中川 貴雄

Abstract The Subaru telescope is currently performing a strategic program (SSP) using the high-precision near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer IRD to search for exoplanets around nearby mid/late M dwarfs via radial velocity (RV) monitoring. As part of the observing strategy for the exoplanet survey, signatures of massive companions such as RV trends are used to reduce the priority of those stars. However, this RV information remains useful for studying the stellar multiplicity of nearby M dwarfs. To search for companions around such “deprioritized” M dwarfs, we observed 14 IRD-SSP targets using Keck/NIRC2 with pyramid wave-front sensing at NIR wavelengths, leading to high sensitivity to substellar-mass companions within a few arcseconds. We detected two new companions (LSPM J1002+1459 B and LSPM J2204+1505 B) and two new candidates that are likely companions (LSPM J0825+6902 B and LSPM J1645+0444 B), as well as one known companion. Including two known companions resolved by the IRD fiber injection module camera, we detected seven (four new) companions at projected separations between ∼2 and 20 au in total. A comparison of the colors with the spectral library suggests that LSPM J2204+1505 B and LSPM J0825+6902 B are located at the boundary between late M and early L spectral types. Our deep high-contrast imaging for targets where no bright companions were resolved did not reveal any additional companion candidates. The NIRC2 detection limits could constrain potential substellar-mass companions (∼10–75 M_Jup) at 10 au or further. The failure with Keck/NIRC2 around the IRD-SSP stars having significant RV trends makes these objects promising targets for further RV monitoring or deeper imaging with the James Webb Space Telescope to search for smaller-mass companions below the NIRC2 detection limits.

We report the near-infrared radial velocity (RV) discovery of a super-Earth planet on a 10.77 d orbit around the M4.5 dwarf Ross 508 (J(mag) = 9.1). Using precision RVs from the Subaru Telescope IRD (InfraRed Doppler) instrument, we derive a semi-amplitude of 3.92(-0.58)(+0.60) m s(-1), corresponding to a planet with a minimum mass msin i = 4.00(-0.55)(+0.53) M-circle plus. We find no evidence of significant signals at the detected period in spectroscopic stellar activity indicators or MEarth photometry. The planet, Ross 508 b, has a semi-major axis of 0.05366(-0.00049)(+0.00056) au. This gives an orbit-averaged insolation of approximate to 1.4 times the Earth's value, placing Ross 508 b near the inner edge of its star's habitable zone. We have explored the possibility that the planet has a high eccentricity and its host is accompanied by an additional unconfirmed companion on a wide orbit. Our discovery demonstrates that the near-infrared RV search can play a crucial role in finding a low-mass planet around cool M dwarfs like Ross 508.

Abstract A recent hydrodynamic model, the radiation-driven fountain model (Wada et al. 2016), presented a dynamical picture that active galactic nuclei (AGNs) tori sustain their geometrical thickness by gas circulation around AGNs, and previous papers have confirmed that this picture is consistent with multiwavelength observations of nearby Seyfert galaxies. Recent near-infrared observations implied that CO rovibrational absorption lines (ΔJ = ± 1, v = 0 − 1, λ ∼ 4.7 μm) could probe the physical properties of the inside tori. However, the origin of the CO absorption lines has been under debate. In this paper, we investigate the origin of the absorption lines and conditions for detecting them by performing line radiative transfer calculations based on the radiation-driven fountain model. We find that CO rovibrational absorption lines are detected at inclination angles θ_obs = 50°–80°. At the inclination angle θ_obs = 77°, we observe multi-velocity components: inflow (v_LOS = 30 km s⁻¹), systemic (v_LOS = 0 km s⁻¹), and outflows (v_LOS = −75, − 95, and −105 km s⁻¹). The inflow and outflow components (v_LOS = 30 and −95 km s⁻¹) are collisionally excited at the excitation temperatures of 186 and 380 K up to J = 12 and 4, respectively. The inflow and outflow components originate from the accreting gas on the equatorial plane at 1.5 pc from the AGN center and the outflowing gas driven by AGN radiation pressure at 1.0 pc, respectively. These results suggest that CO rovibrational absorption lines can provide us with the velocities and kinetic temperatures of the inflow and outflow in the inner few parsec region of AGN tori, and the observations can probe the gas circulation inside the tori.

Detailed chemical analyses of M dwarfs are scarce but necessary to constrain the formation environment and internal structure of planets being found around them. We present elemental abundances of 13 M dwarfs (2900 < T (eff) < 3500 K) observed in the Subaru/IRD planet search project. They are mid- to late-M dwarfs whose abundance of individual elements has not been well studied. We use the high-resolution (similar to 70,000) near-infrared (970-1750 nm) spectra to measure the abundances of Na, Mg, Si, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, and Sr by the line-by-line analysis based on model atmospheres, with typical errors ranging from 0.2 dex for [Fe/H] to 0.3-0.4 dex for other [X/H]. We measure radial velocities from the spectra and combine them with Gaia astrometry to calculate the Galactocentric space velocities UVW. The resulting [Fe/H] values agree with previous estimates based on medium-resolution K-band spectroscopy, showing a wide distribution of metallicity (-0.6 < [Fe/H] < +0.4). The abundance ratios of individual elements [X/Fe] are generally aligned with the solar values in all targets. While the [X/Fe] distributions are comparable to those of nearby FGK stars, most of which belong to the thin-disk population, the most metal-poor object, GJ 699, could be a thick-disk star. The UVW velocities also support this. The results raise the prospect that near-infrared spectra of M dwarfs obtained in the planet search projects can be used to grasp the trend of elemental abundances and the Galactic stellar population of nearby M dwarfs.

To reveal the causes of infrared absorption in the wavelength region between electronic and lattice absorptions, we measured the temperature dependence of the absorption coefficient of p-type low-resistivity (similar to 10(2) Omega cm) CdZnTe crystals. We measured the absorption coefficients of CdZnTe crystals in four wavelength bands (lambda = 6.45, 10.6, 11.6, 15.1 mu m) over the temperature range of T = 8.6-300 K with an originally developed system. The CdZnTe absorption coefficient was measured to be alpha = 0.3-0.5 cm(-1) at T = 300 K and alpha = 0.4-0.9 cm(-1) at T = 8.6 K in the investigated wavelength range. With an absorption model based on transitions of free holes and holes trapped at an acceptor level, we conclude that the absorption due to free holes at T = 150-300 K and that due to trapped-holes at T < 50 K are dominant absorption causes in CdZnTe. We also discuss a method to predict the CdZnTe absorption coefficient at cryogenic temperature based on the room-temperature resistivity.

The application of superelastic alloys to microvibration isolators for a spacecraft was studied. The superelastic alloy in this study is characterized by a wide hysteresis loop in the stress-strain curve, which dissipates a large amount of energy even with a slight change in stress. Prototype struts with damping mechanisms utilizing such characteristics were developed, and an isolation system consisting of the damping struts was investigated. The isolation system was designed to satisfy the requirements of the Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics (SPICA), which has several mechanical cryocoolers to cool down the entire telescope to cryogenic temperature. Since the vibrations generated by the cryocoolers can be transmitted to the telescope and deteriorate the pointing stability, SPICA is designed to integrate all cryocoolers into cooler plates and isolate the plates from vibrations with the isolation system. The simulation method to design the isolation system was developed and validated by comparing the estimation with the test results of a bipod with a pair of the damping struts.

Dust and gas in protoplanetary disks dissipate as central stars evolve. In order to estimate the dust dissipation timescales in the protoplanetary disks, we stacked the WISE 12 and 22, and the AKARI 90 mu m survey images of known T Tauri stars and derived the average fluxes, well below the survey flux limit in the 90 mu m band. We classified 4783 T Tauri stars into three age groups, which are young (<2 Myr), mid-age (2-6 Myr), and old (>6 Myr) groups, and stacked the WISE 12 and 22 and the AKARI 90 mu m images in each group. The photometry of the stacked image shows the flux decay timescales of 1.4 +/- 0.2, 1.38 +/- 0.05, and 1.4(-0.5)(+0.6) Myr in the 12, 22, and 90 mu m bands, respectively. In optically thin disks with one-solar luminosity central stars, the 12 and 22 mu m fluxes are attributed to the emission from the intermediate (similar to 1 au) region and the 90 mu m flux corresponds to that from the outer (similar to 10 au) region in the disk. We hence conclude that the dust dissipation timescale is tau(med,dust) similar to 1.4 Myr in the intermediate disks and is tau(outer.dust) = 1.4(-0.5)(+0.6) Myr in the outer disks. The dust-dissipation time difference between the outer and intermediate disks is Delta tau(dust) = tau(outer.dust) - tau(med,dust) = 0.0(-0.5)(+0.6) Myr, indicating that the dust in the intermediate and outer disks dissipates on almost the same timescale.

We conducted systematic observations of the H i Br alpha (4.05 mu m) and Br beta (2.63 mu m) lines in 52 nearby (z < 0.3) ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) with AKARI. Among 33 ULIRGs wherein the lines are detected, 3 galaxies show anomalous Br beta/Br alpha line ratios (similar to 1.0), which are significantly higher than those for case B (0.565). Our observations also show that ULIRGs have a tendency to exhibit higher Br beta/Br alpha line ratios than those observed in Galactic H ii regions. The high Br beta/Br alpha line ratios cannot be explained by a combination of dust extinction and case B since dust extinction reduces the ratio. We explore possible causes for the high Br beta/Br alpha line ratios and show that the observed ratios can be explained by a combination of an optically thick Br alpha line and an optically thin Br beta line. We simulated the H ii regions in ULIRGs with the Cloudy code, and our results show that the high Br beta/Br alpha line ratios can be explained by high-density conditions, wherein the Br alpha line becomes optically thick. To achieve a column density large enough to make the Br alpha line optically thick within a single H ii region, the gas density must be as high as n similar to 10(8) cm(-3). We therefore propose an ensemble of H ii regions, in each of which the Br alpha line is optically thick, to explain the high Br beta/Br alpha line ratio.

In this era of spatially resolved observations of planet-forming disks with Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) and large ground-based telescopes such as the Very Large Telescope (VLT), Keck, and Subaru, we still lack statistically relevant information on the quantity and composition of the material that is building the planets, such as the total disk gas mass, the ice content of dust, and the state of water in planetesimals. SPace Infrared telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics (SPICA) is an infrared space mission concept developed jointly by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and European Space Agency (ESA) to address these questions. The key unique capabilities of SPICA that enable this research are (1) the wide spectral coverage, (2) the high line detection sensitivity of with in the far-IR (SAFARI), and with in the mid-IR (SPICA Mid-infrared Instrument (SMI), spectrally resolving line profiles), (3) the high far-IR continuum sensitivity of 0.45 mJy (SAFARI), and (4) the observing efficiency for point source surveys. This paper details how mid- to far-IR infrared spectra will be unique in measuring the gas masses and water/ice content of disks and how these quantities evolve during the planet-forming period. These observations will clarify the crucial transition when disks exhaust their primordial gas and further planet formation requires secondary gas produced from planetesimals. The high spectral resolution mid-IR is also unique for determining the location of the snowline dividing the rocky and icy mass reservoirs within the disk and how the divide evolves during the build-up of planetary systems. Infrared spectroscopy (mid- to far-IR) of key solid-state bands is crucial for assessing whether extensive radial mixing, which is part of our Solar System history, is a general process occurring in most planetary systems and whether extrasolar planetesimals are similar to our Solar System comets/asteroids. We demonstrate that the SPICA mission concept would allow us to achieve the above ambitious science goals through large surveys of several hundred disks within months of observing time.

Understanding the inner structure of the clumpy molecular torus surrounding the active galactic nucleus is essential in revealing the forming mechanism However, spatially resolving the torus is difficult because of its size of a few parsecs. Thus, to probe the clump conditions in the torus, we performed the velocity decomposition of the CO rovibrational absorption lines (Delta nu = 0 -> 1, Delta J= +/- 1) at lambda similar to 4.67 mu m observed toward an ultraluminous infrared galaxy IRAS 08572+3915 NW with the high-resolution spectroscopy (R similar to 10,000) of Subaru Telescope. Consequently, we found that each transition had two outflowing components, i.e., (a) and (b), both at approximately similar to-160 km s(-1), but with broad and narrow widths, and an inflowing component, i.e., (c), at approximately similar to+100 km s(-1), which were attributed to the torus. The ratios of the velocity dispersions of each component led to those of the rotating radii around the black hole of R-rot,R-a: R-rot,R-b: R-rot,R-c approximate to 1: 5: 17, indicating the torus where clumps are outflowing in the inner regions and inflowing in the outer regions if a hydrostatic disk with sigma(V) proportional to R-rot(-0.5) is assumed. Based on the kinetic temperature of components (a) and (b) of similar to 720 and similar to 25 K, respectively, estimated from the level population, the temperature gradient is T-kin proportional to R-rot(-)2.1. Magnetohydrodynamic models with large density fluctuations of two orders of magnitude or more are necessary to reproduce this gradient.

Aims. We investigate the properties of [C II] 158 μm emission of RCW 36 in a dense filamentary cloud. Methods. [C II] observations of RCW 36, covering an area of ~30′ × 30′, were carried out with a Fabry-Pérot spectrometer on board a 100-cm balloon-borne far-infrared (IR) telescope with an angular resolution of 90′′. Using AKARI and Herschel images, we compared the spatial distribution of the [C II] intensity with the emission from the large grains and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH). Results. The [C II] emission is in good spatial agreement with shell-like structures of a bipolar lobe observed in IR images, which extend along the direction perpendicular to the direction of cold dense filament. We found that the [C II]-160 μm relation for RCW 36 shows a higher brightness ratio of [C II]/160 μm than that for RCW 38, while the [C II]-9 μm relation for RCW 36 is in good agreement with that for RCW 38. Conclusions. Via a spectral decomposition analysis on a pixel-by-pixel basis using IR images, the [C II] emission is spatially well correlated with PAH and cold dust emissions. This means that the observed [C II] emission predominantly comes from photo-dissociation regions. Moreover, the L[C II]LFIR ratio shows large variation (10-2-10-3), as compared with the L[C II]/LPAH ratio. In view of the observed tight correlation between L[C II]LFIR and the optical depth at λ = 160 μm, the large variation in L[C II]LFIR can be simply explained by the geometrical effect, that is, LFIR has contributions from the entire dust-cloud column along the line of sight, while L[C II] has contributions from far-UV illuminated cloud surfaces. Based on the picture of the geometry effect, the enhanced brightness ratio of [C II]/160 μm is attributed to the difference in gas structures where massive stars are formed: filamentary (RCW 36) and clumpy (RCW 38) molecular clouds; thus suggesting that RCW 36 is dominated by far-UV illuminated cloud surfaces, as compared with RCW 38.

The 4K Joule-Thomson (JT) cryocooler is a key cryogenic component for future astronomy missions such as ATHENA and LiteBIRD. It was originally developed for SMILES (2009) and upgraded for ASTRO-H/SXS (2016) and SPICA. The 20K two-stage Stirling cryocooler developed for AKARI (2006) was also upgraded and used as a precooler. The operational life is a critical factor in planning long-term missions. An engineering model of the 4KJT cryocooler was built for continuous operation to verify its lifetime. Testing was done from 2010 to 2019 and successful three-year operation was demonstrated with an extended operation; this was beyond the design specification. This paper describes the overall history of the lifetime test of the 4K-JT cryocooler and an evaluation of the end-of-life cooling performance and performance changes during long-term operation.

In the framework of the ESA X-ray mission ATHENA, scheduled for launch in 2030, an ESA Core Technology Program (CTP) was started in 2016 to build a flight like cryostat demonstrator in parallel with the phase A studies of the ATHENA/X-IFU instrument. As part of this CTP, called the Detector Cooling System (DCS), design, manufacturing and test of a cryostat including existing space coolers will be done. In addition to the validation of thermal performance, a Focal Plan Assembly (FPA) demonstrator using Transition Edge Sensors (TES) detector technology will be also integrated and its performance characterized versus the environment provided by the cryostat. This is a unique opportunity to validate many crucial issues of the cryogenic part of such a sensitive instrument. A dedicated activity within this CTP-DCS is the demonstration of the 300 K–50 mK cooling chain in a Ground System Equipment (GSE) cryostat. The studies are focused on the operation of the space coolers, which is made possible by the use of a ground cooler for cooling cryogenic shields and mechanical supports. This test program is also the opportunity to validate the operation of the cryochain with respect to various requirements, such as time constant and temperature stabilities. This would bring us valuable inputs to integrate the cryochain in DCS cryostat, X-IFU studies, SPICA and LiteBIRD missions. This paper is focused on the operation of the full 300 K–50 mK cryochain. In particular, the recycling options of the sub Kelvin cooler (sorption cooler + an ADR) versus the capability of 4 K and 2 K JT coolers are described. Results on the JT parameters validation campaign are summarized and eventually the results of the coupled test with sub Kelvin cooler will be presented and discussed.

In published article, we did not take into account that the [N II] λλ6548, 6584 A lines are within the wavelength range of the IPHAS Hα filter. The [N II] to Hα line ratio observed for the H II regions in our Galaxy is not negligible ([N II]/Hα ≈ 0.25; Haffner et al. 2009). Therefore, in this erratum, we correct the Hα fluxes of the H II regions (or candidates) estimated in the published article (Figur Presented) by eliminating the [N II] contributions to the IPHAS Hα. Although there is the radial abundance gradient of N/H in our Galaxy (Esteban & García-Rojas 2018), the directions of the H II regions in this study (ℓ = 96°-116°) are not largely different from those of Haffner et al. (2009) (ℓ = 130°-160°). So, we assumed the line ratio of [N II]/Hα ≈ 0.25 for the correction. Additionally, according to Barentsen et al. (2014), the Hα magnitude for Vega is conventionally set to 0.03 mag. Therefore, we adopted the Vega Hα magnitude of 0.03 mag, instead of 0 mag in the published article, for the calculations of the IPHAS Hα fluxes, though this effect is not large compared to the effects of the other changes. In this erratum, we also apply the recently updated calibration factors for the MIPAPS data (27.8 ± 2.0 mJy (ADU s-1)-1 for PAAL and 17.2 ± 1.2 mJy (ADU s-1)-1 for PAAC; I.-J. Kim et al. 2020, in preparation) to the measurements of the Paα fluxes. In the published article, we used the calibration factors of 23.7 ± 0.1 and 14.6 ± 0.1 mJy (ADU s-1)-1, respectively.

Two-stage Stirling cryocoolers (2ST cooler) produced by Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. have been launched into orbit on three satellites: the “AKARI (ASTRO-F)” infrared astronomical satellite, JEM/SMILES on ISS, and the “HITOMI (ASTRO-H)” X-ray astronomical satellite. A 2ST cooler compressor has a linear-ball-bearing system as a piston-supporting structure. The linear ball bearing system is a key components to realize a lower drive frequency (15 Hz), a long piston stroke (30 mm). Its typical cooling power is 200 mW at 20 K for the second stage and 1000 mW at 100 K for the first stage, with 90 W electrical input power. During the test of the “HITOMI” engineering model, the energy resolution of the detector was found to be degraded when cryocoolers were in operation. After investigation, it was found that micro vibration from 2STs caused the degradation. The continuum in the vibration spectrum propagated into sub-Kelvin region and generated thermal noise. The continuum has origin in linear ball bearing in the compressor. In the case of “HITOMI”, vibration isolators were introduced to resolve this issue. For future mission, we are required to reduce microvibration of cryocooler itself. Therefore, the piston support mechanism in the compressor was modified from linear ball bearings to triangle shape flexure springs in order to reduce the continuum in vibration spectrum. In order to achieve a long piston stroke (±15 mm), the generated stress could be reduced to 400 MPa (Less than 1/2 of fatigue limit) or less even when the shape of the triangle shape flexure spring was devised and displaced by 15 mm. The typical vibration level has been reduced to 1 × 10 Nrms / Hz or less at a frequency of 200 Hz or less and 1/10 times or less at 200–600 Hz than that of a compressor with a linear ball bearing system. The cooling power is kept to 260 mW at 20 K, with 90 W electrical input power. This low vibration cooler is expected to be an improved cryogenic system for use in future projects with sub-Kelvin detectors. −5 2

In space science missions that uses cryogen-free mechanical cooler systems to cool the low temperature telescope and detectors, a cooling time from room temperature to low temperature should be considered in the required mission life time, because of a limited cooling power of mechanical cooler. For instance, in the Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics (SPICA), the 4K-class Joule Thomson cooler (4K-JT) and the 1K-class Joule Thomson cooler (1K-JT) are being considered to cool a 2.5 m telescope and provide a 1–4 K environment for scientific instruments. The cooling capability of these JT coolers, below 20 K and even lower than 5 K, is critical for initial cooling. The 4K-JT cooling from precooling to operating temperatures under the heat input was measured and confirmed that the 4K-JT has enough cooling power to cool with these heat load. The 1K-JT cool down measurement with heater was also performed. These results enabled us to estimate the cool down time for the heat capacity provided by the telescope and scientific instruments assumed in SPICA, LiteBIRD and the ESA X-ray mission ATHENA.

We analyzed the young (2.8 Myr-old) binary system FS Tau A using near-infrared (H-band) high-contrast polarimetry data from Subaru/HiCIAO and submillimeter CO (J = 2-1) line emission data from Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). Both the near-infrared and submillimeter observations reveal several clear structures extending to ∼240 au from the stars. Based on these observations at different wavelengths, we report the following discoveries. One arm-like structure detected in the near-infrared band initially extends from the south of the binary with a subsequent turn to the northeast, corresponding to two bar-like structures detected in ALMA observations with an local standard of rest kinematic (LSRK) velocity of 1.19-5.64 km s . Another feature detected in the near-infrared band extends initially from the north of the binary, relating to an arm-like structure detected in ALMA observations with an LSRK velocity of 8.17-16.43 km s . From their shapes and velocities, we suggest that these structures can mostly be explained by two streamers that connect the outer circumbinary disk and the central binary components. These discoveries will be helpful for understanding the evolution of streamers and circumstellar disks in young binary systems. -1 -1

SMI (SPICA Mid-infrared Instrument) is one of the three focal-plane science instruments for SPICA. SMI is the Japanese-led instrument proposed and managed by a university consortium. SMI covers the wavelength range from 10 to 36 μm with four separate channels: the low-resolution (R = 60 - 160) spectroscopy function for 17 - 36 μm, the broad-band (R = 5) imaging function at 34 μm, the mid-resolution (R = 1400 - 2600) spectroscopy function for 18 - 36 μm, and the high-resolution (R = 29000) spectroscopy function for 10 - 18 μm. In this presentation, we will show the latest design and specifications of SMI as a result of feasibility studies.

We present an overview of the cryogenic system of the next-generation infrared observatory mission SPICA. One of the most critical requirements for the SPICA mission is to cool the whole science equipment, including the 2.5 m telescope, to below 8 K to reduce the thermal background and enable unprecedented sensitivity in the mid- and far-infrared region. Another requirement is to cool focal plane instruments to achieve superior sensitivity. We adopt the combination of effective radiative cooling and mechanical cryocoolers to accomplish the thermal requirements for SPICA. The radiative cooling system, which consists of a series of radiative shields, is designed to accommodate the telescope in the vertical configuration. We present thermal model analysis results that comply with the requirements to cool the telescope and focal plane instruments.

The Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics (SPICA) mission is to be launched into orbit around the second Lagrangian point (L2) in the Sun-Earth system. Taking advantage of the thermal environment in L2, a 2.5m-class large IR telescope is cooled below 8K in combination with effective radiant cooling and a mechanical cooling system. SPICA adopts a cryogen-free system to prevent the mission operation lifetime being limited by the amount of cryogen as a refrigerant. Currently, the mechanical cooler system with the feasible solution giving a proper margin is proposed. As a baseline design, 4K / 1K-class Joule-Thomson coolers are used to cool the telescope and thermal interface for Focal Plane Instruments (FPIs). Additionally, two sets of double stage stirling coolers (2STs) are used to cool the telescope shield. In this design, nominal operation of FPIs can be kept when one mechanical cooler is in failure. In this paper, current baseline configuration of the mechanical cooler system and current status of mechanical coolers developments which need to satisfy the specific requirements of SPICA cryogenic system are presented.

The ESA/JAXA SPICA mission is a candidate for the ESA Cosmic Vision Medium Class M5 opportunity. Since 2019 an Airbus Defence and Space team has been performing a trade-off study (on behalf of ESA) to establish a baseline telescope optical configuration and design, which can meet the mission scientific performance requirements. This paper describes the telescope baseline design selected, with first estimates of the expected optical performance. The optical design wavelength is 20 microns for an operating temperature of 8 K covering a total bandwidth of 12 to 420 microns over a 30 arc minutes field of view, with a total required collecting area of at least 4.0 m2;. The fundamental mission science driver is to achieve a sky background (astrophysical sources) limited performance. The telescope is designed to illuminate three instruments namely; SMI (JAXA - Japan), SAFARI (SRON - Netherlands) and B-BOP (CEA - France).

We measured the transmittance of low-resistivity (∼10 2 ωcm) and high-resistivity (> 10 10 ωcm) CdZnTe, which are candidates for Immersion grating (IG) in 10-18μm wavelength, at cryogenic temperature. IG is a compact diffraction grating and we are developing a cryogenically operated 10-18μm IG for SMI/HR (SPICA Mid-Infrared Instrument / High-Resolution spectrometer) of SPICA (SPace Infrared telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics) We performed two experiments: Transmittance measurement with a convergent light Fourier transform spectrometer, and with a collimated lamp beam system. Our result shows that the low-resistivity CdZnTe has large absorption (> 0.5 cm {-1}) and the high-resistivity CdZnTe has low absorption (< 0.1 cm {-1}) at 8.5K at 10-18 μm. The high-resistivity CdZnTe is promising as an IG material although higher precision measurement is needed to determine whether it meets the absorption coefficient requirement (< 0.01 cm {-1}) at cryogenic temperature.

The SR 24 multistar system hosts both circumprimary and circumsecondary disks, which are strongly misaligned with each other. The circumsecondary disk is circumbinary in nature. Interestingly, both disks are interacting, and they possibly rotate in opposite directions. To investigate the nature of this unique twin disk system, we present 0.″1 resolution near-infrared polarized intensity images of the circumstellar structures around SR 24, obtained with HiCIAO mounted on the Subaru 8.2 m telescope. Both the circumprimary disk and the circumsecondary disk are resolved and have elongated features. While the position angle of the major axis and radius of the near-IR (NIR) polarization disk around SR 24S are 55° and 137 au, respectively, those around SR 24N are 110° and 34 au, respectively. With regard to overall morphology, the circumprimary disk around SR 24S shows strong asymmetry, whereas the circumsecondary disk around SR 24N shows relatively strong symmetry. Our NIR observations confirm the previous claim that the circumprimary and circumsecondary disks are misaligned from each other. Both the circumprimary and circumsecondary disks show similar structures in CO observations in terms of its size and elongation direction. This consistency is because both NIR and CO are tracing surface layers of the flared disks. As the radius of the polarization disk around SR 24N is roughly consistent with the size of the outer Roche lobe, it is natural to interpret the polarization disk around SR 24N as a circumbinary disk surrounding the SR 24Nb-Nc system. 12 12

© 2020 Knowledge Systems Institute Graduate School. All rights reserved. Necessary and sufficient combinatorial testing is important especially for continuous development to provide stateful service APIs that are invoked by an unspecified number of users. Listing API call sequences for this type of test cases is an important factor in achieving both high test coverage and short time required for test execution. This paper proposes a method to list fewer call sequences without reducing API coverage, and a method to measure the degree of adequacy of an API sequence for testing. Evaluations of more than 400 services show that the listing method reduces the number of sequences for half of the services, and that the measurement method can determine whether the reduction is possible or not for each service with high probability.

© 2019 IEEE. Regression testing plays an important role in maintaining the quality of web applications as they are modified. To reduce the cost of this testing, researchers have proposed a variety of regression test selection (RTS) techniques. The challenges in applying RTS include the lack of tool implementations and the lack of many application requirements such as automated testing and sufficient documentation. This paper presents the challenges and solutions of applying a simple and safe RTS approach to manual E2E testing of legacy web applications, and presents a case study where it is applied to two development projects. Case study results show that this approach can reduce testing more precisely than a test reduction approach based on developer experience with sufficiently low deployment and labor costs.

The cooler system for the ESA X-ray astronomical mission ATHENA X-IFU instrument is being studied, and a demonstration cooling test has been performed by integrating the mechanical coolers (double-stage Stirling cooler = 2ST, 4K-class and 1K-class Joule Thomson coolers = 4K-JT and 2K-JT) provided by JAXA with the coolers (15K-class pulse tube cooler = PT15K and 50mK hybrid cooler) provided by CEA into the cryostat. This paper describes the measured cooling performances of these Joule Thomson coolers under successful integration with the 50mK hybrid cooler and the pulse tube cooler. The demonstration test is proceeded under the international framework of ESA Core Technology Program (CTP) for a detector cooling system demonstration for ATHENA, and should provide valuable insight for other future space missions such as SPICA and LiteBIRD. &copy; Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.

Much of star formation is obscured by dust. For a complete understanding of the cosmic star formation history (CSFH), infrared (IR) census is indispensable. AKARI carried out deep mid-infrared observations using its continuous nine-band filters in the North Ecliptic Pole (NEP) field (5.4 deg2). This took a significant amount of the satellite's lifetime, ∼10% of the entire pointed observations. By combining archival Spitzer (five bands) and WISE (four bands) mid-IR photometry, we have, in total, 18-band mid-IR photometry, which is the most comprehensive photometric coverage in the mid-IR for thousands of galaxies. However, we only had shallow optical imaging (∼25.9AB magnitude) in a small area, 1.0 deg2. As a result, thousands of AKARI's infrared sources remained undetected in the optical. Using the new Hyper Suprime-Cam on the Subaru telescope, we obtained deep enough optical images of the entire AKARI NEP field in five broad bands (g ∼ 27.5mag). These provided photometric redshift, and thereby IR luminosity, for the previously undetected faint AKARI IR sources. Combined with the accurate mid-IR luminosity measurement, we constructed mid-IR luminosity functions (LFs), and thereby performed a census of dust-obscured CSFH in the entire AKARI NEP field. We have measured restframe μm and 12μm LFs, and estimated total infrared LFs at 0.35 < z < 2.2. Our results are consistent with our previous work, but with much reduced statistical errors thanks to the large-area coverage of the new data. We have possibly witnessed the turnover of CSFH at z ∼ 2.

We present H-band polarized scattered light imagery and JHK high-contrast spectroscopy of the protoplanetary disk around HD 163296 observed with the High-Contrast Coronographic Imager for Adaptive Optics (HiCIAO) and Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics (SCExAO)/Coronagraphic High Angular Resolution Imaging Spectrograph (CHARIS) instruments at Subaru Observatory. The polarimetric imagery resolve a broken ring structure surrounding HD 163296 that peaks at a distance along the major axis of 0.″65 (66 au) and extends out to 0.″98 (100 au) along the major axis. Our 2011 H-band data exhibit clear axisymmetry, with the NW and SE side of the disk exhibiting similar intensities. Our data are clearly different from 2016 epoch H-band observations of the Very Large Telescope (VLT)/Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (SPHERE), which found a strong 2.7× asymmetry between the NW and SE side of the disk. Collectively, these results indicate the presence of time-variable, non-azimuthally symmetric illumination of the outer disk. While our SCExAO/CHARIS data are sensitive enough to recover the planet candidate identified from NIRC2 in the thermal infrared (IR), we fail to detect an object with JHK brightness nominally consistent with this object. This suggests that the candidate is either fainter in JHK bands than model predictions, possibly due to extinction from the disk or atmospheric dust/clouds, or that it is an artifact of the data set/data processing, such as a residual speckle or partially subtracted disk feature. Assuming standard hot-start evolutionary models and a system age of 5 Myr, we set new, direct mass limits for the inner (outer) Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA)-predicted protoplanet candidate along the major (minor) disk axis of of 1.5 (2) M . J

Recent simulations predict that the presence of the stellar bulge suppress the efficiency of star formation (SF) in early-type galaxies, and this "morphological quenching" scenario is supported by many observations. In this study, we discuss the net effect of galaxy morphologies on the star formation efficiency (SFE) during the phase of galaxy transition, on the basis of our CO(J = 1 - 0) observations of 28 local "green valley" galaxies with the Nobeyama 45 m Radio Telescope. We observed 13 disk-dominated and 15 bulge-dominated green valley galaxies at fixed stellar mass (M ) and star formation rate (SFR), supplemented by 1 disk- and 6 bulge-dominated galaxies satisfying the same criteria from the xCOLD GASS survey. By using a total of 35 green valley galaxies, we reveal that the distributions of molecular gas mass, molecular gas fraction, and SFE of green valley galaxies do not change with their morphologies, suggesting little impact of galaxy morphologies on their SFE, and interestingly, this result is also valid for normal star-forming galaxies on the SF main sequence selected from the xCOLD GASS galaxies. On the other hand, we find that ∼20% of the bulge-dominated green valley galaxies do not show significant CO emission line, showing high SFEs for their M and SFR. These molecular gas deficient sources that are identified only in the bulge-dominated green valley galaxies may represent an important population during the quenching phase under the influence of the stellar bulge, but our results suggest that the presence of the stellar bulge does not decrease the efficiency of ongoing SF, in contrast to the prediction of the morphological quenching scenario. ∗ ∗

We present a systematic study of the 3.0μm H O ice and the 3.4μm aliphatic carbon absorption features toward 48 local ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) using spectra obtained by the AKARI Infrared Camera to investigate the UV environment in their star-forming regions. All the ULIRGs in our sample exhibit a ratio of optical depth of H O ice to silicate dust (τ /τ ) that is lower than that in the Taurus dark cloud. This implies that ULIRGs cannot be described as an ensemble of low-mass star-forming regions and that a significant amount of high-mass star-forming regions contribute to star-forming clouds in local ULIRGs. The results also show that the ratios of optical depth of aliphatic carbon to silicate dust, τ /τ , exhibit diverse values. We investigate two effects that can affect this ratio: the geometric temperature gradient (which increases the ratio) and the intense UV environment (which decreases it). The geometric temperature gradient is typically considered as a sign of active galactic nuclei (AGN). ULIRGs with AGN signs (optical classification, near-infrared color, and a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission strength of 3.3μm) indeed tend to exhibit a large τ /τ ratio. However, we find that the presence of buried AGN is not the only cause of the geometric temperature gradient, because the enhancement of the ratio is also evident in pure starburst-like ULIRGs without these AGN signs. Regarding the intense UV environment in star-forming regions, the correlation between the aliphatic carbon ratio and the ratio of the [C ] 158μm line luminosity to the far-infrared luminosity (L /L ), which represents the UV environment in photodissociation regions, implies that the intense UV environment causes the decrease of the aliphatic carbon ratio. We find that an intense UV environment (G/n > 3) in star-forming regions is needed for the aliphatic carbon ratio to be suppressed. 2 2 3.0 9.7 3.4 9.7 3.4 9.7 II [C II] FIR H

We present SCExAO/CHARIS 1.1-2.4 μm integral field direct spectroscopy of the young HIP 79124 triple system. HIP 79124 is a member of the Scorpius-Centaurus association, consisting of an A0V primary with two low-mass companions at a projected separation of < 1″. Thanks to the high quality wavefront corrections provided by SCExAO, both companions are decisively detected without the employment of any PSF-subtraction algorithm to eliminate quasi-static noise. The spectrum of the outer C object is very well matched by Upper Scorpius M4 ± 0.5 standard spectra, with a T = 2945 ± 100 K and a mass of ∼350 M . HIP 79124 B is detected at a separation of only 180 mas in a highly-correlated noise regime, and it falls in the spectral range M6 ± 0.5 with T = 2840 ± 190 K and ∼100 M . Previous studies of stellar populations in Sco-Cen have highlighted a discrepancy in isochronal ages between the lower-mass and higher-mass populations. This could be explained either by an age spread in the region, or by conventional isochronal models failing to reproduce the evolution of low-mass stars. The HIP 79124 system should be coeval, and therefore it provides an ideal laboratory to test these scenarios. We place the three components in a color-magnitude diagram and find that the models predict a younger age for the two low-mass companions (∼3 Myr) than for the primary star (∼6 Myr). These results imply that the omission of magnetic effects in conventional isochronal models inhibit them from reproducing early low-mass stellar evolution, which is further supported by the fact that new models that include such effects provide more consistent ages in the HIP 79124 system. eff Jup eff Jup

We present the results from the Hitomi Soft Gamma-ray Detector (SGD) observation of the Crab nebula. The main part of SGD is a Compton camera, which in addition to being a spectrometer, is capable of measuring polarization of gamma-ray photons. The Crab nebula is one of the brightest X-ray/gamma-ray sources on the sky, and the only source from which polarized X-ray photons have been detected. SGD observed the Crab nebula during the initial test observation phase of Hitomi. We performed data analysis of the SGD observation, SGD background estimation, and SGD Monte Carlo simulations and successfully detected polarized gamma-ray emission from the Crab nebula with only about 5 ks exposure time. The obtained polarization fraction of the phase-integrated Crab emission (sum of pulsar and nebula emissions) is (22.1%±10.6%), and the polarization angle is 110°.7 + 13°.2/-13°.0 in the energy range of 60.160 keV (the errors correspond to the 1 σ deviation). The confidence level of the polarization detection was 99.3%. The polarization angle measured by SGD is about one sigma deviation with the projected spin axis of the pulsar, 124°.0 ± 0°.0.1.

We investigate the connection between active galactic nucleus (AGN) and star formation activities of AGN host galaxies by studying the 3.3 μm polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission feature of 79 type 1 AGNs using the AKARI space telescope. Utilizing the slitless spectroscopic capability of the AKARI Infrared Camera, we obtained the spectra in the wavelength range of 2–5 μm from extended regions of the sample galaxies in order to measure star formation activity from the entire host galaxies. We detected the 3.3 μm PAH emission feature from 18 sample galaxies and measured the luminosities of the feature (L ). We found that L is significantly correlated with AGN luminosities (L ), such as 5100 Å monochromatic luminosity, and X-ray luminosity regardless of host galaxy morphology and radio-loudness. The correlation between L and L follows L ∝ L . Therefore we suggest that host galaxies with stronger AGN activities have stronger star formation activities. We also found that the ratios between L and the bolometric infrared luminosity (L ) of our sample galaxies are lower than for non-AGN galaxies due to increased L . We suggest that this can be attributed to the contribution of AGN to L PAH3.3 PAH3.3 AGN PAH3.3 AGN PAH3.3 AGN PAH3.3 IR IR IR 0 9

We report an orbital characterization of GJ1108Aab that is a low-mass binary system in the pre-main-sequence phase. Via the combination of astrometry using adaptive optics and radial velocity measurements, an eccentric orbital solution of e = 0.63 is obtained, which might be induced by the Kozai-Lidov mechanism with a widely separated GJ1108B system. Combined with several observed properties, we confirm that the system is indeed young. Columba is the most probable moving group, to which the GJ1108A system belongs, although its membership to the group has not been established. If the age of Columba is assumed for GJ1108A, the dynamical masses of both GJ1108Aa and GJ1108Ab (M = 0.72 ± 0.04 M and M = 0.30 ± 0.03 M ) are more massive than what an evolutionary model predicts based on the age and luminosities. We consider that the discrepancy in mass comparison can be attributed to an age uncertainty; the system is likely older than stars in Columba, and effects that are not implemented in classical models such as accretion history and magnetic activity are not preferred to explain the mass discrepancy. We also discuss the performance of the evolutionary model by compiling similar low-mass objects in the evolutionary state based on the literature. Consequently, it is suggested that the current model on average reproduces the mass of resolved low-mass binaries without any significant offsets. dynamical,GJ1108Aa o dynamical,GJ1108Ab o

Context. Deep mid-infrared (MIR) surveys have revealed numerous strongly star-forming galaxies at redshift z 2. Their MIR fluxes are produced by a combination of continuum and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission features. The PAH features can dominate the total MIR flux, but are difficult to measure without spectroscopy. Aims. We aim to study star-forming galaxies by using a blind spectroscopic survey at MIR wavelengths to understand evolution of their star formation rate (SFR) and specific SFR (SFR per stellar mass) up to z 0.5, by paying particular attention to their PAH properties. Methods. We conducted a low-resolution (R 50) slitless spectroscopic survey at 5-13 μm of 9 μm flux-selected sources (>0.3 mJy) around the north ecliptic pole with the infrared camera (IRC) onboard AKARI. After removing 11 AGN candidates by using the IRC photometry, we identify 48 PAH galaxies with PAH 6.2, 7.7, and 8.6 μm features at z < 0.5. The rest-frame optical-MIR spectral energy distributions (SEDs) based on CFHT and IRC imaging covering 0.37-18 μm were produced, and analysed in conjunction with the PAH spectroscopy. We defined the PAH enhancement by using the luminosity ratio of the 7.7 μm PAH feature over the 3.5 μm stellar component of the SEDs. Results. The rest-frame SEDs of all PAH galaxies have a universal shape with stellar and 7.7 μm bumps, except that the PAH enhancement significantly varies as a function of the PAH luminosities. We identify a PAH-enhanced population at z 0.35, whose SEDs and luminosities are typical of luminous infrared galaxies. They show particularly larger PAH enhancement at high luminosity, implying that they are vigorous star-forming galaxies with elevated specific SFR. Our composite starburst model that combines a very young and optically very thick starburst with a very old population can successfully reproduce most of their SED characteristics, although we cannot confirm this optically think component from our spectral analysis.

The Multipurpose InfraRed Imaging System (MIRIS) performed the MIRIS Paα Galactic Plane Survey (MIPAPS), which covers the entire Galactic plane within the latitude range of at Paα (1.87 μm). We present the first result of the MIPAPS data extracted from the longitude range of -116.°3 and demonstrate the quality and scientific potential of the data by comparing them with Hα maps obtained from the INT Photometric Hα Survey (IPHAS) data. We newly identify 90 H ii region candidates in the WISE H ii region catalog as definite H ii regions by detecting the Paα and/or Hα recombination lines, out of which 53 H ii regions are detected at Paα. We also report the detection of an additional 29 extended and 18 point-like sources at Paα. We estimate the E(B-V) color excesses and total Lyman continuum luminosities for H ii regions by combining the MIPAPS Paα and IPHAS Hα fluxes. The E(B-V) values are found to be systematically lower than those estimated from point stars associated with H ii regions. Utilizing the MIPAPS Paα and IPHAS Hα images, we obtain an E(B-V) map for the entire region of the H ii region Sh2-131 with an angular size of ∼2.°5. The E(B-V) map shows not only numerous high-extinction filamentary features but also negative E(B-V) regions, indicating Hα excess. The Hα excess and systematic underestimation of E(B-V) are attributed to light scattered by dust.

We report near-infrared (IR) observations of high Galactic latitude clouds to investigate diffuse Galactic light (DGL), which is starlight scattered by interstellar dust grains. The observations were performed at 1.1 and 1.6 μm with a wide-field camera instrument, the Multi-purpose Infra-Red Imaging System (MIRIS) onboard the Korean satellite STSAT-3. The DGL brightness is measured by correlating the near-IR images with a far-IR 100 μm map of interstellar dust thermal emission. The wide-field observation of DGL provides the most accurate DGL measurement achieved to-date. We also find a linear correlation between optical and near-IR DGL in the MBM32 field. To study interstellar dust properties in MBM32, we adopt recent dust models with and without μm-sized very large grains and predict the DGL spectra, taking into account the reddening effect of the interstellar radiation field. The result shows that the observed color of the near-IR DGL is closer to the model spectra without very large grains. This may imply that dust growth in the observed MBM32 field is not active owing to the low density of its interstellar medium.

We conducted high-contrast polarimetry observations of T Tau in the H-band, using the High Contrast Instrument for the Subaru Next Generation Adaptive Optics instrument mounted on the Subaru Telescope, revealing structures as near as 0.″1 from the stars T Tau N and T Tau S. The whole T Tau system is found to be surrounded by nebula-like envelopes, and several outflow-related structures are detected in these envelopes. We analyzed the detailed polarization patterns of the circumstellar structures near each component of this triple young star system and determined constraints on the circumstellar disks and outflow structures. We suggest that the nearly face-on circumstellar disk of T Tau N is no larger than 0.″8, or 117 au, in the northwest, based on the existence of a hole in this direction, and no larger than 0.″27, or 40 au, in the south. A new structure, "N5," extends to about 0.″42, or 59 au, southwest of the star, and is believed to be part of the disk. We suggest that T Tau S is surrounded by a highly inclined circumbinary disk with a radius of about 0.″3, or 44 au, with a position angle of about 30°, that is misaligned with the orbit of the T Tau S binary. After analyzing the positions and polarization vector patterns of the outflow-related structures, we suggest that T Tau S should trigger the well-known E-W outflow, and is also likely to be responsible for a southwest precessing outflow "coil" and a possible south outflow.

We have carried out near-infrared circular and linear imaging polarimetry of the AFGL 6366S region. There is one large infrared reflection nebula associated with the AFGL 6366S cluster and one small infrared reflection nebula associated with AFGL 6366S NE. Prominent and extended polarized nebulosities over the AFGL 6366S cluster field are found to be composed of several components and local nebula peaks, and those nebulosities are illuminated by at least three sources, which is roughly consistent with a previous study. However, the detailed linear polarization patterns and their degrees differ from the earlier study. The brightest regions of the nebulae are illuminated by the IRAS/WISE source. In addition, we report the first detection of circular polarization (CP) in the reflection nebula associated with AFGL 6366S. The CP is as large as approximately 4% in the K band, and the maximum CP extent is approximately 0.45 pc, which is comparable to that for the largest CP regions known to date, such as Orion and Mon R2, although the CP degrees are much smaller. The CP pattern is mostly quadrupolar, and its morphology resembles the shape of the C O dense core. Therefore, the CP region is probably illuminated by the IRAS/WISE source and its polarization is amplified by the dichroic absorption of the dense core associated with the cluster. This is the ninth source whose degrees of CPs are measured to be greater than 3%, suggesting that large and extended infrared CP regions are common among mid- to high-mass young stellar objects. s 18

We present results from the Hitomi X-ray observation of a young composite-type supernova remnant (SNR) G21.5-0.9, whose emission is dominated by the pulsar wind nebula (PWN) contribution. The X-ray spectra in the 0.8-80 keV range obtained with the Soft X-ray Spectrometer (SXS), Soft X-ray Imager, and Hard X-ray Imager (HXI) show a significant break in the continuum as previously found with the NuSTAR observation. After taking into account all known emissions from the SNR other than the PWN itself, we find that the Hitomi spectra can be fitted with a broken power law with photon indices of 1 = 1.74 ± 0.02 and 2 = 2.14 ± 0.01 below and above the break at 7.1 ± 0.3 keV, which is significantly lower than the NuSTAR result (∼9.0 keV). The spectral break cannot be reproduced by time-dependent particle injection one-zone spectral energy distribution models, which strongly indicates that a more complex emission model is needed, as suggested by recent theoretical models. We also search for narrow emission or absorption lines with the SXS, and perform a timing analysis of PSR J1833-1034 with the HXI and the Soft Gamma-ray Detector. No significant pulsation is found from the pulsar. However, unexpectedly, narrow absorption line features are detected in the SXS data at 4.2345 keV and 9.296 keV with a significance of 3.65 s. While the origin of these features is not understood, their mere detection opens up a new field of research and was only possible with the high resolution, sensitivity, and ability to measure extended sources provided by an X-ray microcalorimeter.

We present 850 μm imaging polarimetry data of the ρ Oph-A core taken with the Submillimeter Common-User Bolometer Array-2 (SCUBA-2) and its polarimeter (POL-2) as part of our ongoing survey project, -fields In STar forming RegiOns (BISTRO). The polarization vectors are used to identify the orientation of the magnetic field projected on the plane of the sky at a resolution of 0.01 pc. We identify 10 subregions with distinct polarization fractions and angles in the 0.2 pc ρ Oph-A core; some of them can be part of a coherent magnetic field structure in the ρ Oph region. The results are consistent with previous observations of the brightest regions of ρ Oph-A, where the degrees of polarization are at a level of a few percent, but our data reveal for the first time the magnetic field structures in the fainter regions surrounding the core where the degree of polarization is much higher (>5%). A comparison with previous near-infrared polarimetric data shows that there are several magnetic field components that are consistent at near-infrared and submillimeter wavelengths. Using the Davis-Chandrasekhar-Fermi method, we also derive magnetic field strengths in several subcore regions, which range from approximately 0.2 to 5 mG. We also find a correlation between the magnetic field orientations projected on the sky and the core centroid velocity components.

The Hitomi (ASTRO-H) mission is the sixth Japanese x-ray astronomy satellite developed by a large international collaboration, including Japan, USA, Canada, and Europe. The mission aimed to provide the highest energy resolution ever achieved at E > 2 keV, using a microcalorimeter instrument, and to cover a wide energy range spanning four decades in energy from soft x-rays to gamma rays. After a successful launch on February 17, 2016, the spacecraft lost its function on March 26, 2016, but the commissioning phase for about a month provided valuable information on the onboard instruments and the spacecraft system, including astrophysical results obtained from first light observations. The paper describes the Hitomi (ASTRO-H) mission, its capabilities, the initial operation, and the instruments/spacecraft performances confirmed during the commissioning operations for about a month.

The origin of the narrow Fe-Kα fluorescence line at 6.4 keV from active galactic nuclei has long been under debate; some of the possible sites are the outer accretion disk, the broad line region, a molecular torus, or interstellar/intracluster media. In 2016 February-March, we performed the first X-ray microcalorimeter spectroscopy with the Soft X-ray Spectrometer (SXS) on board the Hitomi satellite of the Fanaroff-Riley type I radio galaxy NGC 1275 at the center of the Perseus cluster of galaxies. With the high-energy resolution of ∼5 eV at 6 keV achieved by Hitomi/SXS, we detected the Fe-Kα line with ∼5.4 σ significance. The velocity width is constrained to be 500-1600 km s (FWHM for Gaussian models) at 90% confidence. The SXS also constrains the continuum level from the NGC 1275 nucleus up to ∼20 keV, giving an equivalent width of ∼20 eV for the 6.4 keV line. Because the velocity width is narrower than that of the broad Hα line of ∼2750 km s , we can exclude a large contribution to the line flux from the accretion disk and the broad line region. Furthermore, we performed pixel map analyses on the Hitomi/SXS data and image analyses on the Chandra archival data, and revealed that the Fe-Kα line comes from a region within ∼1.6 kpc of the NGC 1275 core, where an active galactic nucleus emission dominates, rather than that from intracluster media. Therefore, we suggest that the source of the Fe-Kα line from NGC 1275 is likely a low-covering-fraction molecular torus or a rotating molecular disk which probably extends from a parsec to hundreds of parsecs scale in the active galactic nucleus system. −1 −1

The Crab nebula originated from a core-collapse supernova (SN) explosion observed in 1054AD. When viewed as a supernova remnant (SNR), it has an anomalously low observed ejecta mass and kinetic energy for an Fe-core-collapse SN. Intensive searches have been made for a massive shell that solves this discrepancy, but none has been detected. An alternative idea is that SN 1054 is an electron-capture (EC) explosion with a lower explosion energy by an order of magnitude than Fe-core-collapse SNe. X-ray imaging searches were performed for the plasma emission from the shell in the Crab outskirts to set a stringent upper limit on the X-ray emitting mass. However, the extreme brightness of the source hampers access to its vicinity. We thus employed spectroscopic technique using the X-ray micro-calorimeter on board the Hitomi satellite. By exploiting its superb energy resolution, we set an upper limit for emission or absorption features from as yet undetected thermal plasma in the 2-12keV range. We also re-evaluated the existing Chandra and XMM-Newton data. By assembling these results, a new upper limit was obtained for the X-ray plasma mass of < 1 M for a wide range of assumed shell radius, size, and plasma temperature values both in and out of collisional equilibrium. To compare with the observation, we further performed hydrodynamic simulations of the Crab SNR for two SN models (Fe-core versus EC) under two SN environments (uniform interstellar medium versus progenitor wind). We found that the observed mass limit can be compatible with both SN models if the SN environment has a low density of < 0.03 cm (Fe core) or < 0.1 cm (EC) for the uniform density, or a progenitor wind density somewhat less than that provided by a mass loss rate of 10 M yr at 20 km s for the wind environment. ⊙ ⊙ -3 -3 -5 -1 -1