| Nakamura developed the time of flight (TOF) experiment device which used ion beams for electric field measurement in space. His sounding rocket experiment on S-510-9 was the first TOF electric field measurement in the ionosphere/ magnetosphere in the world. Thus he is a pioneer of the digital electric field measurement method of the world. Later he designed the electric field detector system (EFD) on Geotail. Many scientists accomplished work to receive high acclaim with Nakamura's measurement device. He himself analyzed the electric field data and particle data from Geotail, and especially on the events of the Pc5 ULF waves, reconnection at the dayside magnetopause. He received NASA group achievement award on his contribution to the magnetospheric science in 1994, as well as ESA award in 2003 on his contribution to Cluster mission.
He designed the the eXtreme Ultra-Violet scanner (XUV) on Planet-B Mars orbiter which was launched in 1998. He succeeded in taking the first EUV snap shot of the terrestrial plasmasphere in the world, thus he is considered as a pioneer of EUV imaging of the planetary plasma.
He received Tanakadate medal from the Society of Geomagnetism and Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences on his work "The study of plasma transport in the terrestrial magnetosphere" in 2002.
He started teaching graduate school student since 1993. Seven graduate students of his school received doctor of science degree from the University of Tokyo, and more than 20 students received MS degree from the University of Tokyo.
Research History
1987-1990 Physicist at Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik und Astrophysik, Institut fuer extraterrestrische Physik
1990-1993 Research assistant, ISAS
1993-2002 Associate professor. he University of Tokyo
2002- Professor, JAXA (2002- )
2005- Director of Basic Space Science Division, ISAS/JAXA
2001-2006 Secretary of Space Science Steering committee, ISAS/JAXA
2001-2006 Member of Steering committee, Society of Geomagnetism and Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences
2005-2006 Secretary of Space research liaison conference, the Science Council of Japan
2005-2007 Secretary of magnetospheric physics, Asia Oceania Geosciences Society
2005- Secretary general of Japan Geoscience Union
2007- Chair of Steering committee for Space Science, ISAS/JAXA
2007- Councilor, Society of Geomagnetism and Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences
2007- Member of Space Engineering Steering committee, ISAS/JAXA
1990- Project scientist aid of Geotail spacecraft
1992-2005 Principle Investigator of Extreme Ultra Violet Imager on Planet-B
1996-2006 Principle Investigator of Upper Atmosphere and Plasma Imager of SELENE
2003- Project manager of Venus exploration project of JAXA (2003-) |
