High-Brightness and Continuously Tunable Terahertz-Wave Generation

One of the interesting frequency regions lies in the “frequency gap” region between millimeter wave and infrared, terahertz (THz) wave. Although new methods for generating terahertz radiation have been developed, most sources cannot generate high-brightness (high-peak-power and narrow-linewidth) and continuously tunable terahertz waves. Here, we introduce the generation of high-brightness and continuously tunable terahertz waves using parametric wavelength conversion in a nonlinear crystal; this is brighter than many specialized sources such as far-infrared free-electron lasers. We revealed novel optical parametric wavelength conversion using stimulated Raman scattering in lithium niobate as a nonlinear crystal without stimulated Brillouin scattering using recently developed microchip Nd:YAG laser. Furthermore, we show how to optimize the tuning curve by controlling the pumping and seeding beam. These are very promising for extending applied research into the terahertz region, and we expect that this source will open up new research fields such as nonlinear optics in the terahertz regio

A Detailed Observational Study of Molecular Loops 1 and 2 in the Galactic Center

Fukui et al. (2006) discovered two huge molecular loops in the Galactic center located in (l, b) ~ (355 deg-359 deg, 0 deg-2 deg) in a large velocity range of -180-40 km s^-1. Following the discovery, we present detailed observational properties of the two loops based on NANTEN 12CO(J=1-0) and 13CO(J=1-0) datasets at 10 pc resolution including a complete set of velocity channel distributions and comparisons with HI and dust emissions as well as with the other broad molecular features. We find new features on smaller scales in the loops including helical distributions in the loop tops and vertical spurs. The loops have counterparts of the HI gas indicating that the loops include atomic gas. The IRAS far infrared emission is also associated with the loops and was used to derive an X-factor of 0.7(+/-0.1){\times}10^20 cm^-2 (K km s^-1)^-1 to convert the 12CO intensity into the total molecular hydrogen column density. From the 12CO, 13CO, H I and dust datasets we estimated the total mass of loops 1 and 2 to be ~1.4 {\times} 106 Msun and ~1.9 {\times} 10^6 Msun, respectively, where the H I mass corresponds to ~10-20% of the total mass and the total kinetic energy of the two loops to be ~10^52 ergs. An analysis of the kinematics of the loops yields that the loops are rotating at ~47 km s-1 and expanding at ~141 km s^-1 at a radius of 670 pc from the center. Fukui et al. (2006) presented a model that the loops are created by the magnetic flotation due to the Parker instability with an estimated magnetic field strength of ~150 {\mu}G. We present comparisons with the recent numerical simulations of the magnetized nuclear disk by Machida et al. (2009) and Takahashi et al. (2009) and show that the theoretical results are in good agreements with the observations. The helical distributions also suggest that some magnetic instability plays a role similarly to the solar helical features.Comment: 40 pages, 22 figures, submitted to publication in PAS

Behavior of vascular resistance undergoing various pressure insufflation and perfusion on decellularized lungs

Bioengineering of functional lung tissue by using whole lung scaffolds has been proposed as a potential alternative for patients awaiting lung transplant. Previous studies have demonstrated that vascular resistance (Rv) could be altered to optimize the process of obtaining suitable lung scaffolds. Therefore, this work was aimed at determining how lung inflation (tracheal pressure) and perfusion (pulmonary arterial pressure) affect vascular resistance. This study was carried out using the lungs excised from 5 healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats. The trachea was cannulated and connected to a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device to provide a tracheal pressure ranging from 0 to 15 cmH(2)O. The pulmonary artery was cannulated and connected to a controlled perfusion system with continuous pressure (gravimetric level) ranging from 5 to 30 cmH(2)O. Effective Rv was calculated by ratio of pulmonary artery pressure (P-PA) by pulmonary artery flow (V'(PA)). Rv in the decellularized lungs scaffolds decreased at increasing V'(PA), stabilizing at a pulmonary arterial pressure greater than 20 cmH(2)O. On the other hand, CPAP had no influence on vascular resistance in the lung scaffolds after being subjected to pulmonary artery pressure of 5 cmH(2)O. In conclusion, compared to positive airway pressure, arterial lung pressure markedly influences the mechanics of vascular resistance in decellularized lungs. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Discovery of Molecular Loop 3 in the Galactic Center: Evidence for a Positive-Velocity Magnetically Floated Loop towards L=355∘−359∘L=355^\circ-359^\circ

We have discovered a molecular dome-like feature towards $355^{\circ} \leq l \leq 359^{\circ}$ and $0^{\circ} \leq b \leq 2^{\circ}$. The large velocity dispersions of 50--100 km s$^{-1}$ of this feature are much larger than those in the Galactic disk and indicate that the feature is located in the Galactic center, probably within $\sim1$ kpc of Sgr A$^{*}$. The distribution has a projected length of $\sim600$ pc and height of $\sim300$ pc from the Galactic disk and shows a large-scale monotonic velocity gradient of $\sim130$ km s $^{-1}$ per $\sim600$ pc. The feature is also associated with HI gas having a more continuous spatial and velocity distribution than that of $^{12}$CO. We interpret the feature as a magnetically floated loop similar to loops 1 and 2 and name it "loop 3". Loop 3 is similar to loops 1 and 2 in its height and length but is different from loops 1 and 2 in that the inner part of loop 3 is filled with molecular emission. We have identified two foot points at the both ends of loop 3. HI, $^{12}$CO and $^{13}$CO datasets were used to estimate the total mass and kinetic energy of loop 3 to be \sim3.0 \times 10^{6} \Mo and $\sim1.7 \times 10^{52}$ ergs. The huge size, velocity dispersions and energy are consistent with the magnetic origin the Parker instability as in case of loops 1 and 2 but is difficult to be explained by multiple stellar explosions. We argue that loop 3 is in an earlier evolutionary phase than loops 1 and 2 based on the inner-filled morphology and the relative weakness of the foot points. This discovery indicates that the western part of the nuclear gas disk of $\sim1$ kpc radius is dominated by the three well-developed magnetically floated loops and suggests that the dynamics of the nuclear gas disk is strongly affected by the magnetic instabilities.Comment: 30 pages, 10 figures. High resolution figures are available at http://www.a.phys.nagoya-u.ac.jp/~motosuji/fujishita09_figs

Temperature and Density in the Foot Points of the Molecular Loops in the Galactic Center; Analysis of Multi-J Transitions of 12CO(J=1-0, 3-2, 4-3, 7-6), 13CO(J=1-0) and C18O(J=1-0)

Fukui et al. (2006) discovered two molecular loops in the Galactic center and argued that the foot points of the molecular loops, two bright spots at both loops ends, represent the gas accumulated by the falling motion along the loops, subsequent to magnetic flotation by the Parker instability. We have carried out sensitive CO observations of the foot points toward l=356 deg at a few pc resolution in the six rotational transitions of CO; 12CO(J=1-0, 3-2, 4-3, 7-6), 13CO(J=1-0) and C18O(J=1-0). The high resolution image of 12CO (J=3-2) has revealed the detailed distribution of the high excitation gas including U shapes, the outer boundary of which shows sharp intensity jumps accompanying strong velocity gradients. An analysis of the multi-J CO transitions shows that the temperature is in a range from 30-100 K and density is around 10^3-10^4 cm^-3, confirming that the foot points have high temperature and density although there is no prominent radiative heating source such as high mass stars in or around the loops. We argue that the high temperature is likely due to the shock heating under C-shock condition caused by the magnetic flotation. We made a comparison of the gas distribution with theoretical numerical simulations and note that the U shape is consistent with numerical simulations. We also find that the region of highest temperature of ~100 K or higher inside the U shape corresponds to the spur having an upward flow, additionally heated up either by magnetic reconnection or bouncing in the interaction with the narrow neck at the bottom of the U shape. We note these new findings further reinforce the magnetic floatation interpretation.Comment: 40 pages, 23 figures, accepted by PASJ on Vol.62 No.

Potential Impact of Sea Surface Temperature on Winter Precipitation over the Japan Sea Side of Japan: A Regional Climate Modeling Study

In this study, a regional climate model (WRF-ARW; the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting model) having a resolution of 4.5 km was used to examine the sensitivity of precipitation on the Japan Sea side of Japan to the sea surface temperature (SST) in the Japan Sea during winter. We performed a control simulation (CTL) driven by reanalysis and observational SST datasets. Three sensitivity experiments in which SSTs over the entire domain were 1K, 2K, and ? 1K different from the CTL SST were conducted to examine the sensitivity of precipitation to SST. The calculated precipitation on the Japan Sea side increased by 6-12% K?1 of SST warming. Concurrent with the precipitation changes, latent heat flux over the Japan Sea increased by 11-14% K?1 of SST warming. Because the changes in surface relative humidity were very small, the increase can be explained by the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. The deviation from the 7% increase in latent heat flux calculated from this equation can be quantitatively explained by the development of the planetary boundary layer over the Japan Sea, which was related to an increase in sensible heat flux due to the SST warming. This result also implies that the 1 K uncertainty in simulated and projected SST over the Japan Sea among multiple atmosphere-ocean global climate models corresponds to an approximately 10% uncertainty in precipitation on the Japan Sea side of Japan

CMSを用いた学生ボランティアマッチングシステムの構築

ボランティア推進が全国で叫ばれる中、宮崎公立大学ではキャリア教育の一環として「ボランティア論」をカリキュラムに導入した。これは、各学生が地域のNPO団体の行なうボランティア活動に参加する学外実習を伴うものとなっている。そこで、本研究では学生の学外のボランティア活動をそれぞれの場所で講義を受講するe-learningの一つと位置づけ、個々の学生の活動を評価できるシステムの構築を目指している。本報告では、これまでに構築したWebサイト上でのボランティア募集情報の発信、ボランティア活動記録、Weblogによる学生とNPO団体の交流などシステム(CMSの一種であるXOOPSを使用)の位置づけとその概要について述べる

本学キャリア教育プログラムが学生の自己効力感に及ぼす効果

進路選択過程に対する自己効力感に関する従来の研究や、大学生の進路選択、就職活動をめぐる現状、本学におけるこれまでの取り組みを踏まえ、宮崎公立大学人文学部では2004年度からの新カリキュラムの中にキャリア教育科目を導入し、本格的にキャリア教育に取り組む方向を打ち出した。その目的は、学生一人一人の自己理解を促進し、進路探索の機会を与え、長期的な視点で進路を設計し、適切な進路を主体的に決定できるよう支援することであり、そのような取り組みは、学生の進路探索への動機づけとなり、進路選択能力・進路選択に対する自信を高めるであろう。すなわち、主体的な進路選択、主体的な進路決定に結びっくであろう。ここでは、2005年前期に開講された「キャリア設計」の講義が、受講生の進路選択に対する自己効力感と結果期待に与える影響について検討した。「キャリア設計」開講直後の4月と終了時の7月に質問紙調査を行い、その変化を検討した結果、進路選択過程に対する自己効力感と結果期待は、「キャリア設計」の前後で、有意に上昇していた。その効果は男子学生より、女子学生において大きく、また、自己効力感の初期値が低い学生において、高い学生よりも大きかった。これらの結果は、「キャリア設計」の講義が学生全体の底上げに効果的であったことを示すものである。最後に、このような結果を踏まえて、キャリア教育プログラムの今後の展開について議論した

シティズンシップ教育とサービス・ラーニング : 「ブッシュの新しい愛国主義」批判とコスモポリタニズム

9・11事件以降、アメリカでは「ブッシュの新しい愛国主義」のもとで、ボランティアとは、非道徳的なテロリストとの「正しい戦争」を愛国的に支持し、その証として道徳的コミュニティで奉仕をする市民であると見なされている。こうしたボランティア活動を教育に取り入れたサービス・ラーニングと愛国主義教育があたかもデモクラシーの担い手を教育するシティズンシップ教育であるかのように奨励されている。しかも、民主的討議を行う教育は、愛国主義にとって不適当なことと見なされ、弾圧されている。それは明らかにデモクラシーの危機である。こうした危機に取り組むにはコスモポリタン・シティズンシップの確立とそのための教育が必要である。すなわち、コスモポリタンは、平和のグローバル文化を構築するために戦争に反対し、それ以外にもコスモポリタン的な市民活動として、人権、女性、環境、貧困、そして民主化などの問題に携わる。コスモポリタン教育は、ローカル、地域、世界大の公共圏で討議に参加できる世界市民になるように教育する。また、それは、国境内の権利義務関係に縛られない個人の尊厳を原理として、個人すべてが目的それ自体として尊重される教育を実施し、そして排他的でなく寛容な民主的市民を育成する