We present an acoustic waveform inversion technique for infrasound data to estimate volume fluxes from volcanic eruptions. Previous inversion techniques have been limited by the use of a 1‐D Green's function in a free space or half space, which depends only on the source‐receiver distance and neglects volcanic topography. Our method exploits full 3‐D Green's functions computed by a numerical method that takes into account realistic topographic scattering. We apply this method to vulcanian eruptions at Sakurajima Volcano, Japan. Our inversion results produce excellent waveform fits to field observations and demonstrate that full 3‐D Green's functions are necessary for accurate volume flux inversion. Conventional inversions without consideration of topographic propagation effects may lead to large errors in the source parameter estimate. The presented inversion technique will substantially improve the accuracy of eruption source parameter estimation (cf. mass eruption rate) during volcanic eruptions and provide critical constraints for volcanic eruption dynamics and ash dispersal forecasting for aviation safety. Application of this approach to chemical and nuclear explosions will also provide valuable source information (e.g., the amount of energy released) previously unavailable.

Sub-wavelength semiconductor nanowires have been attracting strong interest recently for photonic applications because they possess various unique optical properties and offer great potential for miniaturizing devices. However, with these nanowires, it is not easy to realize tight light confinement or efficient coupling with photonic circuits. Here we show that a high Q nanocavity can be created by placing a single III/V semiconductor nanowire with the diameter less than 100 nm in a grooved waveguide in a Si photonic crystal, and employing nanoprobe manipulation. We have observed very fast spontaneous emission (91 ps) from nanowires accelerated by the strong Purcell enhancement in nanocavities, which proves that unprecedented strong light confinement can be achieved in nanowires. Furthermore, this unique system enables us to move the nanocavity anywhere along the waveguide. This configuration provides us tremendous flexibility in integrated photonics because we can add and displace various functionalities of III/V nanocavity devices in Si photonic circuits.

[1] This paper presents a simple method to distinguish infrasonic signals from wind noise using a cross-correlation function of signals from a microphone and a collocated seismometer. The method makes use of a particular feature of the cross-correlation function of vertical ground motion generated by infrasound, and the infrasound itself. Contribution of wind noise to the correlation function is effectively suppressed by separating the microphone and the seismometer by several meters because the correlation length of wind noise is much shorter than wavelengths of infrasound. The method is applied to data from two recent eruptions of Asama and Shinmoe-dake volcanoes, Japan, and demonstrates that the method effectively detects not only the main eruptions, but also minor activity generating weak infrasound hardly visible in the wave traces. In addition, the correlation function gives more information about volcanic activity than infrasound alone, because it reflects both features of incident infrasonic and seismic waves. Therefore, a graphical presentation of temporal variation in the cross-correlation function enables one to see qualitative changes of eruptive activity at a glance. This method is particularly useful when available sensors are limited, and will extend the utility of a single microphone and seismometer in monitoring volcanic activity.Citation: Ichihara, M., M. Takeo, A. Yokoo, J. Oikawa, and T. Ohminato (2012), Monitoring volcanic activity using correlation patterns between infrasound and ground motion, Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, L04304,

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Nanochannel arrays with an ideally ordered hole configuration with a 63 nm hole periodicity and 15–40 nm hole diameter were fabricated using anodization of the pretextured Al in sulfuric acid solution. The SiC mold with an array of convexes, which was prepared by electron beam lithography, was used for the nanoindentation of the Al. The periodicity of convexes was adjusted to the self-organized periodicity in sulfuric acid solution. The obtained concaves on Al initiated the hole development during the anodization and generated the ideally ordered hole configuration with a 63 nm period. Under the appropriate anodization conditions, anodic porous alumina with an aspect ratio of over 20 was obtained.

The self-repair of an ordered pattern of nanometer dimensions based on the self-compensation properties of anodic porous alumina is demonstrated. In a pretextured pattern formed on Al using the nanoindentation process with an array of convexes, the deficiency sites of the pattern were found to be compensated automatically during the anodization. Combining the self-compensation properties of the pore configuration of the anodic porous alumina with the preparation of a replica of the compensated porous structure allowed us to develop a process which has the capability of self-repairing the imperfections in the starting pattern. It was confirmed that deficiencies in the starting pattern could be repaired automatically in the Ni pattern regenerated using the self-compensated anodic porous alumina as a template.

Two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystals were fabricated using anodic porous alumina with a highly ordered air-hole array of triangular lattice with a high aspect ratio of over 200. The transmission properties of the obtained ordered air-hole array in the alumina matrix exhibited a stop band in the spectrum which corresponds to the band gap in 2D photonic crystals.

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