Researcher Information

KAWASAKI Noriyuki

Associate Professor

Origin and evolution of the Solar System

Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Earth and Planetary System Science

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Theme

I study environments and processes of the early Solar System by in situ analyses of meteorites.

FieldCosmochemistry, Geochemistry, Planetary Sciences, Chronology
KeywordMeteorite, Solar System, Isotope, Chronology, Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry, Electron Microscopy

Introduction of Research

Meteorites are known to be mainly originated from asteroids. Especially, chondrite meteorites derived from undifferentiated bodies directly preserve solar protoplanetary dusts and record early events of our Solar System. I investigate in-situ measurements of isotopic compositions of chondritic components to reconstruct conditions and processes in the early Solar System.

Representative Achievements

Kawasaki N., Nagashima K., Sakamoto N. and 91 coauthors.
(2022) “Oxygen isotopes of anhydrous primary minerals show kinship between asteroid Ryugu and comet 81P/Wild2” Science Advances, 8 (50), eade2067.
Kawasaki N., Wada S., Park C., Sakamoto N. and Yurimoto H.
(2020) “Variations in initial 26Al/27Al ratios among fine-grained Ca-Al-rich inclusions from reduced CV chondrites” Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 279, 1–15.
Zhang A.-C., Kawasaki N., Bao H., Liu J., Qin L., Kuroda M., Gao J.-F., Chen L.-H., He Y., Sakamoto N. and Yurimoto H.
(2020) “Evidence of metasomatism in the interior of Vesta” Nature Communications, 11 (1), 1–7.
Kawasaki N., Park C., Sakamoto N., Park S. Y., Kim H. N., Kuroda M. and Yurimoto H.
(2019) “Variations in initial 26Al/27Al ratios among fluffy Type A Ca-Al-rich inclusions from reduced CV chondrites” Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 511, 25–35.
Kawasaki N., Simon S. B., Grossman L., Sakamoto N. and Yurimoto H.
(2018) “Crystal growth and disequilibrium distribution of oxygen isotopes in an igneous Ca-Al-rich inclusion from the Allende carbonaceous chondrite” Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 221, 318–341.
Academic degreePh.D.
Self Introduction

I am from Yamaguchi.

Academic background2006-2010: B.S. Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University
2010-2012: M.S. Department of Natural History Science, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University
2012-2015: PhD. Department of Natural History Science, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University
2015-2016: JSPS Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Hokkaido University)
2016-2018: Project Researcher, ISAS, JAXA
2018-: Present position
Affiliated academic societyGeochemical Society of Japan, Meteoritical Society, Japan Geoscience Union

Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Earth and Planetary System Science

KAWASAKI Noriyuki

Associate Professor

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Please briefly introduce us to the big project you have been tackling.

At the end of 2020, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Hayabusa-2 spacecraft brought rock samples back to the Earth from the asteroid Ryugu. The Hayabusa2 was launched when I was a PhD student. I was watching the rocket launch via a live feed from the conference hall during an international conference on meteorite science. After that, I worked for two years as a researcher in the return sample curation group of JAXA. Our laboratory at Hokkaido University was the first in the world to conduct chemical analysis of samples from the asteroid Ryugu brought back by the spacecraft. Based on this experience, we are also participating in a project to analyze samples brought back from the asteroid Bennu by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft.

Secondary ion mass spectrometer (Cameca ims-1280HR)
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What made you decide to become a researcher?

My academic performance in college was not good at all. However, when I joined a laboratory in my senior year of college and began observing and analyzing meteorites, I felt a completely different response to the classroom learning I had done as an undergraduate. From that point on, I was strongly absorbed in the world of research. I still strongly remember the first academic conference I attended during my master’s program. Researchers spent hours discussing the environment at the time of the formation of the solar system. I was impressed that such a world existed in this world.

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Please tell us about yourself; things you are good at, your favorites, hobbies, and daily routines.

Fishing and cooking!