On April 1, 2024, the Research Center for Accelerator and Radioisotope Science (RARiS) will be established and begin operations through the integration of the Research Center for Electron Photon Science(ELPH), and the Research Center for Cyclotron and Radioisotope Center(CYRIC).
The RARiS, which serve as national joint usage and research center, designated by MEXT, Japan, providing access to a wide range of advanced accelerator facilities for researchers from both Japan and abroad. These facilities include a high-energy (1.3 GeV) electron booster synchrotron and a high-power (10 kW) low-energy linear accelerator at the Mikamine Campus, as well as two cyclotrons—a large-scale cyclotron and a small-scale RI production cyclotron—at the Aobayama Campus. In
addition, the center offers chemical laboratories and other shared-use facilities within controlled radiation areas, making these resources available to both external and internal researchers.
The integration of the ELPH and the CYRIC into the new RARiS represents an expansion of the scientific research conducted thus far. In addition to continuing its existing research activities, the center will enhance its capacity for short-lived radioisotope (RI) production, promote its utilization, accumulate technical expertise, and establish a sustainable cycle for RI application and expansion. Furthermore, it will work to build a collaborative research network among scientists utilizing short-lived RI, with the goal of fostering the creation of new academic fields.
To ensure the success of this new initiative, collaboration with researchers from around the world is essential. The promotion of joint research will play a key role in driving innovation. We are committed to actively incorporating feedback from the research community and working toward a transparent and open operational structure for the center.
Although the RARiS has only just begun its journey, we sincerely ask for your continued support, just as you have extended to the ELPH and the CYRIC in the past.
Director of Research Center for Accelerator and Radioisotope Science, Tohoku University.
Prof. Hiroaki Ohnishi
