On 15 March, scientists working on the Quantum Beam Technology Program at KEK’s superconducting RF test facility (STF) confirmed the successful generation of X-rays using Inverse Compton Scattering (ICS) with superconducting radiofrequency (SCRF) acceleration technology. This is the world’s first successful implementation of ICS X-ray sources with SCRF technology. The Quantum Beam Technology Program is […]
Japanese diet members focus on ATF2
Twelve members of the Japanese Federation of Diet members to promote the realisation of the ILC visited KEK on 4 and 18 March. They spent the longest time at ATF, KEK’s test facility for the linear collider. They also toured KEKB, Belle, and the Photon Factory.
Japanese science minister mentions ILC in press conference
On Friday, 18 January, Hakubun Shimomura, Japan’s Minister of MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology), the funding agency for Japan’s high-energy physics programme, stated Japan’s intention to invite the ILC in the regular press conference after the cabinet meeting, responding to a question from the press about the government’s standpoint to the […]
Exciting time for the ILC technical design
Worldwide efforts toward the realisation of the International Linear collider advanced one step further last weekend. On 15 December, the draft of the Technical Design Report (TDR) for ILC was handed over to Jonathan Bagger, the chair of the International Linear Collider Steering Committee (ILCSC), at an official ceremony held in Tokyo, Japan. This event […]
Building the ILC step by step
On 18 October, a meeting of Japanese high-energy physicists to discuss a “phased execution” of the International Linear Collider was held at KEK laboratory, Tsukuba, Japan. This meeting was hosted by JAHEP, the Japan association of high-energy physicists, and was called an “expanded” meeting. JAHEP usually hold regular meetings with 15 committee members who were […]
Rolf Heuer, global ILC cities and the role of Japan
On 24 October, a symposium to boost activities to invite the ILC to Japan was held at the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. This event was entitled “Forum on Advanced Accelerator Science & Industry – Creation of Global Project Cities.” Because this event’s date coincided with the height of the big ILC conference, LCWS12, held […]
China awards Shin-ichi Kurokawa the 2012 Friendship Award
Shin-ichi Kurokawa, professor emeritus at KEK, vice president of Cosylab and former chair of the ILC Steering Committee, was awarded the Friendship Award of China, the highest honour that the Chinese government confers to foreign experts for their contribution and dedication to China’s economic construction and social development. On 28 September, the awards ceremony for […]
Japan’s key figures back the ILC
A week after the CERN’s announcement of the discovery of the Higgs-like particle, Japan Policy Council (JPC) issued recommendations entitled Creation of Global Cities by hosting the International Linear Collider. Now the English version is available online. Composed of members who are Japan’s foremost leaders in various fields such as policy making, economics, labour or […]
I found the Higgs!
On 2 September, KEK in Japan held a laboratory open house. About 4600 people visited KEK’s Tsukuba campus, one-and-a-half times as many as last year. Presumably one of the reasons for the pushed-up number of visitors was the discovery of Higgs-like particle at CERN. At the ILC exhibit, particle badges exclusively designed for the open […]
Japanese high-energy physics community says go for the linear collider
Research projects in high-energy physics tend to be on larger scales, since they require huge experimental facilities. The realisation of such large-scale projects requires an enormous amount of long-term preparation, and also a big budget. That’s why high-energy physicists have decided the priorities for the future experiments by community-wide discussions. On 8 August, the Japanese […]