We have observed the Galactic Center 50km/s molecular cloud (50MC) with ALMA to search for filamentary structures. In the CS J=2-1 emission line channel maps, we succeeded in identifying 27 molecular cloud filaments using the DisPerSE algorithm. This is the first attempt of filament-finding in the Galactic Center Region. These molecular cloud filaments strongly suggest that the molecular cloud filaments are also ubiquitous in the molecular clouds of the Galactic Center Region.

We found a molecular cloud connecting from the outer region to the “Galactic Center Mini-spiral (GCMS)” which is a bundle of the ionized gas streams adjacent to Sgr A*. The molecular cloud has a filamentary appearance which is prominent in the CS J=2-1 emission line and is continuously connected with the GCMS. The velocity of the molecular cloud is also continuously connected with that of the ionized gas in the GCMS observed in the H42α recombination line. The morphological and kinematic relations suggest that the molecular cloud is falling from the outer region to the vicinity of Sgr A*, being disrupted by the tidal shear of Sgr A* and ionized by UV emission from the Central Cluster. We also found the SiO J=2-1 emission in the boundary area between the filamentary molecular cloud and the GCMS. There seems to exist shocked gas in the boundary area.

We present results from a high-resolution wide-field imaging observation of the central molecular zone (CMZ) in H13CO+J = (1 − 0) and SiO v=0, J = (2−1) emission lines by using the Nobeyama 45-m telescope in order to depict the high-density molecular gas mass distribution and explore molecular gas affected by interstellar shocks. We found a candidate for ongoing cloud-cloud collision in the Sgr B2 complex. This is identified as a hollow paraboloid-like structure in the l−b−v data cube of both emission lines. The central part of the feature is denser and warmer than the outer envelope and contains a vast amount of shocked molecular gas. These properties are consistent with those expected from simulations of cloud-cloud collisions in the CMZ.

Plasma interactions with L-alanine in aqueous solution have been examined as a basis of fundamental processes in plasma medicine. The plasma interactions with L-alanine in aqueous solution have been examined for investigations of chemical modifications induced by exposures with the atmospheric-pressure hollow-cathode He plasma to the surface of the aqueous solution, which contained L-alanine as a solute in pure water, via chemical bonding states analyses using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Measurement of hydrogen ion exponent (pH level) of pure water during the atmospheric plasma exposure showed that the pH level decreased to be acidic, but the water temperature did not change. The C 1s XPS spectrum from the L-alanine after the plasma exposure to the aqueous solution showed the decomposition of the -COOH group and the formation of -C=O group.

We present the statistical properties of molecular clumps in the Galactic center 50 km s−1 molecular cloud based on observations of the CS J = 1 − 0 emission line with the Nobeyama Millimeter Array. The CMF and size spectrum for the whole cloud can be described by power laws of dN/dM ∝ M−2.6 ± 0.1 and dN/dR ∝ R−5.9±0.3, respectively. The CMF observed in the interacting part with the Sgr A East steepens to dN/dM ∝ M−4.0±0.2. On the other hand, the interaction presumably truncates the size spectrum on the larger side of R ∼ 0.4 pc.

We performed the observation of the flux densities of Sgr A* at 90 and 102 GHz on 6 April 2005 using the Nobeyama Millimeter Array in order to detect the time lag between these frequencies. We constructed light curves covering a few hour with 1 min bin, and the Intra-Day Variability, which had a rising phase and intensity peak, of Sgr A* is clearly seen at both frequencies. We calculated the z-transformed discrete correlation function between the light curves of Sgr A* at 90 and 102 GHz. The derived time lag of the flares at these frequencies was approximately zero, contrary to our expectations based on the previously reported time lag at lower frequencies. If the radio flares of Sgr A* are explained by the expanding plasma model, the light curve at 90 GHz would be delayed with respect to the one at 102 GHz. However, we could not find such a delay with statistical significance in our data.

A new marine tardigrade of the genus Tanarctus is described from Japan. Tanarctus diplocerus sp. nov. was collected from Shimabara Bay, Kumamoto and Tanabe Bay, Wakayama. It is characterized by simple leg IV appendages, the lack of the internal–external relation in the dorsal and ventral cirri and the lack of the club-shaped secondary clavae. The secondary sexual dimorphism of the primary clavae and probable two-digit juveniles of the new species are reported. The problematic terminology of the so-called ‘internal’ and ‘external’ cirri is also discussed. A taxonomic key for the species of Tanarctus is provided.

The dielectric breakdown behavior of poly-Si gate CMOSFETs with HfAlOx/SiON gate dielectric fabricated using mass production worthy 300 mm process was investigated. If SiO2 is used as an interfacial layer (IL), the IL reduction and the intermixing between the HfAlOx layer and the IL occurred, which causes extrinsic breakdown. By using the SiON of [N]=18% as an IL and setting the maximum temperature after the HfAlOx deposition to be 1000°C, the interfacial reaction was suppressed and the extrinsic breakdown component was eliminated. In the case of the n-capacitor accumulation, an abrupt increase of gate leakage was observed, which is believed to correspond to the IL breakdown. The mean time to failure (MTTF for 0.1cm2 at 125°C) is long enough. On the other hand, gate current initially decreases and then starts to increase in the case of p-capacitor accumulation. If we define the time to breakdown at the onset of current increase, the MTTF would be only 3.7 years if it obeys the V-plot (MTTF predicted by 1/V-plot was 1.6×107 years).

We have observed three molecular clumps in the Galactic center region in the CS J=2-1 line with the Nobeyama Millimeter Array. We have determined the mass spectrum and other statistical relations for the Galactic center cloud cores. The derived mass spectrum is somewhat steeper than for galactic cloud cores based on molecular line observations. In addition, the spectrum is steeper than that of the large scale Galactic center clumps.

Data : We used the Galactic center region survey data in CS J=1-0 with the Nobeyama 45-m telescope (Tsuboi, Handa, and Ukita 1997).

Cloud Definition : We identified molecular clumps in the positive longitude region of about ∼1deg2 (+0°10′ < l< + 1°42′ and −25′ < b< +25′) within all survey region.

Surely the most striking radio feature in the Galactic center may be a sheaf of straight vertical filaments (VFs, e.g., Yusef-Zadeh, Morris, & Chance 1984) of the radio arc. The VFs are believed to be the manifestations of strong magnetic field lines (≥1mG) which have been illuminated by some local relativistic particle source.

Molecular clouds in the Galactic center region are characterised by their large velocity widths and physical conditions which differ from clouds in the Galactic disk (e.g., Morris 1996). These clouds may not be gravitationally bound, but in equilibrium with the high external pressure in the Galactic bulge (Spergel & Blitz 1992, Oka et al. 1997a).

The kinematics and structures of the molecular clouds probably give us key information for activities in the Galactic center region. CS lines are good tracers of dense molecular clouds. In addition, the lines are expected to be nearly free from the strong contamination of disk molecular clouds because of high critical density, n(H2) ≃ 104cm−3. Thus, we have made survey observations of the Galactic center region in the CS J=1-0 line with the Nobeyama 45-m telescope (Tsuboi, Handa, and Ukita 1997). The beamsize is 34″ and the achieved noise was Trms = 0.25 K/1.6 km s−1 in TMB. Then, we detected the molecular mass of M(H2)CS, thin = (3 − 8) × 107 M⊙ in the Galactic center molecular zone (CMZ), assuming of optically thin, Tex = 30 − 80 K (Güsten 1989), and X(CS) = 1 × 10−8 (Irvine et al. 1987).