. Dr. Raju Khanal 13. Mr. Lekh Nath Subedi. NPS would like to request all its members to provide the physics related articles, news, outstanding achievement, recent developments and activities to the Editorial Board of NPS. [email protected] [email protected] Associate Professors of Physics: 1. Dr. Bhawani Dutta Joshi 2. Dr. Birendra Lal Karna, 3. Narayan Prasad Rijal 4. Hare Ram Mishra 5. Dilli Pd. Sapkota 6. Janak Ratna Malla 7. Radhakrishna Pandey 8. Arjun Limbu 9. Jhak Prasad Baral 10. Shiv Kumar Das 11. Bhesh Raj Adhikari 12. Prakash Man Shrestha 13. Umakant Kherel 14. Dr. Gopi Chandra Kafle 15. Bhanubhakta Sapkota 16. Keshab Pd. Prasain 17. Yamun Pd. Yadab 18. Beni Madhav Dhungana 19. Khimananda Neupane 20. Shiv Narayan Yadab 21. Lakchhe Bahadur K.C. 22. Rabindra Singh Mahat 23. Dilip Kumar Jalan 24. Dharma Bandhu Poudel 25. Ram Hit Yadab. • Useful websites for physicists : h8p://www.ictp.it/scien4fic-‐-‐-‐calendar.aspx SSPSSR Quants PhD Scholarship at University of Kent in UK. www. csc. ed u . cn /l ai h u a ( C h i n e s e Government PhD Scholarship programs) h8p://www.tucdp.edu.np h8p://www.tuiost.edu.np h8p://www.isca.in/conference h8p://www.aps.org/ (American Physical Society) 5 NPS Newsletter Vol. 34 No. 1 January 2016 THE NPS NEWS Talk Programs, Scientific Visits and Research Activities • Prof. Dr. Raju Khanal Participated in the “Regional Train-the-Trainers Course on Transportation Safety and Compliance Assurance Regime of Radioactive Material” held in Quezon City, Philippines during 20 to 28 July 2015. Dr Khanal Attended the “IEEE EDS Governance Meeting” in Singapore during 30 May to 1 June 2015. Presented the activity report of EDS Nepal Chapter • Prof. Dr. Narayan Adhikari participated and presented a paper entitled "Adsorption of molecular hydrogen/s on Pd/Pt decorated graphene: a first-principles method of calculations" in the APS March Meeting, 2-6, March 2016 in San Antonio, TX. Prof. Adhikari also participated and presented a paper entitled "Electronic structure of MoS2/Graphene heterostructures " in the 2nd Bose Conference, during 3-4 December, Dhaka. In addition, He also participated and presented a paper entitled "Graphene: an alternative source to store hydrogen" in the conference Functional materials today andtomorrow in Calcutta, India during Oct 28-31, 2016. • Prof. Dr. Deepak Prasad Subedi, Professor of Physics at the Department of Natural Sciences, School of Science, Kathmandu University participated in the "Regional Workshop in Optics and Photonics (ALOP)" organized National Centre for Physics, Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), Islamabad, during December 07-11, 2015 as a resource person. • Dr. Khem N Poudyal, NPS Editorial member, and Assoc. Prof. Manoj Kumar Thapa participated 5th International Science Congress which was organized by International Science Congress Association (ISCA) under the auspices of Nepal Chemical Society (NCS) and Central D e p a r t m e n t o f C h e m i s t r y, Tr i b h u v a n University(T.U.) jointly on 8th and 9th December 2015 at Central Campus, Trbhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal. • Dr. Narayan P. Chapagain, Editor of NPS, visited to Utah State University (USU) and Utah Valley University (UVU), UT, USA (October 2014-February 2015) for his collaborative research projects. Dr. Chapagain delivered a talk on “Electrodynamics of low-latitude Ionosphere” at Utah Valley University, UT, USA, on January 23, 2015. In addition, Dr. Chapagain presented talks on “Space Weather at Low-Latitudes and Possibility of its Forecasting” on International School/Workshop on Recent Trends in Space Science & Technology, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal, 16-22 June 2015. • Dr. Madhav Prasad Ghimire, succeeded in receiving the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship in Germany (2015-2017) for his research proposal entitled "Theoretical Investigations on Magnetic Doping of Weak Topological Insulators”. • Dr. Bhawani Datt Joshi, Associate professor, Siddhanath Sc. Campus Working in "Study of polymorphism of drugs in the solid state using vibrational spectroscopy and quantum chemical methods" at University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil under CNPq-TWAS post doctoral fellowship 2014. • Mr. Swapan Kumar Chakrabarti, a senior faculty member of the Department of Physics, MMAM Campus (T.U.), Biratnagar and a Life Member of NPS, participated in the 8th International Congress on Industrial and Applied Mathematics held at Beijing, August 10 -14, 2015. ICIAM is organized under the aegis of the International Council for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. • In connection with the celebration of SAARC Charter Day the SAARC university (South Asian University) organized an International Conference on mathematics at New Delhi (India), December 8-12, 2015. Eight candidates along with Mr Chakrabarti participated from Nepal. 6 NPS Newsletter Vol. 34 No. 1 January 2016 THE NPS NEWS Talk Programs, Scientific Visits and Research Activities • International Conference on Recent Trends on Space Science & Technology Kirtipur, Kathmandu on 16-22 June, 2015, was Jointly Organized by B.P. Koirala Memorial Planetarium, Observatory and Science Museum Development Board, Ministry of Science, Technology & Environment, Government of Nepal, and Institute of Science & Technology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Nepal • B.Sc. IV year (Physics) lab orientation program is held in Bharatpur Multiple Program, Bharatpur during 9-14 Magh 2072. This program is inaugurated by the Vice Chancellor of TU, Prof. Dr. Tirtha Raj Khaniya. There were 70 physics faculties as participants from 28 colleges all around the nation. Six resource persons, lead by Prof. Dr. Binil Aryal, conducted the 24 experiments of B.Sc. fourth year. This program was organized and coordinated by the IoST, TU and CDP, TU. • A full day (09:00-17:00) master class on 'Experimental Particle Physics' was organized at CDP on 9 Jan 2016. The resource people were Dr. Kate Shaw (ICTP, Italy), Dr. Joerg Stelzer (CERN, Geneva) and Dr. Suyog Shrestha (Ohio State University, USA). They conducted hands-on session on ATLAS data analysis. Fifty students and 10 faculties of CDP participated the program CONDOLENCE !!! Nepal Physical Society suffered this year from a tragedy: the loss of life of the late Prof. Surdharsan Rishal, Life Member of NPS. He died at the age of 78 on Aswin 20, 2072. Prof. Rishal was Founder Member and Vice President of Nepal Physical Society. He was one of the most respected and popular teacher, an excellent administrator in Nepal. Prof. Rishal did his M.Sc. in Physics in 2016 and then joined at Tri-Chandra College as a Lecturer in Physics. He continued his service as an Professor in Physics from Amrit Science College. Prof. Rishal served as a deputy registrar in Tribhuvan University (2029-2036) and also as a Registrar of Tribhuvan University (2048-2051). He was honoured by several awards such as a senior scientist from NAST and Fanindra Lohani Award from Nepal Physical Society. NPS and Amrit Science Campus jointly organized condolence program in the name of Late Prof. Rishal at Amrit Science Campus, Lainchaur on Aswin 24, 2072. Senior professors, faculties, NPS members, campus chief, students and non--‐teaching staffs were attended the program. The society expressed condolence to the family and closet friends on sudden death of Prof. Rishal, and heartily pray that his soul finds peace. His close friends and colleagues highlighted the late Prof. Rishal’s biography, his contribution to the university, physics community and the whole nation. **** The Society also suffered from the loss of lives of two NPS members, Maheshwor Khanal, a faculty in Physics from Kathmandu Bernhardt College, Balkhu, and Rajendra Joshi, a faculty in Physics from Kasthamandap College, caused by earthquake on Baishakh 12, 2072. NPS organized condolence and expressed our deep sorrow on sudden demise and heartily prayed that their soul finds peace. We also expressed our heartfelt condolence to all the victims who died in the disaster earthquake and we prayed to god that their departed soul 7 would take rest in heaven. NPS Newsletter Vol. 34 No. 1 January 2016 THE NPS NEWS List of Winners of Prof. Phanindra Prasad Lohani Award – 2045: 1. Prof. Uma Prasad Shrestha (2047) 2. Prof. Dr. Shankar Prasad Pradhan (2049) 3. Dr. Narayan Hari Joshi (2054) 4. Prof. Dr. Chaytannya Bd. Shrestha (2056) 5. Prof. Ram Dev Manandhar (2058) 6. Prof. Kedar Lal Shrestha (2060) 7. Prof. Sudarsan Risal (2062) 8. Bed Keshav Shrestha (2064) 9. Dr. Bishnu Man Shrestha (2066) 10. Mrs. Durga Devi Basnyat (2068) 11. Prof. Nirmal Prasad Shrestha (2070) 12. Prof. Uttam Lal Pradhan (2072) List of Winner Prof. Dr. Kedarnath Khanal Memorial Physical Science Award-2061: 1. Mr. Giri Raj Joshi (2061) 2. Mr. Bikas Sharma (2062 3. Mr. Subas Chandra Nepal (2063) 4. Mr. Machchhindra Koirala (2064) 5. Mr. Kamal Dhungana (2065) 6. Mr. Keshav Shrestha (2066) 7. Mr. Yubaraj Malakar (2067) 8. Mr. Sandip Aryal (BS 2068) 9. Mr. Anil Adhikari (2069) 10. Mr. Dipak Bahadur Karki (2070) 11. Mr. Gautam Gurung (2071) 12. Mr. Sabin Regmi (2072) Western NPS Chapter Activities • The Himalayan physics, 5th volume has been published. It a joint effort from Department of Physics Prithvi Narayan campus Pokhara in association with Nepal Physical Society Western Chapter. It is an annual publication. • A fund has been established by Mr Pabitra Mani Poudyal, a retired HoD and Associate Professor. PN Campus Pokhara on the memory of his late wife Gauri Poudyal. It worth Rs one lakh fifteen thousands. The prize will be awarded annually to one student and a physics teacher within western development region. The fund has been collected on the initiation of NPS Western Chapter and Physics Department of PN Campus, Pokhara. • A survey was conducted to estimate the indoor radon concentration (222Rn) at five different districts of Nepal over a period of three months using time integrated passive detectors; CR-39 based on type two Solid State Nuclear Track Detector (SSNTD) technique. An article entitled “Indoor Radon Survey In Nepal Using Passive Technique Solid State Nuclear Track Detector has been published by Shah Buddha R, Thapa Dinesh, Mulmi Dipendra D (NAST) and Dahal Kul P (PN Campus) in an international journal of Clinical and Biomedical Research (ISSN 2395 -0471), 2015;1(4), 7 -13. • A picnic program organized by NPS Western Chapter and Department of Physics on Paush 11, 2072. 8 NPS Newsletter Vol. 34 No. 1 January 2016 PHYSICS RELATED NEWS Takaaki Kajita and Arthur McDonald won 2015 Physics Nobel Prize Takaaki Kajita and Arthur McDonald The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics to the two experimenters, Takaaki Kajita of Tokyo University, and Arthur McDonald of Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario for their discovery that neutrinos oscillate in flavor. After photons, neutrinos are the most abundant particle in the universe. Their ubiquity, however, comes with an infinitesimal propensity to react with matter. Every second, trillions of neutrinos—some created in the Big Bang, some spewing from distant supernovas, some emanating from inside the Sun—stream through our bodies without our noticing. Detecting neutrinos is hard. Measuring their mass and some other properties is harder still. Kajita's and McDonald's teams designed, built, and ran huge experiments that sought to determine one of the most important neutrino properties of all: whether the particle oscillates among its three flavors —electron, muon, and tau. Kajita was team leader at the Super-Kamiokande neutrino observatory at Hida Japan. McDonald directed the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory, near Toronto, Canada. The affirmative and conclusive confirmations from the two facilities, obtained almost two decades ago, constituted proof that at least one neutrino eigentstate is endowed with mass. That finding has profound implications for physics. It requires that the standard model of particle physics, which had originally presumed neutrinos to be massless, be extended. The finding also suggests that the solution to one of the biggest outstanding problems in physics— the preponderance of matter over antimatter—might be found in the nature and behavior of neutrinos. • The story of neutrino oscillations involves not just particle physics, but also nuclear physics and astrophysics. Wolfgang Pauli proposed the existence of a new neutral particle in 1930 to preserve the conservation of energy, momentum, and spin in beta decay. Whatever it was, the hypotheical particle—dubbed the neutrino by Enrico Fermi—was evidently light, fast, and feebly reactive. 9 NPS Newsletter Vol. 34 No. 1 January 2016 Nepal Physical Society Executive Board (2070-2072) President: Prof. Dr. Jeevan Jyoti Nakarmi [email protected] Editor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Narayan P. Chapagain [email protected] Immediate Past President: Prof. Dr. Shekhar Gurung [email protected] Executive Members: Asst. Prof. Drabindra Pandit [email protected] Vice-Precident : Assoc. Prof. Kul P. Dahal [email protected] Asst. Prof. Indra B Bhandari [email protected] Secretary : Prof. Dr. Indra B. Kakri [email protected] Joint Secretary: Asst. Prof. Bablu Kant Thakur [email protected] Treasurer: Prof. Dr. Nilam Shrestha [email protected] Asst. Prof. Jhulan Powdel [email protected] Asst. Prof. Kishor Gyawali [email protected] Editorial Boar Members: Assoc. Prof. Khem Poudyal [email protected] Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hari P. Lamichhane [email protected] Contact Address: Nepal Physical Society P. O. Box 2934 Tri-Chandra College Ghantaghar, Kathmandu, Nepal URL: www.nps.org.np e-mail: [email protected] NPS Office Acknowledgement: NPS is extremely grateful to Ministry of Science and Technology, Shinhadarabar, Kathmandu, for providing travel grants to participate 46th IPhO, 2015, in Mumbai, India. 10