Tag: Egyptian Scientists

ARAB : Illuminating Achievements: Arab Physicists Shaping the World of Light

The study of light has led to promising alternative energy sources and lifesaving medical advances in diagnostics technology and treatments. 

These transformative technologies were developed through centuries of fundamental research on the properties of light, including pioneering work such as Ibn Al-Haytham’s seminal Kitab al-Manazir (Book of Optics), published in 1015.

As the world celebrates the International Day of Light on 16 May, various Arab physicists have left an indelible mark on the Arab world’s understanding and utilization of this fundamental phenomenon.

Ibn Al-Haytham (965-1040 CE)

Considered the father of modern optics, Ibn Al-Haytham’s groundbreaking work, Kitab al-Manazir, laid the foundation for our understanding of the behavior of light, including the principles of reflection, refraction, and the workings of the human eye. His experimental approach and rejection of the prevailing theories of his time were revolutionary, and his work influenced generations of scientists who followed in his footsteps.

Photo Source: VH Magazine

Maha Ashour-Abdalla

A pioneering Egyptian-American plasma physicist, Ashour-Abdalla’s research has advanced our understanding of the complex dynamics of the Earth’s magnetosphere, with applications in space weather forecasting and protection of satellites from cosmic radiation. Her work has been instrumental in developing models to predict and mitigate the impacts of solar storms on technological infrastructure.

Photo Source: UCLA

Ali Moustafa Mosharafa (1898-1950) 

This Egyptian physicist made significant contributions to the development of quantum mechanics, building on the work of pioneers like Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg. His research helped bridge the gap between classical and quantum physics, laying the groundwork for our modern understanding of the subatomic world. Mosharafa’s work has had lasting implications in fields such as materials science, cryptography, and quantum computing.

Photo Source: Academic Dictionaries

Shaaban Khalil

An Egyptian theoretical physicist, Khalil is a renowned expert in particle physics and cosmology. His work on the unification of fundamental forces has had a lasting impact on our understanding of the cosmos. Khalil’s research, which combined elements of quantum mechanics, general relativity, and high-energy physics, has helped shape the nature of the fundamental forces that govern it.

Photo Source: Zewail City

These Arab scientists, among others, have not only expanded the Arab world’s knowledge of light and its applications but have also paved the way for future generations to harness the power of this fundamental phenomenon to address global challenges and push the boundaries of scientific discovery.

source/content: egyptianstreets.com (headline edited)

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Dr.Ali Moustafa Mosharafa 

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ARAB / EGYPT / IRAQ

EGYPT: ‘(357148) El Maarry Asteroid’ Named in Honour of Inspirational Khalifa University Professor Dr Mohamed Ramy El Maarry

Dr Mohamed Ramy El Maarry hopes his example will lead next generation of Arab scientists into planetary studies.

A professor at Khalifa University of Science and Technology has had an asteroid named after him in recognition of his achievements in astronomy.

Dr Mohamed Ramy El Maarry, an Egyptian associate professor of planetary science and director of the Space and Planetary Science Centre at Khalifa University of Science and Technology, received the accolade from the International Astronomical Union.

Asteroid 2002 CZ will now be known as (357148) El Maarry, in recognition of his contribution to the study of comets and planetary science.

“I feel humbled and privileged to get such an honour. In a sense, I look at it as a lifetime achievement award, something that’s going to remain as a legacy,” he said.

“I look at it as a form of extra motivation to do more work to impart the love of science and exploration to the next generation.

“I hope this award can be an inspiration to the next generation of Arab scientists.”

Dr El Maarry’s work in the field of cometary geology is what led to his nomination.

“These sorts of nominations and awards highlight the fact that there are Arabs and people outside of the US and Europe who do significant work in planetary science and they are acknowledged by the international community overall,” said Dr El Maarry.

“I hope it will give them [his students] that extra motivation to remove the stigma that this is the sort of science that is only done by Nasa and people in the West.

“We already know that the UAE is making leaps and bounds in their long-term plans, particularly with regards to space and exploration.”

Belting up for next mission

Dr El Maarry will also be representing Khalifa University as part of the UAE’s recently announced mission to explore the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

He said the mission was aiming to uncover more details about icy asteroids, which could lead to important clues about the formation of the solar system.

The mission would look to explore seven bodies in the asteroid belt, some of them unexplored, to try to better understand more about icy asteroids which could give important clues on how the solar system formed, he added.

“Our Earth Sciences department offers the only bachelor’s degree in Earth and planetary science in the region,” said Dr El Maarry.

“Our ambition is to prepare the next generation of Emiratis to take part in the upcoming UAE space missions, especially the UAE mission to the asteroid belt, which is due to launch in 2028.”

The mission will involve a five-billion-kilometre journey to perform fly-bys of six asteroids and then send a lander that will touch down on the seventh.

“The naming of the asteroid by the International Astronomical Union after our faculty marks a significant milestone for Khalifa University and the UAE,” said Dr Arif Al Hammadi, executive vice president of the university.

“The recognition also emphasises the globally relevant research that our world-class faculty takes up at Space and Planetary Science Centre in scientific exploration.”

Dr El Maarry’s research covers planetary surfaces and the physical processes that affect them, by using data analysis of remote sensing data, modelling, lab work and comparative planetology mainly through fieldwork.

He has played key roles in numerous international space missions over the past 16 years. His body of work includes Nasa’s New Horizons mission exploring Kuiper Belt Objects at the edge of our solar system, the emirates’ lunar missions , the upcoming ESA ExoMars Rover, Comet Interceptor, the planetary defence mission Hera, and the UAE’s mission to the asteroid belt.

His asteroid can be viewed in the Nasa Small Bodies Database. It is located in the inner asteroid belt, more than 300 million kilometres from the Sun. It orbits the Sun approximately once every three-and-a-half years, and should get closest to the Sun on August 11, 2024.

What is now the (357148) El Maarry asteroid was discovered in February 2002, through the efforts of a joint venture between the Department of Astronomy and Astronomical Observatory of Padova University and the German Aerospace Centre, Berlin.

source/content: thenationalnews.com (headline edited)

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Dr Mohamed Ramy El Maarry was celebrated for work in the field of cometary geology. Photo: Khalifa University of Science and Technology

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EGYPT

EGYPT: 79 Cairo University Scholars among Best Scientists in Stanford University report

A total of 79 scientists from Cairo University are among a list of 160,000 scientists whose practical opinions are cited in various specializations with a (2 percent). 

President of Cairo University Dr. Mohamed Othman Elkhosht received a report on Stanford University’s announcement of a list of scientists whose practical opinions are cited in various specializations with a (2 percent), featuring about 160,000 scientists from 149 countries, based on the Scopus database, in 22 scientific specializations, and 176 sub-specialization for distinguished researchers.

Dr. Elkhosht announced that the Stanford list included a large number of Cairo University scientists, with a total of 79 scientists on the two lists, whether the total from 2011 to 2022, or the latest version 2023, as this year’s list included scientists from 11 colleges (an increase of 8% over the previous year).

Number of scholars featured from Cairo University in the report’s 2022 edition was 73 scholars, representing 9 of the university’s faculties, and compared to the number of 74 and 55 scholars during the previous years (2021 and 2020, respectively), Cairo University thus leads all Egyptian universities and research centers in all years from 2020 until now.

Dr. ElKhosht explained that the annual Stanford University report is an objective, external indicator of the progress of scientific research at Cairo University.

It is also a quantitative indicator for the university to identify the number of distinguished faculty members in research and a reflection of the university’s methodology, plan, applied practices, and the support that the university provides to its employees from the various colleges and institutes affiliated with it.

Dr. Mahmoud Al-Saeed, Vice President of the University for Postgraduate Studies and Research, pointed out that the report reflects the strengthening of the confidence of the international scientific and research community in our scientists in all fields and specializations, and that the results of the classification this year included two lists, the first of which is specific to the list of the total practical years 2011 – 2022 (with a total of 417 scientists), While the second included the list of last year, 2022, with a total of 817 scientists, adding that this year’s list (2023 edition) contained 926 Egyptian scientists, while last year’s list (2022 edition) included 680 Egyptian scientists from various universities and research centers, compared to 605 and 396 during the years 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Stanford University used the Scopus database of the international publisher Elsevier to extract various indicators in this list, including global scientific publishing, the number of citations, the H index, and co-authorship, all the way to the composite citation index.

source/content: egypttoday.com (headline edited)

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EGYPT

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