Development of an automatic volcanic ash sampling apparatus for active volcanoes

We develop an automatic system for the sampling of ash fall particles, to be used for continuous monitoring of magma ascent and eruptive dynamics at active volcanoes. The system consists of a sampling apparatus and cameras to monitor surface phenomena during eruptions. The Sampling Apparatus for Time Series Unmanned Monitoring of Ash (SATSUMA-I and SATSUMA-II) is less than 10 kg in weight and works automatically for more than a month with a 10-kg lead battery to obtain a total of 30 to 36 samples in one cycle of operation. The time range covered in one cycle varies from less than an hour to several months, depending on the aims of observation, allowing researchers to target minute-scale fluctuations in a single eruptive event, as well as daily to weekly trends in persistent volcanic activity. The latest version, SATSUMA-II, also enables control of sampling parameters remotely by e-mail commands. Durability of the apparatus is high: our prototypes worked for several months, in rainy and typhoon seasons, at windy and humid locations, and under strong sunlight. We have been successful in collecting ash samples emitted from Showa crater almost everyday for more than 4 years (2008–2012) at Sakurajima volcano in southwest Japan.     

On the X-ray image of the Crab nebula: comparison with Chandra observations

An axisymmetric model for the Crab nebula is constructed to examine the flow dynamics in the nebula. The model is based on that of Kennel & Coroniti, although we assume that the kinetic-energy-dominant wind is confined to an equatorial region. The evolution of the distribution function of the electron–positron plasma flowing out in the nebula is calculated. Given viewing angles, we reproduce an image of the nebula and compare it with the Chandra observation.
The reproduced image is not ring-like, but is rather 'lip-shaped'. It is found that the assumption of a toroidal field does not reproduce the Chandra image. We must assume that there is a disordered magnetic field with an amplitude as large as the mean toroidal field. In addition, the brightness contrast between the front and back sides of the ring cannot be reproduced if we assume that the magnetization parameter σ is as small as ∼10⁻³. The brightness profile along the semimajor axis of the torus is also examined. The non-dissipative, ideal-magnetohydrodynamic approximation in the nebula appears to break down.
We speculate that if the magnetic energy is released by some process that produces a turbulent field in the nebula flow and causes heating and acceleration – for example, by magnetic reconnection – then the present difficulties may be resolved (i.e. we can reproduce a ring image and a higher brightness contrast). Thus, the magnetization parameter σ can be larger than previously expected.     

Effects of the copepod community structure on fecal pellet flux in Kagoshima bay,a deep,semi-enclosed embayment

Seasonal changes in the shape and size composition of fecal pellets were investigated with sediment trap samples from 50 and 150 m in Kagoshima Bay to evaluate how the mesozooplankton community affects fecal pellet flux. Deep vertical mixing was evident in March, and thermal stratification was developed above 50 m in June, August and November. Chlorophyll a, suspended particulate organic carbon (POC) and copepod abundance were uniform throughout the water column during the seasonal mixing and concentrated above 50 m in the stratified seasons. Calanoids were the most predominant copepods in March and poecilostomatoids composed more than 45% of the copepod community in June, August and November. Fecal pellet fluxes at 50 and 150 m were the highest in March, nearly half of POC flux. The relative contribution declined considerably in the other months, especially for less than 4% of POC flux in August. The decline was corresponded to the predominance of cyclopoids and poecilostomatoids. Cylindrical pellets dominated the fecal matters at both depths throughout the study period, while larger cylindrical pellets nearly disappeared at 150 m in June, August and November. Copepod incubation revealed that cylindrical and oval pellets were egested by calanoids and the other copepods, respectively. We suggest that cylindrical fecal pellets produced by calanoid copepods contribute to feces flux but the predominance of poecilostomatoids and/or cyclopoids decreases feces flux via the increase of oval pellets and fragmentation of larger cylindrical pellets.