Faculty Members
IMAMURA Takeshi
(Professor/Division of Transdisciplinary Sciences)
Department of Complexity Science and Engineering/Planetary atmospheres,Planetary exploration
Career Summary
1998: Received Ph.D. (Science) from University of Tokyo
1998: Research associate (ISAS, JAXA)
2002: Associate Professor (ISAS, JAXA)
2016: Professor (University of Tokyo)
Educational Activities
Graduate courses at Department of Complexity Science and Engineering and Department of Earth and Planetary Science
Research Activities
(1) Exploration of planetary atmospheres
Exploration of the atmosphere on Venus by the Japanese explorer AKATSUKI is ongoing. We use data collected by AKATSUKI to unveil the mysteries of Venusian meteorology, such as the high-speed westward circulation "super-rotation" and thick sulfuric acid clouds. The development of a Mars exploration program focused on water cycle and dust transport is also ongoing. (ref 1)
(2) Radio occultation observations
In a radio occultation experiment, a spacecraft transmits radio waves toward a tracking station on the earth and sequentially goes behind the planet's atmosphere. During such occultation events, the planetary atmosphere causes frequency and amplitude fluctuations from which information on the atmosphere can be obtained. We apply this technique to various planets and the solar corona. (ref 2)
(3) Numerical modeling
Common physical processes behind the apparent diversity of atmospheric phenomena on the planets are investigated with numerical modeling and theories. (ref 3)
Literature
1) Nakamura, M.and Imamura, T,. et al.: AKATSUKI returns to Venus, Earth, Planets and Space, 68:75, DOI:10.1186/s40623-016-0457-6 (2016).
2) Imamura, T., et al.: Outflow structure of the quiet Sun corona probed by spacecraft radio scintillations in strong scattering, Astrophys. J., 788, 117, doi:10.1088/0004-637X/788/2/117 (2014).
3) Imamura, T., Watanabe, A., and Maejima, Y.: Convective generation and vertical propagation of fast gravity waves on Mars: one- and two-dimensional modeling, Icarus, 267, 51-63 (2016).
Other Activities
The Society of Geomagnetism and Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences (SGEPSS)
Meteorological Society of Japan (MSJ)
The Japanese Society for Planetary Sciences (JSPS)
Future Plan
(1) Ongoing planetary explorations including Venus explorer Akatsuki and Mars satellite explorer MMX
(2) Solar system exploration by small satellites
(3) Planetary science with data analysis and numerical modeling
Messages to Students
We welcome motivated students who are interested in opening up new sciences in the new era, combining planetary science, meteorology, and astronomy.