Relativistic expansion of magnetic loops at the self-similar stage

We obtained self-similar solutions of relativistically expanding magnetic loops taking into account the azimuthal magnetic fields. We neglect stellar rotation and assume axisymmetry and a purely radial flow. As the magnetic loops expand, the initial dipole magnetic field is stretched into the radial direction. When the expansion speed approaches the light speed, the displacement current reduces the toroidal current and modifies the distribution of the plasma lifted up from the central star. Since these self-similar solutions describe the free expansion of the magnetic loops, i.e.  d v /d t = 0  , the equations of motion are similar to those of the static relativistic magnetohydrodynamics. This allows us to estimate the total energy stored in the magnetic loops by applying the virial theorem. This energy is comparable to that of the giant flares observed in magnetars.     

Limits on isocurvature perturbations from non-Gaussianity in WMAP temperature anisotropy

We study the effect of primordial isocurvature perturbations on non-Gaussian properties of cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature anisotropies. We consider generic forms of the non-linearity of isocurvature perturbations which can be applied to a wide range of theoretical models. We derive analytical expressions for the bispectrum and the Minkowski Functionals for CMB temperature fluctuations to describe the non-Gaussianity from isocurvature perturbations. We find that the isocurvature non-Gaussianity in the quadratic isocurvature model, where the isocurvature perturbation S is written as a quadratic function of the Gaussian variable  σ,  S =σ²−〈σ²〉  , can give the same signal-to-noise ratio as   f _NL= 30  even if we impose the current observational limit on the fraction of isocurvature perturbations contained in the primordial power spectrum α. We give constraints on isocurvature non-Gaussianity from Minkowski Functionals using the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe ( WMAP ) 5-year data. We do not find a significant signal of isocurvature non-Gaussianity. For the quadratic isocurvature model, we obtain a stringent upper limit on the isocurvature fraction  α < 0.070  (95 per cent CL) for a scale-invariant spectrum which is comparable to the limit obtained from the power spectrum.     

Phytoplankton community structure,as derived from pigment signatures,in the Kuroshio Extension and adjacent regions in winter and spring

The relationships between the spatiotemporal variation in phytoplankton community structure and environmental variables were investigated in the Kuroshio Extension (KE) region from winter to spring by analysing biomarker pigments. In winter, when the mixed layer was deep, phytoplankton communities were characterised by low biomass and a relatively high dominance of cryptophytes, followed by chlorophytes and pelagophytes. In spring, phytoplankton biomass generally increased with shoaling of the mixed layer. In April, when nitrate was not exhausted, chlorophytes became the most dominant group throughout the KE region, followed by cryptophytes. In May, in the south of the KE, phytoplankton biomass decreased with the depletion of nitrate and cyanobacteria dominated, whereas at the northern edge of the KE, phytoplankton biomass remained high. A predominance of diatoms occurred sporadically at the northern edge of the first ridge with a shallow mixed layer and an elevated nutricline. In contrast, the contribution of diatoms was low at the northern edge of the second ridge, despite high levels of nitrate and silicic acid, suggesting that factors other than macronutrient depletion limited diatom production. In general, the contribution of diatoms to the total phytoplankton biomass in the KE region was small in both winter (2.9%) and spring (16%). This study showed that the phytoplankton communities in the KE region during the spring bloom were generally composed of non-diatom phytoplankton groups, chlorophytes, cryptophytes, and prasinophytes. It is necessary to identify the roles of non-diatoms in grazing food chains to more accurately evaluate the KE as a nursery area for pelagic fish.     

A new evolutionary scenario of intermediate-mass star-formation revealed by multi-wavelength observations of OMC-2/3

We have performed millimeter- and submilli- meter-wave survey observations using the Nobeyama millimeter array (NMA) and the Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment (ASTE) in one of the nearest intermediate-mass (IM) star-forming regions: Orion Molecular Cloud-2/3 (OMC-2/3). Using the high-resolution capabilities offered by the NMA (∼several arcsec), we observed dust continuum and H¹³CO⁺(1–0) emission in 12 pre- and proto-stellar candidates identified previously in single-dish millimeter observations. We unveiled the evolutionary changes with variations of the morphology and velocity structure of the dense envelopes traced by the H¹³CO⁺(1–0) emission. Furthermore, using the high-sensitivity capabilities offered by the ASTE, we searched for large-scale molecular outflows associated with these pre- and proto-stellar candidates observed with the NMA. As a result of the CO(3–2) observations, we detected six molecular outflows associated with the dense gas envelopes traced by H¹³CO⁺(1–0) and 3.3 mm continuum emission. The estimated CO outflow momentum increases with the evolutionary sequence from early to late type of the protostellar cores. We also found that the 24 μm flux increases as the dense gas evolutionary sequence. We propose that the enhancement of the 24 μm flux is caused by the growth of the cavity (i.e. the CO outflow destroys the envelope) as the evolutionary sequence. Our results show that the dissipation of the dense gas envelope plays an essential role in the evolution of the IM protostars. The extremely high-sensitivity and high-angular resolution offered by ALMA will reveal unprecedented details of the inner ∼50 AU of these protostars, which will provide us a break through in the classic scenario of IM star/disk formation.     

A method for shipboard measurement of CO2 partial pressure in seawater

A dynamic method suitable for shipboard measurement of the partial pressure of CO₂ exerted by a seawater sample has been developed. The system consists of a paddle-wheel-type gas-water equilibrator and an infrared gas analyzer. Since the system is open to the atmosphere at the in-take and the exhaust ends, it can be operated stably on shipboard conditions. A precision of ±2% has been obtained for shipboard measurement of pCO₂.     

Deep borehole observation of the Earth's crust activities around Tokyo-introduction of the Iwatsuki observatory

Summary As a part of the Japanese earthquake prediction programme, deep borehole observation of the earth's crustal activities has been planned in and around Tokyo by the National Research Center for Disaster Prevention. The first place selected was in the city of Iwatsuki, about 30 km from the centre of Tokyo. Starting in 1970, the main construction was completed at the end of 1973. The tentative observation of micro-earthquakes and crustal movement by tiltmeters has been carried out since May, 1973. As expected, noise at the bottom of the hole (3500 m depth) is extremely small, about 1/1000–1/300 of that at the surface. We could, possibly, detect earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 2.0 within 50 km radius from the Iwatsuki observatory.     

Metasomatized harzburgite xenoliths from Avacha volcano as fragments of mantle wedge of the Kamchatka arc: Implication for the metasomatic agent

Abstract   Abundant peridotite xenoliths have been found in pyroclasitics of Avacha (Avachinsky) volcano, the south Kamchatka arc, Russia. They are mostly refractory harzburgite with or without clinopyroxene: the Fo of olivine and Cr/(Cr + Al) atomic ratio of spinel range from 91 to 92 and from 0.5 to 0.7, respectively. They are metasomatized to various extents, and the metasomatic orthopyroxene has been formed at the expense of olivine. The metasomatic orthopyroxene, free of deformation and exsolution, is characterized by low contents of CaO and Cr₂O₃. The complicated way of replacement possibly indicates low viscosity of the metasomatic agent, namely hydrous fluids released from the relatively cool slab beneath the south Kamchatka arc. This is a good contrast to the north Kamchatka arc, where the slab has been hot enough to provide slab-derived melts. High content of total orthopyroxene, 40 vol% on average, in metasomatized harzburgite from Avacha suggests silica enrichment of the mantle wedge, and is equivalent to some subcratonic harzburgite. Some subcratonic harzburgites therefore could have been formed by transportation of subarc metasomatized peridotites to a deeper part of the upper mantle.     

Estimation of water requirement per unit carbon fixed by Eucalyptus camaldulensis in semi-arid land of Western Australia

Afforestation in arid land is a promising method for carbon fixation, but the effective utili-zation of water is highly important and required. Thus, the evaluation of the amount of water perunit carbon fixed with the tree growth is required to minimize the amount of water supplied to theplants. In this research, a tree is regarded as a carbon fixation reactor with inflows of water andnutrients from roots, and CO2 as the carbon source from leaves with outflow of water vapor fromleaves and accumulation in the tree itself. In the process of photosynthesis and respiration nutri-tional elements are dissolved in water flow in trees. They do not flow out by these reactions, butare accumulated in trees. Thus, we have treated the behaviour of nutrients as a marker to evaluatethe water/carbon ratio. Assuming that nutrient concentration is constant in sap, and the differences in the ratios ofnutrient to carbon in living trees and dead (i.e. litter fall, etc.) are negiected, the ratio of the usedwater to fixed carbon is given as the ratio of nutrient to carbon in the tree body divided by the ratioof nutrient to water in sap. However, some nutrients are translocated and concentrated within thetree and some may be discarded through litter fall. Thus it is important to examine which nutrientelement is the most suitable as the tracer. In this paper, the results of the above method applied to Eucalyptus camaldulensis in semi-arid land of Western Australia are shown. The value of water requirement per unit carbon fixationdetermined from potassium balance is between 421 kg-H2O/kg-C for mature trees and 285kg-H2O/k9-C for young trees, while the values from calcium balance are much larger than these.The cause of the discrepancy between these values is discussed based on the measured elementconcentrations in sap and trees and the plant physiology. Finally, the actual average value throughthe life of a tree is suggested to fall between the two values.     

Diagenetic control on arsenic partitioning in sediments of the Meghna River delta,Bangladesh

A stratigraphic profile of solid phase As was measured to investigate the diagenetic cycling of arsenic and related elements in fluvial sediments of the Meghna River delta plain. The distributions of Fe, Mn, and Al are typically characterized by surficial solid phase enrichment, and As is distributed down to 36.6 m showing similar alternate layers of maxima and minima with Fe, Mn and TOC, which reflects the diagenetic remobilization and periodical differences in source materials of As. Lithological characteristics and geochemical data suggest that elevated levels of As are found in organic-matter-rich clay and silty sand rather than sand samples, with occasionally enriched As content in iron-oxyhydroxide-coated sand grains. Arsenic demonstrates a positive and significant co-variation with total organic carbon in sediments, which suggests the important role of particulate and colloidal organic matter and biological activity in controlling the distribution of arsenic in the Bengal delta. However, the concentrations of Fe and Mn weakly correlate with As contents, whereas Al contents show no relationship with As. The results of this study suggest that reactive oxides or hydroxides of Fe and Mn, rather than Fe and Mn with other minerals, might control arsenic distribution.     

Structural characteristics off Miyagi forearc region, the Japan Trench seismogenic zone, deduced from a wide-angle reflection and refraction study

The Japan Trench subduction zone, located east of NE Japan, has regional variation in seismicity. Many large earthquakes occurred in the northern part of Japan Trench, but few in the southern part. Off Miyagi region is in the middle of the Japan Trench, where the large earthquakes (M > 7) with thrust mechanisms have occurred at an interval of about 40 years in two parts: inner trench slope and near land. A seismic experiment using 36 ocean bottom seismographs (OBS) and a 12,000 cu. in. airgun array was conducted to determine a detailed, 2D velocity structure in the forearc region off Miyagi. The depth to the Moho is 21 km, at 115 km from the trench axis, and becomes progressively deeper landward. The P-wave velocity of the mantle wedge is 7.9–8.1 km/s, which is typical velocity for uppermost mantle without large serpentinization. The dip angle of oceanic crust is increased from 5–6° near the trench axis to 23° 150 km landward from the trench axis. The P-wave velocity of the oceanic uppermost mantle is as small as 7.7 km/s. This low-velocity oceanic mantle seems to be caused by not a lateral anisotropy but some subduction process. By comparison with the seismicity off Miyagi, the subduction zone can be divided into four parts: 1) Seaward of the trench axis, the seismicity is low and normal fault-type earthquakes occur associated with the destruction of oceanic lithosphere. 2) Beneath the deformed zone landward of the trench axis, the plate boundary is characterized as a stable sliding fault plain. In case of earthquakes, this zone may be tsunamigenic. 3) Below forearc crust where P-wave velocity is almost 6 km/s and larger: this zone is the seismogenic zone below inner trench slope, which is a plate boundary between the forearc and oceanic crusts. 4) Below mantle wedge: the rupture zones of thrust large earthquakes near land (e.g. 1978 off Miyagi earthquake) are located beneath the mantle wedge. The depth of the rupture zones is 30–50 km below sea level. From the comparison, the rupture zones of large earthquakes off Miyagi are limited in two parts: plate boundary between the forearc and oceanic crusts and below mantle wedge. This limitation is a rare case for subduction zone. Although the seismogenic process beneath the mantle wedge is not fully clarified, our observation suggests the two possibilities: earthquake generation at the plate boundary overridden by the mantle wedge without serpentinization or that in the subducting slab.