Major biological events and fossil energy formation: On the development of energy science under the earth system framework

In geological history, one major life explosion and five mass extinction events occurred. These major biological and environmental events affected the evolution of the Earth ecosystem and controlled the formation of organic-rich strata. The life explosion occurred in Cambrian and the five mass extinction events happened at the end of Ordovician, Late Devonian, end of Permian, end of Triassic, and end of Cretaceous, respectively. They are corresponded to the formation of multiple suites of organic-rich strata globally, which are crucial to the formation, evolution and distribution of the fossil energy on Earth. China’s energy is characterized by "unlimited new energy, rich in coal but insufficient in oil and gas ", and it is determined to rely on new energy sources to achieve " energy independence " and carbon neutrality. From the perspective of the Earth system evolution, we investigate the multiple relationships between energy and Earth, energy and environment, as well as energy and human beings, and carry out comprehensive research on energy. Energy science refers to the science of studying the various energy sources formation and distribution, evaluation and selection, production and utilization, orderly replacement, development prospects, etc. in temporal and spatial scales based on the evolution of the Earth system. The connotation of energy science includes three core contents:(1) The relationship between the Earth and energy, including the formation of energy in the Earth system and the feedback of energy consumption to the Earth’s climate and environment;(2) The relationship between the Earth environment and the human beings, including the Earth environment breeding human beings and human activities transforming the earth environment;(3) The relationship between the energy and the human beings, including the development of energy technology by human beings and the progress of human society driven by energy utilization. The energy science focuses on the formation and development of fossil energy, development and orderly replacement of new energy, exploration and utilization of energy in deep earth and deep space, and energy development strategy and planning. The proposal of energy science is of great significance for improving the discipline system, promoting energy development, clarifying the development direction of energy transition, driving the carbon neutral geology research and constructing a habitable Earth.

Special Topic on Major Research Program: Catalysis Science for Carbon-based Energy Conversion

The major research program,"Catalysis science for carbon-based energy conversion",from the national science foundation of China(NSFC)answers to the main strategic needs of China for the efficien use of carbon-based energy and targets to address the key scientifi issues involved in the catalytic interfaces.The research program aims to improve the catalytic activation of C–H and C–O bonds and the C–C coupling process,

The progress of radioisotope technology and application in China

The inception of radioisotope and its application in China are introduced. The research,development, production, application progress and the future development prospect of radioisotope and its products are described.

Development of new diagnostics based on LiF detector for pump-probe experiments

We present new diagnostics for use in optical laser pump-X-ray Free Electron Laser(XFEL)probe experiments to monitor dimensions,intensity profile and focusability of the XFEL beam and to control initial quality and homogeneity of targets to be driven by optical laser pulse.By developing X-ray imaging,based on the use of an LiF crystal detector,we were able to measure the distribution of energy inside a hard X-ray beam with unprecedented high spatial resolution(~1 mm)and across a field of view larger than some millimetres.This diagnostic can be used in situ,provides a very high dynamic range,has an extremely limited cost,and is relatively easy to be implemented in pump-probe experiments.The proposed methods were successfully applied in pump-probe experiments at the SPring-8 Angstrom Compact free electron LAser(SACLA)XFEL facility and its potential was demonstrated for current and future High Energy Density Science experiments.

Advances in laser-plasma interactions using intense vortex laser beams

Low-intensity light beams carrying orbital angular momentum(OAM),commonly known as vortex beams,have garnered significant attention due to promising applications in areas ranging from optical trapping to communication.In recent years,there has been a surge in global research exploring the potential of high-intensity vortex laser beams and specifically their interactions with plasmas.This paper provides a comprehensive review of recent advances in this area.Compared with conventional laser beams,intense vortex beams exhibit unique properties such as twisted phase fronts,OAM delivery,hollow intensity distribution,and spatially isolated longitudinal fields.These distinct characteristics give rise to a multitude of rich phenomena,profoundly influencing laser-plasma interactions and offering diverse applications.The paper also discusses future prospects and identifies promising general research areas involving vortex beams.These areas include low-divergence particle acceleration,instability suppression,high-energy photon delivery with OAM,and the generation of strong magnetic fields.With growing scientific interest and application potential,the study of intense vortex lasers is poised for rapid development in the coming years.