5th (2011) Young Scientist Award of the Physical Society of Japan2011年物理学会若手奨励賞
Mitsuru Kikuchi (Former Chair of Plasma Physics Division)
菊池 満(物理学会領域２前代表)
Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Naka Fusion Institute, 801-1, Mukoyama, Naka, Ibaraki 311-0193, Japan
原子力機構那珂核融合研究所核融合研究開発部門、〒311-0193 茨城県那珂市向山801-1
The physical Society of Japan annually award young researchers for their excellent research accomplishments. Dr. T.
Yamada and Dr. M. Hirota are selected as laureates of 5th Young Scientist Award of the Physical Society of Japan basedon the recommendation of the selection committee in the division of plasma physics (division 2) chaired by Prof. S.
Ishihara. We celebrate those two brilliant young physicists for their excellent accomplishments.

1. Introduction
The Physical Society of Japan annually awards young
researchers for their excellent research accomplishments.
The division of plasma physics (division 2) has formed
selection committee in Aug. 2010 chaired by Prof. S.
Ishihara whose members are shown in Table 1.
Table 1 Selection committee for 5th Young Scientist Award of
the Physical Society of Japan, Division of Plasma Physics.
NameAffiliation
ChairProf. S. Ishihara
YokohamaNationalUniversityVice Chair
Dr. M. Kikuchi
JAEA
MemberProf. K. Mima
The Graduate School for
the Creation of New
Photonics Industries
MemberProf. M. Taguchi
Nihon University
MemberProf. K. Yamazaki
Nagoya University
MemberProf. T. Maekawa
Kyoto University

The committee made extensive evaluation of candidate
young researchers and recommended Dr. T. Yamada(Graduate School of Frontier Science, The University ofTokyo) and Dr. M. Hirota (Fusion Research andDevelopment Directorate, JAEA) as candidates of 5th(2011) Young Scientist Award to Board of Directors of
the Physical Society of Japan and was approved.
Brief introduction of committee evaluation are shownas follows,

2. Dr. Takuma Yamada [Experimental Researchon drift wave – streamer system in linear magnetizedplasma]
Dr. T. Yamada has contributed to the understanding ofphysics of strong drift wave turbulence, which is focus oftransport problems of fusion plasma. He verified
experimentally the mechanism of structure formation due
to nonlinear interactions predicted by theory andsimulation. Experimental verification of the streamer andthe nonlinear coupling between modes is a major
breakthrough in the study of plasma turbulence, which
will be expected to develop further research inconjunction with theoretical studies. The research ishighly regarded as world-leading research.

Published Papers for this Award[1] T. Yamada, S.-I. Itoh, T. Maruta, N. Kasuya, Y.
Nagashima, S. Shinohara, K. Terasaka, M. Yagi, S.
Inagaki, Y. Kawai, A. Fujisawa and K. Itoh, Nature Phys.
4, 721-725 (2008). Two-dimensional bispectral analysis
of drift wave turbulence in a cylindrical plasma,[2] T. Yamada, S.-I. Itoh, S. Inagaki, Y. Nagashima, S.
Shinohara, N. Kasuya, K. Terasaka, K. Kamataki, H.
Arakawa, M. Yagi, A. Fujisawa and K. Itoh, Phys.
Plasmas 17, 052313-1-10 (2010). Two-dimensional
bispectral analysis of drift wave turbulence in acylindrical plasma[3] T. Yamada, S.-I. Itoh, S. Inagaki, Y. Nagashima, S.
Shinohara, N. Kasuya, K. Terasaka, K. Kamataki, H.
Arakawa, M. Yagi, A. Fujisawa and K. Itoh, Plasma
Fusion Res. 5 S2016 (2010). Nonlinear Mode Couplings
in a Cylindrical Magnetized Plasma.

3. Dr. Makoto Hirota [Theory of action-anglevariables for continuous spectrum in flowing plasma]Dr. M. Hirota proposed a new analytical method for thewave analysis of the flowing plasma and has contributed
to the development of MHD fluctuation studies in fusion
plasmas as well Astrophysical Plasmas. In particular, theinteraction of singular eigenmode (van Kampen modes)
and the wave in the phase space leading to thedissipation and amplification of wave (Landau resonancefor example) have been formulated mathematically aswell as the analysis of ideal MHD wave with flow. The
successful formulation is highly appreciated. We lookforward further development of the theory by thecandidate and deemed appropriate as Young Scientist
Award.
Published Papers for this Award[1] M. Hirota and Y. Fukumoto: Journal of Mathematical
Physics Vol. 49, 083101 (2008). " Energy ofhydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic waves withpoint and continuous spectra"[2] M. Hirota and Y. Fukumoto, Physics of Plasmas Vol.
15, 122101 (2008). "Action-angle variables for thecontinuous spectrum of ideal magnetohydro-dynamics"[3] M. Hirota and S. Tokuda, Physics of Plasmas, Vol 17,082109 (2010), "Wave-action conservation law foreigenmodes and continuum modes"