Omodaka-Kameno-Imai Laboratory (Observational Astronomy) Kagiyama-Nakamura Laboratory (Particle Cosmology) Nishio Laboratory (Satellite Meteorology) Tateno Laboratory (Physiology) Nedachi Laboratory (Archaeology) Space Science cource, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Kagoshima University

Astrometry of the Milky Way Galaxy 3-D structure and Dynamics Annual parallaxes of stellar/interletellar masers Period-luminosity relation of AGB (Asymptotic Giant Branch) stars Evolution and Lifecycles of stars Mass-accretion and outflows of protostars Mass-loss from evolved stars High-energy Astrophysics Accretion disks in dwarf novae AGN (Active Galactic Nuclei) Research Fields in the Omodaka-Kameno-Imai Lab.

Why 3-D mapping and Dynamics? The world’s first atlas of our galaxy Distribution of stars, gas, and dark matter How to measure distances to stars? Annual parallax … triangulation with earth’s orbit as a baseline Challenging 10-μarcsec precision … to measure whole the milky way Maser sources as trig points … observations using VERA AGB variable stars as standard candles … observations using 1-m telescope Astrometry with the VERA and 1-m telescopes − 3-D map of the Milky Way − Annual parallax of the maser source S Crt at 350 pc (Tsushima 2007)

Kirk Woellert/National Science Foundation Protostars Mass accretion process … How stars weigh? Molecular clouds : building block of stars Accreting and rotating disks Outflows … Disposer of angular momenta Evolved stars Pulsation and mass-loss processes at the end of star life Acceleration and collimation in AGB stars and pre-planetary nebulae Recycle of synthesized elements into interstellar space Evolution and Lifecycles of Stars Evolve Water fountain of the evolved star W43A (Imai et al. 2002) Microjet in the protostar S106 FIR (Furuya et al. 1999)

Dwarf Novae Mass accretion in close-binary systems Mass supply form a companion star Accretion disk around a white dwarf Variability … Outbursts, Superoutbursts, and Superhumps Lightcurve measurements to probe disk instability Active Galactic Nuclei Mass accretion onto supermassive black hole in the center of galaxies The most powerful engines in the univers, up to W Relativistic jets : v~99% of the speed of light High-Energy Astrophysics Jets of the active galaxy NGC 1052 (Kameno et al. 2003) Light curve of the dwarf nova V844 Her (Oizumi et al. 2007)

1-m Optical / IR telescope (Iriki Observatory) VERA 20m radio telescope (Iriki Observatory) 6-m radio telescope (Kinkowan Park Observatory) VSOP-2 : Space VLBI project (to be launched in 2012) Astronomy Telescopes operated by us Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry 1-m Opt/IR Telescope 6-m Radio Telescope VERA 20-m Radio Telescope ASTRO-G Satellite for VSOP-2 (artist’s impression)

Staffs (4) Professor/Executive : OMODAKA, Toshihiro Associate Professor : KAMENO, Seiji Assistant Professor : IMAI, Hiroshi Research Fellow : NAKAGAWA, Akiharu Students (26) Graduated (PhD) : 1 Graduated (Master) : 14 Undergraduate : 11 Membership

Mail: Phone/FAX : Address : Omodaka-Kameno-Imai Lab. Department of Physics, Faculty of Science Kagoshima University Korimoto, Kagoshima, JAPAN Correspondence