Magnetic phase diagram of the frustrated S=1/2 chain magnet LiCu_2O_2

We present the results of the magnetization and dielectric constant measurements on untwinned single crystal samples of the frustrated S=1/2 chain cuprate LiCu_2O_2. Novel magnetic phase transitions were observed. A spin flop transition of the spiral spin plane was observed for the field orientations H||a,b. The second magnetic transition was observed at H~15 T for all three principal field directions. This high field magnetic phase is discussed as a collinear spin-modulated phase which is expected for an S=1/2 nearest-neighbor ferromagnetic and next-nearest-neighbor antiferromagnetic chain system

Full particle simulation of a perpendicular collisionless shock: A shock-rest-frame model

The full kinetic dynamics of a perpendicular collisionless shock is studied by means of a one-dimensional electromagnetic full particle simulation. The present simulation domain is taken in the shock rest frame in contrast to the previous full particle simulations of shocks. Preliminary results show that the downstream state falls into a unique cyclic reformation state for a given set of upstream parameters through the self-consistent kinetic processes.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, published in "Earth, Planets and Space" (EPS), the paper with full resolution images is http://theo.phys.sci.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/~ryo/papers/shock_rest.pd

Crescent-Shaped Molecular Outflow from the Intermediate-mass Protostar DK Cha Revealed by ALMA

We report on an Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) study of the Class I or II intermediate-mass protostar DK Cha in the Chamaeleon II region. The 12CO (J=2-1) images have an angular resolution of ~1'' (~250 au) and show high-velocity blueshifted (>70 km s-1) and redshifted (>50 km s-1) emissions which have 3000 au scale crescent-shaped structures around the protostellar disk traced in the 1.3mm continuum. Because the high-velocity components of the CO emission are associated with the protostar, we concluded that the emission traces the pole-on outflow. The blueshifted outflow lobe has a clear layered velocity gradient with a higher velocity component located on the inner side of the crescent shape, which can be explained by a model of an outflow with a higher velocity in the inner radii. Based on the directly driven outflow scenario, we estimated the driving radii from the observed outflow velocities and found that the driving region extends over two orders of magnitude. The 13CO emission traces a complex envelope structure with arc-like substructures with lengths of ~1000au. We identified the arc-like structures as streamers because they appear to be connected to a rotating infalling envelope. DK Cha is useful for understanding characteristics that are visible by looking at nearly face-on configurations of young protostellar systems, providing an alternative perspective for studying the star-formation process.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 12 pages, 5 figure

Ring Gap Structure around Class I Protostar WL 17

WL 17 is a Class I object and was considered to have a ring-hole structure. We analyzed the structure around WL 17 to investigate the detailed properties of WL 17. We used ALMA archival data, which have a higher angular resolution than previous observations. We investigated the WL 17 system with the 1.3 mm dust continuum and 12CO and C18O (J = 2-1) line emissions. The dust continuum emission showed a clear ring structure with inner and outer edges of ~11 and ~21 au, respectively. In addition, we detected an inner disk of < 5 au radius enclosing the central star within the ring, the first observation of this structure. Thus, WL 17 has a ring-gap structure, not a ring-hole structure. We did not detect any marked emission in either the gap or inner disk, indicating that there is no sign of a planet, circumplanetary disk, or binary companion. We identified the base of both blue-shifted and red-shifted outflows based on the 12CO emission, which is clearly associated with the disk around WL 17. The outflow mass ejection rate is ~3.6x10^-7 Msun yr-1 and the dynamical timescale is as short as ~ 10^4 yr. The C18O emission showed that an inhomogeneous infalling envelope, which can induce episodic mass accretion, is distributed in the region within ~1000 au from the central protostar. With these new findings, we can constrain the planet formation and dust growth scenarios in the accretion phase of star formation.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figures, Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Reductions of docosahexaenoic acid-containing phosphatidylcholine levels in the anterior horn of an ALS mouse model

AbstractIn this study, we analyzed the spatiotemporal alterations of phospholipid composition in the spinal cord of an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) mouse model (G93A-mutated human superoxide dismutase 1 transgenic mice [SOD1G93A mice]) using imaging mass spectrometry (IMS), a powerful method to visualize spatial distributions of various types of molecules in situ. Using this technique, we deciphered the phospholipid distribution in the pre-symptomatic stage, early stage after disease onset, and terminal stages of disease in female SOD1G93A mouse spinal cords. These experiments revealed a significant decrease in levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-containing phosphatidylcholines (PCs), such as PC (diacyl-16:0/22:6), PC (diacyl-18:0/22:6), and PC (diacyl-18:1/22:6) in the L5 anterior horns of terminal stage (22-week-old) SOD1G93A mice. The reduction in PC (diacyl-16:0/22:6) level could be reflecting the loss of motor neurons themselves in the anterior horn of the spinal cord in ALS model mice. In contrast, other PCs, such as PC (diacyl-16:0/16:0), were observed specifically in the L5 dorsal horn gray matter, and their levels did not vary between ALS model mice and controls. Thus, our study showed a significant decrease in DHA-containing PCs, but not other PCs, in the terminal stage of ALS in model mice, which is likely to be a reflection of neuronal loss in the anterior horns of the spinal cords. Given its enrichment in dorsal sensory regions, the preservation of PC (diacyl-16:0/16:0) may be the result of spinal sensory neurons being unaffected in ALS. Taken together, these findings suggest that ALS spinal cords show significant alterations in PC metabolism only at the terminal stage of the disease, and that these changes are confined to specific anatomical regions and cell types

New high magnetic field phase of the frustrated S=1/2S=1/2 chain compound LiCuVO4_4

Magnetization of the frustrated $S=1/2$ chain compound LiCuVO$_4$, focusing on high magnetic field phases, is reported. Besides a spin-flop transition and the transition from a planar spiral to a spin modulated structure observed recently, an additional transition was observed just below the saturation field. This newly observed magnetic phase is considered as a spin nematic phase, which was predicted theoretically but was not observed experimentally. The critical fields of this phase and its dM/dH curve are in good agreement with calculations performed in a microscopic model (M. E. Zhitomirsky and H. Tsunetsugu, preprint, arXiv:1003.4096v2).Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Genome Sequence of Kitasatospora setae NBRC 14216T: An Evolutionary Snapshot of the Family Streptomycetaceae

Kitasatospora setae NBRC 14216T (=KM-6054T) is known to produce setamycin (bafilomycin B1) possessing antitrichomonal activity. The genus Kitasatospora is morphologically similar to the genus Streptomyces, although they are distinguishable from each other on the basis of cell wall composition and the 16S rDNA sequence. We have determined the complete genome sequence of K. setae NBRC 14216T as the first Streptomycetaceae genome other than Streptomyces. The genome is a single linear chromosome of 8 783 278 bp with terminal inverted repeats of 127 148 bp, predicted to encode 7569 protein-coding genes, 9 rRNA operons, 1 tmRNA and 74 tRNA genes. Although these features resemble those of Streptomyces, genome-wide comparison of orthologous genes between K. setae and Streptomyces revealed smaller extent of synteny. Multilocus phylogenetic analysis based on amino acid sequences unequivocally placed K. setae outside the Streptomyces genus. Although many of the genes related to morphological differentiation identified in Streptomyces were highly conserved in K. setae, there were some differences such as the apparent absence of the AmfS (SapB) class of surfactant protein and differences in the copy number and variation of paralogous components involved in cell wall synthesis