Japan’s PRIMA effort enters a new stage as NASA advances far-infrared mission

Summary

Since 2023, researchers in Japan have conducted scientific and technical studies and explored possible contributions to PRIMA, a far-infrared space telescope mission designed to investigate how planets form, how galaxies and their black holes grow together, and how dust and heavy elements build up across the universe.

Many researchers and graduate students from the Graduate School of Science at The University of Tokyo are participating in scientific and technical studies exploring Japan’s potential involvement in the PRIMA project. A “science white paper”—a document released in November 2025 that outlines the diverse research themes to be addressed through PRIMA observations was co-authored with contributions from several members of the Graduate School of Science: Assistant Professor Shota Notsu, Professor Shogo Tachibana, Associate Professor Aki Takigawa, and PhD student Hanako Enomoto (all from the Department of Earth and Planetary Science), and Professor Emeritus Takashi Onaka, Professor Yuri Aikawa, and PhD student Takumi Tanaka (all from the Department of Astronomy).
In addition, Shota Notsu serves as the coordinator for efforts to promote PRIMA-related scientific activities within the Japanese astronomical community.

For more information, please see below.

School of Science, UTokyo: https://www.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/press/11285/
Hiroshima University: https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/news/100608