Advanced technology of Japanese companies who supported the observation(日本企業の先端技術が観測を支えた)

Observation device of the Higgs boson mass to all things given, also known as "God particle" is a cutting-edge technology of Japanese companies has been adopted many. Contribution is high in sensor technology make the material superconducting magnet technology to observe, especially in elementary particle, Japanese companies in the technology supporting the observation.

Particle capture in the detector is to accelerate the speed of light collide protons at nearly the, jump out at that time "(LHC) Large Hadron Collider" in the experiment. The acceleration and orientation of the proton is necessary for a strong magnet.

The LHC is a superconducting magnet is placed near two thousand, has become the heart of the device. Were used, but an enormous amount of superconducting wire, nearly half of which was delivered by Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.. Delivered a superconducting magnet coil for steel and JFE Steel and Toshiba also, supported the experiment.

At the heart of the particle detection, the sensor of Hamamatsu Photonics photomultiplier tubes, etc. that are frequently used in the same field experiment was adopted. In "special specification has been developed for the LHC", number of installations of high-sensitivity sensor can not be imitated is also extends to 26,000 total units.

Kuraray will provide a special plastic fiber, such as to measure the radiation detection unit around. Although developed for use in communication, but that did not spread "was useful in unexpected places." "God particle" without technology from Japan would not have been caught, I can feel the height of Japan's technological power again.



万物に質量を与え「神の粒子」とも呼ばれるヒッグス粒子の観測装置には、日本企業の先端技術が数多く採用されていた。特に超電導磁石を作る素材技術、素粒子を観測するセンサー技術で貢献度が高く、日本企業は技術で観測を支えた。
　実験では「大型ハドロン衝突型加速器（ＬＨＣ）」で陽子をほぼ光速に加速して衝突させ、その際に飛び出す素粒子を検出器でとらえる。陽子の加速や方向付けには強力な磁石が必要だ。
　ＬＨＣには２千台近い超電導磁石が設置され、装置の心臓部となっている。膨大な量の超電導線材が用いられたが、その半分近くは古河電気工業が納入した。ＪＦＥスチールや東芝も超電導磁石用の鋼材やコイルを納入し、実験を支えた。
　素粒子検出の心臓部には、同分野の実験で多用される光電子増倍管など浜松ホトニクスのセンサーが採用された。「ＬＨＣ用に開発した特殊仕様」で、まねのできない高感度センサーの設置台数は合計２万６０００台にも及ぶ。
　クラレは検出部周辺で放射線などを測定する特殊プラスチックファイバーを提供。通信用に開発したものの、普及しなかったが「思わぬところで役に立った」という。日本の技術無くして「神の粒子」は捉えられなかったでしょうから、改めて日本の技術力の高さに感じますね。