Messages from CMSI Division Directors

Tetsuo Mori

Director, CMSI Materials Science Division
Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University
Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University

Most of the practical materials studied in material science are manufactured by means of nonequilibrium processes. Their internal structure is non-uniform. This means that, for example, the phenomena that determine material strength have a pronounced nonlinearity, and therefore it is difficult even to give a quantitative description of the phenomena themselves, to say nothing of determining the physical properties that lie behind the phenomena. For this reason, experiments usually precede theoretical and computational researches. However, advances in computational materials science will be indispensable in order to make effective use of limited res ources and develop materials with great precision. Japan is one of the world leaders in the development of steel and other materials. The expectations placed on computational material science to provide the breakthroughs needed to carry on this tradition are considerable. Computational materials science in the next generation will be innovated and developed by today's young people. A great deal of knowledge will be gained from people in different fields such as condensed matter physics and molecular science as a result of the CMSI project, and unique material science techniques will be systematized based on this knowledge. Young researchers must play a central role throughout this entire process. The goal of the Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, is to work with these young researchers and serve as a center for establishing nextgeneration computational materials science.

Naoki Kawashima

Director, CMSI Condensed Matter Physics Division
Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo

The Institute for Solid State Physics at the University of Tokyo has assisted the development of state-of-the-art parallel computing in the computational materials science community through the use of shared supercomputers.
Many of these shared supercomputer users have employed original programs created by individuals and laboratories, producing many important achievements through this kind of "handicraft cottage industry style" approach. This tradition will undoubtedly be carried on in the future as well. At the same time, however, with the increase in parallel computing there have also been increased efforts to create programs that skillfully make use of computer capabilities.
With the establishment of CMSI, the Institute for Solid State Physics aims to play an active role in developing technologies for large-scale parallel computing and the accumulation, release and dissemination of software assets, in addition to its existing projects. For this purpose, we are currently considering the establishment of a Computational Materials Science Research Center (tentative name) as a new organization within the Institute. This would make it possible to create a toolbox to support next-generation "handicraft" research in the future.

Kazuo Takatsuka

Director, CMSI Molecular Science Division
Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences Graduate School of Arts and Sciences,
The University of Tokyo

Computers are magnificent tools. However, whether or not they are actually useful is dependent on the person using them. The human brain is made up of a complex network of neurons. When people are linked together, the networks of multiple brains are connected, forming a higher order of network. Moreover, the network within each individual brain is also stimulated. The connection distance (correlation range) is also extended. Thanks to the establishment of CMSI, my b r a i n , w h i c h h a s b e e n f o c u s e d o n molecular science, now has a correlation with condensed matter physics and materials science as well, so the reception distance is longer and the coverage area for receiving communications is wider. I find this tremendously exciting.
Students studying at a university know very little about companies before they begin looking for a job. (It could also be said that they know next to nothing about society.) However, the people who are already employed by companies may also have forgotten what they were like when they were young and energetic and racing toward the future. The goal of CMSI is to help form networks that link students, universities, researc h institutes and companies with one another. Here, too, we hope that these networks will lengthen and expand correlation ranges and coverage areas.