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.     

Near inertial motion excited by wind change in a margin of the Typhoon 9019

An excitation of inertial oscillation in the upper layer east of course of Typhoon 9019 was fortuitously observed at three surface buoys deployed during the Ocean Mixed Layer Experiment (OMLET). The observed inertial oscillation was compared with wind fluctuation measured at Ocean Weather Station T (29°N, 135°E) which was placed at the center of a triangle with three vertexes occupied by the respective surface buoys. Inertial oscillation is effectively excited in the mixed layer at the eastern margin of the typhoon by a rapid decrease of wind rather than by prevailing strong wind. It is shown by means of a least square deviation that the inertial oscillation observed in the mixed layer has a period of 23.9 hours shorter than the local inertial period of 24.7 hours. This shorter period suggests that the inertial oscillation has the finite velocities of phase and group as an inertial internal wave. A theoretically obtained ratio of vertical component of group velocity to that of phase velocity, approximately agrees with observed value. The inertial internal wave is excited by fluctuation of divergence with near inertial period in the mixed layer.     

Current and temperature observations in the east Tsushima channel and the Sea of Genkai

Data on the Tsushima Current and its neighboring coastal current are analyzed to examine short-term variability of the currents and storm events due to typhoons. A three current-meter array was deployed in a strong current region of the east Tsushima channel during summer in 1983 and 1984, and other two current-meter arrays in the eastern coastal area of the channel (the Sea of Genkai) in the summer and autumn in 1983. The observations of coastal current show that the kinetic energy of the subtidal current component was larger in summer than in autumn by a factor of about 2. A comparison of the wind stresses and the estimated values of mixed layer depth in the summer and autumn season suggest that this seasonal change is closely associated with that of the mixed layer depth rather than with that of the wind stress. The Tsushima Current was greatly influenced by two storm events: its speed increased by a factor of 2 in one event and decreased to nearly zero in the other. Such a large variation of mean current during the storm was observed only for the Tsushima Current and not for the coastal current, suggesting that the Tsushima Current may temporarily change its regular course as a result of a storm.     

A Reconstruction of Observed Profiles in the Sea East of Japan Using Vertical Coupled Temperature-Salinity EOF Modes

It is important to estimate hard-to-observe parameters in the ocean interior from easy-to-observe parameters. This study therefore demostrates a reconstruction of observed temperature and salinity profiles of the sea east of Japan (30°≈40°N, 140°≈150°E). The reconstruction was done by estimating suboptimal state from several values of the observed profiles and/or sea surface dynamic height (SDH) calculated from the profiles. The estimation used a variational method with vertical coupled temperature-salinity empirical orthogonal function (EOF) modes. Profiles of temperature and salinity in the subtropical region are effectively reconstructed from in situ temperature profile data, or sea surface temperature (SST) and SDH. For example, the analyzed temperature field from SST and SDH has an accuracy to within 1°C in the subtropical region. Salinity in the sea north of Kuroshio, however, is difficult to estimate because of its complex variability which is less correlated with temperature than in the subtropical region. Sea surface salinity is useful to estimate the subsurface structure. We also show the possibility that the estimation is improved by considering nonlinearity in the equation calculating SDH from temperature and salinity analysis values in order to examine the misfit between analysis and observation. Analysis using TOPEX/POSEIDON altimetry data instead of SDH was also performed. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Preconditioned Optimizing Utility for Large-dimensional analyses (POpULar)

I present the derivation of the Preconditioned Optimizing Utility for Large-dimensional analyses (POpULar), which is developed for adopting a non-diagonal background error covariance matrix in nonlinear variational analyses (i.e., analyses employing a non-quadratic cost function). POpULar is based on the idea of a linear preconditioned conjugate gradient method widely adopted in ocean data assimilation systems. POpULar uses the background error covariance matrix as a preconditioner without any decomposition of the matrix. This preconditioning accelerates the convergence. Moreover, the inverse of the matrix is not required. POpULar therefore allows us easily to handle the correlations among deviations of control variables (i.e., the variables which will be analyzed) from their background in nonlinear problems. In order to demonstrate the usefulness of POpULar, we illustrate two effects which are often neglected in studies of ocean data assimilation before. One is the effect of correlations among the deviations of control variables in an adjoint analysis. The other is the nonlinear effect of sea surface dynamic height calculation required when sea surface height observation is employed in a three-dimensional ocean analysis. As the results, these effects are not so small to neglect.     

A note on internal wavetrains and the associated undulation of the sea surface observed upstream of seamounts

An internal wavetrain, generated by a tidal current in superposition with the Tsushima Warm Current, has been observed by use of an acoustic echo-sounder upstream of the Shichiri-Ga-Sone Seamounts in the East Tsushima Strait of the Japan Sea. The sea surface above the internal wavetrain was simultaneously observed and was found to be undulated at the wavelength of the internal wave.     

Deep structure of the Nojima Fault, southwest Japan, estimated from borehole observations of fault-zone trapped waves

To estimate the deep structure of the southern part of the Nojima Fault, southwest Japan without the influence of near-surface structures, we analyzed the Love-wave-type fault-zone trapped waves (LTWs) recorded by a borehole seismometer at 1800 m depth. We examined the polarization, dispersion, and dominant frequency of the wavetrain following the direct S-wave in each seismogram to identify the LTW. We selected eight candidates for typical LTWs from 462 records. Because the duration of the LTW increases with hypocentral distance, we infer that the low velocity fault-zone of the Nojima Fault continues towards the seismogenic depth. In addition, since the duration of the LTW increases nonlinearly with hypocentral distance, we infer that the S-wave velocity of the fault-zone increases with depth. The location of events showing the LTW indicates that the fault-zone dips to the southeast at 75° and continues to a depth of approximately 10 km. We assumed a uniform low-velocity waveguide to estimate the average structure of the fault-zone. We estimated the average width, S-wave velocity, and Q_s of the fault-zone by comparing an analytical solution of the LTW with measured data. The average width, S-wave velocity, and Q_s of the fault-zone are 150 to 290 m, 2.5 to 3.2 km/s, and 40 to 90, respectively. Hence the fault-zone structure with a larger width and smaller velocity reduction than the fault-zone model estimated by previous surface observation is more suitable to represent the average fault-zone structure of the Nojima fault. The present study also indicated that the shallow layers and/or a shallow fault-zone structure drastically changes the characteristics of the LTW recorded at the surface, and therefore cause a discrepancy in the fault-zone model between the borehole observation and surface observation.     

Evaluation of predictors of non‐linear seismic demands using ‘fishbone’ models of SMRF buildings

Predictors (or estimates) of seismic structural demands that are less computationally time‐consuming than non‐linear dynamic analysis can be useful for structural performance assessment and for design. In this paper, we evaluate the bias and precision of predictors that make use of, at most, (i) elastic modal vibration properties of the given structure, (ii) the results of a non‐linear static pushover analysis of the structure, and (iii) elastic and inelastic single‐degree‐of‐freedom time‐history analyses for the specified ground motion record. The main predictor of interest is an extension of first‐mode elastic spectral acceleration that additionally takes into account both the second‐mode contribution to (elastic) structural response and the effects of inelasticity. This predictor is evaluated with respect to non‐linear dynamic analysis results for ‘fishbone’ models of steel moment‐resisting frame (SMRF) buildings. The relatively small number of degrees of freedom for each fishbone model allows us to consider several short‐to‐long period buildings and numerous near‐ and far‐field earthquake ground motions of interest in both Japan and the U.S. Before doing so, though, we verify that estimates of the bias and precision of the predictor obtained using fishbone models are effectively equivalent to those based on typical ‘full‐frame’ models of the same buildings. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Liquid bridge contribution to shear behavior of unsaturated soil: modeling and application to a micromechanics model

Acta Geotechnica - Liquid bridges in unsaturated soils attach to grain contacts and contribute to strengthening microscopic bonding forces, which leads to macroscopic high strength and stiffness...     

The influence of weathering on the geotechnical properties and slope angles of mudstone in the Mineoka earth-slide area,Japan

Three active earth-slide slopes of Tertiary mudstone were investigated: Slope 1 has an angle of 17 ?4°, Slope 2 of 12.9°, and Slope 3 of 11.6°. Infinite slope analysis indicated that the instability of these three slopes can be well explained by using the residual strength parameters of earth-slide soils near the sliding surface in conjunction with the highest ground water table. The residual angle of shearing resistance, ø'_r, plays an important role in the determination of slope angle because it differs greatly among slopes. Mineralogical studies and X-ray diffraction analyses were performed for the clay minerals included in the slope material. The results showed that illite and chlorite were found in Slope 1, and also in Slopes 2 and 3 together with interstratified illite/montmorillonite and montmorillonite. The degree of weathering is progressive in order of Slopes 1, 2 and 3. The alteration of clay minerals by weathering causes the reduction in ø'_r -values, i.e., 19.4° in Slope 1 (steep, less weathered) and 12.1-9.2° in Slopes 2 and 3 (gentle, much more weathered). This result indicates that the degree of weathering has a great influence on the value of ø'_r, which in turn determines the slope angle.