Cover Caption
Near-infrared (wavelength of 1.6 µm) image of young solar-type star PDS 70 (age of 10 million years) observed in the Subaru telescope.
One of the largest gap in the protoplanetary disk around PDS 70 was observed for the first time among solar-type stars.

Postscript
Editor Publications Committee
HANAOKA, Yoichiro
UEDA, Akitoshi
OE, Masafumi
SÔMA, Mitsuru
NISHIKAWA, Jun
HAGIWARA, Yoshiaki
YOSHIDA, Haruo
Publisher National Institutes of Natural Sciences
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
TEL: +81-422-34-3600
FAX: +81-422-34-3960
http://www.nao.ac.jp/
Printer Sanrei Printing Co., Ltd.
2-32-1 Kandajinbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0051, Japan
TEX: +81-03-5276-0811
FAX: +81-03-5276-0812

Annual Report of the
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

Volume 15, Supplement
Fiscal 2012

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Preface

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Masahiko HAYASHI
Director General
National Astronomical Observatory of JapanI Scientific Highlights April 2012 – March 2013
II Publications, Presentations
III Status Reports of Research Activities
01. Mizusawa VLBI Observatory
02. Nobeyama Radio Observatory
03. Nobeyama Solar Radio Observatory
04. Solar Observatory
05. Okayama Astrophysical Observatory
06. Subaru Telescope
07. Center for Computational Astrophysics
08. Hinode Science Center
09. NAOJ Chile Observatory
10. TAMA Project Office
11. TMT Project Office
12. JASMINE Project Office
13. Extrasolar Planet Detection Project Office
14. RISE Project
15. Astronomy Data Center
16. Advanced Technology Center
17. Public Relations Center
18. Division of Optical and Infrared Astronomy
19. Division of Radio Astronomy
20. Division of Solar and Plasma Astrophysics
21. Division of Theoretical Astronomy
22. Office of International Relations
IV Organization and Management

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Annual Report of the
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Volume 15, Supplement, Fiscal 2012

III Status Reports of Research Activities
1. Mizusawa VLBI Observatory
1. Project Overview
Regular maintenance for FY 2012 was performed from
October to December, rather than from June to August as inprevious years, because the designated contractor at the end of
the previous year had its bid participation eligibility suspended.
As part of reconstruction work on the Ibaraki Station, which wasdamaged in the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred on
March 11, 2011, emergency work was performed on the azimuth
rail retaining mechanism of the 32 m Hitachi telescope, whichat the beginning of 2011 had been in danger of collapsing. That
was followed by primary reconstruction work, enabling test
operation by the end of 2011. Secondary reconstruction work
was subsequently performed, leading to complete reconstruction
nu the end of FY 2012.
VERA Project observation continued without interruption
despite the change in the maintenance work schedule. In FY
2012, a ceremony to celebrate the 10th anniversary of VERA
and a report session on observational results were held, as well
as a press conference about the observational results. Notable
results include a revision to the value for the orbital speed of the
Solar System in the Milky Way galaxy used up until now by the
IAU. The IAU had previously recommended the orbital speed of
the Solar System as 220 km/s, but following analysis of VERA
observational results from 2007 onward, a roughly 10 % faster
speed of 240 km/s was reported.
Scientific evaluation and observation were also actively
pursued in cooperation with the Korean VLBI Network (KVN),
and a joint Japanese/Korean science working group meeting washeld in Mizusawa in July 2012. The Optical Fiber-Connected
VLBI Project; projects to establish the Japanese VLBI Networkand the East Asia VLBI Network; gravitational observation andresearch projects; and research activities at the Ishigakijima
Astronomical Observatory were also implemented as in previous
years. An overview of the activities for each project will begiven below.
Other activities include the collaborative effort to install asupercomputer at Mizusawa. Massive additions to the structure
previously used to maintain the 20 m radio telescope, and aframework was established for receiving the supercomputer
scheduled to go into operation starting in FY 2013. We used
this opportunity to develop research ties with the Center for
Computational Astrophysics (CfCA), which is to manage theoperation of the supercomputer. Successful results were obtained
from introductingVERA observational results into the 4D2U
project and from cooperating with galactic rotation simulations.
An ultra-high-speed optical line (JGN line) node was also
set up in Mizusawa with the cooperation of the Astronomical
Data Center, allowing for 10 Gbit/s data transmission. A planis in place at the Mizusawa VLBI Observatory to move of thecorrelator currently in operation at Mitaka to Mizusawa in the
future. The Mitaka-Mizusawa ultra-high-speed data transmission
line is expected to be an important tool for correlation
calculations in Mizusawa using observational data collected in
Mitaka from stations in the Japanese VLBI Network.
(1) VERAThe scientific goal of the VERA Project is to engage inastrometric observation of objects in the Milky Way and to
shed light on the spatial and velocity structures of the Milky
Way as a whole via the highest level of phase-referencing
VLBI observation worldwide. To achieve this goal, distances
throughout the entire Milky Way must be measured with arelative uncertainty of no more than 20 %; thus, astrometricobservation will be performed with 10-microarcsecond accuracy,
100 times more precise than before. The annual parallax andproper motion of approximately 1,000 astrophysical maser
sources in the Milky Way galaxy will thus be measured, thereby
revealing the three-dimensional structure and dynamics of the
Milky Way. Research goals of the project include developmentof a rotation curve for the Milky Way a priori symmetry orother assumptions used in previous curves, and clarification of
the kinematic mass distribution within the Milky Way and anunderstanding of the distribution of spiral arm structures anddark matter. Another major scientific goal of the project is toverify that the relationship between absolute luminosity andvariation period seen in late-type stars in the Large Magellanic
Cloud also applies in the Milky Way.
Observational station positions must be measured withhigh precision in order to perform these types of astrometricobservations. Comprehensive, precise measurements performed
via VLBI, GPS, gravimeters, and the like are also expected tocontribute to geodesic and geophysical research.
The observational system consists of four 20 m radio
telescopes installed at the Mizusawa VLBI Observatory at
Oshu in Iwate Prefecture, the Iriki Ranch of Kagoshima
University in Satsuma-sendai, Kagoshima Prefecture, the islandof Chichijima in Ogasawara, Tokyo Prefecture, and Nagura in
Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture, which perform observations asa single unified VLBI observational apparatus. The greatest
characteristic of VERA is its dual-beam observational system,
which is capable of simultaneously observing two objects having
an angular separation of 0.3°–2.2°, allowing for high-precision
phare-referencing VLBI observations. Observational data isrecorded via magnetic tape recorders at a rate of 1 Gbps. A disk
recording system has also been introduced and brought online inorder to increase recording speed. Magnetic tape and magnetic
disk correlation is performed using the conventional correlator(FX correlator) at the Mitaka VLBI correlation center. But in
response to the aging of the facility, a transition to a computer-

III Status Reports of Research Activities

001

based software correlation system is underway. Verifications
including comparisons of processing results from the old andnew correlators have been made, and the transition to regular
operation is underway. Data obtained from Japan-Korea and East
Asian VLBI observations is processed at the Seoul correlation
center jointly developed by Japan and Korea. Research anddevelopment for next-generation VLBI observational devices
is also underway, as is the development of recording systems
capable of 8 Gbps recording and playback.
(2) Optical Fiber-Connected VLBIIn the Optical Fiber-Connected VLBI observational system,
signals received by radio telescopes at multiple stations areconnected via a high-speed fiber optics network, allowing for areal-time broadband observational system. A 34 m radio telescopeat the Kashima Space Technology Center of the National Instituteof Information and Communications Technology (NICT), a 32 m
radio telescope at the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan(GSI) in Tsukuba, an 11 m radio telescope at Gifu University, a
32 m radio telescope at the Yamaguchi Station of the National
Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), and an 11 m radio
telescope at the Tomakomai Space Observatory of Hokkaido
University are connected via an optical communications network.
One 2.4 Gbps line for the Tomakomai station and two
2.4 Gbps lines for each of the other stations are used fordual polarization observation. The goals of the project are to
overcome the 1 Gbps limit on observational speed imposed bymagnetic tape, to construct a high-sensitivity VLBI observational
network, and to perform foundational observations for
expanding VLBI observation to include new objects such as faintastronomical radio sources. The Science Information Network(SINET) of the National Institute of Informatics (NII) is used forthe optical communication network. The system converted from
SINET3 to SINET4 in FY 2011, so a transmission test for a 10
GbE general connection was performed in FY 2012. Successful
results in ultra-high-speed data transmission tests from the 32 m
radio telescope at Yamaguchi, the 32 m radio telescope at GSITsukuba, the 11 m radio telescope at Gifu University, and the 11
m radio telescope at Hokkaido University Tomakomai to Mitaka
have already been obtained.
A JGN line from Otemachi to Mizusawa was laid in tandemwith moving the supercomputer to Mizusawa. The JGN line andthe SINET line are connected at Otemachi, allowing for opticalconnection of the 34 m radio telescope at NICT Kashima whichis connected by a JGN line.
(3) Japanese VLBI Network Observation
Activity is underway to organize a network of twelve VLBI
observation stations in Japan: four NAOJ VERA stations, the 11
m radio telescope at Hokkaido University Tomakomai, the 34
m radio telescope at NICT Kashima, the 32 m radio telescopeat GSI Tsukuba, the 64 m radio telescope at the Usuda DeepSpace Center of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA),
the 45 m radio telescope at NAOJ Nobeyama, the 11 m radio
telescope at Gifu University, the 32 m radio telescope at NAOJ
Yamaguchi, and the radio telescopes at the NAOJ Ibaraki

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Observatory (32 m in Hitachi, 32 m in Takahagi). Of theseradio telescopes, the 34 m radio telescope at NICT Kashima
sustained major damage to its azimuth rotation wheels in the2011 earthquake, and reconstruction work was performed witha target date of end of FY 2012. The Ibaraki Observatory wascompletely restored at the end of FY 2012.
VLBI observation goals in Japan include high-precision
mapping at a high map dynamic range in the 8 GHz band andthe 22 GHz band, as well as the observation of methanol masers
in the 6.7 GHz band and water masers in the 22 GHz band.
There are also plans for sustained participation in observationsof flares caused by gas accretion into the center of the Milkey
Way galaxy, currently a major topic of discussion, by the 10 m
Mizusawa telescope, as well as the Ibaraki, Kashima, and Usuda
stations.
Inter-university personnel transfers were also performed,
with graduating students from Hokkaido University and the
University of Tsukuba being sent to Yamaguchi University
to participate in Japanese VLBI Network research activities
as research fellows of the Japan Society for the Promotion of
Science (JSPS) or extraordinary assistant professors. Kagoshima
University graduates were hired as specially-appointed research
fellows at the NAOJ Chile Observatory to participate in the
ALMA Project, as well as VLBI observational research. In FY
2012, two graduate students from Gifu University were stationed
at the Mizusawa VLBI Observatory (Mitaka) and publishedtheir masters’ theses on the development of broadband VLBI
observational devices.
(4) Japan/Korea, East Asia VLBI Observation
Along with collaboration to establish the Korean VLBI
Network (KVN), joint Japan-Korea development efforts fora next-generation large VLBI correlator proceeded apace on
the campus of Yongsei University in Seoul. The correlator was
moved to the East Asia VLBI Research Center of the Korea
Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) and put into
normal operation in October 2012. Using a combined array
formed in cooperation between KVN and VERA in Japan,
test observations were performed and the resulting data was
successfully processed. Regular meetings about the operationof the combined array are being held. Conferences between
the Directors of the Japanese and Korean observatories andcorrelation station operation conferences are held once every
three months regarding the operation of the Seoul correlation
station developed jointly by Japan and Korea.
With regard to the East Asia VLBI Network, concrete
discussions on the state of observational research and future
observation plans are being held at the East Asia VLBI
Consortium.
(5) Gravitational Observation / Geodetic VLBI Research
In order to increase the accuracy of VERA-based mm-level
geodesy, collocation observations are being performed using
various means – namely, VLBI, GPS, and gravitational – andresearch and development into precise geodetic observation isunderway. Superconducting gravimeter (SG) observations arealso being performed within the framework of the international
project GGP under the auspices of IAG, with the obtained data
being shared by researchers both inside and outside Japan.
Research is being conducted into the rotation of the Earth,
the tides, the coupling dynamics between the lithosphereand hydrosphere of the Earth, and the relationship between
fluctuations in the gravitational and displacement fields.
Research is also being conducted into the close relationshipbetween these phenomena and fluctuations in the Earth’s
environment. To realize these goals, a compact absolutegravimeter and a model for gravitational changes arising fromenvironmental changes commensurate with SG observational
precision are also being developed.
(6) Ishigakijima Astronomical Observatory
This observatory has the largest (105 cm aperture) opticalinfrared telescope in the Kyushu-Okinawa area, nicknamed“Murikabushi,” and takes advantage of the locational conditionsat latitude 24 ° N and longitude 124° E to engage in gammaray burst (GRB) afterglow observation in collaboration with the
MITSuME three-color simultaneous imaging camera system(at Okayama Astrophysical Observatory), as well as engaging
observational studies of supernova explosions and sudden
phenomena occurring in comets and planetoids. The observatory
also plays an important role in the Optical and Infrared
Synergetic Telescopes for Education and Research (OISTER)
observational network established in 2011.
The Observatory also functions as a public astronomical
observatory where astronomical observation events for thegeneral public are held on weekends and holidays; welcoming
over 9,000 visitors annually. The Observatory also contributes
to primary and continuing education. Lectures in astronomy
and observation workshops are held every year on Ishigakijima
as part of an educational series conducted jointly with the
University of the Ryukyus, with whom a partnership wasformed in 2009. The Observatory also collaborates in theOpen University of Japan’s Ishigakijima Campus Project.
The Observatory is also cooperating in the city of Ishigaki’s“Starry Sky Educational Room” project being constructed at
the Ishigakijima Astronomical Observatory and scheduled forcompletion in FY 2013.
Starting in FY 2013, organizational restructuring isunderway to merge Ishigakijima Astronomical Observatory
subprojects with projects at the Mizusawa VLBI Observatory.

2. Project Progress(1) VERA
1) Overall Research
In FY 2012, astrometric observations were performed for
astronomical objects on the approximately 400-item project
object list updated the preceding year. As in previous years
observations were performed at a pace of roughly 40 object/
year, and monitoring observational data has been obtained fora total of more than 150 objects as of FY 2012. Particularly

noteworthy among the fruits of this observational data is the
publication of the first structural analysis of the Milky Way(Honma et al. 2012). An evaluation of the basic structure of
the Milky Way using a total of 52 objects sampled from theobservational results yielded thus far by VERA, as well as fromthe VLBA in the United States and the EVN in Europe, resulted
in a Galactic center distance of R0 = 8.05 ±0.45 kpc and an LSR
Galactic angular velocity of Θ0 = 238 ±14 km/s/kpc. These
results suggest that the value of 220 km/s recommended by the
IAU for LSR angular velocity Θ0 should be corrected upwards.
These results also suggest that the mass of the Milky Way is
20% greater than previously believed. This is highly significant
for dark matter research. A press conference on this research
was held in October 2012, and reports appeared in newspapers
across Japan, contributing to increased awareness and PR for the
results yielded by VERA and the NAOJ.
Apart from researches into the structure of the MilkyWay, numerous results were also obtained in the field ofastrometry observations. Sakai et al. (2012) presents an
accurate measurement of the distance to star-forming region
IRAS 05168+3634. Previously this object was kinematicallyestimated to have a distance of 6 kpc, but VERA observational
results revealed a value of roughly 1.88 kpc, roughly 1/3
that of the previous value. This reiterates the importance of
precise triangulation-based distance determination. Basedon the distance and proper motion of this object, limits weresuccessfully placed upon the rotational velocity of the Milky
Way outside the solar circle, the movement of the Perseus
Arm, and the like. Systematic noncircular motion has started
to become apparent in this object along with multiple otherobjects near the Perseus Arm. VERA observational results
are expected to contribute greatly to the study of noncircularspiral components in the future. Results based on astrometry
were obtained not only for regions with star formation but also
for late-type star observation, such as a determination of the
distance to the late-type star IRAS 22480+6002 (Imai et al.
2012) leading to the physical mass of this object being revisedand showing that this star is a K-type red supergiant.
Along with research into the structure of the Milky Way andastrometric observations, research into maser phenomena andmaser objects is also being conducted. Chibueze et al. (2012)
discovered a new water maser bipolar outflow in the massive
star-forming region Cep-A, leading to new discoveries regarding
massive star formation in this region. The massive star-forming
region G353.273+0.641 was observed using ATCA in Australia
and the 45 m telescope at Nobeyama in addition to maser
observation by VERA, revealing that this object releases a highvelocity bipolar jet roughly along the line of sight (Motogi etal. 2013). Combining data from VERA and ALMA led to thesuccessful detection of a new water maser in the 232 GHz bandin the Orion Nebula (Hirota et al. 2012), along with expanding
results obtained by VERA for application to ALMA-based
observation. In the field of maser observation, Japan and Korea
are jointly conducting test observation using VERA and KVN,
promising further research developments in this field by using
high-sensitivity imaging.

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Meanwhile, AGN research using VERA has become active
in recent years. High-frequency monitoring of gamma rayemitting AGNs (called “blazars”) is being conducted in the
GENJI Project, which makes systematic use of fringe finder datafrom VERA Project observation. The first paper on the resultsof GENJI was published this year. VERA observational results
played an important role in multi-frequency observations in
the paper discussing radio brightening accompanying gammaray flares from the blazar PKS 1510-089 (Orienti et al. 2012),
as well as in a paper providing an overview of the GENJI
Project (Nagai et al. 2013). Members of the Mizusawa VLBI
Observatory also contributed to international millimeterand submillimeter-wave VLBI observations for future AGN
research, and VLBI observation of AGNs in the 1 mm band arestarting to yield intriguing results (Doeleman et al. 2012, Lu etal. 2012). Joint observations by VERA and KVN, with expanded
contributions from VERA, show promise for VLBI-based AGN
research, and the Japanese-Korean team is actively engaging inscientific inquiry and evaluation of test observational results inthis field as well.
2) Geophysical / Geodetic Research
Geodetic VLBI observations have been made stable in the
22 GHz band, the highest frequency used worldwide, achieving
maximal positional precision. This observation was continued
in FY 2012. In ordinary geodetic observation in the S/X band,the effects of the ionosphere are estimated from dual-frequency
observational data but cannot be observationally obtained fromsingle-frequency observation in the 22 GHz band. It was shown
that, although the ionosphere exhibits little effect in the 22 GHz
band, incorporation of ionosphere models found using othermeans, such as GPS, into analysis allows for further improvement
to geodetic observational results in the 22 GHz band.
The displacement velocity field of the Japanese Archipelago
was greatly altered over a broad range by the Tohoku Pacific
Coast Earthquake (Great East Japan Earthquake) that occurredon March 11, 2011. The coordinates of the VERA Mizusawa
station, as found via VLBI and GPS, had exhibited a gradualsouthwesterly movement of over 10 mm per annum before
the earthquake, but exhibited dramatic movement in the eastsoutheast direction after the earthquake, and log(t) fluctuations
continue even two years later. This suggests that thesefluctuations will continue over a considerable period into the
future. Results for observations of distortion in the Earth’s crustat the Esashi Earth Tides Station suggest that the annual eastwest compression field of approximately 2×10−7 prior to theearthquake had shifted following the earthquake to an eastwest expansion field of approximately 1.2×10−6 at the endof 2011 and 4×10−7 at the end of 2012. This may be the firstcase in which continuous observation using precise geodetic
technology has been used to determine how the crust and upper
mantle deform following a large-scale earthquake, and whether
they continue to deform. The continuing accumulation ofobservational data is expected to be a valuable future resource.
To determine the coordinates for the various VERA
stations, displacement velocity from data 2005 to 2008 at the004

III Status Reports of Research Activities

Iriki station, where coordinate fluctuations are believed to berelatively stable, is assumed to be linearly representable andcoordinates for the other three stations are found based on thisassumption. In order to join VERA station coordinates with theglobal coordinate system, the two stations at Mizusawa andIshigakijima are participating in geodetic observations within
Japan (JADE observation) and international observations(IVS-T2 observation); however, coordinate fluctuations at thesestations exhibit some degree of irregularity, complicating theprocess of determining coordinates considerably. Sustained GPS
observations at the observation stations reveal a certain degree ofannual mm-level fluctuations in the coordinates, but the causes
for are unknown, and annual variations are not applied to thecoordinates of the VERA stations. The purpose of VERA is tomeasure the annual parallax of celestial objects, but the presenceof an annual variation in the coordinates carries a risk of
introducing systematic errors into annual parallax measurement.
Therefore the annual fluctuations must be carefully investigated.
A coordinate precision of 2 mm is estimated to be necessaryfor VERA in the strictest observational conditions; annual
fluctuation is roughly equal in level. Based on the observational
conditions, this level may be negligible, but modeling of theannual fluctuations will be necessary in the future in order toachieve maximum VERA precision.
The greatest cause of error in VERA astrometricobservations is radio wave propagation delay due to moisturein the atmosphere. An estimated value for zenith delay has
been obtained as a by-product of GPS analysis. Improving theanalysis is presumed to have slightly improved the estimation
precision. Objective 5 km mesh analytical data has also beenpurchased from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), andcomparison with the zenith delay estimated from meteorological
data is underway.
3) Operation History
Observation at the four VERA stations is performed via
remote control from the array operation center at Mizusawa,with 3,828 hours of observations being performed over 440
sessions in FY 2012. Performed observation included VERA
open use observations; VERA Project observations formeasuring annual parallax in order to calculate the distances
to astronomical objects; fringe detection test observations formaser objects and candidates for continuum sources constituting
positional references; geodetic observations; Japanese VLBI
Network observations; and test observations together with arrays
such as the Korean VLBI Network (KVN). The number andlength of these VLBI observations are as follows:
VERA open use observations: 45 sessions, 354 hours
VERA Project, test observations: 325 sessions, 2,493 hours
VERA geodetic observations: 24 sessions, 591 hours
Japanese VLBI Network observations: 12 sessions, 118
hours
Joint VLBI observations with KVN: 34 sessions, 272 hours
The VLBI observational data was correlated at the Mitaka
VLBI correlation center; the correlation data for the open use
observations and Japanese VLBI Network observations weresent to the respective observers; and those for the Project
observations and geodetic observations were sent to the analysts
in charge.
4) Maintenance
The VERA Maintenance Group performed systematic
performance checks and manufacturer maintenance work once
annually, while everyday upkeep (antenna greasing, painting,repairs) was performed independently at each station.
The bid participation eligibility of the previous industrial
contractor was suspended at the end of the previous year,
prohibiting the annual antenna maintenance, which constitutes alarge portion of annual VERA maintenance work. The contract
guidelines provided by the observatory response meeting werefor “work that must be performed immediately, work thatcan only be performed by a certain contractor, and work forwhich there are clearly no past contract violations.” Now that
10 years have elapsed since VERA was constructed, antenna
actuation difficulties and oil leakage from motor actuation parts
are occurring, and since this is the last year that overhauls of
the motor and actuation control apparatus can be requested
from the manufacturer, the motor and actuation control device
exhibiting problems must be overhauled this year. In addition,
because the motor is integrated with the antenna, it can only
be changed out by the same contractor as before. It was proved
via documentation that there were no violations in the past,and explanatory materials for 2006–2011 were prepared andsubmitted to National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS),and received approval. However, it took time to prepare theexplanatory materials, forcing the maintenance period to be
shifted from the period from June through August, which is notsuited for annual radio astronomical observation, to the period
from October through December. Annual antenna maintenancework was limited to an overhaul of the defective motor actuation
system. Ordinary maintenance of the receiver system was
performed, but a high level of phase fluctuation was exhibited at
the Mizusawa station, requiring the insertion of an isolator.
At the Iriki station, the feedome membrane developed for
VERA was replaced. At the Mizusawa station, the foundation
was reinforced with a waterproof coating.
Ordinary antenna maintenance work, which was to be
performed at the end of this year, will be performed nextyear, and efforts will be made to improve the efficiency ofmaintenance and maintenance parts purchases. Large-scale
refurbishing of the observational system as a whole remains themost important task at hand.
5) Technological Development
Major technological development agenda items include
developing a software-based correlator to replace the aging
FX correlator, and developing a disk-based recording/playback
device to replace the magnetic tape recording device, for which
the manufacturer warranty period has run out.
As part of software correlator development, bugs inrelated software developed in previous years were fixed, andthe performance was evaluated using observational data. The

performance evaluation observation process also doubled as atest run. The limited human resources for development wereprimarily focused on developing a correlator compatible with
the FX correlator. The performance evaluation confirmedthat delay, phase, and SNR all matched. Software correlation
featuring a dramatically increased number of spectral points
allowed for maser component breakdowns in 6.7 GHz bandmethanol maser observations, confirming the potential for new
scientific developments. Correlator operation by an external
corporation has been begun, and a framework allowing fullfledged operation is being established.
Disk recording/playback device development has focused on
two observational modes: an OCTAVIA- and OCTADISK-based
2 Gbps, 2 channel broadband recording system and a 1 Gbps
recording system serving as a replacement for DIR2000. Thisequipment has already been introduced at the various stations
in parallel with existing systems. Fringes were successfully
obtained by the previous year, and basic performance wasconfirmed. This year, disk recording test runs were performed
in tandem with observations to standardize and stabilize
the operation of existing systems. A number of bugs werediscovered, the causes of which were determined and correctedwith manufacturer assistance. Major advances were obtained
related to control problems arising from packets being discardedin competing control processes, and other problems only
occurring in states similar to actual operation. Some problems
remain to be addressed, and we are working to determine thecauses while collecting information about the conditions inwhich they occur.
In addition, although it is an agenda item for future projects,
an 8 Gbps ultra-broadband system structure has been rolled
out at four VERA stations, and research and development into
improving VLBI performance by increasing bandwidth was
performed. Results include, indications of a roughly threefold
improvement in overall sensitivity due to an eightfold increasein bandwidth, the lack of the digital filter loss which the systemcurrently suffers, etc. Previously undetectable faint reference
radio sources can now be used in phare-referencing observation,and it was shown that, probabilistically speaking, at least one
reference radio source is present for any given maser source.
In other news, in ultra-high-speed AD converter
development, one test model was installed on the 20 m and 10
m antennas at Mizusawa; direct AD conversion was performedon the 22 GHz signal of the 20 m antenna without converting
frequency, correlation with a signal consisting of the ADconverted baseband of the 10 m antenna was performed, anda fringe was successfully obtained. This experiment used asoftware recording PC into which VDIF-format data transmitted
at 10 GbE was directly inputted, indicating usefulness in actual
software recording operation.
Development of the Korea-Japan Joint VLBI Correlator(KJJVC) is also underway in cooperation with Korea. Systemconstruction for a disk buffer system, for which Japan was
primarily responsible, was completed. Test observations with
KVN were performed, and the correlation of data from KVN
was handled using the FX correlator. Data analysis study and

III Status Reports of Research Activities005

evaluation for the VCS and post-processing/archival software,
which Korea was primarily in charge of developing, was also
performed along with the assigned Japanese manufacturer. This
contributed greatly to the overall progress of the KJJVC, such as
by allowing for correlation results comparable to those yieldedby the FX correlator at Mitaka.
(2) Optical Fiber-Connected VLBIIn the Optical Fiber-Connected VLBI Project, the NII
network constituting the main line (SINET3) was switched
to SINET4 in April 2011. The NICT network JGN2+ was
upgraded to JGN-X. And communication protocols were altered,requiring adjustments at all observational stations. Migration at
Yamaguchi University, Gifu University, and GSI was completed
by the previous year, and was performed at the other stations in
FY 2012.
For the 11 m radio telescope at Hokkaido University
Tomakomai, K5PC equipment owned by Hokkaido University
and a local access line were modified to perform a datatransmission test rather than using OCTAVIA, thereby showingthat optically joined observation was possible.
Data from the Kashima station was transmitted via a
local access line and a JGN line to the NICT Koganei station,
which was connected to Mitaka via a GEMNET2 line, but
it was discovered that various circumstances inhibited line
maintenance, and efforts were made to find a method to connect
the JGN-X line and the SINET4 line at Otemachi. As a result,approval was obtained from the various concerned organizations,and efforts to establish the necessary infrastructure are currently
underway.
Effects from the earthquake were still present in the Ibaraki
station and Kashima station connections, but a temporary
broadband disk recording device was installed at the Ibaraki
station as a broadband observation device and used to perform afringe test, demonstrating the capability for that quasi-real-timeobservation and observation combined with data transportation.
Using the broadband X-band observation device which had
been maintained up to now at the Usuda station, Japanese VLBI
Network observation was performed as normal. Especially,observations like a survey of stars emitting non-thermal radiation
demonstrated the developments made in a new array fusing fiber
optics and VERA by using VERA and X-band observations.
(3) Japanese VLBI Network Observation
Japanese VLBI Network observation projects were continued
in FY 2012. Monetary transfers to the universities concerned
allowed for the performance of telescope maintenance andthe hiring of postdoctoral fellows at these universities without
impediment. Osaka Prefecture University also participated inreceiver development starting from 2007. Ibaraki University
joined in 2008, and a framework for Ibaraki University to takecharge of observational operations was established with thetransfer of two 32 m radio telescopes belonging to the KDDI
Ibaraki Satellite Communications Center to the NAOJ. In
2009, a 6.7 GHz receiver was installed, and methanol maser
objects were successfully observed. In 2010, VLBI observation

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III Status Reports of Research Activities

was successfully performed using the 32 m radio telescope at
Hitachi, but operation was suspended following the Great East
Japan Earthquake in March 2011. Entering FY 2012, primaryreconstruction of the Ibaraki station was performed and test
operations began. Secondary reconstruction was performed at
the end of FY 2012, leading to complete reconstruction.
Methanol maser observation has been continuously
performed since 2008, with VERA observation stations
participating. The rotational motion of gas as it accreted was
successfully observed in the massive star-forming region Cep-A.
Results published in scholarly journals include the successful
detection of 36 objects in surveying observations which included
the Shanghai station. Monitoring observations results for the
blazar PKS 1510-089 (short-period intensity fluctuations) and
VLBI observational results immediately following Mrk-421
flares were also published as papers.
Observational bandwidth was also increased; broadband
disk recording devices were introduced at the Yamaguchi and
Ibaraki stations; and tools for designing a new power supply
device were introduced at Osaka Prefecture University. The
drive device for the 32 m telescope in Yamaguchi was also
refurbished using the budget from Yamaguchi University. A
receiver cooling device for the 11 m telescope at Gifu University
was also provided as part of the maintenance.
Guidelines for the open use of the Japanese VLBI
Observation Network were discussed at biweekly operation
meetings, and a policy of calling for public applications forroughly 100 hours of annual observation time once year was
settled upon.
(4) Japan/Korea, East Asia VLBI Observation
Along with assisting in setting up KVN in Korea, we
assisted in standardizing the next-generation large VLBI
correlator (KJVC) being jointly developed by Japan and Korea.
After setting up the KJVC at Yongsei University in Seoul, the
KJVC was moved to the East Asia VLBI Research Center of
KASI in Daejon in October 2012 to start normal correlation
processing.
Scientific test observations were performed using a combinedarray formed by cooperation between KVN and VERA in
Japan, and resulting data was successfully processed. Japaneseand Korean researchers formed investigative work groups forfour fields (star-forming regions, late-type stars, active galactic
nuclei, and astrometry) and held regular monthly report sessions
and regular conferences on the operation of the combinedarray. Scientific evaluation test observations proposed by theseworking groups were performed, and significant improvements
in imaging performance and sensitivity were demonstrated byjoining the Japanese and Korean VLBI observation networks.
In particular, a more than twofold increase in detectable spots
was reported in maser spot observations. The capability toimage the microstructure of jets emitted from galactic nuclei in
AGN observation was also demonstrated. In January 2013, aJapan/Korea scientific conference was held at Seoul National
University, and scientific evaluation test observation results werediscussed. Particular attention was devoted to 43 GHz-bandmethanol maser observation results.
Meetings of the Directors of the Japanese and Korean
Observatories regarding the operation of the correlation station
jointly developed by Japan and Korea in Seoul are held on
a quarterly basis. For FY 2012, the meetings were held in
April, July, and November 2012 and January 2013. Quarterly
operations history and the apportionment of operating expenses
between Japan and Korea are discussed at the correlator
operation meetings.
Concrete discussions on future observation plans are being
held at the East Asia VLBI Consortium regarding the East Asia
VLBI Network. East Asia VLBI observation network workshops
are also held once annually. The FY 2012 workshop was held in
May in Taiwan, and the FY 2013 workshop is to be held in Junein Korea’s Jeju Province.
(5) Ishigakijima Astronomical Observatory
Rapid response to sudden, spontaneous phenomena was
performed using the three-color simultaneous imaging camera
MITSuME introduced for joint research at Tokyo Instituteof Technology and Okayama Astrophysical Observatory.
Internationally noteworthy results were published in Astrophys.
J. (vol. 757, No. 2, 176, 2012). Observations of the Kopff
comet (22P/Kopff) revealed its neckline and jet structures, andthe results were published in the journal PASJ (Astronomical
Society of Japan, vol. 64, 134, 2012). The observatory also
made important contributions to physics discoveries as part ofcooperative interuniversity observations of GRBs, supernovas,
planetoids, comets, and other sudden objects by providing rapid
response and capturing increases and decreases in luminosity.
A course conducted in cooperation with the University of
the Ryukyus entered its fourth year. The continuous popularityof the classroom lectures at the University and the observational
workshops on Ishigakijima have led to them being socompetitive that less than half of applicants are admitted, leading
to discussions of expanding into a university for the study ofastronomy. The “Chura-boshi (beautiful star) Research Team”
workshop for local high school students also continues to deliver
results. The observatory has also taken part in observation
sessions and lectures for elementary and junior high school
students, workplace visits for high school students, and social
welfare organization study groups, thus contributing to bothprimary and adult education in the community. The observatory
has also cooperated in study sessions for CEO groups and thetravel and hospitality industries, helping to energize the local
economy.
(6) VLBI Planetary Exploration
The lunar orbiter Kaguya (SELENE) performed differential
VLBI observation via two sub-satellites, along with Doppler
observations and distance measurements, revealing increases ingravitational field at the edges and rear of the Moon (Goossens
et al. 2011).
The next lunar explorer (SELENE-2) is scheduled toperform differential VLBI observation using a lunar surface
lander and a lunar orbiter, and to explore the interior of theMoon via variations in the lunar gravitational field and tides
calculated from changes in the trajectory of the lunar orbiter.
Information about whether the core and/or lower mantle of themoon are molten, along with the size of the core, is an importantunresolved element in lunar evolution research. If the core ismolten, might be caused by abundant sulfur in the core lowering
its melting point. Likewise a molten lower mantle might becaused by abundant water lowering its melting point. Neithercase can easily be explained by lunar formation models based on
massive impacts.
In the SELENE-2 project, the lunar orbiter and the survival
module to be placed on the surface of the moon will be installedwith VLBI radio sources. Thus the development of necessary
fundamental technologies, in particular a lunar surface radiosource and protection for the antenna against cold temperatures,
was conducted. In addition, since SELENE-2 will require thatthe path of the lunar orbiter be determined at high precisionusing the lunar surface radio source as a reference, a method
is currently being developed to simultaneously track both
radio sources via dual beams and eliminate the effects of theatmosphere and ionosphere. Development of an X-band dualbeam receiving system using scientific research expenditures has
been underway since FY 2012.

3. Open Use / Joint Research(1) Open Use
A call for proposals for FY 2012 open use 22 GHz band,
43 GHz band, and 6.7 GHz band observations was put out as in
the previous year, and seven proposals for a total of 423 hoursof observation were received. Four proposals for a total of
177 hours were received from overseas. These proposals were
evaluated by a VLBI program subcommittee based on judgmentsof referees selected from researchers in relevant fields in Japan.
Six proposals for a total of 359 hours were selected. Observationcommenced in January 2013.
(2) Japanese VLBI Network
In tandem with observation via the Japanese VLBI Network,a joint research agreement was entered by Hokkaido University,
the University of Tsukuba, Gifu University, Yamaguchi
University, Kagoshima University, Ibaraki University, Osaka
Prefecture University, GSI, and NICT, and joint research is
being conducted. A relationship of close cooperation has also
been established with the Institute of Space and Astronautical
Science (ISAS) at JAXA.
(3) Joint Japanese/Korean Research
NAOJ and KASI are engaged in joint development ofan East Asia VLBI correlation center, and have developed a
16-channel correlator with 8 Gbps/channel. Following the tests
performed in FY 2011, correlation tests were performed in FY
2012 using actual observational data in preparation for the shift
to live operation, and correlation data outputted by the correlator
is being jointly evaluated. Software improvements for computerstorage of the correlation data in a format usable by analysis

III Status Reports of Research Activities

007software were also made. Correlation of VLBI test observations,which was performed using the combined array formed by
VERA and KVN, was also performed using the FX correlator
at NAOJ’s Mitaka VLBI correlation center, and performance
evaluations for the East Asia VLBI correlator and the combinedarray were also performed.
A working group to discuss the scientific goals of the
VERA/KVN combined array was also begun, and the third
joint science workshop was held in July 2012 at the Oshu Spaceand Astronomy Museum (Yugakukan) in the city of Oshu in
Iwate Prefecture and the fourth was held in January 2013 atSeoul National University. At these joint science workshops,
VERA/KVN combined array VLBI observational results andobservation proposals were actively presented, and discussions
were held to construct an observation plan which will exercise
the full capabilities of the combined array.
(4) Joint Research
VERA stations are participating in geodetic VLBI
observations (JADE observations) within Japan on the basis of a
joint research agreement with GSI. The stations are also taking
part in the international VLBI observation project IVS-T2, andefforts are being made to maintain VERA station coordinates.
GPS satellite and Galileo satellite observation are being
performed as part of a research agreement with the Helmholtz
Centre Potsdam GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences(GFZ-Potsdam) in Germany. GPS observational data has been
made public as IGS observational points and are widely used byresearchers. Galileo satellite observational data is positioned as
observational points for determining satellite trajectory, and is
widely utilized by geodetic researchers around the world, as well
as by countless users of navigational data.
The term of the joint research agreement with theNorwegian Mapping Authority and the Australian National
University Research School of Earth Sciences has run out, but
exchange of superconducting gravimeter observational datawith the Mt. Stromlo Observatory continues. This data is being
used to conduct geodynamic research. Strain meter data andother information from the Esashi Earth Tides Station is being
distributed in real-time to relevant research organizations via
Tohoku University as part of a research agreement with the
Earthquake Research Institute of the University of Tokyo. The
data is used to study matters such as shifts in the Earth’s crust
resulting from earthquakes, and constitutes an open use of the
facilities in the broad sense.
The University of Tokyo Earthquake Research Instituteperformed absolute and relative gravity measurements at thegravitational reference point of the Esashi Earth Tides Station inorder to detect changes in gravity following the Tohoku Pacific
Coast Earthquake.

4. PR / Awareness Promotion Activities(1) Open House Events
April 15: The third “Open Observatory” event (a special
open house at the Ibaraki University Center for Astronomy and008

III Status Reports of Research Activities

the NAOJ Mizusawa VLBI Observatory Ibaraki Station) was
held, with nearly 1,000 visitors attending.
August 11: The “Iwate Galaxy Festival 2012,” a special
open house of the Mizusawa station to the public was held, withnearly 2,200 visitors in attendance.
August 11: The VERA Iriki station was opened to the public
as part of the “Yaeyama Kogen Star Festival 2012,” with nearly
3,500 visitors in attendance.
August 18–26: The “2012 South Island Star Festival” (heldsimultaneously with a special open house of the VERA Ishigaki
station and the Ishigakijima Astronomical Observatory) was
held, starting with nearly 8,000 visitors to a dimmed-lightstargazing event graced by a stunning night sky of unprecedented
clarity; an astronomical observation party at the Ishigakijima
Astronomical Observatory was also blessed with good weather
and attended by 582 visitors; and a special public opening of the
VERA station had 563 attendees; for a total festival participationof nearly 9,800 visitors.
August 25: A special open house event was held in the
Nobeyama district, where a VERA public booth was set up, with
3,308 visitors in attendance.
February 11, 2013: The “Star Island 2012” event, a special
open house of the VERA Ogasawara station was held, with 244
visitors in attendance. A four-dimensional digital space theatershow was presented using “4D2U” technology to great acclaim.
The lecture on astronomy held the previous day also had a fullhouse.
(2) High School Student Hands-On Events
August 7–9: The Sixth “Z Star Research Team” event for
Iwate high school students was held. Invitations were extended
again this year to high school students within the prefecture,including tsunami-damaged areas, and there was a total of sevenattendees. One team was lucky enough to detect water maser
radio waves.
August 15–17: The VERA Ishigakijima station and the
Ishigakijima Astronomical Observatory held the “Chura-boshi
Research Team” workshop for high school students in Okinawa
Prefecture, with 21 attendees. Exploratory observations for watermaser objects were performed at the VERA Ishigaki station, andan extrasolar planet observation and data analysis workshop washeld using the Murikabushi telescope.
The joint course started by the University of the Ryukyus
and NAOJ in 2009 was held again this year, with classroom
lectures being held at the university from August 13 to 16 andobservational workshops being held at Ishigakijima with 28 inattendance. A horn radio telescope was constructed by hand at
the VERA station and used to experience radio wave observationof the Milky Way. A supernova was also observed using the
Murikabushi Telescope, and an image processing workshop was
also held.
(3) Other
The Observatory cooperated in field trips for elementary
school students in Oshu city and in outdoors workshops forprefectural high school students. The Ishigakijima stationcooperated in a job shadowing project run by Okinawa
Prefecture, holding lectures on astronomy and workplace visits
for local middle school students. The station also accepted local
high school students as interns.

5. Timekeeping Office Operations
The Timekeeping Office is operated using four cesium
atomic clocks. A second Timekeeping Office operational system
was constructed in the Observational Equipment Wing for use
when anti-earthquake reinforcement was being performed,
and was subsequently used as a backup system. It was later
moved to the underground atomic clock room and atomic
clock management room of the Main Hall in tandem with the
movement of the supercomputer to the Division of Theoretical
Astronomy at Mitaka to construct an integrated timekeeping
operation system. To prevent interruptions in data acquisition
during malfunctions, a backup device was also provided for
the British-made GPS clock comparator/receiver for use ininternational clock comparison, for which data acquisition had
been suspended during the previous year in order to perform
repairs. The continuous management and operation of a timesystem contributed to determining Coordinated Universal Time.
The NTP protocol, which functions as a service for indicating
Japan Central Standard Time on a network, continued from theprevious year to reach more than 900,000 accesses per day.
A report on the state of the NAOJ’s new timekeeping
operations system was presented at the Consultative Committee
for Time and Frequency (CCTF) held once every three years at
the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) in
France.

6. Educational Activities
As part of graduate student education, three graduate
students from the University of Tokyo and three from the

Graduate University for Advanced Studies were educated.
Advice for masters’ theses was also given to two visiting
graduate students from Gifu University. Two undergraduate
students from Kobe University and Waseda University were
accepted as summer students of the Graduate University for
Advanced Studies, and were given research guidance related to
lunar radio waves.

7. VLBI Operation Subcommittee
The VLBI Operation Subcommittee is a subcommitteeof the Radio Wave Specialist Committee set up to discuss
the operation and guidelines of Japanese VLBI observation
networks, including VERA. The subcommittee met four times in
FY 2012 – in April, September, November, and February 2013 –to discuss the basic policy for open use of VERA, observational
collaboration with KVN, research collaboration with RISE, andpolicies for VLBI research in Japan as a whole, which werereported to the Radio Wave Specialist Committee.

8. VERA Project 10th Anniversary Ceremony
An anniversary ceremony was held on October 5 at Oshu
City Cultural Hall (Z-Hall) to commemorate 2012 as the 10thyear since VERA Project observation began in earnest, as
well as to present a report on the latest research results for
the Milky Way Galaxy. The ceremony was attended by nearly
200, including representatives of the Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and NINS,
previous Director Generals, and university representatives. A
commemorative publication of research results over the past 10
years was also issued.
After the ceremony, a “VERA Summit” and celebratory
banquet attended by the heads of the local governments hosting
various VERA observation stations were held, bringing theceremony to a grand conclusion.

2. Nobeyama Radio Observatory
1. 45 m Radio Telescope(1) Open Use
The 31st open use observation period began on January 7,
2013. Twenty projects (out of 39 submissions) including three
from overseas were selected for general observations during thefirst half of the year. Twelve projects (out of 20 submissions)
including four from overseas were selected for generalobservations during the second half of the year. Nine projects
for short programs (out of 15 submissions) including one fromoverseas, and one educational support project (out of threesubmissions) were selected for the first and second half-years
periods combined.
One backup program (out of one submission) was adopted

for use in case inclement weather prevented ideal observation.
Two other open use projects utilizing VERA were also
conducted.
(2) Device Repair/Development
Work on device maintenance and the development andstabilization of a new observational system was continued fromthe previous year.
• Parts were replaced due to a malfunction in the sub-reflectorof the antenna, quickly restoring the antenna to a state whereoperation could continue unimpeded.
The following progress was made this year in developing a newobservational system:• The dual-beam receiver TZ was improved, and beam 1, the

III Status Reports of Research Activities009

main beam, was opened to public use. It became widely used
as a primary receiver for the 100 GHz band.
• A new multi-beam receiver, FOREST, was installed, and tests
and improvements were performed.
• The stability of the AD converter and the SAM45 spectrometer
was improved.
• Software related to the new receivers was improved andsupplemented.
• Remote observation from the Mitaka campus was allowed foropen use on a limited basis.
(3) Research Results
Two projects (a) a star formation project and (b) a distantgalaxies project were implemented as 45 m telescope legacy
projects. Project results were as follows.
(a) In the star formation legacy project, a T100 receiver wasused to perform multiline observation of the nearby starforming region Aquila Rift and protostar cores. The star clusterforming region Serpens South was observed in the Aquila Rift,and a strong protostar outflow was identified by using SiO.
Comparison with the SMA suggests that the source of thisoutflow is seen edge-on. In protostar core observations, therotational movement of the circumstellar gas was detected from
C18O. It was also found that compared to other lines, H13CO+(1–0) was the optimal line for tracing the distribution of highdensity gases around protostars.
(b) Submillimeter galaxies are important objects for the study ofgalactic formation at the beginning of the Universe. However,
because they are enveloped by large quantities of dust, they
are extremely dark in the visible and infrared spectra, making
it extremely difficult to accurately determine their redshift.
CO line observations of submillimeter galaxies are currently
underway using the SAM45 spectrometer and the dual-beamreceiver newly installed on the 45 m telescope, which has madeit possible to directly determine the redshift of astronomical
objects. This year, a blind redshift search has been performed onfour objects having undetermined redshifts. All these objects are
believed to be subject to strong gravitational lensing, and CO
emission line detection is expected.

2. NMA-F (SPART project)
A planetary atmospheric observation project (SPART project)for observation of the Solar System was implemented using
Interferometer NMA-F (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research:
Representative Maezawa), and work is underway on a paper
detailing the results of the carbon monoxide analysis of Venus
and Mars. In FY 2012, a number of Unix (Solaris) computerswith conventional NMA COSMOS control system wereconsolidated into only three LINUX /Python–based machines tosimplify the system, allowing for telescope control and remoteobservations from Osaka Prefecture University. Concurrently,
on-the-fly mapping observations became possible for planetswith large apparent diameters. In addition, a 200 GHz-band

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III Status Reports of Research Activities

receiver system was set up and improved, and development isunderway for allowing remote switching between 100 GHz/200
GHz RF/IF systems. This enables observations of multiple
transition lines of molecular species, thereby allowing for amore accurate calculation of physical quantities such as short/
long term temporal variability in the abundance of minor
constituents and altitude distributions in planetary atmospheres.
Meanwhile, malfunctions occurred in the SD unit, ACU unit,
and azimuth gearing when operation of Interferometer F began
in late autumn this season. The malfunction in the SD unit wasremedied by repairing the aging power system and board forthe 400 Hz reference signal with help from Tamagawa Seiki.
Methods for refurbishing the ACU unit and azimuth gearing are
under discussion with Mitsubishi.

3. Development of a Multicolor Millimeter/
Submillimeter Camera for ASTE
Simultaneous imaging in multiple wavelengths in the
millimeter/submillimeter bands is a vital tool in estimating
the redshift of submillimeter galaxies, studying the internal
structure of hot plasma in clusters of galaxies using theSunyaev–Zel’dovich effect, and constraining physical quantities(temperature, index) of the dust in star-forming regions and thespectral index of the initial submillimeter afterglow of gamma
ray bursts. Thus, the development of a multicolor millimeter/
submillimeter camera for observation at wavelengths of 1.1
mm, 0.87 mm, and 0.46 mm is underway in order to further
expand upon the success in large-scale sky surveys in a single
color (wavelength 1.1 m) with the AzTEC continuum camera.
The TES bolometer (a superconductive thermal detector that
reads abrupt change in resistance resulting from absorptionof incoming photons at the superconducting transition edge),
which has undergone rapid technical advancement in largescale arrays in recent years, is used as the detector. Output of the
TESs are multiplexed in frequency domain and read out usinga SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device). A
millimeter/submillimeter dichroic filter enables the simultaneous
observations at two wavelengths. First, a 450-pixel camera
capable of simultaneous two-color imaging at 1.1 mm and 0.87
mm wavelengths was developed. The receiver was assembled
and evaluated in the laboratory to prepare for the field test
followed by the transportation to Atacama in Chile, and thesuccessful installation on the ASTE telescope during May andJune 2012. As the largest-ever system to occupy the receivercabin of the ASTE, considerable effort was made not only tomount the camera in the receiver cabin, but also to reorganize
the network infrastructure and to drastically improve theelectromagnetically noisy environment in the cabin. Despite thelimited man power, “first light” in two bands using astronomicalsignal was successfully acquired. Meanwhile, along with theunexpected difficulties such as problems during transportationand starting up the cryocooler in severe conditions, numerous
issues to be solved were found, such as the possibility oflowering of the optical efficiency. Although problems remain
to be addressed, the fact that everything from the cameracontrols to the data acquisition and analysis systems were
examined and first light was obtained lead to the giant leap forthe development. Due to problems in the ASTE infrastructure
system, decision was made to further evaluate the optical systemin the laboratory while preparing for the commissioning run in
FY 2013 (Takekoshi et al. 2012, IEEE Trans. THz Sci. Tech.,vol. 2, 54; Oshima et al. 2013, IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond.,
vol. 23, 2101004, Hirota et al. 2013, IEEE Trans. Appl.
Supercond., vol. 23, 2101305).

4. Other(1) PR Activities in the Nobeyama Campus
1) PR Activities in the Nobeyama Campus
The campus has been permanently open to the public since
the founding of the observatory in 1982. This year 59,383
visitors, including participants in the special open house event,were welcomed. There were 13 tours of the facilities given
by staff, 5 requests for lectures, and a total of 18 requests
for photographs or interviews. In addition, 18 students froma total of six schools, primarily nearby junior high schools,
came to the observatory as participants in workplace visitsfrom June to October, and had a chance to experience working
at the observatory under staff guidance. “The workshopof Radio Astronomical Observation” using the 45 m radio
telescope was held again this year from July 30 to August 3,
with 12 undergraduate students in attendance. Although theburden required in guiding the students from observations
to presentation of the results is not insignificant, the event
is a valuable opportunity for undergraduates to experienceobservations using a radio telescope.
Along with posters and panel displays in the permanently
open areas of the facility, a movie introducing the various
facilities of the observatory and research results plays constantlyin the visitor room. For internet-based PR, the observatory runs a
website focusing on explanations of the observational equipmentin operation at the observatory.

2) Commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of the Nobeyama
Radio Observatory2012 marked the 30th anniversary since the Observatory
opened. A 30-year anniversary ceremony, commemorative
lecture, and banquet were held in the city of Hokuto in
Yamanashi Prefecture on September 26, with nearly 160
participants in attendance. Along with a 30th anniversarycommemorative publication, a movie showing the past 30 yearsof history at the observatory was produced.
An international symposium, “New Trends in Radio
Astronomy in the ALMA Era: The 30th Anniversary ofNobeyama Radio Observatory”, was also held in Hakone from
December 3 to 8.
(2) NRO Conference Workshops• July 25–26, 2012
30th NRO Users Meeting (representative: Daisuke Iono)• August 1–4, 2012
42nd Summer School for Young Researchers on Astronomy
and Astrophysics 2012 (representative: Masato Yasumi)• September 6–8, 2012
Workshop on the Milky Way Galaxy in 2012: large-scale
surveys and the latest image of our Galaxy (representative:
Toshihiro Handa)• December 10–12, 2012
Star Formation 2012 (representative: Fumitaka Nakamura)• March 29, 2013
Nobeyama Legacy Project Mini-Workshop (representative:
Aya Higuchi)(3) Part-time Research Staff Transfers• Researchers
Yoshito Shimajiri: Le Centre CEA de Saclay (Saclay Nuclear
Research Center)
Hiroko Shinnaga: Specially-Appointed Associate Professor,
NAOJ Chile Observatory• Research Supporters
Tomohisa Yonezu
Max Curran

3. Nobeyama Solar Radio Observatory
1. Radioheliograph- and Radio Polarimeter-based
Solar Observation and Solar Activity Status
According to the latest investigation the radioheliographs
exhibit few problems, despite now having been in operation for
21 years since 1992. They have had utilization rates over 99%
for the past 10 years, offering consistent high quality data of foropen use. The radio polarimeter has also offered well-calibrated
data over extended periods. 2013 is expected to feature themaximum of the 24th solar activity cycle, but the level ofactivity is extremely low compared to past maximums with few

large sunspots or flares.

2. PR Activities
The observatory engaged in PR activities in tandem witha series of solar events that occurred during the summer: anannular solar eclipse on the morning of May 22 and the transit ofVenus across the Sun on June 6. Modified software to allow forsynthesis even using solar images with significant eclipse wasprepared, and images were transmitted in quasi-real-time during
the annular eclipse. Although the observatory was not open to

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011

the public due to the early morning occurrence of the eclipse,
TV station cameras filmed the event from within the observation
room for broadcast on the afternoon and evening news.
A paper was published comparing radio butterfly diagrams
using 20 years of data from the radioheliograph with magnetic
observation data from the United States and suggested that
solar activity is currently waning. A press conference about the
paper was held on May 31. Reporters from nine newspapers andnews agencies attended, and articles were subsequently carriedin various newspapers. There is an extremely high level of
public interest in the solar activity decrease. During the autumn
astronomical conference a press conference was held about apaper comparing these radio butterfly diagrams with solar windbutterfly diagrams form observations at the Solar-Terrestrial
Environment Laboratory of Nagoya University and discussing
the relationship between the Sun and interplanetary space. A
report was made to the press in tandem with the conference.

3. International Symposium
Hosting an international symposium was the largest
undertaking this year at the Nobeyama Solar Radio Observatory.
For four days from November 20 to 23, at Nagoya University’s
Symposion Hall, 20 years of radioheliograph results were
presented and future activities were discussed under the theme“Solar Physics with Radio Observations: Twenty years of
Nobeyama Radioheliograph and Beyond.” There were 32
participants from 10 overseas countries and 31 from within
Japan, 14 review lectures, 19 oral reports of research results,
and 27 poster reports. There were five sessions – S1: Particle
acceleration and oscillations in solar flares; S2: Prominence
eruptions and interplanetary disturbances; S3: Quiet sun,active regions and global solar activity; S4: Current and next
generation instruments; and S5: Future directions of solar radio
astronomy and roles of NoRH – showing the wide array offields within solar physics in which data from the Nobeyama
radioheliographs is put to use. The research results presented
will be published in a PASJ special edition, in addition to thereviews and such being published as conference proceedings.

4. Continuing Radioheliograph Operation
The ongoing decrease in solar activity and the resultant
manifest effects on interplanetary space and the upper
atmosphere of the Earth have led to a reexamination of long-term
solar observational data. Combining data from the Nobeyama
radio polarimeter with observations from Nagoya University’s
Research Institute of Atmospherics, there is a total of 61 yearsof data, and a calibration method has been firmly established,making this data extremely valuable. The performance of theradioheliographs has been maintained over 20 years, preserving
image data quality and allowing for stable data calibration.
The demand for continued operation from researchers aroundthe world has grown especially keen following the recognition
that brightening in the polar regions of the Sun are extremely
important as indexes of polar area activity.

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III Status Reports of Research Activities

Based on requests from researchers around the world,
the chairmen of the Scientific Committee on Solar-Terrestrial
Physics (SCOSTEP), the International Astronomical Union,
Division II (IAU, Div II), and the European Solar Physics
Division (ESPD) of the European Physical Society havesubmitted written requests to the President of NINS and the
Director General of NAOJ to continue radioheliograph operationfrom FY 2015 onward. A panel discussion on the matter washeld during Session 5 of the international symposium mentioned
above, “Future directions of solar radio astronomy and roles of
NoRH,” and a proposal was made that Nagoya University takethe lead in continuing radioheliograph operations from FY 2015
onward with assistance from NAOJ and partners from overseas.
D o m e s t i c a l l y, t h e A s t r o n o m y a n d A s t r o p h y s i c s
Subcommittee of Science Council of Japan is currently
discussing the matter in the context of future plans in various
fields. The radioheliograph operation may be continued aspart of the inter-university “Next-Generation Heliospheric
Environment Variation Observation Network Plan” proposed forthe solar sciences.

5. Open Use and Consortium Activities
All observed data is released to the public, and is usedin studies by researchers around the world, as well as for
PR activities. Open use is also supported by a consortium of
university users in Japan. A solar research symposium titled“Solar Research of Activity Maximums: Laying the Groundfor New Directions in Solar Research” was held at Rikkyo
University from February 20 to 22 with cooperation from solarrelated organizations in Japan, and reports on activities andresearch results were presented.
Two PhD students from Russia’s Scientific ResearchInstitute of Radio Physics (S. Kuznetsov and A. Morgachev)
stayed for one month and one PhD student from Brazil’s INPE/DAS (T.S.N. Pinto) for a total of six months to work on theirdoctoral theses as participants from overseas. There were anumber of other visitors as well.
Following the update of the computer system at the
Astronomy Data Center in Mitaka, data from the Nobeyama
Solar Radio Observatory can now be analyzed at Mitaka.

6. Other
Five undergraduate students visited for one week and took
part in research as part of a research internship program at
Shinshu University. On the high school level, students from
Hakuyo High School in Kanagawa and Komagane TechnicalHigh School in Nagano participated in the SPP Program, where
they took part in lectures and workshops.
Kazumasa Iwai joined the Observatory as a new member of
research staff. Postdoctoral Researcher V. Reznikova finished
her term at the end of June.

4. Solar Observatory
The Solar Observatory primarily engages in the operation of
the solar observational facilities on the west side of the Mitaka
campus. It conducts both observational and theoretical studiesof the structure of the outer solar atmosphere (the photosphere,
chromosphere, corona, and solar wind) and active phenomena(sunspots, faculae, prominences, and flares). The observatory
performs regular observations using observational instruments
such as the Solar Flare Telescope (SFT), and is also engaged
in the development of new observational instruments andexpeditions for total solar eclipses. Regular observations ofsunspots and flares have been continued for extended periods,
and the resulting data is provided to researchers.

1. Observational Facilities in Mitaka(1) Magnetic Field Observation
The SFT, which has been the main instrument of theobservatory in the Mitaka campus, had continued to observe
active region photospheric vector magnetic fields and H-alphaflares since its completion, but it is now engaging in regularobservation using an infrared Stokes polarimeter [Grant-in-Aid
for Scientific Research, foundation A (representative: Sakurai,
FY 2005–2008)]. Whereas previous magnetic field observations
covered part of the solar surface, this instrument performs fulldisk polarimetric observation to obtain high-accuracy vector
magnetic field information in order to shed light upon the origins
of solar activity cycle. This polarimeter is equipped with a 15 cm
infrared lens, and performs slit scanning using infrared spectral
lines (photosphere: iron, 1.56 µm line; chromosphere: helium,
1.08 µm line), which are highly sensitive to the magnetic field.
This allows for the constant acquisition of unprecedented
infrared polarization data for the photosphere and chromosphereof the entire solar disk.
(2) Regular Observation of Sunspots / Faculae / H-alpha Flares
Sunspot observations, which have been continuously
performed since 1929, are currently conducted via automatic
detection of sunspots on digital images taken with a 10 cm
refractor and a 2k x 2k pixel CCD camera equipped in the newsunspot telescope. Observations in 2012 were conducted for258 days from January to December.
Although full-disk solar image data is a widely needed
resource in the astrophysics/geophysics community, someof these synoptic instruments are not very new. Efforts areunderway to update the photospheric and chromospheric imaging
instruments and to further flesh out data. For instance, the SFT
has started advanced observations in the H-alpha line to acquire
full-disk, high-resolution images. It enables to obtain Doppler
velocity information based on imaging at multiple wavelengths
around H-alpha with high temporal resolution allowing for the
tracking of active phenomena and a broad dynamic range by a
combination of multiple exposure times. This enabled to observe
active phenomena such as flares and prominence eruptions, as

the solar activity increases. Regular imaging observation of the
G-band and continuous emissions using the SFT has also begun.
The regular observational data described above, including
real-time images, is available on the webpage for the Solar
Observatory.
Using a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (representative:
Hanaoka; FY 2011–2014), production of a spectrograph system
in order to perform long-term, full-disk observation, including
more quantitative velocity and magnetic field observations, isongoing. Other existing equipment is maintained to allow foreveryday observation, as well as experimental use.
(3) Other
A total solar eclipse occurred in November 2012 in thesouthern hemisphere, including Australia, and a photometricobservation of the white corona was performed.

2. Opening of Data Archives to Public
The Solar Observatory has made nearly 3.8 TB of data
publicly available online, including not only data from thecurrent observations of white light, H-alpha, and magnetic
fields, but also data for nearly 100 years of various types ofsolar observations. The various phenomena occurring in thesolar-terrestrial environment must be studied both in termsof sudden, short-term events (space weather) and in termsof gradual changes that take over years or decades (space
climate). The observatory will continue to contribute providing
fundamental data to this research. In particular, the observatory
possesses nearly 100 years’ worth of accumulated records,
including continuum images, Ca II K-line images, and H-alphaimages, recorded on films, photographic plates, and handwritten sketches, which have been made available to the public
after being digitized and organized. As some of the oldest solar
activity records in the world, these materials are expected tocontribute greatly to research. The observatory’s track recordof long-term solar observation and data publication were highly
acclaimed, leading to the 2012 NAOJ Director General’sPrize being awarded to the “Solar Observatory / Long-Term
Continuous Solar Observation and Database Creation Team” ata ceremony held on February 28, 2013.
Data publicized via the website had previously been stored
on a server belong to the Solar Observatory, but was transferredto the Astronomy Data Center following the integration of theirdata servers. The same data is stored at multiple locations in thedata center, serving as a backup in case of disaster.

3. Other Activities / Personnel Transfers
In FY 2012, two events related to the Sun widely attracted
public attention - the annular solar eclipse on May 21 and thetransit of Venus on June 8. Both the events were supposed to be
seen from an extensive area including the Mitaka campus; thus,

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imaging was performed using the Solar Observatory’s telescopes(although inclement weather unfortunately led to almost entirely
cloudy conditions during the transit of Venus), and the taken
images were distributed by the Public Relations Center in realtime via internet. In addition, the staff of the Solar Observatory
responded to requests for interviews, which increased before andafter the events.
Observations of the solar corona at the Norikura Solar
Observatory ceased in 2009, and the facility was transferred to
NINS, but the NOGIS coronagraph, which allows for advanced
observations such as coronal velocity field measurements,
is currently being transferred to the Yunnan Astronomical
Observatory in China so that observation can continue at asuitable location. This year, the entire coronagraph including
the refurbished telescope tube was brought to the Norikura
Solar Observatory, where good results were obtained in test
observations. Chinese staff visited Japan to undergo training
in using the device, and made preparations to transport thecoronagraph to China.
A research conference, doubling as the annual users
meeting, is held jointly with other organizations. This year, theconference was combined with the solar research symposium,“Solar Research of Activity Maximums: Laying the Ground for
New Directions in Solar Research”, held at Rikkyo University

from February 20 to 22, 2013 and with the Cosmic Radiation
Symposium by ISAS.
Joint research projects are also being conducted with
universities with an eye toward future instrument development
and education. Undergraduate students took part in a “Cutting
Edge Solar Research Experience Tour” of solar-related researchfacilities. When representatives from Peru visited Kyoto
University this year, the current status and future developmentsof the Japan-Peru collaborative solar observations continued
since 2004 were discussed, and the support from the Solar
Observatory is scheduled to continue.
Fundamental solar data acquired by the Solar Observatory
has often been used in pictures in textbooks and the like. With
the attention surrounding the decrease and subsequent increasein the solar activity besides the above-mentioned annularsolar eclipse, the observatory actively responded to more than
20 applications for image usage or interviews in FY 2012.
One study workshop was also accepted as part of the Science
Partnership Program.
The following transfers of research experts took place.
Tomoko Kawate replaced a staff member who departed lastyear, but transferred to Kyoto University in October, after
which Satoshi Morita joined. Takehiko Arai departed upon thecompletion of his term.

5. Okayama
The Okayama Astrophysical Observatory serves as theobserving and research base for optical and infrared astronomy
in Japan, and pursues primarily the open use of the 188 cm
reflector among university researchers around the country.
Joint research and development projects are also conductedwith universities, which contributes to strengthening theircapability of astronomy research. Concurrently, the locationand observational environment of the observatory is utilized toengage in unique research activities.
Roughly 210–230 nights are allocated to the open
use of the 188 cm telescope every year. The observatory
maintains and operates the instruments and provides observer
support (observation support, support for travel expenses,
accommodation, living expenses, etc.) The observatory also
engages in renovating the common-use observing instruments
to improve the performances, developing new common-use
instruments, and supporting brought-in instruments from otherorganizations.
Joint projects being conducted with universities include
Kyoto University’s New Technology Telescope Project and theTokyo Institute of Technology’s Gamma-Ray Burst Optical
Afterglow Follow-up Project. Meanwhile, the 188 cm telescope,the 50 cm telescope, and the 91 cm telescope of the Okayama
Astrophysical Observatory are involved in the “Optical andInfrared Synergetic Telescopes for Education and Research(OISTER)” program, which has been functioning since 2011.

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III Status Reports of Research Activities

International collaborative studies focusing on the search for
exoplanetary systems are also being conducted with researchers
from China, South Korea, Turkey, and Russia. The observatory
also offers technical support to overseas observatories uponrequest to take part in international cooperation.
Currently, as our own research activity, a project is ongoingthat converts the 91 cm telescope into an ultra-wide-field nearinfrared camera (OAO-WFC) for a comprehensive survey of
infrared-variable objects in the galactic plane. Another projectis also running in which the 188 cm telescope is going to
be refurbished to improve dramatically its planet searchingcapabilities. This is supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific
Research (Basic Research (A), FY 2011-2016).
The personnel breakdown as of March 2013 was six fulltime staffs (including one associate professor, one assistantprofessor, two chief research engineers, one research engineer,and one associate professor/chief clerk (concurrent posts)),
twelve contracted staffs (including two special contract
employees, two postdoctoral fellows, three research supporters,
three administrative supporters, and two operational supporters),
and one temporary staff member.

1. Open Use(1) Overview
122 nights were allotted for open use in the first semester

(January to June) and 109 nights for the second semester (Julyto December) of 2012, and a call for observing proposals wasmade for each semester. Submitted proposals were reviewed by
the Okayama Program Subcommittee, and a total of two project
observation proposals and 19 general observation proposals
were accepted. Open-use observation generally proceeded
without incident.
(2) Facility Maintenance/Management
In order to maintain the observing efficiency, regular works
including mirror aluminization (June), optical axis alignment,
instrument maintenance (June to July), and telescope oiling(September) were done for the 188 cm telescope and related
facilities. Regular cleanings were also done for the 188 cm
primary and other smaller mirrors roughly every one-and-a-halfmonths. These maintenance and upkeep works and observing
instrument exchanges were safely performed, with no accidents
or incidents whatsoever. A limited number of telescope mirrors
from other organizations are accepted for aluminization during
the period in June. Participants in the aluminization work fromthese organizations were given NAOJ-mandated safety andhygiene training as necessary. The quadrennial replacement of
the wire ropes for the slit door of the 188 cm telescope dome
was performed in September. Other facility maintenance efforts
included repairing the slit door guide rails (June), mending
damaged exterior panels, preventing rain leakage through thelouvers, renewing power and ground lines, and engaging ineveryday inspections.
(3) Conferences
The Program Subcommittee met on June 7 and February
27 to review the proposals submitted to the open time of the
188 cm telescope for the second semester of CY 2012 and thefirst semester of CY 2013, respectively, and fixed the observing
programs. The Okayama Users Meeting (23rd Optical/Infrared
Users Meeting) was held at the NAOJ Mitaka campus on
August 7 and 8. Reports were made on the current state of
the observatory, research results based on data obtained at theobservatory, and short-term plans. In particular, the impacts of
the refurbishment of the 188 cm telescope, under the supportof Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research begun last fiscal year,
including a significant reduction of the period of common use
for the first semester of CY 2013 were explained to get users’
understanding. Also discussed were the Kyoto University’s newtechnology telescope plan, operations of other optical/infraredobservational facilities (including the Higashi-Hiroshima
Observatory), and cooperation of small- and mid-size telescopes.
(4) Observation/Research Results
Stars were the primary objects observed in the common
use period for 2012. Others including Solar System objects
and galaxies were also observed in several subjects during theyear. The primary observational subjects were searching for
exoplanets via precise radial velocity measurement, elemental
abundance analyses of stars via high-dispersion spectroscopic
observation, and the observation of exoplanet transits via precise

near-infrared differential photometry, which prospered rapidly
in recent years. As in previous years, a number of observational
studies were conducted by individual groups of researchers
within the open use framework, and their respective research
results were reported in meetings and conferences and publishedin refereed journals (for individual results, see the proceedingsof the users meetings and other relevant conferences and thereports presented at the bi-annual meetings of the astronomicalsociety of Japan).

2. Developing Open-Use Observing Instruments(1) HIDES (High-Dispersion Echelle Spectrograph)
HIDES is a cross-dispersed high-dispersion echelle
spectrograph made for open use. Two fiber links have beendeveloped to improve its observing sensitivity. Test observationsin 2010 show that the high-efficiency fiber link providing areciprocal resolution of ~50,000 can afford a throughput that isnearly one magnitude better than before and a high precision forradial velocity measurement (~2 m/s) that is comparable to theone available with the Coudé light path. A paper describing the
instrument was published in a refereed journal in February 2013.
The fiber link was made available to the open use with sharedrisk condition in 2011, and has been fully open for common-use
since January 2012. Its use is steadily increasing. Meanwhile,
the other fiber-link with a resolution of nearly 100,000 is
approaching completion, with test observations having been
performed in April and December 2012. Preliminary results
show a dramatic increase in throughput of far more than one
magnitude over that available with the Coudé light path.
(2) ISLE (Near-Infrared Imager/Spectrograph)
ISLE provides imaging and low- and mid-dispersion
spectroscopic functionalities in the near-infrared for open
use. All the functionalities have been available for the Project
Observations at OAO since the second observing semester of
2011. ISLE is the only instrument that offers opportunities ofnear-infrared spectroscopy in East Asia and is characterized byits best-global low-noise readout (less than 10 electrons). The
high precision of relative photometry (at a milli-magnitudelevel) achieved by ISLE has also greatly increased the demandof observing time for exoplanet transits. In FY 2012, hybrid
automatic tracking that analyzes images of acquired objects
in real-time and performs offset correction was added tothe existing auto-guide function to further improve relative
photometric precision.
(3) KOOLS (Kyoto-Okayama Optical Low-dispersion Spectrograph)
The instrument was made available for open use as a PItype instrument in FY 2008, and its steady operation has been
continuing since then. The CCD output linearity, which had
been an issue to be dealt with, was improved in FY 2009, which
relaxed particularly the limitations on imaging and spectroscopic
observations of bright objects with KOOLS. The guiding
software has been improved to implement non-sidereal tracking
that allows for long-time integration on Solar System objects.

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The number of newly proposed monitoring programs overmultiple years increased significantly in the semesters of 2012.

3. Joint Research with Universities(1) Gamma Ray Burst Optical Afterglow Follow-up Project
Optical follow-up observations of gamma-ray bursts(GRB) are being conducted in cooperation with the Tokyo
Institute of Technology’s Kawai Laboratory. During FY 2012
the automatic observation scheduler performed observations
on nearly every possible night, and 25 gamma ray bursts
were observed, with optical afterglows being successfully
detected in four. Observation results were reported as 15 GCN
circulars. Monitoring of cataclysmic variables, Mira variables,and exoplanet transits were concurrently performed while thetelescope was waiting for GRB to happen. A refereed paper was
published based on multicolor photometric observations of SU
UMa-type dwarf nova.
(2) Kyoto University New Technology Telescope Project
A cooperative implementation framework for the 3.8 m New
Technology Telescope Project being spearheaded by Kyoto
University has been established as part of the future plans for the
Okayama Astrophysical Observatory. A part of developmental
testing of a main mirror control system was conducted with
Kyoto University in FY 2012, and it was confirmed thatthe actuator and other control mechanisms met the required
specifications. Technical investigations of the telescope anddome, including those mentioned above, were conducted
through regularly scheduled technical meetings.
(3) East Asian Planet Search Network
Telescope time secured at a 2.16 m telescope in China, a
1.8 m telescope in South Korea, a 1.5 m telescope in Turkey, andthe 1.88 m telescope at the Observatory was shared to continue
searching for exoplanetary systems around G-type giant stars.
One exoplanet candidate was found through the cooperation with
South Korea in FY 2012, and a refereed paper was published toreport the detection.
(4) Optical and Infrared Synergetic Telescopes for Education and Research
In FY 2012, two new universities joined this project whichbegan in FY 2011, for a total of nine participating universities inJapan along with the NAOJ, further strengthening the network.
The Okayama Astrophysical Observatory has provided its
188 cm telescope, 50 cm telescope, and 91 cm telescope forthe project, and has taken an active role in leading the project
along with the Office of International Relations. A proposal
system was introduced for ToO observation this year, andfive objects were observed, including a super-Chandrasekhar
supernova candidate, that was successfully observed frominitial brightening via multicolor observation, and a blazar
object; with a total of 69 nights’ worth of observation for the
project as a whole. The observatory also took an active role inestablishing the framework for cooperative observation and inrealizing actual observations. A refereed paper using part of this016

III Status Reports of Research Activities

cooperative network including the 50 cm telescope was accepted.

4. Unique Research Projects(1) Searching for distant GRBs and galactic plane variables via
the ultra-wide-field infrared camera
The 91 cm telescope has been converted into an infrared
telescope with an ultra-wide field of view of one square degree
and is used to identify infrared counterparts for objects suchas distant GRBs and gravitational wave sources. Meanwhile, aproject is also underway to engage in a comprehensive searchfor variable stars in the galactic plane. DIA analysis to detect
new variable objects was successfully performed for K-band
images of the galactic plane obtained during test observation theprevious year, yielding the prospect of meeting the initial goals.
In order to obtain good-quality images across the entire field ofview, precise optical axis measurements were performed and it
was confirmed that actual adjustments are possible within thetolerance for optical axis adjustment given by the optical design.
The exterior of the dome building was coated with painting
using the research environment maintenance budget, and therotating part of the dome and its drive system were also repaired.
(2) Automation of exoplanetary system searches
Supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(Basic Research (A), “Automation of the search for extra-solar
planetary systems,” PI: Hideyuki Izumiura, 2011–2016), a
project is underway that refurbishes the 188 cm telescope andits dome. The project is to increase the speed, precision, andreliability of the telescope, facilitate automation of observation,and further expand the search for exoplanetary systems. The
driving and control systems of the 188 cm telescope were
updated in the fourth quarter of this year, and the performanceswere found to meet the required specifications. The dome
control system was concurrently updated in March, increasing
the reliability of actuation control.

5. PR / Awareness Promotion Activities
The 188 cm telescope and its dome are open to the public
year round, which provides the window view of the telescopefrom the visitor’s room. The observatory welcomed 15,677
visitors in FY 2012. A special open-house event was jointly
held by the Okayama Astronomical Museum, the Asakuchi City
Board of Education, and the observatory, with support from theYakage Town Board of Education, to host 607 visitors on August
25 (Sat). An audience of nearly 100 gathered in the dome tolisten to a special lecture entitled “Is There Another Earth?
The Search for Exoplanets,” given by the Associate Professor
Bun’ei Sato at the Graduate School of the Tokyo Institute ofTechnology. Special stargazing parties were co-hosted by the
Okayama Astronomical Museum and the observatory on May 26(Sat) and October 13 (Sat), with 210 attendees in total selectedby lottery from a total of 1,029 applicants. The transit of Venus
across the Sun on June 6 (Wed) was broadcasted live on theinternet to 33,836 viewers. A lecture was held in Okayama Cityon July 7 (Sat) as part of the nation-wide Tanabata Lecture
activity, with an audience of around 90. Nearly 80 astronomyrelated questions from the public were made irregularly to theobservatory and they were answered appropriately. The 4D2U
screening jointly operated by the Okayama Astronomical
Museum and the observatory welcomed 5,626 visitors. Elven

tours inside the observatory were invited to give local elementary
school students from Asakuchi and Yakage opportunities tolearn about the observatory and astronomy. The observatory
also accepted eight requests for speakers from local boards ofeducation and community centers. One speaker was provided to
the “Fureai (Friendly) Astronomy” activity promoted by NAOJ.

6. Subaru Telescope
The Subaru Telescope engages in open-use observations
using the Subaru Telescope (an 8.2 m large optical/infrared
telescope) at the top of Mt. Mauna Kea on the island of Hawai`i;
operation of an observational data archive system; observational
research; and research and development for telescope systems,
observational equipment, and data processing software.
Repair of the telescope peripheral devices and some of theobservational instruments which had been affected by a coolant
leak from the prime focus unit for visible light in the previous
year was completed in FY 2012, and open-use observations
were conducted using the eight existing open-use instruments.
The SEEDS project using a high-contrast coronagraph(HiCIAO) started in FY 2009 and FastSound using the Fiber
Multi-Object Spectrograph (FMOS) started in FY 2011 were
continued as strategic projects. As a new open-use instrument,
initial test observations of the ultra-wide-field camera called
Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) were performed. Preparations areunderway to make the HSC available for open use in FY 2013.
The open-use period for FY 2012 was the four months
starting April 1 in period S12A (which began on February 1,2012), the full six months of period S12B starting on August 1,
as well as two months in period S13A (which began February 1,2013). Open-use related statistics in this report will be limited to
S12A and S12B.

1. Subaru Telescope Staff
As of the end of FY 2012, the Subaru Telescope Project
had dedicated staff consisting of 18 dedicated research/teaching
staff members (including four stationed at Mitaka), five technicalstaff members, three administration staff members, four researchexperts (at Mitaka), seven postdoctoral fellows (at Mitaka), two
research supporters (at Mitaka), two JSPS fellows (one stationed
at Mitaka), and six administrative supporters (at Mitaka), andconcurrently-serving staff including seven research/teaching staff
members (at Mitaka) and two technical staff members (at Mitaka).
The project also has 68 local staff members dispatchedfrom the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii(RCUH) including scientific assistants; engineers in chargeof software and observational equipment; technicians forfacilities, machinery, vehicles, and laboratories; telescope/equipment operators; secretaries; librarians; administrative
staff; researchers employed via a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific
Research; and graduate students. These staff members work

together for operations of telescope, observational instruments,and observational facilities as well as open-use observations,research and development, PR, and educational activities.

2. Main Observational Results
The following important research results using the Subaru
Telescope’s observations were published in papers in FY 2012.
(1) In early Universe studies, observation using the wide-fieldvisible light camera (Suprime-Cam) of the Subaru Telescope
discovered the most distant galaxy (z = 7.215) ever recordedin the 750-million-year-old early Universe (12.91 billion yearsago). The most distant protocluster in the Universe to date wasalso discovered at 12.72 billion years ago (z = 6).
(2) In studies of the peak galactic evolution epoch, Subaru
Telescope's new FMOS was used to perform the world’s largestscale systematic near-infrared spectrographic survey of starforming galaxies (nearly 300) on the Universe roughly ninebillion light years distant (z ~ 1.4), shedding light on the time
evolution of the relationship between the mass of a galaxy andits heavy element content, i.e., the real chemical evolution ofgalaxies. Imaging observation using the wide-field near-infrared
camera MOIRCS and its installed narrow-band filters discovered
a number of protoclusters in which star-forming galaxies were
presumed to be clumping and rapidly growing.
(3) In supernova research, polarization observation using
the Subaru Telescope's FOCAS revealed that the supernova
explosion that occurs at the end of the lifespan of a massive star
has a bumpy three-dimensional structure, yielding clues to themechanism of such explosions, which has long been a mystery.
(4) In protoplanetary disk observations, using the cutting edge
observational instrument HiCIAO installed on the Subaru
Telescope, the world’s clearest and most detailed image of thestructure of a protoplanetary disk was successfully obtained,
resulting in the discovery of small spiral-shaped structures
within the disk and large gaps thought to have been formed bygravitational effects from newly created planets.

3. Open Use
A call for open-use proposals is put out every half-year. The
offered periods were from February 1 to July 31 (S12A) for
the first half and from August 1 to January 31 (S12B) for thesecond half. Applications were accepted at the NAOJ Mitaka

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campus. The Subaru Time Allocation Committee, under the
NAOJ Advisory Committee for Optical and Infrared Astronomy,referred to referee evaluations from inside and outside Japan
to examine and determine which proposed topics to accept.
48 proposals (77.5 nights) were accepted for S12A [out of 114
submissions (312 nights)] and 39 proposals (63 nights) for
S12B [out of 132 submissions (350 nights)]. Service program
observations consisting of short-term projects were also
performed. Of the abovementioned proposals accepted for open
use in S12A and S12B (excluding UH time), 18 (12 in S12A andsix in S12B) were conducted by foreign PIs. The total numberof respondents, including joint researchers, was 1,363 belonging
to Japanese organizations and 632 belonging to overseasorganizations. The total numbers for staff for accepted projects
were 510 from Japan and 253 from overseas. Hyper SuprimeCam test observations were partially canceled, and there wereperiods in which the secondary mirror could not be exchanged
due to equipment malfunctions; thus, an additional call for
proposals was issued along with a reassignment of backup
programs sorted by the Time Allocation Committee. There were
93 additional submissions (192 nights), of which nine (11.5nights) were accepted.
There were a total of 373 open-use observers (including
38 from overseas) during S12A and S12B. Calls for observation
proposals, the examination of submissions, procedures for
dispatching researchers from Japan, and travel expensecompensation were handled by NAOJ Mitaka. Observation
schedules, accommodations for researchers in Hawai`i, transport,
and observational support were handled by the Subaru Telescope.
Excluding weather-related factors, an average 95.1% observabletime rate was obtained during S12A and S12B, including the timefor University of Hawai`i. The downtime consisted of roughly
0.8% due to equipment problems, 0.4% due to communication
system problems, and 3.7% due to telescope problems.
Remote observation from the Hilo base facility, which began
in the latter half of FY 2012, was performed for one night eachduring S12A and S12B. Service observations were performedfor 19.85 nights. Observation hours were exchanged with theGemini telescopes and the Keck telescopes in order to makeeffective use of the resources of the telescope group on Mt.
Mauna Kea, with nine nights in S12A and 3.5 nights in S12B
exchanged with Gemini, and two nights in S12A and four nights
in S12B with Keck.

4. Telescope Maintenance and Performance
Improvement
Primary telescope functions were maintained from theprevious year, but there was a period during which the top unit
could not be exchanged due to a malfunction in the top unit
exchanger. The utmost effort was expended on repair work. The
following work was also performed.
• Repairs and adjustments were completed for part of theequipment affected by the coolant leak which happened theprevious year. Preparation is underway to complete the rest of
the repairs when access becomes possible during re-deposition

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III Status Reports of Research Activitiesof the main mirror.
• Work continues from last year to introduce the ultra-widefield prime-focus camera (HSC). Along with performance
evaluations of the observational instrument itself, telescope top
unit installation and basic functions such as pointing analysis
and mirror analysis were confirmed.
• The performance and operational efficiency of the telescopewere further upgraded, while the telescope control equipment,
which is more than 10 years old, was updated and repaired.
The telescope control computers TCSMCU and TCFRCU(PF) were updated. The shutters of the optical system of both
Nasmyth focuses (Auto Guider/ Shack-Hartmann systems)
were overhauled. Some equipments such as the image rotatorof the visible Nasmyth focus, the electrical system for themain shutter, and the chiller, had malfunctioning due to aging
and they were repaired. Temporary fix was performed on thehoses around the Cassegrain focus, which interfered withthe rotation of the instrument rotator. Replacement of aging
internal wirings, including those within the rotator, and hoses
is scheduled for next year.
Along with the foregoing, daily maintenance work has been
continued. Steps were taken to accommodate the insertion of a"leap second" in June. The lateral guide rollers, which keep thewheels of the dome in place, were adjusted.

5. Observational Instrument Operation andDevelopment
In FY 2012 repairs were completed on the prime focus
camera (Suprime-Cam) and the Faint Object Camera andSpectrograph (FOCAS), for which operation had been suspended
due to the effects of the coolant leak the previous year. Alleight open-use instruments were put into operation. [The others
include the High Dispersion Spectrograph (HDS), the Infrared
Camera and Spectrograph (IRCS), the Cooled Mid-Infrared
Camera and spectrograph (COMICS), the Multi-Object Infrared
Camera and Spectrograph (MOIRCS), the Fiber-Multi-Object
Spectrograph (FMOS), and the Laser Guide Star Adaptive
Optics (AO188/LGS) system.] A multi-object fiber unit for
HDS was developed as an upgrade of the existing equipment.
Development towards replacement of MOIRCS detectors andthe introduction of an Integral Field Unit (IFU) is also underway.
For PI-type instruments, the HiCIAO high-contrast
coronagraphic imager and the Kyoto3DII visible integral field
spectrograph were used in open-use observations. Continuingfrom last year, HiCIAO was used as the primary device inthe strategic observational project SEEDS with successful
results. Combined testing of Kyoto3DII with AO188/LGS wascompleted, allowing for observations at high spatial resolution
in the visible light.
Another coronagraph unit (SCExAO), enabling even higher
spatial resolution and contrast in combination with AO188
and HiCIAO, is currently under development at the Subaru
Telescope. A technique for suppressing quasi-static speckle
noise was successfully demonstrated using actual astronomical

objects in FY 2012. The introduction of a unit which performs
ultra-high-order wavefront correction is scheduled for FY 2013or later. An apparatus for performing near-infrared integral
field spectroscopic observation at high spatial resolution in
combination with AO188 and SCExAO (CHARIS) and a nearinfrared spectrograph (IRD) yielding high wavelength stability
are also being developed. Design reviews of them have been
conducted. These devices promise further developments in
exoplanet research.
Development of an ultra-wide-field prime-focus camera, theHyper Suprime-Cam (HSC), as a next-generation open use device
is underway. Its engineering first light was carried out in FY
2012, and it was confirmed that the desired stellar images could
be obtained. Test observation using actual astronomical objects isunderway for the start of open-use operation in FY 2013.
Development is underway for an ultra-wide field multiobject Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS) for installation on the
Subaru Telescope as the next main instrument of the Subaru
Telescope following the HSC. Following the conceptual design
review performed the previous year, a preliminary design review(PDR) was performed in FY 2012, and approval was received
to enter the next design phase. The PFS project has a large
budget requirement and is a complex international cooperation
involving multiple countries; thus, review is scheduled for FY
2013 from the viewpoint of NAOJ project management.
Along with the HSC and PFS, another major Subaru
Telescope project underway is the Ground-Layer Adaptive Optics(GLAO) project. The project goals are the development of the
GLAO system, in which atmospheric variations only in layers
near the ground are measured and corrected using an adaptive
secondary mirror, thereby yielding improvements in star images
over a field of view of more than 15 arc minutes, and a new widefield near-infrared imager/spectrograph to take advantage of these
improvements; as well as the operation as a major instrument
for the Subaru Telescope in the 2020s, when TMT observations
are to begin. An investigative report into next-generation widefield adaptive optics for the Subaru Telescope was compiled in
FY 2012. Opinions from the community are also gathered at
the Subaru Users Meetings and the like, and work is underway
to define device specifications in preparation for the conceptual
design review scheduled for FY 2013.

6. Computer Systems/SoftwareThis year, the third generation computer system, which
had been in operation since February 2008, was updated to a
new system, and the fourth generation computer system began
operation starting February 2013. In the fourth generation
system, the mail system is outsourced and a high-speed data
analysis server was introduced in order to improve data analysis
performance. A virtual machine group capable of being used invarious observatory projects was also introduced.
The data archives have been in full operation with thesupport of the archivists in Hawai`i and Mitaka based on theoperational support agreements, but it has now been over 10
years since the data archive system used up until now was put into

operation. Thus, a new replacement system was developed and put
into public test operations starting in FY 2011. This new system
has just been installed in the fourth generation computer systemand put into operation. On the summit of Mauna Kea, the core
network was updated as a part of the fourth computer system.
An HSC onsite system has gradually been put into placestarting from FY 2010 to quickly process the massive amountsof image data generated by Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC), which
went into operation this year, and instantly returning processing
results to observers. This year, the HSC software team installed
analysis software, and proceeded with the preparations for HSC
test observations.
Support for the Subaru Telescope users, including dataarchive operations and remote observation monitoring support,
continues to be conducted at Mitaka. The proposal submission
system is also being continuously upgraded, including smooth
operation of the web-based submission system.

7. University / Graduate School Education
The number of research/teaching staff members posted
concurrently in Hawai`i from the Graduate University for
Advanced Studies (Sokendai) increased by two to a total of nine
members. Three graduate students were accepted at the Subaru
Telescope on a long-term basis in FY 2012, one of which wasa graduate student in the Graduate University for Advanced
Studies. Educational activities for graduate students were also
held at Mitaka in cooperation with the Division of Optical andInfrared Astronomy. Seven graduate students across Japanobtained degrees as the result of research performed using theSubaru Telescope, two of whom belonged to the NAOJ's optical/
infrared group.
Educational activities for graduate and undergraduate
students held around Japan include the “Subaru Spring School”(May) and “Autumn School” (December) held at Mitaka inwhich data analysis workshops are given, as well as the Subaru
Observation Experience Program (October–November) for
undergraduate students around the country, and the Subaru
Observation Workshop (October) for the Graduate University
for Advanced Studies.
Subaru Seminars are also held once or twice per month at
the Subaru Telescope (in English), where participants in open
use projects, visitors, and Subaru Telescope staff report theirlatest research results.

8. PR / Awareness Promotion Activities
A major social responsibility of the Subaru Telescope is to
respond to the high levels of interest in astronomical researchfrom the general public. The Public Information and Outreach(PIO) Office has been established in order to contribute toshort- and long-term project success and engages in three basic
types of activities. Particular care is taken in engaging withthe local population, as their understanding of the activities
being conducted at the Subaru Telescope is a key factor in theiracceptance of these and next-generation projects.

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019

The first pillar of the PIO Office's activities is information
sharing. The office has created a website in order to reach awider audience with the scientific results produced by the Subaru
Telescope and observatory activities. The PIO Office releases
information publically through press release and the like. This
year, 36 press releases (17 in Japanese, 19 in English) andwebpages were prepared for the releases. Also, 86 articles (40in Japanese, 46 in English) featuring topics such as instrumental
development, observatory activities, and news items were put up
on the website. As appropriate, the office approaches the media
in Japan or locally in Hawai`i, or contacts networks worldwide
via the mailing service of the American Astronomical Society.
Apart from conventional dissemination via the website, the PIO
Office also utilizes social media such as Twitter and Facebook,and has also begun working on video distribution via YouTube,etc. The PIO handles requests for interviews (two in Japaneseand three in English) and questions from the media, educationalorganizations, science museums, and the like, and also handles
the granting of English requests to use images (11 cases).
The second pillar of the Office's activities is offering facility
tours to familiarize wide audience with the observatory's
activities. For the Subaru Telescope (summit facility) tour
program offered since FY 2004, full-time specialist staff plays
a major role in promoting timely communications with visitors
and prospective visitors. The general public tour program, forwhich reservations could be made online, sets aside 140 days ayear for visitors, during which there were 1,134 visitors on 113
days. Including 122 specially arranged tours, there was a grand
total of 1,638 visitors. Many visitors came to the observatory forthe transit of Venus in June.
The Hilo Office facility offers not only facility tours, butalso lectures and occupational mentoring by staff members.
Researchers provide guidance to visiting students for presenting
their research. This year, there were 38 tours and a total of 542
visitors.
The third pillar of the Office's activities is educational andpromotional activities in the form of lectures and teaching
visits targeting the local community, as well as remote
lectures and courses conducted with participants in Japan via
teleconferencing. There were 92 lectures and classes given
at the Hilo Office facility of the Subaru Telescope and otherlocal organizations, four lecture visits to Japan and otherlocations outside Hawai`i, and 17 remote courses. Local
school visits included 56 special intensive courses over one
week with assistance from the Mauna Kea Astronomical
Outreach Committee. Outreach to more than 1,220 students was
successfully made.
There were no special open house events, but theexhibitions, demonstrations, and explanations were given atannual events jointly organized by the observatories Mauna Kea.
The Observatory staff had the chance to interact with more than
1,000 people, such as local citizens and families.

7. Center for Computational Astrophysics
1. Overview
Center for Computational Astrophysics (CfCA) carries out
the management of a group of open use simulation computers
centered around a general-purpose supercomputer and specialpurpose computers for gravitational N-body problems;
implementation of new systems; operational research anddevelopment; and promotions to improve the visibility ofastronomical numerical simulation and their results. Operationof the supercomputer system introduced at the end of FY 2007
was continued in FY 2012. Open use operations also continued
for the special-purpose computers for gravitational N-bodyproblems GRAPE-6, GRAPE-7, and GRAPE-DR; the smallscale computational PC cluster; and the mid-scale computational
PC cluster. As the operational term for the current supercomputer
system, which began operation in 2008, was supposed to expire
in March 2013, additional work of this year was focused on theimplementation of a new system.

2. Open Use(1) Computer systems
Operation of the open use computer system, "Astronomical
Simulation System," which began in April 2008, was continued.

020

III Status Reports of Research Activities

A Cray XT4 scalar parallel computer, with a theoretical peak
performance of approximately 27 TFops, and an NEC SX-9
vector parallel computer, having a theoretical peak performanceof approximately 2 TFlops, form the core of the system. This
yields a roughly 60-fold performance improvement overthe previous computer system, which was built on a Fujitsu
VPP5000 and was in operation until FY 2007. Also in operation
along with the XT4 and SX-9 are the GRAPE special-purpose
computers for gravitational n-body problems as well as other PC
cluster platforms for executing small- or mid-scale calculations;an accompanying large-scale file server and an analysis servergroup for processing calculation results data; and network
equipment for overseeing the entire computer system. Thisequipment forms the core for numerical simulation researchby numerical astronomical researchers not only throughout
Japan, but throughout the world. It continues to serves as a"telescope for theoretical astronomy" in both name and practice.
A screening system-based computational resource allocation
method has been adopted for the XT4, SX-9, GRAPE, and asmall-scale PC cluster. Their usage, application, and acceptancestatuses for FY 2012 are as shown below. A survey was
conducted in FY 2012 about the status of refereed papers in
English published in FY 2011 based on research using CfCA's
open-use computer system, with the conclusion that 77 papers

were published.
The current Astronomical Simulation System, whichbegan its operation in April 2008, will cease the operationon the last day of March 2013. Thus, the final stages of work
to introduce a next-generation supercomputer system were
performed in FY 2012. As the result of the bidding held in
October 2012, a contract was awarded to Cray Japan Inc. and asupercomputer system called Cray XC30 will go into operation
starting FY 2013. Due to various political circumstances, themain supercomputer had to be installed at the Mizusawa VLBI
Observatory, and the work to install the system was performed
up until the end of FY 2012 with assistance from the Mizusawa
VLBI Observatory. Concurrently, the work was performed
to update the peripheral file servers and analysis servers
constituting peripherals, the GRAPE system, and other PC
clusters which are independent from the supercomputer.
* Cray XT4Operational status- Annual operating hours: 8620.0- Annual core utilization rate: 90.8%
Users- Category A: 16 in first half-year, 16 in second half-year- Category B: 43 in first half-year, 44 in second half-year- Category C: 5 in first half-year, 8 in second half-year- Category MD: 8 in first half-year, 11 in second half-year* NEC SX-9
Operational status- Annual operating hours: 8653.0- Annual CPU utilization rate: 96.9%
Users- Category A: 19 in first half-year, 19 in second half-year- Category C: 1 in first half-year, 1 in second half-year- Category MD: 3 in first half-year, 3 in second half-year* Special-purpose computers for gravitational N-body problems(GRAPE)
Users- Category A: 5 in first half-year, 5 in second half-year- Category B: 8 in first half-year, 9 in second half-year- Category C: 2 in first half-year, 1 in second half-year* General-purpose PC system
Operational status- Annual operating hours: 8701.5- Annual job utilization rate: 71.5%
Total users: 35 (year-round)(2) Tutorials and Users' Meeting
The following tutorials were held as part of education andpromotion activities targeting the open-use computer systemusers in order to foster the next generation of young researchers.
* IDL Seminar
August 28-29, 2012; 8 participants* AVS Seminar
August 30, 2012; 7 participants* Midwinter School on N-body Simulation
January 21-23, 2013; 8 participants
The annual users' meeting was held as a forum for directly
exchanging information with users. The numerous participants
had a lively discussion.
* Users' Meeting
December 11-12, 2012; 61 participants

3. Research Results(1) Special-Purpose Computer Project
The purpose of this project is to engage in hardware andsoftware development, improvement, and maintenance topromote the effective open use of the special-purpose computerfor gravitational N-body problems: GRAPE (MUV system.) The
following primary activities were performed in FY 2012.
* The Start of Full GRAPE-DR Operation and an Increase in the
Number of Nodes
Full operation of GRAPE-DR commenced in FY 2012. The
number of GRAPE-DR nodes was increased from 12 to 16.
* Hosting of N-body Simulation School
The winter school on N-body simulation was held in January
2012.
(2) 4D2U ProjectTwo movies "Formation and Evolution of Dark Matter
Halos" and "Central Engine of Supernova Explosion I" were
produced and made available online. "Zindaiji3", an improved
version of the N-body simulation visualization tool "Zindaiji",
was developed and released. Development also continued on thevolume data visualization tool "Oosawa" and the 4-Dimensional
digital universe viewer "Mitaka".

4. PR Activities / Publishing Support
The CfCA announcement mailing list is under operation toprovide news and information to users of the open-use computer
system. It sends out announcements to subscribers. The CfCA
News is also regularly issued in an effort to ensure that the users
obtain all the information about the computer system. We also
continues to offer a subsidy application system for publishingpapers in order to promote the publication and dissemination ofresearch results obtained using the computers run by the center.
This includes five grants that were approved in FY 2011 andpaid for in FY 2012 (approx. ¥640,000), and six grants that wereapproved and paid for in FY 2012 (approx. ¥370,000).
The 4D2U Dome Theater provided regular screenings twicea month and special screenings for occasional group visits incollaboration with the Public Relations Center. The flat-screen

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021

mobile 4D2U system was used in research facility open house
events. The 4D2U project supports the "Fureai Astronomy"
program by offering explanations of astronomy using 4D2U
contents with a non-3D system.

5. External Activities(1) Joint Institute for Computational Fundamental Science
The Joint Institute for Computational Fundamental Science(JICFuS) is an inter-organizational institute established in
February 2009 as a collaboration between three organizations,Center for Computational Sciences (CCS) of the University ofTsukuba, the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization(KEK), and NAOJ, providing active support for fundamental
scientific research using computers. CfCA forms the core of
NAOJ's contribution to JICFuS. In particular, the instituteengages primarily in computer-aided theoretical research into
fundamental physics in the fields of elementary particles, atomic
nuclei, and astrophysics. A goal of the institute is to promote
fundamental research based on computational fundamental
science in order to engage in interdisciplinary research intoelementary particles, atomic nuclei, and astrophysics. A major
characteristic of the institute is its ability not just as a single
organization, but with the cooperation of its three member
organizations and their partner organizations to provide detailed
and rigorous support to researchers currently engaged in, or
planning to engage in, computational fundamental scientificresearch. Another important mission of the institute is to provide
researchers around Japan with advice regarding efficient
supercomputer use and the development of novel algorithms
for meeting research goals from the perspective of computer
specialists.
In FY 2012, the Center hired Takaaki Takeda, Hiroyuki
Takahashi, and Tomoya Takiwaki as Project AssistantProfessors to aid in implementing research plans. Takeda used
his numerical simulations in the field of planetary science asa launching pad for visualization and imaging work focusing
on large-scale simulation data. He is also currently working
on visualization, imaging, and creating visualization tools fornumerical measurement data in fields outside of astronomy aswell. He took an active role in developing the "Mitaka" tool forpresenting cutting-edge scientific results in an easily understoodformat. Takahashi is engaged in code development for aplasma simulation to find first principle solutions in relativistic
radiation magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), as well as active
research into important topics of plasma astrophysics such as
magnetohydrodynamic reconnection process, the derivation of
a self-similar solution having shockwaves between expanding
loops accompanying magnetor flares and ambient gases, andquantitative evaluation of the magnetic diffusion effect arisingfrom wave-particle interactions within neutron stars. The threedimensional simulation of core-collapse supernova explosions
being conducted by Takiwaki was selected as a representative
user project of the K supercomputer in the fields of elementary
particles, atomic nuclei, and astrophysics, and calculations
are currently being executed. The evolution of stars and the022

III Status Reports of Research Activities

supernovae that follow them holds the key to the elemental
synthesis that is the origin of life on Earth. There is more than 80
years of research into the mechanism behind these explosions.
The results generated by K are expected to greatly contribute tosolving this problem.
Professor Kohji Tomisaka of the NAOJ is a participant in
the bimonthly JICFuS steering committee meetings, where heengages in deliberations on spurring computational sciencebased developments in astrophysics research through discussion
with other committee members specializing in atomic nuclei andelementary particles.
(2) HPCI Consortium
As a participant in the government-led High-Performance
Computing Infrastructure (HPCI) project since its planningstage which began in FY 2010, the center is engaged in the
promotion of the HPC research field in Japan, centered on useof the national supercomputer "K" (Note: although the centeris involved with the JICFuS-led HPCI Strategic Program
Field 5, the activity in the HPCI consortium is fundamentally
independent). The HPCI Consortium is an incorporated
association established in April 2012, and the center iscurrently its associate member (able to state views and obtain
information but lacks voting rights as well as the obligation
to pay membership fees) and is observing the overall trendsof the Consortium. A number of conferences and working
groups were held this year to discuss a next-generation national
supercomputing framework. At present, a plan to replace a setof "multiple large-scale systems serving as the second layer" aswell as "a top-level national systems like K" within five or six
years is under discussion, and is already at the stage where it iseligible for MEXT approval. Continuing discussion is underway
towards an official response to the government with a proposal
for the next generation of K equipment to be put into operation
by FY 2018 at the latest. It is theoretically possible that NAOJ
will becoming the center of next-generation high-performancecomputing after K.

6. Contract Staff Changes
The following contracted employees were hired in FY 2012.
(Research Expert)		
Shoichi Oshino(Postdoctoral Fellow)
Akihiro Suzuki(Research Associate)
Shigeru Wakita, Jin Matsumoto(Admin Associate)		
Yuko Kimura
The following contracted employees were transferred in FY
2012.
(Research Expert)		Akitoshi Oshima,
Hirotaka Nakayama(Research Associate)
Shigeru Wakita, Yumi Iwashita,
Jin Matsumoto, Hiroshi Oda(Admin Associate)		
Ibuki Kawamoto

8. Hinode Science Center
The scientific satellite HINODE is an artificial satellitethat was launched on September 23, 2006, by ISAS division of
JAXA, as Japan’s third solar observational satellite following
Hinotori (1981) and Yohkoh (1991). NAOJ is implementingof this satellite project through the exchange of joint researchrelated memoranda with ISAS/JAXA. A major theme of thescientific goals of the HINODE satellite is to shed light on
the coronal heating mechanism through a more multifacetedunderstanding of magnetohydrodynamic phenomena occurringin the solar atmosphere. HINODE is equipped with threetelescopes – the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT), the X-Ray
Telescope (XRT), and the Extreme-Ultraviolet Imaging
Spectrometer (EIS) – and engages in simultaneous observationsof the detailed magnetic fields and velocity fields on the surfaceof the photosphere, and the brightness and velocity fields ofthe chromosphere and corona. The onboard telescopes weredeveloped as part of a wide-ranging international collaboration
with assistance from ISAS/JAXA. The SOT was developed
mainly by NAOJ, and the Focal Plane Package (FPP) by NASAand Lockheed Martin. With regard to the XRT, NASA and theSmithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) are responsible
for the optics system and frame, and Japan (ISAS/JAXA, NAOJ)
for the focal plane camera. The EIS is the result of an evenbroader international cooperation: the structure and electricalsystem were developed by STFC and University College
London; the optics system was developed by NASA and NRL;and the University of Oslo in Norway assisted with the terrestrial
testing equipment and Quick Look system. NAOJ participatesin and promotes the EIS/satellite interface, satellite testing, andlaunch experiments. The NAOJ serves as the hub for collecting
and analyzing data acquired by the satellite post-launch.
The Hinode Science Working Group (SWG), composedof representatives from the international team, offers scientificoperation and data analysis support. Four members of the Hinode
Science Center (Tsuneta, chairman; Sakurai, project scientist;
Suematsu, SOT; Watanabe, EIS) belong to the 15-member group,
which includes two members from the European Space Agency(ESA). Science Schedule Coordinators have been assigned inorder to effectively utilize the open use observation system.
Many of the Japanese coordinators (Watanabe, Chairman, EIS;
Sekii, SOT) are NAOJ staff. FY 2012 marks the sixth year since
the satellite’s launch. Extremely good evaluations were received
from the senior review-level evaluation committees held at
the various aerospace organizations, primarily in FY 2010.
These made it possible for the satellite to continue operating
at its current level for the next few years. Deliberations on thenext-generation solar observational satellite project “Solar-C”
continue, and a project proposal is currently being formulated.

1. The HINODE Satellite: Onboard Telescopes
and Scientific Operation
The SOT is a telescope for obtaining photospheric magnetic

field vectors via polarization observations of absorption lines.
The SOT is capable of continuously observing at the diffraction
limit (spatial resolution: 0.2–0.3 arc seconds) with an effective
aperture of 50 cm without atmospheric seeing. The SOT’s
focal plane package consists of three types of optics systems
and imaging functions to maintain the desired performance.
Operational modifications have maintained field of viewrobustness even in the Narrowband Filter Imager, in which
image distortion was found in part of the initial field of view.
The XRT is capable of capturing the solar corona andplasma via soft X-rays. The telescope has inherited the grazingincidence optics system and has improved spatial resolution.
Its wavelength characteristics have been improved to allow
for observation of the solar corona and plasma over a broader
temperature range. Resolution of nearly one arc second has also
been achieved. Temporal variations in spectral characteristics
due to surface contamination on the detector can now becorrected for, and analysis via spectral performance is possible.
The EIS obtains temperatures, densities, and velocities forthe chromosphere, transition region, corona, and plasma via
spectral observation of extreme ultraviolet emission lines. The
instrument allows for spectroscopy and imaging at multiple
wavelengths via the operation of slits and slots. Its purpose
is to investigate how energy is conveyed starting from its
generation in the photosphere until its dissipation in the corona
via observations covering the chromosphere, corona and thetransition region located between the photosphere and thecorona.
A Mission Data Processor (MDP) is installed in order tomanage observations via the three telescopes and acquire data.
Coordinated observation using the three telescopes is vital toachieve the scientific goals of the HINODE satellite, and the
MDP plays a vital role in overseeing this. In particular for the
XRT, the exposure time adjustment, observation zone selection,and flare detection mechanism functions are handled by the
MDP, requiring close coordination with the telescope.
Data from the HINODE satellite is primarily downlinked at
Norway’s Svalsat station with help from the Kagoshima station(USC) and the ESA, allowing for data acquisition for every
orbit. Scientific operation was again performed in FY 2012 via
S-band data reception. The S-band reception frequency wasincreased with help from the ESA and NASA, allowing normal,
stable scientific operation to be continued.
Obtained data is collected at ISAS/JAXA, converted to FITS
format, and provided to researchers around the world as Level-0
data in a form close to raw data. Staff and students belonging to
the Hinode Science Center took part in satellite operation for a
total of 221 days (50 days of which were for contracted work)in FY 2012, and contribution rates to the scientific operation of
the Hinode Science Center were 14.3% (domestic) and 25.6%(overall). Instantaneous publication of all data acquired by
HINODE, which began on May 27, 2007, has subsequently been
continuously and stably implemented by the Hinode Science

III Status Reports of Research Activities

023

Center (HSC).
Calls for “Hinode Operation Plans” (HOPs), soliciting
proposals for collaborative observation with other satellites andterrestrial observational equipment promotes joint observations
with solar researchers around the world. A total of 230 HOP
applications have been received as of March 2013. In particular,
core HOPs proposed by scientific equipment team members
are refined over multiple implementations, and systematic
observation is performed, yielding results that can be extended
to the studies on solar activity cycles.

2. HINODE Satellite Data Analysis
The NAOJ Hinode Science Center (HSC) aims to constructan analytical environment and database for scientific analysisof data from the HINODE satellite in a central organization,
allowing it to function as a research center. The purpose is
to facilitate access to Hinode observational data and provide
impetus for collaborative research between researchers inside
Japan and abroad, by providing an environment for analyzing
Hinode observational data to researchers in Japan and overseas
to maximize the scientific outputs yielded by the HINODE
satellite, and by distributing analyzed data and constructing adata search system.
The HSC also works to raise awareness of the relationshipbetween solar research and everyday life using the latest
observational data, and to raise public awareness of theimportance of solar research through its educational and public
outreach (E/PO) activities. E/PO-related activities for FY
2012 included press releases; web releases; appearances andinterviews on television programs and in magazine articles; andproviding materials to publicize scientific results.
HSC staff members and students published 15 refereed
papers related to Hinode in FY 2012, for a total of 209 as ofthe end of March 2013. An overall total of 644 refereed papers
regarding Hinode have been published. Publications continue ata pace of nearly 100 refereed papers per year even six and a halfyears after launch.

3. Deliberations on the Solar-C Project
The Solar-C Planning Office (Head: Hara) functions as
a sub-project. A working group (Chaired by Tsuneta until
December 2012; Vice Chairs: Sakao (ISAS/JAXA), Shimizu(ISAS/JAXA), and Watanabe —Chair starting December 2012)
has been established under the Steering Committee for Space
Science at ISAS/JAXA.
Two plans for the next solar observational satellite project,
Solar-C, were simultaneously considered (see the Solar-C
Interim Report on Mission Concept). Last year, the priority ofthese plans was debated, and, after considering their scientificsignificance as well as technical maturation, the scientifictechnological heritage within Japan, and international division of
responsibilities and estimate costs for each, the mission selected
for Solar-C was plan B, i.e., the high-resolution spectroscopic
mission “Seeking to Understand the Overall Physical Processes

024

III Status Reports of Research Activities

in the Photosphere, Chromosphere, and Corona via Systematic
Observation of the Solar Atmosphere with Increaced Capabilities
of High-Resolution Imaging and Spectroscopy.”
Concurrently, the general goals and international task
shares with scientifically synergistic solar missions of NASAand ESA were clarified. Within Japan, development continued
for a large telescope assembly, spacecraft system, and a focus
adjustment mechanism, a focal plane instrument for an opticaltelescope, and a highly reliable actuation mechanism capable offrequent operation. Investigation and experimentation into highprecision spectro-polarimetric observations in the UV range isalso underway. The development of a photon-counting X-ray
telescope continues.
Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a TechnologicalSociety (a decadal survey in the field of heliophysics) was
published by the U.S. National Research Council in August
2012. The survey rates Japan as the “most reliable partner,”mentions the Solar-C project 35 times in the text, and proposesthat Japan and the United States “form a Science and Technology
Definition Team for Solar-C as soon as possible.”

4. Other Activities
In FY2012, the center had three postdoctoral fellows (twothrough the framework of the center, one through JSPS), with
one leaving at the end of August.
Hinode Science Meetings for Japanese and international
solar researchers continue to be held to promote heliophysicalresearch using the HINODE scientific satellite. The sixth
conference was held in St. Andrews in the U.K. from August
14th through the 17th, 2012.
Apart from the abovementioned activities, Hinode Science
Center research and educational staff have been invited toor have participated in numerous solar-related international
symposia, where they have spoken regarding scientificobservation results. Researchers from overseas have also been
accepted to engage in collaborative research. Long-term (onemonth or more) visitors to the center from overseas for FY 2012
are shown in the table below.
Name
Choudhury, Arnab R.
Judge, Phillip

Organization (Country)
Indian Institute of Science (India)
National Center for AtmosphericResearch (U.S.)

Table 1. Long-term Visitors.

9. NAOJ Chile Observatory
The Japanese ALMA Project Office, which was organized
for the purpose of the construction of the ALMA telescope,
was reorganized as the Chile Observatory in order to morerobustly promote scientific observation using the ALMA
telescope. The ALMA Project is a plan to construct a gigantic
radio telescope for receiving millimeter and submillimeterwaves by commissioning 66 high-precision parabolic antennas
in the 5,000 m-altitude Atacama highlands in Northern Chile.
This international collaborative project is a partnership
between East Asia (represented by Japan), Europe, andNorth America (represented by the United States.) ALMA is
projected to have an observational resolution nearly ten times
better than that of the Subaru Telescope or the Hubble Space
Telescope. Early scientific observation with ALMA began in
FY 2011 using a partial number of antennas, and shifted tofull operation starting FY 2012. This report will discuss the
progress of the construction project in Japan and overall, theprogress of the scientific observations, and education/public
outreach activities. The ASTE telescope is a single-dish 10 m
submillimeter telescope installed in the Atacama highlands. It
is operated to make headway into the Southern Hemisphere
submillimeter observations in preparation for the ALMA era.
The ASTE telescope had been in operation at the Nobeyama
Radio Observatory until FY 2011, and was moved to the Chile
Observatory in FY 2012 in order to have an organic function
with the ALMA telescope. This report will also discuss the
progress of the ASTE telescope.

1. ALMA Project Progress(1) Development/Manufacturing of the Atacama Compact Array(ACA, Izayoi)
FY 2012 marks the ninth year of the ALMA construction
project in Japan. The Atacama Compact Array (ACA, Izayoi) is
a high-precision antenna array made up of four 12 m antennas
and twelve 7 m antennas. Onsite assembly of all telescopes wascompleted by FY 2011. A performance evaluation test of 7 m
telescope #12 was finished in September 2012, which marked
the completion of the handover of all sixteen antennas developed
by Japan to the joint ALMA Observatory. By the end of FY
2012, all of the 12 m antennas and eleven of the 7 m antennas
were installed on the Array Operations Site (AOS) at the 5,000m altitude, and some of them have been made available for use
in scientific observation.
(2) Development/Manufacturing of Receiver Cartridge
Production of the Band 4, Band 8, and Band 10 receiver
cartridges continues. In August 2012, an interferometry test was
successfully performed using the Band 4 receivers installed in
two of the 7 m antennas located at the AOS. An interferometry
test using the Band 8 receivers installed in three of the 7 mantennas was successfully performed in September 2012. The
first spectrum using the Band 10 receiver was successfullyacquired in November 2012.
(3) Progress of the Joint ALMA Project
The Cycle 0 preliminary scientific observations, whichbegan in September 2011, ended in January 2013, and Cycle 1
full observations began. Test observations also proceeded apace
with scientific observation, with test observation at a baseline of
1,966 m and polarized test observation using the ACA antenna
and the ACA correlator being performed in April 2012. On
March 13, 2013, the ALMA inauguration ceremony was held at
the Operations Support Facility (OSF) inviting Chilean President
Piñera and numerous other guests. At this ceremony thetransition to full observation was celebrated and announced in
Chile and worldwide. The ceremony was covered by nearly 150
reporters from around the world, and was a major global news
item. Japanese media coverage of the event will be discussed in
section 4. Scientific observation during Cycle 0 and Cycle 1 will
be discussed in detail in the next section.

2. ALMA Open Use and Scientific Observation
Initial open use observations using ALMA were performed
from September 30, 2011 to January 1, 2013 as ALMA Early
Science Cycle 0. Now completed, ALMA consists of 66
parabolic antennas. Preliminary open use using only a partial
number of the antennas is called “Early Science” operation. In
Cycle 0, interferometric observations were performed using
sixteen of the 12 m antennas, with a maximum baseline of 400
m and four usable receiver frequency bands (3, 6, 7, and 9),
allowing for mosaic observations of up to 50 fields of view.
In Cycle 0, a research group led by Tohru Nagao of Kyoto
University detected nitrogen emission lines in a distant galaxy
using ALMA and revealed that chemical evolution of the
Universe had progressed considerably, even in galaxies only 1.4
billion years after the Big Bang.
An open call for the second round of open use observations
was issued for Cycle 1. In Cycle 1, an open call was made forinterferometric observations using thirty-two 12 m antennasand ACA observations (interferometric observations using
nine 7 m antennas and single-dish observations using two
12 m antennas), with a maximum baseline of 1 km and four
usable receiver frequency bands (3, 6, 7, and 9), allowing formosaic observation of up to 150 fields of view. The deadline
for observation proposals was 01:00 JST on July 13, 2012. A
total of 1,131 proposals were submitted. Among them, 211.5
proposals were from East Asia (0.5 was from a proposal
from Taiwan being split 50/50 between East Asia and North
America). Scientific evaluation of the observation proposals
was conducted on October 1 through 5, 2012 at the Joint ALMA
Observatory (JAO) in Santiago, Chile. Proposals were reviewed
by 78 examiners, 17 of whom were from East Asia. Of the 1,131
observation proposals, 197 were designated as “highest priority.”
Of these 197 proposals, 50 (25.4%) were from East Asia, and

III Status Reports of Research Activities

025

the proportion of scheduled observation time occupied by East
Asian projects was 21.5%. Full-fledged science operations for
Cycle 1 began in January 2013.
Concurrently, the JAO made public the data taken fromscientific evaluation observations, which were carried out toevaluate the feasibility prior to open use observations, andpapers were published based on the newly obtained data. Daniel
Espada and colleagues at NAOJ analyzed ALMA observation
data of the Antennae Galaxies, identified a molecular cloud arm
formed by tidal forces in colliding galaxies, and discovered anapparent increase of an order of magnitude in star formation
efficiency therein. This paper was the first paper in Japan basedon the results from ALMA. Tomoya Hirota and colleagues at
NAOJ investigated ALMA observational data from a molecular
cloud in Orion, and detected a 232 GHz vibrationally excitedwater maser emission line in a star-forming region for the firsttime. This discovery is highly significant as a new star-forming
region probe.

3. Educational Activities / Internship Acceptances
The Chile Observatory held a graduate school guidance
session on May 12, 2012. The session was attended by eight
university students, who listened to talks by teachers and met
with current graduate students.

4. Public Outreach Activities
In May 2012, NAOJ ALMA participated in the Japanese
Geoscience Union Meeting by setting up an exhibit booth for
one week. In November 2012, an NAOJ speech session was heldat the Science Agora, where a speech about the ALMA telescope
was given. In December 2012, NAOJ ALMA held an academic
conference inviting Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics
Director Eiichiro Komatsu, Joint ALMA Observatory Director
Thijs de Graauw, and ALMA Board member Ewine van
Dishoeck. A total of 23 speeches and science cafes for thegeneral public were held in FY 2012, making widely known thecurrent status of ALMA through dialogs with numerous visitors
and raising interest in ALMA and its results.
63 news articles and 8 press releases were published on the
project website. A mail magazine (approx. 2,500 subscribers)
is also published monthly. Up-to-the-minute information isreleased via the project Twitter account (@ALMA_Japan),which had nearly 9,400 followers as of the end of FY 2012.
Nearly 70 articles have been published in newspapers andmagazines reporting the start of science results from the earlyscience observations. In addition to these, there was wide media
coverage at the times of the start of full operation in January
2013 and the inauguration ceremony held in March with the visitof seven Japanese media companies to Chile. The events werefeatured on NHK TV News 7, Fuji Television FNN Super News,FNN Speak, and in numerous newspapers. Kyodo News and the
Asahi Shimbun subsequently carried series and major articles
written by reporters who visited Chile in their science sections,which effectively attracted continuing interest after the event.

026

III Status Reports of Research Activities

As part of the construction film making project being
continued since FY 2003, a video was produced in FY 2012
showing a 7 m antenna being transported to Chile and scientificevaluation observation being performed onsite. The assembly of
the receiver performance evaluation equipment at the Operations
Support Facility (OSF) and the inauguration ceremony held inMarch 2013 were also filmed.
The series “Bienvenido a ALMA,” in which ALMA staff
introduce their work, is being continued from last year in the
NAOJ newsletter. The June 2012 issue carried a special feature
on ALMA consisting of photographs of the observation sitein Chile and interviews with members of the Joint ALMA
Observatory. A special website based on the series was also setup.

5. International Collaboration (Committees, etc.)
Various committees are frequently held for international
collaboration in the ALMA project. Two meetings of the
ALMA Board and three meetings of the ALMA Scientific
Advisory Committee were held in FY 2012, as well as monthly
teleconferences for both. The ALMA Annual External Review
met over the course of a week in October 2012. The ALMA
East Asian Scientific Advisory Committee also held monthly
teleconferences. More frequent meetings and teleconferences areheld for individual areas of concern in order to maintain close
communication in implementing the international project.

6. Workshops and Town Meetings• June 7, 2012: Kyoto University
ALMA Cycle 1 Town Meeting• June 12, 2012: Nagoya University
ALMA Cycle 1 Town Meeting• June 13, 2012: Tohoku University
ALMA Cycle 1 Town Meeting• June 18, 2012: NAOJ Mitaka
ALMA Cycle 1 Town Meeting• June 28, 2012: Osaka Prefecture University
ALMA Cycle 1 Town Meeting• June 29, 2012: Kagoshima University
ALMA Cycle 1 Town Meeting• October 20–22, 2012: NAOJ Mitaka
ALMA User Meeting 2012

7. Research Staff Changes(1) Hired
Eiji Akiyama, Postdoctoral Fellow(2) Departed/Transferred
Yasutaka Kurono, Postdoctoral Fellow, transferred to the
Joint ALMA Observatory as JAO Fellow

8. Main Visitors

March 13, 2013: 65 East Asian visitors to the Opening
Ceremony in Chile
MEXT: Senior Vice Minister Teru Fukui and three others
Embassy of Japan in Chile: Ambassador Hidenori Murakami
and two others
Academic experts: 21
NINS: President Katsuhiko Sato and three others
NAOJ: Director General Masahiko Hayashi and 18 others
Taiwan: ASIAA Director Paul Ho and three others
South Korea: KASI President Pilho Park and one other
Contractors: 8

9. Progress of ASTE Telescope
The ASTE Telescope has been operated in order to promote
full-fledged submillimeter astronomical research in the Southern
Hemisphere, as well as to advance the development andverification of observational equipment and methods supporting
this research. With the construction of ALMA entering its final
stages, and early science observations successfully starting,the primary goal of ASTE Telescope operation will be toprovide observational corroboration in order to strengthen
ALMA observation proposals. In order to open the doors to theastronomy community, an operations system was constructed
this year to enable full-fledged open use observations using the
ASTE Telescope

10. TAMA Project Office
1. Project Overview and Progress
The TAMA (Gravitational Wave Antenna) Project Officeis engaged in research and development of observation
technologies to make gravitational wave astronomy a reality. The
greatest task for FY 2012 was the promotion of the constructionof KAGRA, a 3 km-baseline large-scale underground laserinterferometer, at Kamioka in Gifu Prefecture. The plan is being
spearheaded by the University of Tokyo Institute for Cosmic
Ray Research (ICRR), KEK, and NAOJ, with assistance fromnumerous research organizations in Japan and overseas. The
design of KAGRA is based on previous experience and resultsfrom TAMA300, the 300 m-baseline laser interferometer in the
Mitaka campus. Development and evaluation of the vibrationisolation and optics systems were conducted in FY 2012.
Along with the development and construction of KAGRA,
the office is also engaged in research into methods for analyzing
the obtained data and theoretical research into the generalrelativity and gravitational wave sources. With a long-termview toward the development of gravitational wave astronomy,
the office is also collaborating with the Advanced Technology
Center (ATC) and other universities and organizations todevelop cutting-edge technologies such as quantum opticalmethods for increasing the sensitivity of KAGRA or the spacebased gravitational wave detectors DECIGO/DPF.
(1) KAGRA Project Implementation
Staff from the project office participated as leaders or
key members in the numerous subgroups central to KAGRA
construction planning. They played a leading role in designing
the primary components, discussing and formulating detailed
specifications for ordering equipment, and conducting prototype
performance evaluations.
• Vacuum component design and manufacture: KAGRA’s
vacuum system will be the largest ultra-high vacuum system
in Japan. The necessary pressure is 2×10−7 Pa, requiring
suitable pipe interior surface treatments and heating/degassing

treatments. The manufacturing of the total 6 km of vacuum
ducts, comprised of about 500 unit ducts, was completed in
FY 2012. The basic design for the room temperature vacuum
chambers was also completed.
• Vibration isolation system design and prototype manufacturing:
The Office is responsible for the design, prototyping, andmanufacture of all vibration isolation systems. In FY 2012,a prototype pre-isolator was produced; its properties were
measured and control tests were performed; and six actual
units were manufactured. Preparations were also made forroom temperature vibration isolation system general prototype
testing at NAOJ.
• Design/development of auxiliary optics system: The project
office is in charge of the design and manufacturing of various
optical systems collectively referred to as the auxiliary
optics. A conceptual design for an anti-scattering system
including the design/location of baffles and beam dumps
was completed. Development of several large baffles is
continuing with cooperation from the ATC. Design studies andprototyping were carried out. Requirements for optical levers
for the angular control of optical elements suspended fromthe vibration isolation system and for a wide-aperture beamprofiler for rapidly measuring the modes of Gaussian beams
over 20 cm in diameter were decided. Prototype tests andperformance evaluation of them were performed.
• Development of high-reflectivity, low-loss mirrors: KAGRA
requires high-quality mirrors in terms of surface shape, surface
roughness, and optical loss in order to resonate high laser
power inside the interferometer. For this reason, constructionof a system for evaluating the primary mirrors of theinterferometer is underway. To evaluate the thin-film propertiesof the optical elements, measurements of two-dimensional
scattering distribution, scattering intensity distribution,reflectivity, transmission, loss, were performed as well as darkfield microscopy-based surface state measurements. Research
focused in particular on scattering from thin films, where
mirror performance is well documented. As a result, the initial

III Status Reports of Research Activities

027

scattering loss of up to 200 ppm observed at the beginning ofthin film development was lowered to less than 20 ppm. This
loss value indicates high performance compared to the loss
exhibited by currently available thin films.
• Auxiliary lock system control design: Lock acquisition
involving bringing variables such as the the resonance cavity
length from an uncontrolled state to the operating configuration
is vital in operating the KAGRA interferometer. Therefore in
addition to the main laser beam (wavelength: 1064 nm) for
observing gravitational waves, an auxiliary lock system forpre-controlling the 3 km cavity length via an incident laser
beam having a frequency-doubled wavelength of 532 nm has
also been introduced. In FY 2012, detailed designs were madefor a control system for this auxiliary lock system. The results
show that it was possible to lock the cavity length with narrow
resonant linewidth of less than 33 pm.
• KAGRA interferometer diagnostic system development:
Irregular noise arising from noise generated within theinterferometer and sudden interference changes due togeological vibration or the like prevents KAGRA fromattaining its maximum sensitivity, making it difficult todistinguish them from gravitational wave signals. KAGRA
is equipped with as many as 10,000 auxiliary channels andenvironmental monitors, which are analyzed to identify andremove noise sources in order to obtain high gravitational
wave detection efficiency. A digital control system identicalto that introduced in KAGRA was installed in TAMA300;
interferometer diagnostic system development was conducted;
a prototype version of the system was installed in the
prototype interferometer CLIO at the Kamioka site; and test
operation was performed for one week. Joint research was also
conducted with the Korean Gravitational Wave Group (KGWG)
into a method of performing multivariate analysis on multiple
environmental monitors and gravitational wave channels inorder to distinguish gravitational wave signals from telescopegenerated irregular noise.
(2) Gravitational wave exploration data analysis, theoretical research
KAGRA is expected to be the first instrument to detectgravitational waves and serve part of an international
gravitational wave observational network along with LIGO andVIRGO. Along with the observation of electromagnetic waves
which carrying information about astronomical phenomena
and the energy surrounding them and elementary particles
such as neutrinos which carry information about elementary
processes, gravitational wave observations will enable thedirect observation of space-time variations carrying information
about the origins of astronomical phenomena. Observation via
these various means is expected to allow for multi-messenger
observations for a multifaceted understanding of astronomical
phenomena. NAOJ is expected to be a central organization forsuch observation.
• Radio transient and gravitational wave: Under a collaborative
framework with the members of the Nasu Pulsar Observatory
and Yamaguchi University, NAOJ continued to play a central
role in a joint Nasu Pulsar Observatory/LIGO analysis of028

III Status Reports of Research Activities

radio transients detected at the Nasu Observatory, which
could possibly be radio afterglows from binary neutron starmergers. The construction of an observational framework
for radio transients with diverse time domain parameters via
a partnership between the radio telescopes of Yamaguchi
University and NICT, the Japanese VLBI network, theNasu Pulsar Observatory, and gravitational wave telescopes
including KAGRA was also discussed.
• Neutrino observation and gravitational waves: A working
group for multi-messenger observation of low-energy neutrinos
and gravitational waves was formed by LIGO, Virgo, and
KAGRA, with NAOJ to participate as a central member on the
KAGRA side.
• X-ray observation and gravitational waves: Multi-messenger
observations using RXTE and LIGO were continued from lastyear. This year, a collaborative framework was constructedwith Duncan Galloway of the University of Melbourne, Ed
Morgan of MIT, and Chris Messenger of Cardiff University,and joint research on the results of RXTE data analysis was
conducted.
• Eliminating fake events: The high rate of false events forgravitational wave candidates is one of the greatest concerns
when performing multi-messenger observations. In orderto address this, development was conducted to incorporate
false signal-removing veto analysis into the interferometer
diagnostic systems. The development was performed on thedigital system used in developing the KAGRA interferometer
diagnostic system.
• Construction of a data grid system for gravitational wave data
analysis: A data grid is a component of the data analysis thatwill be necessary in the future to perform multi-messenger
observation using telescopes around the world. As a foundation
for this, a small-scale data grid for analyzing observational
data was introduced, and development of a data analysis
environment for the data grid began.
(3) Advanced technology development: The space-based
gravitational wave detector DECIGO/DPF
DECIGO is a space-based gravitational wave detector
aiming to be launched around 2027. By enabling the observationof gravitational waves near 0.1 Hz, which are difficult to observeusing terrestrial gravitational wave telescopes, DECIGO
will observe binary star mergers at cosmological distances,gravitational waves from the early universe, etc. As an extreme
gravitational wave detector, DECIGO shows promise to be arich source of scientific results and shed light on the birth andevolution of the Universe. Once gravitational waves have firstbeen detected by terrestrial gravitational wave telescopes suchas KAGRA and the field of gravitational wave astronomy has
been established, the next step will naturally be to develop
space telescopes to expand the field. Thus, fundamental researchand development in this area with an eye to the future is vital.
The roadmap for the DECIGO Project involves launching thesmall scientific satellite DECIGO Pathfinder (DPF) as an initial
pathfinder satellite. Fundamental development research for its
satellite systems and payload is underway.

• DPF satellite system planning: The mission of the DPF was
discussed. Drag-free control and orbital satellite attitude
stabilization were evaluated. As a result, the viability of themission sequence from initial introduction into orbit until
the achievement of an observation state was confirmed. The
viability of the satellite shape, mass balance, etc., for achieving
passive stabilization of satellite attitude was also confirmed.
• Specific design for interferometer module: The interferometer
module constitutes the DPF’s central observational device. It
consists of two test masses serving as inertial system references
and their housings; an input optics system; and subsystems
for numerous other auxiliary devices. Development of thesewas continued from the previous year, and structure planningand prototype production were conducted using the sizes andshapes projected for actual installation on the satellite.
• Development of DPF optical system: When introducing lightfrom a stabilized laser into the interferometer of the DPF, mode
matching is necessary. Light reflecting from the interferometermust also be guided to a photodetector, and information onchanges in baseline length and test mass angle variations must
be obtained. Out of consideration for stability, a monolithic
optical system featuring optical elements attached to a glass
substrate is used for this optical system. Design and productionof a monolithic optical system having the predicted shapeand configuration of the flight equipment were conducted up
until last year. In FY 2012, the operation of a fixed-mirror
interferometer was successfully confirmed using this opticalsystem.
• Test mass module development: Because the test masses
serve as inertial references during gravity and gravitational
wave observation, the modules are provided with various
functions, such as an electrostatic sensor-actuator, a launch
lock/clamp release, and a static discharging system. Testingof the principles behind a contactless retaining system using
these sensors and actuators was completed last year. BBM
design/production and operational testing using terrestrial
testing equipment were performed in FY 2012. As a result,control of two of the degrees of freedom of one test mass was
successfully performed.
• Test mass module drop test: The test mass module is designed
to operate in zero-gravity. To that end, a free-fall test systemfor evaluating overall performance in zero-gravity is being
constructed. In FY 2012, a conceptual design and parts wereplanned. Data acquisition systems and a drop facility with arelease mechanism and a drop module with built-in powersource and signal processing were largely completed. Futureplans include installing the test mass module and performing
control experiments in zero-gravity.
(4) Advanced technology development: Next-generation
technology for increasing KAGRA sensitivity, etc.
Once KAGRA and other second generation ofinterferometer-based gravitational wave telescopes achieve thefirst successful gravitational wave detection and gravitational
wave astronomy has been established, the range of observationaltargets will be broadened by increasing telescope sensitivity andby observing other frequency bands. The TAMA Project Officealso aims to engage in basic R&D and seminal research to thisend, obtain research results, foster personnel, and expand theresearch field.
• Precise quantum efficiency measurement experiments:
Interferometer-based gravitational wave detectors areultimately limited by quantum noise. Quantum noise includes
radiation pressure noise and shot noise. The reduction ofthese forms of noise will present a major challenge for future
gravitational wave detector development. In particular,
photodetectors having high levels (approx. 99%) of quantum
efficiency and devices capable of measuring detection
efficiency with 1% uncertainty will be necessary. To that
end, a novel ultra-lightweight (20 mg) power meter wasdeveloped, and it was proven that power measurements with
1% uncertainty (i.e., precise quantum efficiency measurement)
are possible.
• Theoretical research into quantum measurement: Gravitational
wave observations call for a degree of precision that may,in extreme cases, run up against the quantum limit inquantum theory. Research was conducted to explore theapplication of concepts from quantum information theory
and quantum measurement theory, which have witnessed
continued development in recent years, to gravitational
wave measurement apparatus. In particular, research into
the application of a method called “weak measurement” togravitational wave measurement apparatus was conducted in
FY 2012.
• Developing a torsion-bar antenna (TOBA) gravitational wave
telescope: Development is underway for a novel torsionbar antenna (TOBA) gravitational wave telescope capableof observing gravitational waves at 0.1 Hz and in other lowfrequency bands where ordinary laser interferometer-based
gravitational wave telescopes, like KAGRA, have difficulty.
A small prototype telescope using an approximately 20 cmlong bar-shaped test mass has already been developed, and has
yielded the highest level of sensitivity to this frequency bandin the world. In FY 2012, further development of a mid-scale,
lower temperature telescope was conducted and the conceptual
design was completed.
• Theoretical research into general-relativistic higher-ordergauge-invariant perturbation theory and its applications: A
theoretical framework for the paper “General formulation ofgeneral-relativistic higher-order gauge-invariant perturbation
theory” has been developed further in an attempt to apply
this general theory to problems such as the nonlinear effects
of primordial fluctuations in the Universe; the problem
of gravitational wave radiation reactions in black holes;
relativistic perturbations in neutron stars and other strong
gravity fields and the instability thereof; gravitational waves
emitted from binary star systems due to post-Minkowski
expansion; and the relationship between higher-order gauge
invariance and observed levels in experimentation andobservation. In FY 2012, a paper suggesting the possibility thatthe “General formulation of general-relativistic higher-ordergauge-invariant perturbation” is applicable to areas other than

III Status Reports of Research Activities029

cosmological perturbation theory was completed.

4. Hosted Research Conferences

2. Educational Activities, Internships

Kouji Nakamura, Kazuhiro Hayama• February 20–23, 2013: KAGRA Data Analysis School at
NAOJ
60 participants, 3 guest lecturers, tour of TAMA300 held

Tomotada Akutsu• April – September 2012: “Fluid and Collective Motion
Models,” Department of Advanced Sciences, Faculty of
Science and Engineering, Hosei University
Naoko Ohishi• December 7, 2012: Science seminar, Japan Women’s
University
Kazuhiro Agatsuma• March 19, 2012: JSPS-sponsored Science Dialogue at Tokyo
Metropolitan High School of Science and Technology (seehttp://www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-plaza/e-sdialogue/)

5. Obtained external grants other than Grantsin-Aid for Scientific Research (industryuniversity collaboration expenses, etc.)
Masaki Ando: JAXA small scientific satellite strategic
development expenses
Tomotada Akutsu: Basic development and testing expenses for
JAXA-mounted equipment

3. PR Activities

6. Part-time Staff Transfers

Project staff works to increase understanding and awarenessof gravitational wave research through tours of the TAMA300.
Up-to-date information on gravitational wave research can befound on the project homepage.

March 2013 onward: Kazuhiro Hayama, Special Appointment
Assistant Professor, Osaka City University

Tomotada Akutsu• May 19, 2012: Special Public Lecture at Graduate University
for Advanced Studies• November 17, 2012: Class at Asahi Culture Center Yokohama

11. TMT Project Office
The TMT Project Office started as the ELT Project Officeestablished in April 2005 to build a next-generation extremely
large optical/infrared telescope, and was renamed to its current
name in FY 2010 upon entering into a partnership with the
TMT project. As at the end of FY 2012, the eighth year of
the office, a full time staff consisting three professors, two
associate professors, one chief research engineer, one speciallyappointed senior specialist, one project research fellow, and one

Figure 1: TMT Board meeting held in Tokyo (October 2012).

030

III Status Reports of Research Activities

administrative support, as well as three associate professors andtwo assistant professors with concurrent appointments worked
to strengthen the organization.

1. TMT Project Developments Inside and Outsideof Japan
The NAOJ TMT Project Office members participated in

TMT board meetings, science advisory committees, and external
advisory panel reviews held quarterly in Pasadena. Members
from Pasadena also visited NAOJ on 22 occasions to attend
various meetings. TV and telephone conferences were held
as necessary in order to discuss the project as a whole and thespecifics of the Japanese business plan.
In June 2012, a request for verification of core construction
technologies for extremely large telescopes was submitted
via NINS as a budgetary request for FY 2013. In July, theTMT project was examined by the “Working Group for the
Implementation of Large-Scale Academic Research Projects” of
MEXT’s Council for Science and Technology, and recommended
for implementation.
India’s Minister of External Affairs announced his country’s
participation in the TMT in June 2012 during strategic talks
between the United States and India. In March 2013, in response
to a TMT plan submitted to a call for proposals by United States’
National Science Foundation (NSF), NSF formally announced
the awarding of funding over the next five years to investigate
the possibility of participation by NSF in the TMT project.
The 36th TMT Board Meeting was held in Tokyo in
October 2012 (Fig. 1). This was the first time the Board of theinternational TMT project met outside of the United States andwas followed by a Board meeting in New Delhi in January 2013.
In regards to the problem of providing benefits for up-front
investment which had been under discussion for several years
without an agreement being reached, a request to McKinsey andCompany for third-party consultation resulted in the arguments
made by Japan and other international partners being largely
granted.
In August 2012, a group which included legal counsels fromeach project partner began discussion for drafting the overall
agreement documents, the articles of incorporation for the TMTInternational Observatory, the bylaws for the articles, and otherdocuments which need to be prepared prior to the beginning of
construction.
In February 2013, partial manufacturing costs of the mirror
blanks for the segmented primary mirror were approved in the
supplementary budget for FY 2012. Provisions were made in the
FY 2013 budget for a part of the cost for the aspherical surface
grinding of the segmented mirror to be included as the initialbudget for construction. These provisions for the international
effort to start construction scheduled in 2014 led Japan to take aleading role in the international collaboration.

2. Research Conferences and Lectures in Japan
Information regarding the progress of the TMT projectis disseminated on the TMT Project Office website, and was
distributed in issues 32 to 36 of the TMT Newsletter. The
project office also created both Japanese and English-language
pamphlets, and worked to raise public awareness of the projectthrough events such as an NAOJ-hosted public lecture held atthe Hitotsubashi Auditorium in October and a symposium on
Inter-University Research Institutes held at Tokyo International
Forum in November. A 1/100 scale movable model of the

Figure 2: Display of a model of the TMT (MEXT entrance hall).

Figure 3: Prototype of the segmented primary mirror.

telescope was also made to increase understanding of thetelescope project (Fig. 2).
Club TMT, composed primarily of museum curators, wasformed in November to begin organized planning of programs
and lectures introducing the TMT project at science museums
and planetariums around the country. The TMT Project Officeoffered assistance in the form of information and guest lecturers.
Following the decision to erect a plaque in Hawai`i with thenames of donors to the TMT project, nearly 1,700 applications
to donate were received, with total donations reaching 17 million
yen.

3. Work to Detail the Japanese Business Plan
Japan’s specific contributions to the project were discussed,
focusing on the telescope structure, the primary mirror segment
blanks, grinding of the primary mirror, and the observational
instruments.
Regarding the structure of the telescope, the conceptual
design of the telescope was developed based on the detailed
studies of the design, fabrication, and installation experienceof the Subaru Telescope. Basic performances are improved

III Status Reports of Research Activities031

by enhancing pointing/tracking capabilities and modifying
the secondary mirror support mechanism. Original designconcepts for the primary mirror cleaning mechanism, theprimary mirror segment handling system, and the seismic
isolation mechanism were discussed. The specific processesof pre-shipping test assembly in Japan and on-site installation
and adjustment needed were identified. Methods for achieving
more reliable performance were also discussed. The boundaries
for the division of responsibilities in areas shared with otherproject participant countries, such as the enclosure, foundation,
secondary mirror, and tertiary mirror, were also defined moreclearly.
To verify the optical and thermal properties of the TMT
main mirror material, a prototype mirror blank was tested jointly
by Japan and the United States.

During the fabrication of TMT’s mirror segment, existing
facilities in Japan were effectively utilized to finish polishing ofa full-sized, extremely low-expansion glass blank having a 1.44
m diameter into the type 82 aspheric surface, corresponding
to the outermost segment. Measurements for a single unit — asegment installed in its support mechanisms — were completed(Fig. 3). Further process improvements are necessary for mass
production, and plans for technological development for that
purpose were investigated.
As for the instruments, a plan is being discussed for NAOJ
to fabricate the IRIS imaging system of the first generation
TMT observational instrument. In addition, the feasibility offabricating the WFOS camera system and proposals for second
generation instruments were discussed by multiple teams
participating from domestic universities.

12. JASMINE Project Office
1. Planning and Development of the JASMINE(Japan Astrometry Satellite Mission forINfrared Exploration) Project(1) Overview
The JASMINE mission seeks to survey virtually the entire
galactic bulge (20° × 10° around the center of the galaxy) andperform infrared (Kw-band: 1.5–2.5 microns) measurementof annual parallax, proper motions, and celestial coordinatesof the stars at a high accuracy of 1/100,000 arcsecond (10microarcseconds) in order to determine with high reliability the
distance and transverse velocity of stars within approximately
10 kpc from Earth in the surveyed direction. Nearly one million
stars can be measured with high precision (relative error ofannual parallax necessary to accurately determine the distanceto better than 10%) in the galactic bulge. By using observational
data to construct a phase space distribution of gravitational
matter, astrometric surveys of the bulge forming the core of
the Milky Way promise major scientific breakthroughs in our
understanding of the structure of galactic bulges and the causesof their formation; the history of star formation within bulges;
and the co-evolution of bulges and supermassive black holes
which is closely related to these phenomena,.
Two projects (ultra-small-size and small-size) in orderto progressively build up scientific results and accumulate
the necessary technical knowledge and experience are being
implemented prior to the JASMINE project, which is a midsized scientific satellite. The Nano-JASMINE micro-satellite
project (primary mirror aperture: 5 cm) is currently being
implemented in order to test part of the technologies for
JASMINE. Despite its small aperture, the satellite is capable ofa level of observational precision comparable to the Hipparcos
satellite, and the combination of observational data from NanoJASMINE and the Hipparcos Catalogue is expected to improve
proper motion and annual parallax precision. The satellite isscheduled for launch around December 2014. Also underway is

032

III Status Reports of Research Activities

a project to launch a small-size version (primary mirror aperture:
30 cm) of JASMINE around a target date of 2018. The satellite
will engage in observations of only a limited area around thebulge and certain specific astronomical objects. This small-size
version has a goal of obtaining advanced scientific results at an
early stage. The mid-size JASMINE satellite (main aperture:
approx. 80 cm) for surveying the entire bulge is targeted forlaunch in the 2020s. Internationally, Japan shares responsibilities
with ESA by engaging in infrared observation in the direction of
the galactic center, while they perform visible-light observationof the entire sky at a precision of 10 microarcseconds (the Gaia
Project).
(2) Primary Progress for FY 2012
1) Organization of the Office
The JASMINE Project Office is composed of four full-time
staff, seven staff members holding other posts, two postdoctoral
fellows, one research supporter, one technical supporter,and two graduate students. The Office is also the gratefulrecipient of significant cooperation from organizations such as
NAOJ’s TAMA Project Office; Kyoto University’s Graduate
School of Science; JAXA’s Systems Engineering (SE) Office,Aerospace Research and Development Directorate (ARD), andISAS; the University of Tokyo’s School of Engineering; theTokyo University of Marine Science and Technology; and the
University of Tsukuba.
2) Progress of Nano-JASMINE Project
The Nano-JASMINE Project will engage in actual spaceobservation using an ultra-small satellite in order to makeJapan’s first foray into space astrometry; to accumulate technicalexperience in the onboard data acquisition and the like that will
be conducted in the upcoming JASMINE project; and to achievescientific results like information on the structure of the galaxy
near the Solar System.

The satellite is scheduled to be launched from a Brazilian
launch site operated by Alcântara Cyclone Space usinga Cyclone-4 rocket built by Ukrainian rocket developer
Yuzhnoye. The launch has been pushed back due to delays in theconstruction of the Alcântara Space Center launch site in Brazil;
at present, launching is scheduled for the end of 2014. The
launch rocket has already been prepared, and work on adjusting
the rocket/satellite interface is proceeding apace. Assembly of
the Flight Model (FM) that will actually be launched into space
was completed in FY 2011, but the extra time yielded by thelaunch delay is being utilized to perform additional testing of
the FM in order to further ensure project success. Maintenanceof the satellite was also performed. Work to establish terrestrial
communication stations involved in the operation of the satellite
was continued, and one month of training simulating actual
operation (in the initial phase) was performed in order to identify
and address problems.
Development of algorithms and software necessary to
determine astrometric information at the necessary level ofprecision from raw observational data also proceeded apace.
In particular, a method for determining the centers of stellar
images at high precision while taking into account error factors
affecting the shapes of stars was developed as part of a graduate
student thesis. International cooperation with the data analysis
team for Gaia, which involves observational and analyticalmethods similar to those of Nano-JASMINE, also proceeded
without interruption. A Japanese working group (lead by Ryoichi
Nishi, Niigata University) for investigating the scientific results
obtained by Nano-JASMINE also continued its activities.
3) Planning/Development of Small-JASMINE Project
The goal of the Small-JASMINE Project is to use atelescope with a three-mirror optical system, having a primary
mirror aperture of 30 cm to perform infrared (Hw band: 1.1–1.7µm) astrometric observations and measure annular parallax
at a precision of 10–70 microarcseconds and proper motions(transverse angular velocity across the celestial sphere) at 10–70
microarcseconds/year in the direction of a few square degrees
area near the galactic center within the bulge and the direction of
a number of specific astronomical objects of interest in order tocreate a catalogue of the positions and movement of stars withinthese regions. The project is unique in that, unlike the Gaia
Project, observation will be performed in the near-infrared band,in which the effect of absorption by dust is weak, and the sameastronomical object can be observed at high frequency. This
will enable revolutionary breakthroughs in astronomy including
the structure and history of the formation of the galactic bulge;
the co-evolution of the galactic bulge and the supermassive
black hole at the center of the galaxy; the orbital elements of
X-ray binary stars; the physics of fixed stars, star formation,and planetary systems; as well as in basic physics including
gravitational lensing. This data will allow for the compilationof a more significant catalogue when combined with data from
Earth based observations of the line-of-sight velocities andchemical compositions of stars in the bulge. Focused conceptual
planning and design of the Small-JASMINE satellite systemand detailed planning of the subsystems for vital elements of
the Small-JASMINE satellite, such as thermal structure, attitudecontrol, and orbit, began in November 2008 with cooperationfrom nearly ten engineers (from JAXA’s SE Office, ARD, andISAS).
Against this background, conceptual planning and design;technical testing; international project partnerships; and scientificdiscussion by a Science Working Group (led by Masayuki
Umemura of the University of Tsukuba) composed of volunteers
from diverse fields in Japan were conducted in FY 2012 toward
a goal of submitting a mission proposal to the call for smallsize scientific satellite mission proposals originally scheduled by
JAXA/ISAS for FY 2012. (The ISAS call for mission proposals
was not held in FY 2012, and is expected to be held in FY 2013.)
The Science Working Group hosted a workshop in FY 2012 aswell, and discussed the scientific results expected from SmallJASMINE.
Investigation of the satellite system design to determine if
the satellite as a whole will be capable of achieving the target
astrometric precision has been performed in-house as well as
by the manufacturer since FY 2009. Following the results of theinvestigations performed in FY 2011, research and development
in FY 2012 focused on vital issues in the mission unit (including
the satellite system design study and proving tests) that stillneed to be addressed prior to submitting the mission proposal,
as well as detailed planning of the interface with the bus unit.
As a result, the plans for orbit/attitude; the thermal environmentof the observational equipment; telescope pointing stability;
power systems; mass and center of gravity; and communications
systems were revised to successfully meet design specification
requirements. As a result of investigation into the bus unit
interface, specifications were successfully developed so themission can be completed without the need for additional
modification requirements to the standard bus. It was also
confirmed that there were no major problems in the cost estimate
for the mission unit. Prospective measures for dealing with straylight and outgassing were also raised. In this way, headway was
made on preparations for the mission proposal.
International partnerships have also been formed withmultiple overseas groups engaging in terrestrial high-dispersion
spectroscopic observation in order to determine the line-of-sightvelocities and chemical compositions for bulge stars with theaim of gaining a further understanding of the galactic bulge. In
particular, a proposal was received from the PI of the UnitedStates’ APOGEE Project, Steven Majewski (University ofVirginia), to jointly submit a proposal for the APOGEE-2 projectto equip a telescope in the southern hemisphere suitable forbulge observation with a high-dispersion spectroscope identicalto that used in APOGEE and engage in bulge observations.
This resulted in a joint proposal submission. JASMINE
Project members also participated in APOGEE team meetings.
It was decided to further deepen the partnership between
the two projects for the sake of future breakthroughs in our
understanding of the galactic bulge. As a result, a memorandum
was exchanged between the APOGEE-2 team, the SDSS-IV
Collaboration, and Small-JASMINE in order to strengthen

III Status Reports of Research Activities

033

international partnerships and establish scientific goals related
to the galactic bulge. In this way, Small-JASMINE has obtainedinternational support and concrete assistance, and international
cooperation in scientific development is being advanced.

13. Extrasolar Planet Detection Project Office
The Extrasolar Planet Detection Project Office cooperates
with researchers interested in exoplanet science at universities
around the country, centered around the NAOJ to promotes
the general development of technologies for observing
exoplanets and their formation as well as to organize exoplanet
related observation, The office engages in the development ofobservational equipment, the promotion of research, mission
planning, and research and development of basic sharedtechnologies. The project office also spearheads international
cooperative efforts related to exoplanets. Specifically, theresearch and development conducted by the office focuses on
the following five core areas:(1) The development, maintenance, and operation of the HiCIAO
high-contrast instrument for directly observing exoplanets with
the Subaru Telescope, as well as the implementation of therelated Strategic Explorations of Exoplanets and Disks with
Subaru (SEEDS) survey.
(2) Development of the next novel observation instrument(IRD: the InfraRed Doppler Instrument) for detecting terrestrial
exoplanets with the Subaru Telescope.
(3) Technical planning of the TMT/SEIT instrument for directly
observing terrestrial planets and the mission JPTF, as well as
relevant international cooperation.
(4) Implementation of the next-generation infrared astronomy
satellite SPICA and related exoplanet science investigations.
(5) Research the interstellar medium and the formation of stars
and planets via wide-field imaging polarimetric observation
using the IRSF telescope in South Africa.
The Office staff for FY 2012 consisted of four full-time
staff members, five staff members holding other posts, and six
full-time postdoctoral fellows. There were 26 refereed Westernlanguage papers, 12 non-refereed Western-language papers, 32Western-language reports (speeches at international conferences,etc.), two non-refereed Japanese-language reports, one Japaneselanguage report in the form of a book or publication, and 56
Japanese-language reports at academic conferences and the like.

034

observing exoplanets and the circumstellar discs in which they
form using the 8.2 m Subaru Telescope. Design and fabrication
began in FY 2004. Test observations were completed in FY
2009, and SEEDS (Strategic Explorations of Exoplanets andDisks with Subaru), the first strategic project using Subaru,
was begun in October 2009 with cooperation from nearly
100 researchers across Japan and the world. Observations arecontinuing smoothly.
(2) Infrared Doppler Instrument (IRD)
Development is underway into a high-dispersion infrared
spectrometer having a line-of-sight velocity precision of
approximately 1 m/s in order to create an infrared Doppler
instrument for detecting habitable terrestrial planets aroundM-type and other low-mass stars. The budget for the projectis based on a specially implemented research project (led byMotohide Tamura) funded by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific
Research for FY 2010–2014. The final design of the opticalsystem; fabrication of high-dispersion optical elements; planning
for a 4096×4096 pixel infrared detector; laboratory evaluationof the optical system components; fiber selection experiments
for guiding light from astronomical objects and comb light; andoptical frequency comb generation experiments were conducted.
The Science Working Group also engaged in investigations ofplanets around M-type stars.

2. Technical planning of space mission andnext-generation observational apparatus for
extremely large terrestrial telescopes for the
direct observation of terrestrial planets, andinternational cooperation efforts

1. Development of the next observational
instrument for exoplanet research for the
Subaru Telescope and implementation ofobservational research using the same(1) Japanese Terrestrial Planet Finder (JTPF)
The scientific goal of this mission project is to directly
observe terrestrial planets and search for signs of life. Alongwith the planning of Japanese missions, the possibility ofinternational cooperative missions is also being explored.
Fundamental experiments continued with performance testingat the JPL test bed with collaborators. A paper on the SPICES
Mission was published. In addition, the TESS Mission, in which
project staff members are participating, was selected for theNASA Discovery Mission.

(1) High Contrast Instrument for the Subaru Next Generation
Adaptive Optics (HiCIAO)
Development was completed for the modular high-contrast
instrument HiCIAO, which is equipped with a coronagraphand simultaneous differential imaging technologies (featuring
different polarizations, wavelengths, and angles) for directly(2) Second Earth Imager for TMT (SEIT)
Technical and scientific planning of the new SEIT
observational apparatus to enable the detection of terrestrial
planets using the 30 m next-generation extremely large terrestrial
telescope, TMT, was continued. A proof-of-concept opticalsystem for the SEIT observational method was constructed, and

III Status Reports of Research Activities

verification experiments were performed.

3. Observation instrument and scientificimplementation for next-generation infrared
astronomical satellite SPICA
The office has been involved in the scientific planning ofa high-contrast observation instrument for SPICA, the 3.2 m
single-mirror (not deployable segmented mirror) telescopewith high sensitivity, which has been led by JAXA since thebeginning of the mission project. The project seeks to engage inimaging and spectroscopy of planets located at comparatively
large distances from their primary stars.

4. Research/Educational/Outreach Activities
Research was conducted into exoplanets and the discs
in which they form, as well as related fields including rogue
planets, brown dwarfs, star/planet formation, and fixedstars. A total of 25 refereed scientific papers were published.
In particular, 11 papers were published on the Strategic
Explorations of Exoplanets and Disks with Subaru (SEEDS)
project. Notable results include the direct imaging of a giant
planet around the star Kappa Andromedae by HiCIAO; thediscovery of gaps (PDS 70 and USco J1604) via high-resolution
observation of protoplanetary discs also by HiCIAO; as wellas the discovery of small spiral arm structures (MWC 758
and SAO 206462). The disc structures of the latter two both
exhibited signs of the presence of planets (Fig. 1). Other major
results include the detailed modeling of transitional discs
photographed by HiCIAO; investigation into the possibility ofdetecting oxygen emission lines in near-infrared wavelengths
as biomarkers via terrestrial telescopes; observations in orderto detect giant planets around M-type stars; the cataloguingof isolated planetary-mass objects by the SONYC Project; thediscovery of a companion star for the retrograde planet in the

Figure 1: HiCIAO image discovering an exoplanet circling Kappa
Andromedae. The object is believed to be a planet 13 times the mass of
Jupiter located at a distance of 55AU from the B-type star.

HAT-P-7 system; discoveries regarding the circular polarizationand homochirality of the NGC 6334 region using the SIRPOL
infrared polarimeter; and research into brown dwarfs and starformation by the UKIDSS/VVV Project. The SEEDS strategic
observational project using the Subaru Telescope proceededsmoothly this year. Theoretical research and research via transit
and Doppler methods were also conducted.
Research guidance was given to 15 graduate students
engaged in exoplanet research and related R&D. Numerous
lectures and publications for the general public on exoplanets,
discs, and general astronomy were implemented, and a total of
six press releases were issued.

14. RISE (Research of Interior Structure and Evolution) Project Office
1. Lunar Explorer Kaguya (SELENE)(1) Publication of Kaguya Data
Data from the RISE lunar exploration project on the
topography and the free-air gravitational field, as well asprocessed data for Bouguer gravity anomalies and crust
thickness, were made available to the public on the NAOJ
website starting July 2010. Gravitational field and topographicaldata are constantly updated. Data can be accessed at thefollowing addresses:(Japanese) http://www.miz.nao.ac.jp/rise-pub/(English) http://www.miz.nao.ac.jp/rise-pub/en(2) Research into the Internal Structure of the Moon using
Kaguya Data

The model of the lunar gravitational field was expanded to aspherical harmonic degree and order up to 150 by incorporating
VLBI phase delay data and simultaneously adding low-altitude
orbit tracking data from the NASA Lunar Prospector. Coanalysis of lunar topographic data obtained by the LALT laser
altimeter and lunar topographic data obtained by the LOLA laser
altimeter on the NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO)
was conducted. The relationship between lunar crust thickness
and mare basalt distribution was investigated, confirming that
there are differences in the maximum crust thickness wheremare basalts can erupt on the near and far sides of the moon, as
well as significant differences between the Feldspathic Highland
Terrane (FHT) and the South-Pole Aitken Basin (SPA) on the far
side of the moon.

III Status Reports of Research Activities035

2. Future Lunar/Planetary Exploration Projects(1) High-Precision VLBI Observation of Lunar Gravitation
Building on the results from the Kaguya mission, planningof the onboard equipment, including lander, for the next lunar
exploration project SELENE-2 is underway. The deep structureof the Moon, especially core size, density, physical state, andcomposition, are invaluable elements in exploring the origins
and evolution of the Moon. Limiting values for these parameters
can be obtained from the low-order elements J2 and C22 of thelunar gravitational field and the tidal Love number k2.
Thus, a new mission to measure the lunar gravitational
field has been proposed for SELENE-2 in order to improve,in particular, the precision of low-order gravitational field
coefficients and k2. Specifically, VLBI radio sources will be
installed in a lunar orbiter and a survival module to be set up on
the lunar surface, and the gravitational field will be measured via
same-beam VLBI observation. Whereas the trajectories of two
small satellites were simultaneously determined in the Kaguya
project, one radio source will be immobilized on the lunar
surface and used as a reference to determine the trajectory of theother radio source (the orbiter) in the SELENE-2 project. The
path of the orbiter satellite will be selected so that the elongation
between the radio sources constantly satisfies same-beamconditions, thus allowing for the acquisition of large amounts ofhigh-precision VLBI observational data in order to efficiently
improve low-order gravitational field coefficients and k2.
Investigations focused on the following points in FY 2012.
i) Internal structure limitability
In order to more clearly define the scientific goals of
SELENE-2, the extent to which the interior structure of theMoon could be constrained by combining geodesic data andmoonquake data was investigated. An error evaluation was
conducted for the radius and density of the core for a scenario
in which moonquake data for Tycho is acquired by SELENE-2
in addition to the moonquake data from the Apollo mission
and geodesic data precision is improved in the VLBI mission.
Results indicated that a precision of roughly 10% could be
expected for both radius and density. Next, a method of actuallycombining geodesic data and moonquake data to perform a
Bayesian estimate of the interior structure was developed,
and the abovementioned results were tested. Results indicatedthat the core radius could be determined at roughly 10%
precision using a simple three-layered model, even if there wereuncertainties regarding the structure of the crust.
ii) Antenna heat resistanceA patch antenna on a Macor substrate was selected for anantenna usable in lunar surface temperature conditions (−200°C– +120°C) as a tradeoff between formats, materials, etc. Thermal
shock testing of a Macor substrate was performed using liquid
nitrogen, confirming that the unit was capable of independently
withstanding lunar surface temperature conditions. Electricalproperties analysis was also performed, confirming that performancerequirements were met in lunar surface temperature conditions.

036

III Status Reports of Research Activitiesiii) Discussion into providing two beams for the S and X bands
in the 20 m VERA antennaSame-beam S-band VLBI observation had been consideredas the primary method for differential VLBI observation
between the orbiter and the lander in the SELENE-2 project. But
to achieve more precise dual-beam S/X band VLBI observations
joint research was begun with the Mizusawa VLBI Observatory
using a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research, Category A(Researching Lunar/Planetary Interior Structures via Explorer
VLBI Observation: Size, State, and Origins of Metal Cores).
Whereas the elongation between the orbiter and the lander isbetween 0° and a maximum of 0.6° in SELENE-2, observations
at elongations of less than about 0.3° are difficult in methods
involving receivers installed in two stages, as in the conventional
VERA dual-beam system; thus, it was decided to adopt a phasedarray method allowing for observation at smaller elongations.
Conceptual planning was conducted using a self-complementaryarray antenna, a VIVALDI antenna, and the like as candidates.
(2) Studying the structure of the lunar interior via lunar laser ranging
The distance between the Moon and the Earth can be
accurately measured by transmitting a laser from a telescopeon Earth to laser retroreflectors left on the lunar surface by the
U.S. Apollo Project and Soviet lunar exploration projects andobserving the reflected photons, thereby allowing lunar orbit
variations to be investigated.
Due to the lack of reflectors in the southern hemisphere of
the lunar surface and the time difference between the two endsof reflector arrays generated by libration, the level of precision
has hitherto been insufficient to determine fine variationsin the process of energy dissipation in the lunar interior. As
part of SELENE-2, a proposal has been made to set up a new
single reflector mirror in the southern hemisphere, away fromthe reflectors already in place, allowing for high-precision
measurement of lunar rotational variations.
Investigations focused on the following points in FY 2012.
i) Retroreflecting mirror
ZPF (Nihon Ceratec), Clearceram-Z EX (Ohara), andmonocrystalline silicon were selected as candidate materials forthe retroreflecting mirror to be installed on the lunar surface outof consideration of their linear expansion coefficient, thermal
diffusivity, Young's modulus, and density. Iwate University,
NICT, Hitotsubashi University, and others analyzed mirror
deformation due to temperature changes and gravity on the
lunar surface and the resulting degradation of optical properties.
Chubu University, the Chiba Institute of Technology, NICT,
and the manufacturer jointly discussed grinding methods for thecase of a single-piece mirror, bonding methods in the case of alaminated mirror, methods of precisely determining interplanarangles, and a gimbal for orienting the reflector in the direction ofEarth.
ii) Terrestrial ranging station tests
In order to enable lunar laser ranging, an experimental
ranging to an Earth-orbit satellite equipped with a reflecting

mirror was conducted jointly with NICT using a version of the
NICT Koganei satellite laser ranging (SLR) system that had
been modified for lunar observation.
(3) Study of the structure of the lunar interior using the ILOM
telescope
Research is underway to install a small PZT telescope(ILOM: In situ Lunar Orientation Measurement) on the lunar
surface and perform high-precision observation of variationsin the rotational movement of the Moon in order to limit theinternal structure of the Moon. Because measurement can be
conducted independent of lunar orbital components, this small
telescope is capable of detecting miniscule variations in therotation of the Moon, making it possible to determine if thelunar core is molten.
Planning, development, and testing focused on the following
points in FY 2012.
i) Development of diffractive lens
It has been practically confirmed that the use of a diffractive
lens for a lunar surface telescope presents no problems foranalysis or element testing, and construction of a prototype
objective lens for actual performance evaluation was begun.
Chubu University's Suzuki Laboratory, which specializes inprecision machining, was requested for assistance in fabricating
the body of the diffractive lens. Planning for the overall design,
fabrication, and evaluation of the objective lens was also begun
with the manufacturer.
ii) Telescope performance evaluation
Telescope performance was evaluated jointly with Iwate
University using a terrestrial observational model and an
artificial light source. In particular, various shapes of mercury
pools were fabricated and compared in order to evaluate theeffects of vibrations in the mercury pool used as a horizontal
reference plane. At present, a copper mercury pool 0.5 mm deepby 84 mm diameter is most resistant to the effects of vibration.
(4) Hayabusa 2 LIDAR
The LIDAR scheduled to be carried by the Hayabusa 2
asteroid explorer slated for launch in 2014 is an instrument using
laser ranging to estimate asteroid shape and gravitational fields.
The Chiba Institute of Technology and the University of Aizu arealso participating in its design based on the previous experience
with the Kaguya project. Investigation is underway for science
promotion and a hardware testing plan for science maturation.
The project is planned to make scientific contributions in gravity(object mass) determination and photometry.
Efforts focused on the following points in FY 2012.
i) A new dust observation mode was developed and included as ascientific observational mode. Prior to this, investigations into dust
flux, light levels, acquired data levels, and the like were performed.
ii) An algorithm for modeling asteroid shapes and an operating
method for estimating gravitational fields were examined andsuggested for the project.
iii) A simple data monitoring software program (QuickLook,
QL) was created and telemetry packet adjustment was performed
in preparation for primary engagement.
iv) Operating methods for asteroid surface albedo measurements
and the precision thereof were discussed.
(5) Research into Internal Structure in Explorations of MarsThe Mars general exploration working group is making
plans for landers. The RISE Group seeks to accurately measure
variations in the rotation of Mars by loading radio sources onto
multiple landers and using methods such as four-way Doppler andinverse VLBI. This will enable debate on the presence or lack ofa molten core in Mars; the growth and shrinkage of its polar ice
caps; annual variations in atmospheric movement; and the like.
(6) Other Exploration Projects
The office is continuing its activities as a co-investigator of
the BepiColombo Mercury exploration project, jointly plannedby the European Space Agency (ESA) and Japan and scheduled
for launch in 2015. The office decided to participate, along with
the Chiba Institute of Technology, in the development teamfor the GALA laser altimeter to be used in the ESA's JUICE
mission to explore the Jovian system. The Japanese team will be
responsible for the receiverunit.

3. Educational Activities/PR
The Office continues to engage in raising public awarenessregarding the Kaguya project. The layout of the Office's
website was updated to allow for regular posting of the latest
information. The website can be viewed at http://www.miz.nao.
ac.jp/rise/en.

4. Joint Research / International Cooperation
Joint research into the basic development of a lunar lander/
explorer (LLR and ILOM) is being conducted with the Facultyof Engineering at Iwate University, with monthly meetings
being held alternately at the Faculty of Engineering at Iwate
University and NAOJ Mizusawa. This collaboration is being
conducted under the Memorandum on Basic Matters Concerning
Research and Development of Lunar Surface Exploration and
Observational Equipment exchanged between the RISE Lunar
Exploration Project and the Faculty of Engineering at Iwate
University, and the two will continue to cooperate in the researchand development of lunar surface exploration and observational
equipment.
Data analysis and joint research into future projects isbeing continued with a group at China's Shanghai Astronomical
Observatory, which was a collaborator in observation via the
Kaguya satellite. Approval was granted in FY 2012 for a Japan/
China joint seminar planned by the Japan Society for the
Promotion of Science (JSPS), and a workshop doubling as a

III Status Reports of Research Activities

037

RISE research conference was held at NAOJ Mitaka in June.
Research collaboration with a group at Russia’s Kazan
Federal University, which has a history of theoretical research
into the structure of the lunar interior, was continued within theframework of a Japan/Russia joint research project (two years,
third session) planned by JSPS that was approved from FY
2011. In FY 2011, Y. Barkin of Moscow State University spent

half a year at Mizusawa as a visiting professor, and engaged inresearch into the construction of a new theory of lunar rotation.
Joint research was also conducted with T. Hiroi of
Brown University in the United States and T. Nakamura of
Tohoku University, with experiments in space weatheringand measurement of meteorite reflectance being performed at
Mizusawa.

15. Astronomy Data Center
1. Overview
The role of the Astronomy Data Center (hereafter ADC) is
not only to maintain a research infrastructure via the smooth
operation of a group of fundamental systems, but also to engage
in research and development towards future expansions in open
computer use and research infrastructure. Its activities consist of
the DB/DA Project, the Network Project, the Japanese Virtual
Observatory (JVO) Project, the Hyper Suprime-Cam Data
Analysis Software Development Project, and works related tothe computer open-use.

2. Accomplishments(1) DB/DA Project
The DB/DA Project engages in database- and database
analysis-related research and development, as well as thehandling (collection / management / sharing) of astronomical
data. ADC has made public various types of astronomical data,such as astronomical catalogues, the SAO/NASA Astrophysics
Data System (ADS), and all-sky image data (DSS, DSS2), foruse by astronomers and educators in Japan and overseas (http://
dbc.nao.ac.jp/).
The core of the project, the SMOKA database (http://smoka.nao.ac.jp/) which holds archive data from sources suchas the Subaru Telescope; the 188 cm telescope of the Okayama
Astrophysical Observatory; the 105 cm Schmidt telescope at
the Kiso Observatory, University of Tokyo; the MITSuME
telescope operated by Tokyo Institute of Technology (two 50 cm
telescopes); and the Kanata telescope (150 cm) at the HigashiHiroshima Observatory of Hiroshima University, is open to
the public and has yielded numerous research breakthroughs.
Nearly 7.32 million frames and 39 TBytes of observational data
(excluding environmental data and meteorological data) areavailable for viewing in SMOKA as of May 2013. In FY 2012,21 papers based on SMOKA data were published in refereed
journals, for a total of 120 published papers as of May 2013.
Efforts in FY 2012 were focused on transitional work
accompanying the updating (replacement) of the computer
system. Work on developing an advanced search function for
SMOKA and increasing operational efficiency was continued
from the previous year.

038

III Status Reports of Research Activities(2) Network Project
ADC operates network systems connecting its headquarters(at the Mitaka Campus) and branches distributed around Japan,
as well as wide-area lines connecting regional networks.
Operational highlights for FY 2012 were as follows.
1) Introduction of new information network system: A new
information network system has been provided for the Mitaka,
the Mizusawa, the Nobeyama, and the Okayama campuses fromMarch 2013 onward. In particular, 40 Gbps ethernet-compatible
foundamental networks have been put into operation at the
Mitaka and the Mizusawa campuses.
2) Research and development of systems for the CfCA
supercomputer system: The CfCA supercomputer system is
distributed amongst the Mizusawa and the Mitaka campuses.
The CfCA Project is collaboratively developing highly costefficient 40 Gbps high-speed routers and a storage cache(accelerator) for transmitting data amongst the distributed
systems at high efficiency.
3) Special classes for elementary and junior high school students
in earthquake-affected areas: ADC held three special classes
primarily for elementary and junior high schools in affected
regions via real-time links between the Subaru Telescope and theclassroom. This program was offered in cooperation with both
Japanese and foreign support organizations.
(3) Japanese Virtual Observatory (JVO) Project
The JVO Project is engaged in the development andoperation of a portal site (http://jvo.nao.ac.jp/portal) to
astronomical data from around the world, in order to promote
data-intensive astronomical research.
1) Distribution of ALMA data: Distribution of ALMA science
verification data via a VO interface was begun. A GUI allowing
for simultaneous data searching and viewing was developed
jointly with the ALMA software group.
2) Improvement of JVO Sky service functionality: We havedeveloped a system to display data gathered from VO services
around the world via a crawling system on a celestial chart andto download the data. This allows astronomers easily checkspecific regions having observational data from the Subaru
Telescope, ALMA, the Suzaku X-Ray Telescope, the Hubble
Space Telescope, and the Chandra X-Ray Telescope and others.
3) Addition of AKARI data to LMC Survey Catalogue: We
have registered to the JVO system a merged catalogue including
the LMC catalogue from the IRSF telescope in South Africa,
developed by Daisuke Kato of the AKARI team’s.
4) JVO system refactoring: Unused portions, redundantfunctions, and the like were cleaned up in order to improve
future code maintainability and expandability, and to prepare fora redesign of the system for easier-to-use screen transitions for
JVO Portal in the future.
5) VO Tutorials: Tutorials were held on how to use the JVO
Portal as well as software developed by overseas VO groups.
Work on three research topics was performed using the JVO
Portal and other various types of VO software.
6) Scientific research using VO: Large samples on the evolutionof SMBH-containing galaxies were searched for and analyzed
via VOs, yielding new discoveries regarding the evolution of
SMBHs.
7) International Collaboration: Masatoshi Ohishi served as
the president of IAU Commission 5 from August 2009 toAugust 2012, as a member of the science advisory board ofEurope’s VAMDC Project, and as chairman of the ICUAF, aninternational group that protects radio astronomical observationfrom radio interference, from August 2009 onward.
(4) HSC Data Analysis Software Development Project
The HSC Data Analysis Software Development Project
aims to develop data analysis software for the next-generation
ultra-wide field visible light camera equipped with the Subaru
Telescope (HyperSuprime-Cam, HSC) as well as a database formanaging and sharing analysis results.
This project, which was begun in January 2009, engages in
the planning and implementation of parallelized and distributed
processes; methods of correcting instrumental distortion; andmethods of calibrating object position and brightness, for thesake of efficient and precise analysis of HSC data obtained withthe 104 CCDs.
Operational tests during actual test observations were
performed in FY 2012 with the necessary software at the Subaru
Telescope’s base facility immediately following observation as
the on-site analysis. At present, the software is able to complete
in analyzing data from all 104 CCDs in about five minutes after
data acquisition. Further strategies will be sought to enable
even faster processing. Meanwhile, there have been various
developments in image processing. A series of data processing
pipeline for mosaicing and catalogue compilation is being
completed by using data obtained by HSC test observation
since January 2013. The groundwork is currently being laid
for achieving more complete data production while adding thenecessary measuring functions.
We continue to test and develop a database for managing
analyzed and processed data. A general outlook for the dataprocessing procedure has been established via integration withthe analysis software. In particular, steady progress is being
made on the database registration and management of thecatalogue including mosaiced images and astronomical objects
detected therein.
(5) Works related to the Computer open-use
A group of rental computers forms the core of the open use
in ADC. These comprise the primary responsibility of ADC as
an inter-university research institute. In parallel with improving
the hardware performance of the computer system, efforts werealso made for astronomical application and developing data
analysis software for better efficiency. The rental computer
system was replaced in FY 2012, and a new rental computer
system, the NAOJ Data Analysis/Archive/Publication System,
went into operation on March 1, 2013.
The System is composed of a “multi-wavelength data
analysis” subsystem, a “large-scale data archive”, a “datapublication” subsystem, a “virtual observatory” subsystem,a “solar data archive/analysis/publication” subsystem, a“Mizusawa area data analysis” subsystem, and a “expetimentuse” subsystem. Of these, the computational resources of themulti-wavelength data analysis subsystem have been enhanced
to nearly five times the capabilities of the old data analysis
system, and 122 users registered to the subsystem in FY 2012.
The Center also hosted and co-hosted various seminars aspart of its open use efforts. 11 seminars and other events were
held this year, with a total of 169 participants. Details are as
follows.
Event Name (*: co-hosted)
Subaru Spring School 2012*
IDL Seminar for Beginners
FY 2012 IRAF Seminar
VO Tutorial, Autumn 2012
ALMA CASA Tutorial*
IDL Seminar on FITS Data
Analysis
Asian Winter School on
Exoplanets*
Subaru Autumn School(FMOS) 2012*
Midwinter School on
N-body Simulation*
FY 2012 SQL Seminar
VO Tutorial, Spring 2013

Dates
Participants
May 29–31, 201210
June 21–22, 2012
12
July 19–20, 201213
September 27–28,
112012
November 22, 2012
55
November 27–28,
92012
December 3–5,
21
2012
December 11–12,
9
2012
January 21–23,
82013
February 26–
16
March 1, 2013
March 25–26, 20135

3. Other Activities
As part of PR activities, 90 issues of “Information from
ADC,” from issue No. 235 to No. 324, were published in FY
2012. These were distributed via email and on the Web.

III Status Reports of Research Activities039

16. Advanced Technology Center
1. Overview of the Organization and Activitiesof the Advanced Technology Center (ATC)Development of Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) which had been
designated an area for focused development was completed,and test installation on the Subaru Telescope began. Fabricationof the ALMA receivers is proceeding apace, and the final
stages of parts machining have been entered in the MechanicalEngineering Shop. Fabrication of all three receiver bands istargeted for completion in FY 2013.
Meanwhile, established as an organization dedicated to
instrument development for NAOJ projects, leading edge
development continued for the IRIS observational apparatus
for the next-generation extremely large Thirty Meter Telescope(TMT) and for gravitational wave-related development focusing
on the KAGRA project. Technical staff involved in structuraldesign were reassigned, technical staff capable of optical design
were hired, and experimental space was secured.
In the activities related to Advisory Committee forAdvanced Technology, the “Recommendations of the Advisory
Committee for Advanced Technology” which had been an objectof concern from the previous year was completed, and submitted
to the Director General of the NAOJ in September. Firstly, thedocument discusses the importance of autonomous developmentof instruments for TMT, KAGRA, and the like. Also discussed
is the necessity of drawing upon previous instrumentation
development experience with the aim of establishing the ATC
as a center for international development in the future, as wellas the necessity of the personnel reinforcement that will beessential to this end. Meetings of the Advisory Committee forAdvanced Technology were held in September and March thisfiscal year. The Director General was asked for feedback, basedon which the Advisory Committee discussed and studied specificstrategies for transitioning to a framework for supporting thedevelopment of TMT and KAGRA. Discussions are ongoing.
In other activities, brochures about the Advanced Technology
Center were completely overhauled to more impressively convey
the details of the areas of focused development supporting NAOJ
projects and the development of advanced technology contributing
to future projects. These materials were utilized for promotional
purposes at the IAU General Assembly held in Beijing.
The 23rd International Symposium on Space Terahertz
Technology co-hosted by the NAOJ, the Advanced Technology
Center, and JAXA/ISAS on April 2–4, 2012, at the National
Center of Sciences was the first time the event was held in Asia.
There 87 participants from Western countries and 52 from Japandiscussed ALMA, SPICA, and other terahertz technologies.

2. Workshops and Development Support Facilities(1) Mechanical Engineering Shop
The goal of the Mechanical Engineering Shop (ME Shop)
is to engage in the entire process of creating experimental and040

III Status Reports of Research Activities

observational instruments, from design to fabrication and shapemeasurements.
A new full-time technician joining the Shop following an
intra-Observatory transfer was assigned to the design department
to enhance design strength.
The design department is engaged in projects such as the
structural design of the primary parts for the auxiliary optics
system of the KAGRA gravitational wave telescope, and thedetailed design of a lens mount for the optical framework of the
IRIS focal plane instrument for TMT.
Fabrication of mass produced parts for the ALMA receiver isproceeding according to schedule. The shop is engaged in HSC
development support as well as responding to project requests
from both within and outside the observatory. Some of the
major requested projects completed by the Shop include thermalradiation shielding parts for SIMS (University of Tokyo), a
mechanical deformable mirror (JAXA/ISAS), a concentric conemirror (Underwater Technology Research Center at the Instituteof Industrial Science of the University of Tokyo), and a small
format slicing mirror (University of Tokyo, SPICA Project).
In the field of ultra-precision machining, the shop engaged
in collaborative research and development with externalorganizations and worked on project requests. Joint researchand development efforts included the development of an ultraprecise milling process using a monocrystalline diamond toolwith the Mechanical Engineering Center of the High Energy
Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), and the successful
development of optimal mirror surface machining conditions for
an X-band accelerator tube disc. A project involving the grindingof aspherical lenses of magnesium fluoride (MgF2) using a
monocrystalline diamond bit was continued from last year with
the Institute for Molecular Science and Nagoya University.
Follow up investigation into machining conditions for practicalapplications is also underway. In prototype manufacturing of
the radio camera lens array being developed in the ATC, ultraprecise cutting of the antireflective film newly applied to thesurface of the array was successfully performed, achieving afilm pressure error of ±3 μm.
Technical exchange with the Mechanical Engineering
Center at KEK has been conducted for the past two years aspart of the shop’s technical collaborations with external researchorganizations. The “Technical Conference on the Introductionof a Five-Axis Control Machining Center” was held this year bytechnicians experienced in the field of machining to exchange
information and specialized technical expertise.
The ME Shop accepted 105 manufacturing and repairs
requests last year. Including four carried over from the previous
year there was a total of 109, of which 93 were completed, and16 were carried over into FY 2013. 10 projects involved theuse of external organizations. The numbers of requests received
in FY 2012 were as follows. (Numbers in parentheses indicate
projects carried over to FY 2013.)

Carryover from previous year

4

Advanced Technology Center

15 (6)

Subaru Telescope

3 (1)

HSC

2

TMT

4 (1)

JASMINE Project Office
Okayama Astrophysical Observatory
Extrasolar Planet Detection Project
Solar Observatory
HinodeSOLAR-C/CLASP
ALMA
RISE
Nobeyama Observatory
Division of Radio Astronomy
KAGRA
TAMA Project OfficePublic Relations Center21
13 (1)4 (1)3
11 (1)
22 (3)
21
1
1
51

Astronomy Data Center
1 (1)Center for Computation Astrophysics
2
Administration Department
1
External organizations
10
Institute of Astronomy, University of Tokyo
5 (1)Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo
2
JAXA/ISAS
2Osaka University
1
Total
109 (16)(2) Optical Shop
A. Usual Operation and Maintenance• Measurement equipment maintenance (day-to-day inspection,etc.)• Measurement-related consultations (69)
• Repair/upgrading of facilities (adding buffer tank to LEGEX
910 compressor, PC upgrade for UV-3100 PC, ZYGO
interferometer maintenance, etc.)
B. Shared use of measurement equipment
April 2012 – March 2013 (including use in joint research
projects)• Instances of measurement equipment usage: 400
Itemized: within ATC: 131
ALMA-related: 14
NAOJ and Institute of Astronomy of University ofTokyo: 162
Non-NAOJ: 93• Use of LEGEX 910 large three-dimensional observational
apparatus: 58
The equipment was constantly used throughout the year, for a
total of 75 days of utilization.
Itemized: ALMA and HSC: 51 (used by measurers of eachgroup)
Requests to the Optical Shop for measurement: 7(3) Space Chamber Shop
This workshop provides support for the shared use of thevacuum chamber, clean room, and other facilities belonging
to the Advanced Technology Center. The primary results ofshared use efforts include tests for the CLASP sounding rocket
experiment performed by the UVSOR synchrotron facility using
the ATC vacuum chamber. Also various vacuum experiments
were performed as part of the next solar observation satellite
SOLAR-C project. Additionally, using a temperature control
apparatus featuring the newly-installed mechanical freezer, lowtemperature motor tests for the filter exchange mechanism of
the WISH (Wide-field Imaging Surveyor for High-Redshift)satellite, and temperature-cycling tests of mirror materials
for the RISE lunar and planetary exploration project wereconducted. The vacuum chamber had almost daily use by open
use researchers in out-gassing measurement experiments and thelike.
(4) Facility Service Unit
In building and facility-related news, air conditioning
equipment and lighting were refurbished in the Instrument
Development Building (South). The air conditioning capabilitiesof the aging equipment of the 18-year-old building had declined,
and the office area air conditioning equipment was renovated.
With this renovation, the air conditioning equipment for thisentire building was fully refurbished because Lab room air
conditioning equipment had already been renovated in FY
2011. Repairs were also performed on aging light fixtures inpart of the office areas, which had exhibited increasing levels oflighting problems. The new lighting features LEDs, which arequite bright at nearly twice the brightness of fluorescent lights.
Refurbishment of the remaining lighting is scheduled for FY
2013.
In building-related news, rain leaks occurred simultaneously
in three different lab rooms due to degradation of the waterproof
sheeting on the roof of the Instrument Development Building(South). There was widespread damage in the waterproof
sheeting due to degradation, leading to high levels of indoor
rain leakage; thankfully, no lab equipment was damaged.
Inspection of the waterproof sheeting performed following theleaks revealed damage at numerous locations around the samebuilding, leading to widespread replacement of the sheeting. A
number of damaged locations were also discovered around theInstrument Development Building (North), and partial repairs
were performed.
Legally mandated inspections of 0.5 ton and heavier craneequipment are performed annually. Since load testing of threeton and heavier crane equipment is also mandated, the testingfor the 4.8 ton crane was performed so as to coincide with theannual inspection performed in November 2012. Load testing
must be performed every two years before the certification
expiration date; the next test is scheduled for November 2014.
The cold evaporator (CE) must also be inspected annually.
Despite 18 years having passed since its installation in 1994,
the evaporator exhibits no anomalies and continues to be usedwithout incident. Primary management duties include legally

III Status Reports of Research Activities041

mandated day-to-day inspection and operational managementof the buildings, electrical equipment, and CE equipment; aswell as diverse other duties including the management of clean
rooms, clean room external air conditioning equipment, private
power generator equipment; operation of the Electrical Shop;chemical substance management; and the disposal of usedchemicals.
In peripheral equipment-related news, the mirror of
the heliostat on the roof of the Instrument Development
Building (North) was re-plated. The heliostat has been used inperformance testing of the on-board visible light telescope ofthe HINODE solar observation satellite and small observational
instrument testing since its start of operation in 2003. But thesurface of the mirror coating had severely degraded due to harshoutdoor conditions, and was re-plated in January 2013.
Two lab rooms in the Instrument Development Building(South) were assigned to the TAMA and KAGRA projects,
which falls under the rubric of advanced technology
development in the ATC, and equipment was installed in thelarge-area lab room. A clean booth (class 1) was installed inanother lab room, and equipment installation work is underway
towards actual operation. The lab room with the clean booth
had been used for the evaluation testing of HSC, and clean-up
was performed after HSC was shipped to the Subaru Telescope.
The Advanced Technology Center has a limited numbers of lab
rooms, and projects are accepted according to availability. Lab
capacity continues to be near maximum since FY 2011, and isassigned to users and operated as available.
Mutsumi Yokota, who had been in charge of facilities
management for years, retired in March 2013. His long yearsof service in operating and maintaining the facilities are greatly
appreciated.

3. Project Support
Two calls for open use projects were held last year; resultingin Advanced Technology Center equipment being used for 8
joint research and development projects and 26 cases of facilities
usage. Results reports are available at the homepage of theAdvanced Technology Center.

4 Areas of Focused Development(1) ALMA SIS Element Development
The furnishing of Band 4 and Band 8 receiver equipment
satisfying ALMA specs was continued from the previous year.
The necessary numbers of devices are being manufactured
for the production of receivers up to December 2013 and thesubsequent maintenance of these receivers.
A new SIS element manufacturing apparatus was deliveredat the end of October 2012, and work to bring the apparatus
online is underway. After apparatus performance confirmation
operation and device prototype testing have been performed, theapparatus is scheduled for use primarily in manufacturing band10 receiver SIS elements.

042

III Status Reports of Research Activities(2) ALMA Band 4
A Band 4 cartridge Manufacturing Readiness Review (MRR)
was held on June 6, 2012, with review committee members inattendance from North America, Europe, Chile, and Taiwan.
As a result, it has been confirmed that the testing and assembly
equipment necessary for mass production are ready, and that
there are no problems in receiver performance or the quality
control system. However, difficulties in attaining a polarization
efficiency of 99.5% or higher led to a revision to specifications
being approved. The target of at least three units per month forpost-MRR mass production has been met. Manufacturing of themixer elements, for which the sputtering apparatus was changed
following the Great East Japan Earthquake, is also proceeding
apace. Close partnership with the SIS group will be necessary inorder to secure a sufficient number of mixer elements, including
spares.
(3) ALMA Band 8
Band 8 (385–500 GHz) cartridge receivers were produced
at a pace of three units per month. A total of 53 spec-compliant
units were delivered to the Joint ALMA Office (JAO) by the endof April 2013. Complete sets of parts including cooled optical
blocks for 73 units were procured for shipment from the ATC’s
ME shop. Assembly, testing, and delivery of the remaining
receivers are scheduled for FY 2013.
(4) ALMA Band 10
A Band 10 cartridge MRR was held on June 6, 2012, withreview committee members in attendance from North America,
Europe, Chile, and Taiwan. As a result, it has been confirmedthat the testing and assembly equipment necessary for mass
production are ready, and that there are no problems in receiver
performance or the quality control system. However, a change in
specifications regarding the requirement of a noise performanceof 80% for the RF band at 230K or less was approved outof consideration for scientific impact and mass production
schedule. Despite a roughly four month delay in the deliveryof parts (multipliers) necessary for receiver production from
NRAO in the United States, manufacturing of Unit 36 wascompleted by the target of the end of March 2013. NICT isscheduled to continue supplying high-quality NbTiN thin films
in order to manufacture the mixer elements for all of the 73 units
being shipped.
(5) HSC Development
This is a project to make full use of the advantages of the
Subaru Telescope by developing and producing a camera prime
focus camera having an ultra-wide-field (Hyper Suprime-Cam,
HSC) which is not possible with previous giant telescopes,
and to use this new instrument to engage in the imaging andexploration of an ultra-wide area of at least 1,000 square
degrees. Nearly 200 million galaxies are estimated to bepresent in the area to be explored. Systematic morphologicaldeformation caused by (weak) gravitational lensing will be
detected via morphological analysis of these galaxies in order todetermine the total mass (including dark matter) between distantgalaxies and the Earth and create a mass distribution map. The
following milestones were attained in FY 2012.
• Primary test observations were performed in August 2012 toconfirm the functioning of all systems.
• An observation proposal requesting 300 observation nights was
submitted in October in cooperation with 166 joint researchers,
and accepted in May 2013 following examination.
• Secondary test observations were performed in January 2013
to confirm the performance of all systems. Image forming
performance at better than 0.5 arcseconds for the entire field ofview was confirmed, as per design. Compared to the roughly
1 arcsecond performance reported for the project’s directcompetitor, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Dark Energy
Camera project, this represents a major advantage on the partof the HSC, as image forming performance is the key to signal
detection.
• Constant progress is being made in data management system(analytics and database) development, and performance andreliability evaluations are scheduled to be conducted based onlive data obtained from future test observations.
(6) TMT Observational Instrument Development
Development of the imaging system for IRIS, the firstobservational instrument for the next-generation extremely
large Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), began in FY 2011.
IRIS development is currently in the basic design phase. The
following prototype tests for component technologies were
performed this year primarily by members of the ME Shop.
• Design, production, and performance evaluation of a vacuum
container for ultra-precise pinhole grid measurements• Measurement using an ultra-precise pinhole grid prototype at-30°C.
• Combination analysis and bonding testing of lens materials,
adhesives, and metals for a bonded lens mount• Conceptual design, prototype production, and testing of a lowtemperature drive system.
A measurement precision of 250 nm and a reproducibilityof 40 nm were achieved at -30°C in ultra-precise pinhole grid
prototype measurements. In bonded lens mount analysis andtesting, a usable combination of adhesives and metals was
discovered for the lens material to be actually used in the IRIS
imaging system.
Development of basic technologies is also underway towards
the goal of developing a visible integral field spectrograph asa promising candidate for an upgrade to the first generation
observational instrument of TMT. This year, an integral field
unit capable of being incorporated into the FOCAS visible light
imaging spectroscopic instrument being utilized by the Subaru
Telescope was developed.
(7) Gravitational Wave Telescope Development
Following a request from the Director of the University ofTokyo’s Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, the primary hostorganization of the large-scale cryogenic gravitational wave
telescope KAGRA, to the co-host organization NAOJ, the ATC
will develop various types of optical systems for installation in

KAGRA.
This area was designated for focused development at the
ATC starting in the summer of 2012.
Development efforts this year focused on various types ofbaffles to suppress stray light in the KAGRA interferometer unit.
Five types of baffle were developed, with the largest having a
diameter of 800 mm. Four types will be installed in two 3 km
arms of KAGRA, which are especially sensitive and vital inconverting gravitational wave signals to light signals. The baffle
arrays are scheduled for installation at suitable intervals in thearms in the following order starting from the main mirrors:
wide-angle scattering baffle, a cryoduct shield, and a narrowangle scattering baffle. Working together, these baffles aredesigned to keep stray light-induced noise under 1/100 of thetotal design noise level.
The noise contribution of stray light in an interferometertype gravitational wave telescope is generally determined by the
product of baffle vibration, baffle stray light absorption, the levelof recombination of secondary scattered stray light not absorbedby the baffle into the main optical axis of the interferometer,
and the like. Thus, attention must be paid not only to baffle
absorption and scattering levels, but also to its mechanicalstructure. Mechanical design and assembly methods were
therefore discussed in connection to mechanical baffle design
with cooperation from the ATC’s ME Shop. Optical design wasplanned primarily based on ray tracing simulations performed
with assistance from external optical systems corporations.
A narrow-angle scattering baffle for installation in the 3
km arms of KAGRA was designed, and a prototype unit was
produced. The baffle array was designed based on opticalsimulations. The array layout was optimized, successfully
enabling the number of baffles to be reduced to less thanhalf of the number in the initial design, and contributing toa considerable reduction in the overall costs of the KAGRA
project.
A clean booth for assembling and testing optical components
for installation in KAGRA was also installed in Multipurpose
Laboratory 3 at the ATC. An ISO class 1 clean level has beenachieved during stable operation.
Priority was also given to development of the main KAGRA
unit, and the following advanced technology development
milestones were achieved toward improving the performance ofnext-generation detectors for KAGRA.
Development of a torsion-bar antenna (TOBA) was
conducted towards the goal of observing gravitational waves
at lower frequencies than those observed by KAGRA andother large laser interferometer gravitational wave telescopes.
At present, the greatest sensitivity in the 0.1 Hz frequency
band reported in the world has been attained. Research anddevelopment is underway in order to improve sensitivity.
Development was also conducted for the main interferometer
unit and a signal acquisition system for the DECIGO Pathfinder(DPF), a milestone satellite for the DECIGO space gravitational
wave antenna project. Efforts were focused primarily on thedesign and production of the interferometer module (BBM)
in the gravitational wave sensor unit. Interferometer operation

III Status Reports of Research Activities043

was confirmed by assembling an interferometer unit using amonolithic incident optical system of the same size as in the
optical system actually being launched, a light source of thesame wavelength, and a mirror of the same curvature anddiameter.

5. Advanced Technology Development(1) Radio Camera Development
Development of a Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detector(MKID) camera proceeded for the sake of observing B-mode
polarization in the cosmic microwave background (CMB).
A prototype 102-pixel sub-millimeter camera was built, andbeam patterns and noise were evaluated. A detailed design for
a 700-pixel millimeter camera and a conceptual design for a
2,000-pixel sub-millimeter camera were developed.
The MKID detects photons with frequencies at or above thesuperconducting gap. In order to control the gap frequency, alaminated Al/Nb MKID utilizing the superconducting proximity
effect was developed, with a resonator quality factor of 106
being achieved. A design and a prototype for a cooled opticalsystem for a multi-element camera were created in order toperform wide-field observations. An antireflective coating fora silicone lens array was developed. After two types of epoxy
resins were mixed and applied, the array was successfully cut to
optimal thickness.
Development was conducted into a superconducting submillimeter camera using a sub-millimeter band SIS photon
detector and a gallium-arsenic semiconductor super-lowtemperature circuit. Evaluation of the readout characteristics
using an SIS photon detector integrating amplifier and the
optimization of operating conditions for a 32-channel readout
module were continued from the previous year.
(2) Space Optics
Activities to observe astronomical bodies from outer space
using rockets and artificial satellites are being conducted forthe sake of future space projects. In FY 2012, fundamental
development towards the implementation of the CLASP rocket
test project and the WISH and SOLAR-C satellite projects
was conducted. As part of the WISH project, which involves
observations in the near-infrared wavelength band, drive tests
were performed for a low-temperature motor for the filter
exchange mechanism. As part of the CLASP project, whichseeks to perform magnetic field observation of the chromosphereand transitional region of the Sun via hydrogen Lyman-alphalines, observational instruments and a calibration test apparatus
were developed in preparation for flight tests in FY 2015.
In FY 2012, a prototype optical element and a measurement
system developed at ATC were brought to the Institute for
Molecular Science. Evaluation testing was performed on the
optical element via synchrotron radiation. In addition, using
ATC resources, the capabilities and durability in mechanicalenvironmental tests were confirmed for the slit unit and the
produced slit-jaw optical system components of the CLASP
polarization spectrometer. Also the rotational uniformity was044

III Status Reports of Research Activities

confirmed for the rotating wave plate drive mechanism currently
being developed for use in flight. Activities related to the next
solar observation satellite SOLAR-C project included optical
performance evaluation of the optical fiber bundles used in the
optical integral field unit (IFU) for the polarization spectrometer,
and the acquisition of basic data for contamination management
technologies for optical telescopes under UV irradiation.
(3) Development of Near-infrared and Visible Light Image Sensors
A low-noise readout IC necessary for near-infrared image
sensors and CMOS image sensors for use in astronomical
observation was designed, and a prototype was created andevaluated. Results showed low noise levels of 70 μV readout
noise (equivalent to 11 electrons in the prototype IC) and 35 µV(6 electrons) in quadruple sampling. The pixel circuit of thisreadout IC is expected to be applied to future Japanese-producednear-infrared image sensors and visible light CMOS image
sensors for astronomical observation.
In readout electronics-related efforts, an analog circuitcompatible with multichannel CMOS image sensors wasdeveloped. Development of a digital circuit unit continued at
NAOJ. A conceptual design for MESSIA 6, the successor to
the data acquisition systems used in the Subaru Telescope andnumerous other observational apparatus, was developed andproposed to the community.

17. Public Relations Center
1. Overview

administrative assistant Keiko Yoshitomi left on March 31,
2013.

The goals of the center are to spread knowledge and raise
the awareness of the general public, about not only the activitiesof the NAOJ but of scientific advances in the field of astronomy
in general; to announce the discovery of new astronomical
objects; and to provide ephemeris and other types ofastronomical information directly connected to our daily lives,
such as sunrise and sunset times. The center is composed of the
Public Relations Office, the Outreach and Education Office, theEphemeris Computation Office, the Archive Office, the Library,
the Publications Office, the Science Culture Promotion Unit, and
the General Affairs Office. The activities of each office will bereported hereafter.

2. Personnel
Center staff in FY 2012 consisted of Center Director
Toshio Fukushima, two professors, one associate professor, two
assistant professors (one holding another post concurrently),
four research engineers, one senior engineer, one engineer, one
chief of the library, one specially-appointed senior specialist,
two research experts, 19 PR and outreach staff members, two
research supporters, and three administrative supporters.
As of April 1, 2012, PR and outreach staff members
Takuya Okawa and Sei’ichiro Naito are assigned to the Public
Relations Office; PR/outreach staff member Kuninori Iwashiro
are assigned to the Publications Office, and PR/outreach staff
member Naoyo Mikami and administrative supporter Keiko
Yoshitomi are assigned to the Science Culture Promotion
Unit. Specially-appointed senior specialist Sarah Reed joined
the Public Relations Office on September 1. PR/outreachstaff member Satomi Natsugari joined on January 1, 2013.
PR/outreach staff member Yukie Baba joined on February
12. Research assistant Makiko Nakane was transferred to
the Astronomy Data Center, and PR/outreach staff members
Masao Nakagiri, Yoshiro Yamada, and Masato Namikawa andApril – June
July – September
October – December
January – March
Total

Solar info Lunar info Ephemeris info
1450
207
47
229
164
105
358
200
59
254
103
65
2291
674
276

3. Public Relations Office Activities
Via press conferences and web releases, the Public Relations
Office actively worked to promote and raise awareness ofscientific developments yielded by the various projects being
conducted by the NAOJ, including the Chile Observatory, theSubaru Telescope, the Hinode Science Center, the Extrasolar
Planet Detection Project, and the Nobeyama Radio Observatory,
as well as the results of joint research projects being conductedwith other universities and research organizations. In cooperation
with the Outreach and Education Office, the office also ran
awareness campaigns on meteor showers and other astronomical
phenomena of interest to the public. Social networking services
such as Twitter and Facebook have proven valuable new tools in
sharing information.
(1) Answering Questions from the General Public
The Office responded to 9,973 telephone inquiries (Table 1)
and 152 letters, 90 of which were official documents, from themedia, governmental offices, and the general public. The Officealso received 447 (Table 2) inquiries via the Internet.
(2) Multimedia-Based Information Sharing
The Office runs the NAOJ website (http://www.nao.ac.jp/en/), through which it releases information via the Internet.
Website hits are shown in Table 3.
Issues 74 to 102 of the NAOJ E-mail News were issued,
in which major news items were announced in headline format
with links to detail pages. The mail magazine distribution
service introduced in December 2011 is provided on regularbasis. Efforts were made to increase the efficiency and speedof subscriber registration. 24 semimonthly editions of the
Astronomy Information Telephone Service voice news service
were also issued.
Time
23
19
12
10
64

Solar System Universe
668
123
386
162
413
135
460
120
1927
540

Astronomy
215
220
177
155
767

Other
1201
828
640
765
3434

Total
3934
2113
1994
1932
9973

Table 1: Telephone inquiries to the Public Relations Office of the NAOJ Public Relations Center (April 2012 – March 2013).

April – June
July – September
October – December
January – March
Total

Solar info Lunar info Ephemeris info
8
7
4
8
3
1
9
3
4
3
4
6
28
17
15

Time
2
1
1
1
5

Solar System Universe
37
7
12
12
27
14
17
16
93
49

Astronomy
64
25
20
36
145

Other
31
28
17
19
95

Total
160
90
95
102
447

Table 2: Internet inquiries to the Public Relations Office of the NAOJ Public Relations Center (April 2012 – March 2013).

III Status Reports of Research Activities

045Month

Hits

Month

Hits

Month

Hits

April 2012

468,312

August 2012

549,814

December 2012

646,116

May 2012

1,069,389

September 2012

421,321January 2013

508,491

June 2012

606,672

October 2012

584,870

February 2013

486,463

July 2012

419,447

November 2012

468,856

March 2013

960,486

Total: 7,190,237
Table 3: Monthly numbers of hits on the website of the Public Relations Office of the NAOJ’s Public Relations Center (April 2012 – March 2013).

December 26, 2012
April 13, 2012
May 1, 2012
June 25 25, 2012
June 21, 2012
August 3, 2012
August 29, 2012
October 1, 2012

Spiral Structure of Disk May Reveal Planets
ALMA Reveals Workings of Nearby Planetary System
Subaru-Led Team Discovers a Rare Stellar Disk of Quartz Dust
Multiple Mergers Generate Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxy
ALMA Reveals Constituent of a Galaxy at 12.4 Billion Light-Years Away
Subaru Telescope Reveals 3D Structure of Supernovae
Result from ALMA: Building blocks of life found around young star

September 4, 2012
September 13, 2012
September 28, 2012
October 17, 2012
October 25, 2012
November 12, 2012
November 28, 2012
January 7, 2013
January 25, 2013
January 31, 2013
February 8, 2013
March 6, 2013
March 14, 2013

Discovery of the “Pigtail” Molecular Cloud
Hyper Suprime-Cam Ushers in a New Era of Observational Astronomy
Radio Interferometer Measure the Edge of a Black Hole
Surprising Spiral Structure Spotted by ALMA – New observations reveal the secrets of a dying star
ALMA discovers the new tool to explore baby stars: a new water maser emission in the Orion Nebula
Discovery of a Giant Gap in the Disk of a Sun-like Star
Dust Grains Highlight the Path to Planet Formation
ALMA Sheds Light on Planet-Forming Gas Streams – Tantalising signs of flows feeding gas-guzzling giant planets
The Origin and Maintenance of a Retrograde Exoplanet
Progress of the Solar Pole Reversal Confirmed by the Solar Observation Satellite Hinode (Japanese Only)
Direct Infrared Image of an Arm in Disk Demonstrates Transition to Planet Formation
Soccer Balls in Interstellar Space
ALMA Rewrites History of Universe's Stellar Baby Boom

Discovery of an Ancient Celestial City Undergoing Rapid Growth: A Young Protocluster of Active Star-Forming Galaxies

Table 4: Web Releases.

April 19, 2012
April 24, 2012
May 31, 2012
June 4, 2012
July 20, 2012
October 2, 2012
October 9, 2012
February 19, 2013

Polar Field Reversal as observed with Hinode
Subaru Telescope Discovers the Most Distant Protocluster of Galaxies
Nobeyama Radioheliograph Reveals Global Activity of the Sun
Discovery of the Most Distant Galaxy in the Cosmic Dawn
‘Seeds’ of Massive Black Holes Found at the Center of the Milky Way Galaxy
Mass of Dark Matter Revealed by Precise Measurements of the Galaxy
Current Status of TMT Project and Joint Board Meeting Held in Tokyo (Japanese Only)
3-D Observations of the Outflow from an Active Galactic Nucleus
Table 5: Press Conferences.

Information on the status of various NAOJ projects; facility
open house events and regular observation sessions at the
Mitaka Campus; and personnel openings have been shared
via the Public Relations Center’s account on the Twitter social
networking service since October 2010. The account had nearly
25,000 followers as of the end of March 2013.
(3) Publicizing Developments
Over the course of the year 29 releases were issued (up from17 the previous year).
As the 17th event of the Astronomy Lecture for Science
Journalists series, an astronomy lecture for journalists was heldon the topic of annular eclipses for general journalists as well as046

III Status Reports of Research Activities

for science reporters, the 18th lecture, held on the topic of solar
activity and the environment on Earth, was an interdisciplinary
discussion of the results from the solar observation satellite
HINODE and past research into solar activity and atmosphericchanges on Earth. Starting with the 18th lecture, lectures werestreamed over the web to journalists only. The lectures were also
recorded for later viewing not only by journalists who couldn’t
participate on the day of the event, but also for attending
journalists wishing to review the material.
(4) Activities as PR Center for the NAOJThe Office hosted an exhibition booth at the General
Assembly of the International Astronomical Union held inBeijing as part of its activities as the NAOJ’s PR Center. The
booth panels were designed using mobile pop-up display tools,
yielding the highest acclaim for the exhibition booth thus far.
Original notebooks and pamphlet folders featuring the same
illustrations as the booth panels were produced to make astronger impression for the NAOJ. The office also assisted theAdvanced Technology Center and JASMINE Project Officein overhauling their selection of pamphlets and leaflets for the
General Assembly of the IAU.
The office provided support in preparing and running
lectures for the general public planned by the NAOJ projects.
In particular, setting up forms for accepting pre-registration
requests online and creating lists of the applicants have become
standard practice for the Public Relations Office. The lectures
held in December were the first simultaneously interpreted
lectures for the general public held by the Office.
(5) Emergency Responses
The Public Relations Office served as the NAOJ liaison inhandling media inquiries and communicating with next-of-kin
and relatives regarding a criminal incident to which a Japanese
NAOJ staff member fell victim on May 7, 2012, while stationed
in Chile.

4. Outreach and Education Office Activities(1) Facility Open House Events
As in previous years, regular semimonthly screenings (theday before the second Saturday, fourth the Saturday) were
held at the 4D2U Dome Theater in FY 2012, with reservations
being taken in advance. A total of 23 screenings were held, with
1,809 attendees. A total of 50 group events were also held for
1,556 visitors, as well as 36 other tours and events held for 299
visitors, for a total of 109 events and 3,664 visitors viewing
4D2U movies.
Annual observation sessions featuring the 50 cm public
telescope were also held on the same days as Dome Theater
screenings regardless of weather conditions. Starting thisyear, observations shifted to an advance reservation / limited
capacity (300) basis, with 23 observations being held for 4,725
audience members this year. The Summer Vacation Junior Star
Gazing Party (no application necessary) were also held on
July 26 (Thurs) and July 27 (Fri) during the summer break forelementary school, junior high school, and high school students.
Weather conditions were favorable on both days, and 577
visitors (270 on the 26th, 307 on the 27th) attended.
17,111 visitors attended the regular open house events heldat Mitaka during FY 2012. There were a total of 147 group
tours, including workplace visits, consisting of 6,671 visitors in
FY 2012, as well as 479 interviews.
Guided tours of Mitaka began in June 2011 as part of theArchive Office’s work and open house events. The guided tours
were operated on an advance reservation / limited capacity basisof 20 participants per tour, with tours of registered tangible
cultural properties being held on the first Tuesday and second
Sunday; and tours of important cultural properties and geodesy-

related sites being held on the third Tuesday and fourth Sunday.
This year’s tours welcomed 510 participants to great acclaim.
The Public Relations Center participated as the secretariat
for the Mitaka Open House Day, a special public event held in
the Mitaka area, under the guidance of the operating committee.
Co-hosted by the Institute of Astronomy, School of Science,
the University of Tokyo and the Department of Astronomical
Science at the School of Physical Sciences of the Graduate
University of Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI) on October 26(Fri) and October 27 (Sat), the event featured “The Life of a
Star: From Baby Star to Supernova” as a main topic. Weather
was favorable on both days, and turnout was good, with a totalof 4,431 visitors (651 on the 26th and 3,780 on the 27th) overtwo days.
(2) Education and Outreach Activities
The Office distributed 100,000 copies of the pamphlet (fourA4-size color pages) on how to safely observe solar eclipses
jointly with the Publications Office as part of its efforts to raiseawareness of methods to safely observe the annular eclipsethat occurred on May 21, 2012. As part of its efforts to provide
information and safety advice to schools around the country, theOffice distributed the pamphlet, a DVD produced by the Science
Culture Promotion Unit, and a pair of foldable solar observation
safety glasses with the Spring 2012 issue of Science Window(published at the beginning of April 2012) in cooperation with
the Science Communication Headquarters at the Japan Scienceand Technology Agency. The Outreach and Education Office
was also a member of the Japan Astronomy Council’s 2012
Annular Eclipse Japan Committee, where it assisted in holding
press conferences and in producing educational resources forschools on how to safely observe the solar eclipse on May 21(Mon), 2012.
The “Star Week: Getting to Know the Starry Sky” event
was held over the first week of August, as in previous years.
Astronomy related facilities of 102 participating organizations
took part in 175 collaborative events.
The “Astronomy for Beginners” events hosted every yearwith the Tamarokuto Science Center were held twice, on
September 23 (Sun) and March 10 (Sun). The visitors’ area,
screenings at the 4D2U Theater, and astronomical observation
sessions, with a total of 100 visitors participating were also held
to high acclaim.
Three astronomical phenomena campaigns begun in FY
2004 and bidirectional information-sharing events were hosted:“Perseid Meteors 2012” in August 2012 (1,089 reports),“Geminids Meteors 2012” in December 2012 (2,655 reports),and “Let’s Go Out and Find the Comet PANSTARRS” held
during March–April 2013 (2,042 reports).
Responsibility for the “Fureai (Friendly) Astronomy”
project, implemented by the Graduate Education Support
Office since FY 2010 with funding from the Astronomy
Promotion Fund, was transferred to the Public Relations Center
this year. Events were hosted at 35 elementary schools andeight junior high schools, for a total of 43 schools around thecountry. Applications were accepted during the period fromIII Status Reports of Research Activities047

late September to early March FY 2012, with a total of 3,866
participants in attendance. 38 NAOJ staff members participatedas speakers. As part of support activities for earthquakeaffected areas, the office collaborated with the Astronomy Data
Center and the Subaru Telescope in hosting the “Special Class:Experiencing the Stars and Space Up-Close” via remote teachingon May 25, 2012, at Furukawa Junior High School in the cityof Osaki in Miyagi Prefecture, on January 29, 2013 and at Iide
Junior High School in the town of Iide in Yamagata Prefecture,and on February 21 at Kinto Elementary School in the city of
Koriyama in Fukushima Prefecture.
The Eighth Workshop for Popularizing Cutting Edge
Astronomy was held at the Subaru Telescope from September
8 (Sun) through 15 (Sat) focusing on the Subaru Telescope,with a total of 35 researchers and education/outreach-relatedparticipants in attendance. The Club TMT group for promoting
the TMT Project was formed on October 29, primarily of science
museum staff members taking part in the workshop. A webpage
and numerous videos introducing the TMT Project were
produced. The Public Relations Center supports the activities ofClub TMT.
As an offshoot of the Galileoscope project conducted aspart of the international Cornerstone Projects held for theInternational Year of Astronomy 2009, the “You are Galileo!”project planned by the Japanese committee for the InternationalYear of Astronomy 2009 has been continued even after FY2010 in collaboration with the Office of International Relations.
In FY 2012, lectures, telescope construction workshops, andobservation sessions were also held in Thailand’s Udon Thani,
Chiang Mai, Songkhla, Chachoengsao, and Nakhon Ratchasima
provinces during November and December 2012 with Official
Development Assistance Grants for UNESCO Activities from
MEXT and the cooperation of the National Astronomical
Research Institute of Thailand. Over 400 teachers andundergraduate students in education attended. There were also
five workshops supported by a total of nearly 100 staff members
from universities and the like. 360 assembled telescope andtripod sets and five 8 cm equatorial refracting telescopes werealso provided for local use.
Makali’i, an image analysis software Makali’i developed forthe sake of utilizing FITS data obtained in research observation
performed using the Subaru Telescope and other apparatus for
astronomical education and outreach, has been distributed inJapan and overseas via Internet. The number of registrations
includes 1,656 in English and 6,348 in Japanese for a total of
8,004 (as of March 31, 2013). The “One for Every Household:
Diagram of Our Universe 2007” poster created and produced in2007 was also revised with cooperation from related externalorganizations, and the “One for Every Household: Diagramof Our Universe 2013” poster (A1 size, A2 size; Japanese andEnglish reversible poster) was distributed in Japan and overseas.
(3) Community Activities
In FY 2012, a total of 37,187 visitors were welcomed at the“Mitaka Picture Book House in the Astronomical Observatory
Forest” opened on July 7, 2009, based on the Agreement on

048

III Status Reports of Research Activities

Mutual Cooperation concluded between the NAOJ and the cityof Mitaka on February 4, 2009. Along with joint projects suchas the “Ohisama Ippai (a lot of suns)” exhibition held from
July 2011 through June 2012 and the “Uchuu de Ikiteru (livingin space)” exhibition held from July 2012 through June 2013,
the Outreach and Education Office engaged in traditional andmodern Tanabata celebrations, moon-viewing parties, and otherevents at the Mitaka Picture Book House in the Astronomical
Observatory Forest in cooperation with staff from Mitaka City
Hall and local volunteers.
The Astronomy Pub event held at Mitaka Network
University has been hosted by the NPO Mitaka Network
University Promotion Organization since FY 2009. It is heldin the evening on the third Saturday of every month, except
August, with 20 citizens in attendance. The Office assisted in
the “Star Sommelier Mitaka” astronomical guide training course
hosted by Mitaka Network University via telescope operation
workshops and the like.

5. Ephemeris Computation Office Activities
The Ephemeris Computation Office estimates calendarrelated phenomena such as the apparent positions of the Sun,
Moon, and stars on the basis of the internationally adopted
standard calendar, and publishes the “Calendar and Ephemeris”
as part of the compilation of almanacs that is one of the NAOJ’s
raisons d’être.
(1) The Office published the 2013 edition of the Calendar andEphemeris, the 2013 version of the calendrical section of the
Rika Nenpyo, and the 2014 edition of the Reki Yoko (posted in
the official gazette on February 1, 2013).
(2) Special editions about the annular eclipse, transit of Venus,
The lunar occultation of Venus, and the first sunrise of the year
were hosted at the office’s website (http://eco.mtk.nao.ac.jp/
koyomi/index.html.en) and received just shy of 500,000 hits in asingle day on the days of the annular eclipse and the first sunriseof the year in particular. An English-language version of the
Calendar and Ephemeris became available online. As in previous
years, the “Sky Viewer” page displayed the radiant points of the
Perseids and Geminids in collaboration with the campaigns. As
a result, there were more than 34 million hits in FY 2012, andimprovements continue.
(3) The Japan Association for Calendars and Culture Promotion
hosted its second General Meeting and a Calendar Presentation
Ceremony. The office took part in the Japan Weather
Association’s Word of the Season selection committee andattended the discussion of potential words of the season andother related events.
(4) Using selections from the NAOJ’s valuable collection ofChinese/Japanese-language books cooperation with the Library,
the office hosted the 46th Selection of Seasonal Words for Poets
and the 47th exhibit, this time about 17th-century astronomer

Harumi (Shunkai) Shibukawa and the novel Tenchi Meisatsu
depicting his life. These exhibits can also be viewed at the
Library’s Rare Book website (http://library.nao.ac.jp/kichou/open/index.html Japanese Only).
The October edition of the NAOJ News also featured a
special on “The Calendars of Japan.”(5) Five staff members (three full-time, two part-time) tookturns handling reports of new astronomical objects and thelike submitted to the NAOJ. A total of 21 reports of new
object discoveries, requests for confirmation, and other reports
were submitted this year. Of these, ten were for new stars or
supernovae, two were for comets or comet-shaped objects, six
were for luminous objects, and three were questions regarding
astronomical phenomena.
Amidst the many false alarms attributed to known
supernovae, asteroids, comets, ghost images of bright stars, andthe like, a report of a new star received in August was submitted
via NAOJ to the IAU Central Bureau for Astronomical
Telegrams, and the reporter was recognized as the discoverer ofNova Monocerotis 2012.

6. Archive Office Activities
In its fifth year of activities this year, the office engaged
in the collection and organization of historically important
observational data and measurement equipment, not only from
Mitaka but also from other areas and organizations external
to the NAOJ in order to prevent their loss; worked to improvethe methods and environments to display these materials; andengaged in preparatory discussions on the founding principles
and organization of the NAOJ Museum (tentative name).
A symposium on the concept of the NAOJ Museum washeld at NAOJ Mitaka on November 3 and 4, with 60 participantsin attendance. A subcommittee for developing the concept of
the NAOJ Museum was also established under the Advisory
Special Committee for Public Relations, and met three times
during the year. As a result, the conclusion was reached that it
was still too early to proceed with the original concept, and adecision was made to create a new project, starting in FY 2013,
for another concept of NAOJ Museum showcasing past, present,
and future developments in astronomy with a focus on exhibits
and explanations of the latest developments in astronomy. It
was therefore decided to dissolve the Archive Office, startingin FY 2013, to create a new Museum Project Office merging
the current Office with the facility open house section of theOutreach and Education Office.
Function restoration work was also performed on the Solar
Tower Telescope as part of the third annual NINS President’s
discretionary budget. The dome rotation, opening/closing
mechanism, and coelostat operation mechanism were restored,
allowing sunlight to be admitted.

7. Library Activities
Along with its normal work in collecting and organizing

academic journals and books focused on astronomy for viewing
by students and researchers inside and outside the NAOJ, theLibrary released digital data for its collection of rare documents
in FY 2012. The Library also engaged in inspections of its
collection and compiled a catalog and resources data.
The numbers and types of documents and journals in thecollections of the Mitaka Library and the various observatories,
as well as the publication status of ongoing NAOJ publications,are published in organizational books and publications.

8. Publications Office Activities
The Office continued its activities in planning, editing, andprinting in-house publications for PR and outreach. Periodicals
published this year were as follows.
• NAOJ Pamphlet (Japanese)• NAOJ Pamphlet (English)• NAOJ News, Nos. 225–236 (April 2012 – March 2013)• Annual Report of NAOJ Vol. 24, Fiscal 2011 (Japanese)• Annual Report of NAOJ Vol. 14, Fiscal 2011 (English)• NAOJ Gazette Vol. 14, Nos. 3, 4; Vol. 15, Nos. 1, 2
The contents of the NAOJ News were further enriched in
FY 2012. In particular, NAOJ project PR support was expandedby building on the results achieved by experiments in FY
2011 organizing editorial content according to themes suchas research and educational activities attempted in FY 2011.
One example was the June issue with a special feature on the
ALMA Telescope (part 2). It contained more than double thenormal page count at 36 pages and focused on interviews withstaff members. The material from this special edition and part 1
featured in the March issue were later combined and publishedon the website of the Chile Observatory under the title “ALMAJin.” The office plans to continue producing integrated andfundamental articles in close partnership with the NAOJ’svarious projects so that articles from the NAOJ News can beshared and more widely utilized as PR content resources for
NAOJ projects.
Apart from periodical publications, the office compiled
the “Subaru” image collection, and produced the 2012 NAOJ
SUBARU Telescope Calendar (eighth edition since 2005). The
office also provided support in creating posters for the Mitaka
Open House Day event, as in previous years.
In an effort to digitize published content, Japanese-language
NAOJ pamphlets were digitized, and a digitized digest ofWestern-language NAOJ pamphlets was created for the General
Assembly of the IAU. Future plans include the organizationand preparation of existing article resources as digital content;
and the enhancement of information distribution capability via
booklets and increased telecommunications lines.
As part of general astronomy outreach-related activities,
various pieces of PR- and outreach-related information on theannular eclipse in May were compiled, distributed, and printed.
The movie Tenchi Meisatsu released in September features 17thcentury astronomer and NAOJ forerunner Harumi (Shunkai)
Shibukawa as the main characters, and the Office produced a

III Status Reports of Research Activities049

variety of content as part of the tie-in project “Let's Find theNorth Star” campaign.
The Office also performed observational imaging and image
processing to create high-quality public images of astronomical
phenomena subjected to widespread public attention, suchas the annular eclipse of May 21, 2012, the passage of theasteroid 2012 DA14 near the Earth on February 16, 2013, and
the PANSTARRS comet which increased in brightness during
March 2013. These images are published on the NAOJ website.
Continuing from FY 2011, the office offered planningand production advice and oversight for Japan Post’s special
stamp Constellations Series No.3 (Spring Edition) and No.4
(Winter Edition). The office also designed a commemorative
stamp “Mitaka: Home Town of NAOJ” introducing the Mitaka
Campus.
Continuing from FY 2011, the office engaged in creating
worksheets for the Thai edition of the “You are Galileo!” project
being conducted as a program to support overseas astronomical
education.

9. Science Culture Promotion Unit
(1) Fourth Tokyo International Science Festival
The Fourth Tokyo International Science Festival (TUSF)
was held from September 8 (Sat) to October 8 (Mon). During
this period, 134 events were hosted by 66 members around thegreater Tokyo area, and over 30,000 visitors were welcomed.
This regional science festival was conceived by the NAOJ
in order to build community ties with local residents throughthe appreciation of science and technology. The Fourth TISF
Executive Committee to implement the festival was formed by
the NAOJ along with staff members from the British Council,
the Japan Science Foundation, Tokyo University of Science,
Mitaka City Hall, and the NPO Mitaka Network University
Promotion Organization. The event was co-hosted by NAOJ,
with the Science Culture Promotion Unit acting as the secretariat
for the Fourth TISF.
(2) Third International Festival of Scientific Visualization
The Third International Festival of Scientific Visualization
was held from August 1 (Wed) to September 30 (Sun) incollaboration with over 100 partner organizations and groups.
During this period, screenings of scientific movies and stamp
rallies were held at 54 facilities around Japan, including science
museums, planetariums, and theaters, with 1,008,597 visitors
participating. A Science Film Cafe and Workshop (Science
Museum, Tokyo) and a Dome Festa (Sofia-Sakai) were held
as the core events. These events were organized and hosted
by the Organizing Committee for the Third International
Festival of Scientific Visualization. The event was co-hosted by
NAOJ, with the Public Relations Center acting as secretariat.
The event was backed by MEXT, JAXA, and the Japan
Planetarium Association, and it was a partner event for the Japan
International Contents Festival 2012 (CoFesta 2012) hosted by
METI.

050

III Status Reports of Research Activities(3) Other
NAOJ partnered with related local organizations,
universities, and research institutes to establish a joint company
and an alumni association called “Mitaka Association of Science
and Culture” (unincorporated) for students who completed
the courses of the Unit in order to promote the digital content
production industry, create employment opportunities, andestablish a center for fostering personnel for community
revitalization efforts. This established the groundwork forvideo incubation efforts from FY 2013 onwards. Semimonthly
4D2U public screenings were also held in partnership with theOutreach and Education Office and the Center for Computational
Astrophysics.

18. Division of Optical and Infrared Astronomy
1. Overview
Projects overseen by the Division of Optical and Infrared
Astronomy include the Okayama Astrophysical Observatory
and the Subaru Telescope (C Projects); the TMT Project Officeand the TAMA Project Office (B Projects); and the JASMINE
Project Office and Extrasolar Planet Detection Project Office (AProjects). The Division moves personnel to research locations
suitable for their individual projects via personnel exchanges,
and serves the basic role of facilitating and invigorating projects
and individual research. Along with engaging in seminal
observational and developmental researches, the Division
expands upon these to launchnew projects as necessary. The
Division also actively engages in graduate education efforts inorder to foster the next generation of personnel. These activities
are based on the concept, developed at the time when the Subaru
Telescope was constructed, of the Division as a center for
personnel exchange between the Subaru Telescope engaging
the open use and universities and research institutes in Japanfocusing on developmental research into new instruments andobservational research.
Almost all NAOJ members in optical- and infrared-related
fields belong to the Division of Optical and Infrared Astronomy,
and primarily work in the Division or on A, B, or C Projects.
Division members also work as affiliates on other projects apartfrom their primary work. The research divisions and the various
projects carry equal weight in organizational terms. The primarystaff of the Division of Optical and Infrared Astronomy in FY
2012 consisted of one professor, one associate professor, four
assistant professors, and two JSPS research fellows.
The research divisions handle educational, research
and administrative activities for all research division andproject activities apart from TAMA and JASMINE Projects.
The Division of Optical and Infrared Astronomy as a whole
maintains and operates mailing lists and research environment
facilities, such as web servers, for various optical- and infraredrelated projects (the Subaru Telescope, TMT, the Extrasolar
Planet Detection, TAMA, and JASMINE).
The following report will focus on the details of research
projects constituting the main work of the Division of Opticaland Infrared Astronomy and support activities for projects that
support open use.

2. Observational Research(1) Observational Research Using Various Types of Telescopes
Observational research utilizing the Subaru Telescopefocuses on a wide variety of fields such as cosmology;
galaxy formation and evolution; the formation of stars andplanets; the structure and evolution of the Milky Way; stellar
spectroscopy; objects within the Solar System; the structures
around late-type stars; and the search for exoplanets. Research
was conducted on star formation activity in the Virgo Cluster

and the ionization of gas ejected from galaxies. Results werereleased for the quantitative analysis of crosstalk in the Subaru
prime focus camera (Suprime-Cam), which had been conductedsince last year. The search for exoplanets via direct imaging
methods continued. The division also engaged in research on
astronomical phenomena based on old calendars and documents;
the automatic identification of active galactic nucleus using
astronomical archive data and astronomical databases; andstatistical research on galactic shapes and SEDs. As partof research using astronomical archive data, quantitative
comparison research on photometric zero-points between the
publicly available SDF/SXDF catalogs and the SDSS catalog
was also performed.
(2) International Cooperative Observational Research
The Division also engages in international collaborative
research with overseas researchers. Research on LINERs was
conducted along with Korean researchers. The Division also
worked with the National Astronomical Observatory of China inthe search for construction sites for a telescope in western Tibet.

3. Subaru Telescope-Related Observational
Instrument Development
The division searched for planetary candidates using the
HiCIAO infrared coronagraph, implemented hardware andsoftware improvements for direct imaging and observation of
protoplanetary discs, and participated in the development of thenext-generation Extreme AO and a new coronagraph.
The division is also engaged in developing data processing
software for the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) currently underdevelopment. In data archive-related activities, the division isa participant in the file system utilization technology working
group of the Society of Scientific Systems, where it works on
overcoming the difficulties associated with increased storage
capacity and researches more efficient methods of storage
utilization.

4. Operational Support for the Subaru Telescope
The Division of Optical and Infrared Astronomy offers
support for the open use of the Subaru Telescope. The division
is involved in the open calls forproposals; program selection; themanagement of open use related travel expenses ; the operationof the Subaru Data Analysis System (located on the first floor of
the Subaru Building of the Mitaka Campus and operated withcooperation from the Astronomy Data Center); Subaru-related
PR and outreach activities; the hosting of Subaru Spring/Autumn
Schools (co-hosted by the Division of Optical and Infrared
Astronomy, the Subaru Telescope, and the Astronomy Data
Center); and cooperation in planning Observing class usingthe
Subaru Telescope. In addition to renewing rental agreements forcomputational equipment for the Observatory as a whole, the

III Status Reports of Research Activities

051

division worked closely with the Data Center to reorganize theequipment layout in the Archive Office on the first floor of the
Subaru Building.
The division engaged in the management and operationof the printers and rented multifunction photocopiers in the
Subaru Building, the teleconferencing systems on the second
and third floors, and the sub-networks. The division operated adata backup server for the Subaru Office as part of its research
environment maintenance efforts. The division also replaced theaging printers and installed new ones.

5. Next-Generation Large-Scale Project Planning
The division is engaged in planning projects such as theThirty Meter Telescope (TMT), the JASMINE series, and the
JTPF as optical- and infrared-related large-scale projects serving
as successors to the Subaru Telescope project. A framework
for collaboration between ISAS and NAOJ also needs to beestablished.
In astronomical database-related activities, the divisioncooperated with KEK, which handles large amounts of data,
to establish a research group for the next generation of largescale discs and computer systems with an eye toward creatingarchives five to ten years in the future for the next observation
instruments for the Subaru Telescope and for the TMT. They arealso engaged in both archive hardware and software planning forten years in the future.

6. PR/Outreach Activities, Discovery of New
Astronomical Objects
The division cooperates with the Public Relations Centerto support PR and outreach activities, such as the publicationof Subaru Telescope research results (including through press
conferences), and works to discover new astronomical objects.
The division was an active participant in a special public event
held at Mitaka (Mitaka Open House Day), where it provided
mini-lectures and exhibits and planned projects appealing toelementary and junior high school students, such as magnet
puzzles. The division also cooperated in open house days at the
Okayama Astrophysical Observatory.

7. Educational Activities
The division accepted 33 graduate students from the
Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), theUniversity of Tokyo, the Tokyo University of Agriculture andTechnology, Nihon University, and other organizations. Division
staff actively contributed to seminars and self-directed studies.
The division participated in the “Fureai Astronomy” project
for encouraging an appreciation of and an interest in astronomy
in elementary and junior high school students. The division sent
guest lecturers to 11 elementary and junior high schools aroundthe country.

19. Division of Radio Astronomy
The Division of Radio Astronomy oversees the Nobeyama
Radio Observatory, the Mizusawa VLBI Observatory, theRISE Lunar Exploration Project, and ALMA project in Japan.
Members of these projects are also members of the Division ofRadio Astronomy. The Division of Radio Astronomy coordinatesradio astronomy research while working in cooperation between
these radio-related projects. See the respective project reports
for details on the results of these projects.
Keywords for specific research themes engaged by thedivision include the Big Bang; the early Universe; galaxy
formation; black holes; galactic dynamics; star formation;planetary system formation; planets and satellites; the Moon;and the evolution of cosmic matter as well as the origins oflife during the process of the evolution of cosmic matter as anultimate theme. The division promotes research into these topics
and mysteries of the Universe via invisible radio waves. See
project reports and research highlights for details on advances
made in these various fields of research.
The Radio Astronomy Frequency Subcommittee was alsoestablished in the Division of Radio Astronomy in order to findmeasures for protection against electrical equipment-generated
artificial radio interference, which is a major obstacle to radio
astronomical observation.

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1. Radio Astronomy Frequency Subcommittee
The mission of the Radio Astronomy Frequency
Subcommittee is to protect the environment for radio astronomy
observation. It was Karl Jansky of the United States who first
accidentally discovered radio waves emitted by astronomical
objects in 1932. Since then, dramatic advances have been madein the methods for observing astronomical objects by radio
waves, showing us a view of the Universe different from thatobserved at visible wavelengths by eyes. Just as optical pollution
from artificial light sources is an obstacle to optical observation,
artificial radio interference generated by the electronic devices
that surround us is a major obstacle in radio-based observation.
Recent years have seen breathtaking advances in wirelesscommunication technologies. Mobile phones and wireless LANs
have become an integral part of our day-to-day lives. Television
broadcasts, which constitute an important source of informationin our daily lives, are also undergoing further development via
digitization. As such, the demand for the limited radio band
resources is certainly expanding, therefore the efficiency ofbands utilization needs to be improved, due to the usefulness fortheir possible applications. Further efforts to maintain the “sky”
in which radio astronomy observations can be performed are
therefore imperative.

(1) Role and Organization
The role of the Radio Astronomy Frequency Subcommittee
is to protect radio astronomy observations from artificial
radio waves that might affect it, and to raise awareness of theimportance of its protection activities. Radio astronomy is a“quiet” endeavor that does not involve the emission of radio
waves, and thus does not inhibit other wireless communications
efforts. Therefore, active effort is necessary in order to obtainwidespread understanding and support of the need to protect
this field. The Subcommittee has taken opportunities to engage
in explanatory sessions on the subject of radio astronomy with
the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) andRegional Bureaus of Telecommunications in order to solicit anappreciation of the importance of protecting the field.
The balancing of the field of radio astronomy withother fields and activities involving the application of radio
waves is overseen by MIC within Japan, and by the ITURadiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) of the International
Telecommunication Union, a specialized agency of the United
Nations, internationally. As part of activities for FY 2012, theSubcommittee took an active part in managing these activities asa representative of the Japanese radio astronomy community (thecommunity of radio astronomy researchers within Japan).
The subcommittee is made up of members from NAOJ,
as well as from universities and research organizations within
Japan.
(2) Current Challenges
The Radio Astronomy Frequency Subcommittee is currently
engaged in overcoming the following interference-related
problems.
• Generation and increase of wireless activity due to natural
disasters: Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, there has
been an increase in radio interference due to new activity inresponse to the aftereffects of natural disasters.
• Development and expansion of new radio applications: Ultrawide-band (UWB) technology utilizes low-level, widefrequency bandwidths, and its wireless licenses have been
exempted due to its low emission power level.
• Repurposing of vacant frequencies arising from the new
effective use of radio waves: The digitization of TV broadcasts
has led to vacant frequencies being assigned to portable phones
and the like.
The effect of interference arising from such radio
applications (wireless activity) varies widely depending upon
the frequency band. Fortunately, radio astronomy observations
have been given priority in a number of frequency bands by
the Radio Regulations (RR) of the ITU. However, when radio
wave application bandwidths and radio astronomy bandwidths
have the same priority level, discussion is necessary for thesake of co-existence. Extremely faint radio waves from distantastronomical objects must be detected in radio astronomy
observation. Even extremely faint extraneous terrestrial radio
waves can greatly affect radio astronomy observations.
Sources of interference that must be addressed are the 23

GHz CATV wireless system for emergency broadcast (which
affects ammonia observation), 21 GHz next-generation newsatellite broadcasts (which affect water maser observations),
1.6 GHz emergency satellite mobile phones (which affect theobservation of pulsars and the like), a number of new UWB
wireless applications, and high-speed power line communication(PLC) which affects decameter-band observation. These sources
are increasing in number every year.
(3) International Activities
The ITU’s Radio Regulations (RR), which determines
the assignment of radio frequencies to wireless applications,are revised once every three to four years by the WorldRadiocommunication Conference (WRC). Most recently, WRC12 was held in February 2012. The frequency bands protectedin the name of radio astronomy observation are listed in the RR.
Numerous preparatory conferences necessary for the revision of
the RR in preparation for the upcoming WRC-15 are held every
year in Geneva. Discussions relevant to the Radio Astronomy
Frequency Subcommittee include the WP7D (radio astronomy)
meeting and the WP1A (frequency management) meeting.
The subcommittee has participated in numerous international
meetings as a representative of Japanese radio astronomy. The
subcommittee has also participated in every meeting for the
Asia/Pacific Region (APG meeting) in preparation for WRC15, contributing to opinion formation in the Asia region. In
FY 2012, the subcommittee engaged in the protection of radio
astronomy frequency bands via participation in the ITU-R
WP7D meeting held in Geneva in June, APG meeting held in
Vietnam in September, and various other conferences.
(4) Activities in JapanThe activities of the Radio Astronomy Frequency
Subcommittee in Japan can be broadly divided into two groups:
participating in committees hosted by MIC, and participatingin negotiations regarding radio interference sources directly or
indirectly concerning MIC. Negotiations regarding interference
sources are a major characteristic of the subcommittee’s
activities in Japan.
The majority of the committees hosted by MIC are domestic
conferences corresponding to the abovementioned international
conferences, and serve to develop Japan’s policies regarding
the international conferences. Other conferences hosted by MIC
include councils on radio application technology implemented
by MIC as part of its policy, and negotiations with radio
interference sources mediated by MIC. Negotiations directly
affecting the protection of radio astronomy observations
have been conducted concurrently in order to respond to theinterference problems discussed in section (2) above.
A few examples of the interference problems discussed in
section (2) are as follows. One new advent of UWB wirelessapplications is for determining positions to understand theflow of materials at manufacturing and distribution sites. The
UWB frequency band induces interference in VLBI geodetic
observation regularly detecting tectonic plate movement.
Although this band is not protected by the RR, it is vital from the

III Status Reports of Research Activities053

perspective of predicting earthquakes, and is the object of special
consideration by the MIC. For 24 GHz automobile radars, work
was underway to determine the distance observatories mustbe isolated and to legally mandate automatic radar switchoff functions. The 79 GHz high-resolution automobile radars
currently under development are expected to be accepted muchwidely. The effect of interference from these radars upon the
45 m radio telescope at the Nobeyama Radio Observatory,
which seeks to observe molecular lines of deuterium and otherelements in dark nebulae, is a matter of concern. On the other
hand, given that automobile radars are deeply related to human
life, negotiations have been conducted in order to obtain anagreement from both sides.
When CATV cables are severed due to natural disasters,on one hand emergency connections are made using 23 GHzband wireless transmissions. On the other hand, due to red shift
caused by cosmic expansion, the 23 GHz CATV band begin
to include important ammonia molecule emission lines, which
originally locate in a radio observation band protected by the
RR. In addition, satellite mobile phones are useful as supplement
for terrestrial mobile phones during disasters. The MIC took
a role as mediator in discussions regarding interference fromsatellite phones using geosynchronous and orbiting satellites,
and a usage condition agreement was concluded between
the parties creating and affected by the interference (radio
astronomy constituting the latter) while bearing in mind theimportance of satellite phones during natural disasters.
A new radio wave application is underway pursuing for 21
GHz-band next-generation satellite broadcasting (16 times theresolution of current HDTV picture quality). This band is nearthe 22 GHz radio astronomy band (an important band for water
vapor observation), and the effects thereof are the causes forconcern. Power line communication (PLC) utilizing home powerlines affects radio astronomy observations in low-frequency
band up to 30 MHz. A petition not to introduce PLC withundue haste was submitted to the Minister of Internal Affairs
and Communications with cooperation from the Astronomical
Society of Japan and the Society of Geomagnetism and Earth,Planetary and Space Sciences. Press conferences were held inorder to achieve broad public awareness of the relevant facts.
In activities separate from such negotiations, support forrequests to protect the reception facilities for radio telescopes
belonging to the radio astronomy community constitutes animportant part of the subcommittee’s work.

20. Division of Solar and Plasma Astrophysics
The Division of Solar and Plasma Astrophysics is home toresearch and teaching staff belonging to projects at the Solar
Observatory, the Hinode Science Center, and the Nobeyama
Solar Radio Observatory, and engages in solar physics researchin close association with these projects. All division staff
members concurrently belonged to anyone of above or otherprojects this year as well, with no dedicated staff members.
The division conducts both theoretical and observational
research into the inner structure of the Sun; as well as thephotosphere, chromosphere, corona, solar winds and otherparts of the Sun’s external atmosphere; and the various
phenomena and activity in the magnetized plasma such asflares, sunspots, solar faculae, and prominences. The division’s
theoretical research includes helioseismic explorationsof the internal structure of the Sun, as well as the use ofmagnetohydrodynamics as a common means for exploringcosmic jets and phenomena occurring in stars similar to theSun. Observational research had focused on work to begin
observations from space from early on and to continue withthe development of the HINODE scientific satellite, which iscurrently in orbit and in scientific operation. Research is also
underway in the field of ground-based observation to develop
new technologies for solar flare telescopes. The division engages
in sustained long-term observations of steady phenomena suchas sunspots, flares, and the corona. The division works withrelated overseas organizations to exchange data and releasepublications.

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1. Integrated Solar Physics Research
We have already entered the age of integrated observational(from space and the ground) and theoretical studies of solar
physics. A framework for stable steady operation of the
HINODE mission has been established. The high acclaim for thescientific results obtained in reviews conducted in FY 2010 byspace agencies around the world has led to commitments fromall of these organizations to continue operating HINODE until
FY 2013/14. The division supported the sixth Hinode Science
Meeting (Hinode-6) held in St. Andrews in the United Kingdom
on August 14–17, 2012.

2. Educational Activities
In FY 2012, two students from the University of Tokyoand two students from the Graduate University for Advanced
Studies (SOKENDAI) had division faculty members as
their research advisors. The division also supported research
activities not directly related to the projects of the division’s
staff and students, such as participation in international research
conferences and observation in Japan and abroad. The divisionalso partnered with Kyoto University and Nagoya University
with support from various NAOJ projects to plan and conduct
a tour for undergraduate students to visit solar-related researchorganizations and experience the front lines of solar physics
research.

3. International Cooperation
The HINODEmission is an international project involving
cooperation from NASA in the United States, STFC in the
United Kingdom, ESA in Europe, and NSC in Norway. Meetingsof the Hinode Science Working Group (HSWG, chaired by
Tsuneta) are regularly held in order to obtain scientific resultsfrom the project, and to discuss a framework for international
cooperation and shared use in the scientific operation of thesatellite. All data obtained by HINODE continues to be madeavailable to the public instantly. In order to maximize the outputsof HINODE observations, the Science Schedule Coordinators(SSCs: NAOJ staff members Sekii, Watanabe) hold monthly
telephone conferences in order to solicit observational projects(HINODE Operation Plans, “HOPs”) using the scientificequipment on HINODE from solar researchers around theworld, as well as joint observational projects with other solar
observation satellites and terrestrial observation instruments.

21. Division of Theoretical Astronomy
1. Overview
From the early Universe to galaxies, stars, planetary
formation, compact object activity, and astrophysical plasma
phenomena, the division engages in theoretical research into theformation/evolution processes, dynamics, and physical statesof matter of various hierarchical structures of the Universe. The
research conducted by the division spans a variety of distinctive
fields, including joint observational astronomy projects involving
the Subaru Telescope, ALMA, the Nobeyama radio telescope,and observational satellites for various wavelengths; joint
interdisciplinary projects involving closely related fields such asplasma physics, particle/nuclear physics, and geophysics; andcomputer simulation projects utilizing NAOJ supercomputers
and the dedicated computer group of the Division of Theoretical
Astronomy.
The Division of Theoretical Astronomy offers a superb
research environment as a base for astronomical andastrophysical projects conducted inside Japan and overseas. It
has accepted a wide range of both Japanese and international
researchers as guest faculty members who actively engage invarious research projects with the Division’s full-time, associate,assistant, and project assistant professors, NAOJ postdoctoral
fellows, JSPS fellows, and graduate students from the Graduate
University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI) and the
University of Tokyo. The Division of Theoretical Astronomy
plays a central role in hosting international meetings anddomestic cross disciplinary research conferences for the fields
of observational astronomy and experimental physics as well as
theoretical astronomy. The division leads research activities in avariety of fields. In particular, the division has fostered researchdevelopments as an influential research center for young
researchers, and actively engages in personnel exchanges with
universities and research institutes.

2. Current Staff and Transfers
In FY 2012, the dedicated staff of the Division of Theoretical
Astronomy included two professors, two associate professors,and four assistant professors, as well as one affiliate professor
and one affiliate assistance professor whose primary work

focused on the Center for Computation Astrophysics. In addition
to research and educational staff, Division staff included two
project assistant professors, six NAOJ postdoctoral fellows,
one JSPS fellow, and one administrative supporter supporting
the various research and educational staff mentioned above.
Assistant Professor Kei Kotake left at the end of March for aposition as associate professor at Fukuoka University.

3. Research Results
Research results in the form of published papers andthe like are listed in Section IV: Publications, Presentations.
Results published or presented by members of the Divisionof Theoretical Astronomy were as listed below. Categories inwhich there were fewer than ten publications have been omitted.
Refereed Publications: 58
Conference Proceedings: 45
Conference Presentations: 96
Many of these achievements can be seen among theScientific Highlights at the beginning of the volume. Scientifichighlights in which Division of Theoretical Astronomy members
took a leading role are listed here.
• Three-Dimensional Structure of Supernovae Studied bySpectropolarimetric Observations (Masaomi Tanaka et al.)• Infrared Observations of “Middle-Aged” Supernovae Filling
the Gap between Supernovae and Supernova Remnants(Masaomi Tanaka et al.)• Spacecraft Observation of a Central Engine of Magnetic
Reconnection (Seiji Zenitani et al.)• Effects of Power Law Primordial Magnetic Field on Big Bang
Nucleosynthesis (Dai Yamazaki, Motohiko Kusakabe)• 3D Dissipation Mechanism in Fast Magnetic Reconnection(Keizo Fujimoto)• Substellar-Mass Condensations in Prestellar Cores (Fumitaka
Nakamura et al.)• Astrophysical Impact of New β-decay Half-lives on γ-process
Nucleosynthesis (Toshitaka Kajino, Toshio Suzuki, et al.)• Solution to Big-Bang Nucleosynthesis in Hybrid Axion Dark

III Status Reports of Research Activities

055

Matter Model (Toshitaka Kajino et al.)• Supernova-, Solar- and Reactor-Neutrino Detection and Precise
Theoretical Calculation of Neutrino Capture Cross Section on
13C (Toshio Suzuki, Toshitaka Kajino et al.)• Exploring the Neutrino Mass Hierarchy Probability withMeteoritic Supernova Material, ν-Process Nucleosynthesis,and θ13 Mixing (Toshitaka Kajino et al.)• High-Lying Excited States in Gamow Teller Strength and Their
Roles on Neutrino Reactions (Toshitaka Kajino et al.)• Neutrino Induced Reactions Related to the ν-Process
Nucleosynthesis of 92Nb and 98Tc (Toshitaka Kajino et al.)
• E a r l y G a l a c t i c C h e m i c a l E v o l u t i o n a n d γ- P r o c e s s
Nucleosynthesis in Black-Hole Forming Supernovae (Michael
Famiano, Toshitaka Kajino et al.)• Pulsar Kick Induced by Asymmetric Emission of Supernova
Neutrinos (Toshitaka Kajino et al.)

4. Educational Activities
The activities of research and educational staff members
as part-time lecturers at universities and graduate schools are
summarized in Section III: Organizations. Lecture subjects arelisted here by way of supplementation.
Kajino: Graduate University for Advanced Studies(Fundamentals of Theoretical Astronomy), Gakushuin
University (Science of Time, Space, and Matter;
Fundamentals of Physics), Japan Women’s University( M o d e r n P h y s i c s ) , J i s s e n Wo m e n ’s U n i v e r s i t y(Astrophysics), Meiji University (Nuclear Physics)
Kudoh: University of Electro-Communications (Space and Earth
Science)
Kokubo: National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (TheEarth in Space), University of Tokyo (Planetary Science)
Nakamura: University of Tokyo (Special Lecture in Astronomy
III), Osaka Prefecture University (Special Lecture in
Physical Sciences), Hokkaido University (Special Lecture inSpace Sciences 1), Ibaraki University (Cosmic Evolution),
Chiba University (Special Lecture in Computational Physics
III)
Hamana: Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology(Geology)
Hori: Kanagawa University (Introduction to Astronomy)
Kudoh used the Summer Student 2012 Program of the
Graduate University for Advanced Studies as an opportunity
to allow undergraduate students to visit actual researchsites. Educational activities (events and locations) targeting
elementary, junior high school, and high school students arelisted below.
Ohsuga: Akitakko Global Vision – Cosmopolitans of the Future(Nikaho Municipal Hirasawa Elementary School)
Kajino: Lectures at Super Science High Schools (Kanagawa
Prefectural Yokosuka High School)
Kudoh: Fureai Astronomy (Niigata Municipal Masago

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Elementary School)
Kokubo: Lectures at Super Science High Schools (Ishikawa
Prefectural Kanazawa Izumigaoka High School, Tokyo
Metropolitan Hibiya High School)
Hori: Fureai Astronomy (Osaka Hirakata Municipal SugaharaHigashi Elementary School)

5. PR and Outreach Activities
Research and educational staff members of the Divisionof Theoretical Astronomy contributed to wide-scale PR andoutreach activities via lectures for the general public. The
following is a summary of these activities. Ohsuga gave an
intensive course on black holes for complete beginners at the
Asahi Culture Center in Nakanoshima. Kokubo gave lectures ona variety of topics related to the Solar System at Asahi Culture
Centers (Shinjuku, Yokohama, Kyoto); Ikebukuro Community
College; the Roppongi Tenmon Club; Newton; the Iwate
Galaxy Festival; the Science café; the NHK Culture Center;
lecture meeting on K Computer in Tokyo; lecture meeting at
the Research Center for Space and Cosmic Evolution at Ehime
University; Star Island 2012; and the Kavli IPMU public lecture“Challenge for the Mystery of the Universe.” Tanaka gave alecture on supernova explosions at the Asahi Culture Center(Yokohama). Hori gave lectures on “The Countless Stars in
the Universe,” “Planetary Science Night II,” and “Fun with
Planetary Science” as part of the Marunouchi Uchu-juku’s“Kotowari noWakusei” event.

6. International Cooperation
Continuing from the previous year, Kajino was a memberof the editorial board for the UK Institute of Physics’ Journal of
Physics, a member of the review panel for the European Science
Foundation’s EuroGENESIS Project, and an international
examiner for the Science, Council of Canadian Science
Foundation. Kokubo continued as an Organizing Committee
member of the IAU’s Extrasolar Planets Commission.

7. Awards
Ohsuga received the PASJ Excellent Paper Award 2012
from the Astronomical Society of Japan for the paper “Global
Radiation-Magnetohydrodynamic Simulations of Black-Hole
Accretion Flow and Outflow: Unified Model of Three States”(K. Ohsuga, S. Mineshige, M. Mori, Y. Kato 2009, Vol. 61, L7–
L11), as well as the 28th Kodansha Scientific Publication Awardin 2012 for Zero kara wakaru burakku hohru [Black Holes
for Complete Beginners], Kodansha Blue Backs book series.
Kokubo was selected by the National Institute of Science andTechnology Policy as a 2012 NISTEP Researcher.

8. Main Visitors from Overseas
To fulfill its role as a center of excellence in Japan for
theoretical studies in astronomy, The Division of TheoreticalAstronomy accepts numerous visitors engaging in joint research
projects from overseas via Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research,government subsidies for operating expenses, the budget for theobservatory guests, and so forth. The following is a list of themain visitors.
Balantekin, Akif B. (University of Wisconsin-Madison, UnitedStates)Boyd, Richard N. (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory,
University of California, United States)
Chen, Huei-Ru (National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan)
Cheoun, Myung-Ki (Soongsil University, South Korea)
Choi, Ki-Seok (Soongsil University, South Korea)
Deliduman, Cemsinan (Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University,
Turkey)Deliduman, Yamac (Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Turkey)

Famiano, Michael (Western Michigan University, United States)
Hacar, Alvaro (University of Vienna, Austria)
Jingqi, Miao (University of Kent, United Kingdom)
Kauffmann, Jens (California Institute of Technology, UnitedStates)
Latter, Henrik (University of Cambridge, United Kingdom)
Mathews, Grant J. (University of Notre Dame, United States)
Ogilvie, Gordon (University of Cambridge, United Kingdom)
Philippe, Andre (Saclay Nuclear Research Centre, France)
Ryu, Chung-Yeol (Hanyang University, South Korea)
Shantanu, Basu (University of Western Ontario, Canada)
So, Woon-Young Kangwon National University, South Korea)
Thushara, Pillai (California Institute of Technology, UnitedStates)Yong, David (Australian National University, Australia)

22. Office of International Relations
For the sake of distinctive international research cooperation
across the NAOJ as a whole, and to promote autonomous
research activities by researchers, the Office of International
Relations engages in planning and implementing strategies andsupport efforts to provide a strong foundation for expanded
internationalization. The Office of International Relations
engages in various activities such as supporting international
collaborative projects; serving as a point of contact forinteraction with overseas astronomical research organizations;gathering and providing information on international activities;
offering support for hosting international research conferences,
workshops, and seminars; providing support for visiting
foreign researchers and students; and assisting in international
partnerships involving Japanese research organizations.

1. International Collaborative Project Support
The office gathers and provides information necessary fororganized independent implementation of international researchcollaborations; serves as a liaison for international activities;
supports and joins international agreements; and accumulates
know-how. By discussing and investigating individual cases
through agreements and contracts with overseas universities
and research organizations, the office gathers, accumulates, andprovides information regarding questions such as: what points
must be considered and what sorts of solutions exist. The officealso offers advice and consulting services and answers questions
regarding individual projects.
In FY 2012, the office cooperated with the Outreach and
Education Office of the Public Relations Center to support
the activities of the “You are Galileo!” project in Thailand,
implemented with Official Development Assistance Grants for
UNESCO Activities from MEXT.
The office also worked on agreements and memoranda forinternational collaboration, and handled import/export security
control issues relating to joint research projects.

2. Contact Point for Overseas Astronomical
Research Organizations
The annual directorate meeting the four member
organizations of the East Asian Core Observatories Association(EACOA), – the National Astronomical Observatories of China(NAOC), the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan(NAOJ), the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute(KASI), and the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy andAstrophysics (ASIAA) in Taiwan – was held on August 20,
2012, at NAOC in Beijing. The office also issued a public callfor EACOA postdoctoral fellowship program 2013. In addition,
the office co-hosted the EACOA Site Survey Workshop (April
3–4, 2012, at NAOC in Beijing) for astronomical observation in
the East Asia region.
The office planned and implemented an exhibit introducing
NAOJ research activities and achievements at the 28th General
Assembly of the IAU held in Beijing on August 19–31, 2012.
The Office engaged in procedures to publicly seek andemploy Public Outreach Coordinators from around the world on
the basis of the agreement between NAOJ and IAU to establish
an IAU Office for Public Outreach at NAOJ. The Office also
cooperated with EACOA member organizations in supporting
the activities of the IAU Office for Astronomy Development(OAD) in the East Asia region.

3. Support in Hosting International Research
Conferences, Workshops, and Seminars
The office offers support for the planning andimplementation of international research conferences,

III Status Reports of Research Activities057

workshops, and seminars hosted or supported by NAOJ. The
office also offers consultation and answers questions regarding
administrative problems and responses. If requested, the officeoffers advice on the appropriate organizations or individuals tocontact, coordinates between organizations, and gathers relevant
information.
This year, the office offered support in hosting aninternational conference “New Trends in Radio Astronomy in
the ALMA Era? The 30th Anniversary of Nobeyama Radio
Observatory” held on December 3–8, 2012 at Hakone.

4. Support for Hosting Foreign Researchers
and Students
T h e o ff i c e e n h a n c e d i t s f r a m e w o r k f o r o ff e r i n gorganizational support for research, education and living
arrangements for foreign researchers and exchange students.
The office offered consultation on visas, other procedures
and matters related to life in Japan to help ensure a pleasantexperience for foreign researchers and exchange students, aswell as information on daily life.

5. Assistance in International Partnerships
Involving Japanese Research Organizations
The office assists in international partnerships involving
universities and other educational and research organizations inJapan, as well as coordinating with the International Strategy
Headquarters and the International Cooperation Office at NINS
regarding international collaborations.
The office oversaw the project Optical and Infrared
Synergetic Telescopes for Education and Research (OISTER)
begun in FY 2011 with the Okayama Astrophysical Observatory,
the Ishigakijima Astronomical Observatory, and seven Japanese
universities. The office offered support in authoring anagreement for Saitama University and the University of Hyogo
to join the project.
The office collaborated with the International Cooperation
Office at NINS to support planning a workshop for support
staff for international joint research, creating a manual for
hosting foreign researchers, and hosting English-language
master seminars at various NINS organizations. The office also
cooperated with the Administrative Bureau at NINS to dispatch
two members of NINS office staff to the Subaru Telescope foroverseas training.

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IV Organization and Management
1. Organization

Projects(C Projects)

Mizusawa VLBI Observatory
Nobeyama Radio Observatory
Nobeyama Solar Radio Observatory
Advisory Committee for Research and Management

Solar Observatory
Okayama Astrophysical Observatory
Subaru Telescope
Center for Computational Astrophysics
Hinode Science Center

Director General

NAOJ Chile Observatory
Vice-Director General (on General Affairs)(B Projects)

TAMA Project OfficeVice-Director General (on Finance)
Director of Engineering
Director of Research Coordination

TMT Project Office(A Projects)

JASMINE Project Office
Extrasolar Planet Detection Project Office
RISE ProjectCenters
Astronomy Data Center
Advanced Technology Center
Public Relations Center
Divisions
Division of Optical and Infrared Astronomy
Division of Radio Astronomy
Division of Solar and Plasma Astrophysics
Division of Theoretical Astronomy
Office of International Relations
Administration Department

IV Organization and Management059

2. Advisory Committee for Research and Management
Members
From universities and related institutes
Umemura, Masayuki University of Tsukuba
Ohta, Kouji
Kyoto University
Onishi, Toshikazu
Osaka Prefecture University
Okumura, Sachiko
Japan Women's University
Kajita, Takaaki
The University of Tokyo○ Kusano, Kanya
Nagoya University
Nakagawa, Takao
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Nagahara, Hiroko
The University of Tokyo
Matsumoto, Ryoji
Chiba University
Yamada, Toru
Tohoku University

From NAOJ
Arimoto, Nobuo
Iye, Masanori
Kawaguchi, Noriyuki
Gouda, Naoteru
Kobayashi, Hideyuki
Sakurai, Takashi
Takami, Hideki
Tsuneta, Saku
Tomisaka, Kohji
Hasegawa, Tetsuo● Watanabe, Junichi

Subaru Telescope
TMT Project OfficeMizusawa VLBI Observatory
JASMINE Project OfficeMizusawa VLBI Observatory
Solar Observatory
TMT Project Office
Hinode Science Center
Division of Theoretical Astronomy
NAOJ Chile Observatory
Public Relations Center● Chairperson ○ Vise-Chairperson
Period: April 1, 2012 - March 31, 2014

3. Staff
Number of Regular Employees
Director General
Professors
Associate Professors
Chief Research Engineers
Assistant Professors
Research Engineers
Others
Total

060

IV Organization and Management(2013/3/31)
1
29
38
11
62
20
95
256

Director General
Hayashi, MasahikoVice-Director General
on General Affairs
Watanabe, Junichi
on Finance
Kobayashi, Hideyuki
Director of Engineering
Takami, Hideki
Director of Research Coordination Sakurai, Takashi
Professor Emeritus (NAOJ)
Kakuta, Chuichi
Hiei, Eijiro
Yamashita, Yasumasa
Nishimura, Shiro
Kozai, Yoshihide
Hirayama, Tadashi
Miyamoto, Masanori
Nariai, Kyouji
Okamoto, Isao
Nakano, Takenori
Kodaira, Keiichi
Yokoyama, Koichi
Oe, Masatsugu
Kinoshita, Hiroshi
Nishimura, Tetsuo
Kaifu, Norio
Ishiguro, Masato
Inoue, Makoto
Kawano, Nobuyuki
Andou, Hiroyasu
Karoji, Hiroshi
Chikada, Yoshihiro
Noguchi, Kunio
Fujimoto, Masakatsu
Manabe, Seiji
Miyama, Shoken
Professor Emeritus (Tokyo Astronomical Observatory)
Takase, Bunshiro
Akabane, Kenji
Moriyama, Fumio
Kozai, Yoshihide
Staff Emeritus (International Latitude Observatory ofMizusawa)
Hosoyama, Kennosuke
Administration Department
General Manager
General Affairs Division
Manager
Deputy Manager
General Affairs Section
Staff
Staff
Vehicle Driver
Personnel Section
Chief
Senior Staff
Staff
Staff

Sato, Tadashi
Goto, Tsutomu
Naito, Akihiko
Sugimoto, Naomi
Yamafuji, Yasuto
Amemiya, Hidemi
Goto, Tsutomu
Chiba, Yoko
Iida, Naoto
Furukawa, Shinichiro

Employee Section
Chief
Goto, Tsutomu
Staff
Kawashima, Ryota
Staff
Sato, Kanako
Research Support Section
Chief
Yamaura, Mari
Staff
Yoshimura, TetsuyaChild Care Leave
Staff
Goto, Michiru
Staff
Sakuma, KaoriFinancial Affairs Division
Manager
Yamaguchi, Yutaka
Senior Specialist
Miura, Norio
Audit Specialist
Specialist
Yamanochi, Mika
External Funding Specialist
Staff
Ushio, Maiko
General Affairs Section
Chief
Yamanochi, Mika
Budget Section
Chief
Fujiwara, Kenichi
Staff
Hiramatsu, Naoya
Asset Management Section
Chief
Yamada, Tomohiro
Purchase Validation Center
Chief
Yamada, TomohiroChild Care Leave
Staff
Mizokawa, Yuko
Accounting Division
Manager
Hyuga, Tadayuki
Contract Specialist
Specialist
Onishi, Tomoyuki
Accounting Section
Chief
Kamezawa, Takayuki
Staff
Chiba, Satoko
Procurement Section
Chief
Onishi, Tomoyuki
Staff
Okubo, Kazuhiko
Staff
Sugawara, Satoshi
Facilities Division
Manager
Asada, Tsuneaki
General Affairs Section
Chief
Miura, Susumu
Staff
Nakagawa, Yukie
Planning Section
Chief
Murakami, Kazuhiro
Maintenance Section
Chief
Yasuda, Masanori
Staff
Shibata, Jumpei
Office of International Relations
Director
Sekiguchi, Kazuhiro
Professor
Sekiguchi, Kazuhiro
Administration Office
Chief
Naito, AkihikoInternational Academic Affairs Section

IV Organization and Management061

ChiefKikkawa, Hiroko

Executive Manager, Human Resources
Specially Appointed
Yamamiya, Osamu
Senior Specialist
Mizusawa VLBI Observatory
Director
Kawaguchi, Noriyuki
Professor
Kawaguchi, Noriyuki
Professor
Kobayashi, Hideyuki
Associate Professor
Agata, Hidehiko
Associate Professor
Shibata, Katsunori
Associate Professor
Hanada, Hideo
Associate Professor
Honma, Mareki
Chief Research Engineer Satou, Katsuhisa
Chief Research Engineer Miyaji, Takeshi
Assistant Professor
Kameya, Osamu
Assistant Professor
Kouno, Yusuke
Assistant Professor
Jike, Takaaki
Assistant Professor
Sunada, Kazuyoshi
Assistant Professor
Tamura, Yoshiaki
Assistant Professor
Hagiwara, Yoshiaki
Assistant Professor
Hirota, Tomoya
Research Engineer
Asari, Kazuyoshi
Research Engineer
Ishikawa, Toshiaki
Research Engineer
Oshima, Norio
Research Engineer
Suzuki, Syunsaku
Research Engineer
Fukushima, Hideo
EngineerUeno, Yuji
Engineer
Shizugami, Makoto
Administration Office
General Affairs Section
Chief
Shirakaba, Mikio
Accounting Section
Chief
Koseki, Tatsuya
Staff
Kato, Masahiro
Ishigakijima Astronomical Observatory
Director
Hayashi, MasahikoVice-Director
Miyaji, Takeshi
Associate Professor
Agata, Hidehiko
Research Engineer
Oshima, Norio
Research Engineer
Fukushima, Hideo
Time Keeping OfficeDirector
Kawaguchi, Noriyuki
Chief Research Engineer Satou, Katsuhisa
Research Engineer
Asari, Kazuyoshi
Nobeyama Radio Observatory
Director
Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Chief Research Engineer
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor

062

IV Organization and Management

Kuno, Nario
Kawabe, Ryohei
Kuno, Nario
Nakamura, Fumitaka
Kanzawa, Tomio
Ishizuki, Sumio
Umemoto, Tomofumi
Oshima, Tai

Assistant Professor
Research Engineer
Research Engineer
Senior Engineer
Senior Engineer
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
Engineer
Administration Office
General Affairs Section
Chief
Accounting Section
Chief
Staff

Takano, Shuro
Iwashita, Hiroyuki
Mikoshiba, Hiroshi
Ishikawa, Shinichi
Miyazawa, KazuhikoHanda, Kazuyuki
Miyazawa, Chieko
Wada, Takuya

Otsuka, Tomoyoshi
Sasaki, Hiroaki
Takahashi, Masaru

Nobeyama Solar Radio Observatory
Director
Hanaoka, Yoichiro
Professor
Shibasaki, Kiyoto
Chief Research Engineer Kawashima, Susumu
Assistant Professor
Shimojo, Masumi
Chief Engineer
Shinohara, Noriyuki
Solar Observatory
Director
Professor
Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer

Hanaoka, Yoichiro
Sakurai, Takashi
Shibasaki, Kiyoto
Suematsu, Yoshinori
Hanaoka, Yoichiro
Kobiki, Toshihiko
Shinoda, Kazuya
Tanaka, Nobuyuki

Okayama Astrophysical Observatory
Director
Izumiura, Hideyuki
Associate Professor
Izumiura, Hideyuki
Associate Professor
Ukita, Nobuharu
Chief Research Engineer Okita, Kiichi
Chief Research Engineer Koyano, Hisashi
Assistant Professor
Yanagisawa, Kenshi
Research Engineer
Sakamoto, Akihiro
Administration Office
Administration Section
Chief
Izumiura, Hideyuki
Subaru Telescope
Director
Professor
Professor
Professor
Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor

Arimoto, Nobuo
Arimoto, Nobuo
Iye, Masanori
Ohashi, Nagayoshi
Mizumoto, Yoshihiko
Ichikawa, Shinichi
Usuda, Tomonori
Kashikawa, Nobunari
Kodama, Tadayuki
Takato, Naruhisa
Takeda, Yoichi

Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Chief Research Engineer
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
Administration Department
Manager
General Affairs Section
Chief
Accounting Section
Chief
Hyper Suprime-Cam
Director
Associate Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer

Noumaru, Junichi
Hayashi, Saeko
Yutani, Masami
Imanishi, Masatoshi
Iwata, Ikuru
Komiyama, Yutaka
Shirasaki, Yuji
Terada, Hiroshi
Tomono, Daigo
Hayano, Yutaka
Minowa, Yosuke
Omata, Koji
Kurakami, Tomio
Tazawa, Seiichi
Namikawa, Kazuhito
Negishi, Satoru
Kobayashi, Hideki
Sato, Yoko

Hara, Hirohisa
Katsukawa, Yukio
Kano, Ryohei
Kubo, Masahito
Shimojo, Masumi
Bando, Takamasa
Kobiki, ToshihikoHara, Hirohisa
Sakurai, Takashi
Shibasaki, Kiyoto
Tsuneta, Saku
Watanabe, Tetsuya
Suematsu, Yoshinori
Katsukawa, Yukio
Kano, Ryohei
Kubo, Masahito
Shimojo, Masumi
Bando, Takamasa
Kobiki, Toshihiko
Shinoda, Kazuya

Furuhata, Tomoyuki
Miyazaki, Satoshi
Takata, Tadafumi
Komiyama, Yutaka
Nakaya, Hidehiko
Furusawa, Hisanori
Uraguchi, Fumihiro
Kamata, Yukiko

Center for Computational Astrophysics
Acting Director
Kokubo, Eiichiro
Professor
Kokubo, Eiichiro
Professor
Tomisaka, Koji
Associate Professor
Nakamura, Fumitaka
Assistant Professor
Ito, Takashi
Assistant Professor
Ohsuga, Ken
Assistant Professor
Kudoh, Takahiro
Assistant Professor
Kotake, Kei
Assistant Professor
Tanaka, Masaomi
Specially Appointed
Takahashi, Hiroyuki
Assistant Professor
Specially Appointed
Takiwaki, Tomoya
Assistant Professor
Specially Appointed
Takeda, Takaaki
Assistant Professor
Hinode Science Center
Director
Professor
Professor
Professor
Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor

Associate Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Research Engineer
Chief Engineer
SOLAR-C Project OfficeDirector
Professor
Professor
Professor
Professor
Associate Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Research Engineer
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer

Tsuneta, Saku
Sakurai, Takashi
Shibasaki, Kiyoto
Tsuneta, Saku
Watanabe, Tetsuya
Suematsu, Yoshinori
Sekii, Takashi

NAOJ Chile Observatory
Director
Professor
Professor
Professor
Professor
Professor
Professor
Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Chief Research Engineer
Chief Research Engineer
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Research Engineer
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer

Hasegawa, Tetsuo
Iguchi, Satoru
Inatani, Junji
Ogasawara, Ryusuke
Kameno, Seiji
Kawabe, Ryohei
Tatematsu, Kenichi
Hasegawa, Tetsuo
Iono, Daisuke
Oishi, Masatoshi
Okuda, Takeshi
Kiuchi, Hitoshi
Kuno, Nario
Kosugi, Joji
Saito, Masao
Mizuno, Norikazu
Kawashima, Susumu
Watanabe, Manabu
Asayama, Shinichiro
Ezawa, Hajime
Oshima, Tai
Kamazaki, Takeshi
Komugi, Shinya
Sawada, Tsuyoshi
Shimojo, Masumi
Sugimoto, Masahiro
Tachihara, Kengo
Nakanishi, Koichiro
Hiramatsu, Masaaki
Matsuda, Yuichi
Ashitagawa, Kyoko
Kato, Yoshihiro
Kobiki, Toshihiko

IV Organization and Management063

Chief Engineer
Specially Appointed
Senior Specialist
Administration Department
Manager
Chief
Senior Staff

Nakamura, Kyoko
Chiba, Kurazou

Yamaguchi, Takahiro
Tsukano, Satomi
Yamamoto, Shinichi

TAMA Project OfficeActing Director
Ando, Masaki
Associate Professor
Ando, Masaki
Assistant Professor
Akutsu, Tomotada
Assistant Professor
Ueda, Akitoshi
Assistant Professor
Tatsumi, Daisuke
Research Engineer
Ishizaki, Hideharu
Research Engineer
Torii, Yasuo
Chief Engineer
Tanaka, Nobuyuki
Secondment (to The University of Tokyo)
Assistant Professor
Takahashi, Ryutaro
Assistant Professor
Oishi, Naoko
JASMINE Project OfficeDirector
Professor
Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Chief Research Engineer
Research Engineer
TMT Project OfficeDirector
Professor
Professor
Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Chief Research Engineer
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Specially Appointed
Senior Specialist

Gouda, Naoteru
Gouda, Naoteru
Kobayashi, Yukiyasu
Takato, Naruhisa
Hanada, Hideo
Araki, Hiroshi
Tsujimoto, Takuji
Nakajima, Tadashi
Noda, Hirotomo
Yano, Taihei
Tsuruta, Seiitsu
Asari, Kazuyoshi

Iye, Masanori
Iye, Masanori
Takami, Hideki
Yamashita, Takuya
Aoki, Wakou
Usuda, Tomonori
Kashikawa, Nobunari
Kodama, Tadayuki
Takato, Naruhisa
Miyashita, Takaaki
Imanishi, Masatoshi
Suzuki, Ryuji
Kozu, Akihito

Extrasolar Planet Detection Project OfficeDirector
Tamura, Motohide
Professor
Kokubo, Eiichiro
Professor
Sasaki, Sho
Associate Professor
Izumiura, Hideyuki

064

IV Organization and Management

Associate Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Specially Appointed
Assistant Professor
RISE Project
Director
Professor
Professor
Professor
Professor
Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Chief Research Engineer
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Research Engineer
Research Engineer
Chief Engineer
Astronomy Data Center
Director
Professor
Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Research Engineer
EngineerJVO Project
Director
Associate Professor
Assistant Professor
Advanced Technology Center
Director
Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor

Tamura, Motohide
Suto, Hiroshi
Nakajima, Tadashi
Nishikawa, Jun
Morino, Jun-ichi
Narita, Norio

Sasaki, Sho
Kawaguchi, Noriyuki
Gouda, Naoteru
Kokubo, Eiichiro
Kobayashi, Yukiyasu
Sasaki, Sho
Hanada, Hideo
Matsumoto, Koji
Tsuruta, Seiitsu
Araki, Hiroshi
Kouno, Yusuke
Tsujimoto, Takuji
Noda, Hirotomo
Yano, Taihei
Asari, Kazuyoshi
Ishikawa, Toshiaki
Tazawa, Seiichi

Oishi, Masatoshi
Mizumoto, Yoshihiko
Kokubo, Eiichiro
Oishi, Masatoshi
Ichikawa, Shinich
Kosugi, Joji
Shibata, Katsunori
Takata, Tadafumi
Noumaru, Junichi
Ito, Takashi
Oe, Masafumi
Katsukawa, Yukio
Shimojo, Masumi
Shirasaki, Yuji
Takano, Syuro
Furusawa, Hisanori
Inoue, Goki
Fukui, Asami
Mizumoto, Yoshihiko
Oishi, Masatoshi
Shirasaki, Yuji

Tsuneta, Saku
Noguchi, Takashi
Ando, Masaki
Uzawa, Yoshinori

Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Chief Research Engineer
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Research Engineer
Research Engineer
Research Engineer
Research Engineer
Research Engineer
Research Engineer
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
EngineerEngineer

Sekimoto, YutaroHara, Hirohisa
Matsuo, Hiroshi
Miyazaki, Satoshi
Okada, Norio
Akutsu, Tomotada
Iwata, Ikuru
Kano, Ryohei
Kojima, Takafumi
Suzuki, Ryuji
Nakaya, Hidehiko
Iizuka, Yoshizo
Sato, Naohisa
Noguchi, Motokazu
Fukushima, Mitsuhiro
Fujii, Yasunori
Mikoshiba, Hiroshi
Ikenoue, Bungo
Ito, Tetsuya
Inata, Motoko
Iwashita, Hikaru
Uraguchi, Fumihiro
Obuchi, Yoshiyuki
Kaneko, Keiko
Kamata, Yukiko
Kubo, Koichi
Takahashi, Toshikazu
Tamura, Tomonori
Fukuda, Takeo
Miyazawa, Chieko
Waseda, Koichi
Tsuzuki, Toshihiro
Mitsui, Kenji

Public Relations Center
Director
Fukushima, Toshio
Professor
Fukushima, Toshio
Professor
Watanabe, Junichi
Associate Professor
Agata, Hidehiko
Assistant Professor
Ikuta, Chisato
Assistant Professor
Soma, Mitsuru
Research Engineer
Oshima, Norio
Research Engineer
Katayama, Masato
Research Engineer
Sasaki, Goro
Research Engineer
Fukushima, Hideo
Senior Engineer
Matsuda, Kou
Engineer
Nagayama, Shiyogo
Specially Appointed
Reed, Sarah Jane
Senior Specialist
Chief
Hori, Mayumi
Public Relations Office
Head
Ikuta, Chisato
Assistant Professor
Soma, Mitsuru
Specially Appointed
Reed, Sarah Jane
Senior Specialist
Outreach Office · Archive Office

Head
Agata, HidehikoVice-Head
Oshima, Norio
Research Engineer
Sasaki, Goro
Senior Engineer
Matsuda, Kou
Ephemeris Computation Office
HeadKatayama, Masato
Senior Engineer
Matsuda, Kou
Science Culture Promotion Unit
Head
Agata, HidehikoLibrary
ChiefHori, Mayumi
Publications Office
Head
Fukushima, Toshio
Vice-Head
Fukushima, Hideo
Administration Office
Head
Matsuda, Kou
Division of Optical and Infrared Astronomy
Director
Mizumoto, Yoshihiko
Professor
Arimoto, Nobuo
Professor
Iye, Masanori
Professor
Ohashi, Nagayoshi
Professor
Gouda, Naoteru
Professor
Kobayashi, Yukiyasu
Professor
Sekiguchi, Kazuhiro
Professor
Takami, Hideki
Professor
Mizumoto, Yoshihiko
Professor
Yamashita, Takuya
Associate Professor
Aoki, Wakou
Associate Professor
Ando, Masaki
Associate Professor
Izumiura, Hideyuki
Associate Professor
Ukita, Nobuharu
Associate Professor
Usuda, Tomonori
Associate Professor
Kashikawa, Nobunari
Associate Professor
Kodama, Tadayuki
Associate Professor
Sasaki, Toshiyuki
Associate Professor
Takato, Naruhisa
Associate Professor
Takeda, Yoichi
Associate Professor
Tamura, Motohide
Associate Professor
Noumaru, Junichi
Associate Professor
Hayashi, Saeko
Chief Research Engineer Okita, Kiichi
Chief Research Engineer Koyano, Hisashi
Chief Research Engineer Miyashita, Takaaki
Chief Research Engineer Yutani, Masami
Assistant Professor
Akutsu, Tomotada
Assistant Professor
Imanishi, Masatoshi
Assistant Professor
Iwata, Ikuru
Assistant Professor
Ueda, Akitoshi
Assistant Professor
Komiyama, Yutaka
Assistant Professor
Suto, Hiroshi
Assistant Professor
Soma, Mitsuru
Assistant Professor
Tatsumi, Daisuke
Assistant Professor
Tsujimoto, Takuji
Assistant Professor
Terada, Hiroshi
Assistant Professor
Tomono, Daigo

IV Organization and Management065

Assistant Professor
Nakajima, Tadashi
Assistant Professor
Nishikawa, Jun
Assistant Professor
Hayano, Yutaka
Assistant Professor
Minowa, Yosuke
Assistant Professor
Morino, Jun-ichi
Assistant Professor
Yagi, Masafumi
Assistant Professor
Yanagisawa, Kenshi
Assistant Professor
Yano, Taihei
Specially Appointed
Narita, Norio
Assistant Professor
Research Engineer
Ishizaki, Hideharu
Research Engineer
Sakamoto, Akihiro
Research Engineer
Torii, Yasuo
Chief Engineer
Omata, Koji
Chief Engineer
Kurakami, Tomio
Chief Engineer
Tazawa, Seiichi
Chief Engineer
Tanaka, Nobuyuki
Chief Engineer
Namikawa, Kazuhito
Chief Engineer
Negishi, Satoru
Secondment (to The University of Tokyo)
Assistant Professor
Takahashi, Ryutaro
Assistant Professor
Oishi, Naoko
Division of Radio Astronomy
Director
Professor
Professor
Professor
Professor
Professor
Professor
Professor
Professor
Professor
Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Chief Research Engineer
Chief Research Engineer
Chief Research Engineer
Chief Research Engineer
Chief Research Engineer
Chief Research Engineer
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor

066

IV Organization and Management

Iguchi, Satoru
Iguchi, Satoru
Inatani, Junji
Ogasawara, Ryusuke
Kameno, Seiji
Kawaguchi, Noriyuki
Kawabe, Ryohei
Kobayashi, Hideyuki
Sasaki, Sho
Tatematsu, Kenichi
Hasegawa, Tetsuo
Iono, Daisuke
Okumura, Sachiko
Kiuchi, Hitoshi
Kuno, Nario
Kosugi, Joji
Saito, Masao
Shibata, Katsunori
Hanada, Hideo
Honma, Mareki
Matsumoto, Koji
Mizuno, Norikazu
Kawashima, Susumu
Kanzawa, Tomio
Satou, Katsuhisa
Tsuruta, Seiitsu
Miyaji, Takeshi
Watanabe, Manabu
Asayama, Shinichiro
Araki, Hiroshi
Ishizuki, Sumio
Umemoto, Tomofumi

Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Research Engineer
Research Engineer
Research Engineer
Research Engineer
Research Engineer
Senior Engineer
Senior Engineer
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
EngineerEngineerEngineerEzawa, Hajime
Oshima, Tai
Kamazaki, Takeshi
Kameya, Osamu
Kouno, Yusuke
Komugi, Shinya
Sawada, Tsuyoshi
Jike, Takaaki
Sugimoto, Masahiro
Sunada, Kazuyoshi
Takano, Shuro
Tachihara, Kengo
Tamura, Yoshiaki
Nakanishi, KoichiroNoda, Hirotomo
Hagiwara, Yoshiaki
Hiramatsu, Masaaki
Hirota, Tomoya
Matsuda, Yuichi
Miyoshi, Makoto
Asari, Kazuyoshi
Ashitagawa, Kyoko
Ishikawa, Toshiaki
Iwashita, Hiroyuki
Suzuki, Syunsaku
Ishikawa, Shinichi
Miyazawa, KazuhikoKato, Yoshihiro
Nakamura, Kyoko
Handa, Kazuyuki
Miyazawa, Chieko
Ueno, Yuji
Shizugami, Makoto
Wada, Takuya

Division of Solar and Plasma Astrophysics
Director
Watanabe, Tetsuya
Professor
Sakurai, Takashi
Professor
Shibasaki, Kiyoto
Professor
Tsuneta, Saku
Professor
Watanabe, Tetsuya
Associate Professor
Suematsu, Yoshinori
Associate Professor
Sekii, Takashi
Associate Professor
Hanaoka, Yoichiro
Associate Professor
Hara, Hirohisa
Assistant Professor
Katsukawa, Yukio
Assistant Professor
Kano, Ryohei
Assistant Professor
Kubo, Masahito
Assistant Professor
Shimojo, Masumi
Research Engineer
Bando, Takamasa
Chief Engineer
Kobiki, Toshihiko
Chief Engineer
Shinoda, Kazuya
Chief Engineer
Shinohara, Noriyuki
Division of Theoretical Astronomy
Director
Tomisaka, Koji

Professor
Professor
Professor
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor

Kokubo, Eiichiro
Tomisaka, Koji
Yoshida, Haruo
Kajino, Toshitaka
Nakamura, Fumitaka
Ohsuga, Ken
Kudoh, Takahiro

Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Specially Appointed
Assistant Professor
Specially Appointed
Assistant Professor

Kotake, Kei
Tanaka, Masaomi
Hamana, Takashi
Zenitani, Seiji
Fujimoto, Keizo

Personnel Change
Research and Academic Staff
Date
Name
2012/4/1
Hayashi, MasahikoChangeAppointed

New Affiliated Institute, Position
Director General

Previous Affiliated Institute, Position
The University of Tokyo

2012/5/21

Matsuda, Yuichi

HiredDivision of Radio Astronomy (NAOJ Chile
Observatory ), Assistant Professor

California Institute ofTechnology

2012/6/1

Ando, Masaki

HiredDivision of Optical and Infrared Astronomy(TAMA Project Office), Associate Professor

Kyoto University

2012/9/1

Kojima, Takafumi

HiredAdvanced Technology Center, AssistantProfessor

2012/11/1

Miyashita, Takaaki

HiredDivision of Optical and Infrared Astronomy(TMT Project Office), Chief Research Engineer

2013/1/1

Minowa, Yosuke

HiredDivision of Optical and Infrared Astronomy(Subaru Telescope), Assistant Professor

RCUH

2013/3/1

Kameno, Seiji

Hired

Division of Radio Astronomy (NAOJ Chile
Observatory), Professor

Kagoshima University

2013/3/1

Okuda, Takeshi

HiredDivision of Radio Astronomy (NAOJ Chile
Observatory), Associate Professor

Nagoya University

2012/4/1

Kokubo, Eiichiro

Promoted

2012/4/1

Koyano, Hisashi

Promoted

Division of Theoretical Astronomy,
Professor
Division of Optical and Infrared Astronomy,
Chief Research Engineer

Division of Theoretical
Astronomy, Associate Professor
Division of Optical and Infrared
Astronomy, Research Engineer

2012/4/1

Tsuruta, Seiitsu

Promoted

Division of Radio Astronomy, Chief
Research Engineer

Division of Radio Astronomy,
Research Engineer

2012/7/1

Saito, Masao

Promoted

Division of Radio Astronomy (NAOJ Chile
Observatory), Associate Professor

Division of Radio Astronomy(NAOJ Chile Observatory),
Assistant Professor

2012/10/18 Iguchi, Satoru

Promoted

Division of Radio Astronomy (NAOJ Chile
Observatory), Proffesor

Division of Radio Astronomy(NAOJ Chile Observatory),
Associate Professor

2012/10/18 Iono, Daisuke

Promoted

Division of Radio Astronomy (NAOJ Chile
Observatory), Associate Professor

Division of Radio Astronomy(NAOJ Chile Observatory),
Assistant Professor

2012/10/18 Aoki, Wakou

Promoted

Division of Optical and Infrared Astronomy(TMT Project Office), Associate Professor

Division of Optical and Infrared
Astronomy (Subaru Telescope),
Assistant Professor

2012/4/1

Inoue, Goki

Reassigned

Astronomy Data Center, Research Engineer

Astronomy Data Center, Chief
Engineer

2012/4/1

Sato, Naohisa

Reassigned

Advanced Technology Center, ResearchEngineer

Advanced Technology Center,
Chief Engineer

2012/4/1

Fujii, Yasunori

Reassigned

Advanced Technology Center, ResearchEngineer

Advanced Technology Center,
Chief Engineer

IV Organization and Management067

Division of Radio Astronomy (NAOJ
Chile Observatory ), Professor

2012/5/7

Morita, Koichiro

Resigned

2013/3/31

Tsuneta, Saku

Resigned

Institute of Space and Astronautical Science

Division of Solar and Plasma
Astrophysics, Professor

2013/3/31

Sasaki, Sho

Resigned

Osaka University

Division of Radio Astronomy,
Professor

2013/3/31

Tamura, Motohide

Resigned

The University of Tokyo

Division of Optical and Infrared
Astronomy, Associate Professor

2013/3/31

Ando, Masaki

Resigned

The University of Tokyo

Division of Optical and Infrared
Astronomy, Associate Professor

2013/3/31

Kotake, Kei

Resigned

Fukuoka University

Division of Theoretical
Astronomy, Assistant Professor

2013/3/31

Tachihara, Kengo

Resigned

Nagoya University

Division of Radio Astronomy,
Assistant Professor

2013/3/31

Inatani, Junji

RetiredDivision of Radio Astronomy,
Professor

2013/3/31

Okita, Kiichi

RetiredDivision of Optical and Infrared
Astronomy, Chief Research Engineer

2013/3/31

Miyaji, Takeshi

RetiredDivision of Radio Astronomy,
Chief Research Engineer

Engineering Staff
Date
Name

ChangeNew Affiliated Institute, Position
Division of Radio Astronomy (Mizusawa
VLBI Observatory), Engineer
Astronomy Data Center, Engineer
Advanced Technology Center, Engineer

Previous Affiliated Institute, Position
Mizusawa VLBI Observatory,
Technical Expert

Advanced Technology Center,
Engineer

2012/8/1

Shizugami, Makoto

Hired2012/10/1
2013/2/1

Fukui, Asami
Tsuzuki, Toshihiro

Hired
Hired

2012/9/1

Kaneko, Keiko

Promoted

Advanced Technology Center, Chief
Engineer

Administrative Staff

068

Date
2012/4/1

NameSato, Tadashi

ChangeHiredPrevious Affiliated Institute, Position
New Affiliated Institute, Position
Administration Department, General Manager Hitotsubashi University

2012/4/1

Miura, Norio

Hired

Administration Department Financial
Affairs Division, External Funding
Specialist, Senior Specialist

The University of Tokyo

2012/4/1

Koseki, Tatsuya

Hired

Mizusawa VLBI Observatory Accounting
Section, Chief

Iwate University

2012/8/1

Sasaki, Hiroaki

HiredNobeyama Radio Observatory Accounting
Section, Chief

Shinshu University

2012/9/1

Ushio, Maiko

Hired

Administration Department Financial
Affairs Division, Staff

2012/4/1

Sato, Takashi

Promoted

Okayama Astrophysical Observatory
Administration Section, Chief

Administration Department
General Affairs Division General
Affairs Section, Senior Staff

2012/8/1

Yamaura, Mari

Promoted

Administration Department General Affairs
Division Research Support Section, Chief

Administration Department General
Affairs Division Research Support
Section, Senior Staff

2012/8/1

Sato, Yoko

Promoted

Subaru Telescope Administration
Department General Affairs Section, Chief

Subaru Telescope Administration
Department General Affairs
Section, Senior Staff

IV Organization and Management2012/8/1

Tsukano, Satomi

Promoted

NAOJ Chile Observatory Administration
Department Administration Section, Chief

Administration Department
Accounting Division Procurement
Section, Senior Staff

2012/8/1

Yamamoto, Shinichi

Promoted

NAOJ Chile Observatory Administration
Department Administration Section, Senior
Staff

NAOJ Chile Observatory
Administration Department, Staff

2012/9/1

Masuda, Akio

Reassigned

National Institutes of Natural Sciences

Mizusawa VLBI Observatory
Accounting Section, Staff

2012/4/24

Mizushima, Satoru

Resignated2013/1/7

Sato, Takashi

Resignated2013/1/31

Kawai, TomioResignated2012/7/31

Kobayashi, Hideyuki ResignatedShinshu University

Nobeyama Radio Observatory
Accounting Section, Chief

2013/3/31

Yasuda, Masanori

Resignated

The University of Tokyo

Administration Department
Facilities Division Maintenance
Section, Chief

2013/3/31

Shirakaba, Mikio

ResignatedIwate University

Mizusawa VLBI Observatory
General Affairs Section, Chief

2013/3/31

Asada, Tsuneaki

RetiredAdministration Department
Facilities Division, Manager

2013/3/31

Naito, Akihiko

Retired

Office of International Relations
Administration Office, Chief

Employee on Annual Salary System
Date
Name

ChangeHired

Administration Department
Accounting Division
Procurement Section, Chief
Okayama Astrophysical Observatory
Administration Section, Chief
Administration Department General
Affairs Division, Deputy Manager

New Affiliated Institute, Position
NAOJ Chile Observatory, Specially
Appointed Senior Specialist

2012/4/1

Chiba, Kurazou

2012/4/1

Yamaguchi, Takahiro Hired

NAOJ Chile Observatory, Specially
Appointed Senior Specialist

2012/4/1

Zenitani, Seiji

Hired

Division of Theoretical Astronomy,
Specially Appointed Assistant Professor

2012/4/1

Narita, Norio

Hired

Division of Optical and Infrared Astronomy(Extrasolar Planet Detection Project Office),
Specially Appointed Assistant Professor

2012/4/1

Fujimoto, Keizo

Hired

Division of Theoretical Astronomy,
Specially Appointed Assistant Professor

2012/4/1

Takahashi, Hiroyuki

HiredDivision of Theoretical Astronomy (Centerfor Computational Astrophysics), Specially
Appointed Assistant Professor

2012/4/1

Takiwaki, Tomoya

HiredDivision of Theoretical Astronomy (Centerfor Computational Astrophysics), Specially
Appointed Assistant Professor

2012/4/1

Takeda, Takaaki

HiredDivision of Theoretical Astronomy (Centerfor Computational Astrophysics), Specially
Appointed Assistant Professor

2012/5/1

Kozu, Akihito

Hired

TMT Project Office, Specially Appointed
Senior Specialist

Previous Affiliated Institute, Position
Division of Radio Astronomy,
Chief Research Engineer

RIKEN

IV Organization and Management069

2012/9/18

Reed, Sarah Jane

Hired

Public Relations Center, Specially Appointed
Senior Specialist

2012/10/1

Yamamiya, Osamu

HiredSpecially Appointed Senior Specialist(Executive Manager, Human Resources)

Takeda, Takaaki

Contract
Expired2013/3/31

Division of Theoretical Astronomy(Center for Computational
Astrophysics), Specially Appointed
Assistant Professor

In the Research and Academic Staff personnel change list, "Reassigned" is used only for reassignments from Engineering Staff.
In the Engineering Staff and Administrative Staff personnel change list, "Reassigned" is used only for reassignments from/to other
NINS organizations.

Visiting Professors / Visiting Associate Professors / Visiting Research Fellows (Domestic)
Period: April 1, 2012 - March 31, 2013
No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

Affiliated InstituteJapan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Osaka Prefecture University
Ibaraki University
Yamaguchi University

Position at NAOJ
Visiting Professor
Visiting Professor
Visiting Professor
Visiting Professor

Name
Sakamoto, Seiichi
Onishi, Toshikazu
Momose, Munetake
Fujisawa, Kenta

Host Project / Center / Division
NAOJ Chile Observatory
NAOJ Chile Observatory
NAOJ Chile Observatory
Mizusawa VLBI Observatory
Astronomy Data Center /Hayashi, Yoshi-yuki
Kobe University
Visiting Professor
Center for Computational Astrophysics
Nihon University
Visiting Professor
Suzuki, Toshio
Division of Theoretical Astronomy
Visiting Associate Professor Oka, Tomoharu
NAOJ Chile Observatory
Keio University
Visiting Associate Professor Hirata, Naru
RISE Project
University of Aizu
Nagoya University
Visiting Associate Professor Masuda, Satoshi
Nobeyama Solar Radio Observatory
Ibaraki University
Visiting Associate Professor Yonekura, Yoshinori Mizusawa VLBI Observatory
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Visiting Associate Professor Iwata, Takahiro
RISE Project
Kyoto University
Visiting Research Fellow
Nomura, Hideko
Division of Theoretical Astronomy
Visiting Associate Professor Sorai, Kazuo
Mizusawa VLBI Observatory
Hokkaido University
Center for Computational
Hiroshima University
Visiting Research Fellow
Kato, Tsunehiko
Astrophysics

Foreign Visiting Researchers
Period: April 1, 2012 - March 31, 2013No.
Name
1 Barkin, Yury
2 Famiano, Michael Andrew
3 Rai Choudhuri, Arnab
4 Judge, Philip Gordon

070

IV Organization and Management

Period2012.05.16~2012.11.15
2012.05.16~2013.01.05
2012.05.24~2012.06.29
2012.07.01~2012.08.28

Affiliated InstituteMoscow State University
Western Michigan University
Indian Institute of Science
National Center for Atmospheric Research4. Commissioned Graduate Students / Research Fellows etc.
Commissioned Graduate Students
Doctoral Course
Takekoshi, Tatsuya
Oya, Masahito
Horie, Masaaki
Takahashi, Yasuhiro
Fukushi, Hinako
Akashi, Toshiya
Nitta, Tomu
Kuroiwa, Koichi
Nomura, Mariko

Affiliated InstituteHokkaido University
Nihon University
Nihon University
The University of Tokyo
The University of Tokyo
Tokyo Institute of Technology
University of Tsukuba
Osaka Prefecture University
Ochanomizu University

Period2012/4/1~2012/6/30
2012/4/1~2013/3/31
2012/4/1~2013/3/31
2012/4/1~2013/3/31
2012/4/1~2012/9/30
2012/4/1~2013/3/31
2012/4/1~2013/3/31
2012/4/1~2013/3/31
2012/10/1~2013/3/31

Supervisor
Kawabe, Ryohei
Tamura, Motohide
Tamura, Motohide
Tamura, Motohide
Arimoto, Nobuo
Nakamura, Fumitaka
Sekimoto, Yutaro
Uzawa, Yoshinori
Tomisaka, Koji

Master's Course
Dogasaki, Chisei
Ui, Takahiro
Takemura, Shinji
Kobayashi, Takuji
Toyoda, Atsushi
Gondo, Rina

Affiliated Institute
Meisei University
Hiroshima University
Gifu University
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
Gifu University
Ochanomizu University

Period2012/4/1~2013/3/31
2012/4/1~2013/3/31
2012/4/1~2013/3/31
2012/4/1~2013/3/31
2012/4/1~2013/3/31
2012/7/1~2013/3/31

Supervisor
Tamura, Motohide
Yamashita, Takuya
Kawaguchi, Noriyuki
Tamura, Motohide
Kawaguchi, Noriyuki
Ando, Masaki

JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) Foreign Research Fellows
Name

Program

PeriodHost Researcher

None

JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) Postdoctoral Research Fellows
Name
Ishioka, Ryoko
Ishikawa, Ryoko
Koyama, Yusei
Hori, Yasunori
Ishikawa, Shinnosuke
Utsumi, Yosuke

Host Researcher
Sekiguchi, KazuhiroHara, Hirohisa
Arimoto, Nobuo
Kokubo, Eiichiro
Tsuneta, Saku
Miyazaki, Satoshi

IV Organization and Management071

5. Budget
Expenses (FY 2012)
Employee Personnel Expenses
Operating Expenses
Subsidy Expenses
Industry-Academia Research Expenses and Donation Expenses
Facilities Maintenance Expenses
Total(Unit: ¥1,000)
3,081,890
8,026,102
40,707409,934
209,284
11,767,917

KAKENHI (Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research) for FY 2012
KAKENHI (Series of Single-year Grants)
Research categories
Scientific Research on Innovative Areas(Research in a proposed research area)
Scientific Research (S)Scientific Research (A)Scientific Research (B)Scientific Research (C)Specially Promoted Research
Young Scientists (B)
JSPS Fellows
Research Activity start-up
Total

Number of
Selected Projects

Budget (Unit: ¥1,000)
Indirect
DirectTotal
Funding
Funding

6

200,460

154,200

46,260

2
10
5
3
1
2
6
2
37

137,020
148,850
35,1002,860
182,780
1,820
5,100
2,990
716,980

105,400
114,500
27,0002,200
140,600
1,400
5,100
2,300
552,700

31,62034,3508,100
660
42,180420
0690
164,280

KAKENHI (Multi-year Fund)
Research categories
Scientific Research (C)Challenging Exploratory Research
Young Scientists (B)
Total

Number of
Selected Projects
10
3
9
22

Budget (Unit: ¥1,000)
DirectIndirect
Total
Funding
Funding
13,351
10,270
3,081
6,760
5,200
1,560
11,5708,900
2,670
31,681
24,3707,311

KAKENHI (Partial Multi-year Fund)
Research categories
Scientific Research (B)Young Scientists (A)
Total

072

IV Organization and Management

Number of
Selected Projects
2
1
3

Budget (Series of Single-year Grants)(Unit: ¥1,000)
Total
10,270
6,630
16,900

DirectFunding
7,900
5,100
13,000Indirect
Funding
2,370
1,530
3,900

Budget (Multi-year Fund)(Unit: ¥1,000)
Total
8,840
4,940
13,780

DirectFunding
6,800
3,800
10,600Indirect
Funding
2,040
1,140
3,180

6. Open Use
TypeProject / Center
Okayama
AstrophysicalObservatory

Category

Number of
Total
Accepted Number of
Proposals Researchers

188cm Reflector Telescope (Project Program)

1

188cm Reflector Telescope (Normal Program)

19

188cm Reflector Telescope (Student Program)

0

Subaru Telescope

87

Solar Observatory*1

Nobeyama Radio
Observatory

45-m telescope (General Proposal)

32

45-m telescope (Education Program)

145-m telescope (Short Program)

945-m telescope (Back-up Program)

1

Nobeyama Solar Radio Observatory
Open Use at
Project / Center
Mizusawa VLBIVERAObservatory

32
6

Astronomy Data Center

122

Center for Computational Astrophysics

172

Hinode Science Center

95

Advanced
Technology Center

Facility Use

26

Joint Research and Development

8

NAOJ Chile
Observatory

ALMA

113

Notes

27
114
(2)
0
373
(38)
*1
187
(36)
4
47
(3)
9
131
(93)

1 Institute
9 Institutes
1 Country
0
45 Institute
10 Countries*1
41 Institutes,
10 Countries
2 Institutes
13 Institutes
1 Country
4 Institutes
39 Institutes
13 Countries

43
(17)

15 Institutes
6 Countries

23 Institutes, Total
122 amount of requested data
10,514 GB
172
95
(24)
111
(1)
72
1034
(908)
72

43 Institutes
11 Countries
53 Institutes
23 Institutes
180 Institutes
29 Countries
15 Institutes
8 Institutes
3 Institutes
9 Institutes

ASTE
11
Joint Development Research
9
Joint Research3
Research Assembly
16
The number of foreign researchers shown in brackets ( ) is included in the total.
Notes show the number of institutes and foreign countries represented by the proposal PIs. The country count does not include Japan.
*1 The observation data is open to the public on the web. No application is needed to use the data.

IV Organization and Management073

7. Activities at the Graduate University for Advanced Studies and other
Graduate Course Education(1) Department of Astronomical Science, School of Physical Sciences, the Graduate University for
Advanced Studies
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies was established as an independent graduate university without undergraduate courses
via partnerships with inter-university research institutes for the sake of advancing graduate education.
There used to be four schools – Cultural and Social Studies, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Life Science, and Advanced
Sciences before the reorganization of the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences into the schools of Physical Sciences, HighEnergy Accelerator Science, and Multidisciplinary Sciences in April 2004. Now the total of six schools are offering doctoral education
and research opportunities.
NAOJ has been accepting three-year doctoral course students since FY 1992 and five-year students since FY 2006 for the Departmentof Astronomical Science at the School of Physical Sciences. (The School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences was reorganized into
the School of Physical Sciences in April 2004.)
1. Objective of the Department of Astronomical Science
The Department of Astronomical Science aims to train students, through observational, theoretical or instrument development
research in astronomy or in related field, in an environment with the most advanced observational instruments and supercomputers,
as researchers who work at forefront of world-class research; experts who carry out the development of advanced technology; andspecialists who endeavor in education and public outreach activities equipped with advanced and specialized knowledge.
Numbers of students to be admitted:
Two (per year in five-year doctoral course)
Three (per year in three-year doctoral course)
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy
2. Admission Policy
The Department of Astronomical Sciences seeks students with a strong interest in astronomy and the Universe; a passion forunraveling scientific questions through theoretical, observational, and instrument development research; and students who have not only
basic academic skills, but who also have the needed theoretical and creative aptitude for advanced research.
3. Department Details (Course Offerings)• Optical and Near Infrared Astronomy[Educational and Research Guidance Field] Ground-based astronomy / Optical and infrared telescope system / Planets / Sun, stars
and interstellar matter /Galaxies and cosmology• Radio Astronomy[Educational and Research Guidance Field] Ground-based astronomy / Radio telescope system / Sun, stars and interstellar matter /Galaxies• General Astronomy and Astrophysics[Educational and Research Guidance Field] High-precision astronomical measurement / Astronomy from space / Data analysis andnumerical simulation / Earth and planets / Sun, stars and interstellar matter / Galaxies and cosmology
4. Course-by-Course Education Program to Develop Student Research Capability and Aptitude
The School of Physical Sciences began its "Course-by-Course Education Program to Develop Student Research Capability and
Aptitude" in FY 2009 as part of MEXT’s Program for "Enhancing Systematic Education in Graduate Schools", offering four specificcourses to the students: the Basic Course, the Advanced Research Course, the Project Research Course, and the Development Research
Course. In FY 2012, the Department of Astronomical Science accepted four students in the Basic Course and three students in the
Advanced Research Course. The Department also offered the e-learning class “Introduction to Observational Astronomy II” as a schoolwide common basic subject, as well as the “Exercise in Scientific English” class, in order to provide a good foundation for students at thegraduate school.
In order to better prepare students for the international stage, the Department hosted the Asia Winter School, as well as the 2012
Summer Student program at Mitaka, Mizusawa and Hawaii campuses to allow undergraduate students a chance to experience research at
the Department of Astronomical Science. In addition to the existing Research Assistant system, the Department also provided Associate
Researcher positions for the students of the Department of Astronomical Science.

074

IV Organization and Management

(2) Staff and Students in the Department of Astronomical Science, School of Physical Sciences, theGraduate University for Advanced Studies
Number of Staff (2013/3/31)
Chair of the Department of Astronomical Science
Optical and Near Infrared Astronomy Course
Professors
Associate Professors
Assistant Professors
Radio Astronomy Course
Professors
Associate Professors
Assistant Professors
General Astronomy and Astrophysics Course
Professors
Associate Professors
Assistant Professors
Total

1
8
12
10
7
9
20
9
12
15
103

Graduate Student List (29 students)
1st year (7 students)
Name
Principal Supervisor
Supervisor
Yang, Yi
Tamura, Motohide Usuda, Tomonori
Kashikawa, Nobunari Kodama, Tadayuki
Ishikawa, Shogo
Onishi, Kyoko
Iguchi, Satoru
Kuno, Nario
Onitsuka, Masahiro Tamura, Motohide Takato, Naruhisa
Sakurai, Junya
Miyazaki, Satoshi Kobayashi, Yukiyasu
Shimakawa, Rizumu Kodama, Tadayuki Arimoto, Nobuo
Suzuki, Taiki
Oishi, Masatoshi
Tamura, Motohide
2nd year (5 students)
Principal Supervisor
Supervisor
Name
Aoki, Sumire
Arimoto, Nobuo
Kodama, Tadayuki
Kashikawa, Nobunari
Saito, Yuriko
Hayashi, Saeko
Hashizume, Katsuya Tomisaka, Koji
Osuga, Ken
Matsuzawa, Ayumu Iguchi, Satoru
Saito, Masao
Oh, DaeHyeon
Tamura, Motohide Takami, Hideki

Name
Kataoka, Akimasa
Shino, Nagisa
Min, Cheul HongToshikawa, Jun

3rd year (4 students)
Principal Supervisor
Supervisor
Nakamura, Fumitaka
Tomisaka, Koji
Honma, Mareki
Shibata, Katsunori
Honma, Mareki
Shibata, Katsunori
Kashikawa, Nobunari Kodama, Tadayuki

4th year (8 students)
Principal Supervisor
Supervisor
Name
Ishizaki, Yoshifumi Kashikawa, Nobunari Iye, Masanori
Imase, Keisuke
Kodama, Tadayuki Kashikawa, Nobunari
Suenaga, Takuya
Tamura, Motohide Usuda, Tomonori
Sakai, Nobuyuki
Honma, Mareki
Shibata, Katsunori
Sako, Nobuharu
Watanabe, Tetsuya Sekii, Takashi
Sukom, Amnart
Tamura, Motohide Izumiura, Hideyuki
Kaithakkal, Anjali John Suematsu, Yoshinori Tsuneta, Saku
Pan, Hsi-An
Kuno, Nario
Iono, Daisuke

Name
Shibuya, Takatoshi
Kwon, JungMi
Zhao, ZhengShi
Sato, Yaeko
Horii, Shun

5th year (5 students)
Principal Supervisor
Supervisor
Iye, Masanori
Kashikawa, Nobunari
Tamura, Motohide Hayashi, Saeko
Arimoto, Nobuo
Kodama, Tadayuki
Tamura, Motohide Hayashi, Saeko
Watanabe, Junichi Agata, Hidehiko

Research Student (1 student)
Name
Supervisor
Kawauchi, Kiyoe
Tamura, Motohide(3) Education and Research Collaboration with The University of Tokyo
Number of Staff
Professors
Associate Professors
Total

9
4
13

IV Organization and Management075Graduate Student List of The University of Tokyo (28 students)
NameAso, Yusuke
Iwaki, Daichi
Ohashi, Satoshi
Saito, Toshiki
Shibagaki, Shota
Shibata, Takashi
Sekiguchi, Sigeyuki
Tagawa, Hiromichi
Miyagawa, Kenta
Aoki, Kunichika
Izumida, Shian
Otomo, Yuzo
Koyamatsu, Shin
Sato, Senichi

Supervisor
Ohashi, Nagayoshi
Iye, Masanori
Mizuno, Norikazu
Kawabe, Ryohei
Kajino, Toshitaka
Kokubo, Eiichiro
Sekimoto, Yutaro
Gouda, Naoteru
Tsuneta, Saku
Hara, Hirohisa
Kajino, Toshitaka
Kawabe, Ryohei
Ohashi, Nagayoshi
Iye, Masanori

Name
Sekine, Masakazu
Hara, TakujiHara, chihomi
Fujii, Kosuke
Akiyama, Kazunori
Kiyokane, Kazuhiro
Fujii, Akihiko
Ueda, Junko
Hayashi, Takayuki
Higuchi,Yuichi
Rusu Cristian Eduard
Koyama, Shoko
Tadaki, KenichiNakashima, Asami

Supervisor
Sekimoto, Yutaro
Gouda, Naoteru
Kawabe, Ryohei
Mizuno, Norikazu
Kobayashi, Hideyuki
Mizuno, Norikazu
Kokubo, Eiichiro
Kawabe, Ryohei
Kobayashi, Hideyuki
Iye, Masanori
Iye, Masanori
Kobayashi, Hideyuki
Iye, Masanori
Yamashita, Takuya(4) Education and Research Collaboration with Other Graduate Schools
Name
Watanabe, Dota

Affiliated InstituteSupervisor
Toho University
Matsuo, Hiroshi(5) Universities Collaborating with NAOJ
Kyoto University
Kagoshima University
Toho University
Hiroshima University
Tohoku University(6) Graduate Course Education
Degrees Achieved with NAOJ Facilities

076

Name
Zhao, Zheng-Shi(Doctor of Philosophy, SOKENDAI)

ThesisOrigins of Blue Straggler Stars in Open Clusters, Globular Clusters andDwarf Spheroidal Galaxies

Shibuya, Takatoshi(Doctor of Philosophy, SOKENDAI)
Kwon, Jung Mi (Doctor of Philosophy, SOKENDAI)
Horii, Shun (Master of Science, SOKENDAI)

Cosm ic Reion izat ion Revealed by Dist ant Galaxies and Role ofExtragalactic Outflow
Near-Infrared Linear and Circular Polarimetry in Star Forming Regions
Possibility of meteor showers originated from various comets

IV Organization and Management

8. Award Winners
Hayano, Yutaka

National Institutes of Natural Sciences Young
Researcher Award, 20122012/6/10

Award Winning

Ohsuga, Ken

The 28th Kodansha Science Publication Award,
2012

2012/9/21

Award Winning

Solar Observatory, Long time scale persistentobservation of the sun and making database team

NAOJ Director General Prize (Research)

2013/2/28

Award Winning

Special Letter of Appreciation

2013/2/28

Presented

The 17th PASJ Excellent Paper Award, 20122013/3/21

Award Winning

All staffs working at the restaurant in the
Nobeyama Radio Observatory
Ohsuga, Ken

9. Overseas Travel / Important Dates / Public Access to Facilities(1) Research and Academic Staff Overseas Travel
country / area

category

Business Trip

Korea
45
China
40
Hong Kong
1
Taiwan30
Malaysia
0Singapore
4
Thailand
4
Philippines
0Indonesia
0
Other areas in Asia
8
UK
18
Italy
4
Germany
15
France15
Russia6
Other areas in Europe
36
USA
68
Canada3
Hawaii57
Guam, Saipan
0Australia
13
Other areas in Oceania
0
Mexico0Brazil1
Other areas in South and Central America *62
Middle East0
Africa1others0
Total
431* Most travelers to South and Central America went to Chile.

Training

Total

0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

45
40
1
30
0
4
4
0
0
8
18
4
15
15
6
36
68
3
57
0
13
0
0
1
62
0
1
0
431

IV Organization and Management077

(2) Important Dates (April 1, 2012 – March 31, 2013)2012
April 1:
April 5:Masahiko Hayashi appointed NAOJ Director General.
17th Astronomy Lecture for Science Reporters held, with 52 participants from 33 organizations and 23 NAOJ
members in attendance.

April 15:

Third Open Observatory event held at the Ibaraki University Center for Astronomy and the NAOJ Mizusawa VLBI
Observatory Ibaraki Station, with nearly 1,000 visitors in attendance.

May 5:

Subaru Telescope, along with other Mauna Kea observatories, shared the excitement of astronomy by providing
special exhibits and hands-on sessions at AstroDay held at a local shopping mall in Hilo.

May 26:

Spring 2012 Special Stargazing Party held at Okayama Astrophysical Observatory, with 101 visitors in attendance(out of 698 applicants).

May 29–31:

Subaru Spring School for undergraduate and graduate students held at Mitaka, with 14 participants selected from
26 applicants.

June 22:

Memorial ceremony held at Mitaka for the late Prof. Koh-ichiro Morita, who unexpectedly passed away on May 7,
with nearly 110 NAOJ and non-NAOJ mourners in attendance. Following an address from NAOJ Director General
Masahiko Hayashi, NAOJ Chile Observatory Director Tetsuo Hasegawa gave a retrospective on Prof. Morita’s life
and accomplishments, and NINS President Katsuhiko Sato and former NAOJ Director General Shoken Miyama
offered their condolences. After the ceremony, mourners offered flowers in memory of the late Professor.

June 30– July 1:

A pre-event preparatory workshop was held to impart a deeper understanding of the research to high school
students scheduled to attend the sixth Z-star Research Team event using the radio telescope at the VERA Mizusawa
station to search for water masers.

July 22:
July 26–27:
July 30– August 3:

Subaru Telescope staff had a stargazing program in Hawaii for intermediate school students from north-easternJapan who had suffered losses in the 2011-tsunami.
Summer Break Junior Astronomical Observation Sessions was held at Mitaka.
The workshop of Radio Astronomical Observation held for undergraduate students at the Nobeyama Radio
Observatory, with 12 participants in attendance.

August 1
Third International Festival of Scientific Visualization — Connecting with Others Through Science — held, with
– September 30: 1,008,597 visitors attending over the course of the festival.
August 4:
Subaru Telescope staff gave a public lecture in English at Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station.
August 7–9:
August 11:
August 11:

Sixth Z-star Research Team event held for high school students from Iwate Prefecture. Invitations were sent again
this year to high school students around the prefecture, including in tsunami-struck areas, with seven participants
attending. One team succeeded in detecting water maser radiation.
Iwate Galaxy Festival 2012, a special event for the Mizusawa region, held with nearly 2,200 visitors in attendance.
Special open house of VERA Iriki Station held conjointly with the Yaeyama Kogen Star Festival 2012, with nearly
3,500 visitors in attendance.

August 15–17:

Chura-boshi Research Team workshop for high school students in Okinawa Prefecture held at VERA Ishigakijima
Astronomical Observatory, with 21 participants in attendance. The Murikabushi telescope was used to search forwater masers, and an image processing workshop was held.

August 18–26:

2012 South Island Star Festival held in conjunction with a special open house event at the VERA Ishigakijima
Station and the Ishigakijima Astronomical Observatory. The event started with nearly 8,000 visitors to a dimmedlight stargazing event graced by a stunning night sky of unprecedented clarity; an astronomical observation party
at the Ishigakijima Astronomical Observatory was also blessed with good weather and attended by 582 visitors;
special open house at the VERA Station was attended by 563 visitors; for a total festival participation of nearly 9,760
visitors.

August 20
Subaru Telescope hosted an undergraduate student from a Japanese university in its summer student program.
– September 4:
August 25:
Special open house event held at NAOJ Nobeyama, with 3,308 visitors in attendance.
August 25:
Special open house event held at Okayama Astrophysical Observatory, with 607 visitors in attendance.
Subaru Telescope staff hosted a seminar in Mitaka for undergraduate students of Japanese universities in
September 1:
preparation for an observation program using Subaru Telescope.

078

September 8– October 8:

Fourth Tokyo International Science Festival held, with more than 30,000 visitors attending over the duration of thefestival.

September 26:

30-Year Anniversary Ceremony, Commemorative Lecture, and Banquet for the Nobeyama Radio Observatory heldin the city of Hokuto in Yamanashi Prefecture with about 160 attendants.

IV Organization and Management

September 28:

Subaru Telescope staff gave a public lecture and special Moon Viewing event in English at ‘Imiloa Astronomy
Center in Hilo.

October 5:

Commemorative ceremony held at Oshu City Cultural Hall (Z Hall) for the 10th anniversary since the VERA
Project began observations in earnest, with nearly 200 visitors in attendance. After the ceremony, a “VERA
Summit” for the heads of local municipalities hosting VERA observational stations and a celebratory banquet were
held.

October 8:

A lecture meeting “The Extremely Large Telescope TMT: Redrawing Our Image of the Universe” was held, with
about 250 visitors in attendance.

Fall 2012 Special Stargazing Party held at Okayama Astrophysical Observatory, with 109 visitors in attendance (outof 331 applicants).
October 20:
Subaru Telescope staff gave a public lecture at ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo.
October 26–27: Mitaka Open House Day held, with 4,431 visitors in attendance.
October 30 –Twelve students from Japanese universities visited Subaru Telescope to experience observations.
November 4:
November 3–4: A symposium held on the concept of the NAOJ Museum.
“A New Vision of the Universe Explored by ALMA” public lecture held by NAOJ, with nearly 250 audience
November 11:
members in attendance.
October 13:

November 21:

A ceremony for FY 2012 continuous service recognition held.Six NAOJ staff members were recognized: Nobuo
Arimoto, Katsunori Shibata, Mika Yamauchi, Chieko Miyazawa, Kyoko Nakamura, and Takeo Fukuda.

December 2:

A lecture meeting “Investigating the Mysteries of the Dark Universe: the Origin of the Universe, the Formation ofPlanets, and the Birth of Life” held, with nearly 250 visitors in attendance.

December 3–8:
December 10:

An international symposium “New Trends in Radio Astronomy in the ALMA Era: The 30th Anniversary ofNobeyama Radio Observatory” held at Hakone, with nearly 170 participants in attendance.
Subaru Telescope Director Arimoto gave a public talk in English at Lyman Museum in Hilo.

2013
January 25:

Subaru Telescope staff participated in the Job/Career Expo in Hilo for high school students and give demonstrations
in English.

January 26:

Subaru Telescope staff held a special exhibit and presentations in English for grades 4-12 during Onizuka Science
Day at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.

February 11:

Star Island 2012 open house event held at VERA Ogasawara Station, with 244 visitors in attendance. Fourdimensional digital movies using 4D2U technology were screened to massive acclaim. The astronomy lecture held
the previous day also had a full audience.

February 23:
March 8–15:

Astronomer from Subaru Telescope gave a public lecture in English at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.
Subaru Telescope staff gave special lectures during the Journey through the Universe program in Hilo. Theyinteracted with 1,222 students in 56 classrooms, in local elementary, intermediate, and high schools.

March 13:

ALMA inauguration ceremony held at the operations support facility, with more than 350 visitors in attendance,
including Chilean President Sebastián Piñera. Nearly 70 invited guests from Japan attended, including SeniorVice Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Teru Fukui. Representatives of Japanesenewspapers and TV stations also conducted interviews.

March 29:

A ceremony for FY 2012 continuous service recognition for retiring staff members held. Five staff members wererecognized: Tsuneaki Asada, Junji Inatani, Kiichi Okita, Akihiko Naito, and Takeshi Miyaji.

IV Organization and Management079

(3) Public Access to Facilities
1) Mitaka Campus[Open year-round]
Dates: April to March, 10:00–17:00
Every day except for New Year season (December 28–
January 4)
Visitors: 17,111
Open facilities: 65-cm Telescope Dome (Observatory
History Museum), 20-cm Telescope Dome, Solar Tower
Telescope, Exhibit Room, Housing of Repsold Transit
Instrument (Transit Instrument Museum), Astronomical
Instruments Museum, Gautier Meridian Circle, Old Library[Regular Star Partys]
Dates: Friday before second Saturday; fourth Saturday
Visitors: 4,725 (23 events)
Open facility: 50-cm Public Telescope[Special Open-House Event] Mitaka Open House Day
Dates: October 26 (Fri), 2012, 14:00–19:00
October 27 (Sat), 2012, 10:00–19:00
Topic: The Life of a Star: From Baby Star to Supernova
Visitors: 4,431
Co-hosted by NAOJ, the Institute of Astronomy at the
University of Tokyo, and the Graduate University for Advanced
Studies at the Department of Astronomical Science, the special
two-day open-house event has been held annually since 2010.
The always popular lecture event featured presentations related
to this year’s main theme given by representatives of theInstitute of Astronomy at the University of Tokyo and NAOJ(“At the Ends of the Milky Way” by Naoto Kobayashi, associate
professor, the University of Tokyo; “On the Front Lines ofStar Formation Research: Stars Still Being Born” by Fumitaka
Nakamura, associate professor, NAOJ, Graduate University for
Advanced Studies; “Supernova Explosions: The Awe-Inspiring
Deaths of Stars” by Masaomi Tanaka, assistant professor,
NAOJ.)
The weather was favorable on both days, and for the firsttime in seven years the nighttime observation session was
successfully held. All reserch projects participated with a fulllist of activities including public tours of normally restrictedfacilities, interactive exhibits, mini-lectures, popular games andpaper crafts for children, and other attractions for visitors of allages. Group tours, 4D2U theater screenings, and guided tours
were also held. See the report for the Public Relations Center for
more details.
2) Mizusawa Campus[Open year-round]
Dates: April to March (except for New Year season), 9:00–
17:00 daily
Visitors: 16,807
Open facilities: Kimura Hisashi Memorial Museum, VERA
20-m antenna, 10-m VLBI antenna
An open house event was held on campus with cooperationfrom the Oshu Space and Astronomy Museum (Yugakukan),

080

IV Organization and Management

which opened in the city of Oshu in April 2008.
[Special Open House] Held as part of Iwate Galaxy Festival
2012 (hours: 10:00–21:00)
Date: August 11 (Sat), 2012, 10:00–16:00
Visitors: 2,200 (total for Galaxy Festival, out of which 650
participated in the open house)
Like last year, this event was co-hosted with the Ihatov
Space Action Center and the city of Oshu. The event opened
with a local elementary school marching band performance.
It featured workshop corners run by local university and highschool students and other forms of community interactions.
Attractions included discussions of the research results
obtained from the VERA and RISE projects; a tour of the 20-m
parabolic antenna; a commemorative photo booth; plastic bottle
rockets; a quiz game; and guided tours of the Kimura Hisashi
Memorial Museum.
Prof. Kouji Onishi of Nagano National College of Technology
gave a lecture entitled “What Are Black Holes?” and Prof. Eiichiro
Kokubo of NAOJ gave a lecture entitled “Exploring the Originsof the Earth and Moon Using Supercomputers.” Both featured
lively question and answer sessions at the end. At 650 visitors,
attendance was unfortunately slightly less than in previous years
due to the overlap with the Obon holidays. Iwate Galaxy Festival
2012 evening events (including a drum performance by local
preschoolers, a miniature concert by a local brass band, and astargazing session) brought the festival to a successful finish.
The NAOJ would like to thank all of the local town
associations, astronomy clubs, tourist associations, and otherparties who helped host the Galaxy Festival.
Iriki: VERA Iriki Station[Open year-round]
Dates: April to March (except for New Year season)
Visitors: 5,219[Special Open House]
Date: August 11 (Sat), 2012, 10:00–21:00
Visitors: 3,500
The special open house event was held again this year in
conjunction with Yaeyama Kogen Star Festival 2012 hosted by
an executive committee consisting primarily of members from
Satsuma-Sendai city hall and Kagoshima University. Regularannual antenna tours, observational equipment demonstrations,mini-lectures, and observation sessions were held in the
VERA 20-m radio telescope and 1-m optical/infrared telescope
facilities. These events proved to be a hit with visitors all day
long. Nearly 300 students experienced the joy of scientificexperimentation through the popular physics experiments.
Ogasawara: VERA Ogasawara Station[Open year-round]
Dates: April to March (except for New Year season)
Visitors: 4,511

[Special Open House]
Date: February 11 (Mon, a national holiday), 2013, 10:00–
17:00
Visitors: 244

image exhibites)[2012 South Island Star Festival]
Dates: August 18 (Sat) to August 26 (Sun), 2012
Visitors: 9,762

This year, our special open house event was held under
the name “Star Island 2012.” In previous years, the event had
been held in October or November so local residents could
participate more easily. This year’s event was held in February,
but even being held at a different time, the event proved popularwith community members and attendance was comparable toprevious years. Like last year, a free shuttle bus service wasoffered. Attractions included discussions of research results fromthe VERA and RISE projects, hands-on operating sessions at
the 20-m radio telescope, mystery experiment corners, and quiz
games. In addition, a four-dimensional digital planetarium showfeaturing 4D2U technology was a hit with audience members.
On February 10, standing-room only crowds at the Ogasawara
Visitor Center listened to the lecture “Surveying the Heavens
and the Earth: Using Cosmic Radio Waves in Terrestrial
Surveys” presented by Yoshihiro Fukuzaki of the Geographical
Survey Institute and the lecture “Earth in the Universe” given
by Prof. Eiichiro Kokubo of NAOJ. The NAOJ also cooperated
in a stargazing session hosted by the local astronomy club on
February 11 which was blessed with favorable weather andattended by nearly 40 visitors.

This year’s event was co-hosted with NHK Okinawa as partof the festivities commemorating the 40th anniversary of the
return of Okinawa and the 65th anniversary of Ishigaki City.
Nearly 8,000 visitors attended a dimmed-light stargazing event
graced by a stunning night sky of unprecedented clarity. Nearly
100 visitors attended the commemorative lecture on the final
day of the festival. Nearly 700 people also visited the VERA
Observational Station, including 370 visitors on the special open
house day. More than 9,700 visitors attended the South Island
Star Festival as a whole.

Ishigakijima: VERA Ishigakijima Station[Open year-round]
Dates: Daily from April through March (except the New
Year season); premises are open to the public 24 hours/day,and observation rooms are open during the hours of 10:00–
16:30.
Visitors: 2,607[Special Open House]
Dates: August 18 (Sat) to August 26 (Sun), 2012, 10:00–
17:00
Visitors: 563

The FY 2012 Nobeyama Special Open House event was
graced with favorable weather and attended by 3,308 visitors,
the greatest number in the past three years. As a special event,Prof. Ryohei Kawabe gave two invited lectures on the subject of“Exploring the Mysteries of Dark Space Using the Large Radio
Telescope ALMA,” both to packed audiences. Mini-lectures
were also held at the Solar Radio Observatory Corner and the
ALMA/ASTE Corner. Other popular attractions returningfrom previous years included a stamp rally, a Q&A corner, anobservation demonstration using the 45-m radio telescope, anda workshop on making your own solar radio signal detector.
This year’s event also featured a panel exhibit of photographs
and historical information from the time of construction tocommemorate the 30th anniversary of the Nobeyama Radio
Observatory and the 20th anniversary of the radioheliograph.

The Special Open House was held in conjunction with the2012 South Island Star Festival.
As in previous years, attractions included antenna tours,
photo booth stickers, merchandise, commemorative lectures, andexhibits.
Ishigakijima: Ishigakijima Astronomical Observatory[Open year-round]
Dates: April to MarchOpen Hours: Wednesdays through Sundays (except for New
Year season), 10:00–17:00
Stargazing sessions: Evenings on Saturdays, Sundays,
Holidays, and Star Festival Week (19:00–22:00), three
30-minute sessions per evening (four in August)
Visitors: 8,527
Open facilities: Murikabushi 105-cm optical/infrared
telescope, observations dome interior (including astronomical

3) Nobeyama Campus[Open year-round]
Dates: Daily, 8:30–17:00 (except for December 29 toJanuary 3)
Visitors: 56,075
Open facilities: 45-m radio telescope, millimeter array,radioheliograph, etc. (exteriors only)[Special Open House]
Date: August 25 (Sat), 2012, 9:30–16:00
Visitors: 3,308

4) Okayama Astrophysical Observatory[Open year-round]
Dates: 9:00–16:30 daily except during the mirror aluminization
period in June
Visitors: 15,677
Open facilities: 188-cm reflecting telescope viewing window[Special Open House]
Date: August 25 (Sat), 2012, 9:30–16:30
Visitors: 607
The special open house event for FY 2012 was co-hosted
with the Okayama Astronomical Museum on August 25 (Sat).
Graduate school of Tokyo Institute of Technology associate

IV Organization and Management081

professor Bun’ei Sato’s approximately 1 hour lecture on “Is
There Another Earth? The Search for Exoplanets” in the domeof the 188-cm reflecting telescope was a huge success. Nearly
100 audience members attended. The Public Relations Center
assisted in broadcasting lecture over the Internet. The alwayspopular tours of the main mirror of the 188-cm reflecting
telescope conducted in the morning and afternoon filled to theirmaximum capacities of 120 participants. Two students from theTokyo Institute of Technology assisted in the open house for the
50-cm reflecting telescope dome; two members of the Divisionof Optical and Infrared Astronomy helped with the Astronomy
Q&A corner; and three members of the Mizusawa VLBI
Observatory assisted with reception. Planetarium showings,
solar observation using the 15-cm telescope, astronomy-related
crafts, constellation/astronomy bingo, and an astronomy quiz
game held at the Okayama Astronomical Museum provided fun
for visitors of all ages.
The special open house event was co-hosted with the
Asakuchi City Board of Education, with support from theYakage Town Board of Education. In particular, the Observatory
would like to thank the members of the Asakuchi City Boardof Education for their considerable assistance in arranging thecomplimentary shuttle bus service between the Observatory and
Kamogata Station on the JR San’yo Main Line.
[Special Stargazing Partys]
Date: May 26 (Sat), 2012, 18:30–22:45
Visitors: 101
224 applications representing 698 applicants were received.
Mars and Saturn were viewed.
Date: October 13 (Sat), 2012, 17:00–21:15
Visitors: 109
116 applications representing 331 applicants were received.
The first-magnitude star Vega in Lyra and the M15 globularcluster were viewed.
Two special Stargazing Parties were co-hosted with the
Okayama Astronomical Museum in spring and fall. Maximum
participation for each special session was 100. Because
applications have exceeded capacity for both sessions inprevious years, this year participants were selected by lottery,with 120 winners being selected to allow for cancellations.
Main events included tours of the Okayama Astronomical
Museum, planetarium shows, astronomical observation using the
188-cm reflecting telescope, and descriptions of the night sky.
5) Subaru Telescope[Summit Facility]
Dates open for public tour: 140 (these dates are listed in the
public tour program page at Subaru Telescope’s web site)
Public tour visitors: 1,134
Special tour visitors: 122 visits, 688 visitors
As some special tours were conducted during public tour
programs, the total number of actual visitors was 1,638.
[Base Facility]
Special tour visitors: 38 visits, 542 visitors

082

IV Organization and Management10. Library, Publications(1) Library
Number of books in each library (2013/3/31)
Japanese Books
Mitaka16,332
Okayama217
Nobeyama
1,224
Mizusawa
4,942
Hawaii
1,456
Total
24,171

Foreign Books
44,9383,272
6,225
18,067
3,941
76,443

Total
61,2703,489
7,449
23,0095,397
100,614

Number of journal titles in each library (2013/3/31)
Japanese Journals
Foreign Journals
Mitaka584
756
Okayama4
18
Nobeyama
16
82
Mizusawa
659
828
Hawaii
23
40
Total
1,286
1,724

Total
1,340
22
98
1,487
63
3,010

(2) Publications
Here we list continuing publications produced by NAOJ in FY 2012.
The data is based on publications delivered to the libraries.
Mitaka01) Report of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Vol. 14 No. 3–4, 1 issue02) Annual Report of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (in Japanese), No. 24, 2011, 1 issue03) Annual Report of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (in English), Vol. 14, Fiscal Year 2011, 1 issue04) National Astronomical Observatory Reprint, No. 2382–2463, 88 issues05) Calendar and Ephemeris, 2013, 1 issue06) NAOJ News, No. 225–236, 12 Issues07) Guide to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (Japanese), 1 issue
08) Chronological Scientific Tables, 2013, 1 issue
Okayama09) Okayama Users Meeting Fiscal Year 2012 (23rd Optical/Infrared Users Meeting), 1 issue

IV Organization and Management083