Issei Yamamura

The Infrared Astronomical Mission AKARI

AKARI, the first Japanese satellite dedicated to infrared astronomy, was launched on 2006 February 21, and started observations in May of the same year. AKARI has a 68.5 cm cooled telescope, together with two focal-plane instruments, which survey the sky in six wavelength bands from mid- to far-infrared. The instruments also have a capability for imaging and spectroscopy in the wavelength range 2-180 mu m in the pointed observation mode, occasionally inserted into a continuous survey operation. The in-orbit cryogen lifetime is expected to be one and a half years. The All-Sky Survey will cover more than 90% of the whole sky with a higher spatial resolution and a wider wavelength coverage than that of the previous IRAS all-sky survey. Point-source catalogues of the All-Sky Survey will be released to the astronomical community. Pointed observations will be used for deep surveys of selected sky areas and systematic observations of important astronomical targets. These will become an additional future heritage of this mission.

The Far-Infrared Surveyor (FIS) for AKARI

The Far-Infrared Surveyor (FIS) is one of two focal-plane instruments on the AKARI satellite. FIS has four photometric bands at 65, 90, 140, and 160 mu m, and uses two kinds of array detectors. The FIS arrays and optics are designed to sweep the sky with high spatial resolution and redundancy. The actual scan width is more than eight arcminutes, and the pixel pitch matches the diffraction limit of the telescope. Derived point-spread functions (PSFs) from observations of asteroids are similar to those given by the optical model. Significant excesses, however, are clearly seen around tails of the PSFs, whose contributions are about 30% of the total power. All FIS functions are operating well in orbit, and the performance meets the laboratory characterizations, except for the two longer wavelength bands, which are not performing as well as characterized. Furthermore, the FIS has a spectroscopic capability using a Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS). Because the FTS takes advantage of the optics and detectors of the photometer, it can simultaneously make a spectral map. This paper summarizes the in-flight technical and operational performance of the FIS.

Three-micron spectra of AGB stars and supergiants in nearby galaxies

The dependence of stellar molecular bands on the metallicity is studied using infrared L-band spectra of AGB stars (both carbon-rich and oxygen-rich) and M-type supergiants in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC and SMC) and in the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy. The spectra cover SiO bands for oxygen-rich stars, and acetylene (C2H2), CH and HCN bands for carbon-rich AGB stars. The equivalent width of acetylene is found to be high even at low metallicity. The high C2H2 abundance can be explained with a high carbon-to-oxygen (C/O) ratio for lower metallicity carbon stars. In contrast, the HCN equivalent width is low: fewer than half of the extra-galactic carbon stars show the 3.5 µm HCN band, and only a few LMC stars show high HCN equivalent width. HCN abundances are limited by both nitrogen and carbon elemental abundances. The amount of synthesized nitrogen depends on the initial mass, and stars with high luminosity (i.e. high initial mass) could have a high HCN abundance. CH bands are found in both the extra-galactic and Galactic carbon stars. One SMC post-AGB star, SMC-S2, shows the 3.3 µm PAH band. This first detection of a PAH band from an SMC post-AGB star confirms PAHs can form in these low-metallicity stars. None of the oxygen-rich LMC stars show SiO bands, except one possible detection in a low quality spectrum. The limits on the equivalent widths of the SiO bands are below the expectation of up to 30 A for LMC metallicity. Several possible explanations are discussed, mostly based on the effect of pulsation and circumstellar dust. The observations imply that LMC and SMC carbon stars could reach mass-loss rates as high as their Galactic counterparts, because there are more carbon atoms available and more carbonaceous dust can be formed. On the other hand, the lack of SiO suggests less dust and lower mass-loss rates in low-metallicity oxygen-rich stars. The effect on the ISM dust enrichment is discussed.

THE UNIDENTIFIED INFRARED BANDS IN THE DIFFUSE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM ACROSS THE GALAXY BASED ON THE INFRARED TELESCOPE IN SPACE MID-INFRARED SPECTROMETER OBSERVATION

We present the results of observations of the unidentified infrared (UIR) bands in the diffuse Galactic emission across the Galaxy by the Mid-Infrared Spectrometer (MIRS) on board the Infrared Telescope in Space (IRTS). While previous studies on the UIR bands in the Milky Way were limited to the inner Galactic plane, we extend the observing area to the outer Galactic plane. In this paper we analyze the data of four areas of 8° × 8° around the Galactic plane (|b| ≤ 4°; -12° ≤ l ≤ -4°, 44° ≤ l ≤ 52°, -136° ≤ l ≤ -128°, and 168° ≤ l ≤ 176°) and investigate the UIR band intensity relative to the far-infrared (FIR) intensity, as well as the variation in the band profile. Together with the good correlation between the UIR band and the FIR intensities in the four regions, we have found a systematic variation in the UIR-to-FIR ratio such that the ratio becomes larger in the outer Galactic plane than in the inner Galactic plane. In addition, the 8.6 and 11.3 μm UIR bands were found to be stronger relative to the 6.2 and 7.7 μm bands in the outer Galactic plane, which may be related to differences in the structure or physical conditions of the band carriers. We have also found small shifts (~0.1 μm) in the peak wavelength of each UIR band to shorter wavelengths from the inner Galactic plane to the outer Galactic plane. Possible interpretations of these variations are discussed.

AKARI OBSERVATIONS OF BROWN DWARFS. I. CO AND CO2 BANDS IN THE NEAR-INFRARED SPECTRA

Near-infrared medium-resolution spectra of seven bright brown dwarfs are presented. The spectra were obtained with the Infrared Camera on board the infrared astronomical satellite AKARI, covering 2.5-5.0 μm with a spectral resolution of approximately 120. The spectral types of the objects range from L5 to T8 and enable us to study the spectral evolution of brown dwarfs. The observed spectra are in general consistent with predictions from previous observations and photospheric models; spectra of L-type dwarfs are characterized by continuum opacity from dust clouds in the photosphere, while very strong molecular absorption bands dominate the spectra in T-type dwarfs. We find that the CO fundamental band around 4.6 μm is clearly seen even in the T8 dwarf 2MASS J041519 – 0935, confirming the presence of a non-equilibrium chemical state in the atmosphere. We also identify the CO2 fundamental stretching-mode band at 4.2 μm for the first time in the spectra of late-L- and T-type brown dwarfs. As a preliminary step towards interpretation of the data obtained by AKARI, we analyze the observed spectra by comparing with those predicted by the unified cloudy model (UCM). Although overall spectral energy distributions can be reasonably fitted with the UCM, observed CO and CO2 bands in late-L and T dwarfs are unexpectedly stronger than the model predictions assuming local thermodynamical equilibrium. We examine the vertical mixing model and find that this model explains the CO band at least partly in the T dwarfs 2MASS J041519 – 0935 and 2MASS J055919 – 1404. The CO fundamental band also shows excess absorption against the predicted one in the L9 dwarf SDSS J083008+4828. Since CO is already highly abundant in the upper photospheres of late-L dwarfs, the extra CO due to vertical mixing has little effect on the CO band strengths, and the vertical mixing model cannot be applied to this L dwarf. A more serious problem is that the significant enhancement of the CO2 4.2 μm band in both the late-L and T dwarfs cannot be explained at all by the vertical mixing model. The cause of this enhancement of the CO2 band remains to be explained.

AKARI's infrared view on nearby stars - Using AKARI infrared camera all-sky survey, 2MASS, and Hipparcos catalogs

Context. The AKARI, a Japanese infrared space mission, has performed an All-Sky Survey in six infrared-bands from 9 to 180 μm with higher spatial resolutions and better sensitivities than IRAS. Aims. We investigate the mid-infrared (9 and 18 μm) point source catalog (PSC) obtained with the infrared camera (IRC) onboard AKARI, in order to understand the infrared nature of the known objects and to identify previously unknown objects. Methods. Color-color diagrams and a color-magnitude diagram were plotted with the AKARI-IRC PSC and other available all-sky survey catalogs. We combined the Hipparcos astrometric catalog and the 2MASS all-sky survey catalog with the AKARI-IRC PSC. We furthermore searched literature and SIMBAD astronomical database for object types, spectral types, and luminosity classes. We identified the locations of representative stars and objects on the color-magnitude and color-color diagram schemes. The properties of unclassified sources can be inferred from their locations on these diagrams. Results. We found that the (B - V) vs. (V - S 9W) color-color diagram is useful for identifying the stars with infrared excess emerged from circumstellar envelopes or disks. Be stars with infrared excess are separated well from other types of stars in this diagram. Whereas (J-L18W) vs. (S 9W - L18W) diagram is a powerful tool for classifying several object types. Carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars and OH/IR stars form distinct sequences in this color-color diagram. Young stellar objects (YSOs), pre-main sequence (PMS) stars, post-AGB stars, and planetary nebulae (PNe) have the largest mid-infrared color excess and can be identified in the infrared catalog. Finally, we plot the L18W vs. (S9W - L18W) color-magnitude diagram, using the AKARI data together with Hipparcos parallaxes. This diagram can be used to identify low-mass YSOs and AGB stars. We found that this diagram is comparable to the [24] vs. ([8.0] - [24]) diagram of Large Magellanic Cloud sources using the Spitzer Space Telescope data. Our understanding of Galactic objects will be used to interpret color-magnitude diagram of stellar populations in the nearby galaxies that Spitzer Space Telescope observed. Conclusions. Our study of the AKARI color-color and color-magnitude diagrams will be used to explore properties of unknown objects in the future. In addition, our analysis highlights a future key project to understand stellar evolution with a circumstellar envelope, once the forthcoming astronometrical data with GAIA are available.

Mid-Infrared All-Sky Survey with the Infrared Camera (IRC) on Board the ASTRO-F Satellite

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ASTRO-F, super-IRAS, the All-Sky Infrared Survey

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AKARI Observations of Brown Dwarfs. III. CO, CO2, and CH4 Fundamental Bands and Physical Parameters

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AKARI OBSERVATIONS OF BROWN DWARFS. II. CO2 AS PROBE OF CARBON AND OXYGEN ABUNDANCES IN BROWN DWARFS

We review the next-generation Japanese infrared space mission, ASTRO-F. ASTRO-F will be the first survey of the entire sky at infrared wavelengths since the IRAS mission almost 20 years ago. ASTRO-F will survey the entire sky in four far-infrared bands from 50 to 200 μm and two mid-infrared bands at 9 and 20 μm to sensitivities 10-1000 times deeper than the IRAS satellite at angular resolutions of 25-45 arcsec (cf. 2-5 arcmin for IRAS). ASTRO-F can be considered as a super-IRAS. Using the galaxy evolution model of Pearson, we produce expected numbers of sources under three different cosmological world models. We predict that ASTRO-F will detect of the order of tens of millions of sources in the far-infrared wavelength bands, most of which will be dusty luminous infrared/ultraluminous infrared galaxies, of which as many as half will lie at redshifts greater than unity. We produce number-redshift distributions, flux-redshift and colour-colour diagrams for the survey and discuss various segregation and photometric redshift techniques. Furthermore, we investigate the large-scale structure scales that will be accessed by ASTRO-F, discovering that ASTRO-F and SIRTF-SWIRE probe both different scales and redshift domains and concluding that the two missions will supplement rather than supplant one another.