Welcome to NSL Homepage!!

I am Osamu Yamamuro, Director of NSL. Thank you very much for visiting the NSL website. First, I would like to give you a brief introduction about our facility and its activities, especially for General User Program (GUP).

Our Mission and Activity

We conduct material science research using neutron beams from nuclear reactors and accelerators. Since 1990, we have been promoting General Users Program (GUP) for neutron scattering experiments using 12 instruments installed in the research reactor JRR-3 of Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). Furthermore, at Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC), which started full-scale operation in 2009, we are also conducting GUP using a chopper-type spectrometer HRC, which is operated jointly by us and High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK). In terms of international exchanges, we have been active as an implementing agency of the Japan-U.S. cooperative project "Neutron Scattering" since 1982, and we have concluded an agreement with Australian National Nuclear Science and Technology Organization (ANSTO), to support Japanese researchers who conduct experiments at ANSTO.

　Another important activity is to conduct independent research with students in each laboratory. As for this activity, please click on the URL in the "Professor" column of "Staff Members" tab.

Topics of GUP

Target materials of GUP include magnetic and strongly correlated systems such as superconductors, heavy fermion systems, multiferroic materials, topological materials, frustrated systems, as well as complex condensed matters such as various liquids and glasses, novel materials for batteries and catalysts, and soft matters such as polymers, gels and biomaterials. Some groups are investigating the properties of a neutron itself as themes of basic physics, while others are developing devices for neutron scattering instruments. Thus, the extremely wide range of application is one of the characteristics of the neutron scattering technique.

Users of GUP

The main users of GUP are researchers, technicians, and students from domestic and oversea universities and research institutes. In the past, only staff members of domestic institutions could be principal investigators (PI), but from FY2023, graduate students (doctoral course), and from FY2024, researchers from overseas institutions can also apply for experimental proposals as PIs. Researchers from companies are currently working with the Instrumentation and Research Team (IRT), but in the future we would like to make it possible for them to apply as PIs.

After Great East Japan Earthquake

As you all know, JRR-3, the center of our activities, was shut down for about 10 years after the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011. The JRR-3 resumed its operation in February 2021, and then our main task for the past few years has been to fill the gap of 10 years. However, we have been fortunate to have most of the users from 10 years ago return, as well as many new users. In addition, most of the instruments have resumed operation smoothly due to steady maintenance work during the shutdown period, and several instruments have improved dramatically in performance due to improvements made during that period. We recognize that we are now in the phase of steadily accumulating results with users using these instruments.

Cooperation with J-PARC

What we are most conscious of in GUP is the complementary or cooperative use between JRR-3 and J-PARC. JRR-3, which is a steady-state neutron source, and J-PARC, which is a pulsed neutron source, each have their own strengths. This has already been demonstrated at SNS and HFIR at ORNL in USA and at ISIS (UK) and IRL (France) in Europe. In a small country like Japan, we are very fortunate to have both pulsed and steady-state neutron sources on the same campus, and I think we should definitely take advantage of this.

Finally, I would like to emphasize that we need the support of all users in order to continue to operate JRR-3 and to improve the neutron scattering instruments and surrounding facilities. Thank you very much for your continued support.