Combining microsimulation and spatial interaction models for retail location analysis

Although the disaggregation of consumers is crucial in understanding the fragmented markets that are dominant in many developed countries, it is not always straightforward to carry out such disaggregation within conventional retail modelling frameworks due to the limitations of data. In particular, consumer grouping based on sampled data is not assured to link with the other statistics that are vital in estimating sampling biases and missing variables in the sampling survey. To overcome this difficulty, we propose a useful combination of spatial interaction modelling and microsimulation approaches for the reliable estimation of retail interactions based on a sample survey of consumer behaviour being linked with other areal statistics. We demonstrate this approach by building an operational retail interaction model to estimate expenditure flows from households to retail stores in a local city in Japan, Kusatsu City.      

Measurement of the solar wind velocity with cometary tail rays

Cometary tail rays are traces of the magnetic fields caught in the cometary magnetosphere. Time variations of these rays give us a way to measure the local solar wind velocity at the location of a comet. We introduce a simple method for determining the radial velocity of the solar wind by observing the ray folding motion, and show an example of its application to comet P/Brorsen-Metcalf 1989o, which resulted in 340 ± 35 km s^–1.     

Modulational instability of fast magnetosonic waves in a solar plasma

Transverse amplitude modulations of fast magnetosonic waves propagating perpendicular to the background magnetic field are shown to be unstable on a time scale τ ～- λ_∥/V _aφ, if the wave amplitude φ exceeds a critical value, φ _c = C _s/V _a. The slow modes generated by the modulational instability under gravity can propagate along the magnetic field with the characteristic velocity, V _ph = g/2k _∥ V _aφ. The applications of this modulational instability and slow-mode generation mechanism to a solar plasma are discussed.     

A model of solar flares triggered by interactions between force-free current loops and plasmoids

We present a model of solar flares triggered by collisions between current loops and plasmoids. We investigate a collision process between a force-free current loop and a plasmoid, by using 3-D resistive MHD code. It is shown that a current system can be induced in the front of a plasmoid, when it approaches a force-free current loop. This secondary current produced in the front of the plasmoid separates from the plasmoid and coalesces to the force-free current loop associated with the magnetic reconnection. The core of the plasmoid stays outside the reconnection region, maintaining high density. The core can be confined by the current system produced around the plasmoid. This collison process between a current loop and a plasmoid may explain the triggering of solar flares observed byYohkoh.     

Variations of magnetic susceptibility and fine quartz accumulation rate in Daisen loam over the past 200 000 years: Interaction between winter and summer monsoons in south-west Japan

Abstract A loam section near Daisen volcano, South-west Japan, has been examined for low-field magnetic susceptibility (MS) and fine quartz accumulation rate. Fission track dating of tephra layers interbedded in the deposit shows that the loam age ranges from about 200 ka to the Present. The MS was measured for both bulk sample and the < 63 μm fine fraction. Fine quartz contents in the < 63 μm fraction were also determined using acid-alkali digestions and recalculated to derive fine quartz accumulation rate (Rqz). Grain size analysis was then carried out on the separated fine quartz. Low-field MS varies from low frequency magnetic suspectibility (χ(LF)) 5 to 100 (× 10⁻⁶ m³/kg) for bulk samples and from 1 to 30 for fine fractions. The fine fraction χ(LF) variation correlated with Chinese loess MS stratigraphy, which indicated changes in pedogenic enhancement of the MS and is reflected by summer monsoon intensity. The Rqz are high in cool climate stages, with volumes between 0.2 and 0.4 (× 10⁻² kg/m² per yr), whereas in warm stages the rate falls to about 0.1. These values compare well with those reported from the Hokkaido and Kanto areas, suggesting the fine quartz originates from tropospheric dust. The strong winter monsoons during glacial stages alternated with weak summer monsoons as a result of a southward shift of the jet stream. In interglacials, summer monsoons were stronger. Seasonal alternating monsoons appear to have operated in South-west Japan through the past 200 000 years.     

Mineral parageneses and metamorphic P-T paths of ultrahigh-pressure eclogites from Kyrghyzstan Tien-Shan

Abstract Eclogites occur in three districts of the northern and southern parts of Tien-Shan. Three eclogites collected from the Aktyuz, Makbal and Atbashy districts were analyzed; the P-T paths of three eclogites were estimated by analyzing compositional growth zoning and retrograde reaction of garnet and omphacite. Aktyuz and Makbal eclogites have not preserved the prograde path. An Aktyuz eclogite that underwent a quartz eclogite facies metamorphism (about T = 600°C, P = 12 kbar) has recorded three stages of retrograde metamorphism. Four stages of retrograde metamorphism were recognized in a Makbal eclogite; the garnet-omphacite geothermometer gave about T = 560°C at 20 kbar as the highest metamorphic condition. Garnet from a garnetchloritoid-talc schist of the Makbal district includes quartz pseudomorphs after coesite; some units evidently underwent a low-temperature part of coesite eclogite fades metamorphism. Prograde and retrograde paths were recognized in an Atbashy eclogite; five stages of metamorphic reaction were observed in the Atbashy sample. The prograde path from stage I to stage III has been recorded in garnet and omphacite in which quartz pseudomorphs after coesite are included. The peak metamorphism of stage III took place at about 660°C at 25 kbar. The stages IV and V are retrograde. UHP eclogite facies metamorphism took place twice in Kyrghyzstan. The Aktyuz and Atbashy eclogites gave Rb-Sr mineral-isochron ages of about 750 Ma and 270 Ma, respectively. The K-Ar age of paragonite from the Makbal eclogite is about 480 Ma.     

Early tholeiitic and calc-alkaline arc magmatism of middle to Late Eocene Age in the southern Ogasawara (Bonin) forearc

Analysis of middle and upper Eocene rocks from the IBM forearc, including the Ogasawara and Mariana Islands, help illuminate early arc volcanism of the proto-IBM arc. Dredged volcanic rocks from the forearc are two-pyroxene basalt to andesite, and may be divided into two groups, tholeiite and calc-alkaline, on the basis of mineralogy, petrography, and bulk chemistry. Tholeiites are characterized by high HFSE contents, high crystallization temperatures, and low water contents. In contrast, the calc-alkaline rocks are characterized by low HFSE contents, low crystallization temperatures, and higher water contents. These characteristics indicate that magma genesis for the two series differed. The tholeiites resulted from high degrees of partial melting of slightly depleted mantle under anhydrous conditions, whereas the calc-alkaline rocks were generated by low degrees of melting of depleted mantle under hydrous conditions. We believe that differences in mantle depletion arose from compositional layering and fluid zonations caused by MORB volcanism and slab dehydration, respectively. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Acceleration through X-type coalescence in a small energetic flare

We studied the acceleration conditions in the small but fairly energetic flare of May 21, 1984 at 1326 UT. The most pronounced aspect of this flare was a series of 13 microwave/X-ray spikes, each lasting for about 0.1 s. A previous study has shown that each of these was due to a series of successive sudden formations of small plasma knots of high-energy particles. Each of these knots lost its energy in about 50 ms. In the present study we show that these knots can originate by the process of X-type (3-D) flux tube coalescence. The predicted rise time (30 to 50 ms) and energy are in good agreement with the observationally derived parameters.     

Plasma jet and shock formation during current loop coalescence in solar flares

We report on the results of plasma jet and shock formation during the current loop coalescence in solar flares. It is shown by a theoretical model based on the ideal MHD equation that the spiral, two-sided plasma jet can be explosively driven by the plasma rotational motion induced during the two current loop coalescence process. The maximum velocity of the jet can exceed the Alfvén velocity, depending on the plasma (= c _s ² v _A ² ) ratio. The acceleration time getting to the maximum jet velocity is quite short and le than 1 s. The rebound following the plasma collapse driven by magnetic pinch effect can strongly induce super-Alfvénic flow. We present the condition of the shock formation. We briefly discuss the high-energy particle acceleration during the plasma collapse as well as by the shocks.     

Prompt high-energy particle acceleration during two-current-loop collisions

We present a model of prompt high-energy particle acceleration during two-current-loop collisions. By investigating test proton and test electron motions in the electromagnetic field derived from the MHD equations, we found that high-energy particle acceleration occurs only in the case ofY-type, loop-loop collisions. The results depend strongly on the plasma and initial position of the test particle. When the plasma increases, the particle acceleration rate decreases. The particles near the edge of the collision region can be accelerated to higher energy than the ones inside it. It has been shown that both protons and electrons can be accelerated to 10 GeV within 0.001 s and 5 MeV within 10^–6 s, respectively. In the case ofY-type loop-loop collisions, one may expect that high-energy gamma-ray and neutrons will be generated from interaction between high-energy particles and the low atmospheric plasma.