Nishina School 2023

Thoughts and Comments from the Participants

Pak Chung Lam

Participating in the Nishina School is a precious opportunity for an undergraduate physics student. It is the first time RIKEN has organized this after the 3-year pandemic, and I am grateful that I can join it on behalf of HKU. In the 10-day school, not only did I enhance my knowledge of nuclear physics, but I also had the privilege to connect with many friends from diverse backgrounds. I express my sincere gratitude towards both HKU and RIKEN. In the first few days of the school, we attended lectures conducted by professors from RIKEN, Peking University (PKU) and Seoul National University (SNU). They gave us an understanding of nuclear physics, internet security, as well as the composition of RIKEN. Afterwards, we visited the radioactive isotope beam factory (RIBF), being entirely underground and could accelerate particles up to 0.7c. For the hands-on experiment, we had the chance to use NaI(Tl) scintillator with known and unknown radioactive nuclides, and a group experiment with groupmates from different universities. Mine was in-beam experiment 12C(p,γ)13N, involving 2 MeV proton beam accelerated from the pelletron to the C-12 target. Although I was unfamiliar with the experiment procedures, my PKU and SNU groupmates helped a lot, especially with the cross section estimation and data analysis. This school did broaden my horizon in nuclear physics. Furthermore, I also embraced the cultural difference there. During lunchtime and after school, I often hung out with students from other universities. We ate and discussed a lot, table manners, themes of studying, phrases of greeting in different languages, to name but a few. Although RIKEN is filled with people of different nationalities, being nice to one another always bridges any language barriers. Local Japanese may not be very proficient in English, but if you explain thoroughly with patience, they are more than happy to hear!

To conclude, Nishina School is a must-go event for physics undergraduates, particularly for students who want to have a grasp of nuclear physics. It is valuable to do experiments and collaborate with other researchers and students. Again, thanks RIKEN for holding such an event!

Zhihui Chen

It was an unforgettable experience to attend the nishina summer school for nuclear physics. I was in the group that conducts the 12C(p,gamma)N13 experiment. Working together with group mates from different universities, we measured the number of N13 to determine thick-target yield at 2MeV as well as the decay half-life of N13 using activation method.

The summer school provided me with a great platform to expand my theoretical knowledge of nuclear physics and gain practical experience in doing experiments and analyzing data. Moreover, the multicultural environment fostered friendship and cultural exchange. I appreciate the opportunity to participate in this summer school, as it broadened my horizons and further solidified my passion for nuclear physics.

Yuting Yang

My two-week stay at Nishina School was an unforgettable experience. I had the opportunity to connect with students from various parts of the world - Song from Seoul National University, Daria from an American high school, and Yan Zhou from Peking University. Despite our different backgrounds, we quickly discovered shared interests. For instance, Song and I both do a double major in mathematics and physics, while Yan Zhou has a deep fascination with Japanese culture. Interestingly, I discovered that Daria had filmed a math video for a competition I had watched before, SoME, hosted by the renowned YouTube channel 3Blue1Brown. The coincidence of meeting her in person was truly remarkable. Without exaggeration, I firmly believe that our group was the most exceptional at Nishina School.

The program provided us with the chance to engage in real physics experiments, a refreshing departure from traditional classroom learning. Our group's experiment was a resounding success, despite encountering some unidentified energy peaks in our data collected from gamma rays. We dedicated significant effort to identify potential causes, but our final findings were not entirely conclusive. Through this experience, I learned firsthand about the disparity between physics theories and real-world experiments. Ultimately, physics is an observational science at its core.

Apart from our time on campus, I also had the opportunity to immerse myself in the local culture. During my stay in Japan, I witnessed the spectacular annual fireworks display in Tokyo. Additionally, I stumbled upon the festival of the dead (お盆) while wandering the streets. Furthermore, I savored various Japanese dishes such as conveyor belt sushi (回転寿司), ramen, grilled meat (烧肉), and omelettes. Above all, simply exploring the town brought me immense joy, as it closely resembled the vibrant scenes depicted in manga and Japanese TV series.

Da Hyung Kim

The experience from the Nishina was one of the kind. I was able to meet different people that has similar interest with me from around the world. I was able to learn so much things about actual lab work and now nuclear physics studies and do research. Furthermore, by sharing thoughts and ideas with physics based students, it was interesting, fun and fast learning. I am so glad that I was able to get such opportunity for wonderfully learning experience.

Ng Cheuk Yan

In this Nishina school held in RIKEN, I obtained many opportunities in learning nuclear physics from different aspects. I could sit in lectures delivered by professors from different well-known universities, visiting the experimental site in RIKEN and perform a real nuclear reaction experiment. I was amazed by the cyclotrons and also the other experimental apparatus as I have never seen such enormous experimental area being a student studying in Hong Kong. We also had the chance to have a glance of the internal component of apparatus which usually are closed. Moreover, I could even perform nuclear experiment with student from different countries which broadened my horizon. We had to study, plan, conduct the experiment, analyze data and conduct a presentation. As we encountered difficulties in the experiment, my supervisor, groupmates, and I exchanged lots of idea in the whole project that I have learnt many things from them. I gained much satisfaction and happiness once we had addressed our obstacles.

In short, it was a wonderful time for me being in RIKEN and meeting professors and friends all over the world. I strongly suggested those who are interested in nuclear physics to join the Nishina school.