Double quantum dots as a high sensitive submillimeter-wave detector

A single electron transistor (SET) consisting of parallel double quantum dots fabricated in a GaAs/Al$_{x}$Ga$_{1-x}$As heterostructure crystal is demonstrated to serve as an extremely high sensitive detector of submillimeter waves (SMMW). One of the double dots is ionized by SMMW via Kohn-mode plasma excitation, which affects the SET conductance through the other quantum dot yielding the photoresponse. Noise equivalent power of the detector for wavelengths about 0.6 mm is estimated to reach the order of $10^{-17}$ W/$\sqrt{Hz}$ at 70 mK.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figures, REVTeX, submitted to Appl.Phys.Let

Newcomers Meet the Intracluster Medium in the Coma Cluster

A main topic at this meeting is how galaxies are affected when they enter for the first time the cluster environment from the outskirts. Most of the times we are forced to infer the environmental effects indirectly, relying on systematic variations of galaxy properties with environment, but there aren't many examples of direct observations able to unveil ongoing transformations taking place, and the corresponding mechanism producing it. We present a case in which it is possible to identify the cluster environment, and in particular the intracluster medium and the recent infall history of galaxies onto the cluster, as the cause for a recent, abrupt change in the evolutionary history of galaxies.Comment: 5 pages, 1 postscript figure -- to appear in "Outskirts of Galaxy Clusters: intense life in the suburbs", IAU Colloquium N. 195, 2004, ed. A Diaferi

CSIP - a Novel Photon-Counting Detector Applicable for the SPICA Far-Infrared Instrument

We describe a novel GaAs/AlGaAs double-quantum-well device for the infrared photon detection, called Charge-Sensitive Infrared Phototransistor (CSIP). The principle of CSIP detector is the photo-excitation of an intersubband transition in a QW as an charge integrating gate and the signal amplification by another QW as a channel with very high gain, which provides us with extremely high responsivity (10^4 -- 10^6 A/W). It has been demonstrated that the CSIP designed for the mid-infrared wavelength (14.7 um) has an excellent sensitivity; the noise equivalent power (NEP) of 7x10^-19 W/rHz with the quantum efficiency of ~2%. Advantages of the CSIP against the other highly sensitive detectors are, huge dynamic range of >10^6, low output impedance of 10^3 -- 10^4 Ohms, and relatively high operation temperature (>2K). We discuss possible applications of the CSIP to FIR photon detection covering 35 -- 60 um waveband, which is a gap uncovered with presently available photoconductors.Comment: To appear in Proc. Workshop "The Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology & Astrophysics: Revealing the Origins of Planets and Galaxies". Eds. A.M. Heras, B. Swinyard, K. Isaak, and J.R. Goicoeche

Dynamic Nuclear Polarization in a Quantum Hall Corbino Disk

Electrical polarization of nuclear spins is studied in a Corbino disk under a breakdown regime of the quantum Hall effect (QHE). Since the edge channels are completely absent in the Corbino disk, we conclude that the electric current flowing in the bulk channel of a quantum Hall conductor is relevant to dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP). A pump and probe measurement demonstrates that DNP emerges near the critical voltage of the QHE breakdown. The agreement of the onset voltage of DNP with that of the QHE breakdown indicates that the underlying origin of DNP is closely related to that of the QHE breakdown.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figure

Probing the evolution of early-type galaxies using multi-colour number counts and redshift distributions

We investigate pure luminosity evolution models for early-type (elliptical and S0) galaxies (i.e., no number density change or morphology transition), and examine whether these models are consistent with observed number counts in the B, I and K bands and redshift distributions of two samples of faint galaxies selected in the I and K bands. The models are characterized by the star formation time scale $\tau_{SF}$ and the time $t_{gw}$ when galactic wind blows in addition to several other conventional parameters. We find the single-burst model ($\tau_{SF}$=0.1 Gyr and $t_{gw}$=0.353 Gyr), which is known to reproduce the photometric properties of early-type galaxies in clusters, is inconsistent with redshift distributions of early-type galaxies in the field environment due to overpredictions of galaxies at z\gsim1.4 even with strong extinction which is at work until $t_{gw}$. In order for dust extinction to be more effective, we change $\tau_{SF}$ and $t_{gw}$ as free parameters, and find that models with \tau_{SF}\gsim0.5 Gyr and $t_{gw}>1.0$ Gyr can be made consistent with both the observed redshift distributions and number counts, if we introduce strong extinction $(E(B-V)\geq1$ as a peak value). These results suggest that early-type galaxies in the field environment do not have the same evolutionary history as described by the single-burst model.Comment: 6 pages including 4 PS figures; accepted for publication in MNRA

The HST Cosmos Project: Contribution from the Subaru Telescope

The Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) is a Hubble Space Telescope (HST) treasury project.The COSMOS aims to perform a 2 square degree imaging survey of an equatorial field in $I$(F814W) band, using the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). Such a wide field survey, combined with ground-based photometric and spectroscopic data, is essential to understand the interplay between large scale structure, evolution and formation of galaxies and dark matter. In 2004, we have obtained high-quality, broad band images of the COSMOS field ($B, V, r^\prime, i^\prime,$ and $z^\prime$) using Suprime-Cam on the Subaru Telescope, and we have started our new optical multi-band program, COSMOS-21 in 2005. Here, we present a brief summary of the current status of the COSMOS project together with contributions from the Subaru Telescope. Our future Subaru program, COSMOS-21, is also discussed briefly.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, to appear in the Proceedings of the 6th East Asian Meeting on Astronomy, JKAS, 39, in pres