Motohiko Yoshimura
Dr. Motohiko Yoshimura received his Bachelor of Science in 1965 and Master of Science in 1967 from University of Tokyo, and Ph.D in 1971 from University of Chicago. He then became research associates at the following institutions, University of California, Berkeley, University of Pennsylvania, Ecole Normale Superieur at Paris, during the period of 1970 - 1975. He joined a faculty member at Tohoku University in 1975. Since then he served as Associate Professor at National Laboratory for High Energy Physics (KEK) in 1979, Professor there in 1983, Professor at Tohoku University in 1988. Recently, he moved to Institute for Cosmic Ray Research at University of Tokyo in April, 2001 and took the job of directorship there.
Dr. Yoshimura has contributed to the theory of elementary particle physics, cosmology, and the area of theoretical physics. He was among the first to quantitatively calculate the effect of electroweak unification to the muon anomalous magnetic moment. Furhtermore, he was the first to apply grand unified theory to cosmology and proposed how the matter-antimatter asymmetry was created in our universe. This particular work stimulated a synthesis of particle physics and cosmology, and eventually led to the new area of research, particle cosmology. His interest was further directed to utilize the universe as a tool to examine fundamental problems of particle properties difficult to determine in terrestrial experiments.
Dr. Yoshimura's recent work covers the following subjects related to the evolution of the early universe; particle production right after inflation by which a close relationship to nonlinear, parametric resonance effect was established, and a real-time evolution of tunneling phenomena closely related to the process of the first order phase transition.
Dr. Yoshimura received the honor of Nishina Memorial Award in 1981.