astronomy

Masayuki Kikuchi

Masayuki Kikuchi is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Masayuki Kikuchi rather than just read about it. In short: Masayuki Kikuchi (菊地正幸; January 19, 1948 – October 18, 2003) was a Japanese seismologist. He was famous for real-time seismology.

Key takeaways

Masayuki Kikuchi belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Masayuki Kikuchi to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Masayuki Kikuchi from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Masayuki Kikuchi (菊地正幸; January 19, 1948 – October 18, 2003) was a Japanese seismologist. He was famous for real-time seismology.

Education and career Bachelor of Science (1970), Master of Science (1972), and Doctor of Science (1976), in Geophysics, University of Tokyo. Kikuchi dropped out of the Graduate School of Sciences, Tokyo University, 1973. In the same year, he took an assistant professorship at Yokohama City University. In 1976, he earned his doctorate in science. He was promoted to associate professor in 1983 and to professor in 1988. Kikuchi returned to Tokyo University in 1996 and became the Director of the seismic prognosis information center at the Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo.

Scientific contributions (1) Computer simulation for dynamic rupture propagation. The specific fracture energy associated with large earthquakes was estimated to be much larger, by 5-6 of the order of magnitude, than that of the ordinary solid material in laboratory. (2) Source rupture processes. Waveform inversion technique was developed in an attempt to extract the information of detailed source rupture processes. Heterogeneous fault slip distributions were determined for many large earthquakes. These are now being compiled into a fault asperity map in the world. (3) Effect of multiple scatterings on the attenuation and dispersion of wave propagation. The numerical method to estimate the impulse response was developed and applied to laboratory data. Kikuchi simulated the seismic rupture process using computers in the 1970s and 1980s. He invented the method for slip distribution on the fault plane by teleseismic waveform with Hiroo Kanamori. In addition, he analysed significant earthquakes just after occurrence and distributed the results of analysis on the internet. These results were called Kikuchi Solutions.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Masayuki Kikuchi

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Masayuki Kikuchi claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Masayuki Kikuchi before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Masayuki Kikuchi ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Masayuki Kikuchi

In research: Masayuki Kikuchi appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Masayuki Kikuchi in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Masayuki Kikuchi is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1948 births, 2003 deaths, Academic staff of Yokohama City University, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Masayuki Kikuchi outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Masayuki Kikuchi in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Masayuki Kikuchi means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Masayuki Kikuchi out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Masayuki Kikuchi in simple terms?

Masayuki Kikuchi (菊地正幸; January 19, 1948 – October 18, 2003) was a Japanese seismologist. He was famous for real-time seismology.

Why does Masayuki Kikuchi matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Masayuki Kikuchi?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Masayuki Kikuchi.