Honors and Awards:

American Physical Society Fellow

• Visiting Professor Ming Sheng Chu (1990 - )
• Visiting Chair Professor Chio-Zong Cheng (1991 - )
• Chair Professor Ker-Chung Shaing (1995 - )

Distinguished Research Fellow (Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory)

• Visiting Chair Professor Chio-Zong Cheng (1999)

Award For Excellence In Plasma Physics Research (American Physical Society)

• Visiting Chair Professor Chio-Zong Cheng (2004)

Outstanding Scholar Awards by Foundation for the Advancement of Outstanding Scholarship

• Chair Professor Ker-Chung Shaing (2008 – 2013, 2013 - 2015)

The Physical Society of the Republic of China (PSROC) Fellow

• Visiting Chair Professor Chio-Zong Cheng (2008 - )
• Chair Professor Ker-Chung Shaing (2013 - )

John Dawson Prize for Numerical Simulation of Plasmas (International Conference on Numerical Simulation of Plasmas)

• Visiting Chair Professor Chio-Zong Cheng (2013)

Award for Excellence in Research Publication (The Japan Society of Plasma Science and Nuclear Fusion Research)

• Professor Eiichiro Kawamori (2015)

Chair Professor of National Cheng Kung University

• Chair Professor Ker-Chung Shaing (2015 - )

S. Chandrasekhar Prize in Plasma Physics (Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies)

• Visiting Chair Professor Chio-Zong Cheng (2017)

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Review Committee Chief Special Award (20th Satellite Design Contest)

• Research Team of Associate Professor Bing-Chih Chen (2012)

Design Grand Prize (21st Satellite Design Contest)

• Research Team of Associate Professor Bing-Chih Chen (2013)

A.3 Space Science Research:

We have been working on critical space science research areas in the Living With a Star (LWS) program, and the Space Weather program, the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, and auroral substorm breakup arc structure and dynamics. The LWS research deals with solar storms which produce solar flares and coronal mass ejection (CME). To understand the dynamics and structure of large flares and CMEs we have established an impulsive magnetic reconnection model and performed observational data analysis of solar flares and CMEs. The Space Weather research deals with the effects of solar storms and solar winds, which cause geomagnetic storms and substorms in the geospace environment. Employing observation data from the satellites and ground-based instruments of the THEMIS mission and the ISUAL optical instruments aboard the FORMOSAT-2 satellite and, we have achieved high temporal and spatial resolution observation of substorm auroral breakup arc structure and dynamics from space, showing azimuthal mode number m ~ 200 in fine structure along the arc just prior to substorm onset. We have developed the world-leading kinetic ballooning mode theory to predict and explain the auroral substorm breakup arc observations. We have also worked on global distribution of electron density in the ionosphere and its evolution in support of the GPS radio occultation experiment by the FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC satellites.

A.4 International Collaborations:

We have established international collaborations with several world premier space research groups such as the SSL/UCB in USA; ISAS/JAXA and Tokyo University and Kyoto Universityand Nagoya University in Japan; Swedish Institute of Space Physics in Sweden; Kyung HeeUniversity in Korea; and GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam in Germany. In particular, we have a collaboration agreement with Prof. Masafumi Hirahara of University of Tokyo and Dr. Kazushi Asamura of Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science (ISAS), Japan, to develop the LEPe instrument for deployment in Japan’s ERG satellite mission. We have recently reached a collaboration agreement with Prof. Robert Lin of SSL/UCB to develop the STEIN sensor, a state-of-the-art palm-sized sensor with high resolution to measure simultaneously 2 – 300 keV electrons, 4 – 300 keV protons and energetic neutrals, and 2 – 20 keV X-rays, for Taiwan’s future satellite missions. In 2009 we were invited by Prof. Masaki Fujimoto of ISAS/JAXA to participate in the SCOPE (cross-Scale COupling in the Plasma universE) mission by developing particle instruments and/or providing daughter satellites. In the SCOPE mission 5 satellites (one mother ship and 4 daughter ships) are planned for launch in ~2018-2019 to study fundamental plasma physics of Plasma Universe. We will continue to negotiate with ISAS/JAXA on the participation in the SCOPE mission.

B. Magnetic confinement fusion plasma theory and simulation Study

The basis of fusion study is the magnetic confinement fusion plasma science. So far the capability in fusion plasma experiments and diagnostics development in Taiwan is well behind other major developed and developing countries. In Taiwan only ISAPS has built a magnetic mirror device to perform experimental study of magnetized plasmas and developed magnetic confinement plasma theory and simulation for studying fusion science.

In the present stage we are studying drift waves and turbulence and their effects on plasma transport, electromagnetically induced transparency of EM waves. In the future, we will study the experiments of the propagation of Alfvén waves and electromagnetic ion cyclotron along highly nonuniform magnetic fields.

In fusion plasma theory, some faculty members are considered to be world-class experts. For example, Prof. C.Z. Cheng is an expert in Alfvén Eigenmodes and alpha particle physics of in toroidal confinement fusion plasma devices. He is responsible for the discovery of the Totoidicity-induced Alfven Eigenmodes (TAEs) and other types of Alfven eigenmodes, and predicted that TAEs can be destabilized by energetic particles and can cause serious loss of energetic particles. He also developed the NOVA-K family of codes, which are widely used in the fusion research community. Prof. K.C. Shaing is an expert of plasma neoclassical transport theory recognized internationally.

B-1 Magnetic mirror device and facilities of building

We have already constructed a magnetic mirror device to perform basic magnetized plasma physics experiements relevant to space and fusion plasmas. The magnetic mirror device (40 cmin diameter, 1.5 m in length) is equipped with 5 magnetic coils with maximum magnetic field of 2 kG, and a 30 kW, 2.45GHz magnetron for electron heating. The fusion relevant science includes Alfevn waves, drift waves (such as ion temperature gradient drift waves, electron temperature gradient drift waves, trapped electron instability, etc.), plasma turbulence and nonlinear excitation of convective cells and zonal flows. We have also developed advanced plasma diagnostics systems, such as microwave interferometry and reflectometry, for measuring high temperature plasma density and fluctuations.

We will continue to collaborate with Prof. Yasushi Ono of Tokyo University on laboratory plasma experiments and personnel exchange. We will also collaborate with Prof. Atsushi Mase of Kyushu University on development of advanced microwave diagnostics systems. We are also in discussion with Prof. Hyung Park of POSTECH in Korea participate in the KSATR tokamak experiment.

B-2 Plasma Fusion Theory and Simulation Study

ISAPS has world-class scientists with expertise in Plasma Fusion Theory and Simulation Study, including alpha particle physics in toroidal confinement fusion plasma devices, and alpha particle transport due to Toroidicity-induced Alfvén Eigenmode (TAE). In addition, we are developing state-of-the-art kinetic-fluid simulation codes by adopting gyrokinetic kinetic formulation and fluid models to study nonlinear wave-particle interaction in toroidal fusion plasma devices. We are also training students and postdocs to develop global equilibrium and stability codes by including plasma flows perpendicular and parallel to the external confinement magnetic field and by including non-MHD physics. We have also developed the theory of toroidal plasma viscosity in tokamak. We will continue to study these research areas, and train young scientists and students to conduct fusion study and international collaboration.

B-3 Synergetic approach to computational and theoretical plasma physics

Examples of research focus areas are

(a) Basic plasma physics: Plasma wave-particle interaction and kinetic instabilities, nonlinear waves dynamics (Langmuir solitons and Alfven solitons), and Hamiltonian chaos.

(b) Plasma processing: Heating mechanism of capacitively coupled plasmas, basic process of nano-scale plasma-material surface interaction.

(c) Magnetically confined fusion plasmas: magnetic reconnection events in tokamaks, alpha particle induced Alfvenic instabilities, and particle/heat transport in diverted tokamak plasmas.