Protostar formation under two current carrying gas filaments collision

A model of protostar formation under two current carrying gas filaments collision is presented. The model implies MHD approach involving self-gravity and radiative cooling effects. We suppose that through the current carrying gas filament collision a magnetic field reconnection takes place. Using an appropriate self-consistent presentation for time and special dependences of physical quantities in MHD equations, we derive the full set of equations that describes time evolution of the physical quantities just after an occurrence of magnetic field reconnection. Numerical simulations reveal that the process consists of three main phases of evolution. The first is an appearance of preceding peaks in time profiles of density and temperature following by the next phase of depression of both temperature and density and the final fast condensation phase with either cooling or heating of matter depending on initial parameters of problem. Effects of initial conditions like as magnetic field strength, current strength, initial gravity energy, cooling time and a geometry of collision are investigated. Main conclusion is that protostar formation takes place within the time interval less than one free fall time and it is preceded by the appearance of dense and hot matter with lifetime much less than free fall time. The final temperature of the protostar depends on the physical conditions and mainly on the ratio between free fall time and cooling time in the colliding current carrying gas filaments.     

Markarian 313: An intermediate object between a seyfert and a starburst galaxy

An ultraviolet-excess galaxy Markarian 313 (NGC 7465), which consists of a multiple system with NGC 7463 and NGC 7464, is studied using the low- and high-resolution optical spectrum. Emission lines of H, H, [NII], and [OIII] have conspicuous blueward asymmetrical wings or blue slanted profiles in the spectrum of the nuclear region of the galaxy. The width of these emission lines is as broad as 600 km s^–1 at the zero-intensity level, and the velocity difference between the narrow and broad components is estimated at around 80 km s^–1 from the two-component Gaussian profile fitting. This fact could be an evidence of a large-scale dynamical motion in or surrounding the nuclear region of the galaxy, implying that it bears an intermediate characteristic between a Seyfert and a starburst galaxy.     

Prompt proton and electron acceleration to relativistic energies in solar flares

As a possible mechanism for particle acceleration in the impulsive phase of solar flares, a new particle acceleration mechanism in shock waves is proposed; a collisionless fast magnetosonic shock wave can promptly accelerate protons and electrons to relativistic energies, which was found by theory and relativistic particle simulation. The simultaneous acceleration of protons and electrons takes place in a rather strong magnetic field such that _{ce pe} . For a weak magnetic field ( _{ce pe} ), strong acceleration occurs to protons only. Resonant protons gain relativistic energies within the order of the ion cyclotron period (much less than 1 s for solar plasma parameters). The electron acceleration time is shorter than the ion-cyclotron period.     

Long-Term Investigation of Spatio-Temporal Variations in Faunal Composition and Species Richness of Megabenthos in Ise Bay,Central Japan

Based on our long-term data from megabenthos sampling from 1993 to 2002 in Ise Bay, central Japan, we examined spatio-temporal variations in taxon composition, species richness and its distribution of megabenthos in the bay in relation to the occurrence of the oxygen-poor water (i.e. oxygen content less than 3 ppm) in bottom waters of the bay. A total of 261 species were identified including 6 cnidarians, 1 tentaculate, 5 annelids, 71 molluscs, 72 crustaceans, 16 echinoderms, 12 urochordates and 78 pisces. Of the most abundant 10 megabenthos species, the following 4 species of echinoderms made up more than the half of megabenthos biomass: Luidia quinaria, Echinocardium cordatum, Asterias amurensis and Astropecten scoparius. Species richness of megabenthos varied significantly between seasons and among stations. The severity and period of occurrence of the oxygen-poor water developing every summer play an important role in determining spatial distributions of species richness in the bay.     

Depth distribution of radiolarians from the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, western Arctic

The depth distributions of the radiolarian fauna in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, marginal seas of the western Arctic Ocean, were examined quantitatively in depth-stratified plankton tows from 4 or 5 intervals above 500 m and in surface sediments from various depths between 163 and 2907 m. The radiolarian assemblage from the water column in September 2000 was dominated by Amphimelissa setosa and followed by the Actinomma boreale/leptoderma group, Pseudodictyophimus gracilipes and Spongotrochus glacialis. These species are related to the Arctic Surface Water shallower than 150 m. This assemblage is similar to that in the Greenland Sea relating to the ice edge, but did not contain typical Pacific radiolarians in spite of the flow of water of Pacific origin in this region. The living depth of Ceratocyrtis historicosa was restricted to the relatively warm water between 300 and 500 m corresponding to the upper Arctic Intermediate Water (AIW) originating from the Atlantic Ocean. Radiolarian assemblages in the surface sediments are similar to those in the plankton tows, except for common Cycladophora davisiana in sediment samples below 500 m. C. davisiana is probably a deep-water species adapted to the lower AIW or the Canadian Basin Deep Water ventilated from the shelves.     

Artificial Upwelling of Deep Seawater Using the Perpetual Salt Fountain for Cultivation of Ocean Desert

Deep seawater in the ocean contains a great deal of nutrients. Stommel et al. have proposed the notion of a “perpetual salt fountain” (Stommel et al., 1956). They noted the possibility of a permanent upwelling of deep seawater with no additional external energy source. If we can cause deep seawater to upwell extensively, we can achieve an ocean farm. We have succeeded in measuring the upwelling velocity by an experiment in the Mariana Trench area using a special measurement system. A 0.3 m diameter, 280 m long soft pipe made of PVC sheet was used in the experiment. The measured data, a verification experiment, and numerical simulation results, gave an estimate of upwelling velocity of 212 m/day. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Japan-equator XBT sections in late November 1989 and in early December 1991

A comparison between Japan-equator XBT sections along 150°E in late November 1989 and along 140°E in early December 1991 is made. The warmest surface water above 29°C diminished to the south of 2–4°N and the surface mixed layer noticeably decreased in thickness in the equatorial region in December 1991; besides, the North Equatorial Countercurrent was intensified. This is considered to be a manifestation of changes in the surface layer of the western equatorial Pacific in the mature phase of El Niño.     

Introduction of accumulation-dispersal coefficient of marine organisms

Avoiding the subject for fish accumulation, the traditional view in fish population dynamics has ascribed immigration and emigration of fish to dispersal of fish. The main purpose of this paper is to find a quantity that represents the time rate of accumulation-dispersal of marine organisms, and also has some relation to the horizontal convergence of current velocity of the surrounding water. For this, the accumulation-dispersal coefficient is introduced not in the form of diffusion, but in the same form as the convergence. Since the accumulation-dispersal of organisms is a factor that changes its distribution density, all factors causing the change are first classified to locate the position occupied by the accumulation dispersal. Each factor corresponds to each coefficient appearing in a linearized equation describing the rate of change in the density, averaged over a region or a group. The immigration-emigration coefficient is divided into three coefficients of passage, accumulation dispersal and diffusion velocity. For the organisms ranging in a nearly horizontal layer, the accumulation-dispersal coefficient is shown to equal the area-averaged horizontal convergence of organismal velocity relative to land, which is the sum of the area-averaged horizontal convergences of swimming velocity relative to water and of current velocity. However, the area-averaged convergence of current velocity associated with the accumulation-dispersal coefficient for a region is shown to be somewhat different from the usual one.     

Some features of jump in water temperature in aSargassum forest

To clarify the influence of aSargassum forest on water temperature distributions observations were made inside and outside aSargassum forest off the Nagata Shore on the northern Saiki Bay open to the Bungo Channel on the Pacific side of Kyushu, Japan. About sixty thermistor probes were deployed at 0.5 m depth intervals from the bottom to the sea surface at seven stations spaced at 50–80 m distances along two transects: one inside the forest and the other outside. Water temperature was measured at five minutes intervals from 6 to 9 August 1987 with thermistor probes. The spatial standing crop distribution of theSargassum forest along the transects was investigated. A water temperature jump of about 2°C, recorded during the observation, is probably caused by an intrusion of a warm water mass from the central Bungo Channel to Saiki Bay. The water temperature jump under theSargassum forest on the rough bottom with stones occurred one to two hours behind that outside the forest (sandy bed) although the distance between the transects inside and outside the forest was only 50–80 m. It is suggested that theSargassum forest and the rough bottom would prevent intruding warm water from smoothly replacing cold water due to resistance of theSargassum species and the bottom to a current.     

Abyssal bedforms and sediment drifts effected by deep-sea flows

The investigation of abyssal bedforms and sediment drifts as a tool for understanding the deep flow characteristics allows us to interprete that a benthic storm is primarily related to sediment distribution, development of longitudinal ripple marks, and concentration of suspended particulate matter. There explicitly exists a strong and periodical bottom flow which is called the benthic storm having a current speed of over 15 cm sec^?1 and duration of more than two days. Hydrodynamic regime has been thought to affect underlying sediment textural natures which can be used to distinguish between bottom currents with different velocities. Therefore, concentration of medium silt mode (0.010–0.017 mm in size) delineates a high-velocity core of the benthic storm in the deep sea bottom. Bottom current measurements in most of the North Pacific Ocean indicate that present bottom current speeds are generally less than 10 cm sec^?1. It appears likely, therefore, that significant erosion is not taking place today. However, at current passages, bases of sea mounts, and other topographic obstructions locally accelerated current flows are recognized to affect bottom configuration. While, it is concluded from bottom echo-characteristics and bottom current measurements that widespread occurrences of echo type 3 (sediment-drift deposit facies) recognized at 22°N and 42°N in the Northwest Pacific are associated with the North Equatorial current and the North Pacific current respectively, and can best be interpreted to be originated from benthic storms, the source of which were come from those surface currents.