Itokawa's cratering record as observed by Hayabusa: Implications for its age and collisional history

In this paper, we study cratering and crater erasure processes and provide an age estimate for the near-Earth Asteroid (25143) Itokawa, the target of the mission Hayabusa, based on its crater history since the time when it was formed in the main belt by catastrophic disruption or experienced a global resetting event. Using a model which was applied to the study of the crater history of Gaspra, Ida, Mathilde and Eros [O'Brien, D.P., Greenberg, R., Richardson, J.E., 2006. Icarus 183, 79–92], we calculate the time needed to accumulate the craters on Itokawa's surface, taking into account several processes which can affect crater formation and crater erasure on such a low-gravity object, such as seismic shaking. We use two models of the projectile population and two scaling laws to relate crater diameter to projectile size. Both models of the projectile population provide similar results, and depending on the scaling law used, we find that the time necessary to accumulate Itokawa's craters was at least ∼75 Myr, and maybe as long as 1 Gyr. Moreover, using the same model and similar parameters (scaled accordingly), we provide a good match not only to Itokawa's craters, but also to those of Eros, which has also been imaged at high enough resolution to give crater counts in a similar size range to those on Itokawa. We show that, as for Eros, the lack of small craters on Itokawa is consistent with erasure by seismic shaking, although for Itokawa, the pronounced deficiency of the smallest craters (<10 m in diameter) requires another process or event in addition to just seismic shaking. A small body such as Itokawa is highly sensitive to specific events that may occur during its history. For example, the two parts of Itokawa, called head and body, may well have joined each other by a low-velocity impact within the last hundred thousand years [Scheeres, D.J., Abe, M., Yoshikawa, M., Nakamura, R., Gaskell, R.W., Abell, P.A., 2007. Icarus 188, 425–429]. In addition to providing an erasure mechanism for small craters, the proposed timescale of that event is consistent with the timescale necessary in our model to form the current, depleted population of just a few small (<10 m) craters on Itokawa, suggesting that it may be the explanation for the discrepancy between Itokawa's cratering record and that obtained from our equilibrium seismic shaking model. Other explanations for the depletion of the smallest craters on Itokawa, such as armoring by boulders lying on the surface, cannot be ruled out.     

Age estimation of the Solomon Sea based on heat flow data

Several heat flow measurements were made during the NAT83 cruise in the central part of the Solomon Sea Basin. The average value of 87 mW/m² (2.08 HFU) calculated from these and other data indicates that the age of the Solomon Sea Basin may range from 24 to 44 Ma. This is supported by the water depth, of approximately 4,500 m, versus age relationship. There is a possibility that the Solomon Sea Basin is not a back-arc basin associated with an arc but was formerly a relatively large oceanic plate. The agreement in age from both heat flow and water depth data favors the latter hypothesis.     

Formation of a ‘magma ocean’ on the terrestrial planets due to the blanketing effect of an impact-induced atmosphere

We show that the surface of a planet growing by planetesimal impact is heated over the melting temperature of the surface materials due to the blanketing effect of an impact induced H₂O atmosphere with the present H₂O abundance of the Earth even when the accretion time is as long as 10⁸ years. Hence, a magma ocean covering the entire surface was formed on the Earth and Moon and other terrestrial planets during their formations.     

Distribution of maximum water levels due to the Japan Sea Tsunami on 26 May 1983

By measuring the maximum water level of the traces attained by the Japan Sea Tsunami on 26 May 1983, we obtained the distribution along the west coast of the northeast Japan. The level reaches a maximum at the coast eastward of the epicenter and decreases with the relationship 8.6e ^–0.017x (m) with distancex (km) measured from the coast nearest to the epicenter. A small increase of levels was observed at coasts to the south of the tsunami source having distance larger than 200 km. With the aid of tide gauge records we revealed an excitation of edge wave which brought about the small increase of levels at the southern coast. In comparison with the decrease with distance obtained on the coasts of the main islands of Japan, some noticeable peaks were observed at several small islands. It is suggested that the reason why a short period component is predominant for the initial wave motion of tsunami is that the source region has depth of 3, 000 meters. The feature of wave period is discussed in comparison with that of the 1964 Niigata Tsunami.     

A pump-sampler as a method of collecting plankton and its preliminary operation

A pump-sampler was designed to study the distribution of marine plankton and its possible relationship with the temperature and salinity of the water. Sea water was pumped up through a 2 inch diameter hose and plankton contained in it was collected on a filter cup (2 inches in diameter, 139 meshes/inch) without being damaged. The filter cup, when clogged by plankton organisms, was washed by spraying with about 100 cu. cm of water. The differences between two continuous with an interval of more than 3–4 seconds could be detected.A preliminary operation along a 2.82 km course in Maizuru Bay was carried out simultaneously with temperature-salinity measurements at sampling intervals of 30 m. Temperature was measured by a thermistor resistance thermometer, and salinity was measured by a salinometer with a subsample of water which was collected from an additional opening of the pump-sampler. The temperature-salinity record showed that four zones of water were characterized.It was found that wide variation of plankton counts indicated dense concentrations of particular species or group of species, and on the mesoscale it was possible to examine the size of the aggregation.     

Current and Turbidity Variations in the Western Part of Suo-Nada, the Seto Inland Sea, Japan: A Hypothesis on the Oxygen-Deficient Water Mass Formation

A hydrographic survey and a 25-hour stationary observation were carried out in the western part of Suo-Nada in the summer of 1998 to elucidate the formation mechanism of the oxygen-deficient water mass. A steep thermocline and halocline separated the upper layer water from the bottom water over the observational area except for near the Kanmon Strait. The bottom water, in comparison with the upper layer water, indicated lower temperature, higher salinity, lower dissolved oxygen, higher turbidity, and higher chlorophyll a. Turbidity in the upper layer water changed with semi-diurnal period while the bottom water turbidity showed a quarter-diurnal variation, though the M₂ tidal current prevailed in both waters. From the turbidity distribution and the current variation, it is revealed that the turbidity in the upper layer water is controlled by the advection due to the M₂ tidal current. On the other hand, the quarter-diurnal variation in the bottom water turbidity is caused by the resuspension of bottom sediments due to the M₂ tidal current. The steep thermocline and halocline were maintained throughout the observation period in spite of the rather strong tidal currents. This implies an active intrusion of the low temperature and high salinity water from the east to the bottom of Suo-Nada. Based on the observational results, a hypothesis on the oxygen-deficient water mass formation was proposed; the periodical turbidity variation in the bottom water quickly modifies the oxygen-rich water in the east to the oxygen-deficient bottom water in Suo-Nada in a course of circulation.     

Spatial Heterogeneity in Distributions of Chlorophyll a Derivatives in the Subarctic North Pacific during Summer

The distribution of chlorophyll a derivatives was examined in samples collected from the subarctic North Pacific during July to September 1997. Pheophorbide a, pheophytin a and pyropheophorbide a as determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were the major derivatives recorded. The distribution patterns of chlorophyll a and its derivatives showed a strong vertical and horizontal heterogeneity. Patches with high concentration of derivatives seemed to be associated with high concentration of chlorophyll a. A clear east-west gradient was observed in both chlorophyll a and pheophorbide a integrated from the surface to 100 m depth with significantly higher amounts of both the pigments in the Western Subarctic Gyre and in the Bering Sea than in the Alaskan Gyre. In contrast, no apparent gradient was observed in the integrated pyropheophorbide a and pheophytin a. Grazing experiments conducted with the copepod (Neocalanus cristatus) and salp (Cyclosalpa bakeri) fed on five species of phytoplankton cultures, showed a marked difference in the composition of the derivatives in their fecal pellets. Pyropheophorbide a was dominant in the copepod fecal pellet regardless of the phytoplankton species fed on. In the salp, however, pheophytin a and pheophorbide a were found in the fecal pellets, the relative concentrations varying with the algal food. Spatial heterogeneity in the distribution of the derivatives is considered to reflect local variations in dominant herbivorous processes.     

Implementation of Particle-scale Rotation in the 3-D Lattice Solid Model

In this study, 3-D Lattice Solid Model (LSMearth or LSM) was extended by introducing particle-scale rotation. In the new model, for each 3-D particle, we introduce six degrees of freedom: Three for translational motion, and three for orientation. Six kinds of relative motions are permitted between two neighboring particles, and six interactions are transferred, i.e., radial, two shearing forces, twisting and two bending torques. By using quaternion algebra, relative rotation between two particles is decomposed into two sequence-independent rotations such that all interactions due to the relative motions between interactive rigid bodies can be uniquely decided. After incorporating this mechanism and introducing bond breaking under torsion and bending into the LSM, several tests on 2-D and 3-D rock failure under uni-axial compression are carried out. Compared with the simulations without the single particle rotational mechanism, the new simulation results match more closely experimental results of rock fracture and hence, are encouraging. Since more parameters are introduced, an approach for choosing the new parameters is presented.     

Structure refinement of a nonstoichiometric pyroxene synthesized under ambient pressure

Structure refinement was carried out on a nonstoichiometric clinopyroxene grown under the ambient pressure from a glass with composition of 23%(mol)Di+53%Es+24%An. The degree of nonstoichiometry in this crystal is significantly larger than those of clinopyroxenes reported previously, which were found in high pressure products. The refinement gave the empirical chemical formula (Ca_0.742Fe_0.087)(Mg_0.016Al_0.888Fe_0.075)(Al_0.500Si_1.500)O₆ for the crystal and showed that vacancies are located mainly at M2 sites. Despite replacement of Si by Al, the crystal has a smaller cell volume than diopside primarily owing to a significant amount of Mg at M1 being replaced by Al. Received: 25 June 1997 / Revised, accepted: 6 September 1997     

Production of bioplastics and hydrogen gas by photosynthetic microorganisms

Experiments on salimity tolerance of embryos and larvae of the southern bay scallopArgopecten irradians concentricus Say under controlled temperature of 28°C showed that although the eggs were fertilized and cleaved at salinity 18.1–37.4, they could further develop into normal D-shaped larvae only at salinity 23.4–36.1, while the trochophore larvae could develop into normal D—shaped larvae at salinity 22.1–39.9. For 72 hours, the larvae could tolerate salinity of 18.4–43.9, the salinity favoring growth was 19.8–42.4; the suitable range was 21–36, and the optimum at about 28. They metamorphosed at salinity 18.9–43.5, optimally at 24–32. Contribution No. 3301 from the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The research was supported by the National Climbing Project B(PDB6-3-2).