The Founding And Development Of Chinese Atomic-Molecular Physics In The 20～(th) Century

On the basis of systemic excavation, collection and collation of the original documents and related historical data, this paper comprehensively and systematically discusses the founding and development of atomic-molecular physics in China in the 20^th century, attempts to clarify the sequence of its development as a whole, and reflects the conditions of its development and its basic characteristics during different historical periods.The main points are as following:1, Based on the statistics of and analysis on the Chinese scholars' publications in atomic-molecular physics, some conclusion are drawn of the characteristics of the Chinese scholars' research during the period. Analysis is undertaken on the research work in atomic-molecular physics done by the physics departments of Tsinghua and Peking University and the physics institute of Peking Academy, as well as on the position and influence of Wu Youxun, Wu Dayou and Yan Jici in the three workshops respectively. In the meantime, this paper elucidates the relationship between the research work mentioned above and the "academic independence" of physics in China. The author believes that the research work promotes Chinese physics, and Chinese science as well, to the "academic independence", and sets an example.2,This paper discourses upon the higher education of Chinese atomic-molecular physics from the perspectives of the faculty, curricula, teaching plans, teaching materials and students' education. Importance is attached to the physics departments of Peking University, Tsinghua University and South-west United University during the first half of the 20^th century, and to those of Jilin University, Chengdu University of Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, and University of Science and Technology of China, and the graduate students' education as well, during the second half of the 20^th century. Moreover, this paper analyzes the impact of the "adjustment of colleges and departments" in 1952 on the education of atomic-molecular physics in the universities of China.3,This paper analyzes the influence of the national "science and technology plan" and that of scientists, such as Qian Xuesen, on the development of Chinese atomic-molecular physics, and briefly notifies the discussion of the Chinese Academy on the development of atomic-molecular physics and the developing process of the strategy of the discipline.4,The institutionalization of atomic-molecular physics in China is analyzed from the perspectives of the establishment of the institutes, the discipline committee and the founding of the journals, and the relationship is pointed out between the national need and the "science and technology plan" and the institutionalization of the discipline. The institutionalization is a from-top-to-bottom process, that is, from the beginning of the related research and education, through the intake of the discipline into the national science and technology plan, to the establishment of the institutes, founding of the journals and academic exchanges. Meanwhile, the paper emphatically analyzes the founding causes and development of the National Spectrum and Atomic-Molecular Laboratory, Wuhan Physics and Mathematics Institute of Chinese Academy, and investigates into the financial aid from National Natural Science Foundation of China on the research projects of atomic-molecular physics in China.5,The paper sorts out the research work done by Chinese scientists in the field of atomic-molecular physics during the second half of the 20^th century, and expounds the achievement in the atomic-molecular physics research in China and its characteristics, and analyzes the causes as well.