WELCOME MESSAGE TO APHO 2016

CHAIR, ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

It is our great pleasure to welcome all student contestants, leaders,

observers and visitors to Hong Kong to take part in the 17th Asian Physics

Olympiad in 2016 (APhO 2016) during 1-9 May 2016. This is the first time

APhO is held in Hong Kong. Around 300 students and leaders from, as

far as we know, 26 countries and regions will gather here. The scale is

consistent with the trend of this increasingly influential competition in

recent years.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is proud

to host this exciting and meaningful event, supported by The Education

Bureau of The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative

Region, The Hong Kong Physical Society, and The Hong Kong Academy

for Gifted Education. We are also grateful to the Innovation and

Technology Commission, Tin Ka Ping Foundation and other donors for

financial support.

2016 is also the 25th Anniversary of HKUST. Her research in science,

technology, business, humanities and social science has made much

headway in gaining an international reputation in just 25 years. High

impact research in Physics has been carried out here since the university

was established.

I would like to take this opportunity to address the student contestants.

In the coming week, you will enjoy the challenge of solving interesting

theoretical and experimental problems. To recuperate from these

exciting yet tense moments, you will have chances to learn about the

Prof. K. Y. Michael WongChair, Organizing Committee,APhO 2016

science, technology, natural life, as well as military and civic history of this

vibrant city through museum and park visits. Besides, you will enjoy the

breathtaking views of the Victoria Harbor and the campus of HKUST, and

treasure fun moments in the world-renowned Ocean Park.

As for leaders, in the coming week, you will also enjoy relaxing moments

besides your hard work on question paper preparation and marking. You

will have chances to marvel at the hexagonal rock columns in Hong Kong

Global Geopark of China, survey the panoramic harbor view from Victoria

Peak, and enjoy a shopping spree in buzzling Tsim Sha Tsui.

Our special thanks go to Prof. Kam-Biu Luk from University of California,

Berkeley. He will give a plenary talk titled “Fundamental Nature of Matter”.

Graduated from Hong Kong, Prof. Luk received, among many other awards,

the Breakthrough Prize 2016 for his measurement of the properties of

the mysterious neutrinos. His experiments were conducted in Daya Bay,

located just across the border of Hong Kong.

I hope that by the end of this event, all students will go home gaining

broader perspectives on latest developments in Physics and making

lasting international friendships. It is also my conviction that the APhO

experience can have life-changing impacts on many of you, probably

through igniting your passion in physics or other disciplines.

“This is the first time APhO is held in Hong Kong. Around 300 students and leaders from, as far as we know, 26 countries and regions will gather here. The scale is consistent with the trend of this increasingly influential competition in recent years.”

As the Honorary Chair of the 17th Asian Physics Olympiad in 2016 (APhO

2016) and the President of the Hong Kong University of Science and

Technology (HKUST), it is my great pleasure to welcome all of you to

the Clear Water Bay campus of HKUST during the APhO 2016 from 1 to

9 May 2016.

HKUST is proud to organize this annual premier physics competition

for the first time in Hong Kong. We are glad to host around 300 guests

including young enthusiastic high school students and their leaders

and observers from, as far as we know, 26 countries and regions to this

competition. In the following week you will demonstrate your talents in

tackling challenging theoretical and experimental questions set by the

HKUST academics in the realm of physics. Over the years, the University

has been committed to inspiring and nurturing young talented students

for continued intellectual pursuit of physics. Against such a background,

HKUST has participated in the training and development of students for

competing in IPhO since 2004 and APhO since 2007 respectively. As a

result, quite a number of medalists ended up fulfilling their passion and

chasing their dreams by studying in HKUST.

Both HKUST and APhO have similarly short but yet remarkable history.

APhO started with the participation of 12 countries in 2000. In less than

two decades, it has established a strong reputation and expanded its

scale with a growing number of teams. Meanwhile, HKUST is celebrating

its 25th anniversary this year. Within a short span, we matured into a

dynamic, world-class university powered by the dedicated efforts

of our outstanding faculty, staff and students. The University’s 25th

anniversary slogan is “Innovating Today, Imagining Tomorrow”. These

four words also reflect the spirit of Physics - pursuing research at the

frontier of knowledge and innovating on the cutting edge of science

and technology, preserving and nurturing a sense of wonder about the

natural world.

Welcome to Hong Kong and HKUST. I wish you an unforgettable stay

and every success in the competition!

Prof. Tony F ChanHonorary Chair, APhO 2016President, The Hong Kong Universityof Science and Technology

WELCOME MESSAGE TO APHO 2016

President, HKUST & Honorary Chair of APhO 2016

“APhO started with the participation of 12 countries in 2000. In less than two decades, it has established a strong reputation and expanded its scale with a growing number of teams.”

As Head of the Department of Physics at the Hong Kong University of

Science and Technology (HKUST), it is an immense pleasure for me to

welcome you to Hong Kong to participate, compete, learn, and be

inspired at the 17th Asian Physics Olympiad (APhO 2016). It is additionally

gratifying to me, as one of the founding members of the Department, to

welcome the next generation of great scientists, engineers, etc. to our

campus during this 25th anniversary year of the University. The APhO

stands side-by-side with other notable celebratory events such as the

Distinguished Speakers Series of talks given by many renowned Nobel

winning scientists and other global leaders.

Besides offering what many consider to be one of the most beautiful

university campuses in the world as an occasional backdrop for your

relaxation and exploration during a period of intense competition, I

hope that you will also find inspiration for an excellent performance in

the pioneering spirit that has powered HKUST’s steep rise to the top-

ranks of research universities in such a short time. This rise is manifested

in cutting edge research programs, with wide-open opportunities for

students at all levels. It is also reflected in a variety of other excellent

educational opportunities, including experiential, interdisciplinary,

overseas exchange and our elite honors and International Research

Enrichment programs that may be of interest to you.

Your participation in APhO (and, for some of you, also the International

Physics Olympiad (IPhO)) is also a stepping stone to future academic

pursuits. This is demonstrated by the success of several who have

gone before you, such as our own Ho Tat Lam from Hong Kong (APhO

2012 and IPhO 2012) who performed award winning research as an

undergraduate student at HKUST, studied at the Perimeter Institute for

Theoretical Physics during exchange and has received offers from several

top universities in the United States. Dinesh Kandel (IPhO 2011 and

APhO 2012) from Nepal and Sorn Sopheak (IPhO 2011) from Cambodia

are two other HKUST students who tell similar success stories. I wish you

the greatest success and joy in the competition and hope that you may

one day follow in the footsteps of these and other exceptional students.

Prof. Michael AltmanHead, Department of Physics,The Hong Kong University of Scienceand Technology

WELCOME MESSAGE TO APHO 2016

Head, Department of Physics, HKUST

“Your participation in APhO (and, for some of you, also the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO)) is also a stepping stone to future academic pursuits.”

APhO 2016 0302 HKUST, HK

Abstract What is the basic building block of matter? This is a question that

human beings have been seeking an answer for thousands of years.

Our view of the elementary structure of matter evolves with time. In

this lecture, the past, present status and prospects of our quest for the

solution to this fascinating problem will be presented.

Biography Kam-Biu Luk (陸錦標) is a physics professor of the University of California

at Berkeley and a senior faculty scientist of the Lawrence Berkeley

National Laboratory. He is also a Hung Hing Ying Distinguished Visiting

Professor in Science of the University of Hong Kong, and a senior visiting

fellow of the Institute for Advanced Study of Hong Kong University of

Science and Technology. He received his B.S. from the University of

Hong Kong (1976) and Ph. D. from the Rutgers University (1983).

Luk is a Fellow of the American Physical Society. Some of his honours

and awards are the R. R. Wilson Fellowship from Fermilab, Outstanding

Junior Investigator Award from the U.S.A. Department of Energy, Alfred

P. Sloan Fellowship, Cheung Kong Scholar Chair Professorship from the

Ministry of Education of China, 2014 Panofsky prize in experimental

particle physics from the American Physical Society, and the 2016

Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics.

APhO 2016 Plenary Talk

Fundamental Natureof Matter

Prof. Kam-Biu LukUniversity of California,Berkeley andLawrence BerkeleyNational Laboratory

04 HKUST, HK APhO 2016 05

APhO 2016 0706 HKUST, HK

5 May 2016 (Thur) - Day 507:30 - 11:00 Breakfast at Hotel07:30 - 11:30 Free time11:30 - 13:00 Lunch at Hotel13:00 Departure from Hotel14:00 - 17:00 Victoria Peak19:00 - 21:00 Dinner with Students at LG7 Canteen, HKUST22:00 Distribution of Scripts of Experimental Competition Uploading of Leaders’ Score of Theoretical Competition

6 May 2016 (Fri) - Day 607:30 - 11:00 Breakfast at Hotel07:30 - 11:30 Free time11:30 - 13:30 Lunch at Hotel13:30 Departure from Hotel14:00 - 18:00 Hong Kong Museum of History & Sightseeing at Tsim Sha Tsui18:30 - 19:30 Dinner at Chinese Restaurant, HKUST22:00 Uploading of Leaders’ Score of Experimental Competition

7 May 2016 (Sat) - Day 707:30 - 11:00 Breakfast at Hotel07:30 - 11:00 Free Time11:00 - 12:30 Lunch at Hotel13:00 - 16:00 Moderation17:30 - 20:00 International Board Meeting20:00 - 21:00 Dinner at Chinese Restaurant, HKUST

8 May 2016 (Sun) - Day 807:30 - 11:00 Breakfast at Hotel07:30 - 11:30 Free Time11:30 - 13:00 Lunch at Hotel13:00 Departure from Hotel14:00 - 15:30 Plenary Talk at Ko Shan Theatre16:00 - 18:30 Closing Ceremony at Ko Shan Theatre19:00 - 21:30 Farewell Banquet at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal

9 May 2016 (Mon) - Day 9Whole Day DeparturesProgram (Leaders)

1 May 2016 (Sun) - Day 1Whole Day Arrivals and Registration19:00 - 21:00 Dinner at Hotel20:00 - 22:00 Computer Checking at Examination Paper Discussion Venue

2 May 2016 (Mon) - Day 207:30 - 09:30 Breakfast09:30 Departure from Hotel10:30 - 12:15 Opening Ceremony at Ko Shan Theatre12:45 - 13:30 Lunch at Hotel14:00 - 19:00 Theoretical Paper Discussion19:00 - 20:00 Dinner20:00 - 06:00 Theoretical Paper Discussion and Translation

3 May 2016 (Tue) - Day 307:30 - 11:00 Breakfast07:30 - 11:30 Free time11:30 - 13:00 Lunch at Hotel13:00 Departure from Hotel13:00 - 17:00 Boat Ride to Hong Kong Global Geopark of China18:00 - 19:00 Dinner at Chinese Restaurant, HKUST22:00 Distribution of Scripts of Theoretical Competition

4 May 2016 (Wed) - Day 407:30 - 08:45 Breakfast at Hotel09:00 - 13:00 Experimental Paper Discussion13:00 - 14:00 Lunch14:00 - 19:00 Experimental Paper Discussion19:00 - 20:00 Dinner20:00 - 06:00 Experimental Paper Discussion and Translation

1 May 2016 (Sun) - Day 1Whole Day Arrivals and Registration19:00 - 23:00 Dinner at Hotel

2 May 2016 (Mon) - Day 207:30 - 09:15 Breakfast at Hotel09:15 Departure from Hotel10:30 - 12:15 Opening Ceremony at Ko Shan Theatre13:00 - 14:45 Lunch at Hotel14:45 Departure from Hotel15:00 - 18:00 The Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence19:00 - 20:00 Dinner at Hotel

3 May 2016 (Tue) - Day 306:00 - 07:15 Breakfast at Hotel07:15 Departure from Hotel08:30 - 13:30 Theoretical Competition13:30 - 14:45 Lunch15:30 - 17:30 Victoria Peak19:00 - 20:00 Dinner at Hotel

4 May 2016 (Wed) - Day 407:30 - 08:45 Breakfast at Hotel08:45 Departure from Hotel10:00 - 14:25 Hong Kong Science Park15:00 - 18:30 Hong Kong Science Museum Hong Kong Museum of History19:00 - 20:00 Dinner at Hotel

Program (Students)

5 May 2016 (Thur) - Day 506:00 - 07:15 Breakfast at Hotel07:15 Departure from Hotel08:30 - 13:30 Experimental Competition13:30 - 14:45 Lunch15:00 - 18:00 Campus Tour19:00 - 21:00 Dinner with Leaders at LG7 Canteen, HKUST

6 May 2016 (Fri) - Day 607:30 - 09:00 Breakfast at Hotel09:00 Departure from Hotel10:00 - 18:00 Ocean Park19:00 - 20:00 Dinner at Hotel

7 May 2016 (Sat) - Day 707:30 - 09:00 Breakfast at Hotel09:00 Departure from Hotel10:00 - 10:45 Hong Kong Space Museum11:45 - 17:00 Hong Kong Wetland Park19:00 - 20:00 Dinner at Hotel

8 May 2016 (Sun) - Day 807:30 - 10:00 Breakfast at Hotel07:30 - 11:30 Free Time11:30 - 12:45 Lunch at Hotel12:45 Departure from Hotel14:00 - 15:30 Plenary Talk at Ko Shan Theatre16:00 - 18:30 Closing Ceremony at Ko Shan Theatre19:00 - 21:30 Farewell Banquet at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal

9 May 2016 (Mon) - Day 9Whole Day Departures

APhO 2016 0908 HKUST, HK

Hong Kong Museum of Coastal DefenceThe Museum is housed in the old Lei Yue Mun Fort built over a century as  the most formidable redoubt in the Hong Kong and played an important role  during the Battle of Hong Kong in 1941. Today, the fort has been revitalised to present the history of Hong Kong’s coastal defences from more than 600 years ago.

Hong Kong Global Geopark of ChinaHong Kong Global Geopark of China is one of Hong Kong’s most popular geological sites, and home to our most spectacular rock wonder. Here, volcanic rock composes neat arrays of giant polygonal joint columns along the shore. The leaders will enjoy a ferry ride and visit the historical village on Yim Tin Tsai Island.

Hong Kong Science and Technology ParkThe Park provides  world-class infrastructure to accommodate high-technology enterprises of different sizes. Student contestants will learn about drones produced by the world’s largest drone maker, innovative applied research, advances in nanotechnology, and the success story of an outstanding e-marketing company.

Places of Attraction during APHO 2016

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The Peak Nature WalkEnjoy the world’s most spectacular cityscapes from the Peak. Stretched before you is the forest of sparkling skyscrapers and the buzzling Victoria Harbour. At the same time, the fresh and pollution-free air along Lugard Road makes it an ideal path for a nature walk where you can observe various species of plants, birds and butterflies.

APhO 2016 1110 HKUST, HK

Hong Kong Science MuseumThe Museum showcases over 500 quality, interactive and fun scientific exhibits for visitors of all ages. You must not miss two prominent attractions: the Energy Machine, largest device of its kind in the world and DC-3 airplane,  the first local airliner exhibit moved into the Museum building.

Hong Kong Museum of History“The Hong Kong Story” Exhibition in the Museum presents the history of Hong Kong from the Devonian period 400 million years ago to  the reunification of Hong Kong with China in 1997 through the display of more than 4,000 exhibits with graphic panels, dioramas, multi-media programmes, and audio-visual and lighting effects.

Funding Organization: 

 

Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material/event (or by members of the project team) do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Innovation and Technology Commission or the Vetting Committee of the General Support Programme of the Innovation and Technology Fund. 

Platinum Sponsor: 

 

Other Sponsors:(Names are listed in alphabetical order) 

Sponsors

APhO 2016 1312 HKUST, HK

Ocean Park Hong KongIt is a marine-life theme park and amusement park blends entertainment with education and conservation. Let’s have fun with the pandas, koalas, penguins and release pressure after examinations by the thrill rides!

Tsim Sha TsuiA paradise for shopaholics! Numerous shopping malls, shops and stalls span the district. You may also walk alongside the promenade to enjoy the spectacular view of Victoria Harbour.

Hong Kong Wetland ParkA conservation, education and tourism facility comprises a 10,000m2 visitor centre and a 60-hectare Wetland Reserve showcasing  the importance of wetland on biodiversity, civilisation and conservation, and allowing the visitors to experience wetland creatures.

Micro Electronics Ltd. TML Apparel Limited

Academic Committee

Chair:

Prof. Shengwang Du

Members:

Prof. Yilong Han Prof. Gyu Boong Jo Prof. Kam Tuen Law

Prof. Philip Sou Prof. Wing Yim Tam Prof. Yi Wang

Secretary:

Dr. Sai Kit Cheung

Program Committee

Ms. Hoi-Sze Chan (Convenor, Pui Shing Catholic Secondary School)

Mr. Shi Cheung (Sing Yin Secondary School)

Mr. Kai Io Fong (La Salle College)

Mr. Patrick Lam (Wa Ying College)

Mr. Albert Hong (Hong Kong Academy of Gifted Education)

Mr. Alex O (G.T. (Ellen Yeung) College)

Mr. Godwin Szeto (St. Joseph’s College)

Mr. Kam Fung Yu (Our Lady of the Rosary College)

Mr. Edwin Yung (Sing Yin Secondary School)

Miss Sandy Lam (Secretary)

教育局Education Bureau

We acknowledge with thanks members of the following universities: 

(Names are listed in alphabetical order)

 

City University of Hong Kong  Hong Kong Baptist University

The Chinese University of Hong Kong  The Hong Kong Institute of Education

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University  The University of Hong Kong

Patron:

The Honourable Mrs. Fanny Law Fan Chiu-fun, GBS, JP 

Honorary Chair:

Prof. Tony Chan, President, HKUST 

Organizing Committee 

Chair:

Prof. Michael Wong (HKUST)

Co-Chair:

Prof. Shengwang Du (HKUST)

Treasurer:

Dr. Tianwen Chen (HKUST)

Supporting Organizations

Members:

Prof. Kwok Sum Chan (CityU)

Dr. Man Ho Chan (HKIED)

Dr. Kwok Lung Jim (PolyU)

Dr. Francis Chi Chung Ling (HKU)

Executive Secretary:

Miss Sandy Lam (HKUST)

Project Coordinator:

Mr. Anton Law (HKUST)

APhO 2016 1514 HKUST, HK

ORGANIZATION

APhO 2016 1716 HKUST, HK