The National Science and Technology Council is considering shuttering the three-decades-old Taiwan Light Source (TLS) program and expanding the Taiwan Photon Source (TPS) project from 14 storage rings to 25 to facilitate the government’s tech diplomacy policy, an official said on Saturday.
The council is tasked with operating the TLS and TPS programs, which are responsible for producing synchrotron radiation that is often used by the semiconductor, materials science, pharmaceutical, astronomy and green energy sectors, National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center Deputy Director Wei Te-hsin (魏德新) said.
Scientists can use the range of synchrotron radiation wavelengths, which include infrared, visible light, ultraviolet rays and X-rays to atomic and nano-scale, to conduct research, Wei added.
Photo courtesy of the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center
When initiated 30 years ago, the light source program was a third-generation synchrotron accelerator, while the TPS system, activated in 2016, is still considered one of the more powerful synchrotron accelerators in the world.
The council is considering decommissioning the TLS program as it is dated, and would be gradually expanding the TPS program until it has 25 storage rings, Wei said.
There are about 70 synchrotron accelerators across different countries, which is a clear indicator of a country’s technological development, he said, adding the open interaction between synchrotron accelerator centers would benefit researchers worldwide.
Taiwan has a special division at Japan’s synchrotron accelerator SPring-8 and at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, granting Taiwan priority access to the facilities for experiments, he said.
The Max Planck Institutes in Germany have been working with Taiwan to build an end station, and in light of Japan’s SPring-8 producing one of the highest brightness sources of X-rays worldwide, Taiwan’s centers are also considering upgrades, the council said.
Former National Science and Technology Council deputy minister Chen Tzong-chyuan (陳宗權) said the number of Science Citation Index articles published in international journals using the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center’s synchrotron accelerator increased to 602 last year, up from 413 in 2019.
The average influence index of these articles has also increased by 11.51 last year, up from 7.39 in 2019, he added.
Upgrades to the synchrotron accelerator would help develop Taiwan’s five “trusted industries,” namely semiconductors, next-generation communication, artificial intelligence, military engineering and surveillance technologies, he said.
The upgrade would also benefit other policies, such as improving Taiwan’s general health and reducing carbon emissions, while promoting the application of synchrotron technology in semiconductors, biomedicine and next-generation green power generation, he added.
PROCEDURE: Although there is already a cross-strait agreement in place for the extradition of criminals, ample notice is meant to be given to the other side first Ten Taiwanese who were involved in fraud-related crimes in China were extradited back to Taiwan via Kinmen County on Wednesday, four of whom are convicted fraudsters in Taiwan. The 10 people arrived via a ferry operating between Xiamen and Kinmen, also known as the “small three links.” The Kinmen County Prosecutors’ Office yesterday said that four of the 10 extradited people were convicted in Taiwan for committing fraud and contravening the Money Laundering Control Act (洗錢防制法), and were on the wanted list. They were immediately arrested upon arrival and sent to Kinmen Prison to serve their sentences following brief questioning, the office said.
Taipei and Kaohsiung have extended an open invitation to Japanese pop star Ayumi Hamasaki after Chinese authorities abruptly canceled her scheduled concert in Shanghai. Hamasaki, 47, had been slated to perform on Saturday before organizers pulled the show at the last minute, citing “force majeure,” a move widely viewed as retaliation for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remark that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could draw a military response from Tokyo. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) yesterday said the city “very much welcomes” Hamasaki’s return and would continue to “surprise” her. Hamasaki, who has a large global fan base, including
‘REGRETTABLE’: Travelers reported that Seoul’s online arrival card system lists Taiwan as ‘China (Taiwan),’ the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday urged South Korea to correct the way Taiwan is listed in its newly launched e-Arrival card system, saying the current designation downgrades the nation’s status. South Korea rolled out the online system on Feb. 24 to gradually replace paper arrival cards, which it plans to phase out by next year. Travelers must complete the electronic form up to 72 hours before entering the country. The ministry said it has received multiple complaints from Taiwanese travelers saying that the system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in dropdown menus for both “place of departure” and “next
VIGILANT: Enterovirus activity remains in the epidemic phase, with the CDC urging caregivers of infected children to be on the lookout for signs of severe illness Influenza activity is rising in neighboring countries, and, with temperatures forecast to drop this week, flu cases are expected to increase in the next two weeks, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. Hospitals reported 87,162 visits for flu-like illnesses between Nov. 23 and Saturday, which remained about the same level as the previous week, but nine deaths and 24 cases with serious flu complications were also confirmed last week, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said. Flu activity reached a peak in late September before declining for eight consecutive weeks, CDC Deputy Director-General and spokesman Lin Min-cheng (林明誠)
RSS