NCKU Established Institute of Space, Astrophysical, and Plasma Science

Plasma in which the fusion takes place has been viewed as state-of-the-art and essential science technology for potential future energy source: nuclear fusion. Two and half years ago, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) appointed Dr. Cheng Chio-Zong to take in charge of establishing Institute of Space, Astrophysical, and Plasma Science. The inauguration was officially held on April 23rd to mark a small step forward to the education on space, astrophysics and plasma science. The first chairperson is Professor Jang-Yu Hsu.

According to the website of Institute of Space, Astrophysical, and Plasma Science, graduate students are encouraged to study three topics: space physics, astrophysics, and plasma physics. The field of plasma physics covers particle trajectory, magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), waves, instabilities, statistical physics, transport, nonlinear physics, and plasma confinement. Students will have a comprehensive training in classical physics. Moreover, space science and astrophysics offers students with the knowledge of nature beyond the earth. In addition, quantum phenomena and relativistic physics are widely applicable in space science and astrophysics. Students will learn the profound physics to look deep into the nature.

According to Professor Hsu, there are 6 full time professors, 5 adjunct professors teaching at the institute and 26 graduate students enrolled in the institute.

Professor Hsu noted that as dozens of countries, such as the United States, Japan, South Korea and some European nations, already have a head start in this area. Taiwan has to step up its pace in fusion power research if it wishes to develop more sources of “clean” energy.

NCKU Institute of Space, Astrophysical, and Plasma Science is the only graduate institute with the focus on plasma, an essential material to areas of research in fusion power. Professor Hsu said that fusion, the reaction that emit solar energy, is thought to have enormous potential for future power generation because fusion plant operation produces no carbon dioxide emissions, fuel sources are potentially abundant, and it produces relatively little (and short-lived) radioactive waste. But it still faces great hurdles. The best approach appears to confining a superhot gas, called a plasma, in a magnetic field.

According to Professor Hsu, research on plasma can not only help strengthen fundamental research in Taiwan, but increase the employment market. For example, sophisticated devices equipped on rocket, satellites must be developed in the research of astrophysics; x-ray camera, neutrino detector and gravitational wave detector must be developed in the research of astronomy; technology of superconducting electromagnetic systems and microwave energy should be adopted in the research of plasma physics and fusion energy. Furthermore, the application of low temperature plasma physics in biomedicine and nano-technology as well as the development of plasma torch can increase the competition of Taiwan’s high technology industries.

About National Cheng Kung University

With three quarters of a century of distinguished history, with well over 120,000 powerful alumni now dotting the globe, many have achieved supreme successes in arts, business, education, science, technology and healthcare and are ready and willing to assist, with 20,000 academic selective students and 1100 academic significant faculty members currently, both have healthy dosage of international flavor, with enormous regional support, and with a permeating culture of proactive intellectual growth on the world’s stage, NCKU in Tainan, Taiwan, has evolved from its engineering genesis to become a powerful comprehensive, research and international university in Asia Pacific.

Contacts

NCKU Press Officer
Wei-Chen Huang, +886-6-275-7575 ext. 50042
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weichen {at} mail.ncku.edu(.)tw