compared to refracting telescopes. Bernhard V. Schmidt (1879–1935) at the Hamburg Observatory invented a new optical system, called the Schmidt camera, in
1932, to widen the field of view of reflecting telescopes. The principle is to put a
nonspherical correcting plate in front of the main spherical mirror. With this
combination, the fields of view can be widened up to several degrees in angular
diameter without spherical aberration. Matukuma took up this problem to derive the
exact form of a correcting lens. According to his memoirs, he began his work at the
very beginning of the war, and the most of the results were obtained near the end of
the war. He carried out lengthy numerical calculations and finally published the
results in 1949 (Matukuma 1949). In 1948, however, a large Schmidt telescope was
already completed at the Mount Palomar Observatory. Matukuma’s study indicates
Japan’s isolation during the war.
5.3 Hitotuyanagi Zyuiti and Astrophysics
5.3.1 Life and Works
Hitotuyanagi Zyuiti (一柳寿一, 1910–1998) contributed to the progress in theoretical astrophysics at Tohoku University (Suda 1998; Seki, 2014). He was born in
Tokyo, though his family was from Adono (安曇野), Nagano Prefecture. After
graduation from Tokyo High School (old) in 1928, he enrolled at Tokyo Imperial
University and studied astronomy under Hagihara and Hirayama Kiyotsugu. The
only other student in his class was Fujita Yoshio (Chap. 3). Upon graduation in
1931, he was invited by Matukuma to be his assistant at Tohoku Imperial University,
and he was promoted to associate professor and then professor. He spent more than
40 years at the university until his retirement in 1973. Thereafter he continued his
research work as professor emeritus at Tohoku University.
In Sendai, he started his work on the stellar model in the early 1930s. After
completing this work, he came down with tuberculosis and was affected by it for
several years. After recovery, his interest was directed to the theoretical study of the
solar atmosphere in the early 1940s. During the war, Sendai suffered severe damage
from US air attacks, and, as a member of the board of trustees, he spent significant
amounts of time on the recovery of the education and research system at Tohoku
University.
After the 1960s, Hitotuyanagi became interested in galactic astronomy. He joined
the research group of Taketani Mitsuo, Hatanaka Takeo, Hayakawa Sachio, and
others. His main subjects were the structure of spiral and barred galaxies.
Hitotuyanagi was a lifelong bachelor. He loved music, the arts, and skiing. Every
winter he went mountain skiing at a hot-spring resort. He died in July 1998 in Sendai
at age 88 (Fig. 5.8).
130
5 Astronomy in Early Showa. III. Sendai 1926–1945
1932, to widen the field of view of reflecting telescopes. The principle is to put a
nonspherical correcting plate in front of the main spherical mirror. With this
combination, the fields of view can be widened up to several degrees in angular
diameter without spherical aberration. Matukuma took up this problem to derive the
exact form of a correcting lens. According to his memoirs, he began his work at the
very beginning of the war, and the most of the results were obtained near the end of
the war. He carried out lengthy numerical calculations and finally published the
results in 1949 (Matukuma 1949). In 1948, however, a large Schmidt telescope was
already completed at the Mount Palomar Observatory. Matukuma’s study indicates
Japan’s isolation during the war.
5.3 Hitotuyanagi Zyuiti and Astrophysics
5.3.1 Life and Works
Hitotuyanagi Zyuiti (一柳寿一, 1910–1998) contributed to the progress in theoretical astrophysics at Tohoku University (Suda 1998; Seki, 2014). He was born in
Tokyo, though his family was from Adono (安曇野), Nagano Prefecture. After
graduation from Tokyo High School (old) in 1928, he enrolled at Tokyo Imperial
University and studied astronomy under Hagihara and Hirayama Kiyotsugu. The
only other student in his class was Fujita Yoshio (Chap. 3). Upon graduation in
1931, he was invited by Matukuma to be his assistant at Tohoku Imperial University,
and he was promoted to associate professor and then professor. He spent more than
40 years at the university until his retirement in 1973. Thereafter he continued his
research work as professor emeritus at Tohoku University.
In Sendai, he started his work on the stellar model in the early 1930s. After
completing this work, he came down with tuberculosis and was affected by it for
several years. After recovery, his interest was directed to the theoretical study of the
solar atmosphere in the early 1940s. During the war, Sendai suffered severe damage
from US air attacks, and, as a member of the board of trustees, he spent significant
amounts of time on the recovery of the education and research system at Tohoku
University.
After the 1960s, Hitotuyanagi became interested in galactic astronomy. He joined
the research group of Taketani Mitsuo, Hatanaka Takeo, Hayakawa Sachio, and
others. His main subjects were the structure of spiral and barred galaxies.
Hitotuyanagi was a lifelong bachelor. He loved music, the arts, and skiing. Every
winter he went mountain skiing at a hot-spring resort. He died in July 1998 in Sendai
at age 88 (Fig. 5.8).
130
5 Astronomy in Early Showa. III. Sendai 1926–1945