Detection of Molecular Clouds in the Interarm of the Flocculent Galaxy NGC 5055

We present high-resolution (~ 4") 12CO (J = 1 - 0) mapping observations with high - velocity resolution (~ 2.6 km s^{-1}) toward the disk of flocculent galaxy NGC 5055, using the Nobeyama Millimeter Array in order to study the physical properties of the molecular clouds in the arm and the interarm. The obtained map shows clumpy structures. Although these are mainly distributed along a spiral arm seen in near-infrared observations, some clouds are located far from the arm, namely in the interarm. These clouds in both the arm and the interarm have a typical size and mass of a few 100 pc and a few 10^6 Mo, respectively. These correspond to the largest Giant Molecular Cloud (GMC) in our Galaxy, and are slightly smaller than Giant Molecular Associations (GMAs) in the grand design spiral M 51. Their CO flux-based masses show good agreement with their virial masses. A size - velocity dispersion relation is also plotted on an extension of the relation for the Galactic GMCs. These facts suggest that the properties of these clouds are similar to that of the Galactic GMCs. We also found no clear systematic offset between the molecular gas and HII regions unlike M 51. This fact and no existense of GMAs suggest the view that, in NGC 5055, cloud formation and following star formation in both the arm and the interarm are due to enhancement of gas by local fluctuation. On the other hand, in grand design spiral galaxies, such as M 51, GMA formations may occur only in the arm due to a strong density wave also enhanced star formation in GMA formation may also occur. These may control the optical morphology of spiral arms in spiral galaxies.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figure

A New 100-GHz Band Front-End System with a Waveguide-Type Dual-Polarization Sideband-Separating SIS Receiver for the NRO 45-m Radio Telescope

We developed a waveguide-type dual-polarization sideband-separating SIS receiver system of the 100-GHz band for the 45-m radio telescope at the Nobeyama Radio Observatory, Japan. This receiver is composed of an ortho-mode transducer and two sideband-separating SIS mixers, which are both based on the waveguide technique. The receiver has four intermediate frequency bands of 4.0--8.0 GHz. Over the radio frequency range of 80--120 GHz, the single-sideband receiver noise temperatures are 50--100 K and the image rejection ratios are greater than 10 dB. We developed new matching optics for the telescope beam as well as new IF chains for the four IF signals. The new receiver system was installed in the telescope, and we successfully observed the 12CO, 13CO and C18O emission lines simultaneously toward the Sagittarius B2 region to confirm the performance of the receiver system. The SSB noise temperature of the system, including the atmosphere, became approximately half of that of the previous receiver system. The Image Rejection Ratios (IRRs) of the two 2SB mixers were calculated from the 12CO and HCO+ spectra from the W51 giant molecular cloud, resulting in > 20 dB for one polarization and > 12 dB for the other polarization.Comment: 10 pages, 13 figures, Accepted for publication in PASJ, version with high resolution figures is available via http://www.nro.nao.ac.jp/library/report/list.htm

Mineralogy of Granulite Facies Rocks in the Area around Lutzow-Holm Bay, Antarctica

The chemical compositions of constituent minerals of metamorphic rocks of the area around Lutzow-Holm Bay in Antarctica are described along with their optic properties. The mineralogy and paragenesis of metamorphic rocks are interpreted as that the metamorphic rocks in this terrane belong to the granulite facies

Heat Flux of a Transferred Arc Driven by a Transverse Magnetic Field

Theoretical consideration of a magnetically driven arc was performed to elucidate the variation of heat flux with an imposed DC magnetic field. Experiments were conducted to confirm the validity of the theoretical model. The heat flux decreased concomitantly with increased imposed magnetic flux density. Theoretical predictions agreed with experimental results

Aperture Synthesis Observations of CO, HCN, and 89GHz Continuum Emission toward NGC 604 in M 33: Sequential Star Formation Induced by Supergiant Hii region

We present the results from new Nobeyama Millimeter Array observations of CO(1-0), HCN(1-0), and 89-GHz continuum emissions toward NGC 604, known as the supergiant H ii region in a nearby galaxy M 33. Our high spatial resolution images of CO emission allowed us to uncover ten individual molecular clouds that have masses of (0.8 -7.4) 10$^5$M_{\sun } and sizes of 5 -- 29 pc, comparable to those of typical Galactic giant molecular clouds (GMCs). Moreover, we detected for the first time HCN emission in the two most massive clouds and 89 GHz continuum emission at the rims of the "H${\alpha}$ shells". Three out of ten CO clouds are well correlated with the H${\alpha}$ shells both in spatial and velocity domains, implying an interaction between molecular gas and the expanding H ii region. Furthermore, we estimated star formation efficiencies (SFEs) for each cloud from the 89-GHz and combination of H${\alpha}$ and 24-${\mu}$m data, and found that the SFEs decrease with increasing projected distance measured from the heart of the central OB star cluster in NGC 604, suggesting the radial changes in evolutionary stages of the molecular clouds in course of stellar cluster formation. Our results provide further support to the picture of sequential star formation in NGC604 initially proposed by Tosaki et al. (2007) with the higher spatially resolved molecular clouds, in which an isotropic expansion of the H ii region pushes gases outward and accumulates them to consecutively form dense molecular clouds, and then induces massive star formations.Comment: 23 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

A Preclinical Evaluation towards the Clinical Application of Oxygen Consumption Measurement by CERMs by a Mouse Chimera Model.

We have developed an automated device for the measurement of oxygen consumption rate (OCR) called Chip-sensing Embryo Respiratory Measurement system (CERMs). To verify the safety and the significance of the OCR measurement by CERMs, we conducted comprehensive tests using a mouse model prior to clinical trials in a human in vitro fertilization (IVF) program. Embryo transfer revealed that the OCR measured by CERMs did not compromise the full-term development of mice or their future fertility, and was positively correlated with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production and the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), thereby indirectly reflecting mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) activity. We demonstrated that the OCR is independent of embryo morphology (the size) and number of mitochondria (mitochondrial DNA copy number). The OCR correlated with the total cell numbers, whereas the inner cell mass (ICM) cell numbers and the fetal developmental rate were not. Thus, the OCR may serve as an indicator of the numbers of trophectoderm (TE) cells, rather than number or quality of ICM cells. However, implantation ability was neither correlated with the OCR, nor the embryo size in this model. This can probably be attributed to the limitation that chimeric embryos contain non-physiological high TE cells counts that are beneficial for implantation. CERMs can be safely employed in clinical IVF owing to it being a safe, highly effective, non-invasive, accurate, and quantitative tool for OCR measurement. Utilization of CERMs for clinical testing of human embryos would provide further insights into the nature of oxidative metabolism and embryonic viability