Kōsuke Morita
Kōsuke Morita | |
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![]() Kōsuke Morita, professor of the faculty of science, Kyushu University, attending the press conference for the official announcement of nihonium in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, on December 1, 2016 | |
Born | Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan | January 23, 1957
Nationality | Japanese |
Alma mater | Kyushu University |
Occupation | Experimental nuclear physicist |
Employer(s) | Kyushu University; Riken |
Known for | Discovery of element 113 |
Kōsuke Morita (Japanese: 森田 浩介 Hepburn: Morita Kōsukee, born January 23, 1957) is a Japanese experimental nuclear physicist, known as the leader of the Japanese team that discovered nihonium (element 113). He currently holds a joint appointment as a professor at Kyushu University’s Graduate School of Science and as director of the Super Heavy Element Research Group at Riken's Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science.
Professional life
[edit]Kōsuke Morita is a Japanese physicist specializing in experimental nuclear physics. He was born in 1957 in the city of Kitakyushu (北九州), located in the prefecture of Fukuoka.[1] In 1979 he graduated from Kyushu University, where he would continue pursuing graduate studies. In 1984, he left Kyushu University after completing the doctoral program without receiving a degree.[2] In an interview, Morita was asked why he left without finishing his PhD thesis. He responded, “The reason was simple: I did not have the talent to finish it".[3] However, he returned to Kyushu University to complete his thesis in 1993, 9 years after beginning graduate studies.[3]
After leaving Kyushu University in 1984 Morita joined Riken as a postdoctoral researcher, later on becoming a junior research scientist at Riken's cyclotron Laboratory.[1][2][3] In 1991, he was promoted to research scientist and in 1993 to senior research scientist.[1][2] In 2006, he was appointed chief scientist of the Superheavy Element Laboratory at Riken's Nishina Center.[3]
Morita is currently a professor in the faculty of science at Kyushu University, where he has remained since his appointment in 2013. Additionally, he holds a position as the director of the Superheavy Element Production Team at Riken's Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science[1][4]
Research achievements
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Kosuke_Morita_cropped_Hideto_Enyo_Kosuke_Morita_Koji_Morimoto_and_Hiroshi_Matsumoto_20161201.jpg)
Synthesis of nihonium
[edit]Element 113 was first synthesized in 2004 by the Superheavy Element Production Team at Riken, under direction of Kōsuke Morita.[5] The element was synthesized using a cold fusion approach, making it the heaviest element discovered using this production method.[6] Synthesis of element 113 was accomplished by bombardment of a 209Bi target with 70Zn projectiles using a beam energy of 352.6 MeV.[5] The experiment concluded with the synthesis of the 278113 isotope of element 113.[5]
Morita's team successfully synthesized element 113 in a total of three occasions: July 2004, April 2005, and August 2012.[2][7][8] This achievement was officially recognized by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry on December 31, 2015, granting Morita's team the element's naming rights.[7] The name Nihonium was proposed, making reference to Japan's name (Japanese: 日本 Hepburn: Nihon).[7] After a five-month public comment period, the union announced its formal approval on November 30, 2016.[9][10] Nihonium is currently the only element to have been discovered by an Asian team.[10][11]
The team currently aims to discover element 119, whose provisional name is ununennium.[12][13]
Work and education
[edit]![]() |
- 1972 – Graduates from Beppu Municipal Central Junior High School (別府市中部中学校).[14]
- 1975 – Graduates from Beppu Tsurumi Hill High School (別府鶴見丘高等学校) in Oita prefecture (大分県立).[14]
- 1984 – Graduates from Kyushu University School of Physics.
- 1984 – Postdoctoral Researcher, Riken Cyclotron Laboratory.
- 1991 – Research Scientist, Riken Cyclotron Laboratory 1993 – Receives his PhD from Kyushu University.
- 1993 – Senior Research Scientist, Riken Cyclotron Laboratory 2004 – First synthesis of element 113 at Riken.
- 2006 – Chief Scientist and Director, Superheavy Element Laboratory, Nishina Center for Accelerator Research, Riken.
- 2013 – Professor, Kyushu University Graduate School of Science, Institute for Experimental Nuclear Physics
Awards
[edit]- 2005 – The GSI Exotic Nuclei Community Membership Award.
- 2005 – Nishina Memorial Prize (仁科記念賞).
- 2005 – Inoue Science Award (井上学術賞).
- 2006 – 11th Paper Award of the Physical Society of Japan (JPS) (Joint Award).
- 2012 – Nice Step Scientist (ナイスステップな科学者).
- 2016 – Japan Academy Prize ( 日本学士院賞).[15]
- 2017 - Asahi Prize (朝日賞).[16]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "日本学士院賞授賞の決定について | 日本学士院". www.japan-acad.go.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2017-12-06.
- ^ a b c d "KYUSHU UNIVERSITY 先生の森 Introduction of Unique Professors at Kyushu University!". Kyushu University. Retrieved 2017-12-06.
- ^ a b c d "Asia's Scientific Trailblazers: Kosuke Morita". Asian Scientist Magazine | Science, Technology and Medicine News Updates From Asia. 2016-01-08. Retrieved 2017-12-06.
- ^ "Superheavy Element Production Team | Riken". www.riken.jp. Retrieved 2017-12-06.
- ^ a b c Morita, Kosuke; Morimoto, Kouji; Kaji, Daiya; Akiyama, Takahiro; Goto, Sin-ichi; Haba, Hiromitsu; Ideguchi, Eiji; Kanungo, Rituparna; Katori, Kenji (2004). "Experiment on the Synthesis of Element 113 in the Reaction209Bi(70Zn,n)278113". Journal of the Physical Society of Japan. 73 (10): 2593–2596. Bibcode:2004JPSJ...73.2593M. doi:10.1143/jpsj.73.2593.
- ^ Nasirov, A. K.; Muminov, A. I.; Giardina, G.; Mandaglio, G. (2014-07-01). "Basic distinctions between cold- and hot-fusion reactions in the synthesis of superheavy elements". Physics of Atomic Nuclei. 77 (7): 881–889. Bibcode:2014PAN....77..881N. doi:10.1134/S1063778814070126. ISSN 1063-7788. S2CID 119860679.
- ^ a b c "113番元素の名称・記号が正式決定 | 理化学研究所". www.riken.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2017-12-06.
- ^ "113番元素特設ページ | 理化学研究所 仁科加速器研究センター". www.nishina.riken.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2017-12-06.
- ^ "理研、113番元素の命名優先権獲得に王手 - 新たな崩壊経路の3例目を確認". マイナビニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2017-12-06.
- ^ a b "News Jun. 20, 2016 | Kyushu University Faculty of Science". www.sci.kyushu-u.ac.jp. Retrieved 2017-12-06.
- ^ "Riken Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science | RIKEN". www.riken.jp. Retrieved 2017-12-06.
- ^ 鈴木, 志乃 (January 2013). "3個目の113番元素を合成 (PDF)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-12-31. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
- ^ "113番元素特設ページ | 理化学研究所 仁科加速器研究センター". www.nishina.riken.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2017-12-06.
- ^ a b "理研の森田教授". 今日新聞. Retrieved 2017-12-06.
- ^ The Japan Academy Award, The Japanese Academy of Sciences (January 2017). "Discovery of the 113th super heavy element (PDF)" (PDF). Retrieved 2017-12-05.
- ^ Company, The Asahi Shimbun. "朝日新聞社 -朝日賞- The Asahi Prize -". www.asahi.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2017-12-06.
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External links
[edit]- Interview with Kōsuke Morita (from the website of Kyushu University)