Sequential explosions of supernovae in an ob association and formation of a superbubble

From the standpoint of view that the early type stars are formed sequentially at an OB association, it is expected that the supernova explosions will also occur sequentially. We study the expansion law of a supernova remnant, which is formed by sequential explosions of supernovae. The superbubbles and supershells with the radii 2001000 pc are naturally explained by this model. Assuming that the sequential explosion of supernovae occurs at every OB association, we deduce the star formation rate in our Galaxy.     

Time evolution of hydraulic and electrokinetic parameters around the Nojima fault, Japan, estimated by an electrokinetic method

The Nojima Fault Zone Probe was designed to study the properties and healing processes of the Nojima fault, which is the surface fault rupture of the Hyogo-ken Nanbu earthquake (M7.2) of 1995 (1995 Kobe earthquake). In this project, water injection experiments were conducted in a borehole of 1800 m depth at the Nojima fault. We set up electrodes around the borehole and observed self-potential variations to investigate the magnitude of electrokinetic and hydraulic parameters around the Nojima fault zone. In the 1997 experiment, self-potential variations were in the range of a few to about 20 mV across 320–450 m electrode dipoles with hydraulic pressure variations from 3.5 to 4 MPa. In the 2000 experiment, self-potential variations were in the range of a few to about 85 mV across 160–260 m electrode dipoles with the hydraulic pressure variations from 3 to 4.5 MPa. In the 2003 experiment, self-potential variations were in the range of a few to about 30 mV across 20–80 m electrode dipoles with hydraulic pressure of 4 MPa. These observed self-potential variations were explained well with an electrokinetic effect due to the underground flow of the injected water. From the observed results, we estimated that the ratio of hydraulic parameters (permeability, porosity, and tortuosity) to electrokinetic parameters (zeta potential and dielectric constant) decreased approximately 40% during eight years after the earthquake. This result suggests that the healing process around the fault zone progress.     

Paleomagnetism of a pyroclastic flow deposit and its correlative widespread tephra in central Japan: Possible tectonic rotation since the late Pleistocene

Abstract The late Pleistocene Kamitakara Pyroclastic Flow Deposit (KPFD) and its correlative Kasamori (Ks22) Tephra in central Japan are found to preserve stable thermoremanent magnetization (TRM) and detrital remanent magnetization (DRM), respectively. Untilted site‐mean declinations of the KPFD are characterized by a fairly large scatter with easterly deflection, while those of the Ks22 show significantly smaller deflections. Because northerly paleomagnetic directions consistently characterize shallow marine sediments intercalating the Ks22 layer, the directional discordance is not attributed to different acquisition timing between TRM and DRM, but is probably due to a recent tectonic rotation in central Japan. Large scatter in TRM declinations of the KPFD implies that a number of right‐lateral active faults around the depositional area of the pyroclastic flow raised differential rotation of crustal blocks in central Japan, even during the late Pleistocene.     

Seismic detectability of anomalous structure at the top of the Earth’s outer core with broadband array analysis of SmKS phases

I have examined precisely the differential travel times and waveforms of SmKS seismic phases propagating under the southern Indian Ocean obtained from African broadband seismic arrays. The SmKS phases analyzed in this study travel in the mantle with weak heterogeneity confirmed by a global tomographic study for the distance range of 115-135°. The SmKS differential times were obtained from a vespagram (a stack intensity on a time-slowness diagram), and comparison with the vespagram created from synthetic waveforms with PREM gives the travel-time residual for each event-array pair. Although the residuals of S3KS-S2KS times exhibit apparently a systematic dependence on epicentral distance, this is likely due to small-scale heterogeneity beneath the Oceania where is covered by the SmKS ray entering points at the CMB. Waveform modeling was applied to a record section with a small travel-time residual that suggests a small effect from the mantle heterogeneity on the data set, I found that a low-velocity zone in the outermost 50 km in the core rather than PREM can explain an additional arrival detected just after the S3KS phase. This result is still inconclusive because of the small number of data and non-uniqueness of the model and ambiguity due to mantle structure. However, accumulation of the precise measurement described in this study may help the reduction of uncertainty and trade-offs.     

Petrography and oxygen isotopic compositions in refractory inclusions from CO chondrites

Fine-grained Ca-Al-rich inclusions (FGIs) in Yamato-81020 (CO3.0) and Kainsaz (CO3.1-CO3.2) chondrites have been studied by secondary ion mass spectrometry. The FGIs from Yamato-81020 consist of aggregates of hibonite, spinel, melilite, anorthite, diopside and olivine grains with no petrographic evidence of alteration. In contrast, the FGIs from Kainsaz commonly contain alteration products such as nepheline. From replacement textures and chemical compositions of altered and unaltered FGIs, we conclude that the alteration products formed by decomposition of melilite and anorthite. All phases in the Yamato-81020 FGIs are enriched in ¹⁶O, with δ^{17, 18}O = ∼−40‰ except for one FGI that experienced melting. Oxygen isotopic compositions of melilite, anorthite, some spinel and diopside in Kainsaz FGIs changed from δ^{17, 18}O = ∼−40‰ toward 0‰ by aqueous alteration. Alteration products in FGIs are depleted in ¹⁶O relative to primary phases, with δ^{17, 18}O = ∼0‰. These results show that FGIs in CO chondrites commonly had ¹⁶O-rich compositions in the solar nebula. The original ¹⁶O-rich FGIs were modified to ¹⁶O-poor compositions during aqueous alteration in the parent body.     

Variability in the Relative Penetration of Ultraviolet Radiation to Photosynthetically Available Radiation in Temperate Coastal Waters, Japan

UVR and PAR wavelengths are attenuated to different extents within the water column, causing variations in spectral composition with depth. The present investigation (a) describes the variability of UVR and PAR penetration at a station in the temperate coastal waters of Sagami Bay and determines (b) the characteristics of relative UVR penetration to the euphotic zone. Examination of the seasonal irradiance profile measurements indicated eight measurements displaying two distinct attenuation coefficients (K _d) for specific UVR wavelengths and PAR. The two attenuation coefficients observed from specific wavelengths in the water column may be caused not only by chlorophyll pigments, but also by dissolved organic material in the upper layer. The 1% depth of surface UVR at 305, 320, 340, and 380 nm averaged 10.8 ± 5.7, 14.9 ± 9.5, 19.8 ± 12.1, and 30.4 ± 17.6 m, respectively. The depth of euphotic layer displayed less variability averaging 62 ± 15 m throughout the entire study. Relative UVR penetration within the euphotic zone averaged 17.8 ± 8.1, 22.9 ± 10, 30.5 ± 13.8, and 46 ± 46.9% for 305, 320, 340, and 380 nm, respectively. A large variation of the relative transmission of UVR within the euphotic zone was found although the spectral composition was relatively stable in the air throughout the study.     

Seasonal Variations of Water Masses and Sea Level in the Southwestern Part of the Okhotsk Sea

A new grid data set for the southwestern part of the Okhotsk Sea was compiled by using all the available hydrographic data from the Japan Oceanographic Data Center, World Ocean Atlas 1994 and the other additional data sources with the resolution of about 10 km. We examine the seasonal variations of areas and volumes of Soya Warm Current Water (SWCW) and East Sakhalin Current Water (ESCW) and show that the exchanges of these water masses drastically occur in April and November. The peculiar variation of sea level in this region is also related with the water mass exchange. Sea level at the Hokkaido coast of the Okhotsk Sea reaches its minimum in April about two months later than in the case of ordinary mid-latitude ocean, and its maximum in December besides the summer peak. The winter peak of sea level in December is caused by the advent of fresh and cold ESCW which is accumulated at the subsurface layers (20–150 m) through the Ekman convergence by the prevailing northerly wind. Sea level minimum in April is caused by the release of the convergence and the recovery of dense SWCW that is saline and much colder than that in summer.     

Permeability measurements of natural and experimental volcanic materials with a simple permeameter: Toward an understanding of magmatic degassing processes

Permeability measurement of quenched volcanic porous materials is an important approach to understand permeability development and degassing of vesicular silicic magmas. In this study, we developed a gas permeameter to measure permeability of natural samples and experimental products. The permeameter has broad measurement ranges of pressure difference (10¹–10⁵ Pa) and gas-flow rate (10^− 9–10^− 5 m³/s). These ranges enable us to measure viscous permeability in the range of 10^− 17–10^− 9 m² for 1 centimeter-scale samples, using the Forchheimer equation, which includes the inertial effect of gas flow permeating through the samples. In addition, we improved the procedure for performing permeability measurements of mm-sized products of decompression experiments. Although a previous study reported the first permeability data for vesicular silicic glass products of decompression experiments, we found an overestimation in their permeability data due to problems in sample preparation, especially for very low permeability samples. Our improved measurements give lower permeability values than those of Takeuchi et al. (2005)(Takeuchi, S., Nakashima, S., Tomiya, A., Shinohara, H., 2005. Experimental constraints on the low gas permeability of vesicular magma during decompression. Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L10312 doi:10.1029/2005GL022491).     

Does heavy oil pollution induce bacterial diseases in Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus?

As basic research for the effect of heavy oil on the fish immune system, in this study, the number of leukocyte was counted in Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus, after exposure to heavy oil at a concentration of 30 g/8 L for 3 days. To compare the numbers of bacteria in the skin mucus between oil-exposed and control fish, viable bacteria were enumerated by counting colony forming unit (CFU). Compared with 5.79 ± 1.88 × 10⁷ leukocytes/mL in the controls, the exposed fish demonstrated higher counts, averaging 1.45 ± 0.45 × 10⁸ cells/mL. The bacterial numbers of control fish were 4.27 ± 3.68 × 10⁴ CFU/g, whereas they were 4.58 ± 1.63 × 10⁵ CFU/g in the exposed fish. The results suggest that immune suppression of the fish occurred due to heavy oil stressor, and bacteria could invade in the mucus, resulting in the increasing leukocyte number to prevent infectious disease.     

A New Solar Imaging System for Observing High-Speed Eruptions: <Emphasis Type="Italic">Solar Dynamics Doppler Imager</Emphasis> (SDDI)

A new solar imaging system was installed at Hida Observatory to observe the dynamics of flares and filament eruptions. The system (Solar Dynamics Doppler Imager; SDDI) takes full-disk solar images with a field of view of \(2520~\mbox{arcsec} \times 2520~\mbox{arcsec}\) at multiple wavelengths around the \(\mathrm{H}\alpha\) line at 6562 Å. Regular operation was started in May 2016, in which images at 73 wavelength positions spanning from \(\mathrm{H}\alpha -9~\mathring{\mathrm{A}}\) to \(\mathrm{H}\alpha +9~\mathring{\mathrm{A}}\) are obtained every 15 seconds. The large dynamic range of the line-of-sight velocity measurements (\({\pm}\,400~\mbox{km}\,\mbox{s}^{-1}\)) allows us to determine the real motions of erupting filaments in 3D space. It is expected that SDDI provides unprecedented datasets to study the relation between the kinematics of filament eruptions and coronal mass ejections (CME), and to contribute to the real-time prediction of the occurrence of CMEs that cause a significant impact on the space environment of the Earth.