Koichiro Nishikawa, a former Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Kyoto University's Graduate School of Science, has been awarded the 2016 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics as representative of the K2K and T2K experiments. Collaborators in these experiments, including Tsuyoshi Nakaya, current spokesperson for the T2K experiment, and his laboratory's staff and students, were also named in the award.
The 2016 prize was given to five international projects, including the K2K and T2K experiments and Super-Kamiokande experiment, for their role in the discovery and study of neutrino oscillation, with all participating researchers sharing the award.
The K2K and T2K experiments involve generating neutrino beams with the use of a proton accelerator, while the Super-Kamiokande experiment consists of observing solar and atmospheric neutrinos. As participants in these endeavors, members of Prof Nakaya's High Energy Physics Laboratory at the Faculty of Science have contributed to the elucidation of the correlation between the types (flavors) and masses of neutrinos as revealed in the study of neutrino oscillations.
The award ceremony was held on 9 November 2015 (Japan time) in California.
Related links
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Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics: 2016 Laureates
https://breakthroughprize.org/Laureates/1/P1/Y2016 -
High Energy Physics Laboratory
http://www-he.scphys.kyoto-u.ac.jp/index.html2 - T2K Collaboration
http://t2k-experiment.org/
