Bulletin Spring‧Summer 1996

important contributions . Some of the subsequent work was also supported by a Croucher Foundation grant. The formalism is applicable to many systems that lose energy to the environment. It turns out that gravitational waves emitted from black holes constitute one such system, formally very analogous to electromagnetic waves emitted from microdroplets — even though the length scales differ by afacto r of abillion . The researchers at CUHK, together with W.M. Suen, have achieved a much clearer understanding of the behaviour of such waves, which are expected to be detected within the next decade. 4 References 1. H.M. Lai, W.M. Suen & K. Young, P h y s . Rev. Lett. , 47, 177 (1981); P h y s . Rev., A25, 1755 (1982). 2. H.M. Lai, P.T. Leung, K.L. Poon & K. Young, J. O p t . Soc. Am., B6, 2430 (1989). 3. E.S.C. Ching, H.M. Lai & K . Young, J. O p t . Soc. Am., B4, 1995 (1987). 4. E.S.C. Ching, P.T. Leung, W.M. Suen & K. Young, P h y s . Rev. Lett. , 74, 2414 (1995). Future Research in the Field The new approach opens up many research directions. In June 1995, Ching, Leung , Suen and Young were awarded another RGC grant to study waves in open systems in general, while Leung and Lai were awarded an RGC grant to study specific optical phenomena in microdroplets. Both are the outgrowths of the original project awarded in 1988. Speaking o f this long-term project, both Prof. Lai and Prof. Young feel that future developments w i l l depend principally on the younger members of the team. As regards themselves, the project has been gratifying not only because of the scientific results, but also because it has provided opportunities fo r ahome-grow n team to be nurtured. • F r o m l e f t : W . M. Suen, H M. L a i , P.T. L e u n g , K. Yo un g, E . S . CC h i n g , S.Y.L i u and S . S . T o n g . P r o f . K e n n e t h Young i s a t h e o r e t i c a l p h y s i c i s t . He o b t a i n e d h is BS and P h . D. f r om the C a l i f o r n i a I n s t i t u t e of T e c h n o l o g y i n 1 9 69 and 1 9 72 r e s p e c t i v e l y , and j o i n ed C U HK i n 1 9 7 3 . H is r e s e a r c h i n t e r e s t s c o v e r a w i de r a n ge of s u b j e c t s i n c l u d i n g h i gh e n e r g y p h y s i c s , o p t i c a l p h y s i c s , e l e c t r o d y n a m i c s , e t e o r o l o g y , etc. H e is a p r o f e s s o r of p h y s i c s and i s s e r v i n g c o n c u r r e n t l y as a p r o - v i c e - c h a n c e l l o r of the U n i v e r s i t y , and d e an o f the G r a d u a t e S c h o o l P r o f . H o n - M i n g L ai o b t a i n e d h is B . S c . f r om C U HK in 1967 and P h . D. f r om D a r t m o u t h C o l l e gi n the U n i t ed S t a t e s i n 1 9 7 1 . He j o i n ed C U HK as l e c t u r e r i n 1 9 7 4 . H e is a t h e o r e t i c a l p h y s i c i s t w i th r e s e a r c h i n t e r e s t si n p l a s ma p h y s i c s , e l e c t r o d y n a m i c s ,and o p t i c a l p h y s i c s . H e is a p r o f e s s o r i n the D e p a r t m e n t of P h y s i c s and is s e r v i n g c o n c u r r e n t l yas c h a i r m a n of the d e p a r t m e n t 32