Accretion disk spectra of super-luminal jet sources and ultra-luminous compact X-ray sources in nearby spiral galaxies

The Ultra-luminous Compact X-ray Sources (ULXs)in nearby spiral galaxies and the Galactic super-luminaljet sources sharethe common spectral characteristic that they haveextremely high disk temperatures which cannot be explainedin the framework of the standard accretion disk modelin the Schwarzschild metric. We have calculated an extreme Kerr disk model to examine if the Kerr disk model can instead explain the observed `too hot' accretion disk spectra.We found that the Kerr disk spectrum becomes significantly hardercompared to the Schwarzschild disk only when the disk is highlyinclined.For super-luminal jet sources, which are known to beinclined systems, the Kerr disk model may thuswork if we choose proper values for the black hole angular momentum. For the ULXs, however, the Kerr disk interpretation will be problematic,as is is highly unlikely that their accretion disks are preferentiallyinclined.     

Mineralogy and composition of Kuroko deposits from northeastern Honshu and their possible modern analogues from the Izu-Ogasawara (Bonin) Arc south of Japan: Implications for mode of formation

The Kuroko deposits of NE Honshu are a key type deposit for the study of volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits. However, these deposits have not been studied in detail since the early 1980's and knowledge of their mode of formation is now dated. In this study, we present the analysis of 12 samples of the Kuroko deposits, 12 samples of submarine hydrothermal minerals from the Sunrise deposit and 6 samples from Suiyo Seamount, both of which are located on the Izu-Ogasawara (Bonin) Arc, for 27 elements. For the Kuroko deposit, Cd>Sb>Ag>Pb>Hg>As>Zn>Cu are highly enriched, Au>Te>Bi>Ba>Mo are moderately enriched, In>Tl are somewhat enriched and Fe is not significantly enriched relative to the average continental crust. Within each of these deposits, a similar pattern of element associations is apparent: Zn–Pb with As, Sb, Cd, Ag, Hg, Tl and Au; Fe–Cu–Ba with As, Sb, Ag, Tl, Mo, Te and Au; Si–Ba with Ag and Au; CaSO₄. The enrichment of the chalcophilic elements in these deposits is consistent with hydrothermal leaching of these elements from the host rocks which are dominantly rhyolite–dacite in the case of the Kuroko deposits, rhyolite in the case of the Sunrise deposit and dacite–rhyolite in the case of the Suiyo Seamount deposit. However, this pattern of element enrichment is also similar to that observed in fumarolic gas condensates from andesitic volcanoes. This suggests that there may be a significant magmatic contribution to the composition of the hydrothermal fluids responsible for the formation of the Kuroko deposits, although it is not yet possible to quantify the relative contributions of these two sources of elements.The compositional data show that Sunrise and Suiyo Seamount deposits are much closer compositionally to the Kuroko deposits from NE Honshu than are the submarine hydrothermal deposits from the JADE site in the Okinawa Trough which contain, on average, significantly higher concentrations of Pb, Zn, Sb, As and Ag than each of these deposits. In spite of the greater similarity in tectonic setting of the Hokuroku Basin in which the Kuroko deposits formed to the Okinawa Trough (intracontinental rifted back-arc basin) compared to Myojin Knoll and Suiyo Seamount (active arc volcanoes), it appears that submarine hydrothermal deposits from Myojin Knoll and Suiyo Seamount are closer analogues of the Kuroko deposit than are those from the Okinawa Trough. The present data are consistent with the magmatic hydrothermal model for the formation of Kuroko-type deposits as formulated by Urabe and Marumo [Urabe, T., Marumo, K., 1991. A new model for Kuroko-type deposits of Japan. Episodes 14, 246–251].     

In situ strength measurements on natural upper-mantle minerals

Using in situ strength measurements at pressures up to 10 GPa and at room temperature, 400, 600, and 700°C, we examined rheological properties of olivine, orthopyroxene, and chromian-spinel contained in a mantle-derived xenolith. Mineral strengths were estimated using widths of X-ray diffraction peaks as a function of pressure, temperature, and time. Differential stresses of all minerals increase with increasing pressure, but they decrease with increasing temperature because of elastic strain on compression and stress relaxation during heating. During compression at room temperature, all minerals deform plastically at differential stress of 4–6 GPa. During subsequent heating, thermally induced yielding is observed in olivine at 600°C. Neither orthopyroxene nor spinel shows complete stress relaxation, but both retain some stress even at 700°C. The strength of the minerals decreases in the order of chromian-spinel ≈ orthopyroxene > olivine for these conditions. This order of strength is consistent with the residual pressure of fluid inclusions in mantle xenoliths.     

A new cloud detection algorithm for nighttime AVHRR/HRPT data

A new cloud detection algorithm for nighttime Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data has been developed and applied to a large number of images from various locations around Japan. The algorithm is characterized by a recovery function and the use of a two-dimensional histogram. Results obtained after applying the algorithm are presented and compared with those of previous algorithms. The comparison reveals that the new algorithm appears to be more successful than the previous algorithms.     

Continental shelf waves off the Fukushima coast

Past observations and theories have indicated the importance of the constitution of the lowest-mode of shelf waves to the velocity field. However, significant contributions of the higher mode waves to current velocity fluctuations in the vicinity of the coast are suggested in observational results obtained along the Fukushima coast in Pt. I of this study (Kubota et al., 1981). To understand the importance of the higher modes, the generation of shelf waves is investigated theoretically by two methods. First, the generation of long shelf waves by monochromatic forcing is examined, and it is concluded that near the coast the second mode's contribution to the longshore velocity is the largest for the Fukushima coast. Second, the response of shelf waves to broad-band forcing is investigated by taking the dispersive characteristics of shelf waves into consideration. It is concluded that shelf waves with zero group velocity are selectively excited if the forcing has a broad-band spectrum. According to observational results obtained along the Fukushima coast, the wind spectrum has a broad peak at about 100 hours (Kubota et al., 1981). Since the third mode of shelf waves has zero group velocity around the period of 100 hours, the third mode can be selectively generated off the Fukushima coast. From this it is suggested that the Fukushima coast is in the forced region and that observed current fluctuations are motions associated with the second- and third-mode shelf waves.     

Mechanism of the seasonal transport variation through the Tokara Strait

To investigate an mechanism of the seasonal variation of transport through the Tokara Strait, two numerical experiments with real geometry and wind forcing were carried out. The models are linear barotropic models which are a North Pacific Ocean model and a limited-area model with a fine grid. The seasonal variation of volume transport with a maximum in the summer and a minimum in the autumn could be well reproduced by both models. The results demonstrate the wind stress component normal to a gradient vector of bottom topography is crucial for determining the seasonal variation. The similar seasonal variation widely covers the East China Sea and has a large amplitude near the Tokara Strait. Finally, it can be concluded that winds north of 35°N have little influence on the seasonal response of our model at the Tokara Strait.     

The sudden disappearance of a dark filament observed on October 26, 1989

We present H monochromatic and spectroscopic observations of the sudden disappearance of a dark filament located near the center of the solar disk on October 26, 1989. The event was not associated with the flare activity. The dark filament first disintegrated into two loop-like components, and then each component successively showed ascending motion with a velocity greater than 30 km s^–1. Comparison of the H pictures taken before and after the start of this event suggests that the dark filament was originally composed of two magnetic flux loops.     

Interpretation of charging on fracture or frictional slip surface of rocks

Fracturing and frictional sliding of quartz and granite under dry condition generates fractoluminescence, charged particle emission and electromagnetic radiation. Various kinds of experiments indicate that surface charge density on fracture or frictional slip surface of quartz and granite is 10⁻⁴ to 10⁻² C/m² which is larger than bound charges induced by the disappearance of piezoelectricity due to the release of stress. Hole and electron trapping centers, which is found in semiconductor devices with the Si–SiO₂ system, are causes of surface charging on fracture or frictional slip surface of quartz crystal. The quantity of the surface charge is enough to cause corona discharge that can generate earthquake lights. The mechanism considering the hole and electron trapping centers has a probability to explain why non-piezoelectric minerals or rocks generate electromagnetic phenomena. It can be one of origins of seismo-electromagnetic phenomena (SEP).     

Exploration Indices and Mineral Potential Map of the Kuroko Deposits in Northeast Japan

Abstract. Recent discoveries of seafloor hydrothermal mineralization in submarine volcanic centers of felsic magma in western Pacific island arcs are regarded as modern analogues of Kuroko type deposits. Studies of these deposits and their surrounding geology raised question whether the exploration activity for the Kuroko deposits on land which peaked in the 1960's was adequate or not. However, such an evaluation is not easy because the exploration data are about to be lost as a result of the closure of all the Kuroko mines in the area since 1994.
The Metal Mining Agency of Japan (MMAJ), therefore, decided to compile existing data on about 180 Kuroko deposits and related mineral occurrences in northeast Japan as a new Kuroko database.
This study extends a concept called "exploration indices" which was developed based on a case study of the thoroughly surveyed Hokuroku district to draw a potential map of the Kuroko occurrences for the entire northeast Japan quantitatively with a Geographical Information System (GIS). Effective exploration indices include: 1) distribution of dacitic-rhy-olitic submarine volcanic rocks of the Nishikurosawa and Onnagawa stages, 2) distribution of intrusive rocks of pre- and post-Kuroko horizon, 3) low aeromagnetic anomaly caused by hydrothermal alteration of magnetite, 4) low gravity anomaly which suggests depressions in the basement rocks such as a tectonic basin and/or caldera, and 5) nearby existence of vein type deposits. It is concluded that about 33 % of known Kuroko deposits fall within the high potential zone (score=4 and 5) that occupies only 4 % of the entire northeast Japan arc. The Kuroko potential map is, therefore, useful for limiting the target area for Kuroko type deposits in an island arc setting.