Geometric Aspects and Testing of the Galactic Center Distance Determination from Spiral Arm Segments

We consider the problem of determining the geometric parameters of a Galactic spiral arm from its segment by including the distance to the spiral pole, i.e., the distance to the Galactic center (R₀). The question about the number of points belonging to one turn of a logarithmic spiral and defining this spiral as a geometric figure has been investigated numerically and analytically by assuming the direction to the spiral pole (to the Galactic center) to be known. Based on the results obtained, in an effort to test the new approach, we have constructed a simplified method of solving the problem that consists in finding the median of the values for each parameter from all possible triplets of objects in the spiral arm segment satisfying the condition for the angular distance between objects. Applying the method to the data on the spatial distribution of masers in the Perseus and Scutum arms (the catalogue by Reid et al. (2014)) has led to an estimate of R₀ = 8.8 ± 0.5 kpc. The parameters of five spiral arm segments have been determined from masers of the same catalogue. We have confirmed the difference between the spiral arms in pitch angle. The pitch angles of the arms revealed by masers are shown to generally correlate with R₀ in the sense that an increase in R₀ leads to a growth in the absolute values of the pitch angles.     

Influence of periodic orbits on the formation of giant planetary systems

The late-stage formation of giant planetary systems is rich in interesting dynamical mechanisms. Previous simulations of three giant planets initially on quasi-circular and quasi-coplanar orbits in the gas disc have shown that highly mutually inclined configurations can be formed, despite the strong eccentricity and inclination damping exerted by the disc. Much attention has been directed to inclination-type resonance, asking for large eccentricities to be acquired during the migration of the planets. Here we show that inclination excitation is also present at small to moderate eccentricities in two-planet systems that have previously experienced an ejection or a merging and are close to resonant commensurabilities at the end of the gas phase. We perform a dynamical analysis of these planetary systems, guided by the computation of planar families of periodic orbits and the bifurcation of families of spatial periodic orbits. We show that inclination excitation at small to moderate eccentricities can be produced by (temporary) capture in inclination-type resonance and the possible proximity of the non-coplanar systems to spatial periodic orbits contributes to maintaining their mutual inclination over long periods of time.     

Anomalous Decimeter Radio Noise from the Region of the Atmospheric Front: I. Characteristics of the Detected Radio Noise and Meteorological Parameters of the Frontal Cloudiness

An extraordinary experimental fact is presented and analyzed, namely, a rather intense broadband radio noise detected during the passage of an atmospheric front through the field of view of UHF antennas. Local atmospheric properties and possible sources of the extraordinary noise, including the thermal noise from cloudiness and extra-atmospheric sources, are considered. A conclusion is made about the presence of an additional nonthermal source of radio noise in the frontal cloudiness. According to the proposed hypothesis, these are multiple electric microdicharges on hydrometeors in the convective cloud.     

Classifying GRB 170817A/GW170817 in a Fermi duration–hardness plane

GRB 170817A, associated with the LIGO-Virgo GW170817 neutron-star merger event, lacks the short duration and hard spectrum of a Short gamma-ray burst (GRB) expected from long-standing classification models. Correctly identifying the class to which this burst belongs requires comparison with other GRBs detected by the Fermi GBM. The aim of our analysis is to classify Fermi GRBs and to test whether or not GRB 170817A belongs—as suggested—to the Short GRB class. The Fermi GBM catalog provides a large database with many measured variables that can be used to explore gamma-ray burst classification. We use statistical techniques to look for clustering in a sample of 1298 gamma-ray bursts described by duration and spectral hardness. Classification of the detected bursts shows that GRB 170817A most likely belongs to the Intermediate, rather than the Short GRB class. We discuss this result in light of theoretical neutron-star merger models and existing GRB classification schemes. It appears that GRB classification schemes may not yet be linked to appropriate theoretical models, and that theoretical models may not yet adequately account for known GRB class properties. We conclude that GRB 170817A may not fit into a simple phenomenological classification scheme.     

Dynamic modelling of retrogressive landslides with emphasis on the role of clay sensitivity

This paper presents a detailed numerical study of the retrogressive failure of landslides in sensitive clays. The dynamic modelling of the landslides is carried out using a novel continuum approach, the particle finite element method, complemented with an elastoviscoplastic constitutive model. The multiwedge failure mode in the collapse is captured successfully, and the multiple retrogressive failures that have been widely observed in landslides in sensitive clays are reproduced with the failure mechanism, the kinematics, and the deposition being discussed in detail. Special attention has been paid to the role of the clay sensitivity on each retrogressive failure as well as on the final retrogression distance and the final run‐out distance via parametric studies. Moreover, the effects of the viscosity of sensitive clays on the failure are also investigated for different clay sensitivities.     

Ekman Convective Layer Flow of a Viscous Incompressible Fluid

Analytical solutions for generalizing the Ekman stationary flow of a viscous incompressible fluid in an infinite layer are obtained. The solution of an overdetermined system of the Oberbeck–Boussinesq equations is considered. It is suggested to use a class of exact solutions for this problem. It is shown that the structure of the solutions allows one to preserve the advective derivative in the heat-conductivity equation; this makes it possible to model the stratification of the temperature and pressure fields and describe the oceanic countercurrents.     

Comprehensive Geological–Geophysical and Botanic Study of the Tectonic Junction Zone between the Katun Ridge and Uimon Depression (Altai Mountains)

Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics - Areas with large gradients and anomalous variations in geomagnetic and radiation fields have been revealed and mapped at the northwestern foot of the...     

Nonlinear model to study filamentation instability of circularly polarized dispersive Alfvén waves in solar wind plasmas

This paper examines the small-scale solar wind turbulence driven in view of the Alfvén waves subjected to ponderomotive nonlinearity. Filamentation instability is known to take place for the case of dispersive Alfvén wave (DAW) propagating parallel to the ambient magnetic field. The ponderomotive force associated with DAW is responsible for wave localization and these webs of filaments become more intense and irregular as one proceeds along the spatial domain. The ponderomotive force associated with pump changes with pump parameters giving rise to different evolution patterns. This paper studies in detail the nonlinear evolution of filamentation instability introduced by dispersive Alfven waves (DAWs) which becomes dispersive on account of the finite frequency of DAW i.e., pump frequency is comparable to the ion cyclotron frequency. We have explicitly obtained the perturbation dynamics and then examined the impact of pump magnitude on the driven magnetic turbulence using numerical simulation. The results show steepening at small scales with increasing pump amplitude. The compressibility associated with acoustic fluctuations may explain the variation in spectral scaling of solar wind turbulence as observed by Alexandrova et al. (Astrophys. J. 674:1157, 2008).     

Extreme Climatic Events in the Altai-Sayan Region as an Indicator of Powerful Volcanic Eruptions

Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics - Analytic data on anomalies of the tree-ring structure of Siberian larch on the transect, passing through the Russian part of the Altai-Sayan Mountain...