High Energy Accelerator Research Organization

Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University

Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo

Osaka University

The University of Tokyo Institute for Advanced Study Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe

J-PARC Center

Summary

The scientific goal of collecting samples from the asteroid Ryuguu by the asteroid probe Hayabusa2 is to elucidate "Where did we come from? To search for the origin and evolution of the solar system, the Earth's oceans and raw materials for life, each of the six initial analysis teams with different approaches will spend a year analyzing samples.

One of the teams, the "Lithic Material Analysis Team," led by Professor Tomoki Nakamura of Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, consists of more than 90 researchers and aims to model the formation process of Ryuguu by focusing on the hydrous minerals contained in the samples. In the Hayabusa2 project, a "rock" is defined as a grain larger than 1 mm in diameter.

For this purpose, the "Stony Materials Analysis Team" will use a variety of analytical methods in Japan and abroad, but in the early stages of the project, two types of quantum beams produced by the accelerator at KEK's Institute for Materials Structure Science (synchrotron radiation at the Photon Factory (PF) and muons at the Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility (MLF) at the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC)) will be used to analyze the rocks. (MLF)) will be used to begin material analysis of Ryuguu, which has attracted worldwide attention. The initial stage of analysis is called "upstream" analysis. The reason for using quantum beams upstream is that they can analyze minute amounts of samples nondestructively and do not affect downstream analysis. It can be said to be wisdom to make effective use of rare samples.

Professor Nakamura's research group also used synchrotron radiation to analyze samples from the asteroid Itokawa brought back by the asteroid explorer Hayabusa in 2010, utilizing X-ray diffraction and fluorescence X-ray analysis at the PF BL-3A Precise Single Crystal X-ray Diffraction Station under extreme conditions. In this analysis, in addition to PF BL-3A, the scanning transmission X-ray microscope (STXM) at the PF BL-19A soft X-ray microscopy and spectroscopy experimental station and the muon basic science experiment (MUSE) at the Muon Science Experimental Facility (MUSE) D2 at the J-PARC MLF were used. Elemental analysis using negative muons in the instrument is used.

Figure: At PF BL-3A, Professor Tomoki Nakamura, Tohoku University

Press Conference and Tour Speakers

Professor Tomoki Nakamura, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University
Leader of "Stone Material Analysis Team", Research Field: Planetary Science
Professor Yoshio Takahashi, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo
　Participating in the analysis at PF BL-19A, Research Field: Molecular Geochemistry
Associate Professor Kazuhiko Ninomiya, Organization of Scientific Research for Radiation Science, Osaka University
　Participation in analysis at J-PARC MLF MUSE D2, Research Field: Quantum Beam Science

Press Conference and Tour Schedule

Friday, June 25, 2021, 14:00-15:30 (at Zoom meeting)

14:00 - 14:20	Brief explanation of the analysis	Professor Tomoki Nakamura, Tohoku University
14:20 - 14:45	Q&A Session	Professor Tomoki Nakamura, Tohoku University Professor Yoshio Takahashi, The University of Tokyo Associate Professor Kazuhiko Ninomiya, Osaka University
14:45-15:00	Visit to PF BL-3A	Professor Tomoki Nakamura, Tohoku University
15:00-15:15	Visit to PF BL-19A	Professor Yoshio Takahashi, The University of Tokyo
15:15-15:30	Visit to J-PARC MLF MUSE D2	Associate Professor Kazuhiko Ninomiya, Osaka University

During the tour, a researcher will explain about the equipment, etc. from the experimental site. You can also ask related questions.
Professor Nakamura will join the tour until 15:00 on the day of 6/25 because he is in the middle of analysis at PF BL-3A.

Application for participation

Please register from this URL
https://forms.gle/eVkXwycXscN7u6hUA

Application deadline: Thursday, June 24, 17: 00

Please contact KEK Public Relations Office if you have any questions.
KEK Public Relations Office Tel: 029-879-6046

For more information, please visit the KEK website.