Oxygen line mapping of SN 1006 with Suzaku

SN 1006 is one of the supernova remnants (SNRs) with relatively low-temperature electrons, considering the young age of just 1000 years. We carried out SN 1006 mapping observations with the X-ray Imaging Spectrometers (XIS) and the Hard X-ray Detector (HXD) onboard Suzaku, the fifth Japanese X-ray satellite. Thanks to the excellent spectral resolution of XIS in the soft X-ray band, H-like and He-like oxygen emission lines were clearly detected, and we could make a map of the line intensity, and as well as a flux and the photon index of nonthermal component. We found that these parameters have spatial dependences from region to region in the SNR; the north region is bright in nonthermal, while dim in thermal; the east region is bright in both nonthermal and thermal; the inner region shows dim nonthermal and bright thermal emission. The photon index is the smallest in the north region.     

Simulation experiments of the cosmic ray isotope telescope on ETS VI

A computer simulation was carried out to evaluate the basic characteristics of a Δ E×E cosmic ray telescope consisting of 23 solid state detectors including 3 position sensitive detectors with large effective area. Based on the simulation, the geometric factor of the telescope is deduced to be as large as 22.5 cm²sr, almost independent of charge and energy concerned. The energy ranges to be covered by the telescope are, for example, 18–98 MeV/n for Li and 56–339 MeV/n for Fe. By analyzing simulated data, the mass resolution for iron in the overall energy range covered by the telescope is estimated as about 0.22 amu in standard deviation. The expected counting rates and mass-histograms are simulated for Galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particles.     

Energy spectra of non-pulsating low mass X-ray binaries

Detailed analyses of data obtained with gas scintillation proportional counter on Tenma huave been done for four low mass X-ray binaries (LMXB's); that is, Sco X-1, 4U1608-52, GX 349+2, and GX 5-1. This paper presents a new scenario concerning the spectra of LMXB's based on the observational fact from Tenma. The energy spectra of these sources can be expressed by a sum of two spectral components; that is, a hard component with a blackbody of temperature, kT ? 2 keV and soft component with a multi-color blackbody of maximum temperature kT ? 1.4 keV which is expected from the optically thick accretion disk.     

On the correlation of the solar wind observed at the L5 point and at the Earth

The L5 point is a promising location for forecasting co-rotating high-speed streams in the solar wind arriving at the Earth. We correlated the solar wind data obtained by the Nozomi spacecraft in interplanetary space and by the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) at the L1 point, and found that the correlation is significantly improved from that of the 27-day recurrence of ACE data. Based on the correlation between the two spacecraft observations, we estimated the correlation of the solar wind velocity between the L5 point and at the Earth, and found that the correlation coefficient was about 0.78 in late 1999, while that of the 27-day recurrence was 0.51. Eighty-eight percent of the velocity difference falls within 100 km/s between the L5 point and the Earth. This demonstrates the potential capability of solar wind monitoring at the L5 point to forecast the geomagnetic disturbances 4.5 days in advance.     

Lessons learned from the Space Flyer Unit (SFU) mission

The Space Flyer Unit (SFU) system and mission chronology are briefly introduced. Lessons learned from the SFU mission are categorized as programmatic and engineering lessons. In the programmatic category are dealt with both international and domestic collaborations. As for the engineering lessons safety design, orbital operation, in-flight anomaly, and post flight analyses are the major topics reviewed.     

Combustion characteristics of the end burning hybrid rockets in laminar flow

In this study, we aim to clarify the blowoff mechanism for flame spreading in an opposed laminar flow in narrow solid fuel ducts. To clarify this mechanism we conducted two experiments. First, we observed the changes of the flame spread rate at various oxygen velocities, ambient pressures, and port diameters. For flame spreading in laminar flow, combustion modes could be classified into 3 distinct regimes based on the strength of the opposed flow, i.e., chemical regime, thermal regime, and stabilized regime. This result is consistent with the result in turbulent flow. In the stabilized regime, quenching distance is almost constant despite oxygen velocity. In order to investigate the effect of ambient pressure and port diameter of fuels on blowoff limit, transition oxygen velocity is observed. As a result, transition oxygen velocity is proportional to the logarithm of the ambient pressure and port diameter. This relation is applicable despite the flow condition. Furthermore, we calculated velocity gradient at the fuel surface to reveal the determining factor of the blowoff limit in laminar flow. Consequently, velocity gradient, which is considered to dominate flow separation in laminar flow, would not be constant. This is because the velocity gradient at the fuel surface could not be evaluated by only the assumption of Hagen–Poiseuille flow but other parameters, such as vaporized fuel gas and natural convection by buoyancy should be included.     

Sco X-1

The physical properties of X-ray, optical and radio emissions from Sco X-1 are reviewed. Sco X-1 is a typical X-ray source which has an optically thick hot plasma. The observational spectra of X-ray and optical emissions are consistent with theoretical ones from the hot plasma, but the radio emission shows a non-thermal feature. The restrictive conditions for the model of Sco X-1 are discussed from the observational facts. In spite of numerous observational facts on Sco X-1 further detailed and elaborate studies are necessary to understand this object and general compact X-ray sources comprehensively.     

Lunar Magnetic Field Observation and Initial Global Mapping of Lunar Magnetic Anomalies by MAP-LMAG Onboard SELENE (Kaguya)

The magnetic field around the Moon has been successfully observed at a nominal altitude of ～100 km by the lunar magnetometer (LMAG) on the SELENE (Kaguya) spacecraft in a polar orbit since October 29, 2007. The LMAG mission has three main objectives: (1) mapping the magnetic anomaly of the Moon, (2) measuring the electromagnetic and plasma environment around the Moon and (3) estimating the electrical conductivity structure of the Moon. Here we review the instrumentation and calibration of LMAG and report the initial global mapping of the lunar magnetic anomaly at the nominal altitude. We have applied a new de-trending technique of the Bayesian procedure to multiple-orbit datasets observed in the tail lobe and in the lunar wake. Based on the nominal observation of 14 months, global maps of lunar magnetic anomalies are obtained with 95% coverage of the lunar surface. After altitude normalization and interpolation of the magnetic anomaly field by an inverse boundary value problem, we obtained full-coverage maps of the vector magnetic field at 100 km altitude and the radial component distribution on the surface. Relatively strong anomalies are identified in several basin-antipode regions and several near-basin and near-crater regions, while the youngest basin on the Moon, the Orientale basin, has no magnetic anomaly. These features well agree with characteristics of previous maps based on the Lunar Prospector observation. Relatively weak anomalies are distributed over most of the lunar surface. The surface radial-component distribution estimated from the inverse boundary value problem in the present study shows a good correlation with the radial component distribution at 30 km altitude by Lunar Prospector. Thus these weak anomalies over the lunar surface are not artifacts but likely to be originated from the lunar crustal magnetism, suggesting possible existence of an ancient global magnetic field such as a dynamo field of the early Moon. The possibility of the early lunar dynamo and the mechanism of magnetization acquisition will be investigated by a further study using the low-altitude data of the magnetic field by Kaguya.     

On the spatial extent of the proton radiation belt from solar cell output variation of the Akebono satellite

Output current of silicon solar cells of Akebono satellite orbiting in the inner magnetosphere decreased from 13 A in 1989 to about 7 A in 2009, due to accumulated damage by energetic particles. A fair correlation between the monthly decrease rate of solar cell output current and trapped proton flux was found between 1989 and 1992, indicating that trapped energetic protons are responsible for the solar cell degradation. Simple variation from month to month was dominated by a fluctuation with one-year period and the correlation was not discernible after 1993. On the other hand, during orbiting the earth, another kind of decrease of output current emerged at low altitude above the sub-solar point, i.e., in the midst of sunlit condition. The decrease was larger in later years. The fact indicates more prominent temperature effect in the later years because of progress of the degradation. By removing data affected by the orbit condition above, variation from the same month in the previous year shows a clear oscillation due to orbit precession correlated with trapped energetic proton flux up to 1996. The amplitude of the annual variation oscillation tends to be larger than that expected from a degradation model based on energetic proton distribution of the NASA’s AP8 model. The larger oscillation amplitude suggests that the proton radiation belt was more sharply localized than given by the AP8 model throughout the early half of 1990s.