We have initiated a Very Long Baseline Interferometer (VLBI) monitoring project of 36 methanol maser sources at 6.7 GHz using the Japanese VLBI Network (JVN) and East-Asian VLBI Network (EAVN), starting in August 2010. The purpose of this project is to systematically reveal 3-dimensional (3-D) kine- matics of rotating disks around forming high-mass protostars. As an initial result, we present proper mo- tion detections for two methanol maser sources showing an elliptical spatial morphology, G 002.53+00.19 and G 006.79-00.25, which could be the best candidates associated with the disk. The detected proper motions indicate a simple rotation in G 002.53+00.19 and rotation with expansion in G 006.79-00.25, respectively, on the basis of disk model fits with rotating and expanding components. The expanding motions might be caused by the magnetic-centrifugal wind on the disk.

We have initiated single-dish monitoring observations of 400 methanol maser sources at 6.7 GHz using the Hitachi 32-m radio telescope from December 2012 to systematically research periodic ux variations, which are observed in some methanol maser sources associated with high-mass (proto-)stars. In our monitoring, we have made daily monitoring, so that each source has been observed every nine days with an integration time of 5 min (typical 3  detection sensitivities of 0.9 Jy). The monitoring observations help us statistically understand periodic ux variations with a period longer than 50 days. As an initial result, we present a new detection of periodic ux variations in the 6.7 GHz methanol maser source G 036.70+00.09. The period of the ux variations is ~53 days (~0.019 cycles day-1), and seems to be stable over 9 cycles, at least until the middle of August 2014.

Innovative SMC with low iron loss was made from iron powders with evaporated MgO insulation coating. The coating had greater heat-resistance than conventional phosphatic insulation coating, which enabled stress relieving annealing at higher temperature. Magnetic properties of toroidal samples (OD35mm,ID25mm, t5) were examined. The iron loss at 50Hz for Bm = 1.5T was lower 50% of conventional SMC and was almost the same with silicon iron laminations(t0.35). It became clear that MgO insulation coating has enough heat resistance and adhesiveness to powdersurface to obtain innovative SMC with low iron loss.

Influences of machining on magnetic properties of soft magnetic composites (SMC's) with addition of two kinds of binder, i.e., organic binder and inorganic one, were investigated. Machining does not affect DC magnetic properties of the SMC compacts. This can be ascribed to their particular structure in which the ironpowder particles are highly isolated by the binder. On the other hand, decrease in resistivity and resultant increase in eddy current loss was confirmed in the machined compacts containing inorganic binder. It is supposed that the brittleadditive binder existing between the iron particles is partly broken, and iron-to-iron contact is formed on the machined surface.

Improvement of the strength is one of the most important subjects on soft magnetic composite (SMC) to increase the applica ble items. In this study, lubricants for inner lubricating SMC, which can be produced in lower cost than die wall-lubricatin g SMC, varied to investigate their effect on the strength. The newly developed SMC with self-lubricating resin shows high st rength equivalent to that of SMC obtained by die wall lubrication.

Herein, we discuss the in situ measurement of the electron temperature in the ionosphere/plasmasphere by means of DC Langmuir probes. Major instruments which have been reported are a conventional DC Langmuir probe, whose probe voltage is swept; a pulsed probe, which uses pulsed bias voltage; a rectification probe, which uses sinusoidal signal; and a resonance cone probe, which uses radio wave propagation. The content reviews past observations made with the instruments above. We also discuss technical factors that should be taken into account for reliable measurement, such as problems related to the contamination of electrodes and the satellite surface. Finally, we discuss research topics to be studied in the near future.