●Meeting of J-PARC International Advisory Committee, IAC 2014 (March 10-11)        The J-PARC International Advisory Committee was held at the Ibaraki Quantum Beam Research Center (IQBRC) on March 10 and 11. The agenda items include discussions and outcomes at the Neutron (NAC) , Accelerator (A-TAC) and Muon (MAC) Advisory Committees, which met from February to March. J-PARC staff members also reported on topics such as an overview of the accident at the Hadron Experimental Facility in May 2013 and all responses done by J-PARC Center after the accident especially strengthening of the safety management system; the current situation and progress of research at each facility; and response to the recommendations received at the previous committee meeting. After the reports there was discussion by the committee. Finally the reports were evaluated by the committee, and recommendations were made. * Click here to enlarge. ▲to Page Top

●Collaborative Symposium of Elements Strategy Initiative and Large Research Institutions 2014 (February 28 - March 1)        In 2012, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) launched the Elements Strategy Initiative for promoting research in the four domains of magnetic materials, catalyst / battery materials, electronic materials, and structural materials. This is to be achieved by forming research centers, using four large research facilities (*) in Japan, including J-PARC. Recently, a meeting bringing together involved persons from each research center and large research facility was held at the Kashiwa Campus of the University of Tokyo, and over 200 participants attended. Representatives of each research center reported on the current status of research, obtained results, issues and other topics, and persons at large research facilities reported on the current situation and issues at their facilities. Information was shared and views were broadened. Regarding J-PARC facilities, Dr. Masatoshi Arai, Head of the Materials and Life Science Division (MLF Division) , described how J-PARC reviewed and strengthened the facility safety system before having resumed that neutron and muon experiments on February 17, and introduced the nature of research which can be done at MLF, the performance of equipment, and related topics.       In the panel discussion at the end of the first day, Dr. Yasuhiko Fujii, Director of the Tokai Research Center of the Comprehensive Research Organization for Science and Society (CROSS) , participated as a panel member, and views were exchanged on matters such as strategic bases for each material and the best approach for using large research facilities, with specific themes being: (1) Topics of basic science for elements strategies, (2) Research organization and structure, and (3) Expectations and needs.       *: CMSI (Computational Materials Science Initiative) and the "K" supercomputer, the world's largest third-generation synchrotron radiation facility (SPring-8) , Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC) , and the KEK Photon Factory (PF)  * Click here to enlarge. ▲to Page Top

●Neutron and Muon Beams of J-PARC/MLF Help Discovery of a New Phase in an Iron-Based Superconducting Material !        Tokyo Institute of Technology, and the Elements Strategy/Electronics Materials Research Group of Institute of Materials Structure Science (IMSS) of the High-Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) have investigated the magnetic properties and structure of an iron-based superconducting material (LaFeAs (O1-xH x) ) , via a technique employing the neutron and muon beams of MLF and the synchrotron radiation beam of the KEK Photon Factory (PF) in a complementary fashion. As a result, they discovered that, in a previously unmeasured hydrogen concentration range (electron concentration) a new magnetic ordering phase appeared accompanying changes in fine structure. * Click here to enlarge. ▲to Page Top

●1st J-PARC Heavy-Ion Workshop JHI2014 (at Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) of Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) , March 17-18)        The workshop on nuclear physics using heavy-ion beams of J-PARC, hosted by ASRC of JAEA, was held on March 17-18. There were 10 invited talks by the researchers, 7 from overseas and 3 from Japan, who were active in the front lines of the research field. Dr. Hiroyuki Sako, a senior researcher of the Hadron physics research group of ASRC, reported an overview of the future plan for using heavy-ion beam at J-PARC, and discussions had conducted on specific research topics with using high-energy and low-energy heavy-ion beams. * Click here to enlarge. ▲to Page Top

●5th MLF Symposium 2014  (March 18-19)        Over the two days, March 18-19, this symposium was held at the Tsukuba International Conference Center, with poster presentations on the first day, and various talks on the second day. This symposium was held jointly with the 2nd Science Festa of Institute of Materials Structure Science (IMSS) of the High-Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) and the 31st PF Symposium. In total, about 300 posters and 50 talks were presented, and approximately 450 researchers participated.       At the MLF Symposium, there were three invited speakers, on the topics of battery materials, magnetic materials and hydrogen compounds of iron-based materials. Later, a session was held on users' requests for facilities, and needs in areas such as facility use were expressed. In the afternoons, the symposium was divided into three sessions, and reports were given on hard matter/materials, soft matter/living organisms/technology development, beam sources/devices/technology development, and research results. * Click here to enlarge. ▲to Page Top