Preface
Next-Generation Neutrino Science Organization was established as a Collaborative Research Organization in October 2017 by the three organizations at the University of Tokyo, the Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, and the School of Science. Since 2019, the Earthquake Research Institute has joined as the fourth collaborative institute. The University of Tokyo has achieved important scientific results in neutrino physics such as the detection of neutrinos from the Supernova 1987A and the discovery of neutrino oscillations, which means neutrino changes the type of flavors, during its travel through space. These results obtained with Kamiokande and Super-Kamiokande have been highly estimated as the essential milestones in the field of particle physics and astronomy.
This organization has been aiming to pioneer the future of neutrino physics by developing theoretical study, data analysis methods, and detector technologies, with our new flagship facility, the Hyper-Kamiokande. Understanding the neutrino, the elementary particle with a very tiny mass, has deep connections to the origins of matter. Hyper-Kamiokande will observe neutrinos created with the high-intensity proton accelerator J-PARC testing whether or not neutrino and antineutrino oscillations are the same, which will unveil the mysteries of our matter-dominated universe. Further, we would like to search the decay signature of protons, which provides a hint of the grand unification of the three forces acting between elementary particles.
During this collaboration, the four institutes participating in this organization found that our research activity can be greatly expanded by collaborating in the field of multi-messenger astronomy, which involves coordinated observation and theoretical study of high-energy astrophysical phenomena using a variety of observational methods. Through the budget request for organizational development in FY2023, we proposed to change the name of the organization to "Next-generation Neutrino Science and Multi-messenger Astronomy Organization". Fortunately, the request has been approved and the organization started under the new organization name on October 1. We coordinate collaborative research with disparate “messengers”, multi-wavelength and multi-particle signals including gravitational waves to study high-energy astrophysical phenomena from multiple perspectives.
We appreciate your continued support and cooperation.
Oct. 1, 2023 Takaaki Kajita
