was a Japanese

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...

, known for his explanation of the

Kikuchi lines Kikuchi lines are patterns of electrons formed by scattering. They pair up to form bands in electron diffraction from single crystal specimens, there to serve as "roads in orientation-space" for microscopists uncertain of what they are looking at ...

that show up in diffraction patterns of diffusely scattered

electrons The electron ( or ) is a subatomic particle with a negative one elementary electric charge. Electrons belong to the first generation of the lepton particle family, and are generally thought to be elementary particles because they have no ...

Biography

Seishi Kikuchi was born and grew up in Tokyo. He graduated in 1926 from

Tokyo Imperial University , abbreviated as or UTokyo, is a public research university located in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1877, the university was the first Imperial University and is currently a Top Type university of the Top Global University Project by ...

. In 1928, Kikuchi and Shoji Nishikawa observed and gave a theoretical explanation of the electron backscatter diffraction pattern from a calcite cleavage face.T. Maitland and S. Sitzman, “Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) Technique and Materials Characterization Examples,” in W. Zhou and Z.L. Wang, eds., ''Scanning Microscopy for Nanotechnology: Techniques and Applications, 2007 Edition'', Springer (2007), , p 41-75. In 1929, he went to Germany as a student. In 1934, he was appointed as professor at

Osaka Imperial University , abbreviated as , is a public research university located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It is one of Japan's former Imperial Universities and a Designated National University listed as a "Top Type" university in the Top Global University Project. ...

and directed the construction of Japan's first DC high voltage Cockcroft-Walton accelerator. In 1955, he was appointed as the first director of the Institute of Nuclear Research at the

University of Tokyo , abbreviated as or UTokyo, is a public research university located in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1877, the university was the first Imperial University and is currently a Top Type university of the Top Global University Project b ...

, and successfully presided over the completion of the variable energy

cyclotron A cyclotron is a type of particle accelerator invented by Ernest O. Lawrence in 1929–1930 at the University of California, Berkeley, and patented in 1932. Lawrence, Ernest O. ''Method and apparatus for the acceleration of ions'', filed: Jan ...

. Between 1959 and 1964, he was chairman of the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute.

References

Japanese nuclear physicists Japanese physicists 1902 births 1974 deaths People from Tokyo University of Tokyo alumni University of Tokyo faculty Osaka University faculty Recipients of the Order of Culture Recipients of the Order of the Sacred Treasure, 1st class Riken personnel {{physicist-stub