To keep abreast of the advancement of science and technology in the world, we must do our utmost to quicken knowledge innovation and high technology industrialization. The key to innovation lies in talents. We must bring up batch after batch of outstanding young talents. We must train large numbers of young scientists and engineers.

---From Jiang Zemin's speech to CAS-CAE Members

Basic Research in China:

From Tracking to Innovation

AS President Lu Yongxiang, while addressing the 70th Anniversary Meeting of the CAS Institute of Physics, pointed out that from the viewpoint of history, physics is a subject studying mass structure, and rules of movement and interaction. From the infancy of physics, great importance has been attached not only to basic research but also to applications. Today our society has entered a new era of digitization and a knowledge economy. In understanding the development of economy and society, predicting and planning for the future, and especially with reference to the trends of development in physics in China, we should first correctly handle various relationships: between theory and practice, between basic research and application, between discovery and invention, and between tracking other people and innovation.

Theory and practice In the history of physics, it has long been of vital importance to deal with the dialectical relationship between theoretical innovation and experimental confirmation. As a matter of fact, physics is a science of experimentation. As soon as there is a breakthrough in theory, physics will be greatly promoted and even completely changed. At the same time, phenomena newly observed in experiments will supply evidence on which new theories may be based.

Basic research and application Tracing the development of physics, we can see that physics has been closely related with applications. Each important breakthrough in physics has led to great innovation in applications. This combination is now becoming much closer and quicker. Naturally the relationship between basic research and applications merits our attention.

Discovery and invention In the history of physics, each important discovery has brought about a series of inventions, innovations and changes. The value of scientific discoveries lies not only in their scientific significance, but also in the large number of resulting inventions, which have led to revolutions in technology and productive forces.

Tracking and innovation The introduction of modern science into China from the Western world dates back to some 100 years ago. Within such a short period, science in China has been enjoying rapid development. But there have been few world-class breakthroughs and innovations, because we are used to following behind the world frontiers. In the initial stages, learning from and following others was necessary, but with 100 years' development, we should be confident in blazing a new trail of innovation of our own.

President Lu pointed out that these four relationships should be seriously considered at the threshold of the 21st century and that while learning from history, we should pay more attention to the new characteristics of modern science. He was confident that the Institute of Physics would build itself into a world-class base for scientific research, and that it could successfully handle the four relationships.

t the enlarged CAS management session in August 1998, great attention was paid to the study of Deng Xiaoping's theory on science, knowledge economy and knowledge innovation. The Academy has decided to build itself, by the year 2010 with the completion of the Pilot Program of the Knowledge Innovation Project (see Eighth Issue of CAS Newsletter – Ed.), as a national knowledge innovation center of natural science and high technology with powerful and sustainable innovative capacities, a research base at advanced world levels, and a foundation for bringing up top-notch scientists and for promoting the development of high technology. The Academy is also to become a knowledge bank, think-tank and talent pool of science and technology for the nation. Speaking at the meeting, Professor Lu Yongxiang, CAS Member and President, stressed that high starting points, stringent requirements and lofty goals would be given prominence in building up knowledge innovation capabilities. The CAS management has chosen 12 units, institutes or combinations of units (of which 7 are from the 8 candidates which were mentioned in Eighth Issue of CAS Newsletter – Ed.) to carry out the Pilot Program of the Knowledge Innovation Project according to the following criteria:

Xiangshan Conference and Knowledge Innovation

ceremony to celebrate the 100th session of the Xiangshan Conference was held in Xiangshan Hotel, Beijing, with an attendance of some 200 elite scientists. The topic of this celebration ceremony was “Xiangshan Confe-rence in the Knowledge Innovation System of China”.

The Xiangshan Conference was initiated by the State Science and Technology Commission (now the Ministry of Science and Technology) in 1992, and was formally operative in April 1994, under the joint sponsorship of SSTC and CAS. The conference is well-known for providing scientists with a free and relaxing environment of academic exchanges through reviews, monograph reports and in-depth discussions. It is a small-scale seminar at a high intellectual level, covering interdisciplinary subjects with an aim to promote innovation in science and technology.

The Xiangshan Conference focuses primarily on problems at the frontiers of science: it reviews the latest breakthroughs, engages in exchanges of ideas and methods, and analyzes new issues and new trends of development. Participants also discuss science policy, management science, and science development strategies. The Xiangshan Conference has become an important venue for Chinese scientific and technological circles to delve into problems of science, especially major problems that China faces at the threshold of the 21^st century.

Praiseworthy Achievements in Partial

Differential Equation and Numerical Analysis

he assignment of a hyperbolic conservation law system consists of two important problems, i.e. the Cauchy problem and the Riemann problem of Euler's equation in aerodynamics. The Cauchy problem of one-dimensional entropy flow is a well-known problem yet to be solved. Chinese scientists Ding Xiagui, Chen Guiqiang and Luo Peizhu made world-ranking achievements in the field in 1987, won the second-class prize of the National Natural Science Award in 1989, and the first-class prize of the CAS Natural Science Award in 1988. The result was improved by French Academician P.L. Lions in 1995, but in 1997, Chen Guiqiang again obtained the best results so far. The Riemann problem of one-dimensional entropy flow was put forth and solved by Riemann in 1860, which was called by Biography of Scientists (published in 1975, US) the greatest achievement made by Riemann in mathematics and physics. Zhang Tong et al did trail-blazing work in the two-dimensional Cauchy problem of Euler's equation, and since 1986, they have been leading in this field. They also found a new kind of nonlinear wave – the delta shock wave. In 1996, they won a second-class prize of the CAS Natural Science Award.

Liu Taiping, Professor at Stanford University, said that he was an admirer of Prof. Zhang's work on shock waves and on the two-dimensional Riemann problem, that the work was state-of-the-art, and that Zhang had made great contributions to the development of the Beijing school of shock waves.

Since 1960, China has been attaching great importance to research into the nonlinear hyperbolic conservation law and has encouraged many excellent students of the problem. Due to Chinese scientists' brilliant achievements, the International Seminar on Partial Differential Equations and Numerical Analysis was convened in Beijing, under the joint sponsorship of the CAS Institute of Applied Mathematics and Hong Kong City University. Five Academicians from China, USA and Canada and 80 world-renowned scientists attended the seminar. They were not only representative of the highest research level of China's mainland and Hong Kong in the two fields, but also reflected the latest and greatest achievements in the world.

Photodilation Effect of a-Si:H

ince the discovery of Staebler-Wronski effect 20 years ago, people have been trying to disclose the mechanism, which hinders the application of the a-Si:H technique. Scientists from the CAS Center of Condensed State Physics designed a difference capacitance dilatometer to detect the photodilation of an amorphous silicate film. They discovered the a-Si:H-photodilation effect, providing the most direct evidence for the structural instability of a-Si:H under illumination.

This work has been accepted by Physics Review Letters. In his letter, Prof. H. Fritzsche from Chicago University said, “This effect, if proved to be true, will cause a stir in the field of a-Si:H study”. Due to this discovery and other achievements, Dr. Kong Guanglin from the Center was invited by Dr. Branz of the MRS Conference to present a lecture at the MRS 98 Spring Seminar. Dr. Branz said, “We should let people know the work of the Beijing Group”.

70 Years of Achievements of Shanghai Institute of Metallurgy

he CAS Shanghai Institute of Metallurgy recently held a ceremony to celebrate its 70th anniversary. The Institute has made remarkable contributions in the fields of metallurgy, ceramics, super-pure metals, anti-corrosion, superconducting materials and devices, large-scale integrated circuits, sensitive and functional information materials, and ion beam technology. Among the 1,000 achievements made by this Institute during the period 1953-1997, 43 won national prizes, and 302 were awarded ministerial, provincial or municipal prizes. The Institute was the first in China to establish a testing base for super-pure metals and GaAs crystals; this promoted development of the superconducting materials industry. It developed the first 8-digit and 16-digit microprocessors, greatly enhancing the development of the microelectronics industry in China.

The Institute has become a threefold base for research, development and production in electronics, materials and engineering. The State Key Laboratory of Sensor Technology and the State Key Laboratory of Functional Information Materials are carrying out a number of national key projects, projects of the 863 Program and key projects for the national defense industry.

CAS President Lu Yongxiang and Mayor of Shanghai Municipality Xu Kuangdi attended the ceremony and delivered congratulatory speeches.

Great Progress Made in HT-7 Experiment

he CAS Institute of Plasma Physics has conducted a series of experiments on China's first superconductivity Tokamak device -- HT-7. This is a great research step towards making a steady-state magnetically confined fusion device.

In the experiment, the researchers used low noise to drive the plasma current for 3 seconds, achieving an all-wave driving state mode and improvement of plasma confinement driven by wave. This signifies that great progress has been made at the steady state.

Cooperating with their American colleagues, scientists in the Institute installed 7 kinds of diagnosing device on the HT-7 and many high-tech diagnosing devices newly developed by China. In the experiment, 35 kinds of diagnosing devices were used, which could measure 400 routes of signals. Working for 30 days and nights, scientists from the two countries carried out a variety of experiments: on energetic confinement, transport characteristics, plasma boundary fluctuation, and turbulence at low-noise driving current. They have obtained much valuable data which will widen and deepen the contents of physical studies.

Successful fulfillment of the experiment is of major importance to furthering international cooperation and speeding the development of fusion energy resources in China.

Application of Technological Achievements in National Economy Stressed

i Peng, Chairman of the Standing Commi-ttee of the National People's Congress, has recently inspected the CAS Institutes of Biophysics and of Remote Sensing Application. He stressed that competition between countries in the 21^st Century will to a great extent be competition in high technology, so we should strengthen and speed-up scientific research and development, efficiently applying technological achievements to the national economy to make greater contributions to the development of China.

Founded in 1986, the Institute of Biophysics is the only comprehensive research institute in biophysics in China, and is one of several specializing in biophysics in the world. Research in the Institute involves many of the most important and fastest-developing subjects in biology, including molecular biology, neurobiology, cytobiology and protein engineering.

Li Peng inspected the State Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Biology, the Laboratory of Visual Information Processing, and the Showroom of Technological Development. He congratulated the Institute on its remarkable achievements. He pointed out that informatics and life sciences would play a big role in the 21^st century. He noted that in addition to many renowned veteran scientists, there are many young talents in CAS, and said that the future of China belongs to them and that the country is placing great hopes on them.

In the Institute of Remote Sensing Application, after hearing a report by Professor Guo Huadong, Director of the Institute, Li inspected with great interest the Laboratory of Remote-Sensing Information, the National Engineering Center for Geometrics, the Laboratory of Renewable Energy Resources and Eco-environment and the Laboratory of Geographical Information System (GIS).

Li Peng pointed out that agricultural statistics is very important for a huge agricultural country like China. The accuracy of the statistical data provided by CAS relies on the application of remote sensing technology. In addition to agricultural statistics, there is much room for application of modern information technology in the national economy, such as in disaster forecasting, land planning, and management of natural resources and the environment.

Vice Chairmen of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Jiang Chunyun, Zou Jiahua, Wang Guangying, Wu Jieping, Zhou Guangzhao, Xu Jialu and Jiang Zhenghua joined Li Peng in the inspection.

National Engineering Research Centers Increase Innovativeness

wenty-five national engineering research centers (NERC) have been established in CAS institutes. Initiated under the former State Planning Commission and the former State Science and Technology Commission (now the State Development and Planning Commission and the Ministry of Science and Technology respectively) in accordance with socialist market economy principles in 1991, the national engineering (technology) research centers are a new type of R&D entity, closely associated with enterprises and designed with a view to good management principles. In establishing the centers, the CAS aims to forge close integration between technology and the economy; boost technology development, innovation and transfer; and hone the competitive edge of its institutes. Engineering research centers have been set up in the following areas, among others: materials engineering and technology, electronics, automatic control and advanced manufacturing technology, computer and software technology, chemical engineering, biotechnology, pharmaceu-ticals and medical equipment, power and electric engineering, energy technology, environmental protection, and safety technology. More than ten institutes have established their own engineering research centers in the light of the principles and models introduced by the NERCs. Some of them may become national engineering research centers through competition, based on excellence in their performance.

The NERCs have demonstrated strong innovative abilities. They have contributed to the institutional readjustment of the Academy, to the training of large numbers of young scientists, to the introduction of new operational mechanisms and a modern enterprise culture in conformity with the socialist market economy. Seven of the NERCs in CAS have earned an income of more than 10 million yuan each. The NERC for Catalysis (affiliated to the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics) has yielded an income of more than 60 million yuan.

Specialists Tackling “Red Tide”

uangdong Province has been hit this year by a destructive attack of the “red tide”, a marine disaster of discolored seawaters caused by large scale outbreaks of dinoflagellates and other harmful planktons which produce a toxin poisonous to various forms of marine life. The outbreak occurred in Dapengwan Bay near Shenzhen, Wanshan Islands in Zhuhai, Gangkou in Huidong County, Dongping in Yangjiang City and adjacent waters around the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The occurrence is said to be the largest and most calamitous of its kind in recent decades, causing death of 300 tons of fish bred in man-made confinements and totaling some 40 million yuan in economic losses.

Dispatched by the CAS South China Sea Institute of Oceanography (SCSIO), Jinan University and the Nanhai Institute of Aquaculture, the first group of experts rushed to the scene for on-the-spot investigation and disaster monitoring. Since the 1980s, the SCSIO has conducted comprehensive and multi-disciplinary probes of the “red tide” from the perspectives of taxonomy, ecology, environmental settings, seawater evaluation and aquacultural effects. According to Prof. Lin Yongshui, a SCSIO marine biologist noted for his long-time investigation of the disaster in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan and Hong Kong seawaters, there are 87 algae and plankton organisms in the pinkish seawater, including 29 directly responsible for the occurrence of the “red tide”. Because of the recent booming development of local industry, farming, tourism and aquaculture, the off-shore seawater contamination has become more and more serious, leading to aggravation of the disaster in its frequency, inflicted scope, and seriousness. This year's unprecedented outbreak is a revenge as well as a warning from the nature, indicating that people must step up their efforts in preventing the marine environment from worsening further.

Commenting on the recent occurrence of the “red tide”, Wang Zhaoding, a marine research professional and director of the CAS Dayawan Experimental Station, points out that the main culprit to be blamed is the mushrooming of confinement breeding of aquatic products. As leaders of some departments are near-sighted and eager for an immediate success, the excessive input of feeds in the shallow-water marine farms gives rise to eutrophication, a biochemical process in which a waterbody is spoiled and degenerated by over-concentration of dissolved nutrients brought in by man-made contamination; this creates a hotbed for the “red tide”. The over-heated marine farming rush must be brought under control: an orderly state of affairs needs to be set up, with limited targets and appropriate amount of profits to the whole occupation in the coastal areas of the Province.

Scientists Contributing to Anti-flood Efforts

AS scientists have actively contributed to the nationwide anti-flood efforts using their research achievements and accumulated experience. Scientists from the Remote Sensing Satellite Ground Station have been receiving and processing data from 5 remote sensing satellites. Scientists from the Institute of Remote Sensing Application have been organized to form a remote sensing flood monitoring group. The Citation II remote sensing aircraft, equipped for the first time with L-wavelength high resolution synthesized aperture radar (L-SAR) made by the Institute of Electronics, has made a number of flights over the flooded areas. They have been working overtime, monitoring the flood situation along the Yangtze River, the Poyang and Dongting lakes, and the Nenjiang and Songhua rivers. They have produced large remote sensing maps, magnetic tapes and floppy discs and sent them to top government officials and flood control decision making departments in Beijing, and Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, and Heilongjiang.

Deputy Governor Wang of Hubei Province said the maps are a great help to his province and its people in their fight against the most serious flood in half a century. In Harbin, Mr. Yuan of the Heilongjiang Provincial Flood Control Office said it was the first time they were using high technology in fighting the most devastating floods in history, adding that the information would be instrumental in macro flood control, disaster assessment, personnel evacuation and future river bed realignment and management. He said the information couldn't be bought for money and that they would preserve it forever. Deputy Governor Huang Maoheng of Jiangxi Province said the information provided by the Academy was useful not only in this year's anti-flood work and reconstruction afterward, but would be a good reference for many years to come. Having read a flood monitor report submitted by CAS, Vice Premier Li Lanqing praised the efforts by CAS scientists as “an example of science and technology serving the development of the national economy and the society”.

Mutual Benefit Urged for CAS-US Cooperation

n an interview with the reporter, CAS Vice President Xu Zhihong has recently reviewed CAS-US cooperation in science, which has been going on for 42 years.

He first recalled the history of cooperation between CAS and the American scientific community. For political reasons, Sino-US science cooperation was at a standstill in the late 1950s and the 1960s. In the early 1970s, the two countries resumed contacts. In May 1976, CAS received the first group of American scientists. In 1972, CAS sent its first delegation of scientists to the US. In 1979, China and the US established formal diplomatic relations. While visiting the US, Mr. Deng Xiaoping signed a treaty with US President Jimmy Carter on cooperation in science and technology. Since then, scientific exchanges between CAS and the US have been developing rapidly through multiple channels.

The successful establishment of the Beijing Electron Positron Collider set a good example for Sino-US cooperation in high-energy physics. During the past 40 years, Sino-US exchanges have played a major role in CAS cooperation with foreign countries. Altogether some 10,000 CAS scientists have visited the US, and 5,000 American scientists and scholars have visited CAS institutes. The number of cooperative projects has reached 500, covering all fields of natural sciences.

Talking of new characteristics of the cooperation between CAS and the US, Vice President Xu Zhihong noted that since the mid-1980s, cooperation between the CAS and US enterprises has been strengthened. Both the scale and means have been enlarged. A number of US companies, such as DuPont, Hewlett-Packard, Amoco, Microsoft, DEC and IBM, have established cooperative relationships with CAS. Projects are being carried out under agreements to promote the commercialization of research achievements. High-tech products by CAS institutes, such as BGO and BBO crystals and klystrons have entered the American market. The Konit Co. Ltd., established under a cooperation agreement between the Sanhuan Company and Tridus International Inc. (an American company), exports Nd-Fe-B products to the US. In 1998, the Legend Company signed an agreement with Microsoft, according to which MS Windows 95 would be installed in all products of Legend.

Turning to problems in and prospects for the cooperation between CAS and the US, Vice President Xu Zhihong pointed out that inequality and unilateral profiting exist: the American side is sometimes passive and slow to undertake projects involving urgent need on the part of CAS, which resulted in cooperative projects mainly focusing on energy resources, eco-environment, and biotechnology. Although there is a discrepancy in the comprehensive strength between the two countries, each side has its merits in science and technology. Bilateral cooperation should be equal and mutually beneficial; only in that way can the cooperation be long-standing and fruitful.

ccording to a recent survey, young people in CAS Nanjing Branch are taking on leading responsibilities in research. There are altogether 646 research personnel below the age of 45 in the Branch, accounting for 53% of the total. 177 of them hold the title of assistant or full research fellow. 40 have been chosen into the "100 Talents Program" of CAS and the talents project of Jiangsu Province. A number of young scientists have been elevated to the posts of supervisors for doctoral students, directors of institutes, directors and deputy directors of research divisions, leaders of key projects, or even leaders of international scientific organizations. Some of them are displaying their talents in research frontiers in their own fields.

The Nanjing Branch boldly places young people at high positions to "catalyze" them. In this branch, 45% of the leaders of the institutes are below the age of 45, while 65% of the department (center, station) leaders are below that age. In the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, over 30 scientists are the chairmen, vice chairmen, executive members, electoral members of 40 international scientific organizations, most of them being young and middle-aged scientists. A lot of young people have also been recruited to the academic committees or review committees for high-ranking professional titles. In the Institute of Soil Science, 48% of the members on the review committee for high-ranking professional titles are young people, and the directors of the 7 newly established research centers are all below the age of 45.

New Awards for Postdocs

n order to attract more excellent Ph.D. graduates to work in CAS institutes as postdocs, CAS decided to confer the title of "CAS Excellent Postdocs" on those who make remarkable achievements while working in the CAS doctoral stations. Ten postdocs will be chosen each year. The nominees should have good moral character both in thoughts and research; while working in the doctoral stations, they will have put forward innovative ideas of vital importance, or have made achievements with great economic or social benefit.

Application for this award are accepted from September 1 to September 15 each year.

In another development, the CAS K.C. Wong Postdoctoral Award Fund will accept applications beginning this year. The award fund aims to support postdocs engaging in basic research of frontier disciplines, cross-disciplines, and applied research projects which make direct economic or social profits.

The period for filing applications for the fund is from September 15 to October 15.

German Delegation -- A five-member German delegation led by Prof. Winnacker, Chairman of the Research Union of Germany, paid a visit to China. They attended the ground breaking ceremony of the Sino-German Center, visited CAS and met with CAS Vice President Chen Yiyu.

Physics achievements -- In cooperation wit the research groups in Netherlands, Germany and Nankai University, Wen Haihu and his co-workers from the Condensed State Physics Center discovered the phenomenon of disappearance of magnetic field-induced vortex glass temperature. The achievement was published on Phys. Rev. Lett. in installments. Reviewers of concerned journals considered that the work provided direct evidence for the disappearance of magnetic flux glass temperature under 2D condition, and disclosed a general phenomenon in the movement of anisotropic superconductors at high temperature, which would help better understand the phase diagram at the mixed state. The main authors of the work have been invited to make presentations at the 1998 annual physics conference of Germany.

Popular science activities -- CAS Network Center was recently open to the public for the first time. Students and teachers from the middle school attached to Beijing University and the Beijing Education College took part in the activity of popular science education. The event taught the students basic knowledge on the Internet. In the activity of “Beijing Science Week” in summer, Doctor Yu Xiangdong from the Center was invited to make a report titled “Development and Application of Internet ”at the Science and Education Center of Xicheng District, Beijing. Dissemination of science knowledge is part of the responsibility of CAS, which is of vital importance to the elevation of scientific and cultural quality of the public.

New laser device -- Supported by the “863 Project” under the Ninth Five-Year Plan, Xu Zuyan and his coworkers from the Laboratory of Photophysics of the Institute of Physics developed full solid high power continuous wave laser, and used it as the pump source of Ti diamond laser, realizing the continuous wave tunable operation and self-lock mode fs pulse operation of full solid Ti diamond lasers. The achievement was the first of its kind in China, signifying that full solid laser device development in China is state-of-the-art.

New method in pattern controlling -- Wang Pengye and his colleagues from the Laboratory of Photophysics of the Institute of Physics put forward a new method in pattern controlling – space perturbation. The method can stabilize, select and follow the pattern in space-time nonlinear systems. This achievement has been published on Phys. Rev. Lett. Due to the practicality of the method, an Italian research group has recently applied it to space pattern control of the big-aperture CO₂ laser.

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