A 20 cm2 CCD mosaic camera for a dark matter search part I : Mechanics,optics and cryogeny

A 20cm ² CCD mosaic camera has been especially built to search for dark galactic halo objects by the gravitational microlensing effect. The sensitive area is made of 16 edge-buttable CCDs developped by Thomson-CTS, with 23×23 µm ² pixels. The 35 kg camera housing and mechanical equipment is presented. The associated electronics and data acquisition system are described in a separate paper. The camera resides at the focal plane of a 40 cm, f/10, Ferson reflector. The instrument has been in operation since December 1991 at the La Silla Observatory (ESO).     

A 20cm 2 CCD mosaic camera for a dark matter search part II : Electronics,data acquisition and performance

Conclusion To summarize, the readout and the control system of the CCD mosaic camera are running since December 1991 at the La Silla Observatory (ESO). The overall performance of the camera has been good. About 12000 pictures (data and flat-fields) have been successfully registered up to now. We will report in the near future preliminary scientific results of the EROS experiment.     

Magnetic particles in atmospheric particulate matter collected at sites with different level of air pollution

Magnetic measurements of deposited atmospehric dust can serve as an additional parameter in assessing environmental pollution. This method is based on the assumption that atmospherically deposited particles contain significant portion of ferrimagnetic iron oxides of anthropogenic origin, which can be easily detected. Aim of this paper is to identify clearly magnetic fraction of daily samples of particulate matter less than 10 μm (PM10), routinely used for air quality assessment and monitoring. We used combination of thermomagnetic analyses and other physical and chemical methods, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Our results show that daily samples of PM10, collected at sites with different degree of atmospheric pollution, contain magnetite of spherical shape, which is presumably of industrial origin. Thus, magnetic methods can be applied directly to the same substances, which are used routinely in air quality assessment and monitoring.     

Statistical Analysis of Solar Events Associated with Storm Sudden Commencements over One Year of Solar Maximum During Cycle 23: Propagation from the Sun to the Earth and Effects

Taking the 32 storm sudden commencements (SSCs) listed by the International Service of Geomagnetic Indices (ISGI) of the Observatory de l’Ebre during 2002 (solar activity maximum in Cycle 23) as a starting point, we performed a multi-criterion analysis based on observations (propagation time, velocity comparisons, sense of the magnetic field rotation, radio waves) to associate them with solar sources, identified their effects in the interplanetary medium, and looked at the response of the terrestrial ionized and neutral environment. We find that 28 SSCs can be related to 44 coronal mass ejections (CMEs), 15 with a unique CME and 13 with a series of multiple CMEs, among which 19 (68%) involved halo CMEs. Twelve of the 19 fastest CMEs with speeds greater than 1000 km?s^?1 are halo CMEs. For the 44 CMEs, including 21 halo CMEs, the corresponding X-ray flare classes are: 3 X-class, 19 M-class, and 22 C-class flares. The probability for an SSC to occur is 75% if the CME is a halo CME. Among the 500, or even more, front-side, non-halo CMEs recorded in 2002, only 23 could be the source of an SSC, i.e. 5%. The complex interactions between two (or more) CMEs and the modification of their trajectories have been examined using joint white-light and multiple-wavelength radio observations. The detection of long-lasting type IV bursts observed at metric–hectometric wavelengths is a very useful criterion for the CME–SSC events association. The events associated with the most depressed Dst values are also associated with type IV radio bursts. The four SSCs associated with a single shock at L1 correspond to four radio events exhibiting characteristics different from type IV radio bursts. The solar-wind structures at L1 after the 32 SSCs are 12 magnetic clouds (MCs), 6 interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) without an MC structure, 4 miscellaneous structures, which cannot unambiguously be classified as ICMEs, 5 corotating or stream interaction regions (CIRs/SIRs), one CIR caused two SSCs, and 4 shock events; note than one CIR caused two SSCs. The 11 MCs listed in 3 or more MC catalogs covering the year 2002 are associated with SSCs. For the three most intense geomagnetic storms (based on Dst minima) related to MCs, we note two sudden increases of the Dst, at the arrival of the sheath and the arrival of the MC itself. In terms of geoeffectiveness, the relation between the CME speed and the magnetic-storm intensity, as characterized using the Dst magnetic index, is very complex, but generally CMEs with velocities at the Sun larger than 1000 km?s^?1 have larger probabilities to trigger moderate or intense storms. The most geoeffective events are MCs, since 92% of them trigger moderate or intense storms, followed by ICMEs (33%). At best, CIRs/SIRs only cause weak storms. We show that these geoeffective events (ICMEs or MCs) trigger an increased and combined auroral kilometric radiation (AKR) and non-thermal continuum (NTC) wave activity in the magnetosphere, an enhanced convection in the ionosphere, and a stronger response in the thermosphere. However, this trend does not appear clearly in the coupling functions, which exhibit relatively weak correlations between the solar-wind energy input and the amplitude of various geomagnetic indices, whereas the role of the southward component of the solar-wind magnetic field is confirmed. Some saturation appears for Dst values \(< -100\) nT on the integrated values of the polar and auroral indices.     

Strongly magnetic soil developed on a non-magnetic rock basement: A case study from NW Bulgaria

The enhanced magnetic susceptibility of modern soils is assumed to have several reasons including, e.g., weathering of an iron-rich geological basement, natural fires, bacterial processes and atmospheric deposition of anthropogenic particles. We report on a case where none of the above sources of magnetic enhancement is evident: a modern soil with high magnetic susceptibility over the whole soil profile, developed on nonmagnetic limestones, in an area with no industrial activities. The surface magnetic susceptibility varies from 60 to 110×10⁻⁵ SI, while that of the rock basement is nearly zero. Moreover, significant frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility (> 12%) suggests that superparamagnetic secondary magnetite/maghemite plays an important role. Possible mechanisms, responsible for this magnetic enhancement, are discussed.     

Systematic increase in model complexity helps to identify dominant streamflow mechanisms in two small forested basins

This study shows how the use of increasing model complexity allows us to hypothesize about dominant streamflow mechanisms in two small Brazilian forested basins. Nine different structures from SUPERFLEX, an objective framework to systematically increase hydrological model complexity, were tested and we extended the flexible modelling methodology to error models as well. We show that applying a rigorous methodology in a model evaluation framework, with residual analysis and control of model complexity, is essential for testing a model as a hypothesis for dominant hydrological controls. Our results indicate that the model architecture was more important than the increase in the number of model parameters. Better performing models were those with a parallel structure, which confirms our a priori belief about the dominant runoff mechanisms of the studied catchments, characterized by a rapid response to rainfall, but also a constant river discharge fed by water storage on the thick soil layer.     

Landslide influence on turbidity and total solids in Cubat?o do Norte River, Santa Catarina, Brazil

The rainfall events that occurred in the Cubat?o do Norte River watershed, Santa Catarina State, Brazil, in 2008, were characterized by both high intensities and amounts and triggered landslides in this watershed. The objective of the present study was to analyze the influence of landslides on the turbidity and the total solid concentration (TS) in this river using turbidity, TS, and river discharge data obtained from March 23, 2008, to June 11, 2010. The comparison between turbidity and discharge patterns implies that the landslide process was not continuous and increased the turbidity intermittently and irregularly. The sediment yield during the landslide occurrence was approximately five times higher than without the landslide, even though the discharges were similar. The turbidity/discharge relationship during the landslide occurrence was markedly different from that before and after the occurrence. The correlation coefficients between turbidity and TS showed that the landslide significantly changed the sediment yield in this watershed. The result indicates that sediment yield estimations at the watershed level should be treated more carefully when landslides occur.     

Experimental study of fly-ash migration by using magnetic method

Several studies have shown that magnetic measurements can be used in assessing soil contamination due to atmospheric deposition of pollutants. Reliable spatial mapping of magnetic susceptibility of soils assumes high temporal stability of deposited particles, accumulated in top-soil horizons. One of the main methodological concerns is whether the migration of deposited anthropogenic ferrimagnetic particles may bias the measured values. Measurements carried out on high-porosity (sandy) soils, or on soils with a very variable water regime may yield inconsistent values of top-soil magnetic susceptibility as the indicator of contamination. This study focuses on the laboratory examination of migration of fly ashes from a coal-burning power plant in sands of different porosity and under a simulated rain regime. Columns of sand of different grain sizes, placed in plastic cylinders, were contaminated on the surface by the fly ash. The vertical migration of magnetic particles was monitored using measurements of magnetic susceptibility with an SM400 Kappameter. Calibration measurements in the water environment showed an erroneous performance and resulted in the technical improvement of the used susceptibility meter (Model 2009). Our results show that the vertical distribution of flyash particles deposited on fine sand is very stable even after repeated rain simulation. The peak value of magnetic susceptibility is located in a stable position a few millimeters under the surface. Hence, standard top-soil magnetic mapping is in such a case reliable and fully representative. Contrary to that, in case of coarse sand, the peak value of magnetic susceptibility migrates by more than 10 cm. The results will be further used for numerical modeling of contaminant transport in porous media.