arXiv subjects

K. Koga

Publications and source records attributed to K. Koga.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2019

Solar Neutrons Observed from September 4 to 10, 2017 by SEDA-FIB

The SEDA-FIB is a detector designed to measure solar neutrons. This solar neutron detector was operated onboard the ISS on July 16, 2009 and March 31, 2018. Eighteen large solar flares were later observed by the GOES satellite in solar active region 12673 that appeared on September 4 and lasted until September 10, 2017, with intensity higher than > M2. In nine of those solar flares, the SEDA-FIB detected clear signals of solar neutrons, along with five minor excesses. Among these events, we focus on two associated with the flares of X2.2 (SOL2017-09-06) and X8.2 (SOL2017-09-10) that share a common feature: a process of accelerating electrons into high energies as clearly recorded by the FERMI-GBM detector. These events may provide us with useful information to elucidate the ion acceleration process. The X8.2 event was a limb flare that proved adequate for fixing the parameters needed to explain the process of particle acceleration into high energies. According to our analysis, the electron acceleration process may possibly be explained by the shock acceleration model. However, we found that it would be difficult to explain the simultaneous acceleration of ions with electrons, unless the ions were preheated prior to their rapid acceleration.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2019

Angular and Abundance Distribution of High-energy Gamma Rays and Neutrons Simulated by GEANT4 Code for Solar Flares

In the solar flare observed on June 3, 2012, high energy gamma-rays and neutrons were observed. The event includes a remarkable feature of a high neutron/gamma-ratio in the secondary particles. We have examined whether this high n/$γ$-ratio can be explained by simulation. As a result of simulations using the GEANT4 program, the high n/$γ$-ratio may be reproduced for the case that helium and other heavy ions were dominantly accelerated in the flare.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2017

Analysis of solar gamma rays and solar neutrons detected on March 7th and September 25th of 2011 by Ground Level Neutron Telescopes, SEDA-FIB and FERMI-LAT

At the 33rd ICRC, we reported the possible detection of solar gamma rays by a ground level detector and later re-examined this event. On March 7, 2011, the solar neutron telescope (SNT) located at Mt. Sierra Negra, Mexico (4,600 m) observed enhancements of the counting rate from 19:49 to 20:02 UT and from 20:50 to 21:01 UT. The statistical significance was 9.7sigma and 8.5sigma, respectively. This paper discusses the possibility of using this mountain detector to detect solar gamma rays. In association with this event, the solar neutron detector SEDA-FIB onboard the International Space Station has also detected solar neutrons with a statistical significance of 7.5sigma. The FERMI-LAT detector also observed high-energy gamma rays from this flare with a statistical significance of 6.7sigma. We thus attempted to make a unified model to explain this data. In this paper, we report on another candidate for solar gamma rays detected on September 25th, 2011 by the SNT located in Tibet (4,300 m) from 04:37 to 04:47 UT with a statistical significance of 8.0sigma (by the Li-Ma method).

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2016

A photon observed by the SEDA-FIB detector on the arrival of the gravitational wave

We reported a photon detection at the arrival time of the gravitational wave on December 26th, 2015. According to the LIGO-Virgo collaboration, the gravitational wave was produced by the merging process of the two black holes. The merged time was determined at 03:38:53.6 UT on December 26th. At 03:38:54.05 GPS time, one of the detectors of SEDA-FIB on board the International Space Station (ISS) detected a photon, arriving from the direction of Corona Australis near the Galactic Bulge (GB). The energy of the photon was about (35+-7) MeV. A 3.0 sigma level detection of the photon is discussed.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2016

Spatial structure and temporal evolution of energetic particle injections in the inner magnetosphere during the 14 July 2013 substorm event

Recent results by the Van Allen Probes mission showed that the occurrence of energetic ion injections inside geosynchronous orbit could be very frequent throughout the main phase of a geomagnetic storm. Understanding, therefore, the formation and evolution of energetic particle injections is critical in order to quantify their effect in the inner magnetosphere. We present a case study of a substorm event that occurred during a weak storm $\textit{ Dst }$ $\sim$ -40nT on 14 July 2013. Van Allen Probe B, inside geosynchronous orbit, observed two energetic proton injections within 10min, with different dipolarization signatures and duration. The first one is a dispersionless, short-timescale injection pulse accompanied by a sharp dipolarization signature, while the second one is a dispersed, longer-timescale injection pulse accompanied by a gradual dipolarization signature. We combined ground magnetometer data from various stations and in situ particle and magnetic field data from multiple satellites in the inner magnetosphere and near-Earth plasma sheet to determine the spatial extent of these injections, their temporal evolution, and their effects in the inner magnetosphere. Our results indicate that there are different spatial and temporal scales at which injections can occur in the inner magnetosphere and depict the necessity of multipoint observations of both particle and magnetic field data in order to determine these scales.

physics.space-ph↗

arXiv2015

The Search for >35 MeV Neutrons from the June 3, 2012 Impulsive Flare

We analyzed a highly impulsive solar flare observed on June 3, 2012. In association with this flare, emissions of hard X-rays, high-energy gamma rays, and neutrons were detected by the detectors onboard the FERMI, RHESSI satellites and the International Space Station. We compared those results with the pictures taken by the UV telescope onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite and found the crossing structure of two magnetic ropes at two positions on the solar surface almost at the same time. High-energy gamma rays were detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope satellite, implying that the impulsive flare was one of a major source of proton acceleration processes on the solar surface. At the beginning of research, impulsive solar flares were considered to be the main source of particle acceleration processes; our current observations have confirmed this hypothesis.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2015

Simultaneous Observation of Solar Neutrons from the ISS and High Mountain Observatories in association with a flare on July 8, 2014

An M6.5-class flare was observed at N12E56 of the solar surface at 16:06 UT on July 8, 2014. In association with this flare, solar neutron detectors located on two high mountains, Mt. Sierra Negra and Chacaltaya and at the space station observed enhancements in the neutral channel. The authors analysed these data and a possible scenario of enhancements produced by high-energy protons and neutrons is proposed, using the data from continuous observation of a solar surface by the ultraviolet telescope onboard the Solar Dynamical Observatory (SDO).

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

Results of a Measurement of Solar Neutrons Emitted on March 5, 2012 using a Fiber-type neutron monitor onboard the SEDA-AP attached to the ISS

The solar neutron detector SEDA-FIB onboard the International Space Station (ISS) has detected several events from the solar direction associated with three large solar flares observed on March 5th (X1.1), 7th (X5.4), and 9th (M6.3) of 2012. In this study, we present the time profiles of those neutrons and discuss the physics that may be related to a possible acceleration scenario for ions over the solar surface. We compare our data with the dynamical pictures of the flares obtained by the ultra-violet telescope of the space-based Solar Dynamics Observatory.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2013

Mission design of LiteBIRD

LiteBIRD is a next-generation satellite mission to measure the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation. On large angular scales the B-mode polarization of the CMB carries the imprint of primordial gravitational waves, and its precise measurement would provide a powerful probe of the epoch of inflation. The goal of LiteBIRD is to achieve a measurement of the characterizing tensor to scalar ratio $r$ to an uncertainty of $δr=0.001$. In order to achieve this goal we will employ a kilo-pixel superconducting detector array on a cryogenically cooled sub-Kelvin focal plane with an optical system at a temperature of 4~K. We are currently considering two detector array options; transition edge sensor (TES) bolometers and microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKID). In this paper we give an overview of LiteBIRD and describe a TES-based polarimeter designed to achieve the target sensitivity of 2~$μ$K$\cdot$arcmin over the frequency range 50 to 320~GHz.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2013

Measurement of High-Energy Solar Neutrons with SEDA-FIB onboard the ISS

A new type of solar neutron detector (SEDA-FIB) was launched on board the Space Shuttle Endeavor on July 16 2009, and began collecting data at the International Space Station (ISS) on August 25 2009. This paper summarizes four years of observations with the solar neutron detector SEDA-FIB (Space Environment Data Acquisition using the FIBer detector). The solar neutron detector FIB can determine both the energy and arrival direction of solar neutrons. In this paper, we first present the angular distribution of neutron induced protons obtained in Monte Carlo simulations. The results are compared with the experimental results. Then we provide the angular distribution of background neutrons during one full orbit of the ISS (90 minutes). Next, the angular distribution of neutrons during the flare onset time from 20:02 to 20:10 UT on March 7 2011 is presented. It is compared with the distribution when a solar flare is not occurring. Observed solar neutrons possibly originated from the M-class solar flares that occurred on March 7 (M3.7), June 7 (M2.5), September 24 (M3.0) (weak signal) and November 3 (X1.9) of 2011 and January 23 of 2012 (M8.7). This marked the first time that neutrons have been observed from M-class solar flares. A possible interpretation of the neutron production process will be also provided.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2013

A Possible Detection of Solar Gamma-Rays by the Ground Level Detector

On March 7, 2011 from 19:48:00 to 20:03:00 UT, the solar neutron telescope located at Mt. Sierra Negra, Mexico (4,600m) observed a 8.8sigma enhancement. In this paper, we would like to try to explain this enhancement by a hypothesis that a few GeV gamma-rays arrived at the top of the mountain produced by the Sun. We postulate that protons were accelerated at the shock front. They precipitate at the solar surface and produced those gamma-rays. If hypothesis is confirmed, this enhancement is the first sample of GeV gamma-rays observed by a ground level detector.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2013

Renormalization group calculations for wetting transitions of infinite order and continuously varying order. I. Local interface Hamiltonian approach

We study the effect of thermal fluctuations on the wetting phase transitions of infinite order and of continuously varying order, recently discovered within a mean-field density-functional model for three-phase equilibria in systems with short-range forces and a two-component order parameter. Using linear functional renormalization group (RG) calculations within a local interface Hamiltonian approach, we show that the infinite-order transitions are robust. The exponential singularity (implying $2-α_s = \infty$) of the surface free energy excess at infinite-order wetting as well as the precise algebraic divergence (with $β_s = -1$) of the wetting layer thickness are not modified as long as $ω< 2$, with $ω$ the dimensionless wetting parameter that measures the strength of thermal fluctuations. The interface width diverges algebraically and universally (with $ν_{\perp} = 1/2$). In contrast, the non-universal critical wetting transitions of finite but continuously varying order are modified when thermal fluctuations are taken into account, in line with predictions from earlier calculations on similar models displaying weak, intermediate and strong fluctuation regimes.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2012

Measurement by FIB on the ISS: Two Emissions of Solar Neutrons Detected?

A new type of solar neutron detector (FIB) was launched onboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on July 16, 2009, and it began collecting data at the International Space Station (ISS) on August 25, 2009. This paper summarizes the three years of observations obtained by the solar neutron detector FIB until the end of July 2012. The solar neutron detector FIB can determine both the energy and arrival direction of neutrons. We measured the energy spectra of background neutrons over the SAA region and elsewhere, and found the typical trigger rates to be 20 counts/sec and 0.22 counts/sec, respectively. It is possible to identify solar neutrons to within a level of 0.028 counts/sec, provided that directional information is applied. Solar neutrons were observed in association with the M-class solar flares that occurred on March 7 (M3.7) and June 7 (M2.5) of 2011. This marked the first time that neutrons were observed in M-class solar flares. A possible interpretaion of the prodcution process is provided.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2009

Energy Determination of Solar Neutrons by the SEDA-AP on-board JEM of ISS

A solar neutron detector has been launched on the Japan Exposure Module (JEM) of the International Space Station (ISS) in August 4, 2009. The detector works satsifactory. The detector comprises scintillation fiber and is designated as the Space Environment Data Acquisition (SEDA)-FIB. It tracks the recoil protons induced by neutrons and measurement of the proton energy using the range method. The energy resolution of the detector was measured using the proton beam at Riken. Herein, we report the energy resolution of the FIB detector by two different methods.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2000

Correlation functions in decorated lattice models

Occupation probabilities for primary-secondary-primary cell strings and correlation functions for primary sites of a decorated lattice model are expressed through the well-studied partition function and correlation functions of the Ising model. The results are analogous to those found in related lattice models of hydrophobic interactions and are interpreted in similar terms.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗