International Symposium:
Spins in Nuclear and Hadronic Reactions
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure for me to have this opportunity of extending a cordial welcome to all of you.
This year is the 50th anniversary of our university and we are highly honored that our university has been chosen, on this occasion, as the site for the International Symposium "Spins in Nuclear and Hadronic Reactions" under the sponsorship of the Research Center for Nuclear Physics of Osaka University.
To my knowledge, spin was firstly recognised in atomic physics in 1925. Afterwards its various important roles in various quantum fields have been found and established, in particular in nuclear and particle physics. I learned from the previous address that spin phenomena seem to me still hot topical subjects in your field, because you are going to hold a big international conference SPIN2000 in Osaka next year.
I am very much proud of Nuclear Physics Theory Group in our university headed by Professor Kubo, which has been producing remarkable achievements in the study of nuclear reaction dynamics and spin polarization phenomena through active cooperation with physicists in Germany, UK, USA, Korea and so on. I am very sorry that Professor Kubo is going to retire from our university next spring, but I am sure that he will never retire from physics.
The oldest textbook of history tells us that the beginning of the universe was the chaos. "What was the beginning of the universe?" or "What is the ultimate structure of materials?" is our most interesting question. I believe that intense approach to such a question has been made from the nuclear physics as well, and you will also discuss in this symposium the recent development in the study of unstable nuclei and nuclear cosmology.
I hope a number of outstanding contributions will be given during this symposium. However, I do not expect that the beginning of the universe and the ultimate structure of materials will be conclusively clarified right now, because if this would be the case, most of you would lose your job.
Our university moved to this campus 8 years ago. I would like to say with confidence that our campus is one of the most beautiful university campus in Japan now. I wish the symposium every success and I hope you will enjoy not only the symposium itself but also our beautiful campus.
Thank you very much.
［1999年10月26日 都立大学国際交流会館］