Institute for Cosmic Ray Research
Encyclopedia
The Institute for Cosmic Ray Research (ICRR) of the University of Tokyo
(東京大学宇宙線研究所 Tōkyōdaigaku Uchūsen Kenkyūjo) was established in 1976 for the study of cosmic ray
s.
The gravitational wave
studies group is currently using the TAMA 300
gravitational wave detector
located at the Mitaka campus of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
. They are also developing the Large Scale Cryogenic Gravitational Wave Telescope (LCGT).
University of Tokyo
, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...
(東京大学宇宙線研究所 Tōkyōdaigaku Uchūsen Kenkyūjo) was established in 1976 for the study of cosmic ray
Cosmic ray
Cosmic rays are energetic charged subatomic particles, originating from outer space. They may produce secondary particles that penetrate the Earth's atmosphere and surface. The term ray is historical as cosmic rays were thought to be electromagnetic radiation...
s.
The gravitational wave
Gravitational wave
In physics, gravitational waves are theoretical ripples in the curvature of spacetime which propagates as a wave, traveling outward from the source. Predicted to exist by Albert Einstein in 1916 on the basis of his theory of general relativity, gravitational waves theoretically transport energy as...
studies group is currently using the TAMA 300
TAMA 300
TAMA 300 is a gravitational wave detector located at the Mitaka campus of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. It is a project of the gravitational wave studies group at the Institute for Cosmic Ray Research of the University of Tokyo...
gravitational wave detector
Gravitational wave detector
A gravitational wave detector is any experiment designed to measure gravitational waves, minute distortions of spacetime that are predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity. The existence of gravitational radiation is a prediction of Einstein's general theory of relativity. Gravitational...
located at the Mitaka campus of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
The is an astronomical research organisation comprising several facilities in Japan, as well as an observatory in Hawaii. It was established in 1988 as an amalgamation of three existing research organizations - the Tokyo Astronomical Observatory of the University of Tokyo, International Latitude...
. They are also developing the Large Scale Cryogenic Gravitational Wave Telescope (LCGT).
Facilities
- KashiwaKashiwa, Chibais a city located in northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 404,820 and a population density of 3520 persons per km²...
Campus at the University of TokyoUniversity of Tokyo, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university... - Akeno Observatory
- Kamioka ObservatoryKamioka ObservatoryThe is a neutrino physics laboratory located underground in the Mozumi Mine of the Kamioka Mining and Smelting Co. near the Kamioka section of the city of Hida in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. A set of groundbreaking neutrino experiments have taken place at the observatory over the past two decades...
- Norikura Observatory
Current projects
- Super-KamiokandeSuper-KamiokandeSuper-Kamiokande is a neutrino observatory which is under Mount Kamioka near the city of Hida, Gifu Prefecture, Japan...
- Detection of neutrinoNeutrinoA neutrino is an electrically neutral, weakly interacting elementary subatomic particle with a half-integer spin, chirality and a disputed but small non-zero mass. It is able to pass through ordinary matter almost unaffected...
s and search for proton decayProton decayIn particle physics, proton decay is a hypothetical form of radioactive decay in which the proton decays into lighter subatomic particles, such as a neutral pion and a positron...
s in a large water tank - CANGAROO - Very high energy cosmic gamma rayGamma rayGamma radiation, also known as gamma rays or hyphenated as gamma-rays and denoted as γ, is electromagnetic radiation of high frequency . Gamma rays are usually naturally produced on Earth by decay of high energy states in atomic nuclei...
observation by telescope. Located on the Woomera Prohibited Area in South Australia. - Tibet - Search for point sources of VHE cosmic gamma at Tibet heights
- Telescope Array - Aiming at highest energy cosmic ray physics by detecting weak light from atmosphere
- Gravitational Wave Group - R & D for detection of unknown phenomena 'gravitational waves'
- SDSS - Making 3-D map of very distant galaxies with specific wide view telescopes as an international collaboration with Princeton University
- Theory Group - Theoretical studies for verifying Grand Unified Theory and early Universe
- Ashra (All-sky Survey High Resolution Air-shower detector) - The group has developed a new type of detector with wide angle high resolution aiming for monitoring optical and particle radiation from high-energy transient objects. The detector system was installed on the slopes of the Mauna Loa volcano at about 10,500 feet elevation in 2006 and 2007. Mauna Loa is located in the Big Island of Hawaii in the state of Hawaii. The detector system is currently operational.