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We followed up the massive young stellar object S255-NIRS3 (= S255-IRS1b) during its recent accretion outburst event in the |$K_{\rm s}$| band with Kanata/HONIR for four years after its burst and obtained a long-term light curve. This is the most complete near-infrared light curve of the S255-NIRS3 burst event that has ever been presented. The light curve showed a steep increase reaching a peak flux that was 3.4 mag brighter than the quiescent phase and then a relatively moderate year-scale fading until the last observation, similar to that of the accretion burst events such as EXors found in lower-mass young stellar objects. The behavior of the |$K_{\rm s}$| -band light curve is similar to that observed in 6.7 GHz class II methanol maser emission, with a sudden increase followed by moderate year-scale fading. However, the maser emission peaks appear 30–50 d earlier than that of the |$K_{\rm s}$| band emission. The similarities confirmed that the origins of the maser emission and the |$K_{\rm s}$| -band continuum emission are common, as previously shown from other infrared and radio observations by Stecklum et al. (2016, Astronomer's Telegram, 8732), Caratti o Garatti et al. (2017b, Nature Phys., 13, 276), and Moscadelli et al. (2017, A&A, 600, L8). However, the differences in energy transfer paths, such as the exciting/emitting/scattering structures, may cause the delay in the flux-peak dates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present our follow-up observations to search for an electromagnetic counterpart of the IceCube high-energy neutrino IceCube-170922A. Monitoring observations of a likely counterpart, TXS 0506+056, are also described. First, we quickly took optical and near-infrared images of seven flat-spectrum radio sources within the IceCube error region right after the neutrino detection and found a rapid flux decline of TXS 0506+056 in Kanata/HONIR J -band data. Motivated by this discovery, intensive follow-up observations of TXS 0506+056 were continuously performed, including our monitoring imaging observations, spectroscopic observations, and polarimetric observations in optical and near-infrared wavelengths. TXS 0506+056 showed a large-amplitude (∼1.0 mag) variability in a time scale of several days or longer, although no significant variability was detected in a time scale of a day or shorter. TXS 0506+056 also showed a bluer-when-brighter trend in optical and near-infrared wavelengths. Structure functions of the variabilities were examined and indicate that TXS 0506+056 is not a special blazar in terms of optical variability. Polarization measurement results of TXS 0506+056 are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a high-speed image reduction pipeline using Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) as hardware accelerators. Astronomers desire to detect the emission measure counterpart of gravitational-wave sources as soon as possible and to share in the systematic follow-up observation. Therefore, high-speed image processing is important. We developed a new image-reduction pipeline for our robotic telescope system, which uses a GPU via the Python package CuPy for high-speed image processing. As a result, the new pipeline has increased in processing speed by more than 40 times compared with the current one, while maintaining the same functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the current Belle II data acquisition (DAQ) system has proven to be reliable in the first collisions delivered since May 2018, an upgrade to increase the bandwidth of the readout system is foreseen to be deployed over the next few years for higher target luminosity SuperKEKB running. Currently, the front-end electronics (FEE) of individual subdetectors are connected to the online event building system via a unified optical link called Belle2Link, offering unidirectional data readout as well as bidirectional slow control access. The FEE data are received by high-speed link boards (HSLB) and common pipelined platform for electronics readout (COPPER) boards collecting data from up to four links, forwarding to readout PCs (ROPC), which further aggregate the data and forward the data to the event builder. It is planned to keep the Belle2Link and subsystems FEE as they are, but to replace the HSLB/COPPER (including the back-end side of Belle2link) and ROPC with an upgraded high-density system with increased throughput and processing capabilities, to enable the operation at higher rates. This article presents a solution for this upgrade based on the xTCA-for-Physics (MicroTCA)-compatible concentration preprocessing and fan-out plus (CPPF+) board featuring significant data concentration and processing power, providing up to 40-Gb Ethernet output bandwidth. Belle2Link back-end firmware and subevent building are implemented in the CPPF+ board to deliver equivalent functionality as the COPPER/ROPC. The MicroTCA platform provides scalability, reconfigurability, and reliable operations, even for a future possible increase in bandwidth and potential FEE upgrades. A fully functional demonstration readout system has been constructed and verified with the time-of-propagation (TOP) detector front-end test bench set up at KEK in terms of functionality as well as performance. Results show that this solution fulfills the requirements of the DAQ upgrade and works stably and reliably in long-term tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalytic asymmetric iodoesterification of simple alkenes was achieved using a dinuclear zinc‐3,3′‐(R,S,S)‐bis(aminoimino)binaphthoxide (di‐Zn) complex. For iodoesterification using p‐methoxybenzoic acid, the N‐iodonaphthalenimide (NIN)‐I2 system was effective for producing iodoesters in a highly enantioselective manner. The synthetic utility of chiral iodo‐p‐methoxybenzoates was also demonstrated. The quartet of metal ionic bond, hydrogen bond, halogen bond, and π‐π stacking is harmonized on the single reaction sphere of di‐Zn catalyst for enabling the highly enantioselective catalytic asymmetric iodoesterification of simple alkenes for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of flux density, spectral index, and polarization intra-night monitoring studies of a sample of eight optically bright blazars, carried out by employing several small to moderate aperture (0.4 to 1.5 m diameter) telescopes fitted with CCDs and polarimeters located in Europe, India, and Japan. The duty cycle of flux variability for the targets is found to be ∼45 per cent, similar to that reported in earlier studies. The computed two-point spectral indices are found to be between 0.65 to 1.87 for our sample, comprised of low- and intermediate-frequency peaked blazars, with one exception: they are also found to be statistically variable for about half the instances where 'confirmed' variability is detected in flux density. In the analysis of the spectral evolution of the targets on hourly time-scale, a counterclockwise loop (soft-lagging) is noted in the flux–spectral index plane on two occasions, and in one case a clear spectral flattening with the decreasing flux is observed. In our data set, we also observe a variety of flux–polarization degree variability patterns, including instances with a relatively straightforward anticorrelation, correlation, or counterclockwise looping. These changes are typically reflected in the flux–polarization angle plane: the anticorrelation between the flux and polarization degree is accompanied by an anticorrelation between the polarization angle and flux, while the counterclockwise flux–PD looping behaviour is accompanied by a clockwise looping in the flux–polarization angle representation. We discuss our findings in the framework of the internal shock scenario for blazar sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We describe the present status of the computing system in the Belle experiment at the KEKB asymmetric-energy collider. So far, we have logged more than of data, corresponding to the world''s largest data sample of 170M pairs at the energy region. A large amount of event data has to be processed to produce an analysis event sample in a timely fashion. In addition, Monte Carlo events have to be created to control systematic errors accurately. This requires stable and efficient usage of computing resources. Here, we review our computing model and then describe how we efficiently proceed DST/MC productions in our system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We report results from X-ray and optical observations of the Galactic black hole candidate MAXI J1828−249 performed with Suzaku and the Kanata telescope around the X-ray flux peak in the 2013 outburst. The time-averaged X-ray spectrum covering 0.6–168 keV was approximately characterized by a strong multi-color disk blackbody component with an inner disk temperature of ∼0.6 keV, and a power-law tail with a photon index of ∼2.0. We detected an additional structure at 5–10 keV, which can be modeled neither with X-ray reflection on the disk nor relativistic broadening of the disk emission. Instead, it was successfully reproduced with a Comptonization of disk photons by thermal electrons with a relatively low temperature (≲10 keV). We infer that the source was in the intermediate state, considering its long-term trend in the hardness intensity diagram, the strength of the spectral power-law tail, and its variability properties. The low-temperature Comptonization component could be produced in a boundary region between the truncated standard disk and the hot inner flow, or a Comptonizing region that somehow developed above the disk surface. The multi-wavelength spectral energy distribution suggests that the optical and ultraviolet fluxes were dominated by irradiated outer disk emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed deep spectropolarimetric observations of the prototypical starburst galaxy M 82 with the Subaru Telescope in order to study the kinematics of the dust outflow. We obtained optical polarized emission-line spectra up to ∼4 kpc away from the nucleus of the galaxy along three position angles, 138°, 150°, and 179° within the conical outflowing wind (superwind). The Hα emission line in the superwind is strongly polarized and the polarization pattern shows dust scattering of central light sources, being consistent with the previous works. The intensity weighted polarization degree of the Hα line reaches ∼30% at maximum. There are at least two light sources at the central region of the galaxy; one is located at the near-infrared nucleus and the other resides at one of the peaks of the 3 mm radio and molecular gas emission. The outer (>1 kpc) dust is illuminated by the former, whereas the inner dust is scattering the light from the latter. We also investigated the dust motion from the velocity field of the polarized Hα emission line. The dust is accelerated outward on the northwest side of the nucleus. A simple bi-conical dust outflow model shows that the outflow velocity of the dust reaches ≳ 300–450 km s−1 at ∼4 kpc from the nucleus, suggesting that some portion of the dust escapes from the gravitational potential of M 82 into the intergalactic space. At some regions on the southeast side, in particular along the position angle of 138°, the dust has a radial velocity that is slower than the systemic velocity of the galaxy, apparently suggesting inflowing motion toward the nucleus. These components are spatially consistent with a part of the molecular gas stream, which is kinematically independent of the outflow gas; thus the apparent inflow motion of the dust reflects the streaming motion associated with the molecular gas stream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of imaging polarimetry of the eclipsed Moon on 2014 October 8. The observed polarization degree was less than 1% in both the V and R bands, which contrasts with the reported 2%–3% polarization during the eclipse of 2015 April 4. We examined the Earth's atmospheric data on the two dates and found that the high (≥7 km) cloud distribution was more inhomogeneous for the 2015 eclipse than it was for the 2014 eclipse. The polarization position angle observed during the 2015 eclipse can be explained if the major polarizing source was high clouds with an intermediate horizontal optical thickness. We suggest a possible dependence of the lunar eclipse polarization on the Earth's high cloud distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present optical and near-infrared observations of the nearby Type Iax supernova (SN) 2014dt from 14 to 410 d after the maximum light. The velocities of the iron absorption lines in the early phase indicated that SN 2014dt showed slower expansion than the well-observed Type Iax SNe 2002cx, 2005hk, and 2012Z. In the late phase, the evolution of the light curve and that of the spectra were considerably slower. The spectral energy distribution kept roughly the same shape after ∼100 d, and the bolometric light curve flattened during the same period. These observations suggest the existence of an optically thick component that almost fully trapped the γ-ray energy from 56Co decay. These findings are consistent with the predictions of the weak deflagration model, leaving a bound white dwarf remnant after the explosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long gamma-ray burst GRB 161017A was detected by Fermi and Swift, and its afterglow was observed by the MITSuME 50 cm optical telescope promptly, about 50 s after the burst. Early optical observations revealed that the optical light curve exhibits a plateau and rebrightening in the early afterglow phase about 500 and 5000 s after the trigger, respectively. By investigating the behavior of the spectral and temporal flux variation, it was found that the plateau and rebrightening cannot be explained in the context of the simple standard afterglow model. These observational features can be explained with two independent refreshed shocks, which indicate the long-acting central engine. We evaluated the physical parameters of the subsequent shells, and we then determined the kinetic energy ratios of the two colliding shells to the leading shell to be roughly 1 and 8, respectively. In addition, two prominent X-ray flares about 200 s after the trigger may be signatures of delayed ejections of the energetic jets responsible for the refreshed shocks. Such late activity of the central engine and X-ray flares play a crucial role in understanding the mechanisms for jet formation and photon emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Itoh, R and Hirose, N. Relationship among biological maturation, physical characteristics, and motor abilities in youth elite soccer players. J Strength Cond Res 34(2): 382-388, 2020-Studies investigating skeletal maturity and motor abilities in youth Asian elite soccer players are lacking. We aimed to investigate the cross-sectional relationship among skeletal age (SA), physical characteristics, and motor abilities in youth elite soccer players. Skeletal age is commonly used to estimate the maturity status of youth athletes using a hand-wrist radiograph. We enrolled 49 youth elite male soccer players (12.7 ± 0.2 years). Height, body mass, body fat percentage, circumference (thigh/calf), flexibility, 10-m/50-m sprint, 10-m × 5 shuttle run, the crank test, 5-step bounding, Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 2, and cooper run were measured. Participants were divided into early (n = 14), average (n = 22), and late (n = 13) maturation groups according to their chronological age (CA) and SA based on the following criteria: SA-CA < -1 year, SA-CA = ±1 year, and SA-CA > +1 year, respectively. The difference in parameters among the groups was analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and Tukey's post hoc test. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. The early and average maturation groups were taller and heavier and had a larger circumference than the late maturation group (p < 0.05). Conversely, the early and average groups were significantly faster in 50-m sprint (p < 0.05) and scored higher in 5-step bounding (p < 0.05) than the late group. There was no difference in other parameters among the groups. In conclusion, the difference in biological maturity influences physical and physiological development, particularly height and muscular power, in youth elite soccer players.