Subpollen Particles as Atmospheric Cloud Condensation Nuclei

Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics - Bioparticles constitute a significant fraction of atmospheric aerosol. Their size range varies from nanometers (macromolecules) to hundreds of...     

Observations of Near-Earth Optical Transients with the Lomonosov Space Observatory

The results of observations with the MASTER-SHOK robotic wide-field optical cameras onboard the Lomonosov Space Observatory carried out in 2016 are presented. In all, the automated transient detection system transmitted 22 181 images of moving objects with signal-to-noise ratios greater than 5 to the Earth. Approximately 84% of these images are identified with well-known artificial Earth satellites (including repeated images of the same satellite) and fragments of such satellites (space debris), according to databases of known satellites. The remaining 16% of the images are relate to uncatalogued objects. This first experience in optical space-based monitoring of near-Earth space demonstrates the high efficiency and great potential of using large-aperture cameras in space, based on the software and technology of the MASTER robotic optical complexes (the Mobile Astronomical System of TElescope- Robots (MASTER) global network of robotic telescopes of Lomonosov Moscow State University).     

Ziminaite,Fe3+VO4, a new howardevansite-group mineral from the Bezymyannyi volcano,Kamchatka, Russia

Mineralogy and Petrology - The new mineral ziminaite, ideally Fe3+VO4, was found in fumarole sublimates at the Bezymyannyi volcano, Kamchatka, Russia. Ziminaite occurs as lamellar, tabular or...     

Numerical modelling of stratified tidal flow over a fjord sill

Field observations of tidally driven stratified flow in the sill area of Knight Inlet (British Columbia) revealed a very complicated structure, which includes solitary waves, upstream bifurcation, hydraulic jump and mixing processes. Recent observations suggest that the flow instabilities on the plunging pycnocline at the lee side of the sill may contribute to solitary wave generation through a subharmonic interaction. The present study reports on a series of numerical experiments of stratified tidal flow in Knight Inlet performed with the help of a fine resolution fully non-linear non-hydrostatic numerical model. The model reproduces all important stages of the baroclinic tidal dynamics observed in Knight Inlet. Results demonstrate that solitary waves are generated apart from the area of hydrodynamic instability. Accelerating tidal flux forms a baroclinic hydraulic jump just above the top of the sill, whereas the bifurcations and zones of shear instabilities are formed downstream of the sill. The first baroclinic mode having the largest velocity escapes from the generation area and propagates upstream, disintegrating further into a packet of solitary waves reviling the classical “non-subharmonic” mechanism of generation. The remaining part of the disturbance (slow baroclinic modes) is arrested by tidal flow and carried away to the lee side of the obstacle, where shear instability, billows and mixing processes are developed. Some sensitivity runs were performed for different value of tidal velocity.     

Influence of chemical composition and microstructure on the hygroscopic growth of pyrogenic aerosol

The hygroscopic properties of a model smoke aerosol series including ammonium sulfate, levoglucosan, and oxalic and humic acids were investigated. The condensation growth of particles and the relative humidity of direct and inverse particle-droplet phase transitions were measured with a tandem differential mobility analyzer. The data were obtained in the range of relative humidity from 4 to 95% at 298 K. Experimental growth factors were compared to the results of Koehler theory by using contemporary models of water activity in particles. It was shown that the hygroscopic properties of the aerosols were substantially different from the hygroscopic properties of the corresponding bulk phases. It was found that a complex microstructure of nanoparticles resulted in excess volume absorption of water, in some cases causing their full deliquescence at lower relative humidities than in macrosystems of identical composition. From the measurement data, a parametrization of hygroscopic particle growth was performed. The results of parametrization can be used to construct refined models of a smoke aerosol.     

Studying seasonal variations in carbonaceous aerosol particles in the atmosphere over central Siberia

The results of 2-year (2010–2012) measurements of the concentrations of organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC), which were taken at the Zotino Tall Tower Observatory (ZOTTO) Siberian background station (61° N, 89° E), are given. Despite the fact that this station is located far from populated areas and industrial zones, the concentrations of OC and EC in the atmosphere over boreal forests in central Siberia significantly exceed their background values. In winter and fall, high concentrations of atmospheric carbonaceous aerosol particles are caused by the long-range transport (~1000 km) of air masses that accumulate pollutants from large cities located in both southern and southwestern regions of Siberia. In spring and summer, the pollution level is also high due to regional forest fires and agricultural burning in the steppe zone of western Siberia in the Russian–Kazakh border region. Background concentrations of carbonaceous aerosol particles were observed within relatively short time intervals whose total duration was no more than 20% of the entire observation period. In summer, variations in the background concentrations of OC closely correlated with air temperature, which implies that the biogenic sources of organic-particle formation are dominating.     

Fluid regime and diamond formation in the reduced mantle: Experimental constraints

The composition and potential diamond productivity of C–O–H fluids that could exist in the reduced regions of the Earth’s upper mantle and in the mantles of Uranus and Neptune were studied in experiments at 6.3 GPa and 1400–1600 °C and durations of 15–48 h. Hydrogen fugacity in the fluid phase was controlled by the Mo–MoO₂ or Fe–FeO buffers, using a specially modified double-capsule method. The oxygen fugacity in the samples was controlled by adding different amounts of water, stearic acid, anthracene, and docosane to a graphite charge. At high P–T conditions, the degree of decomposition of the heavy hydrocarbons added to the charge was 99.9%. The composition of the fluids coexisting with graphite/diamond in the buffered experiments varied from H₂O  H₂ > CH₄ (at fO₂ somewhat lower than the “water maximum”) to H₂ > CH₄ > (C₂H₄ + C₂H₆)>C₃H₈ (in C–H system). In the C–H system the maximum concentrations of major species in the synthesized fluid were: H₂ = 79 mol.% and CH₄ = 21 mol.%. The composition of the H₂-rich fluids, which were synthesized at 6.3 GPa and 1400–1600 °C for the first time, differs considerably from that of the ultra-reduced CH₄-rich fluids stable at 2.0–3.5 GPa and 1000–1300 °C. Thermodynamic calculations of the reduced C–O–H fluids at the P–T conditions of the experiments revealed CH₄-rich compositions (CH₄  H₂ > (C₂H₄ + C₂H₆)>C₃H₈), which however drastically differed from the synthesized compositions. The rates of diamond nucleation and growth in the experiments depended on the fluid composition. Diamond crystallization had a maximum intensity in the pure aqueous fluids, while in the H₂-rich fluids no diamond formation was observed. Only metastable graphite precipitated from the ultra-reduced fluids. The type of the initial hydrocarbon used for the fluid generation did not affect this process.     

The Concept of a Multi-Functional Astronomy Complex and Dynamically Integrated Database Applied to Multi-Channel Observations with the MASTER Global Network

Astronomy Reports - The concept of a multi-functional astronomical complex as applied to robotic astronomy networks and systems is formulated. The practical realization of this concept in the...     

A finite volume scheme with improved well modeling in subsurface flow simulation

We present the latest enhancement of the nonlinear monotone finite volume method for the near-well regions. The original nonlinear method is applicable for diffusion, advection-diffusion, and multiphase flow model equations with full anisotropic discontinuous permeability tensors on conformal polyhedral meshes. The approximation of the diffusive flux uses the nonlinear two-point stencil which reduces to the conventional two-point flux approximation (TPFA) on cubic meshes but has much better accuracy for the general case of non-orthogonal grids and anisotropic media. The latest modification of the nonlinear method takes into account the nonlinear (e.g., logarithmic) singularity of the pressure in the near-well region and introduces a correction to improve accuracy of the pressure and the flux calculation. In this paper, we consider a linear version of the nonlinear method waiving its monotonicity for sake of better accuracy. The new method is generalized for anisotropic media, polyhedral grids and nontrivial cases such as slanted, partially perforated wells or wells shifted from the cell center. Numerical experiments show noticeable reduction of numerical errors compared to the original monotone nonlinear FV scheme with the conventional Peaceman well model or with the given analytical well rate.     

Structural evolution of the Ural–Tian Shan junction: A view from Karatau ridge,South Kazakhstan

The deformation history of the Late Palaeozoic Ural–Tian Shan junction is discussed for the example of the Karatau ridge in southern Kazakhstan. Three deformation events are recognized. The Late Carboniferous D1 event is characterized by Laramide-style thrust-and-fold structures on the southern margin of Kazakhstan with shortening in a NE–SW direction. The Latest Permian and Triassic D2 event is controlled by compression in an east–west direction, which reflects collisional deformation in the Urals. The main structures are submeridional folds and north–west-striking sinistral strike–slip faults. The Triassic D3 event with shortening in a north–south direction reflects collision of the Turan microcontinent against the southern margin of Kazakhstan. The main structures are north–west-striking dextral strike–slip faults. Our new data provides important clues for the reconstruction of pre-Cretaceous structures between the Urals and the Tian Shan.