Member
University Professor
MORITA Kosuke
University Professor of Institute for Advanced Study, Kyushu University
Specialized Fields
Experimental Nuclear Physics
Discovery of superheavy element 113 (Nh)
Message
The substances that make up our world are composed of several hundred elements. Since the Russian chemist Dmitry Mendeleyev proposed the periodic table of the elements about 150 years ago, the elements which we know today have become one of the main themes of chemistry. The individual elements that make up the periodic table were discovered by chemists and physicists and today 118 elements are recognized by IUPAC（ International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry ）. These elements were firstly separated and purified from natural substances, and after all the elements comprising natural substances had been discovered, the elements were compounded and discovered through artificial synthesis.I had dedicated my research life to the discovery of new elements by synthesis since completing my Master’s degree and was able to discover the new element number 113. Achieving the goal required mastery of various scientific methods and long-term repeated experiments. I hope that those of you who will be carrying out scientific research at the Institute for Advanced Study will be interested not only in your own field of expertise, but also in the various scientific findings that humanity has accumulated so far, and that you will continue to develop new findings in the future. I’m convinced that there are many new and interesting subjects in areas where we were previously unfamiliar with, and I expect you to be unafraid to acquire new disciplines and methods and to engage in the development of scientific knowledge. I’m also convinced that education in basic sciences and the development of human resources are the foundation of our national strength.
I believe that it is an important responsibility of universities and public research institutions to spend money and time on basic science education and to take their time, without expecting hasty results. I will continue to engage in research and education in order to give back to the country and the university.
Academic Background
- March 1979
- Department of Physics, School of Science, Kyushu University
- March 1981
- Master’s degree in Faculty of Science, Kyushu University
- July 1993
- PhD in Faculty of Science , Kyushu University
Occupation Background
- April 1984
- Assistant Current Researcher, Cyclotron Laboratory, RIKEN
- November 1991
- Researcher, Cyclotron Laboratory, RIKEN
- April 1993
- Senior Researcher, Cyclotron Laboratory, RIKEN
- November 2003
- Senior Researcher, Accelerator Group, RIKEN
- April 2005
- Senior Researcher, Frontier Research System, RIKEN
- April 2006
- Associate Chief Scientist, Morita Superheavy Elements Laboratory, Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science, RIKEN
- April 2013
- Professor of Faculty of Science, Kyushu University
- April 2013
- Director, Superheavy Element Research Group, Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science, RIKEN
- April 2022
- University Professor of Institute for Advanced Study, Kyushu University
Academic Awards・Awards
- F.Y.2005
- The GSI Exotic Nuclei Community Membership Award
- F.Y.2005
- Nishina Memorial Prize
- F.Y.2005
- Inoue Prize for Science
- F.Y.2005
- Outstanding Paper Award of the Physical Society of Japan
- F.Y.2012
- The Researchers with Nice Step, National Institute of Science and Technology Policy
- F.Y.2016
- Japan Academy Prize
- F.Y.2016
- Special Prize for Science and Technology, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award
- F.Y.2017
- The 76th Nishinippon Culture Award
- F.Y.2019
- The 63rd Kimura Award, The Radiation Chemistry Society of Japan
Publication List
- Morita, K. Morimoto, D. Kaji, H. Haba, E. Ideguchi, J. C. Peter, R. Kanungo, K. Katori, H. Koura, H. Kudo, T. Ohnishi, A. Ozawa, T. Suda, K. Sueki, I. Tanihata, H. Xu, A. V. Yeremin, A. Yoneda, A. Yoshida, Y.-L. Zhao, T. Zheng, S. Goto, and F. Tokanai. Production and Decay Properties of 272111 and its Daughter Nuclei. J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 73, 1738 (2004).
- Morita, K. Morimoto, D. Kaji, T. Akiyama, S. Goto, H. Haba, E. Ideguchi, R. Kanungo, K. Katori, H. Koura, H. Kudo, T. Ohnishi, A. Ozawa, T. Suda, K. Sueki, H. Xu, T. Yamaguchi, A. Yoneda, A. Yoshida, and Y.-L. Zhao. Experiment on the Synthesis of Element 113 in the Reaction 209Bi(70Zn,n)278113. J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 73, 2593 (2004).
- Morita, K. Morimoto, D. Kaji, T. Akiyama, S. Goto, H. Haba, E. Ideguchi, K. Katori, H. Koura, H. Kudo, T. Ohnishi, A. Ozawa, T. Suda, K. Sueki, F. Tokanai, T. Yamaguchi, A. Yoneda, and A. Yoshida, Experiment on Synthesis of an Isotope 277112 by 208Pb+70Zn Reaction, J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 76, 043201 (2007).
- Morita, K. Morimoto, D. Kaji, T. Akiyama, S. Goto, H. Haba, E. Ideguchi, K. Katori, H. Koura, H. Kikunaga, H. Kudo, T. Ohnishi, A. Ozawa, N. Sato, T. Suda, K. Sueki, F. Tokanai, T. Yamaguchi, A. Yoneda, and A. Yoshida. Observation of Second Decay Chain from 278113. J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 76, 045001 (2007).
- Morita, K. Morimoto, D. Kaji, H. Haba, K. Ozeki, Y. Kudou, N. Sato, T. Sumita, A. Yoneda, T. Ichikawa, Y. Fujimori, S. Goto, E. Ideguchi, Y. Kasamatsu, K. Katori, Y. Komori, H. Koura, H. Kudo, K. Ooe, A. Ozawa, F. Tokanai, K. Tsukada, T. Yamaguchi, and A. Yoshida. Decay Properties of 266Bh and 262Db Produced in the 248Cm + 23Na Reaction. J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 78, 064201 (2009).
- Morita, K. Morimoto, D. Kaji, H. Haba, K. Ozeki, Y. Kudou, T. Sumita, Y. Wakabayashi, A. Yoneda, K. Tanaka, S. Yamaki, R. Sakai, T. Akiyama, S. Goto, H. Hasebe, M. Huang, T. Huang, E. Ideguchi, Y. Kasamatsu, K. Katori, Y. Kariya, H. Kikunaga, H. Koura, H. Kudo, A. Mashiko, K. Mayama, S. Mitsuoka, T. Moriya, M. Murakami, S. Mitsuoka, S. Namai, A. Ozawa, N. Sato, K. Sueki, M. Takeyama, F. Tokanai, T. Yamaguchi, A. Yoshida, H. Murayama, S. Namai, A. Ozawa, N. Sato, K. Sueki, M. Takeyama, F. Tokanai, T. Yamaguchi, A. Yoshida. New Result in the Production and Decay of an Isotope, 278113, of the 113th Element. J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 81, 103201 (2012).
- Morita. SHE research at RIKEN/GARIS. Nucl. Phys. A 944, 30 (2015).
- Kaji, K. Morita, K. Morimoto, H. Haba, M. Asai, K. Fujita, Z. Gan, H. Geissel, H. Hasebe, S. Hofmann, M. Huang, Y. Komori, L. Ma, J. Maurer, M. Murakami, M. Takeyama, F. Tokanai, T. Tanaka, Y. Wakabayashi, T. Yamaguchi, S. Yamaki, and A. Yoshida. Study of the Reaction 48Ca + 248Cm → 296Lv* at RIKEN-GARIS. J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 86, 034201 (2017).
- Tanaka, Y. Narikiyo, K. Morita, K. Fujita, D. Kaji, K. Morimoto, S. Yamaki, Y. Wakabayashi, K. Tanaka, M. Takeyama, A. Yoneda, H. Haba, Y. Komori, S. Yanou, B. J.-P. Gall, Z. Asfari, H. Faure, H. Hasebe, M. Huang, J. Kanaya, M. Murakami, A. Yoshida, T. Yamaguchi, F. Tokanai, T. Yoshida, S. Yamamoto, Y. Yamano, K. Watanabe, S. Ishizawa, M. Asai, R. Aono, S. Goto, K. Katori, and K. Hagino. Determination of Fusion Barrier Distributions from Quasielastic Scattering Cross Sections towards Superheavy Nuclei Synthesis. J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 87, 014201 (2018).
- Tanaka, K. Morita, K. Morimoto, D. Kaji, H. Haba, R. A. Boll, N. T. Brewer, S. Van Cleve, D. J. Dean, S. Ishizawa, Y. Ito, Y. Komori, K. Nishio, T. Niwase, B. C. Rasco, J. B. Roberto, K. P. Rykaczewski, H. Sakai, D. W. Stracener, and K. Hagino. Study of Quasielastic Barrier Distributions as a Step towards the Synthesis of Superheavy Elements with Hot Fusion Reactions. Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 052502 (2020).
- Niwase, M. Wada, P. Schury, P. Brionnet, S. D. Chen, T. Hashimoto, H. Haba, Y. Hirayama, D. S. Hou, S. Iimura, H. Ishiyama, S. Ishizawa, Y. Ito, D. Kaji, S. Kimura, J. Liu, H. Miyatake, J. Y. Moon, K. Morimoto, K. Morita, D. Nagae, M. Rosenbusch, A. Takamine, T. Tanaka, Y. X. Watanabe, H. Wollnik, W. Xian, and S. X. Yan. α-decay-correlated mass measurement of 206,207g,mRa using an α-TOF detector equipped multireflection time-of-flight mass spectrograph system. Phys. Rev. C 104, 044617 (2021).