Hysteretic ac loss of polygonally arranged superconducting strips carrying ac transport current

The hysteretic ac loss of a current-carrying conductor in which multiple superconducting strips are polygonally arranged around a cylindrical former is theoretically investigated as a model of superconducting cables. Using the critical state model, we analytically derive the ac loss $Q_n$ of a total of $n$ strips. The normalized loss $Q_n/Q_1$ is determined by the number of strips $n$ and the ratio of the strip width $2w$ to the diameter $2R$ of the cylindrical former. When $n>> 1$ and $w/R<< 1$, the behavior of $Q_n$ is similar to that of an infinite array of coplanar strips.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, to be published in Applied Physics Letters (2008

Retinal adaptation of Japanese common squid (Todarodes pacificus Steenstrup) to light changes

The response of retinae of the Japanese common squid (Todarodes pacificus Steenstrup) was recorded in relation to various light intensities. In the light-adapted eye of common squid, the black pigment ascends to the external limiting membrance of the retina. Conversely, in the dark-adapted eye the black pigment descends toward the center of the black pigment layer. To express the degree of adaptation, the authors give the ratio of the height (thickness) of the black pigment to the total height (thickness) of the retina as a percentage (%)

A new gravitational lens from the MUSCLES survey: ULAS J082016.1+081216

We present observations of a new double-image gravitational lens system, ULAS J082016.1+081216, of image separation 2.3" and high (~6) flux ratio. The system is selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectroscopic quasar list using new high-quality images from the UKIRT Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS). The lensed quasar has a source redshift of 2.024, and we identify the lens galaxy as a faint red object of redshift 0.803+/-0.001. Three other objects from the UKIDSS survey, selected in the same way, were found not to be lens systems. Together with the earlier lens found using this method, the SDSS-UKIDSS lenses have the potential to significantly increase the number of quasar lenses found in SDSS, to extend the survey to higher flux ratios and lower separations, and to give greater completeness which is important for statistical purposes.Comment: Accepted by MNRAS. 6 pages, 5 figure

Determinants of Subordinated Debt Issuance by Japanese Regional Banks

This paper empirically investigates the determinants of subordinated debt issuance by Japanese regional banks during the period 2000-2005 using a probit model. The empirical results suggest the following: (i) Throughout the period, Japanese regional banks with a lower capital/asset ratio have a higher incentive to issue subordinated debts because they are counted as Tier 2 capital under the Basel Accord. (ii) During the period of instability in the Japanese banking system ( 2000-2003), investors tended to intensively use financial variables such as the non-performing loan ratio, ROA, and total deposits outstanding to screen good banks for their investments in the subordinated debts. (iii) During the period after the banking system regained stability (2004-2005), investors tended to pay less attention to the above variables due mainly to the mitigated default risk of these banks.

Non-parametric strong lens inversion of SDSS J1004+4112

In this article we study the well-known strong lensing system SDSS J1004+4112. Not only does it host a large-separation lensed quasar with measured time-delay information, but several other lensed galaxies have been identified as well. A previously developed strong lens inversion procedure that is designed to handle a wide variety of constraints, is applied to this lensing system and compared to results reported in other works. Without the inclusion of a tentative central image of one of the galaxies as a constraint, we find that the model recovered by the other constraints indeed predicts an image at that location. An inversion which includes the central image provides tighter constraints on the shape of the central part of the mass map. The resulting model also predicts a central image of a second galaxy where indeed an object is visible in the available ACS images. We find masses of 2.5x10^13 M_O and 6.1x10^13 M_O within a radius of 60 kpc and 110 kpc respectively, confirming the results from other authors. The resulting mass map is compatible with an elliptical generalization of a projected NFW profile, with r_s = 58_{-13}^{+21} arcsec and c_vir = 3.91 +/- 0.74. The orientation of the elliptical NFW profile follows closely the orientation of the central cluster galaxy and the overall distribution of cluster members.Comment: 11 pages, accepted for publication in MNRA

「兼好自撰家集」の交響楽的読み

「兼好自撰家集」の和歌作品としての評判は、はなただ芳しくない。南北朝期の自筆稿本は現在するものの、他に室町時代の古写本を瞥見した体験もないし、兼好の和歌が室町期の歌論書に正面から問題にされることもない。また、影響や享受の方面から眺めても、同じ和歌四天王の一人である頓阿の「草庵集」の甚大さと比較してみても、あまりに微弱である

「徒然草」と「四季物語」

「四季物語」が鴨長明の真作ではなく偽書であることは、これまで主として年中行事などの起源の不審などから論及されてきた。本論考では、さらに夥しく現存する「四季物語」諸本の書写年時や奥書に着目したり、「徒然草」と「四季物語」とが類似する行事や表現などに検討を加えることにより、「四季物語」は「徒然草」よりも遥か後の成立であることを論証し、さらに「四季物語」は「徒然草」から多方面にわたる記事や表現を享受した作品であると位置付けた

Price Discovery of Credit Spreads for Japanese Mega-Banks: Subordinated Bond and CDS

This paper empirically investigates the determinants of credit spreads for Japanese mega-banks with emphasis on comparing subordinated CDS spreads with the subordinated bond spreads from the viewpoint of price discovery in both credit markets. The main findings are summarized as follows. First, subordinated CDS and subordinated bond spreads are significantly cointegrated for most banks, and price discovery measures suggest that the CDS spread plays a more dominant role in price discovery than the bond spread. Second, although both CDS and bond spreads significantly react to the Japanese sovereign CDS spread, only the CDS spread reacts significantly to other financial market variables including its own volatility and equity return. Third, both spreads are responsive to the changes in fundamental accounting variables such as the capital? asset ratio and the nonperforming loan ratio. These accounting variables are likely to constitute common factors that are behind the cointegration relationship. Last, significant volatility spillovers are detected from the CDS to bond spreads. This result implies that new information flows more in this direction.Subordinated Bond, Credit Default Swap, Japanese Banks, Price Discovery, Volatility Spillover, Bivariate GARCH

Strange magnification pattern in the large separation lens SDSS J1004+4112 from optical to X-rays

We present simultaneous XMM-Newton UV and X-ray observations of the quadruply lensed quasar SDSS J1004+4112 (RBS 825). Simultaneously with the XMM-Newton observations we also performed integral field spectroscopy on the two closest lens images A and B using the Calar Alto PMAS spectrograph. In X-rays the widely spaced components C and D are clearly resolved, while the closer pair of images A and B is marginally resolved in the XMM-EPIC images. The integrated X-ray flux of the system has decreased by a factor of 6 since it was observed in the ROSAT All Sky Survey in 1990, while the X-ray spectrum became much harder with the power law index evolving from Gamma=-2.3 to -1.86. By deblending the X-ray images of the lensed QSO we find that the X-ray flux ratios between the lens images A and B are significantly different from the simultaneously obtained UV ratios and previously measured optical flux ratios. Our optical spectrum of lens image A shows an enhancement in the blue emission line wings, which has been observed in previous epochs as a transient feature. We propose a scenario where intrinsic UV and X-ray variability gives rise to line variations which are selectively magnified in image A by microlensing. The extended emission of the lensing cluster of galaxies is clearly detected in the EPIC images, we measure a 0.5-2.0 keV luminosity of 1.4 E44 erg/s. Based on the cluster X-ray properties, we estimate a mass of 2-6 E14 solar masses.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic