From November 25-29, 2024, the first ICTP-AP Winter School on Theoretical Physics was successfully held in Beijing. During the five-day school, 60 students had in-depth exchanges and interactions with top international experts in the field of theoretical physics.This winter school mainly focused on topics including quantum field theory, string theory, gravitational theory, particle physics, and cosmology. Providing a platform for exchanging ideas and fundamental research, to discuss the latest research results, and to deepen the understanding of the frontiers of theoretical physics. The school invited 17 renowned lecturers, who came from well-known universities and research institutes including (in alphabetical order): Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications, Cambridge University/ CERN; Great Bay University; International Centre for Theoretical Physics Asia-Pacific UCAS; Niels Bohr International Academy; Ningbo University/Peking University; Northwest University; Sorbonne University; Tianjin University; Tokyo University; University of California, Irvine; University of Michigan; University of Oxford; University of Science and Technology of China; University of Southern Denmark/University of Naples Federico II; University of Wisconsin-Madison.Group photo The courses of this school covered topics from basic theories to the most frontier issues in physics, enriching students' knowledge and stimulating their innovative thinking and broadening their international horizons. During the winter school, a cold wave hit Beijing, with biting cold winds outside, while the classroom was warm and enthusiastic. Students were attentive, with a thirst for knowledge shining in their eyes. Every question and exchange was filled with a keen interest in science and a longing to explore the world of science.The last event of the winter school was open to all interested teachers and students without any restrictions. Prof. Jun'ichi Yokoyama was invited to give a wonderful colloquium. It has promoted the collision of interdisciplinary ideas and deepened the understanding of the frontiers of theoretical physics.Time flies, and the week's activities have come to a successful conclusion. Here, students not only learned valuable knowledge but also gained friendships. We look forward to these young scholars carrying the gains they have made here and continuing to soar in the vast world of theoretical physics research, bravely climbing the peaks of science.
The "Embracing the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology: Symposium on the History of Modern Physics" was successfully held in Beijing from September 21 to 23, 2024. The symposium was jointly organised by the Institute of the History of Natural Science, CAS and ICTP-AP. Nearly 30 experts and scholars from China, Germany, USA, Canada, Italy, Russia, Japan, Brazil and other countries attended the seminar. The seminar attracted nearly 100 teachers and students from more than 10 institutes and schools.During 3 days of Symposium, 23 experts and scholars in the fields of physics history and physics philosophy gave academic presentations on topics such as the evolution of basic concepts in modern physics, quantum physics philosophy, quantum revolution and social culture, individual and group research of physicists, physics and political diplomacy and international exchange and cooperation, Copenhagen interpretation, cutting-edge developments in gravitational quantum field theory, and the history of unified theory research.*On June 7, 2024, the United Nations General Assembly officially announced 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. This symposium is one of the series of activities of Quantum Century (2025) in China.
2012年，欧洲核子中心（CERN）通过大型强子对撞机（LHC）成功发现了Higgs粒子，这一发现标志着粒子物理标准模型的预言得到了全面的验证，人类对于电磁相互作用、强相互作用和弱相互作用这三种基本相互作用的统一描述也因此得以实现。然而，尽管粒子物理标准模型取得了显著的成功，但无论在理论层面还是实验层面，都存在着许多亟待解决的问题，例如hierarchy问题、naturalness问题以及大统一理论等。超对称作为一种重要的理论假设，将整数自旋的玻色子与半整数自旋的费米子联系在一起，为解决标准模型中存在的问题提供了新的视角。值得注意的是，超对称不仅在物理学领域发挥着重要作用，还为数学研究带来了新的工具。自上世纪八十年代以来，人们发现许多数学上的低维流形拓扑不变量可以通过物理中的超对称技术进行计算，甚至能够揭示数学家尚未发现的新的拓扑不变量。近十年来，理论物理界通过结合超对称中的局域化方法和AdS/CFT对应关系，发展出了一套利用边界量子场论来计算黑洞微观态和黑洞熵的方法。这使得超对称在引力和黑洞物理的研究中逐渐崭露头角，成为了一个不可或缺的理论工具。为了推动我国在这一前沿领域的研究进展，国际理论物理中心（亚太地区）于2024年5月26日至5月31日在风景秀丽的千岛湖举办了“物理与数学中的超对称”前沿论坛。此次论坛邀请了该领域的知名专家学者进行学术报告，并展开了深入的交流讨论。在为期数天的论坛中，共有30位专家为与会者带来了精彩的学术报告，吸引了来自全国各地的70名学者参与。报告内容涵盖了超对称在物理和数学各领域的应用，展现了这一理论框架的广泛影响力和深远意义。会议期间，与会者积极参与学术讨论，围绕共同感兴趣的话题展开了热烈的交流和探讨。通过此次论坛，大家不仅加深了对超对称领域的认识和理解，还推动了相关课题研究的深入发展。这一盛会的成功举办，无疑将为我国在该领域的研究注入新的活力和动力。
在爱因斯坦提出的广义相对论中，黑洞与虫洞作为该理论两类极为特殊的解，一直备受理论物理学界的关注。20世纪70年代，霍金等杰出理论物理学家揭示，黑洞不仅吞噬物质和信息，还具备温度，并能向外辐射粒子，这一发现引发了著名的“黑洞信息悖论”。长期以来，寻找黑洞的微观态并解决相关悖论，一直是理论物理领域悬而未决的难题，也是构建完备自洽量子引力理论的关键所在。近年来，随着引力波、黑洞照片等实验观测的突破性进展，国际理论物理界在黑洞信息悖论、虫洞与量子纠缠内在联系等问题上取得了诸多研究进展。我国物理学家也在此领域取得了丰硕成果。为推动我国在黑洞与虫洞领域的研究进程，2024年5月21日-24日，国由中国科学院大学国际理论物理中心（亚太地区）主办的“黑洞和虫洞”前沿论坛于2024年5月21日至24日在杭州千岛湖举办，由中心年骏年骏课题组牵头。本次论坛邀请了该领域的知名专家学者进行学术报告，并展开深入的交流讨论。论坛期间，共有24位专家发表了精彩的学术报告，吸引了70余名学者参会。报告内容广泛涵盖了经典广义相对论、超引力、黑洞的经典和量子效应、黑洞信息悖论、量子引力、量子场论、量子纠缠以及全息原理等多个前沿问题。与会者积极参与学术讨论，不仅加深了对本领域的认识，还推动了共同感兴趣的课题研究。此次论坛的成功举办，对于推动我国乃至全球在黑洞与虫洞领域的研究具有重要意义，也为构建更加完善的量子引力理论奠定了坚实的基础。
February 26 marks the first day of UCASers’ spring semester in 2024. After a brief break for the Spring Festival, ICTP-APers have gone back to school for a new semester. During the winter vocation, teachers and students have captured the beautiful scenery with their lenses and now let's take a look at their spectacular shootings. From this photo, we can see that the tree is decorated with many red lanterns because it is a custom for Chinese to adorn their doors with red couplets and colorful lantersn to enrich the festival asmosphere. This group of photo displays the beautiful scenery after snow.These two photos were taken in Macau and HK respectively, the first one is the fireworks set to celebrate the Chinese New Year and the second one is the Ferris Wheel featured by four Chinese characters “Long Lai Yun Zhuan”, which means that luck comes to you as the Year of the Dragon approaches.This photo is taken at the front gate of the Old Summer Palace, which is also known as “Yuanmingyuan”This photo is taken in Guangzhou.The Spring Festival is one of the most significant traditional celebrations in Chinese culture, marking a momentous occasion for family gatherings and shared joy. The year of 2024 is also the Year of the Dragon or Loong, therefore, the dragon rightfully takes center stage. Now, let us warmly welcome the auspicious dragon and together create a symphony of happiness for the new year.Home is where the heart is. In the 2024 Spring Festival, ICTP-APers scattered across the country, yet their hearts and hands are still connected. This traditional holiday of bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new has become a collective journey that fosters a sense of belonging, fulfillment, and happiness among the ICTP-AP community. Amidst the warmth and nostalgia, it adds new meaning and responsibility to the Dragon Year's new spring, making everyone’s heart warmer, bringing students and faculty closer, and strengthening their love for UCAS. Editor: Le Zhang, Min ZhangPhotographers: Fanzi Meng, Le Zhang, Min Zhang, Qimin Song
The 2023 Winter School on Frontier and Interdisciplinary Sciences was held from 14th January to 20th January in Yunnan Province. It was organized by the International College and the International Centre for Theoretical Physics-Asia-Pacific, and hosted by Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Botany and Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of CAS. Over 60 students from different institutes of CAS participated in the 6-day activity. A Journey of Interdisciplinary SciencesDuring the winter school, we have invited experts and professors from different fields, including botany, zoology, ecology, microbiology, environmental science, biochemistry and molecular biology, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, bioinformatics, cell biology and genetics, so as to encourage students to engage in interdisciplinary scientific research and innovative exploration across different disciplines.We have also invited a professor from the Foreign Language School of Yunnan University to deliver a report on China’s national condition, enabling a valuable opportunity for international students to have a glimpse of the history, culture, music and development of China. A Journey of LifeAs one of a few areas that have tropical forests at about 20 degrees North latitude, Yunnan province is well-known for its plant diversity. Thanks to its various geographic features, Yunnan is also rich in animal resources. During this winter school, we have also arranged a field study in Fu Li Palace Greenhouses and Tea Garden at Kunming Institute of Botany, the Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology and Xishuangbanna Tropical Forest Garden. Students were impressed by the biodiversity of Yunnan and learned a lot about the animal and plant species in those gardens and museums, inspiring them to carry out cross-disciplinary scientific research and value the importance of biodiversity to sustainable development. A Journey of CultureDuring the 6-day school, we have also brought the international students to the memorial hall of the National Southwest Associated University (SWAU). Built in Kunming during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, SWAU represented a merger of Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Nankai University as a comprehensive university. Over its eight-year tenure, the university was a gathering place of accomplished masters and renowned scholars, including Chen-Ning Yang and Tsung-Dao Lee.Walking on the quiet campus, students and teachers travelled back to the time when the students had to read in the tea house and worked hard to strive for the country’s development. Another meaningful trip took place in a socialist new village--Chengzi Village in Menglun County, Xishuangbanna. Guided by a local villager, we went into the small village, which has about 300 households. The buildings are all traditional Dai-style. Yet, instead of rammed earth and thatch, the buildings are all made of cement and bricks, which are more solid and water-proof.International students were surprised by China’s rural development and one student from Tajikistan noticed that many households have stuck the photos of President Xi on the walls and asked why. “That is because the houses used to be decrepit and Chinese government started to help them restore their houses and explore local tourism resources and bring in innovative ways to increase the income of local residents since 2012”, answered Ms Zhang, from ICTP-AP. Then she pointed at the QR-code hung up on the fruit trees grown on the side of the path and explained that visitors can pick the fruit from the tree and pay by scanning the QR-code without talking to the owner. When we came to a local household, we were invited to make local snacks with the Dai people. Students enjoyed themselves and deeply experienced China’s cultural diversity and ethnic harmony and unity. After the six-day learning and experiencing, the international students have broadened their horizons and strengthened their friendship with students from different institutes. They have also learnt more about China’s national condition and cultural diversity.
The International Centre for Theoretical Physics Asia-Pacific held the annual conference in Beijing from 25th to 26th November, 2023. The International Governing Board of ICTP-AP was held at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) on the morning of 25th November and the director of the Bureau of Frontier Sciences and Education, CAS, Su Gang attended the conference and delivered an opening remark on behalf of Chang Jin, the President of the International Governing Board of ICTP-AP. Director Su Gang extended a warm welcome to the participants and introduced the outcomes and progress that CAS has achieved in the area of basic sciences and international exchanges and cooperation. He also emphasized that we should leverage the role that ICTP-AP has played as an international organization to promote the internationalization of CAS and expand the international influence of CAS, enhance basic research, and take a lead in international science and technology highlands.Wei-Dong Liu, director of the Bureau of International Cooperation of CAS and General Secretary of the International Governing Board, Professor Fernando Quevedo, the president of the International Science Council of ICTP-AP, Professor Ralf Kaiser, the senior coordinator of ICTP and Dr. Li Li, the senior project consultant for natural science of UNESCO in Beijing Office, the vice director of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC), Yong-Tao Zhang, Vice President of UCAS, Guo-Qiang Yang, and the director of ICTP-AP, vice academic president of UCAS, Professor Yue-Liang, Wu and representatives from the governing board attended the conference. We also invited the director of International Affairs Office of UCAS, Yong Xie and vice director of ICTP-AP, Song He to attend the conference as observers. Director Wei-Dong Liu hosted the conference and said that CAS will continue to carry out international talent exchanges, strengthen international cooperation in frontiers cross-disciplinary and large science equipment and organize activities, such as Science and Technology Training Class for BRI and Developing Countries. Vice director Yong-Tao Zhang said that NSFC is planning to set up a special division that focuses on international cooperation so as to support international organizations such as ICTP-AP and more young foreign scholars and talents to come to China to carry out scientific research and cooperation. Dr. Li Li mentioned that UNESCO is dedicated to promoting academic activities to primary and middle school students and college students in the Asia-Pacific region, and hopes that ICTP-AP would join the activity and contribute to the SDGs. The IGB deliberated on the progress report of ICTP-AP from 2019 to 2023 and its middle and long-term development plan, discussed on issues, including cooperation and exchange, talent cultivation and platform establishment, etc. The governing board also advised on the new members of the ISC and showed support towards the cooperation and exchanges of ICTP-AP at home and abroad as well as its establishment of ICTP-AP branches.The International Science Council was held on the evening of 25th November, 12 ISC members participated in the conference online or offline. Director of ICTP-AP gave a report on the scientific research progress, international and domestic academic exchanges, talent recruitment and cultivation, outreach activities of ICTP-AP. During the conference, Professor Zi-Ren Luo also introduced the latest progress of Taiji Laboratory, which is established under the support of ICTP-AP and Professor Chao-Qiang Geng talked about the School of Fundamental Physics and Mathematics of Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study (HIAS) of UCAS. Members of ISC had an in-depth discussion on the report of ICTP-AP and its development plan for the next stage and they gave many suggestions on the research direction and international cooperation as well as talent cultivation. Members of ISC also nominated the new members for ISC.ICTP-AP has held the Forum on Fundamental Physics in Yanqi Lake Campus on 26th November. Professor Fernando Quevedo, president of the ISC of ICTP-AP and Professor Kimyeong Lee, vice president of KIAS, Professor Poul Henrik Damgaard, founding and current director of Niels Bohr International Academy, and Professor Yue-Liang Wu, director of ICTP-AP have given keynote speeches. Eight young teachers from ICTP-AP and School of Fundamental Physics and Mathematics of HIAS have given academic reports on the forum. The foreign guests also visited the Yanqi Lake Campus and School History Museum during the meeting to learn more about the development history and vision of UCAS.
The last sub-forum of the Frontiers on Quanta-Cosmos Physics Forum has been successfully held in Nanjing University (Suzhou Campus) on October 24th, 2023. This event is one of the China’s IYBSSD serial activity, and it’s themed on Fundamental Physics and Quantum Century, hosted by ICTP-AP, ITP CAS, HIAS and Nanjing University. CAS academician Yue-Liang Wu, director of ICTP-AP and academic vice president of UCAS, has been devoted to the research in basic theories in gravity and hyper unified field theory. He borrowed this opportunity to send his recent publication Foundations of the Hyper-unified Field Theory to his alma mater Nanjing University. Professor Wu said that this book is the fruit of his scientific career over the past four decades after his graduation and he is very glad to express his gratitude to his alma mater with his most satisfying research outcome for the cultivation of Nanjing University.The forum is hosted by Professor Yongliang Ma from Nanjing University and Jinyan Liu from the Institute for the History of Natural Sciences, CAS. Director of the research centre for the history of science and technology from Nankai University Baichun Zhang, Professor Shiyu from University of Chinese Science and Technology, Professor Hui Liu, Vice President of the School of Physics from Nanjing University, and CAS academician Yueliang Wu from UCAS have delivered wonderful and insightful speeches at the forum, attracting thousands of viewers online and offline. At the closing ceremony, director of the ICTP-AP office, Dr. Min Zhang gave a speech to make an overview of this activity. This sub-forum marked the closure of the IYBSSD2022-2023 activity in China since its beginning in June, 2022. Over the past years, ICTP-AP has worked with Shandong University, Hunan University, Nanjing University and other partner institutes to organize and host a total of six sub forums, inviting 30 scientists to discuss on frontiers of basic science and human development. This activity has attracted 1.5 million people online and offline.
The 3rd China Space Science Assembly was unveiled on 15th October,2023 in Huzhou city, East China's Zhejiang province. The assembly is themed on “Innovation-led, data-driven, promote high-quality development of Space Science”, and scientists are exchanging views on the latest progress, major achievements and frontier trends of space science in order to promote the cross-disciplinary integration and fast development of China’s Space Science and Technology.Taiji Laboratory of Gravitational Wave Universe hosted a special forum on "Space-based Gravitational Wave Detection and Precision Measurement and Gravitational Cosmology". CAS academicians Wang Jianyu and Wu Yueliang are the conveners of the forum, and they discussed the latest research progress in the field of space gravitational waves and provided guidance on the future direction of the research in gravitational wave detection, precision measurement and gravitational cosmology.Professor Feng Longlong, Researcher Bi Xiaojun, Researcher Tong Minglei, Researcher Han Wenbiao, Professor Zhou Zebing and Professor Wu Shufan were invited to give wonderful reports at the parallel session of the space science, and more than 30 young scholars, including Wang He and Liu Jing, special research assistants of ICTP-AP, made reports on their own research work.Tong MingleiLiu JingWang He
Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves in 1916, and the LIGO（Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory）Collaboration announced the first direct detection of gravitational waves in human history on 11th February,2016 after a century’s exploration, which opens a new window to explore the universe. The detection of gravitational wave signals in the low and mid-frequency bands is needed in order to hear the motions of more massive objects. There are a lots of new gravitational waves sources in this band, which require the construction of space-based gravitational wave observatories. Taiji Program proposed by Chinese scientists is one of the space-based GW detection plans, which is proposed to launch three spacecrafts which will form an equilateral triangle in orbit around the Sun, with 3million kilometers length of each side, composing three sets of Michelson Interferometers.Taiji ProgramTaiji-1, as the technology verification satellite of the Taiji Program, was successfully launched on August 31, 2019, and has completed verification on key technologies, taking the first step towards China’s space-borne gravitational waves detection. The Gravity Reference Sensor (GRS), a main payload of the Taiji-1 satellite, is the endpoint and reference of the laser link of the future space-based gravitational wave detection satellite, to ensure that the test mass moves perfectly along the geodesic line, which is a prerequisite for the detection of gravitational wave signals. The inertial reference of the GRS is determined by the residual acceleration noise of its test mass, which means that the ambient noise need to be suppressed or subtracted.The calibration of the GW detection device’s core payload is a critical step in achieving the space-based GW detection. Recently, the research of calibration of the in-orbit center-of-mass of TaiJi-1 was published in Physical Review D [Phys. Rev. D 108 (2023) 082001]. Xiaotong Wei, a Ph.D. student of the class of 2020 at the International Center for Theoretical Physics-Asia-Pacific (ICTP-AP), is the first author and co-corresponding author of this paper, and his advisor, Prof. Jibo He, is the co-corresponding author as well. After calibration, the acceleration noise level of the gravitational reference sensor readout data in the medium-and-low-frequency band (0.001 to 0.1 Hz) was significantly reduced. The study was favorably reviewed by the referees of Physical Review D:“…Calibration of space-borne instruments is an important foundation for science…In general, the paper and the results are really good…”.This research was supported by the colleagues from the partner institutions of Taiji Alliance and the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)(XDA15020700, XDA15021100), as well as the Special Funds of the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities from the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China.Download the paper: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.108.082001Center-of-mass calibration before (red dashed line) and after (blue) GRS triaxial readout of acceleration amplitude spectrum density
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