Be/X-ray and Be/gamma-ray binaries are systems comprised of a Be star and a compact object. In these systems, the Be disk plays an important role in their high-energy activities through the interaction with the compact object. Because of highly eccentric orbits, the interaction depends on the orbital phase in Be/X and Be/gamma-ray binaries. Such interaction affects the Be disk structure, causing photometric and polarimetric variabilities. In order to search for photometric and polatimetric variability in Be/X-ray and Be/gamma-ray binaries, we have monitored several systems with the polarimeter attached to Hiroshima 1.5m Kanata telescope, Japan. Our two-year monitor finds that some programmed systems show photometric variations and a few systems show polatimatric variabilities.

The occurrence of low-amplitude flux variations in blazars on hourly timescales, commonly known as microvariability, is still a widely debated subject in high-energy astrophysics. Several competing scenarios have been proposed to explain such occurrences, including various jet plasma instabilities leading to the formation of shocks, magnetic reconnection sites, and turbulence. In this Letter, we present the results of our detailed investigation of a prominent, five-hour-long optical microflare detected during the recent WEBT campaign on 2014 March 2-6 targeting the blazar 0716+714. After separating the flaring component from the underlying base emission continuum of the blazar, we find that the microflare is highly polarized, with the polarization degree similar to(40-60)%+/-(2-10)% and the electric vector position angle similar to(10-20)degrees +/-(1-8)degrees slightly misaligned with respect to the position angle of the radio jet. The microflare evolution in the (Q, U) Stokes parameter space exhibits a looping behavior with a counterclockwise rotation, meaning the polarization degree decreases with the flux (but is higher in the flux decaying phase), and an approximately stable polarization angle. The overall very high polarization degree of the flare, its symmetric flux rise and decay profiles, and also its structured evolution in the Q-U plane all imply that the observed flux variation corresponds to a single emission region characterized by a highly ordered magnetic field. As discussed in the paper, a small-scale but strong shock propagating within the outflow, and compressing a disordered magnetic field component, provides a natural, though not unique, interpretation of our findings.

We present optical and near-infrared multi-band linear polarimetry of the highly reddened Type Ia supernova (SN) 2014J that appeared in M82. SN 2014J exhibits large polarization at shorter wavelengths, e.g., 4.8% in the B band, which decreases rapidly at longer wavelengths, while the position angle of the polarization remains at approximately 40° over the observed wavelength range. These polarimetric properties suggest that the observed polarization is likely predominantly caused by the interstellar dust within M82. Further analysis shows that the polarization peaks at a wavelengths much shorter than those obtained for the Galactic dust. The wavelength dependence of the polarization can be better described by an inverse power law rather than by the Serkowski law for Galactic interstellar polarization. These points suggest that the nature of the dust in M82 may be different from that in our Galaxy, with polarizing dust grains having a mean radius of <0.1 μm.

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Geological Setting and Sampling Sites Textures and Compositions of Volcaniclastic Fragments Origin of the Volcaniclastic Layers Sediment Source and Depositional Processes on the South Flank Events Recorded in Piston Cores Summary

Hawaiian volcanoes are exceptional examples of intraplate hotspot volcanism. Hotspot volcanoes, which frequently host large eruptions and related earthquakes, flank‐failure landslides, and associated tsunamis, can present severe hazards to populated regions. Many studies have focused on subaerial parts of Hawaiian volcanoes, but the deep‐water flanks of the edifices, which can reach 5700 m below sea level, remain poorly understood because they are so inaccessible. In 1998 a collaborative program between Japan and the United States was initiated to explore the evolution of Hawaiian volcanoes, including their growth and degradation.

In central and eastern Anatolia, volcanism related to continental collision occurred in Neogene to Quaternary times. Major-and trace-element compositions, Sr-87/Sr-86 and K-Ar ages were determined for volcanic rocks from selected volcanoes in this region. Sr-87/Sr-86 for basalts from Erciyes volcano in the eastern part of central Anatolia, as well as Ararat, Nemrut and Karacadag volcanoes in eastern Anatolia are in the range 0.7034-0.7040. These ratios are higher than those of N-type MORB but overlap arc volcanic rock values. This suggests that the mantle source, which was possibly contaminated by fluids and melts with higher Sr-87/Sr-86 during the pre-collisional events, has similar Sr isotopic compositions in wide areas of the eastern part of central Anatolia and eastern Anatolia, even across the collision plate boundary. In addition, chemical compositions of the mantle source are not homogeneous with respect to HFS element contents, indicating that the slab-derived components resulting from past subductions are not homogeneously distributed.The mantle source beneath the western part of central Anatolia, which corresponds to the transitional region from collision tectonics in the east to subduction tectonics in the west, has different chemical and Sr isotopic signatures from other parts of Anatolia. In the western part of central Anatolia, the Sr-87/Sr-86 of basaltic rocks from three regions characterized by monogenetic volcanoes are in the range 0.70427 to 0.70581 and differ from region to regiuon, in spite of indistinguishable chemical compositions. This indicates either source heterogeneity on a small scale, or different contributions of local crustal contaminants.Calc-alkaline lavas from Ararat and Kars in eastern Anatolia have chemical compositions with subduction signatures inherited from pre-collision subduction events. In contrast, the chemical and Sr isotopic features of volcanic rocks from Erciyes volcano in central Anatolia indicate that the combined process of fractional crystallization of basaltic magma and crustal assimilation, without injection of slab-derived components, is the dominant process generating calc-alkaline andesite, under the collision tectonics regime operating in this region.

We have performed fluoroscopic contrast medium percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (FCM-PEIT) total 266 times to 82 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) nodules in 44 HCC cases: FCM-PEIT is the newly developed method that HCC nodules are punctured by a needle and injected with ethanol mixed with water-soluble contrast medium (Iopamidol containing 370 mg/ml iodine) (vol/vol: 7/3) under the fluoroscopic observation as well as ultrasonic diagnostic equipment (US). Autopsy analyses have demonstrated nearly complete tumor necrosis by FCM-PEIT. We analyzed the detectable rate (%) of the contrast medium-mixed ethanol (CME) leakage out of HCC nodules by US-alone, fluoroscope-alone, and US-fluoroscope observation. The detectable rate of the leakage was 63% by US-fluoroscope, while was only 32% by US-alone. Particularly, all leakages into intra hepatic bile duct were missed by US-alone. The maximal CME-amount for injection without any leakage was not uniform and not related to the size of HCC nodules. The present results suggest that FCM-PEIT is clinically more useful method for the treatment of HCC compared to general PEIT that HCC nodules are injected with ethanol under the US-alone observation, since it is easy to confirm whether ethanol can be sufficiently injected into HCC nodules without any leakage.

A buried‐slide method of inducing teleomorph development was compared with a soil method for isolates of Rhizoctonia solani in anastomosis group 2. The teleomorph (Thanatephorus cucumeris) developed frequently in the buried‐slide method. For non‐self‐anastomosing isolates, which cannot grow through soil, the teleomorph was observed only in the buried‐slide method. One of the five soils tested was particularly favourable. The buried‐slide method allows easy examination of the teleomorph with minimum disturbance to the hymenium. It has demonstrated the identity of non‐self‐anastomosing isolates with T. cucumeris.

Non-self-anastomosing isolates (NSAIs) were found among isolates of Rhizoctonia solani AG2-2 obtained from successively cropped sugarbeet fields. Hyphal anastomosis did not occur between NSAIs obtained from the same field or from the different fields. The frequency of hyphal anastomosis between self-anastomosing isolates (SAIs) and NSAIs of AG2-2 was considerably less than between SAIs. NSAIs had similar growth rates to SAIs on culture media but were less pathogenic. SAIs could grow on natural soil, but NSAIs grew only on autoclaved soil. NSAIs did not form sclerotia. In soil, SAIs survived for 10 months as sclerotia and for 2 months as buried mycelia and in organic debris, but NSAIs did not survive more than 1 week in any form. The relation between the appearance of NSAIs and disease decline in monoculture is discussed.

Melanin was detected in self-anastomosing isolates (SAIs) but not in non-self-anastomosing isolates (NSAIs) of anastomosis group (AG) 2-2. Melanin was also detected in isolates of AG 2-1, AG 3 and AG 5, but not of AG 1 and AG 4, The known melanin precursors, catechol and ( + )-scytalone, and inhibitors, Na 2 EDTA, tricyclazole and chlobenthiazone, did not affect hyphal melanization of SAIs and NSAIs. This indicates that the pentaketide or catechol pathway of melanin synthesis may be absent in R. solani . In SAIs, the hyphal cells were composed of extremely thickened walls possessing electron-dense multilayered and microfibrillar structures, whereas in NSAIs the hyphal cell wall was usually very thin, and there was no electron-dense layer even if the cell wall was thick. The hyphal cell wall of AG 1 was also very thin and was transparent. In soil, the longevity of mycelium of SAI was much longer than that of NSAIs. Longevities of isolates of AG 2-1, AG 2-2 and AG 3 were longer than those of AG 1 and AG 4. It seems that there is a correlation between melanin content in the hyphal cell wall and susceptibility or resistance to microbial lysis.

Seventy-one debris avalanche deposits are identified from 52 Japanese Quaternary volcanoes. The structures of these volcanoes are mostly stratovolcanoes and lava domes. No avalanche deposit is found in calderas, pyroclastic cones or maar volcanoes. Debris avalanche deposits are found in 18% of all Quaternary volcanoes or 25% of Quaternary stratovolcanoes and lava domes. The ratio rises to 49% when considering only active stratovolcanoes and lava domes. At least five debris avalanche deposits have formed since 9th century. The maximum height difference of sliding (H) for each debris avalanche ranges from 200 to 2400 meters and the maximum runout distance of sliding (L) ranges from 1.6 to 32 km. The ratio H/L ranges from 0.2 to 0.06, and becomes smaller in larger debris avalanches. They are more mobile than landslides in non-volcanic areas. Volume is within a range of 0.03 and 9 km3. There is no relation between the direction of sliding and the regional horizontal compressional stress axis at the site of a volcano. Two-dimensional computer simulations of avalanches using a simplified physical model are made. The maximum velocity is mainly controlled by the length of steep slope.

The Pungarehu Formation, Mount Egmont, New Zealand (Neall, 1979) is a debris avalanche deposit (Crandell et al., 1984) characterized by two components, block and matrix. The percentage and size of blocks together with the number and width of jigsaw cracks, and the roundness of volcanic clasts contained in the matrix were measured at 44 exposures. Our results show that the percentage of block is low at marginal and distal exposures than in the central exposures of the Formation. The width of jigsaw cracks in the block and the roundness of volcanic clasts in the matrix are high at the marginal and distal exposures. The data obtained in this study support the concept of blocks being gradually loosened and split apart during transportation, into deformed smaller blocks which eventually become isolated clasts. It appears that jigsaw cracks are formed in larger blocks during the early stage of flowage due to collision against either the ground surface or other blocks. The matrix, together with smaller blocks, flowed further than the block component, leaving large hummocky hills in the central portion of the flow comprised of clusters of blocks. Abrasion of isolated volcanic clasts within the matrix also appears to have occurred during flowage.