• Index
  • Brief Description
  • Collaborations & on-going project
  • Activities
  • Publication
  • Highlights of Research Results



Coordinator: Ho-Lai Yu (Academia Sinica)
Committee members:
Chang-Mei Chen (National Central University)
 
Hing-Tong Cho (Tamkang University)
 
Da-Shin Lee (National Dong Hwa University)
 
Wo-Lung Lee (National Taiwan Normal University)
 
James Michael Nester (National Central University)
 
Kin-Wang Ng (Academia Sinica)
 
Chopin Soo (National Cheng Kung University)
 
Hwei-Jang Yo (National Cheng Kung University)

Brief Description
　
The subject materials that we have identified so far are not only the hottest current research topics, more important, these are the areas that our community have enough technical know how, expertise, and insights to make major contributions.
 
In Cosmology:
 
To investigate the detailed mechanisms of inflation from non-equilibrium point of view(in particular, stochastic inflation) and compare with CMB data and large scale structures of the universe; the origin of dark matter within or beyond the Standard Model; the physics, properties, and origin of dark energy.
In General Relativity:
 
Gravitational energy, gravitational radiation reactions and quasi-normal modes of black holes which affect lots of topics in cosmology will be our main activities.
In Quantum Gravity:
 
Canonical quantization of gravity using Ashtekar variables, stochastic gravity using closed-time-path techniques, and quantum to classical transitions will be studied.

◎ Major members of our focus group are:
 
Chiang-Mei Chen (NCU) on gravitation and string theories
 
Hing-Tong Cho (TKU) on gravitation and black holes
 
Da-Shin Lee (NDHU) on non-equilibrium physics and cosmology
 
Wo-Lung Lee (NTNU) on large scale structures of Universe
 
James Michael Nester (NCU) on gravitation and Quasi-local masses
 
Kin-Wang Ng (Academia Sinica) on cosmology and data analysis
 
Chopin Soo (NCKU) on quantizing gravity and cosmology
 
Hwei-Jang Yo (NCKU) on numerical general relativity
 
Hoi-Lai Yu (Academia Sinica) on quantizing gravity and cosmology

◎ Frequent visitors are:
 
Bei-Lok Hu (University of Maryland)
 
Roh-Suan Tung (Shanghai Normal University)
 
Yun-Kau Lau (Applied Mathematics Institute, Academia Sinica, Bejing)
 
Larry H. Ford (Tufts University)
 
Misao Sasaki (Kyoto University)
 
Ray Rivers (University of London)

Collaborations & on-going project
(1)
To generate long-term collective force in Cosmology and Gravity be searched activities among the local communities and Asia Pacific areas;
(2)
Using non-equilibrium field theories and general relativity as keys to generate interdisciplinary and cutting-edge research activities on cosmology, classical and quantum gravity and quantum information science;
(3)
To train and create chances for talented graduate students and postdocs to make major contributions by helping them to identify hot and important interdisciplinary problems in the area of cosmology, gravitation and quantum gravity.
 
◎ The following major activities are carried out from last year to the future on top of our regular/irregular journal club meetings in Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica and Department of Physics, National Central University and shall be carry on in the next.
(1)
2007 Tainan School and Workshop on Cosmology and Gravitation at NCKU (13th – 16th January, 2007):

This was the first school/workshop in this field in Taiwan so far. The main purpose of this meeting is to introduce to students and researchers the latest developments in stochastic quantum gravity, cosmology and semi-classical quantum gravity. We have about 70 graduate students, postdocs and local faculities and faculties from Asia Pacific area in the meeting. Major lectures were delivered by researcher from overseas:L. Ford (Tufts U.), Bei-Lok Hu (Maryland U.), Misao Sasaki (Kyoto U.), Albert Roura(Los Alamos), E. Verdaguer (Universitat de Barcelona), Y. K. Lau (Inst. of Applied Math., Academica Sinica, Beijing), R. S. Tung (Shanghai Normal U.) Research topics in applying stochastic gravity to cosmology and black holes were carried out by D.S. Lee, K.W. Ng, W.L. Lee and H.T. Cho among group members immediately after the workshop and papers were also published (see publication list in the below) in these related areas.
   
(2)
2007 Taipei School/Workshop on Large Scale Structures of the Universe(28th May – 2nd June, 2007, NTNU):

 

Though the discovery of dark energy led us venturing into an uncharted territory, large piles of precise observational data and efficient numerical techniques have helped the study on the Universe continue to thrive in the 21st century.The purpose of this School/Workshop was to introduce students and faculties in Taiwan the progress and the state of the art in this fascinating frontier of physics and astronomy. The lectures were delivered by:
Li-Zhi Fang( Dept. of Physics, University of Arizona), Prof. Houjun Mo( Dept. of Astronomy, Univ. of Massachusetts), Prof. Yipeng Jing(Shanghai Astronomical Observatory), Prof. Long-Long Feng(Purple
Mountain Observatory)
   
(3)
Collaborate with the Quantum Information Sciences focus group in running the Summer School on Nonequilibrium Dynamics and Quantum Coherence (4th – 6th July, 2007, NCKU)
 
This Summer School on Non-equilibrium Dynamics and Quantum Coherence Phenomena was aimed to provide the basic ideas and concepts of the method of nonequilibrium theory including the Feynman-Vernon and coherent state path integral formulation, and Schwinger- Keldysh's nonequilibrium Green's function method. The lecturers from our focus group members and visitors are: B. L. Hu and D. S. Lee.
We want to emphasize that our postdocs, C.S Chou's and S.Y. Lin's works on topics on Quantum Entanglement and Moving Atoms in Quantum Fields provide excellent examples on how interdisciplinary works between nonequilibrium field theories, general relativity and quantum information science can be combined coherently to achieve major breakthrough towards the understanding of these hot topics which have found important applications in quantum information science and the gravitational wave detecting LIGO physics.
   
(4)
Visiting prestigious academic institutes
1.
With the help of Prof. L. Ford and B.L. Hu our postdocs (S.Y. Lin, C.S. Chou and C.H. Wu)were arranged to visit and conduct research at Princeton ‹‹- Highlights of Focus Group University, Univsersity of Maryland, Tuft University and International Center for Gravitation Research at University of Pennsylvania.
2.
With the help of Prof. Y.K. Lau, 10 graduate students (from NCU, NDHU and NCKU) were arrange to attend the gravitation workshop at Institute of Applied Mathematics, Academia Sincia, Bejing during the summer.

Activities
 
　The following major activities are carried out last year on top of our regular/irregular journal club meetings in Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica and Department of Physics, National Central University.
 
 
(1)
2007 Tainan School and Workshop on Cosmology and Gravitation at NCKU (13th – 16th January, 2007):
 

　This was the first school/workshop in this field in Taiwan so far. The main purpose of this meeting is to introduce to students and researchers the latest developments in stochastic quantum gravity, cosmology and semi-classical quantum gravity.

　We have about 70 graduate students, postdocs and local faculities and faculties from Asia Pacific area in the meeting. Major lectures were delivered by researcher from overseas:L. Ford (Tufts U.), Bei-Lok Hu (Maryland U.), Misao Sasaki (Kyoto U.), Albert Roura(Los Alamos), E. Verdaguer (Universitat de Barcelona), Y. K. Lau (Inst. of Applied Math., Academica Sinica, Beijing), R. S. Tung (Shanghai Normal U.)

　Research topics in applying stochastic gravity to cosmology and black holes were carried out by D.S. Lee, K.W. Ng, W.L. Lee and H.T. Cho among group members immediately after the workshop and papers were also published (see publication list in the below) in these related areas.
 
 
(2)
2007 Taipei School/Workshop on Large Scale Structures of the Universe(28th May – 2nd June, 2007, NTNU):
 

　Though the discovery of dark energy led us venturing into an uncharted territory, large piles of precise observational data and efficient numerical techniques have helped the study on the Universe continue to thrive in the 21st century. The purpose of this School/Workshop was to introduce students and faculties in Taiwan the progress and the state of the art in this fascinating frontier of physics and astronomy. The lectures were delivered by:

　Li-Zhi Fang( Dept. of Physics, University of Arizona), Prof. Houjun Mo( Dept. of Astronomy, Univ. of Massachusetts), Prof. Yipeng Jing(Shanghai Astronomical Observatory), Prof. Long-Long Feng(Purple Mountain Observatory)
 
 
(3)
Collaborate with the Quantum Information Sciences focus group in running the Summer School on Nonequilibrium Dynamics and Quantum Coherence (4th – 6th July, 2007, NCKU)
 

　This Summer School on Non-equilibrium Dynamics and Quantum Coherence Phenomena was aimed to provide the basic ideas and concepts of the method of nonequilibrium theory including the Feynman-Vernon and coherent state path integral formulation, and Schwinger-Keldysh's nonequilibrium Green's function method. The lecturers from our focus group members and visitors are: B. L. Hu and D. S. Lee.

　We want to emphasize that our postdocs C.S Chou's and S.Y. Lin's works on topics on Quantum Entanglement and Moving Atoms in Quantum Fields provide excellent examples on how interdisciplinary works between nonequilibrium field theories, general relativity and quantum information science can be combined coherently to achieve major breakthrough towards the understanding of these hot topics which have found important applications in quantum information science and the gravitational wave detecting LIGO physics.
 
 
(4)
Visiting prestigious academic institutes
 
  1. With the help of Prof. L. Ford and B.L. Hu our postdocs (S.Y. Lin, C.S. Chou and C.H. Wu)were arranged to visit andconduct research at Princeton University, Univsersity of Maryland, Tuft University and International Center for Gravitation Research at University of Pennsylvania.
  2. With the help of Prof. Y.K. Lau, 10 graduate students (from NCU, NDHU and NCKU) were arrange to attend the gravitation workshop at Institute of Applied Mathematics, Academia Sincia, Bejing during the summer.

Publication
 
[1]
G. C. Liu, S. Lee and K. W. Ng, Phys. Rev.Lett. 97, 161303 (2006).
[2]
C. Soo, Class. Quantum Grav. 24, 1547-1555 (2007) .
[3]
J. Nester, J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 40, 2751-54 (2007).
[4]
H.T. Cho, A.S. Cornell, J. Doukas, and W. Naylor, Phys. Rev. D75, 104005 (2007).
[5]
H.-T. Cho and C.-L. Ho, J. Phys. A40, 1325 (2007).
[6]
C.-M. Chen, D. V. Gal'tsov and D. G. Orlov, Phys. Rev. D75, 084030 (2007).
[7]
Shih-Yuin Lin and B. L. Hu, Phys. Rev. D 73, 124018 (2006).
[8]
Shih-Yuin Lin and B. L. Hu, Phys. Rev. D, in press (2007).
[9]
C.H. Wu, K.W. Ng, W. Lee, D.S. Lee and Y. Y. Charng, JCAP 0702006 (2007).
[10]
D.S. Lee, C. Y. Lin and R. J. Rivers, Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 020603 (2007).
[11]
J.T. Hsiang, T.H. Wu, and D.S. Lee, arXiv:hep-th/0706.3075 (submitted to Phys. Rev. D ).
[12]
C.H. Chou, B. L. Hu and T. Yu, arXiv:quant-ph/0703088 (submitted to Phys. Rev. D ).
[13]
C.H. Chou, C. Soo and H.L. Yu, arXiv:gr-qc/0703072, Phys. Rev. D76(2007) 084004.



1.
We have proved that black holes are elementary particles in superspace and quantum geometry with spherical symmetry is unitary and singularity free. This work will be published in PRD and H.L.Yu will be invited to deliver a talk at The Eighth Asia-Pacific International Conference on Gravitation and Astrophysics held in Nara in 28th, August, 2007.
2.
Obtained the most stringent limit on the parity violating coupling of Dark energy to light by using observed cosmic microwave background power spectra. Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 161303 (2006).
3.
Riemann normal coordinates: a complete accounting; J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 40, 2751-54.
4.
Prof. D.S. Lee is invited by Prof. R. Rivers to visit London University and conduct research on applying non-equilibrium techniques to experimental studies of analog gravity using Bose-Einstein condensation.
5.
A reformulation of the Wheeler-DeWitt equation which highlights the role of gauge-invariant three-geometry elements is presented in the general setting of the Barbero-Immirzi extension of Ashtekar's contraints, and when a cosmological constant is also present, Class. Quantum Grav. 24 (2007) 1547-1555.