IBS and Japan’s RIKEN to Hold International Joint Research Symposium
Conducting Joint Research on Rare Isotope Science for 10 Years
The Institute for Basic Science (IBS) in Korea is collaborating with Japan’s RIKEN in the field of rare isotope science.
Korea and Japan are embarking on a joint research project to uncover the origins of cosmic elements.
IBS announced that it will host the ‘Korea-Japan International Joint Research Symposium on Rare Isotope Science’ with Japan’s RIKEN on the 16th.
This symposium is part of the ‘Top-tier Collaboration Platform and Joint Research Support Project’ (Top-tier Project). The Top-tier Project is an initiative by the Ministry of Science and ICT to support the establishment of sustainable collaboration systems between the world’s top research institutions and leading domestic research institutions. IBS was selected for the Top-tier project in July with the proposal ‘Building an International Collaboration Platform for Extreme Rare Isotope Science.’
In Korea, IBS, Seoul National University, Korea University, and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute are participating in this project. In Japan, under RIKEN’s leadership, the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization’s Wako Nuclear Science Center (KEK WNSC) and the University of Tokyo’s Center for Nuclear Study (CNS) are participating. To support this project, IBS has established the ‘International Collaboration Center for Extreme Rare Isotope Science’ at its Rare Isotope Science Project and appointed Shin Taek-su, Head of the Experiment Equipment Division at the IBS Rare Isotope Science Project, as the director of the center.
Rare isotope science involves generating and studying unknown rare isotopes that are difficult to find in nature using a heavy ion accelerator. This field connects to research on the origin of cosmic elements and the development of new materials, semiconductors, and nuclear medicine through the application of new radioactive isotopes.
The project will progress in three phases: the first phase lasts three years, the second four years, and the third three years. The first phase involves generating rare isotopes using an ISOL technique with Asia’s first uranium carbide (UCx) target. The second phase focuses on researching a world-first method of ISOL-IF linked rare isotope generation using RAON. The third phase aims to discover new extreme rare isotopes. ISOL is a method that creates rare isotopes by causing nuclear fission when a lightweight beam collides with a heavy target.
Noh Do-young, Director of IBS, stated, “This international joint research project with RIKEN marks the first step for Korea’s extreme rare isotope science, initiated with the heavy ion accelerator RAON and the Rare Nuclear Research Group, to advance globally.” He expressed pride in how Korea’s heavy ion accelerator RAON stands alongside Japan’s representative heavy ion accelerator RIBF as a collaborative research platform for rare isotope science involving Korea and Japan’s top scientists.