Awards, etc.¶
Awards for Science and Technology (Development Category)¶
(2025-04-15)
Dr. Kenichi Tada, Principal Researcher of the Reactor Physics and Thermal Hydraulics Research Group, Dr. Osamu Iwamoto, Group Leader of the Nuclear Data Research Group, and Dr. Nobuyuki Iwamoto, Principal Researcher of the Nuclear Data Research Group, received the Awards for Science and Technology (Development Category) for "Development of the Evaluated Nuclear Data Library JENDL."
The development of the evaluated nuclear data library JENDL-5 was recognized with this award.
Best Abstract Presented at CFC2025 for Younger Researchers¶
(2025-03-19)
Dr. Takanari Fukuda, researcher of the Reactor Physics and Thermal-Hydraulics Research Group, received the HFF Award for the Best Abstract Presented at CFC2025 for Younger Researchers for "Comparative Evaluation of Interface Capturing Schemes in Pin Bundle Bubbly Flow" at the Computational Fluid Conference 2025.
Dr. Fukuda was highly praised for developing a new computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method and applying it to fuel pin bundle systems, as well as for his in-depth analysis, which led to the award.
Atomic Energy Society of Japan Computational Science and Technology Division Encouragement Award¶
(2025-03-14)
Dr. Takanari Fukuda, researcher of the Reactor Physics and Thermal Hydraulics Research Group, received the Atomic Energy Society of Japan Computational Science and Technology Division Encouragement Award for "Development of a fluid-rigid body strongly coupled particle method that contributes to estimating the migration behavior of damaged reactor internal structures."
Dr. Fukuda was highly praised for deriving a time evolution equation that enables stable strongly coupled analysis of flow and rigid body motion based on Hamilton's least action principle, and for developing a method to numerically solve the equation using a particle method, which led to the award.
Atomic Energy Society of Japan Back-end Division Excellent Presentation Award¶
(2025-03-13)
Dr. Chikara Konno, researcher of the Reactor Physics and Thermal Hydraulics Research Group, received the Atomic Energy Society of Japan Back-end Division Excellent Presentation Award.
Dr. Konno's presentation at the 2024 Annual Meeting on AESJ, "Decay Library and Fission Yield Library for ORIGEN Created from JENDL-5", was highly praised, leading to the award.
JSME Power and Energy Systems Division Contribution Award¶
(2024-11-8)
Dr. Ayako Ono, Principal Researcher of the Reactor Physics and Thermal Hydraulics Research Group, received the JSME Power and Energy Systems Division Contribution Award for her work on "Technology Transfer Activities through Publication of the JSME Series in Thermal and Nuclear Power Generation."
Dr. Ono and others received this award for their contribution to the publication of an eight-volume English technical book that compiles technical development and research results from the basics to actual plant design of thermal and nuclear power generation technology.
Atomic Energy Society of Japan Computational Science and Technology Division Encouragement Award¶
(2024-03-28)
Dr. Kenichi Tada, Assistant Principal Researcher of the Reactor Physics and Thermal Hydraulics Research Group, received the Atomic Energy Society of Japan Computational Science and Technology Division Encouragement Award for "Development of the Multiphysics Platform JAMPAN."
The multiphysics platform JAMPAN, which is being developed by Dr. Tada and others, was highly evaluated and won the award.
56th Atomic Energy Society of Japan Award Special Prize and Technology Award¶
(2024-03-27)
Dr. Kenichi Tada, Assistant Principal Researcher of the Reactor Physics and Thermal Hydraulics Research Group, Dr. Osamu Iwamoto, Group Leader of the Nuclear Data Research Group, and Dr. Nobuyuki Iwamoto, Principal Researcher of the Nuclear Data Research Group, received the Special Prize and Technology Award of the Atomic Energy Society of Japan Award for "Development of the Evaluated Nuclear Data Library JENDL-5."
The development of the evaluated nuclear data library JENDL-5 was recognized with this award.
JNST Most Cited Article Award¶
(2024-03-27)
Dr. Kenichi Tada, Assistant Principal Researcher of the Reactor Physics and Thermal Hydraulics Research Group, received the Most Cited Aritcle Award of Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology.
The nuclear data processing code FRENDY developed by Dr. Tada and others is widely used, and this award was given to them.
2023 Shock Wave Symposium Young Researcher Presentation Award¶
(2024-03-21)
Dr. Tomohiro Kamiya, Researcher of the Reactor Physics and Thermal Hydraulic Research Group received the 2023 Shock Wave Symposium Young Researcher Presentation Award for his research achievements in the field of "Development of the ghost fluid method satisfying conservation laws for liquid-gas flow with shock wave."
Dr. Kamiya received this award in recognition of his efforts to improve steam explosion simulation method that can occur at the accident of a nuclear power plant.
Atomic Energy Society of Japan Reactor Physics Division Encouragement Award¶
(2022-09-08)
Mr. Ryoichi Kondo, Researcher of the Reactor Physics and Thermal Hydraulic Research Group received the Atomic Energy Society of Japan Reactor Physics Division Encouragement Award for his research achievements in the field of "Research on resonance calculation methods using spectral expansions related to energy."
This research is about the development of a new, low-cost, highly accurate resonance calculation method using the RSE method (Resonance calculation using energy Spectrum Expansion method), which Mr. Kondo conducted in his master's research. Resonance calculation is one of the most important calculation methods in the field of reactor physics. The method developed by Mr. Kondo is an innovative method that can replace the three major resonance calculation methods that have been studied for many years in the field of reactor physics, and is expected to develop further in the future. This effort was highly evaluated, and this encouragement award was awarded.
In the future, he plan to develop new methods in the field of reactor physics, such as working on research to apply the knowledge of function expansion methods obtained by the RSE method to Monte Carlo neutron transport calculations.
54th Atomic Energy Society of Japan Award Special Prize and Technology Award¶
(2022-03-18)
Dr. Kenichi Tada, Assistant Principal Researcher of the Reactor Physics Standard Code Research Group, Professor Akio Yamamoto of Nagoya University, and Associate Professor Go Chiba of Hokkaido University received the Atomic Energy Society of Japan Award Special Prize and Technology Award for "Development of neutron multigroup cross section creation function in the next-generation nuclear data processing system FRENDY."
Dr. Kenichi Tada has been developing the nuclear data processing system FRENDY since 2013, and released the first version of FRENDY in March 2019. After that, he developed a multigroup cross section generation function for FRENDY in cooperation with Nagoya University, Hokkaido University, and others. The main features of FRENDY's multigroup cross section generation function are as follows.
(1) Automatic setting of calculation conditions that enables processing with simple input.
(2) Creation of effective cross sections considering materials consisting of multiple nuclides (accurate consideration of resonant interference effects between nuclides).
(3) Automatic setting function of background cross sections required for calculation of self-shielding factors.
(4) Accurate consideration of self-shielding factors or anisotropy for all neutron scattering/emission/absorption reactions.
(5) Accurate calculation of free gas model thermal neutron scattering cross sections using analytical solutions.
The implementation of this function has made it possible to provide a cross section library not only to continuous energy Monte Carlo codes but also to multigroup transport calculation codes. This effort was highly evaluated and led to the award of this technology award.
JAEA released the second version of FRENDY, which incorporates the multigroup cross section creation function, in January 2022 at the following URL: https://rpg.jaea.go.jp/main/en/program_frendy/
Atomic Energy Society of Japan Nuclear Data Division Academic Award 2019¶
(2019-09-26)
Dr. Chikara Konno, a principal researcher of research group for reactor physics and standard nuclear code system, received the Prize of “Atomic Energy Society of Japan Nuclear Data Division Academic Award 2019” for the work entitled “Problems of KERMA factors and DPA cross sections calculated with NJOY” with Dr. Saerom Kwon, a senior researcher of National Institutes for Quantum Radiological Science and Technology, and Dr. Masayuki Ohta, a principal researcher of National Institutes for Quantum Radiological Science and Technology.
The KERMA factor and DPA cross section data are very important physical quantities, which are used for evaluating nuclear heating and material damage under radiation environment such as fission and fusion reactors. These data calculated from nuclear data libraries with the nuclear data processing code NJOY are adopted worldwide. Doctors Konno, Kwon and Ohta have figured out that the KERMA factor and DPA cross section data calculated with NJOY have several problems based on their detailed study. Their original and valuable study has been highly evaluated and awarded by the Nuclear Data Division of the Atomic Energy Society of Japan.
This study will continue toward solving the problems, and the obtained knowledge will be used in utilization of JAEA nuclear data processing code FRENDY.
From left to right, Dr. Kwon, Dr. Konno and Prof. Watanabe (Head of the Nuclear Data Division)
A Letter of Special Thanks from Atomic Energy Society of Japan¶
(2019-09-26)
Dr. Kenji Yokoyama et al. received a letter of special thanks from Atomic Energy Agency of Japan for the reason that the paper entitled “Cross-section adjustment methods based on minimum variance unbiased estimation” (J. Nucl. Sci. Technol., Vol.53, No.10, pp. 1622-1638 (2016)) played a contribution in obtainting improved 2018 Journal Impact Factor of JNST.
2017 Atomic Energy Society of Japan Distinguished Technical Award¶
(2018-05-01)
2017 AESJ Thesis Award¶
(2017-04-17)
Atomic Energy Society of Japan Reactor Physics Division Significant Contribution Award 2016¶
(2017-04-17)
Dr. Kenichi Tada, a researcher of research group for reactor physics and standard nuclear code system, and Dr. Satoshi Kunieda, an assistant principal researcher of nuclear data center, received the Prize of “Atomic Energy Society of Japan Reactor Physics Division Significant Contribution Award 2016” for the work entitled “Domestic Development of Nuclear Data Processing System FRENDY”.
Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has been developing the database on the reaction probability (cross section) between neutron and nuclide, i.e., an evaluated nuclear data file JENDL (Japanese Evaluated Nuclear Data Library) and particle transport simulation programs. These are widely used in numerous institutes including research laboratories.
The particle transport simulation programs do not use the evaluated nuclear data library directly. Cross section data library for each simulation program should be prepared in advance.
In Japan, we have been using the systems developed by the United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the process that compiles the cross section libraries from the evaluated nuclear data libraries. However, we have been suffering the difficulty when making the cross section data libraries, because such computer code systems are very old and not developed for processing JENDL. Since this problem has also been pointed out in other countries as well as in Japan, “Development of New Nuclear Data Processing System” is strongly recognized as one of the most important issues in the field the reactor physics.
Doctors Tada and Kunieda have been tackling with the development of the purely domestic nuclear data processing system FREDNY (From Evaluated Nuclear Data librarY), not only for resolving all problems mentioned above but also for further sophisticated process of the nuclear data library, by including all functions of the pre-excising, i.e., de facto standard system and by finding and revising the problems. Their significant contributions have been highly evaluated and awarded by the Reactor Physics Division of the Atomic Energy Society of Japan.
The first version of FREDNY will be published from JAEA in this Japan fiscal year as the system which produces the cross section data libraries for continuous energy Monte Carlo codes.
Satoshi Kunieda, Kenichi Tada