OKAYAMA UNIVERSITY

Institute for Planetary Materials

OUTLINE 2021

Institute for Planetary Materials Prospectus 2021

CONTENTS

Message from the DirectorHistory

Organization

Research Divisions

Joint Usage/Research Program

Steering Committee for the Joint Usage/ResearchProgram

Facilities

Graduate Education

Misasa International Student Intern Program

Access Guide

The asteroid Ryugu（from JAXA website）

1

Message from the Director

The Institute for Planetary Materials is located in Misasa town, Tottori Prefecture, which is a well-known hot
spring resort and about 100 km away from the main campus of Okayama University (in Okayama city). The Institutehas a long tradition, originating from the Institute for Thermal Spring Research (1950-1985), which was reorganized
into the Institute for Study of the Earth’s Interior (ISEI) as a national collaborative research facility in 1985, and theninto the current Institute for Planetary Materials in 2016.
The mission of IPM is to study the origin, evolution and dynamics of the Earth and other planets and the originof life, and to promote collaborative research and education in Earth and planetary materials sciences by providing
opportunities to access its broad spectrum of unique world-class analytical and experimental facilities to thedomestic and international research community as a joint-usage/ research center (since 2010) designated by MEXT.
In the experimental field, the institute has been playing a leading role in applying high-pressure experiments, inparticular using multi-anvil press to study the structure and dynamics of the Earth’s interior. In recent years, inaddition to technical development in high PT generation which has pushed the record in pressure and temperature
generated in a large-volume press, active research is being conducted in the study of structure and properties ofdeep Earth and planetary materials via high-pressure experiments, various spectroscopic and diffraction
measurements (NMR, Raman, IR, X-ray diffraction, etc.) and first-principles calculations.
In the analytical field, efforts in analytical development led to the establishment of a world-class comprehensive
analytical system for quantitative analyses of most elements, many isotope systems as well as dating, which has2

been applied to diverse branches of materials science, such as life science and environmental science, in addition to
Earth and planetary materials science. Astrobiological studies on the evolution of organic matter and origin of life
are also underway.
The institute is also actively participating in international space exploration missions. Following the successful
analysis of small precious samples from the sample return mission “Hayabusa”, the institute is now engaged incomprehensive analyses of samples brought back from the asteroid “Ryugu” in 2020 by the “Hayabusa 2” mission.
IPM faculty is also member of the OSIRIS-Rex mission to the asteroid “Bennu”.
Graduate education is also being conducted via a doctoral program within the Graduate School of Natural
Science and Technology. The annual Misasa International Student Program, which was started in 2005, has beenhighly successful. More than 150 students have participated in this program. Some later became graduate students
at the Institute, and many are now researchers in major research institutions worldwide.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected various activities on research, education, joint usage/ research, outreach,etc. at IPM in the last year, and we have been experimenting various strategies in order to minimize the infectious
risk of COVID-19 while continuing research & educational activities. Also, this year is the final year of the 3rd midplan period, and we are undergoing end-of-term evaluation as a Joint Usage/Research Center and have also
applied to renew the designation of the Joint Usage/Research Center by MEXT in the 4th mid-plan period in order
to continue to serve the needs of the community. Your support will be highly appreciated.
Xianyu Xue
Director, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University3History
1939 Misasa Hot Spring Rehabilitation Center, Okayama Medical College
was established.

1943 Research Center for Radiobalneology, Okayama Medical College wasestablished.

1949 Balneology Laboratory, Okayama University was established.
1951 Institute for Thermal Spring Research, Okayama University wasestablished.

1985 Institute for Study of the Earth’s Interior (ISEI) was established as anational joint usage facility.

Institute for Thermal Spring Research,Okayama University

1995 ISEI was reorganized (English name unchanged).

2003 The COE-21 Program “Establishment of an International Hub in Solid
Earth Science” was approved by MEXT.

2005 ISEI was reorganized (English name unchanged).

2009 The 5-year Doctoral program, Division for Earth and Planetary
Materials Science, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology
was established.
Institute for Planetary Materials,
Okayama University

2010 Designated as Joint Usage/Research Center by MEXT
2016 Institute for Planetary Materials (IPM) was established.

Organization

As of May 1, 2021

Director

Prof. Xianyu Xue

Vice Director

Prof. Takashi Yoshino

Chair of Graduate Program

Prof. Masami Kanzaki

Director of Administration

Yasuhiko Yamashita4

Research Divisions
Division for Basic Planetary Materials Science
To understand the internal structure and evolution of the Earth and planets via determination of the structure and physicalproperties of Earth and planetary materials using experimental and computational approaches.

□ Advanced Analysis of Planetary Materials
Masami Kanzaki(Professor)

Akio Makishima(Professor)

Takuya Moriguti(Associate Professor)

Shigeru Yamashita(Associate Professor)□ Deep Planetary Materials
Takashi Yoshino(Professor)

Daisuke Yamazaki(Associate Professor)

Noriyoshi Tsujino(Assistant Professor)

Division for Planetary System
To understand the origin, evolution and dynamics of the Earth and planets by highly accurate/precise quantitative analysis, mass
spectroscopic analysis and spectroscopic analysis of Earth and extraterrestrial materials.

□ Planetary Geochronology
Katsura Kobayashi(Professor)

Hiroshi Kitagawa(Assistant Professor)□ Planetary Environmental Systems
Takuya Kunihiro(Associate Professor)

Division for Astrobiology——

To investigate mineral–organic–fluid interactions, origin of life, and traces of primitive life in the solar system
via both experimental and analytical approaches.

□ Fluids in Planetary Systems
Xianyu Xue(Professor)□ Astrobiology
Ryoji Tanaka(Professor)

Matthew Izawa(Assistant Professor)

Christian Potiszil(Assistant Professor)□ Cross-appointed Professors

5Gray Bebout（Lehigh University, USA）

Javier Martin（ University of Aberdeen, UK ）Martin Van Kranendonk（University of New South Wales, Australia）

F a c u lt yT en u r etrack
juniorS u p er t e c h n ic ia n sPo s t d o c t o r a l
R e s ea r c h e r

Crossa p p o i n t ed
Pr o fe s s o r sA d m i n i s t r a t iv es t a ffs

R e s ea r c hs t a ffs

Graduatestudents

Total

14

1

41

3

11

81455

Joint Usage/Research ProgramEver since the time of “Institute for Study of the Earth’s Interior” (1985~), The institute has
been actively conducting world-class research on Earth and planetary materials science via bothexperimental and analytical approaches, and also promoting collaborative research withresearchers both in Japan and worldwide.
Since 2010, the Institute has been designated as a Joint Usage/Research Center, “ResearchCenter for Earth and Planetary Materials Science” supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture,Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan. The Institute offers joint-usage/research
opportunities to both domestic and overseas researchers to access facilities and expertise forchemical analysis, dating, and structural analysis of terrestrial and extraterrestrial materials andhigh P-T experiments under a range of conditions.

Number of collaborative researches in the last
5 years (Blue: international; Orange: domesticYellow: intern program)

Duration of stay (total number of days) per year
for collaborative research in the last 5 years(Blue: international; Orange: domestic)6

Steering Committee for the Joint Usage/Research Program
The Joint Usage/Research program is managed by a steering committee consisted of 5 external members and 4
IPM members.
Prof. Takehiro Koyaguchi: Earthquake Research Institute, The University of Tokyo
Prof.Yasuhito Sekine: Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology
Prof. Hiroko Nagahara: Fellow, Tokyo Institute of Technology / Deputy Director, Research Center for Science
Systems, JSPS
Prof. Dapeng Zhao: Research Center for Prediction of Earthquakes & Volcanic Eruptions, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku
University
Prof. Hiroyuki Kagi: Geochemical Research Center, Graduate School of Science, The University of TokyoDirector, Prof. Xianyu Xue: Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama UniversityVice Director, Prof. Takashi Yoshino: Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University
Prof. Masami Kanzaki: Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University
Prof. Katsura Kobayashi: Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University

Facilities
High-temperature, high-pressure apparatus

6UHP

・ 6-axis high-pressure apparatus, 6UHP-70
・ KAWAI-type multi-anvil high-pressure apparatus, USSA-5000・ KAWAI-type multi-anvil high-pressure apparatus, USSA-1000
・ DIA-type multi-anvil press UHP2000-20 (AMAGAEL)・ DIA-type multi-anvil press with deformation facility
・ Piston-cylinder apparatus
・ Internally heated pressure vessel
・ Cold-seal hydrothermal apparatus
・ Diamond Anvil Cells (DAC)・ Externally heated Diamond Anvil Cells

7USSA-5000

DAC

X-ray analytical equipment and Electron Microscope

FE-EPMA・ Powder X-ray diffractometer・ Micro-focused X-ray diffractometer・ X-ray fluorescence spectrometer PW2400
・ Electron probe micro analyzer JXA-8800
・ Field-emission Electron probe micro analyzer JXA-8530F・ Low Vacuum Field-emission SEM JSM-7001F with EDS
・ SEM JSM-7001F with EDS
・ Transmission Electron Microscope JEM-7001F

MC-ICP-MS

Mass spectrometers

ICP-MS• Multi-collector ICP-MS: Thermo Fisher Scientific Neptune plus
• ICP-MS: Thermo Fisher Scientific iCAP TQ• TIMS: Thermo Fisher Scientific Triton plus
• HR-SIMS: Cameca IMS-1280HR• Gas-MS: MAT 253 IRMS
• Gas-MS: VG 5400
• Gas-MS: Thermo Fisher Scientific Helix• Thermo Scientific Orbitrap Fusion

TIMSSpectrometers• NMR spectrometer Bruker Avance NEO 400MHz• Micro-Raman spectrometer• Teraheltz micro-Raman spectrometer• Micro-FTIR spectrometer

NMR spectrometer

Raman spectrometer8

Graduate Education

Division for Earth and Planetary Materials ScienceSince 2009, the Institute adopted a doctoral program as anindependent Division for Earth and Planetary Materials Sciencewithin the Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology.
It consists of two departments: Department of Analytical
Planetary Chemistry and Department of Experimental Planetary
Physics. The program has a standard period of five years afterenrollment, and no prior Master degree is required. Qualifiedstudents may apply financial support, in the form of fellowshipand research assistantship, for a maximum of five years to cover
their tuition fees and living expenses. For international
students, lectures and guidance in research in English areprovided as needed. The Institute also provides a student
conference travel grant program in order to encourage student
conference presentation.

Department of Analytical Planetary Chemistry

Department of Experimental Planetary Physics

Misasa International Student Intern Program

Since 2005, the Institute has been holding an annual Misasa
International Student Intern Program for advanced undergraduate
and Master students each year for about 6 weeks in order topromote international collaborative research and education.
During the intern program, each student works on an active IPM
research project under the supervision of IPM faculty members
and their research groups. The program has been well received
internationally, attracting a large number of applicants fromworldwide each year. More than 150 students have participated in
the program. Some of them later became graduate student at theInstitute, many are now researchers in major research institutions
worldwide. The program could not be carried out in FY 2020-2021
due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but we hope it will be resumed inthe future.

9Numbers of applicants (Blue) andparticipants (Orange) for the Misasa
International Student Intern Program from2016 (H28) to 2020 (R2).

Access Guide10

Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University
827 Yamada, Misasa, Tottori 682-0193 Japan
TEL：0858-43-1215

TEL：+81-858-43-1215

FAX：0858-43-2184

FAX：+81-858-43-2184

WEB：http://www.misasa.okayama-u.ac.jp/