PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

UTokyo attosecond institute welcomes Nobel laureate

Pierre Agostini to attend celebration event for attosecond science

UTokyo attosecond institute welcomes Nobel laureate
2024-09-12
(Press-News.org)

Nobel laureate Pierre Agostini, winner of the 2023 prize in physics, will headline a special two-day event hosted by the University of Tokyo on Sept. 26-27. The keynote lecture by Agostini, renowned for this pioneering work in attosecond science, will be part of a larger symposium bringing together researchers from around the world to celebrate the university’s planned Attosecond Laser Facility (ALFA), and discuss the latest developments and future directions of attosecond science.

Have you taken a photo of a fast-moving animal or vehicle and noticed how blurry the subject can be? This is likely because the faster a moving subject is, the faster the camera’s shutter needs to be to freeze the subject in time. Now imagine you wanted to capture an image of something moving really fast, but that was also really tiny. You’d need increasingly fast shutter speeds for this. This situation is analogous to one at the cutting edge of science, where biologists, chemists and physicists strive to capture images and other data about fast-moving particles, some literally the smallest and fastest things we know to exist, which is where attoseconds come in.

So that we’re on the same page, the scales of time below a second are as follows: There are 1,000 milliseconds in a second, 1,000 microseconds in a millisecond, 1,000 nanoseconds in a microsecond, 1,000 picoseconds in a nanosecond, 1,000 femtoseconds in a picosecond and 1,000 attoseconds in a femtosecond. There are 1 quintillion (1x1018) attoseconds in a single second: That’s more attoseconds per second than years since the universe began. You get the idea, attoseconds are incredibly short. But why are such minute fractions of time important to researchers?

“We use lasers a lot for taking different kinds of measurements of a wide range of samples. For example, you can shine laser pulses of femtosecond duration at a sample and get back the signal for the vibration of a single molecule in the sample,” said Professor Kaoru Yamanouchi, director of the Institute for Attosecond Laser Facility (I-ALFA). “But to view even smaller things, such as protons and electrons, you need even shorter laser pulses in the range of attoseconds. That is why we are launching a dedicated facility, ALFA, for this field.”

With attosecond laser pulses, researchers have demonstrated the ability to capture the vibrations and movements of single electrons as they move around and perform key functions in things like chemical bonding or reactions. This feat is useful in several research areas which could yield game-changing applications in the near future. One is in making ultrafast electronic switches, which would usher in a new era of faster electronic devices. Another is in biological and medical imaging, where attosecond laser pulses could allow samples to be nondestructively imaged at high spatial resolution. A third is in materials research, in which being able to record the way electrons move through a material is the first step towards controlling such electrons, an idea that could lead to more advanced materials.

“These downstream applications demonstrate the very real need for a facility to perform basic research in this area,” said Yamanouchi. “Though some other facilities for attosecond laser science exist elsewhere in the world, ALFA, which is in the planning stages, is unique, partly because its four laser-beam devices will be open to researchers all over the world, and also because our system is especially robust and provides stable and well-characterized attosecond pulses for making accurate measurements. The attosecond science community recognizes this, which is why we are having this symposium.”

The first day of the event will begin with a grand opening ceremony at the University of Tokyo's Yasuda Auditorium, where attendees will experience the world premiere of ALFA's specially composed theme music, performed on a storied grand piano. Following the opening, Agostini will deliver his keynote lecture, which will be available with simultaneous interpretation in Japanese for those attending in person. The second day of the event will feature a closed symposium for researchers, focusing on the most recent advances in attosecond science. This symposium will provide a platform for in-depth discussions and collaborations among the world's leading experts, fostering the development of new ideas and research directions in this emerging, evolving interdisciplinary field.

###

Useful links:
Registration for the symposium
https://bit.ly/3MxNUff
Institute for Attosecond Laser Facility
https://i-alfa.u-tokyo.ac.jp/
Attosecond Laser Facility
http://www.alfa-coast.org/index_en
Graduate School of Science
https://www.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/

Research contact:
Director Kaoru Yamanouchi
Institute for Attosecond Laser Facility, The University of Tokyo,
7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
kaoru@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Press contact:
Mr. Rohan Mehra
Public Relations Group, The University of Tokyo,
7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
press-releases.adm@gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp

About The University of Tokyo:

The University of Tokyo is Japan's leading university and one of the world's top research universities. The vast research output of some 6,000 researchers is published in the world's top journals across the arts and sciences. Our vibrant student body of around 15,000 undergraduate and 15,000 graduate students includes over 4,000 international students. Find out more at www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/ or follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @UTokyo_News_en.

END


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
UTokyo attosecond institute welcomes Nobel laureate

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Single dose of mpox vaccine effective in preventing infection, study finds

2024-09-11
Toronto, ON, September 11, 2024 — A single dose of the Modified vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic (MVA-BN) was 58% effective in protecting again mpox infection, according to a new study published in BMJ.  Researchers from ICES, Public Health Ontario, and the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital of Unity Health Toronto have conducted a target trial emulation to estimate the effectiveness of the mpox vaccine.  During the mpox outbreak in 2022, Ontario, Canada introduced the vaccine ...

One dose of smallpox vaccine moderately effective in preventing mpox infection

2024-09-11
One dose of modified vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic (MVA-BN) smallpox vaccine is moderately effective in preventing mpox infection and should be made available to communities at risk, finds a study published by The BMJ today. With mpox infections rising again across the globe, the researchers say these findings “strengthen the evidence that MVA-BN is effective at preventing mpox infection and should be made available and accessible to communities at risk.” No randomised clinical trials of vaccination against mpox have been conducted. Estimates of the effectiveness of a single dose of vaccination from observational studies range from ...

More than half of UK government nutrition advisors are paid by food companies

2024-09-11
More than half of the experts on the UK government’s nutrition advisory panel have links to the food industry, reveals an investigation by The BMJ today. At least 11 of the 17 members of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) have conflicts of interest with the likes of Nestle, sugar manufacturer Tate and Lyle, and the world’s largest ice cream producer, Unilever, reports freelance journalist Sophie Borland. And at least six out of the 11 members of SACN’s Subgroup on Maternal and Child Nutrition have ties to food firms, including baby food manufacturers and formula milk brands. SACN ...

Shorter-course radiation better option for breast cancer patients than conventional schedule

2024-09-11
Giving higher doses per fraction of radiation therapy over a shorter time after breast cancer surgery significantly reduces the risk of side effects and improves quality of life compared with a conventional schedule, finds a study published by The BMJ today. Although survival and recurrence rates were similar, this approach, known as hypofractionation, is safer, more convenient for patients, and reduces costs for healthcare systems, and should be the preferred treatment option, say the researchers. Conventional fractionation radiation therapy has been the standard of care for most patients with breast ...

Obesity treatments being restricted by cash poor local services

2024-09-11
Obesity treatments are being restricted by cash poor local services across England with many patients being denied specialist drugs, surgery and support, an investigation by The BMJ has found. Patients in nearly half the country can’t get appointments with specialist teams for weight loss support and care, including treatment with drugs such as semaglutide. And in nearly one in five local health areas, patients don’t have access to a bariatric surgery service, reports Elisabeth Mahase. The government estimates that obesity costs the NHS in England around £6.5bn a year and is the second biggest preventable cause ...

Laughter may be as effective as drops for dry eyes

2024-09-11
Laughter may be as effective as eye drops in improving symptoms of dry eye disease, finds a clinical trial from China published by The BMJ today The researchers suggest that laughter exercise could be an initial treatment for relieving symptoms of dry eye disease. Dry eye disease (DED) is a chronic condition estimated to affect around 360 million individuals worldwide. Common symptoms include uncomfortable, red, scratchy or irritated eyes. Evidence suggests that laughter therapy alleviates depression, anxiety, stress, and chronic pain, while strengthening immune ...

Path to prosperity for planet and people if Earth’s critical resources are better shared: report

2024-09-11
Earth will only remain able to provide even a basic standard of living for everyone in the future if economic systems and technologies are dramatically transformed and critical resources are more fairly used, managed and shared, according to an international research team including scientists from The Australian National University (ANU). The report, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, outlines how cities and businesses have the power to play a crucial role and become the “stewards” of critical Earth ...

Long-course radiotherapy is better than short-course for organ preservation in rectal cancer

Long-course radiotherapy is better than short-course for organ preservation in rectal cancer
2024-09-11
The COVID-19 pandemic has enabled researchers to show that a long course of radiotherapy given before surgery may be a better treatment for avoiding surgery, preserving the rectum and anus, and preventing regrowth of the primary tumour than a short course of radiotherapy for patients with rectal cancer – a type of bowel cancer. However, the overall survival and survival free of recurrence of the disease remained the same for both treatments.   These findings are from a new study published in ...

Large-scale population analysis confirms reassuring safety profile of tirzepatide

2024-09-11
As more people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are taking medications to help manage blood sugar levels and weight loss, concerns about whether these drugs are safe have emerged. Now real-world evidence from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database reveals a reassuring safety profile for tirzepatide (TZP). The findings to be presented at this year’s Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), Madrid (9-13 Sept), and published in the The Journal of Endocrinological Investigation (link below) reveal that, compared to the widely used class of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), TZP has similar gastrointestinal ...

Tirzepatide associated with greater weight loss in women than men

2024-09-11
All doses of tirzepatide, a medication approved in the EU to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity, consistently reduced body weight in women and men, but women experienced greater weight loss, according to new post hoc research to be presented at this year’s Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), Madrid (9-13 Sept). The post hoc analysis, which included the four SURMOUNT trials [1], compared tirzepatide with a placebo for up to 72 to 88 weeks in 4,677 adults (2,999 females, 1,678 males) living with obesity, highlighting potential sex differences in the response. Tirzepatide, a once-weekly glucose-dependent ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Arthropods dominate plant litter decomposition in drylands

World-renowned organic chemists attend inaugural science symposium hosted by Rice’s Global Paris Center

The trees of Miami’s future

MIT team takes a major step toward fully 3D-printed active electronics

Accelerated three-year medical school students perform as well as peers in traditional four-year programs

SwRI-developed instruments will study potential habitability of Jupiter’s moon Europa

Proposed scoring system may enhance equity in organ transplantation, increase transplant rates and improve patient survival

Survivors of childhood brain cancer are more likely to be held back in school

Updating offshore turbine designs to reflect storms’ complexity is key

Hospital strain during the COVID-19 pandemic and outcomes in older racial and ethnic minority adults

Scientists unveils key role of “selfish DNA” in early human development

Bonobos may be more vulnerable than previously thought, suggests genetics study

Scripps Research scientists discover chemical probes for previously “undruggable” cancer target

Giant Magellan telescope begins primary mirror support system testing

Experimental cancer drug eliminates bone metastases caused by breast cancer in lab models

Political candidates who fight climate change stand to benefit in election

Stand up to Cancer announces new grants supporting pioneering research in six cancer types

Researchers awarded $1.3M to help military Veterans battling Acute Myeloid Leukemia

New hub for high-energy astrophysics — CTAO Science Data Management Centre opens at DESY in Zeuthen

JMIR publications CEO and Executive Editor Gunther Eysenbach achieves #1 ranking as most cited researcher in Medical Informatics for fifth consecutive year

ERC grant for groundbreaking wearable health tech

NIH announces winners of prize competition to improve postpartum maternal health and health equity through innovative diagnostics

APS and SPR honor Dr. Cynthia F. Bearer with the 2025 Mary Ellen Avery Neonatal Research Award

Election delays and voter trust

US air pollution monitoring network has gaps in coverage, say researchers

Continuous monitoring of fatigue in factory workers

Farmer ants’ wearable bacteria

Political polarization and trust

Study uncovers how silkworm moth's odor detection may improve robotics

New study links obesity to elevated hypertension risk among young middle eastern women

[Press-News.org] UTokyo attosecond institute welcomes Nobel laureate
Pierre Agostini to attend celebration event for attosecond science