Message from the Director (Nobuyuki INOUE)

The Institute of Advanced Energy (IAE) consists of three research divisions, (Advanced Energy Generation Division, Advanced Energy Conversion Division, and Advanced Energy Utilization Division), a Research Center for Complex Energy Processes, and an Official Division. Research divisions are divided into various sections, 15 in total. As the name of each division shows, the mission of the Institute is to promote the research and development associated with advanced energy processes in contrast to the conventional energy processes, which are dealt with the existing technology. Examples of advanced energy processes studied here are the oscillation of free-electron laser in the short wave length regime such as ultra-violet and soft-X rays, release of the nuclear energy by fusion reactions, energy transformation in materials through the photo-chemical or bio-chemical processes, and so on.

Main topic of this financial year is that two of new facilities related nuclear fusion research became operational. One is a helical plasma confinement device named Heliotron-J and the other is an accelerator named DuET (Dual beam Experimental Test facility) which is used for material testing.

The Institute is promoting various kinds of international collaboration. Particularly in 1998, the Institute started core university program between Seoul National University and Kyoto University on Energy Science and Engineering. This program is supported by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science by 2007. Detailed information is available in home page of the Institute.

The annual report presented here describes products of this Institute during the 1998 financial year covering from April 1998 to March 1999. The contact of the outside people with the Institute staff for the stimulating discussions on their results is very welcome.

March 1999
Nobuyuki INOUE

1998.4 - 2000.3