Congratulations

Published in the Research School of Physics Event Horizon
Vol45 Issue48 30 November–4 December 2020

2021 Young Scientist Award of the Physical Society of Japan 

Dr Taiki Tanaka of the Department of Nuclear Physics has just been announced as the recipient of a 2021 Young Scientist Award of the Physical Society of Japan.

His research aimed to determine the best experimental conditions for synthesizing new superheavy elements. Utilizing a new experimental method that he developed, Taiki measured quasielastic scattering probabilities, at the RIKEN-GARIS facility in Japan, for a large number of beam energies, and a range of reactions. He found the correlation between the quasielastic barrier distributions that he measured and the peak superheavy element yields. These results were published in two papers, including Physical Review Letters in 2020. They are expected to contribute significantly toward synthesis of the new superheavy element 119, and even heavier elements.

After he received his PhD, he moved to the Australian National University, a leader in understanding the nuclear reaction mechanisms controlling the synthesis of superheavy elements. He aims to enhance his research trajectory using the ANU Heavy Ion Accelerator Facility.

The proof of his predicted optimum experimental conditions will be revealed on the day a new element is created. However, the Physical Society of Japan supports the dauntless efforts of he and his colleagues to create new chemical elements on Earth.