Latest News
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UCAS International students invited to attend the 2024 Zhongguancun Forum - International Forum on Basic Research for Sustainable Development
On April 25, 2024 Zhongguancun Forum - International Forum on Basic Research for Sustainable Development was successfully held in Beijing. As one of the series activities of Zhongguancun Forum, the forum was co-sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and hosted by the Bureau of International Cooperation, the Bureau of Frontier Sciences and Education, the Bureau of Science and Technology Promotion for Development, and the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. More than 90 international students from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (hereinafter referred to as “UCAS”) were invited to participate in the forum.
At the opening ceremony of the forum, CHANG Jin, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and HAN Yu, vice president and Secretary General of National Natural Science Foundation of China, delivered speeches, stressing the irreplaceable role of basic research in scientific and technological innovation and sustainable social development. Renowned scholars and researchers from all over the world participated in the forum, focusing on the theme of “Gathering the power of young talents in basic research”, and jointly discussed the importance of basic research in sustainable development through keynote presentations, invited presentations and youth dialogue. The significance and path of basic research in promoting global scientific progress and solving sustainable development issues were discussed.
Speech by Chang Jin
In the keynote and invited presentations session, Akira Fujijima, honorary professor of the University of Tokyo, made a keynote presentation on “What is the main purpose of research?”, which emphasized the original intention and significance of scientific research work. Horst Stöcker, former vice president of Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, gave a detailed introduction to the research in the field of antimatter and ion, showing the latest achievements and research directions in this field. In addition, the participating experts and scholars from the UK, Italy, Germany and other countries also made in-depth academic reports on issues related to basic research promoting sustainable development, shared their own experience and achievements in the field of scientific research, and discussed the frontier issues of basic research as well as the importance and prospects of international cooperation.
Expert’ Presentation
At the end of the forum, Chinese and foreign scholars held discussions and dialogues on basic research and the growth of young talents, and explored the roles and responsibilities of young talents in scientific and technological cooperation. They shared their scientific research experience and sentiment, providing valuable guidance and suggestions for young people. The young students at the meeting actively participated in the discussion, raised their own questions and opinions, and had in-depth exchanges and interactions with the scholars.
Youth Dialogue Salon
The UCAS international students listened carefully to the special report, and had in-depth exchanges and discussions with experts and scholars in the question-and-answer session. PRARTHANA BARUAH, Ph.D., from the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, said, "It was a great experience to attend the 2024 ZGC FORUM ANNUAL CONFERENCE. Sustainable development is the pathway for a better future and one of the agenda of this year’s conference was “The International Forum on Basic Research for Sustainable Development”. The opportunity to listen to renowned scientists and expert about their achievements and future prospects was very enlightening and enriching. The best part of the conference was the interactive session with the discussion panel on different challenges faced by young researchers. It was not only informative, but also inspiring and has provided new insights into overcoming the obstacles faced while maintaining a positive attitude towards our research and having a healthy work-life balance." FARWA JABEEN, Ph.D., from Institute of Physics, stated:" Participating in the Zhongguancun Forum was a truly enriching experience for me. The opportunity to engage with leading thinkers, innovators, and experts from various fields was both inspiring and enlightening. Each discussion and presentation provided valuable insights and perspectives, broadening my understanding of current trends and future developments in technology, business, and society. Moreover, the atmosphere of collaboration and exchange fostered a sense of camaraderie among participants, creating a vibrant platform for meaningful dialogue and idea-sharing. I found myself immersed in thought-provoking discussions, challenging my own assumptions and expanding my horizons. Overall, the Zhongguancun Forum left me feeling not only happy but also invigorated and motivated to continue exploring new ideas and pushing the boundaries of knowledge and innovation. It was a privilege to be a part of such a dynamic and forward-thinking community, and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the dialogue shaping the future of our world."
Questions from international students at UCAS
UCAS international students listen to expert presentations
UCAS international students listen to expert presentations
Group photo of UCAS international students
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Research News
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“Motion Picture” View of the Warped Milky Way Reveals the Shape of its Dark Matter Halo
Recently, Associate Professor Huang Yang from the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with several domestic and international research institutions, pioneered the "motion picture" method for measuring the precession rate of the Milky Way's disk warp. Using a sample of Cepheid variable stars of different ages, this method allows the precession direction and rate of the Milky Way's warp to be clearly observed. Based on these measurements, the research team revealed that the current dark matter halo of the Milky Way is slightly oblate. These findings, titled "A slightly oblate dark matter halo revealed by a retrograde precessing Galactic disk warp", were published online in the latest issue of international scientific journal Nature Astronomy.
In the nearby universe, nearly one-third of disk galaxies are not perfect disks but exhibit a warped shape resembling a potato chip. Astronomers refer to this phenomenon as a disk warp. The Milky Way, as a typical disk galaxy, also has this warp feature. It is generally believed that the warp originates from the rotational plane of the outer disk stars deviating from the symmetry plane of the surrounding dark matter halo. This tilted, rotating Galactic disk, much like a spinning top, inevitably undergoes precession due to the torque exerted by the surrounding dark matter halo. However, the measurement of this important dynamic parameter, both in direction and rate, has been highly debated. This is because previous measurements relied on indirect kinematic methods, where the tracers used are subject to dynamical perturbations or heating effects, greatly limiting their accuracy and precision.
Figure 1: Right panel: The spinning top precesses under the torque from gravity; Left panel: Similar to the spinning top, the Galactic disk warp "dances gracefully" under the torque of the dark matter halo (an artistic impression created by Kaiyuan Hou and Zhanxun Dong from the School of Design, Shanghai Jiao Tong University).
This study utilized 2,600 young classical Cepheid variable stars discovered by Gaia as tracers, along with precise distance and age data from both Gaia and LAMOST. Using this sample, the researchers applied the "motion picture" method to construct the three-dimensional structure of the Milky Way's disk across populations of various ages but all younger than 250 Myr. By "seeing" how the disk warp evolves with age, this study found that the warp precesses in a retrograde direction at a rate of 2 km/s/kpc (or 0.12 degrees per million years). Further detailed measurements show that the warp's precession rate gradually decreases with radius. Regardless of the origin of the warp, its precession rate and direction are jointly determined by the Galactic inner disk and the dark matter halo. After subtracting the contribution of the Galactic inner disk, the research team found that the current dark matter halo enveloping the warp exhibits a slightly oblate ellipsoidal shape (with a flattening ratio q between 0.84 and 0.96 for the equipotential surfaces). Currently, only this shape can explain the remaining precession rate of the warp. This measurement provides a crucial anchor point for studying the evolution of the Milky Way's dark matter halo.
Figure 2: The three-dimensional structure of the Galactic disk constructed from Cepheid variable stars of different slices of age, showing the variation of the warp node line with the sample age (the slope represents the warp precession).
The study was highly praised by both reviewers: “the ‘motion picture’ approach to measuring the precession rate is novel and convincing” from Referee #1; “as far as I am aware, this is the first time that the warp is constrained to precess in retrograde direction, and its precession rate is accurately measured" from Referee #2.
Associate Professor Yang Huang from the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is the co-first author and co-corresponding author of the paper. Researcher Jifeng Liu from the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Researcher Huawei Zhang from Peking University, and Professor Shen Juntai from Shanghai Jiao Tong University are the co-corresponding authors. Graduate student Qikang Feng from Peking University is the co-first author. This study also includes astronomers from the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing Normal University, and the University of Notre Dame in the USA.
Link to this paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-024-02309-5
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