Solving an Ancient Mystery World- beating Power Potential Nobel Prize- level Discoveries Advantages from Joint Development Into the World of the Unknown SPring-8 Sheds Light on the Nano- Realm

By using synchrotron radiation many times brighter and more powerful than sunlight, researchers have been able to bring the nano- realm into view. The application of this radiation to the analysis of materials at the atomic and electronic levels is making a ground- breaking impact on a vast range of areas, including biology, physics, and other industries. Japan boasts synchrotron radiation facility, SPring-8 and Japanese companies are now using it to make huge advances in technological development.

Solving an Ancient Mystery

Describing Japan’s kofun (mound-, or tumulus- building) period from the third to seventh century CE, Chinese records speak of a kingdom called Yamatai ruled by Himiko, a queen who is said to have received bronze mirrors decorated with triangles and depicting beasts and gods. Such mirrors have been found, and they are thought to have been made around the third century, when Japan was beginning to emerge as a nation. This makes them valuable artifacts that can shed light on ancient cultures in Japan and East Asia; but no conclusive evidence has been uncovered that would tell us where the mirrors were made, making them one of the greatest mysteries of ancient Japanese history. In May 2004, research findings that could solve the mystery were announced by the Sen- oku Hakuko Kan museum and the Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI). Researchers tried to determine where and when the bronzes were cast by analyzing the tiny quantities of silver and antimony contained in the main constituents of the bronze, copper, tin, and lead. Though samples were too few to indicate where they were made, the huge differences in proportions of these elements indicated that the mirrors were made at very different times. Using previous technologies, it would have been impossible to measure the composition of elements in archaeological artifacts with such a high level of precision. What has enabled these measurements and made a great contribution to solving the ancient mystery is the synchrotron radiation generated by the SPring-8 large- scale synchrotron radiation facility. The synchrotron radiation is emitted from high energy electron with almost the speed of light when they change their direction by magnets. It is extremely intense due to the high energy of the electrons: The synchrotron radiation generated by SPring-8 is over 100 million times brighter than that generated by conventional X- ray equipment. That is even brighter than the sun, but the wavelengths of the synchrotron radiation are shorter than the size of an atom—which means that the synchrotron radiation can be used to see the shape of molecules and atoms without damaging the material being viewed. With semiconductors, life sciences, genome drug discovery, and other cutting- edge areas of scientific investigation requiring nano- level research technology, SPring-8 has the potential to be a magic wand that opens the door to this unseen realm.

The storage ring building resembles a space station from the outside. This circular structure, with its 1,400 m circumference, accommodates the storage ring, 46 beamlines in operation, and experimental stations. Mt. Miharakuriyama, center, rises to a height of 341 m.