Ahmed, Syed Naeem 1965–

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Ahmed, Syed Naeem 1965–

PERSONAL:

Born 1965. Education: M.S. (physics); M.S. (nuclear engineering); Ph.D.

ADDRESSES:

Office—Laurentian University, 935 Ramsey Lake Rd., Sudbury, Ontario P3E 2O6, Canada. E-mail—sahmed@laurentian.ca; naeem@penguinasi.com.

CAREER:

Writer, physics researcher, physics teacher; Radbound University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, researcher/teacher; Max-Planck Institute for Physics, Munich, Germany, researcher; Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, IL, researcher; Sudbury Neutrino Observatory, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, researcher; Laurentian University, Sudbury, senior research scientist/physics teacher.

MEMBER:

Institute of Physics (London, England), Canadian Association of Physicists, Institute of Particle Physics (Canada).

WRITINGS:

Physics and Engineering of Radiation Detection, Academic Press (Boston, MA), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

Syed Naeem Ahmed, who holds degrees in physics and nuclear engineering, has worked in some of the most renowned physics laboratories in the world. He has been employed both as a researcher at several of these laboratories, including the Max-Planck Institute for Physics in Munich, Germany, the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois, the Radbound University in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, and the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. He currently teaches and is a senior research scientist in the engineering department of Laurentian University, also located in Sudbury.

Besides his teaching and researching tasks, Ahmed is also the author of Physics and Engineering of Radiation Detection, which was published in 2007. Ahmed's book provides an overview of the physics and application of radiation detection, a field that he has focused on throughout his career. Information covered in this book includes the origins and properties of ionizing radiation and its potential hazards. Ahmed's book includes discussions of the modern techniques involved in the measurement of radiation and illustrations of both the theoretical and the practical details of various radiation detecting techniques. Ahmed also offers the procedures that are used to protect people and the environment from radiation. Through this book, which is geared to students as well as to professionals, Ahmed also explains experimental techniques and instrumentation. Other details that are offered include useful formulae and methodologies for solving problems in the detection of radiation. In addition, detailed discussions on several detection media, such as liquefied gases, semiconductors, and scintillators are elaborated on. Other chapters are focused on such topics as statistics, data analysis techniques, software for data analysis, and data acquisition systems. Throughout the book, Ahmed has provided an abundance of problems he has solved to help the reader gain a clearer understanding of radiation detection. And at the end of each chapter, the author includes problems on which the reader can practice.

The material in Physics and Engineering of Radiation Detection has been recommended for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students in nuclear engineering, chemical engineering, and medical physics. Other areas of study that could benefit from Ahmed's material include people working with radiation studies, health physics, and the environmental sciences.

Writing for Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, U. Greife stated that Physics and Engineering of Radiation Detection offers the "most thorough treatment of the field" that he had ever read. Greife pointed to Ahmed's clear writing and the author's extensive experience as positive factors in recommending this book.

Ahmed told CA: "Writing is something I have always enjoyed. Both of my parents had immense interest in literature and I was fortunate to have a good collection of books at home. Reading fiction and nonfiction became an everyday habit for me and at one point I started writing as well. With encouragements from my parents, I would take part in writing contests and in the process won a few prizes, too. At the start I was mainly interested in writing fiction and poetry but later on, as I started my career as a physicist, I turned my attention to writing on technical topics.

"Being a physicist and a teacher, I always felt an urge to write on topics that did not get much attention from other authors. My book Physics and Engineering of Radiation Detection is the product of this urge.

"Writing is a fairly involved process and can sometimes get frustrating and boring. However, the continued encouragements from my wife and my intimate interest in the topics made the ride joyous as well as satisfying. I hope this tiny effort of mine will prove to be beneficial to students and researchers working in related areas. That will be my true reward."