Gravitational Lensing Effect on the Two-Point Correlation of Hot Spots in the Cosmic Microwave Background

We investigate the weak gravitational lensing effect that is due to the large-scale structure of the universe on two-point correlations of local maxima (hot spots) in the two-dimensional sky map of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy. According to the Gaussian random statistics, as most inflationary scenarios predict, the hot spots are discretely distributed, with some characteristic angular separations on the last scattering surface that are due to oscillations of the CMB angular power spectrum. The weak lensing then causes pairs of hot spots, which are separated with the characteristic scale, to be observed with various separations. We found that the lensing fairly smooths out the oscillatory features of the two-point correlation function of hot spots. This indicates that the hot spot correlations can be a new statistical tool for measuring the shape and normalization of the power spectrum of matter fluctuations from the lensing signatures.     

Properties of simulated cosmic matters after gamma-ray and neutron irradiation

Interstellar and circumstellar matter is known to be strongly irradiated by cosmic radiation and several types of cosmic ray particles. The effects of irradiation on simulated interstellar and circumstellar matter such as CaCO₃, MgCO₃, SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ are investigated. Especially, thermoluminescence (TL) spectra after γ-ray and neutron irradiation are compared carefully. It is shown that the thermoluminescence after neutron irradiation appears significantly in the wavelength of blue region. On the reflectance in infrared region, the irradiation effect appears scarcely.     

Numerical simulation of organic chemicals in a marine environment using a coupled 3D hydrodynamic and ecotoxicological model

For ecotoxicological risk assessment in a marine ecosystem, we constructed a coupled three-dimensional hydrodynamic and ecotoxicological model (EMT-3D), and applied it to Tokyo Bay. The model was calibrated with field data obtained in 2002. The results of sensitivity analysis for dissolved Bisphenol A showed that biodegradation rate was the most important factor for concentration change. Bioconcentration coefficient was the most important factor for Bisphenol A in phytoplankton. Therefore, the parameters must be carefully considered in the modeling. The mass balance results showed that standing stocks of Bisphenol A in water, in particulate organic carbon and in phytoplankton are 7.85 x 10(4), 1.78 x 10(2) and 3.44 x 10(-1) g, respectively. With respect to flux, biodegradation in the water column had the highest value of 1.06 x 10(3) g/day, and next were effluent to the open sea, partition to particulate organic carbon, and bioconcentration in phytoplankton.     

Surface distributions of copepods in relation to regional upwellings around the Izu Islands in summer of 1988

Surface distributions of zooplankton were surveyed with simultaneous measurements of temperature, salinity, chlorophyll and nitrate, around the Izu Islands in July 1988. Several phytoplankton patches, which had developed in the upwelled waters, were encountered around the islands. Zooplankters collected with a 20µm mesh mainly consisted of copepods including eggs, nauplii, copepodites and adults.Paracalanus parvus dominated among the copepod females. High concentrations of all copepod stages were associated with the phytoplankton patches. The increase in reproductive activity of female copepods was considered as a possible process to form the copepod patches associated with the phytoplankton patches.     

A large-scale excavation in soft Holocene deposit and its elasto-viscoplastic analysis

In the present study, the large-scale excavation in the construction is numerically back-analyzed using a soil–water-coupled finite element method with an elasto-viscoplastic model which considers the strain-induced degradation. The measurements of the deformation have been performed during the construction of a new railway station in Osaka, Japan, in which a large and deep excavation has been successfully carried out using a special deep mixing type of soil improvement method with earth retaining walls through the thick Holocene Osaka Umeda clay deposit. A comparison between the numerical results and the measurements of the excavation at Osaka shows that the simulation method can reproduce the overall deformation of the soft ground and the earth retaining walls including the time-dependent behaviour during the excavation and a deep mixing soil improvement method as an additional technique for stability are effective.     

Distribution and origins of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in riverine, estuarine, and marine sediments in Thailand

To assess the status of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination in coastal and riverine environments in Thailand, we collected 42 surface sediment samples from canals, a river, an estuary, and coastal areas in Thailand in 2003 and analyzed them for PAHs with 3-7 benzene rings by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The total concentration of PAHs ranged from 6 to 8399 ng/g dry weight. The average total PAH concentrations were 2290+/-2556 ng/g dry weight (n=8) in canals, 263+/-174 (n=11) in the river, 179+/-222 (n=9) in the estuary, and 50+/-56 (n=14) in coastal areas. Comparison of the concentration range with a worldwide survey of sedimentary PAH concentrations ranked PAH contamination in Thai sediments as low to moderate. The ratio of the sum of methylphenanthrenes to phenanthrene (MP/P ratio) allows discrimination of PAH sources between petrogenic (>2) and pyrogenic (<0.5) origins. Sediments from urban canals in Bangkok showed the highest PAH concentrations and petrogenic signatures (MP/P=1.84+/-0.98 [n=6] in canal sediments) with abundant alkylated PAHs, indicating major sources of petrogenic PAHs in the city. To identify the sources of the petrogenic inputs in Thailand, we analyzed triterpanes, biomarkers of petroleum pollution, in the sediment samples and in potential source materials. Hopane profiles were remarkably uniform throughout the nation, suggesting a diffuse single source (e.g. automobiles). Molecular profiles of hopanes and PAHs in sediments from the urban canals were similar to those in street dust, indicating that street dust is one of the major sources of petrogenic PAHs in the urban area. On the other hand, low levels of PAHs (approximately 50 ng/g) with a pyrogenic signature (MP/P ratio approximately 0.5) were widely recorded in remote areas of the coast and the Chao Phraya River. These pyrogenic PAHs may be atmospherically transported throughout the nation. Middle and lower reaches of the Chao Phraya River, the river mouth, and the upper Gulf of Thailand showed intermediate concentrations and profiles of PAHs, indicating mixtures of petrogenic and pyrogenic origins. Perylene was abundant in sediments, representing up to approximately 60% of total identified PAHs. High inputs of soil due to frequent heavy rains could contribute to the high perylene abundance in the sediments. Sedimentary PAH concentrations decreased offshore with a half distance of approximately 10 km in the upper Gulf off the mouth of the Chao Phraya River. This is probably due to active deposition of laterally transported riverborne particles.     

Near Real－Time Calculation of Ionospheric Electric Fields and Currents Using GEDAS

This paper presents the recent progress in our project of estimating near real-time electric fields and currents in the ionosphere through our computer system called the Geospace Environment Data Analysis System (GEDAS). We show a new technique in which data from ground magnetometers are collected by the system and used as input for the KRM and AMIE programs to calculate the distribution of ionospheric electric fields and currents, as well as of other ionospheric parameters, such as electric potential patterns. One of the goals of this project is to specify ionospheric processes. Examples of the near real-time calculation and the data flow of our scheme are presented.