Research

CAS--A commemoration was held on 29 October in Beijing to mark the centennial of late Prof. ZHAO Jiuzhang (Jeoujang Jaw, 1907-1968), a well-known meteorologist, geophysicist and space physicist.

Chaired by CAS Vice President LI Jinghai, the meeting was attended by more than 300 people. CAS President LU Yongxiang spoke at the meeting, commending Zhao for his pioneering and remarkable contributions to China's development of the atomic bomb,missile and satellite.

Born in Kaifeng, Henan Province, Zhao graduated from the Department of Physics, Tsinghua University in 1933, received his PhD from Berlin University, German in 1938. He served as director of CAS Institute of Geophysics, and CAS Institute of Applied Geophysics (predecessor of the CAS Center for Space Science and Applied Research).

Zhao had long been engaged in scientific research and management. He made significant contributions to the development of atmospheric science, geophysics and space science and was a pioneer for advocating physics and new technologies in earth science. His research results were foundational in many fields such as air-mass analysis, thermo-dynamics of trade wind zone, baroclinic instability of atmosphereic long-wave, quasi-stationary active center, and physical mechanism about charged particles and magnetic field of outer-space. He established many research institutes and disciplines in China, such as balloon sounding, observation of ozone, observation of sea wave, physical observation of cloud and mist, sounding rocket, and artificial satellite. He also fostered a lot of outstanding scientists. He became a CAS Member in 1955.

At the commemoration, winners of the Zhao Jiuzhang Prize for Prominent Young Scientists in 2007 were announced. After the meeting, a ceremony of the Zhao Jiuzhang Star was held. With the approval of the International Minor Planet Nomenclature Committee, the Asteroid No. 7811, which was discovered on 23 February, 1982 by the CAS Purple Mountain Observatory, is named after Zhao.