Awards

Director Toru Iijima of the Center for Experimental Studies Receives the Orito Prize

Director Toru Iijima of the Center for Experimental Studies, the Kobaya

Prof. Toru Iijima (far left)

shi-Maskawa Institute for the Origin of Particles and the Universe, Nagoya University has received the 7th Orito Prize, jointly with Professor Yoshihide Sakai of the Institute of Particle and Nuclear Studies, the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization. The Orito Prize was established as one of the programs of the Heisei Foundation for Basic Science (President: Masatoshi Koshiba, Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo) to award researchers who have made outstanding achievements in basic science research of elementary particles using colliding beam accelerators, or in experimental or theoretical work related to such research.

 

Their contribution to the measurement of the form factors of B meson decay and the determination of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element Vcb  has been highly recognized, leading to this award. The award ceremony was held at the Koshiba Hall of the University of Tokyo on March 19, 2016.

 

Their award-winning research is about the verification of the precision of the theory advocated by two professors, Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Maskawa, who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2008. Prof. Iijima has particularly played a leading role in observing the rare decay of B meson into the tau lepton and neutrino. The observation of this kind of decay has attracted attention as important research that not only confirms the Kobayashi-Maskawa Theory, but also leads to the discovery of new physics beyond the standard theory. Prof. Iijima said, " I would like to observe this decay with absolute accuracy to bring about the discovery of new physics in the Super KEKB and Belle II experiment, which will be launched soon."  

 

For further information, please see the following websites:

 

Relevant Website: Heisei Foundation for Basic Science (Available in Japanese)

 

Center for Experimental Studies, KMI