Characterization of the amorphous state in metamict silicates and niobates by EXAFS and XANES analyses

X-ray absorption spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation has been applied to the investigation of the coordination geometries around Y, Zr and Nb atoms in metamict zircon, gadolinite, fergusonite, euxenite and samarskite. EXAFS and XANES spectra of their crystalline counterparts and synthetic compounds including ZrO₂, Y₂O₃, YNbTiO₆, YNbO₄, LiNbO₃, and NiNb₂O₆ were also measured for comparison. Metamict zircon shows a significant decrease in its Zr-O bond distances accompanying an increase in distortion of the Zr-O coordination polyhedra as compared with crystalline zircon. On the contrary, the average Nb-O bond distances and the symmetry of the coordination polyhedra around the Nb atoms in metamict euxenite and samarskite resemble those in the crystalline euxenite. Compared with crystalline fergusonite, a decrease in the distortion of the Nb-O octahedra is observed in metamict fergusonite. The structures of the second nearest neighbors (the metal-metal interactions) are largely disrupted in the metamict specimens except for metamict zircon and samarskite with high trivalent iron concentration. Nb in metamict samarskite is in octahedral coordination by oxygen and is similar to that in euxenite.     

Q-bursts from various distances on the Earth

The mechanism of the Q-burst is investigated in the time and frequency domains. Electric fields in the ELF (extremely low frequency) to VLF (very low frequency) range have been observed with a ball antenna since 2003 in Kochi City, Japan (latitude 33.3°north, longitude 133.4°east). Source-to-observer distances (SODs) of Q-bursts are estimated by analyzing the waveforms. It is found as a result that the Q-burst is produced by combination of direct and antipodal pulses from a source lightning stroke occurring all over the world.     

Evidence of a link between the evolution of clusters and their AGN fraction

We discuss the optical properties, X-ray detections and active galactic nucleus (AGN) populations of four clusters at   z ∼ 1  in the Subaru–XMM Deep Field (SXDF). The velocity distribution and plausible extended X-ray detections are examined, as well as the number of X-ray point sources and radio sources associated with the clusters. We find that the two clusters that appear virialized and have an extended X-ray detection contain few, if any, AGN, whereas the two pre-virialized clusters have a large AGN population. This constitutes evidence that the AGN fraction in clusters is linked to the clusters' evolutionary stage. The number of X-ray AGN in the pre-virialized clusters is consistent with an overdensity of a factor of ∼200; the radio AGN appear to be clustered with a factor of 3 to 6 higher. The median K -band luminosities of   L_K = 1.7 ± 0.7 L *  for the X-ray sources and   L_K = 2.3 ± 0.1 L *  for the radio sources support the theory that these AGN are triggered by galaxy interaction and merging events in sub-groups with low internal velocity distributions, which make up the cluster environment in a pre-virialization evolutionary stage.     

Seismological evidence for compositional variations at the base of the mantle transition zone under Japan Islands

Temperature and water content anomalies just above the 660-km discontinuity under the Japan Islands are estimated from seismological observations. Two sets of seismological observations of P-wave velocity perturbations and depth variations of the 660-km discontinuity are used, which are (1) long-wavelength (~ 500 km) variations from seismic tomography based on a grid parameterization and waveform analysis of ScS reverberations and (2) moderate-wavelength (~ 150 km) variations from seismic tomography with a block parameterization and receiver-function analysis. To estimate temperature and water content anomalies, partial derivatives of velocity and depth variations with respect to temperature and water content determined by mineral physics studies are used. Under Southwest Japan, low temperature and high water-content anomalies are obtained from both sets of seismological observations, which have already been found by a previous study. Under Northeast Japan, however, there are discrepancies between the results estimated from the two data sets, possibly due to the different resolution scales. This discrepancy is dismissed when examining distributions of the temperature and water content anomalies. These anomalies can be grouped into two geographical locations, one group under Southwest Japan, the other under Northeast Japan. The two groups are clearly separated and exhibit common features in both sets of the seismological observations. The grouping is interpreted by a compositional difference between the subducting Pacific slab under Southwest Japan and a normal mantle under Northeast Japan.     

The impact of a supernova explosion in a very massive binary

We consider the effect of a supernova (SN) explosion in a very massive binary that is expected to form in a portion of Population III stars with the mass higher than  100 M_⊙  . In a Population III binary system, a more massive star can result in the formation of a black hole (BH) and a surrounding accretion disc. Such BH accretion could be a significant source of the cosmic reionization in the early Universe. However, a less massive companion star evolves belatedly and eventually undergoes a SN explosion, so that the accretion disc around a BH might be blown off in a lifetime of companion star. In this paper, we explore the dynamical impact of a SN explosion on an accretion disc around a massive BH, and elucidate whether the BH accretion disc is totally demolished or not. For the purpose, we perform three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of a very massive binary system, where we assume a BH of  10³ M_⊙  that results from a direct collapse of a very massive star and a companion star of  100 M_⊙  that undergoes a SN explosion. We calculate the remaining mass of a BH accretion disc as a function of time. As a result, it is found that a significant portion of gas disc can survive through three-dimensional geometrical effects even after the SN explosion of a companion star. Even if the SN explosion energy is higher by two orders of magnitude than the binding energy of gas disc, about a half of disc can be left over. The results imply that the Population III BH accretion disc can be a long-lived luminous source, and therefore could be an important ionizing source in the early Universe.     

Probabilistic evaluation of climate change impacts on paddy rice productivity in Japan

Projecting the impacts of climate change includes various uncertainties from physical, biophysical, and socioeconomic processes. Providing a more comprehensive impact projection that better represents the uncertainties is a priority research issue. We used an ensemble-based projection approach that accounts for the uncertainties in climate projections associated with general circulation models (GCMs) and biophysical and empirical parameter values in a crop model. We applied the approach to address the paddy rice yield change in Japan in the 2050s (2046–2065) and 2090s (2081–2100) relative to the 1990s (1981–2000). Seventeen climate projections, nine (eight) climate projections performed by seven (six) GCMs conditional on the Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES) A1B (A2), were included in this projection. In addition, 50 sets of biophysical and empirical parameter values of a large-scale process-based crop model for irrigated paddy rice were included to represent the uncertainties of crop parameter values. The planting windows, cultivation practices, and crop cultivars in the future were assumed to be the same as the level in the baseline period (1990s). The resulting probability density functions conditioned on SRES A1B and A2 indicate projected median yield changes of +?17.2% and +?26.9% in Hokkaido, the northern part of Japan, in the 2050s and 2090s with 90% probability intervals of (??5.2%, +?40.3%) and (+?6.3%, +?51.2%), relative to the 1990s mean yield, respectively. The corresponding values in Aichi, on the Pacific side of Western Japan, are 2.2% and ??0.8%, with 90% probability intervals of (??15.0%, +?14.9%) and (??33.4%, +?17.9%), respectively. We also provided geographical maps of the probability that the future 20-year mean yield will decrease and that the future standard deviation of yield for 20 years will increase. Finally, we investigated the relative contributions of the climate projection and crop parameter values to the uncertainty in projecting yield change in the 2090s. The choice of GCM yielded a relatively larger spread of projected yield changes than that of the other factors. The choice of crop parameter values could be more important than that of GCM in a specific prefecture.     

Growth anomalies on Acropora cytherea corals

This ten-year study examined the morphological, physiological, and ecological characteristics of coral growth anomalies on Acropora cytherea on Amuro Island, Okinawa, Japan. The objectives of the study were to assess whether the growth anomalies, identified as diffuse disruptions on the skeleton: (i) were more prevalent on large colonies than on small colonies, (ii) were more common near the center of the colonies than peripherally, (iii) affected colony growth and mortality, and (iv) affected coral-colony fecundity and photosynthetic capacity. We hypothesized that the growth anomalies were signs of the onset of aging. The growth anomalies were more prevalent on colonies >2 m diameter, and were concentrated near the central (older) portions of the colonies. The growth anomalies were also associated with reduced productivity and dysfunctional gametogenesis. Still, the growth anomalies did not appear to affect colony survival. The contact experiments showed that the growth anomalies were not contagious, and were most likely a sign of aging that was exacerbated by thermal stress.     

Evaluation of intrinsic vulnerability to nitrate contamination of groundwater: appropriate fertilizer application management

In agricultural areas, fertilizer application is the main source of nitrate contamination of groundwater. To develop fertilizer management strategies to combat this problem, arable land in Hokkaido, Japan was evaluated using geographic information system techniques for intrinsic groundwater vulnerability to nitrate contamination. The DRASTIC method was modified to adapt it to the Hokkaido environment and used for the evaluation. Of the seven original DRASTIC factors, the depth to water (D), net recharge (R), soil media (S), topography (T), and impact of vadose zone media (I) were selected and used to explain the vertical movement of contaminants to the aquifer. The rating for the net recharge factor was also modified to a dilution factor for contaminants, rather than as a transporter. The frequency of wells with nitrate concentrations exceeding the Japanese environmental standard (10 mg/L) was reasonably explained by vulnerability evaluation results (GLM: logit-link, quasi-binomial distribution, Y = [1 + exp(6.873765 − 0.045988 × X)]⁻¹, p < 0.001). However, in the paddy fields and pastures, vulnerability did not exhibit a clear relationship with the frequency of wells exceeding the standard. This suggests that the modified DRASTIC method is applicable for fertilizer application management in upland fields. In addition, under the ongoing policy for acreage allotment for rice production, this method will be useful for deciding the arrangement of arable land and crop rotation taking into consideration the potential risk of fertilizer-induced nitrate contamination of groundwater.     

Radiation drag driven mass accretion in a clumpy interstellar medium: implications for the supermassive black hole-to-bulge relation

We quantitatively scrutinize the effects of the radiation drag arising from the radiation fields in a galactic bulge in order to examine the possibility that the radiation drag could be an effective mechanism to extract angular momentum in a spheroidal system like a bulge and allow plenty of gas to accrete on to the galactic centre. For this purpose, we numerically solve the relativistic radiation hydrodynamical equation coupled with accurate radiative transfer, and quantitatively assess the radiation drag efficiency. As a result, we find that in an optically thick regime the radiation drag efficiency is sensitively dependent on the density distributions of the interstellar medium (ISM). The efficiency drops according to     in an optically thick uniform ISM, where τ _T is the total optical depth of the dusty ISM , whereas the efficiency remains almost constant at a high level if the ISM is clumpy . Hence, if bulge formation begins with a star formation event in a clumpy ISM, the radiation drag will effectively work to remove the angular momentum and the accreted gas may form a supermassive black hole. As a natural consequence, this mechanism reproduces a putative linear relation between the mass of a supermassive black hole and the mass of a galactic bulge, although further detailed modelling for stellar evolution is required for a more precise prediction.     

Random network model of electrical conduction in two-phase rock

Mineralogy and Petrology - We developed a cell-type lattice model to clarify the interconnected conductivity mechanism of two-phase rock. We quantified electrical conduction networks in rock and...