Spectroscopic Studies of the Solar Corona – V. Physical Properties of Coronal Structures

Spectra around the 6374 Å [Fex] and 7892 Å [Fexi] emission lines were obtained simultaneously with the 25-cm coronagraph at Norikura Observatory covering an area of 200 ×500 of the solar corona. The line width, peak intensity and line-of-sight velocity for both the lines were computed using Gaussian fits to the observed line profiles at each location (4 ×4 ) of the observed coronal region. The line-width measurements show that in steady coronal structures the FWHM of the 6374 Å emission line increases with height above the limb with an average value of 1.02 mÅ arc sec^–1. The FWHM of the 7892 Å line also increases with height but at a smaller average value of 0.55 mÅ arc sec^–1. These observations agree well with our earlier results obtained from observations of the red, green, and infrared emission lines that variation of the FWHM of the coronal emission lines with height in steady coronal structures depends on plasma temperatures they represent. The FWHM gradient is negative for high-temperature emission lines, positive for relatively low-temperature lines and smaller for emission lines in the intermediate temperature range. Such a behaviour in the variation of the FWHM of coronal emission lines with height above the limb suggests that it may not always be possible to interpret an increase in the FWHM of emission line with height as an increase in the nonthermal velocity, and hence rules out the existence of waves in steady coronal structures.     

Influence of the Oyashio Current and Tsugaru Warm Current on the circulation and water properties of Otsuchi Bay,Japan

Mooring and hydrographic observations were conducted from September 2012 to May 2014 at the mouth of Otsuchi Bay, a ria along the Pacific coast of Japan. Our observations quantitatively demonstrated that the circulation and the water properties of Otsuchi Bay are strongly influenced by the Tsugaru Warm Current (TWC) and Oyashio Current (OY) at seasonal and subseasonal time scales. Two bottom-mounted velocity profilers and temperature and salinity measurements beneath the near-surface halocline showed a counterclockwise lateral circulation pattern related to the TWC, which was enhanced from summer to autumn. From winter to early spring, the lateral circulation patterns related to the TWC weakened and the influence of the OY occasionally increased. When the OY was weak, surface flows became an overturning structure, with outflows in the upper layer and inflows in the lower layer. When the OY was strong and passed close to the Sanriku coast, the circulation became highly variable and intermittent. Intrusions of the markedly low-salinity OY water were observed on two occasions and persisted for periods of several weeks to several months. Salinity was sometimes less than 33.7, the lower limit of the typical TWC from late summer to autumn even when the TWC dominates. We suggested that this is the seasonal fluctuations of the TWC itself, as the upstream current of the Tsushima Warm Current is freshened in summer as a result of the influence of the Changjiang River. The surface water was generally fresher in the south of the bay than in the north, suggesting the Coriolis deflection of the river plume.     

A fast and accurate DE-formula algorithm to evaluate Ambartsumian-Chandrarasekhar $H$ -function for isotropic scattering

Astrophysics and Space Science - Electrostatic (ES) waves generated in space plasmas, e.g., Langmuir and ion-acoustic waves, are subject to multiple applications, such as plasma diagnosis,...     

A comparative simulation study of coupled THM processes and their effect on fractured rock permeability around nuclear waste repositories

This paper presents an international, multiple-code, simulation study of coupled thermal, hydrological, and mechanical (THM) processes and their effect on permeability and fluid flow in fractured rock around heated underground nuclear waste emplacement drifts. Simulations were conducted considering two types of repository settings (1) open emplacement drifts in relatively shallow unsaturated volcanic rock, and (2) backfilled emplacement drifts in deeper saturated crystalline rock. The results showed that for the two assumed repository settings, the dominant mechanism of changes in rock permeability was thermal–mechanically induced closure (reduced aperture) of vertical fractures, caused by thermal stress resulting from repository-wide heating of the rock mass. The magnitude of thermal–mechanically induced changes in permeability was more substantial in the case of an emplacement drift located in a relatively shallow, low-stress environment where the rock is more compliant, allowing more substantial fracture closure during thermal stressing. However, in both of the assumed repository settings in this study, the thermal–mechanically induced changes in permeability caused relatively small changes in the flow field, with most changes occurring in the vicinity of the emplacement drifts.     

Curation protocol of Phobos sample returned by Martian Moons eXploration

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission will launch a spacecraft in 2024 to return samples from Phobos in 2029. Curatorial work for the returned Phobos samples is critical for the sample allocation without degrading the sample integrity and subsequent sample analysis that will provide new constraints on the origin of Phobos and the evolution of the circum-Mars environment. The Sample Analysis Working Team of the MMX is designing the sample curation protocol. The curation protocol consists of three phases: (1) quick analysis (extraction and mass spectrometry for gases), (2) pre-basic characterization (bulk-scale observation), and (3) basic characterization (grain-by-grain observation and allocation of the sample aliquots). Nondestructive analyses within the clean chamber (e.g., visible and near-infrared spectral imaging) and outside the chamber (e.g., gas mass spectrometry) are incorporated into the curation flow in coordination with the MMX mission instrument teams for ground-truthing the remote-sensing data sets. The MMX curation/sample analysis flow enables the seamless integration between the sample and remote-sensing data sets to maximize the scientific value of the collected Phobos samples.     

Fresnel zone inversion for lateral heterogeneities in the earth

We propose a different kind of seismic inversion from travel-time or waveform inversion for lateral heterogeneities in the earth: Fresnel zone inversion. Amplitude and phase delay of data in several frequency ranges are inverted for model space around ray paths with a width corresponding to the considered frequency so that primary effect of finiteness of wavelength be included. For vertically heterogeneous media, Fréchet derivatives for inversion are obtained very efficiently using the paraxial ray approximation, with nearly similar amounts of computation compared to travel-time inversion. As an example, Fréchet derivatives are computed for a teleseismic observation system for a three-dimensional structure in the lithosphere beneath an array of seismic stations. Even if the used frequency is around 2 Hz, the width of Fréchet derivatives cannot be neglected, particularly near the bottom of the lithosphere. Sensitivity of model parameters to observations is, moreover, different in our approach from conventional travel-time inversion: it is zero along ray paths but large slightly away from them. Some model calculations show that travel-time inversion, particularly with models divided into very fine meshes or blocks, might give misleading results. An example of inversion for a simple Camembert model, in the event that travel-time inversion gives no reliable results, shows how this technique works with much smaller data sets and computation than waveform inversions.     

Internal characteristics and numerical analysis of plunging breaker on a slope

Many investigations about the direct measurements of velocities to clarify the internal mechanism of the breaker have been carried out as a result of recent progress in the measuring techniques.This research attempts to clarify the breaking wave transformation system on a slope by an experiment and numerical analysis. In an experiment, the velocities in the surf zone were measured directly using an electromagnetic current meter, and the space distribution characteristic of the vorticity ω = (∂u/∂y − ∂u/∂x) and the skewness γ = (∂u/∂y + ∂u/∂x) were examined. Also, occurrence situations of the vortices at the time of water mass inrush were measured by video tape recorder (VTR) image processing. However, because the breaker is a violent phenomenon that is entrained with plentiful bubbles, the extent to which we can clarify breaker transformation in experiments is limited. Numerical simulations are substituted for experiments as a method to clarify breaker transformation.In numerical analysis, finite amplitude wave analysis based on the potential theory (non-viscous fluid) is possible before wave breaking; however, the analysis must take into account the viscous fluid after breaking. So, we use the Reynolds equations to develop a numerical simulation system of the breaker transformation on a sloping bottom. The numerical energy dissipation model of the breaker was compared to the experimental results, and a modified Simplified Marker and Cell (SMAC) method is presented. The internal characteristics of the breaker transformation are described using application examples.     

239, 240Pu,137Cs and90Sr in the central North Pacific

^{239, 240}Pu,¹³⁷Cs and⁹⁰Sr concentrations were determined in sea waters from the central and western North Pacific in 1980 and 1982. The results are consistent with those reported earlier for North Pacific waters. The profiles of⁹⁰Sr and¹³⁷Cs show a monotonic decrease with depth, whilst^{239, 240}Pu shows a distinct subsurface maximum at a depth between 400 and 1,000 m. The calculated inventories of these nuclides significantly exceed the global mean fallout inputs for these latitudes. This may be due to local fallout input to the ocean at times of large-scale nuclear weapon tests in the equatorial North Pacific. The existence of measurable amounts of¹³⁷Cs and^{239, 240}Pu in deep waters suggests that these nuclides are transported by sinking particulate matter from the surface to the deep ocean.