SAKURA SCIENCE High School Program Group 3
Studying low-temperature plasma science at Nagoya University
On June 20, the third group of SSHP students visited Nagoya University.
The group of students started their visit by attending a lecture by Professor HORI Masaru, the first Director of the Center for Low-temperature Plasma Sciences. The theme of the lecture was "What is plasma? Potential in the fields of medicine, agriculture, and engineering."
During the Q&A session, students displayed an impressive level of knowledge by asking numerous questions on topics such as "solving global warming by using plasma to speed up plant growth" and "the mechanism of using plasma to kill cancer cells."
"There are still many things we do not fully understand about the mechanism of plasma," explained Professor HORI. "The possibilities are infinite and there are many unexplored areas, so it is a worthwhile field to research. At Nagoya University, cutting-edge research is being conducted by not only Japanese students, but also students from around the world. If you are interested in our work, please come and join us as a researcher." Nagoya University has also produced six Nobel Prize winners in the past. Professor HORI discussed the qualities (originality, spirit of embracing challenge, curiosity) necessary to receive a Nobel Prize.
In the afternoon, the students split into groups to see demonstrations of plasma balls (fluorescent tubes light up when brought close to the plasma ball) and plasma speakers (sound is transmitted by plasma vibrations). The students also listened to various panel lectures by students researching plasma. At the Center for Low-temperature Plasma Sciences, students observed an experiment in which plasma was used to paint pictures on a mirror with water.
The campus tour also included a visit to the Nobel Prize Exhibition Hall, the Disaster Mitigation Research Center, and the Nagoya University Museum. The day spent at Nagoya University allowed the visiting students to obtain a deep experience of research sites, traditions, and campus life at the university. Without a doubt, some of the visiting high school students were able to imagine themselves as international students at university in the future.
