News

The National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology (QST) and the Photon Science Innovation Center (PhoSIC) are looking for a nickname for the next-generation synchrotron radiation facility that is currently being built at the new extension of Aobayama campus.

Often likened to a "giant microscope," synchrotron radiation facilities are used to observe materials at the atomic level using extremely bright light (electromagnetic waves including X-rays).

The next generation synchrotron radiation facility, which is funded through a public-private regional partnership, will have a circular accelerator (3GeV electron energy) with a storage ring measuring some 350 meters in circumference, and the capability of producing soft X-rays up to 100 times brighter than any other facility of its kind in Japan.

Construction of the facility began last April, and is expected to be completed in 2023.

When operational, it will be the centerpiece of a regional research complex that will comprise the R&D sites of major universities and companies from around the world. Tohoku University, with its strong research capabilities and reputation, is expected to play a big role.

To give the next-generation synchrotron radiation facility a distinctive identity, QST and PhoSIC are calling on the public to suggest a bright and friendly nickname for it. Ideally, the nickname should reflect the facility's status as a world-class research hub, located on the campus of Tohoku University, a top-ranked academic institution.

The nickname can be in English or Japanese, but should sound familiar to people in Japan and as well as around the world. Ideas for nicknames must be submitted through the application form on the QST website mentioned below.

Application form (no other format will be accepted): https://www.qst.go.jp/ques/questionnaire.php?openid=27&check
Application deadline: March 31, 2021
Language: Japanese or English
Eligibility: Open to anyone, anywhere in the world.
Maximum five entries per person.

Please read the terms and conditions here before submitting an entry. The judges' decision is final.

Event information in Japanese