Summer 2017 Seminar in Beijing at the Stanford Center at Peking University - "Big Science in China: Frontiers in Particle Physics and Cosmology"
The Stanford Center at Peking University (SCPKU) in Beijing, China provides the perfect setting for this exciting opportunity to study the deepest mysteries of nature: elementary particles, space time and the origin of the universe. Participants' airfare, accomodations, and food will be covered by SCPKU. Taught by Stanford Associate Professor Chao-Lin Kuo in the Department of Physics, this three-week seminar will focus on research in frontiers of fundamental physics and its relation to society. All enrolled Stanford students in good academic standing are eligible to apply.
Date in Beijing, China: Saturday, July 1, 2017 (course begins July 3, 2017)
Departure Date from Beijing, China: Saturday, July 22, 2017 (course ends by evening July 21, 2017)
Location: Stanford Center at Peking University, Beijing, China
Instructor: Associate Professor Chao-Lin Kuo, Department of Physics
Eligibility: Enrolled Stanford University students in good academic standing. Graduate students will be given priority.
Fees/Cost: Airfare, accommodations, and food are covered by the Stanford Center at Peking University. See details under "Program Cost."
Overview
Fundamental physics is the discipline that studies the deepest mysteries of nature: elementary particles, space time and the origin of the universe. Progress on these subjects has already revealed a reality far beyond naïve human imagination. Future developments should be of tremendous interest to all nations, including ones with vastly different cultural backgrounds or political views. In this graduate seminar, we will discuss research in frontiers of fundamental physics and its relation to society.
While it is widely agreed that fundamental physics research is one of the noblest pursuits of mankind, big experimental projects have been historically done in the Europe, Japan, and the US because of their high cost. Now that China has become the world's second largest economy, ambitious programs in particle physics and cosmology — such as the 100-TeV super particle collider and space-based gravitational wave experiments — have been proposed. This has stimulated an important discussion: Is China ready to embark on mega science projects while there are still obvious challenges in the country? Can the potential returns justify the large price tags? We will comprehensively study these issues in this course.
The instructor Professor Chao-Lin Kuo is an experimental physicist searching for imprints of Big Bang from the South Pole, western Tibet, and space. Although this is a course that focuses on science policies, students with good knowledge on non-calculus based physics are better prepared to appreciate all aspects of the issues.
- Gain overview of particle physics and cosmology.The format is a condensed version of PHY18N taught by the instructor at Stanford University in autumn 2016. We will cover topics in cosmology, particle physics, and gravitational-wave astronomy.
- Hear guest lectures and participate in discussions; the subjects will include 100-TeV collider, space-based gravitational wave probes, FAST (300m radio telescope searching for gravitational waves), Jingping Underground facilities (dark matter searches), and Ali-CMB (cosmic microwave background experiment in Tibet). If possible, we will arrange visits to Institute of High Energy Physics, National Astronomical Observatories of China, and other labs.
- Fact-check, analyze, and synthesize the arguments; summarize and present results.
Enrolled Stanford University students in good academic standing. Graduate students will be given priority.
