Purport of Establishment

About Japan Actinoid Network (J-ACTINET)

Proposal Organization:Hokkaido Univ., Tohoku Univ., The University of Tokyo, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Nagoya Univ., Kyoto Univ., Osaka Univ., Kyushu Univ., Japan Atomic Energy Agency
Cooperation Organization: Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry,
Nuclear Development Corporation, Nippon Nuclear Fuel Development Co.,ltd., Others

Actinoids are a group of elements many of which are nuclides artificially synthesized with use of nuclear systems and they compose the frontiers of material science and condensed matter physics as it is only very recently that mankind has become able to utilize actinoids as elements to constitute materials. In addition, studies of related actinoid elements are indispensable to establish the foundation for the technical development of new nuclear fuels and cycles, which is currently promoted in order to realize high burn-up of light water reactors as well as to advance next-generation reactors including fast-breeder reactors.

Thus far, domestic studies on actinoids have been conducted respectively by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), laboratories at enterprises, universities, and so on. However, it is strongly desired to build cooperation beyond the limits of individual organizations and create new systems to support researches because although these studies inevitably require research environments supported by alpha emitter management techniques, it is becoming difficult for each research body to maintain such environments while simultaneously conducting new researches with a limited amount of funds. Moreover, taking account of the necessity to pass down the know-hows of actinoid researches to young researchers along with the currently progressing generational change in the nuclear energy field, fostering of human resources is also a pivotal challenge in the field of actinoid studies. It is especially important to hand down the know-hows not only by knowledge but also by living lessons involving direct touches onto hardware, and also from this perspective, conventional education and research development systems are falling short in coping with the current need.

In Europe, as a means to solve this issue, they have established a system called “ACTINET”, and through the shared use of actinoid-related facilities, they carry out project studies for the purpose of constituting the foundation of actinoid science while fostering human resources on the basis of these studies. Considering the current situation in Japan, it is an urgent issue in our nation too to construct a framework to strengthen network ties based on the pillar of shared use of facilities and conduct project studies and human resource cultivation. With the above issues in mind, we would like to propose the establishment of the “Japan Actinoid Network (J-ACTINET)”.

The followings indicate the activities at the “J-ACTINET”.

1.) Promotion of basic actinoid science (solid state properties and solution chemistry) and cultivation of young researchers and technical experts that will play important roles for the future of nuclear fuel cycles.

2.) With use of actinoid-related facilities at the JAEA, Tohoku University, and Kyoto University, we deepen experiential understanding by providing young researchers and technical experts with opportunities to learn about the forefront of science.

3.) With the involvement from different fields, we implement cooperative subjects of studies which combine the most-advanced experimental and computing sciences.