A historical study on the early postwar developments of nuclear physics in Japan, 1945-1958

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24501244
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Sociology/History of science and technology
• Research Institution: The Graduate University for Advanced Studies
• Principal Investigator: Ito Kenji 総合研究大学院大学, その他の研究科, 准教授 (90345158)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 科学史 / 物理学史 / 原子核物理学 / ラジオアイソトープ / 仁科芳雄 / 原子核研究所 / セルフ・オリエンタリズム / バトル・ゾーン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aims to understand the historical process through which the Japanese scientific community reestablished the discipline of nuclear physics after WWII. One of the main themes of this study concerns methodological issues related to historical studies on physics in Japan. For this propose, I attempted to apply a few theoretical concepts, such as “ battle zone” (inspired by Peter L. Galison’s “ trading zone”) and “ self-orientalism.” Case studies of this research include the relation between Japan’s magnetron research during the war and QED after the war, Japan’s import of radioisotopes after the war,　and the issue of the “Tanashi Affairs” at the establishment of the Institute for Nuclear Study.

Free Research Field

科学史