Simultaneous multifrequency observations of an eruptive prominence at millimeter wavelengths

Radio images and spectra of an eruptive prominence were obtained from simultaneous multifrequency observations at 36 GHz, 89 GHz, and 110 GHz on May 28, 1991 with the 45-m radio telescope at Nobeyama Radio Observatory (NRO), the National Astronomical Observatory, Japan (NAOJ). The radio spectra indicated that the optical depth is rather thick at 36 GHz whereas it is thin at 89 and 110 GHz. The H data, taken at Norikura Solar Observatory, NAOJ, suggest that the eruption of an active region filament was triggered by an H flare. The shape and position of the radio prominence generally coincided with those of H images. The radio emission is explained with an isothermal cool thread model. A lower limit for the electron temperature of the cool threads is estimated to be 6100 K. The range of the surface filling factors of the cool threads is 0.3–1.0 after the H flare, and 0.2–0.5 in the descending phase of the eruptive prominence. The column emission measure and the electron number density are estimated to be of the order of 10²⁸ cm^–5 and 10¹⁰ cm^–3, respectively. The physical parameters of a quiescent prominence are also estimated from the observations. The filling factors of the eruptive prominence are smaller than those of the quiescent prominence, whereas the emission measures and the electron densities are similar. These facts imply that each cool thread of the prominence did not expand after the eruption, while the total volume of the prominence increased.     

A field study of physico-chemical states of artificial radionuclides in seawater

The physico-chemical states of artificial radionuclides,⁹⁰Sr,¹³⁷Cs and¹⁴⁴Ce in seawater were investigated by radiochemical analysis of filtered and unfiltered seawater. The difference of radionuclide concentrations between unfiltered and filtered seawaters was defined as the particulate form radioisotope and its particle ratio was discussed.Practically no particulate⁹⁰Sr, greater than 0.22 in size, was observed in both coastal and open seawaters, but some of¹³⁷Cs seemed to be insoluble in some circumstances, especially in coastal waters. A considerable amount of¹⁴⁴Ce was found to be particulate.An estimation of the radionuclides in particulate form was made for Kashima-nada seawaters collected in 1970 to 1972, and it was shown that the possible occurrence of particulate radionuclides, greater than 0.22 in size, were 1% or less for⁹⁰Sr and 6% for¹³⁷Cs. In the coastal water, 80 % of¹⁴⁴Ce were seemed to be in particulate form, but in the open seawater only a few%. The influences of suspended materials to¹³⁷Cs and¹⁴⁴Ce concentration levels in seawater were not negligible and further investigations are desirable.     

Solar meridional motions derived from sunspot observations

Sunspot drawings obtained at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan during the years 1954–1986 were used to determine meridional motions of the Sun. A meridional flow of a few ms^–1 was found, which is equatorward in the latitude range from -20° to +15° and is poleward at higher latitudes in both hemispheres. A northward flow of 0.01° day^–1 or 1.4 ms^–1 at mid-latitudes (between 10° and 20°) was also detected. From our limited data-set of three solar cycles, an indication of solar-cycle dependence of meridional motions was found.     

Role of H2O and CO2 Ices in Martian Climate Changes

In order to study the stability of martian climate, we constructed a two-dimensional (horizontal-vertical) energy balance model. The long-term CO₂ mass exchange process between the atmosphere and CO₂ ice caps is investigated with particular attention to the effect of planetary ice distribution on the climate stability. Our model calculation suggests that high atmospheric pressure presumed for past Mars would be unstabilized if H₂O ice widely prevailed. As a result, a cold climate state might have been achieved by the condensation of atmospheric CO₂ onto ice caps. On the other hand, the low atmospheric pressure, which is buffered by the CO₂ ice cap and likely close to the present pressure, would be unstabilized if the CO₂ ice albedo decreased. This may have led the climate into a warm state with high atmospheric pressure owing to complete evaporation of CO₂ ice cap. Through the albedo feedback mechanisms of H₂O and CO₂ ices in the atmosphere-ice cap system, Mars may have experienced warm and cold climates episodically in its history.     

Dislocation microstructures in naturally deformed silicate garnets

Dislocation microstructures of naturally deformed silicate garnets and olivines in garnet-peridotites and silicate garnets in eclogites from four localities have been observed with a transmission electron microscope (TEM) to clarify the dislocation characteristics of silicate garnets. We have obtained the following results: (1) dislocation densities of garnets in all the garnet-peridotites (ρ = 10⁵−10⁷ cm⁻²) are always nearly an order of magnitude lower than those of co-existing olivines; (2) dislocation densities of garnets in eclogites (ρ = 10⁵−10⁸ cm⁻²) which are embedded in garnet-peridotites are almost an order of magnitude higher than those of garnets in the surrounding garnet-peridotites; (3) the dominant Burgers vector, b, of mainly edge dislocations in garnet is 100 for specimens with dislocation density ρ = 10⁵−10⁶ cm⁻², while b=1/2111 for specimens with ρ = 10⁷−10⁸ cm⁻². Result (1) indicates that the observed dislocations in garnets were formed by plastic deformation under the same stresses as for co-existing olivines, and that there is a similar relationship between applied stress and dislocation density for garnets as for olivines. Result (2) suggests that the stress concentration occurred around eclogites embedded in garnet-peridotites, and the resulting differential stress in garnets in eclogites was further elevated by the interlocking of neighboring hard garnet grains. Finally, result (3) indicates that the dominant Burgers vector of mainly edge dislocations in garnet changes from 100 to 1/2111 with increasing applied differential stress.     

Numerical simulation of Pacific water intrusions into Otsuchi Bay,northeast of Japan,with a nested-grid OGCM

A numerical simulation of Otsuchi Bay located on the northeast coast of the Honshu, the largest island of Japan, is conducted, using an ocean general circulation model (OGCM) with a nested-grid system in order to illustrate seasonal variability of the circulation in the bay. Through a year, an anticlockwise circulation is dominant in the bay, as observational studies have implied, although it is modified in the bay-mouth-half of the bay in winter. In addition, there is an intense outflow at the surface layer during spring to autumn, influenced by river water discharge. Intrusion of the Pacific water into the bay is influened by mean circulations, but it is also influenced by baroclinic tides from spring to autumn. Pacific water intrusions affected by baroclinic tides may have an impact on the environment in Otsuchi Bay.     

The Hinode Spectro-Polarimeter

The joint Japan/US/UK Hinode mission includes the first large-aperture visible-light solar telescope flown in space. One component of the Focal Plane Package of that telescope is a precision spectro-polarimeter designed to measure full Stokes spectra with the intent of using those spectra to infer the magnetic-field vector at high precision in the solar photosphere. This article describes the characteristics of the flight hardware of the Hinode Spectro-Polarimeter, and summarizes its in-flight performance.     

Volume transports proceeding to the Kuroshio Extension region and recirculating in the Shikoku Basin

The volume transport of the Kuroshio, the western boundary current of the North Pacific subtropical gyre, varies vigorously due to merging of disturbances propagating from the entire North Pacific. Taking into account the recirculation in the Shikoku Basin by the zonal observation line at 30°N to the west of the Izu–Ogasawara Ridge, we estimated the volume transport in the top 1,000 m layer toward the Kuroshio Extension region. The volume transport of the local recirculation gyre in the Shikoku Basin increases associated with the westward extension of the gyre, particularly in the period of the large meandering path of the Kuroshio south of Japan. Meanwhile, most of the transport variations toward the Kuroshio Extension region correspond to those of the Kuroshio transport on the continental slope south of Japan, which vary independently of those of the recirculation gyre.     

Multiple scattering ofSH waves in 2-D media with many cavities

The full waveform synthetic seismogram of multiple scatteredSH waves by many cylindrical cavities in two-dimensional homogeneous elastic media is computed. We used the so-called single-layer potential integral representation of the scattered field and a discretization scheme with line source distribution for each cavity. The total field is the sum of the incident wave plus the field radiated from all sources, each multiplied by an unknown complex constant representing its strength. These constants are determined by imposing the appropriate boundary conditions in the least-squares sense. Here we solve scattering problems involving one, two, four, twelve and fifty cavities regularly distributed in a half-space. The seismograms computed along the free-surface show regions where the incident wave is strongly attenuated, as well as the arrivals of all multiple scattered phases. The accuray of the method is estimated from the degree of agreement of our solution for one cavity with the corresponding analytical solution, and also from the magnitude of the residual tractions along the boundaries of two cavities separated at various distances. Finally we apply the method to compute the case of fifty cylindrical cavities, each of radiusa, randomly distributed in a region 80a wide by 30a deep in a half-space. The value of scattering loss is obtained from the amplitude decay of the primary wave with distance for wavelengths in the range from 1.7a to 13.3a, using the synthetic seismogram calculated for the same distribution of 50 cavities as above, but in full-space.