The Legacy of Hideki Yukawa, Sin-itiro Tomonaga, and Shoichi Sakata: Some Aspects from their Archives

TL;DR

This paper explores the historical contributions of Yukawa, Tomonaga, and Sakata to nuclear and particle physics, highlighting their collaborative and competitive relationships and their influence on Japan's scientific development from the 1930s to 1940s.

Contribution

It provides new insights into their archival records, illustrating milestones in Japanese nuclear and particle physics history and their impact on subsequent generations.

Findings

Key milestones in Japanese nuclear physics identified

Archival materials reveal collaboration and competition dynamics

Foundations for postwar physics in Japan established

Abstract

Hideki Yukawa, Sin-itiro Tomonaga and Shoichi Sakata pioneered nuclear and particle physics and left enduring legacies. Their friendly collaboration and severe competition laid the foundation to bring up the active postwar generation of nuclear and particle physicists in Japan. In this presentation we illustrate milestones of nuclear and particle physics in Japan from 1930's to mid-1940's which have been clarified in Yukawa Hall Archival Library, Tomonaga Memorial Room and Sakata Memorial Archival Library.