Int’l scientists at AUS discuss Mars mission, nanotechnology

Sharjah / WAM

The physics of stars and galaxies, elementary particle physics, materials science, lasers, and nanophysics and nanotechnology were some of the key topics discussed at the Frontiers in Theoretical and Applied Physics conference (FTAPS 2017), at the American University of Sharjah (AUS).
Organised by the Department of Physics, in partnership with the Emirates Mars Mission and Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) the international conference will continue till Friday.
FTAPS 2017 is the first conference in the region to be endorsed by the American Physical Society (APS) the Material Research Society (MRS), UK-based Institute of Physics (IOP) and the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
In his welcome address, Dr Bjorn Kjerfve, Chancellor of AUS, said, “The conference has gathered more than 300 delegates from 45 countries. We are pleased to welcome all of you, leading experts from an array of international institutions – from Harvard University, the University of Cambridge and Max Planck Institutes to the National Science Foundation in the US, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Science, among others.
“AUS has recently been mandated to become a research university with a focus on science and technology, and innovation features prominently in the planned course for the future. Only last week, we celebrated a major milestone with the launch of Nayif-1, the UAE’s first satellite, a nanosatellite developed by seven Emirati engineering students from AUS who were guided by the faculty members from our College of Engineering, along with a team of engineers and specialists from MBRSC,” he added.
Dr Ali Sami Alnaser, Head of the Department of Physics at AUS, also welcomed the delegates.
“Organising such a high-calibre international conference with so many quality speakers and participants shows we are committed to fulfilling the enlightened vision of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. It reflects that science and education must regain their rightful place in the advancement of our society and AUS is to be a centre of research in an emirate that is devoted to academic excellence,” Alnaser said.
Presentations at FTAPS 2017 included a new method to achieve light trapping in thin-film devices based on metallic nanostructures, data storage and the technology of lasers and their applications in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Leading scientists from the European, American, Asian and Indian space missions shared their findings and discussed the opportunities and challenges of future space missions in the context
of the Emirates Mars Mission
in 2021.