Professor KIYOMI IKEDA has made outstanding contributions to
nuclear physics as a theorist. They pertain to different fields and
concern especially: (1) Gamow-Teller giant resonance, (2) nuclear cluster
physics, (3) hypernuclear physics, and (4) physics of neutron-rich nuclei.
These four subjects are listed following approximately the chronological
order of Prof. Ikeda's scientific activities.
Prof. Ikeda graduated from Kyoto University and took graduate course in physics also at Kyoto University. He became an Assistant Professor first at Nihon University and then at University of Tokyo. He moved to Niigata University as an Associate Professor and then became a Full Professor. He worked there until his retirement at the age of 65. His research activity has continued at RIKEN after retirement up to now.
During his period at Nihon University he made the very famous prediction of the existence of the Gamow-Teller giant resonance together with Fujita and Fujii. His name is also well known for the discovery of the Ikeda's sum rule of Gamow-Teller beta decay transitions. His extensive activities in nuclear cluster physics were initiated when he was at University of Tokyo. Among many developments in this field, he is especially known as the proposer of the so-called Ikeda diagram which has become one of the most important guiding principles in nuclear cluster physics. After moving to Niigata he started his research in hypernuclear physics. His important contribution consisted in introducing the cluster model into a field which previously had been mostly investigated by using the shell model. The cluster model description of hypernuclei was very successful because light nuclei are well described by this model. Professor Ikeda was one of the pioneer theorists who realized the fundamental importance of neutron-rich nucleus physics immediately after the discovery of neutron halo phenomena. He is well known for his prediction of the soft dipole resonance in neutron-rich nuclei which independently was also predicted by P.G. Hansen.
After his retirement from Niigata University he moved to RIKEN, where he started to investigate a new research field different from those of his previous works. His current interest is to develop a new shell model theory which explicitly treats the tensor force in the nuclear structure study. He is still very active in research and at the same time he encourages young scientists to confront with challenging problems.