arXiv subjects

Hiroshi Kimura

Publications and source records attributed to Hiroshi Kimura.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

Light Scattering and Thermal Emission by Primitive Dust Particles in Planetary Systems

This review focuses on numerical approaches to deducing the light-scattering and thermal-emission properties of primitive dust particles in planetary systems from astronomical observations. The particles are agglomerates of small grains with sizes comparable to visible wavelength and compositions being mainly magnesium-rich silicates, iron-bearing metals, and organic refractory materials in pristine phases. These unique characteristics of primitive dust particles reflect their formation and evolution around main-sequence stars of essentially solar composition. The development of light-scattering theories has been offering powerful tools to make a thorough investigation of light scattering and thermal emission by primitive dust agglomerates in such a circumstellar environment. In particular, the discrete dipole approximation, the T-matrix method, and effective medium approximations are the most popular techniques for practical use in astronomy. Numerical simulations of light scattering and thermal emission by dust agglomerates of submicrometer-sized constituent grains have a great potential to provide new state-of-the-art knowledge of primitive dust particles in planetary systems. What is essential to this end is to combine the simulations with comprehensive collections of relevant results from not only astronomical observations, but also in-situ data analyses, laboratory sample analyses, laboratory analogue experiments, and theoretical studies on the origin and evolution of the particles.

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arXiv2016

Cohesion of Amorphous Silica Spheres: Toward a Better Understanding of the Coagulation Growth of Silicate Dust Aggregates

Adhesion forces between submicrometer-sized silicate grains play a crucial role in the formation of silicate dust agglomerates, rocky planetesimals, and terrestrial planets. The surface energy of silicate dust particles is the key to their adhesion and rolling forces in a theoretical model based on the contact mechanics. Here we revisit the cohesion of amorphous silica spheres by compiling available data on the surface energy for hydrophilic amorphous silica in various circumstances. It turned out that the surface energy for hydrophilic amorphous silica in a vacuum is a factor of 10 higher than previously assumed. Therefore, the previous theoretical models underestimated the critical velocity for the sticking of amorphous silica spheres, as well as the rolling friction forces between them. With the most plausible value of the surface energy for amorphous silica spheres, theoretical models based on the contact mechanics are in harmony with laboratory experiments. Consequently, we conclude that silicate grains with a radius of $0.1~μ$m could grow to planetesimals via coagulation in a protoplanetary disk. We argue that the coagulation growth of silicate grains in a molecular cloud is advanced either by organic mantles rather than icy mantles or, if there are no mantles, by nanometer-sized grain radius.

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arXiv2012

The Dust Mantle of Comet 9P/Tempel 1: Dynamical Constraints on Physical Properties

The trajectories of dust particles ejected from a comet are affected by solar radiation pressure as a function of their ratios of radiation pressure cross section to mass. Therefore, a study on the orbital evolution of the particles caused by the radiation pressure reveals the physical properties of dust on the surface of the comet nucleus. In the course of NASA's Deep Impact mission, the ejecta plume evolved under the influence of the radiation pressure. From the evolution and shape of the plume, we have succeeded in obtaining $β\approx 0.4$, where $β$ is the ratio of the radiation pressure to the solar gravity. Taking into account $β\approx 0.4$ as well as the observational constraints of a high color temperature and a small silicate-feature strength, dust particles ejected from the surface of comet 9P/Tempel 1 are likely compact dust aggregates of sizes $\approx 20\,μ$m (mass $\sim 10^{-8}$\,g). This is comparable to the major dust on the surface of comet 1P/Halley ($\sim 10μ$m) inferred from in-situ measurements and theoretical considerations. Since such dust aggregates with $β\approx 0.4$ must have survived on the surface against jets due to ice sublimation, the temperature of ice in the nucleus must be kept below 145\,K, which is much lower than equilibrium temperature determined by solar irradiation and thermal emission. These facts indicate that 9P/Tempel 1 has a dust mantle composed of $20\,μ$m-sized dust aggregates with low thermal conductivities $\sim 1 \, {\rm erg\, cm}^{-1} \, {\rm K}^{-1}\,{\rm s}^{-1}$.

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arXiv2011

Sublimation Temperature of Circumstellar Dust Particles and Its Importance for Dust Ring Formation

Dust particles in orbit around a star drift toward the central star by the Poynting-Robertson effect and pile up by sublimation. We analytically derive the pile-up magnitude, adopting a simple model for optical cross sections. As a result, we find that the sublimation temperature of drifting dust particles plays the most important role in the pile-up rather than their optical property does. Dust particles with high sublimation temperature form a significant dust ring, which could be found in the vicinity of the sun through in-situ spacecraft measurements. While the existence of such a ring in a debris disk could not be identified in the spectral energy distribution (SED), the size of a dust-free zone shapes the SED. Since we analytically obtain the location and temperature of sublimation, these analytical formulae are useful to find such sublimation evidences.

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arXiv2010

Low-Temperature Crystallization of Amorphous Silicate in Astrophysical Environments

We construct a theoretical model for low-temperature crystallization of amorphous silicate grains induced by exothermic chemical reactions. As a first step, the model is applied to the annealing experiments, in which the samples are (1) amorphous silicate grains and (2) amorphous silicate grains covered with an amorphous carbon layer. We derive the activation energies of crystallization for amorphous silicate and amorphous carbon from the analysis of the experiments. Furthermore, we apply the model to the experiment of low-temperature crystallization of amorphous silicate core covered with an amorphous carbon layer containing reactive molecules. We clarify the conditions of low-temperature crystallization due to exothermic chemical reactions. Next, we formulate the crystallization conditions so as to be applicable to astrophysical environments. We show that the present crystallization mechanism is characterized by two quantities: the stored energy density Q in a grain and the duration of the chemical reactions τ. The crystallization conditions are given by Q > Q_{min} and τ< τ_{cool} regardless of details of the reactions and grain structure, where τ_{cool} is the cooling timescale of the grains heated by exothermic reactions, and Q_{min} is minimum stored energy density determined by the activation energy of crystallization. Our results suggest that silicate crystallization occurs in wider astrophysical conditions than hitherto considered.

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arXiv2008

Comet 9P/Tempel 1: Interpretation with the Deep Impact Results

According to our common understandings, the original surface of a short-period comet nucleus has been lost by sublimation processes during its close approaches to the Sun. Sublimation results in the formation of a dust mantle on the retreated surface and in chemical differentiation of ices over tens or hundreds of meters below the mantle. In the course of NASA's Deep Impact mission, optical and infrared imaging observations of the ejecta plume were conducted by several researchers, but their interpretations of the data came as a big surprise: (1) The nucleus of comet 9P/Tempel 1 is free of a dust mantle, but maintains its pristine crust of submicron-sized carbonaceous grains; (2) Primordial materials are accessible already at a depth of several tens of cm with abundant silicate grains of submicrometer sizes. In this study, we demonstrate that a standard model of cometary nuclei explains well available observational data: (1) A dust mantle with a thickness of ~1-2 m builds up on the surface, where compact aggregates larger than tens of micrometers dominate; (2) Large fluffy aggregates are embedded in chemically differentiated layers as well as in the deepest part of the nucleus with primordial materials. We conclude that the Deep Impact results do not need any peculiar view of a comet nucleus.

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arXiv2006

First Two-Micron Imaging Polarimetry of Beta Pictoris

High-resolution K band imaging polarimetry of the beta Pic dust disk has been conducted with adaptive optics and a coronagraph using the Subaru 8.2-m telescope. Polarization of ~10 % is detected out to r ~ 120 AU with a centro-symmetric vector pattern around the central star, confirming that the disk is seen as an infrared reflection nebula. We have modeled our near-infrared and previous optical polarization results in terms of dust scattering in the disk and have found that both the degrees of polarization and the radial intensity profiles are well reproduced. We argue that the observed characteristics of the disk dust are consistent with the presence of ice-filled fluffy aggregates consisting of submicron grains in the beta Pic system. There is a gap around 100 AU in both the intensity and polarization profiles, which suggests a paucity of planetesimals in this region. The radial intensity profile also shows ripple-like structures, which are indicative of the presence of multiple planetesimal belts, as in the case of the M-type Vega-like star AU Mic.

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arXiv2005

Near-Infrared Photometric Monitoring of a Pre-Main-Sequence Object KH 15D

An extensive photometric monitoring of KH 15D, an enigmatic variable in the young star cluster NGC 2264, has been conducted. Simultaneous and accurate near-infrared (JHKs-bands) photometry is presented between 2003 December and 2005 March covering most of the variable phase. The infrared variability is characterized by large-amplitude and long-lasting eclipse, as observed at optical. The period of variability is 48.3 +/- 0.2 days, the maximum photometric amplitude of variability is ~4.2 mag, and the eclipse duration is \~0.5 in phase units. These are consistent with the most recent period, amplitude, and duration at optical. The blueing of the J-H color (~0.16 mag) during the eclipse, which has been suggested before, is unambiguously confirmed; a similar blueing at H-Ks is less clear but is probably present at a similar level. The overall shape of the JHKs light curves is very similar to the optical one, including a fair time-symmetry and a less stable flux during the eclipse with a slight hump near the zero phase. Most of these variability features of KH 15D observed at near-infrared wavelengths can be explained with the recent model employing an eclipse by the inclined, precessing disk and an outer scattering region around a pre-main-sequence binary.

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