Families of periodic orbits in Hill’s problem with solar radiation pressure: application to Hayabusa 2

This work studies periodic solutions applicable, as an extended phase, to the JAXA asteroid rendezvous mission Hayabusa 2 when it is close to target asteroid 1999 JU3. The motion of a spacecraft close to a small asteroid can be approximated with the equations of Hill’s problem modified to account for the strong solar radiation pressure. The identification of families of periodic solutions in such systems is just starting and the field is largely unexplored. We find several periodic orbits using a grid search, then apply numerical continuation and bifurcation theory to a subset of these to explore the changes in the orbit families when the orbital energy is varied. This analysis gives information on their stability and bifurcations. We then compare the various families on the basis of the restrictions and requirements of the specific mission considered, such as the pointing of the solar panels and instruments. We also use information about their resilience against parameter errors and their ground tracks to identify one particularly promising type of solution.     

Nitrogen isotopic discrimination by water column nitrification in a shallow coastal environment

Temporal changes in nitrogen isotopic composition (δ¹⁵N) of the NO₃ ⁻ pool in the water column below the pycnocline in Ise Bay, Japan were investigated to evaluate the effect of nitrification on the change in the δ¹⁵N in the water column. The δ¹⁵N of NO₃ ⁻ in the lower layers varied from −8.5‰ in May to +8.4‰ in July in response to the development of seasonal hypoxia and conversion from NH₄ ⁺ to NO₃ ⁻. The significantly ¹⁵N-depleted NO₃ ⁻ in May most likely arose from nitrification in the water column. The calculated apparent isotopic discrimination for water column nitrification (ɛ_nit = δ¹⁵N_substrate − δ¹⁵N_product) was 24.5‰, which lies within the range of previous laboratory-based estimates. Though prominent deficits of NO₃ ⁻ from hypoxic bottom waters due to denitrification were revealed in July, the isotopic discrimination of denitrification in the sediments was low (ɛ_denit = ∼1‰). δ¹⁵N_NO3 in the hypoxic lower layer mainly reflects the isotopic effect of water column nitrification, given that water column nitrification is not directly linked with sedimentary denitrification and the effect of sedimentary denitrification on the change in δ¹⁵N_NO3 is relatively small.     

Transport of oceanic nitrate from the continental shelf to the coastal basin in relation to the path of the Kuroshio

Hydrographic and biogeochemical observations were conducted along the longitudinal section from Ise Bay to the continental margin (southern coast of Japan) to investigate changes according to the Kuroshio path variations during the summer. The strength of the uplift of the cold deep water was influenced by the surface intrusion of the Kuroshio water to the shelf region. When the intrusion of the Kuroshio surface water to the shelf region was weak in 2006, the cold and NO₃⁻-rich shelf water intruded into the bottom layer in the bay from the shelf. This bottom intrusion was intensified by the large river discharge. The nitrogen isotope ratio (δ¹⁵N) of NO₃⁻ (4–5‰) in the bottom bay water was same as that in the deeper NO₃⁻ over the shelf, indicating the supply of new nitrogen to the bay. The warm and NO₃⁻-poor shelf water intruded into the middle layer via the mixing region at the bay mouth when the Kuroshio water distributed in the coastal areas off Ise Bay in 2005. The regenerated NO₃⁻ with isotopically light nitrogen (δ¹⁵N=−1‰) was supplied from the shelf to the bay. This NO₃⁻ is regenerated by the nitrification in the upper layer over the shelf. The contribution rate of regenerated NO₃⁻ over the shelf to the total NO₃⁻ in the subsurface chlorophyll maximum layer in the bay was estimated at 56% by a two-source mixing model coupled with the Rayleigh equation.     

Microbial responses using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis to oil and chemical dispersant in enclosed ecosystems

Microbial responses to the addition of oil with or without a chemical dispersant were examined in mesocosm and microcosm experiments by using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of bacterial ribosomal DNA and direct cell counting. When a water-soluble fraction of oil was added to seawater, increases in cell density were observed in the first 24h, followed by a decrease in abundance and a change in bacterial species composition. After addition of an oil-dispersant mixture, increases in cell density and changes in community structure coincided, and the amount of bacteria remained high. These phenomena also occurred in response to addition of only dispersant. Our results suggest that the chemical dispersant may be used as a nutrient source by some bacterial groups and may directly or indirectly prevent the growth of other bacterial groups.     

Assessment of the Uncertainties in the NO2 and O3 Measurements by Visible Spectrometers

The column amounts of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3) were measured using a visible spectrometer based on the twilight zenith-sky technique at two observatories located at similar latitudes in the northern part of Japan separated by a distance of 150 km. The measurements began in April 1991 at the Moshiri Observatory (44.4°N, 142.3°E) and in April 1994 at the Rikubetsu Observatory (43.5°N, 143.8°E). Since weather conditions and the possible influence from tropospheric pollution were not always identical at these two observatories, the overall accuracy of the measurements was studied comparing these data sets. The first year data obtained at a solar zenith angle of 90 degrees indicated that the NO2 slant column values at sunrise and sunset agreed within 0.36 and 0.54 × 1016 cm-2, respectively, corresponding to 5 % (June) and to 12 % (December) of the columns. The O3 values agreed within 0.76 × 1019 cm-2, corresponding to 4 % (March) 6 % (August) of the columns, although a part of the difference was systematic. The O3 column amounts were also compared to those obtained by the Dobson spectrometer at Sapporo (43.5°N, 143.8°E), whose latitude is similar to these observatories. When an air mass factor of 17.5 was used, the two-year Moshiri vertical column values agreed with the Dobson direct sun values to within 15 Dobson Units, or 3 6 % of the column. The difference between the two values was found to be due partly to the change in the air mass factor caused by seasonal and day-to-day changes in the shape of the O3 vertical profiles. These results confirm the reliability of the NO2 and O3 measurements by visible spectrometers at these sites for the Network for the Detection of Stratospheric Change (NDSC).     

Disruption of Sema3A expression causes abnormal neural projection in heavy oil exposed Japanese flounder larvae

It has been well known that oil spills cause serious problems in the aquatic organisms. In particular, some species of teleosts, which develop on the sea surface thought to be affected by heavy oil (HO). During the embryogenesis, the nervous system is constructed. Therefore, it is important to study the toxicological effects of HO on the developing neurons. We exposed HO to eggs of Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) and investigated the neural disorder. In larvae exposed by HO at the concentration of 8.75 mg/L, the facial and lateral line nerves partially entered into the incorrect region and the bundle was defasciculated. Furthermore, in the HO-exposed larvae, Sema3A, a kind of axon guidance molecule, was broadly expressed in second pharyngeal arch, a target region of facial nerve. Taken together, we suggested the possibility that the abnormal expression of Sema3A affected by HO exposure causes disruption of facial nerve scaffolding.     

Hysteresis and Surface Shear Stresses During Snow-Particle Aeolian Transportation

Boundary-Layer Meteorology - Surface shear stresses produced by wind and particle collision play a key role in aerodynamic entrainment and splash processes. The fluid shear stress at the surface...     

Current-to-Current Converter for Scientific Underwater Cable Networks

A new current-to-current converter, which is a key device to branch a constant direct current (DC) into two constant DCs, was proposed [K. Asakawa , Proc. OCEANS, pp. 1868-1873, 2003]. It has been verified, through computer simulations and experiments using prototypes, to have good conversion efficiency and stable operation. Because the basic circuit is simple, high reliability is expected. The current-to-current converter is a key device to realize a constant current (CC) power-feeding system for scientific underwater cable networks having mesh topology, which is necessary to enhance robustness against cable breakdowns and to deploy sensors in 2-D and efficiently over a vast research area.