Advanced Technical Support and Infrastructure R&D

Four centers at KEK's Applied Research Laboratory provide technical support that is crucial to the experiments and research at KEK. These centers also perform the R&D to advance the technologies essential to that technical support.

Radiation Science Center

KEK is the largest accelerator laboratory in Japan and employs more than 6,000 staff who work in radiation controlled areas. The responsibilities of the Radiation Science Center include management of radioactive substances and radiation safety. The center also plays a central role in accelerator radiation protection research in Japan, and works on the research and development of radiation protection and environmental protection technologies.

Routine radiation measurement

Quantitative analysis of trace elements in liquid samples by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES)

Auto-scanning devices of Solid State Nuclear Track detectors used for space radiation measurements.

Results of a simulation by the EGS system, which is currently under development. Gamma rays coming from the cylindrical container are received by the spherical detector on the right. The EGS system simulates the behavior of electrons and photons in order to predict the amount of radiation received by the detector.

To study how neutrons attenuate in a maze, thin gold foils were placed in a maze near the high-energy proton accelerator beamline. Neutrons cause radioactivity. Here the radioactivity in the foils is measured.

Etch pits (dark spots) in the Solid State Nuclear Track detectors irradiated by neutrons. Pits shown are due to recoil protons and alpha particles.

Mechanical Engineering Center

The Mechanical Engineering Center performs research and development on designs and processing techniques for constructing state-of-the-art experimental equipment. The center also is responsible for the design, construction, measurement, and installation of experimental equipment at KEK. The work involves manipulating machine tools, developing inspection and measurement devices, and designing with CAD.

Various measuring instruments help understand basic design data. Mechanical analysis of test pieces is also possible.

Three-dimensional strength analysis, thermal analysis, and CAD produce optimal designs, high in both precision and quality.

These images show the development of a tuner for a superconducting cavity. This is an R&D activity for advanced measurement/fabrication techniques.

A 3-meter vacuum furnace for heat treatment of a superconducting cavity.

A processing machine to fabricate a seamless superconducting cavity diaphragm.

Submicron fabrication of disks for a normal-conducting X-band accelerator structure.

Computing Research Center

A high-speed network connects research institutes worldwide, enabling better collaboration among global research initiatives.

The analysis of data from accelerator experiments requires multiple decentralized processing systems with large-capacity storage devices. Computer simulations for associated theoretical studies also require high-performance information systems in the form of massively parallel supercomputers. The Computing Research Center manages these resources, and also constructs and manages a worldwide high-speed network which allows research institutions around the world to utilize these computing resources when collaborating with KEK in joint research studies. The center also performs research and development of broadband decentralized processing systems, taking advantage of the high-speed network and large-scale simulation software.

Super Computing System

Geant4

B-Factory Computing system

Cryogenics Science Center

The Cryogenics Science Center performs research and development of superconducting technologies and cryogenics technologies for use in high-energy accelerator designs and high-energy physics experiments. The center has developed superconducting magnets for the primary proton beamline at the J-PARC neutrino facility. The center is also developing a cryogenic system for a new low-temperature gravitational wave detector, and working to promote international cooperation through its superconducting cryogenic technologies. The center also provides liquid helium at minus 269 degrees Celsius to various experiments at KEK. Used helium is stored as a warm gas, and sent back to the center for recycling to prevent waste of this scarce resource.

A helium liquefier that produces and supplies liquid helium to experiments at KEK.

A prototype gravitational wave detector (CLIO) installed at Kamioka. The Cryogenics Science Center developed the cryogenic system (foreground) that keeps the mirrors cool.

The superconducting magnet system installed in the primary beamline for the J-PARC neutrino experiment. The beamline guides the primary proton beam to the target. When hit by the proton beam, the target produces secondary particles which decay into neutrinos. The neutrinos are directed to the Super-Kamiokande in Kamioka as part of the T2K (Tokai-to-Kamioka) experiment.