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NMR Reveals Thermal Self-Organization in Resistive Switching of Organic Conductor by Japanese Team

A joint research team from Tokyo University of Science, the National Institute for Materials Science, and RIKEN in Japan recently used bulk-sensitive ¹H-NMR measurements to reveal the internal electronic state of the organic conductor (d7-DMe-DCNQI)2Cu during resistive switching. The study found that, in the switching state, the material does not form a uniform new electronic phase, but rather a coexistence of metallic and insulating phases within the material. Schematic of bulk-crystal ¹H-NMR measurements Resistive switching refers to the phenomenon in which a material's resistance changes significantly under an applied current or voltage, and has attracted attention in research on correlated electron systems, memory devices, and neuromorphic devices. Previous studies have mostly...

2026-08-31

Japanese Team Achieves Femtosecond Soft X-ray Hyperspectral Microscopy, Simultaneously Acquiring Spatial and Energy Information with Single Pulse

On August 21, the Japan Science and Technology Agency, RIKEN, and the University of Tokyo announced that a research team comprising Assistant Professor Yoko Takeo and Associate Professor Takashi Kimura from the Institute for Solid State Physics at the University of Tokyo, Assistant Professor Satoru Egawa from the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo, and Team Leader Makina Yabashi from the RIKEN SPring-8 Center, among others, successfully developed and implemented a femtosecond soft X-ray hyperspectral microscope. The findings were published on August 20 in the U.S. scientific journal *Optica*. This technology utilizes a single soft X-ray pulse from an X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) to simultaneously acquire soft X-ray spectra transmitted through different positions of a sample, enabling...

2026-08-31

Japan Atomic Energy Agency discovers magnetic "strong-weak waves" in uranium semiconductor

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency announced on August 21 that its research team has discovered a special magnetic structure in the layered uranium semiconductor α-UTe3 (α-uranium tritelluride): the magnetism of uranium atoms not only alternates in opposite directions, but its magnetization intensity also periodically strengthens and weakens depending on the crystal position, forming a state resembling “strong-weak waves.” α-UTe3 is composed of uranium and tellurium atoms and belongs to van der Waals layered materials, where atomic layers are stacked through weak interlayer forces. Using high-quality α-UTe3 single crystals, the research team analyzed its low-temperature magnetic structure through resistivity, specific heat, and magnetization measurements, as well as nuclear magnetic resonance and single-crystal neutron diffraction techniques...

2026-08-31

Japan's J-PARC Uses Negative Muon Non-Destructive Analysis to Reveal Gold-Rich Surface Structure of Nagoya Castle's Golden Shachi Scales

A joint research team comprising the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), the J-PARC Center, the Nagoya Castle Research Center, and the National Museum of Nature and Science, among others, used the negative muon beam at the J-PARC Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility (MLF) to conduct non-destructive depth analysis on seven surviving scales of the golden shachi (ornamental dolphin-tiger fish) on Nagoya Castle's keep, confirming that five of the scales have a layered structure with high gold content within approximately 10 micrometers of the surface. The golden shachi on Nagoya Castle's keep was largely destroyed in the air raids of 1945, with some scales rescued and preserved to this day. Previously, researchers had examined these scales using X-ray fluorescence analysis, but the results showed that some scales with a bright golden appearance did not necessarily have a high average gold content.

2026-08-31

Japanese research team visualizes cellular metabolic changes during fracture healing using hyperpolarized MRI

August 21, 2026, Gifu Pharmaceutical University and Gifu University announced that a multi-institutional Japanese research team successfully visualized changes in the redox state of skeletal progenitor cells during fracture healing in living mice using hyperpolarized magnetic resonance imaging technology. The findings were published online on August 15, 2026, in the British academic journal *npj Imaging*. The study was led by Takuya Kubo, a graduate student in the Department of Pharmacology at Gifu Pharmaceutical University, Professor Eiichi Hinoi, and related research teams at Gifu University, in collaboration with the University of Tokyo, Osaka University, the Research Institute of National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, and other institutions. After a fracture occurs, a tissue called a...

2026-08-31

Japan's PF Launches Quantum Multi-Beam Experiments, Achieving Simultaneous Hard and Soft X-ray Measurements

The Photon Factory, a synchrotron radiation facility at the Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) in Japan, has recently launched collaborative experiments on the development and research multi-purpose beamlines BL-11A and BL-11B, achieving simultaneous irradiation of the same sample with hard and soft X-rays at the same position. The research results will be published in the international academic journal *Review of Scientific Instruments*. The Photon Factory uses electrons moving at near-light speed to generate high-brightness X-rays, known as synchrotron radiation, for studying material structures and properties. Among these, hard X-rays are better suited for observing the internal structure of materials, while soft X-rays are ideal for analyzing material surfaces and electronic states. Previously, at synchrotron radiation facilities, the two types of X-rays typically had to...

2026-08-31

Japanese team achieves high-precision mass measurements of argon isotopes, revealing variations in the strength of the new magic number N=32

An international collaborative research team comprising RIKEN and the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), among others, conducted high-precision mass measurements of short-lived argon isotopes far from the line of nuclear stability, using the superconducting RI beam generation and separation device BigRIPS at the RI Beam Factory (RIBF) of RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science, as well as the CRISMASS system, a stationary slow radioactive isotope precision mass spectrometer jointly developed by the two institutions. The research team directly measured the mass of argon-50 (^50Ar, 18 protons, 32 neutrons) for the first time, and improved the mass measurement precision of argon-49 (^49Ar) by approximately 250-fold compared to previous measurements, providing insights into the energy of the two-neutron shell gap near the new magic number N=32. The results have been...

2026-08-31

Japan Plans to Include Hitachiomiya, Ibaraki Prefecture, in Nuclear Waste Disposal Site Selection Survey

According to sources familiar with the matter on August 31, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is considering conducting a preliminary survey in Hitachiomiya, Ibaraki Prefecture, to designate the city as one of the potential candidate sites for a final disposal facility for high-level radioactive waste. The relevant plan is expected to be submitted to the Hitachiomiya municipal government. If the local government accepts the plan, Hitachiomiya will become the fifth location in Japan to undergo such a preliminary survey. The site selection process for Japan's high-level radioactive waste disposal facility involves multiple stages, and the entire screening process typically takes several years. The proposed preliminary survey is an early step to determine whether the area meets the conditions for further evaluation...

2026-08-31

Japan nuclear waste, geological disposal, literature survey, Hitachiomiya City

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) is in the final stages of coordination regarding the site selection process for the final disposal of high-level radioactive waste, with plans to request Hitachiomiya City in Ibaraki Prefecture to conduct a literature survey. The literature survey is the first phase of Japan's screening process for selecting a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste generated from nuclear power generation. It primarily relies on existing literature and materials to assess whether candidate areas have safety concerns such as volcanoes and active faults. Hitachiomiya City is located in the northwestern part of Ibaraki Prefecture, bordering Tochigi Prefecture, with a population of slightly over 35,000. The city does not face the sea, with the Kuji River and Naka River flowing through its territory. Forests account for approximately 60% of the city's total area, and agriculture and manufacturing are the main industries. In recent years, the city has been promoting tourism and emerging industries leveraging the natural environment, while also facing challenges such as population decline, aging, and fiscal pressure.

2026-08-31

Decontaminated soil from Fukushima used in flower beds at Saitama municipal government building

Decontaminated soil generated after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident was transported on August 30 to a government building in Saitama City, Japan, and used in a reuse project for on-site flower beds. The work took place at the Saitama Shintoshin Joint Government Building in Chuo Ward, Saitama City. Approximately one cubic meter of decontaminated soil was brought to the site, where workers dug holes in the flower beds, filled the soil to a depth of about 20 centimeters, and then covered it with approximately 20 centimeters of ordinary soil. Similar decontaminated soil reuse work was carried out on August 29 at the Sendai Joint Government Building in Miyagi Prefecture. Apart from demonstration projects within Fukushima Prefecture, this is the second reuse case conducted outside the Tokyo area. On the day of the work, approximately...

2026-08-31

Japan to Establish New Decontamination Base in Okuma, Fukushima

Japan's Ministry of the Environment has decided to establish a new work base in Okuma Town, Fukushima Prefecture, in the next fiscal year to coordinate decontamination and house demolition work in difficult-to-return zones following the accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO)'s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, aiming to accelerate environmental recovery in the affected areas. Within seven municipalities surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, approximately 309 square kilometers have been designated as difficult-to-return zones. These areas remain under strict control, with restrictions on residential habitation and entry, and evacuation orders remain in effect. Within the difficult-to-return zones, the Japanese government has established "specified return residential areas" and plans to advance decontamination, house demolition, and other measures based on residents' intentions to return. The proposed new base in Okuma Town will be responsible for on-site management and project coordination, with approximately 30 staff members expected to be assigned, and the relevant branch office currently located in Hirono Town will be relocated to Okuma Town.

2026-08-30

Japanese Nuclear Regulator Inspects Horonobe Geological Disposal Research Facility for High-Level Radioactive Waste

On August 28, Shinya Nagasaki and other members of Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) inspected an underground research facility in Horonobe Town, Japan. The facility, operated by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), conducts technical research on deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste involves encapsulating the waste and burying it deep underground, achieving long-term isolation through engineered and natural geological barriers. During the inspection, Nagasaki and his delegation examined test facilities used to evaluate the corrosion resistance of iron containers. The tests simulate the environment of containers holding heat-generating radioactive waste after being buried underground...

2026-08-30

Japan's Fukui Prefecture Approves KEPCO's Construction of Dry Cask Storage Facilities for Spent Fuel

Fukui Prefecture Governor Tatsuji Sugimoto announced on August 28 that he approved Kansai Electric Power Company's (KEPCO) plan to construct dry cask storage facilities for spent fuel within the premises of the Mihama and Takahama nuclear power plants in Fukui Prefecture. The decision was made in accordance with the safety agreement between Fukui Prefecture and KEPCO. KEPCO plans to apply to the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) for approval of the relevant design and construction plans as early as August 31. KEPCO plans to build dry cask storage facilities at three nuclear power plants in Fukui Prefecture to temporarily store spent fuel and prepare for future transport to an interim storage facility outside Fukui Prefecture. Among these, the plans for the Mihama and Takahama nuclear power plants...

2026-08-29

Further Delay in Completion of Safety Measures at Japan's Tokai Daini Nuclear Power Plant

Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) announced on August 28 that the safety measure works required for the restart of the Tokai Daini Nuclear Power Plant in Tokai Village, Ibaraki Prefecture, are now expected to be completed between October 2028 and March 2029 (the second half of fiscal 2028), delayed from the original target of December 2026. This marks the fourth postponement of the completion schedule for the plant's safety measures. One of the key projects among the safety measures at Tokai Daini is the construction of a seawall approximately 17 meters high to protect against tsunamis. In June 2023, defects including incomplete concrete filling and deformed rebar were discovered in the seawall's foundation works, and related construction was subsequently suspended. JAPC has since applied to the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA)...

2026-08-29

Hole of about 3 meters confirmed at bottom of reactor pressure vessel of Unit 3 at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) announced on August 27 that a hole approximately 3 meters in diameter has been confirmed at the bottom of the reactor pressure vessel of Unit 3 at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The pressure vessel is a steel container that held nuclear fuel before the accident, with a cylindrical shape and a diameter of about 5.5 meters. This is the first time since the core meltdown accident at Units 1 to 3 of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in 2011 that the specific size and shape of such a hole have been confirmed on the pressure vessel. The hole is believed to be related to the falling of melted nuclear fuel during the 2011 accident. After the accident, the containment vessel of Unit 3 has maintained a relatively high water level for an extended period, and access routes into the containment vessel are limited. TEPCO previously used a micro drone measuring approximately 12 centimeters per side...

2026-08-28