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Kobe University scientists have carried out numerical simulations concerning Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs), strongly suggesting the presence of a hitherto unknown planet in the outskirts of the solar system. More than a thousand TNOs, exhibiting orbital properties that can be explained if gravitational perturbations were exerted by a hypothetical planet over billions of years, have been found to date.
Based on such finds, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences researcher Dr. Patryk Sofia Lykawka, working together with Professor Mukai Tadashi, estimates that there is a Planet X with from a third to two-thirds of Earth's mass within the Edgeworth-Kuiper belt (situated beyond Neptune's orbit). Said planet's diameter is calculated to be over ten thousand kilometers, approximating the size of Earth, and is thought to take a millennium or two to completely orbit the Sun.
As such, future sky surveys dedicated to finding Planet X are foreseen successfully locating it in about a decade's time. Considering the orbital characteristic and physical features, Planet X beyond the former planet Pluto could fulfill the International Astronomical Union definition of a planet and gain designation as a new one in the solar system.
A Japanese MEXT scholarship recipient from Brazil, Dr. Lykawka came to Kobe University—which has a Center for Planetary Science as well as the Mukai lab which is part of a COE program—in order to further his interest in the origin and evolution of the solar system. Results of the Planet X research appeared in the April 2008 issue of the Astronomical Journal.
Apart from improving the Planet X model, the former MEXT scholar, who since 2007 has been supported by a Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) fellowship, is also planning and executing other projects involving dynamics of minor bodies and giant planets in the solar system, with continued support from Professor Mukai, his research supervisor.
According to calculations conducted by a National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) project team, Japan is a resource-rich country when the amount of rare metals found in recyclable form is included in the statistical figure. As part of his group's efforts to deal with the inevitable depletion of many of Earth's natural mineral resources, Dr. Halada Kohmei said the study by NIMS Innovative Materials Engineering Laboratories—which he heads—encompassed a Calculation of Inverse Matrix result concluding that Japan has an enormous amount of elements like gold and platinum "embedded" in industrial and consumer products. The calculation carried out provided an estimate in monetary terms which Dr. Halada hopes will encourage related niche businesses to be lined up.
The researcher explained that the calculation made use of the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) materials flow data and trade—especially export—figures as determinants as to the value of "mineral deposits" to be found in Japan as a whole. It was however noted that this calculation is only one aspect of the research effort, the main point being the formulation of a strategy for finding substitutes to resources required upon sustaining today's civilization, as many of the essential metals for example are thought to be reaching exhaustion point by 2050.
A three-pronged effort comprising said strategy is to search out, use as substitute and then recycle, and although the recycling portion was highlighted as constituting a virtual mine by the general media, the Doctor of Engineering stated unequivocally that the need to search and substitute is just as essential. Dr. Halada stresses, "While considerations as to the energy used and other related costs are necessary, it is easier to produce artificial concentrates from manufactured products such as mobile phones and computers than to extract ores from the ground in order to select and refine into usable form." Yet, he underscored that the identification and substitution aspects should be kept in mind even while promoting recycling.
Nevertheless, turning "bads" (waste) into goods is a topic which has attracted increasing attention from around the world. Regarding recycling of precious metals, as exemplified by a recent OECD meeting in Paris on the subject matter, Japanese mining firms have a wealth of experience and their know-how should be put to use, said Dr. Halada.
In Japan, NIMS has been working to output a long-term prospect as to dealing with issues requiring application of the technological process in finding a solution. Dr. Halada added that he espies the need to review the approach in general periodically so as to adjust the process accordingly. In summation, the NIMS scientist concludes that an overall perspective, from the procedures involved to the impact on the total environment, is a must in considering the resources available for value addition in Japan.
Toshiba Corporation has released a rapid-charging but safe and long-lived battery, the SCiB (Super Charge ion Battery). Utilizing a lithium titanate as the base material for the negative-electrode, the SCiB can be recharged to 90% of full capacity in just five minutes, compared with the thirty minutes to an hour or more required for widely used existing lithium-ion rechargeable batteries made with the conventional materials. Yet the battery is durable, being able to repeat the charge-discharge cycle over 5,000 times, while it is also resistant to both hot and cold, with sufficient discharge at as low as-30°C temperatures, and does not burst easily under stress or on impact. With a lifespan of at least ten years with a once-a-day recharge-discharge cycle, the SCiB will help to reduce the waste associated with conventional battery products.