The dependence of convection in planetary mantles upon the magnitude of the Rayleigh number

The conservation equations of mass, energy and momentum when applied to the problem of convection produced by isothermal compression as well as by thermal expansion in a self-gravitating sphere of uniform density, consisting of a core extending to a fraction of the radius of the sphere and with a viscous mantle overlying the core, lead to a relationship between two characteristic numbers. In the present paper these characteristic numbers are evaluated, for the case when both boundaries of the mantle are free, for spherical harmonic disturbances of orders 1 6. It is found that the ease with which different patterns of convection can be excited changes as the characteristic numbers are varied.     

On the effects of higher convection modes on the thermal evolution of small planetary bodies

The effects of higher modes of convection on the thermal evolution of a small planetary body is investigated. Three sets of models are designed to specify an initially cold and differentiated, an initially hot and differentiated, and an initially cold and undifferentiated Moon-type body. The strong temperature dependence of viscosity enhances the thickening of lithosphere so that a lithosphere of about 400 km thickness is developed within the first billion years of the evolution of a Moon-type body. The thermally isolating effect of such a lithosphere hampers the heat flux out of the body and increases the temperature of the interior, causing the solid-state convection to occur with high velocity so that even the lower modes of convection can maintain an adiabatic temperature gradient there. It is demonstrated that the effect of solid-state convection on the thermal evolution of the models may be adequately determined by a combination of convection modes up to the third or the fourth order harmonic. The inclusion of higher modes does not affect the results significantly.     

Unusual rotation modes of minor planetary satellites

An analysis of the character of the possible dynamics of all hitherto known planetary satellites shows two satellites—Amalthea (J5) and Prometheus (S16)—to have the most unusual structure of the phase space of possible rotational motion. These are the only satellites whose phase space of planar rotation may host synchronous resonances of three different kinds: the α resonance, the β resonance, and a mode corresponding to the period doubling bifurcation of the α resonance. We analyze the stability of these states against the tilt of the rotational axis.     

Evidence for convection in planetary interiors from first-order topography

Center of mass-center of figure offsets are known for the Earth, Moon, Mars and Venus. Such an offset requires a density distribution asymmetric about the center of mass. Observational evidence indicates that the terrestrial, lunar and Martian offsets result from crusts of variable thickness rather than lateral density inhomogeneities and that the thickness variations are more likely caused by internal convection than impact.Paper dedicated to Professor Harold C. Urey on the occasion of his 80th birthday on 29 April, 1973.     

Diffusion and convection of relativistic electrons in non-thermal sources: Steady-state solutions

In this paper we study the propagation of relativistic electrons in stationary spherically-symmetric models of non-thermal sources. Electrons are injected by a collapsed object in the centre and then diffuse away in the presence of a flux of accreting matter. We calculate the electron density taking into account both the outward diffusion and the inward convection: it is assumed that the diffusion coefficient and the velocity field have a power dependence on the radial coordinate. In Section 3 the transport equation is solved for the particular case where the electron energy is constant; while Section 4 treats the case in which the particles suffer synchrotron or inverse-Compton losses. The effects due to the convection are then discussed in comparison with the purely diffusive case.     

The dependence of convection in planetary interiors upon the magnitude of the rayleigh number

The conservation equations of mass, energy and momentum when applied to the problem of convection produced by isothermal compression as well as by thermal expansion, in self-gravitating, homogeneous, non rotating spheres with uniform viscosity and under steady flow conditions, lead to a relationship between two characteristic numbers. In the present paper these characteristic numbers are evaluated, for both rigid and free surfaces, for spherical harmonic disturbances of orders 16.     

Revealing the transition from post-AGB stars to planetary nebulae: non-thermal and thermal radio continuum observations

Midcourse Space eXperiment and Infrared Astronomical Satellite colour diagnostics as well as OH maser profile characteristics were used to select a sample of post-asymptotic giant branch (pAGB) candidates for a radio continuum detection experiment with the Australia Telescope Compact Array. Seven out of 28 sources, six of which are new detections, show a continuum. A planetary nebula serendipitously detected in the field of an undetected pAGB candidate also reveals radio continuum. The radio continuum properties of these eight sources are described. Almost half have non-thermal emission. dusty modelling of the infrared spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of the three strongest detections reveals that they all have central stars with temperatures substantially lower than that required for significant photoionization, leading us to infer that the radio continuum has arisen from wind–shock interactions. This hypothesis is consistent with the detection of non-thermal radio emission in one of these three objects.     

Composition of grain mantles in interstellar clouds

The question of grain mantle composition in dense clouds is examined in the light of new observational and theoretical results on atomic and molecular concentrations in the gas phase. It is shown that if grain temperatures are less than about 20K these mantles will be primarily solid CO. Methods of identifying CO coated grains are discussed.     

On the spatial structure and dispersion of slow magnetosonic modes coupled with Alfvén modes in planetary magnetospheres due to field line curvature

The structure of the slow mode coupled with Alfvén mode in the axially symmetric magnetosphere is studied in the paper. Due to the coupling, the slow magnetosonic wave gets dispersion across magnetic shells and becomes not strictly guided. The slow mode is found to be captured between the resonant and cutoff surfaces, where the wave vector radial component goes to infinity and to zero, accordingly. The resonant surface is farther from the Earth than the cutoff surface. The slow mode resonance frequency is much lower than the Alfvén resonance frequency due to small value of the sound velocity near the equator. The maximum of the slow mode amplitude expressed in terms of the parallel magnetic field is concentrated near the equator, but expressed in hydromagnetic terms is concentrated near the ionospheres.     

Solar p and g modes in a model with a convection layer above a sub-adiabatic interior

We study high-order acoustic modes which reside in the outer layers of the solar interior. Magnetic field effects are not taken into account in this paper as we wish first to filter out how the modal frequencies depend on physical characteristics of a particular model structure of the Sun. In particular, we are interested in how the modal frequencies of solar global oscillations depend on the thickness of the convection layer and on the temperature gradient of the solar interior below. The model we use consists of three planar layers: an isothermal atmosphere, while the convection layer and the interior have temperature gradients that are adiabatic and sub-adiabatic, respectively. The presence of a convection layer with a finite thickness brings in additional modes while the variations in temperature gradient of the interior cause shifts in eigenfrequencies that are more pronounced for the p modes than for the g modes. These shifts can easily be of the order of several hundreds of Hz, which is much larger than the observational accuracy.     

Possible non-thermal effects in stellar nuclear reactions

The slowing down of charged ions in dense plasma is examined. It is found that under conditions prevailing in late phases of evolution, the nuclei can react while slowing down.The consequence of such an additional nuclear reaction on the product of the nuclear burning is discussed briefly.Partly supported by the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation Grant 45, and National Research Council of Canada, grant A-514.     

Ion-acoustic solitons in pair-ion plasma with non-thermal electrons

Properties of fully nonlinear ion-acoustic solitary waves in an unmagnetized and collisionless pair-ion (PI) plasma containing superthermal electrons obeying Cairns distribution have been analyzed. A linear biquadratic dispersion relation has been derived, which yields the fast (supersonic) and slow (subsonic) modes in a pair-ion-electron plasma with nonthermal electrons. For nonlinear analysis, Korteweg-de Vries equation is obtained using the reductive perturbation technique. It is found that in case of slow mode, both electrostatic hump and dip type structures are formed depending on the temperature difference between positively and negatively charged ions, whereas, only dip type solitary structures have been observed for fast mode. The present work may be employed to explore and to understand the formation of solitary structures in the space (especially, the Earth’s ionosphere where two distinct pair ion species (H ^±) are present) and laboratory produced pair-ion plasmas with nonthermal electrons.     

Can magnetic fields be generated in the icy mantles of Uranus and Neptune?

It has been shown by us previously that a hydromagnetic dynamo can operate in the core of Uranus but probably not on Neptune. A similar analysis is made for the “icy” liquid mantles of both planets. It is concluded that pressure ionization and the associated increased conductivity of water is probably not enough to satisfy the necessary conditions for a dynamo on Uranus and that it is marginal for Neptune. On the other hand the expected presence of metallic water in a thick layer around the core of Neptune makes the operation of a dynamo on this planet plausible. A similar layer on Uranus might be too thin to play the same role. It appears that if a magnetic field is indeed present on Uranus it is probably generated in the core of the planet, while on Neptune it is more likely operating in the icy mantle.     

The disruption of planetary satellites and the creation of planetary rings

The Voyager spacecraft discovered that small moons orbit within all four observed ring systems coincident with the discovery of narrow and dusty rings around Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. These moons can provide the source for new rings if they are catastrophically disrupted by a comet or large meteoroid impact. This hypothesis for ring origins provides a natural mechanism for the ongoing creation of planetary rings. While it relieves somewhat the problem of explaining the continued existence of rings with apparently short evolutionary lifetimes, it raises the problem of explaining the continued existence of small moons, and the coexistence of moons and rings at comparable locations within the Roche zones of the giant planets. This problem has been studied in some detail recently, and the present work is a review of our current understanding of the processes in satellite disruption that pertain to the creation of planetary rings and the collisional cascade of circumplanetary bodies. Significant progress has been made. Narrow rings are produced by disruption of small moons in numerical simulations, and a self-consistent model of the collisional cascade can explain present-day moon populations. Absolute timescales and initial moon populations remain uncertain due to our poor knowledge of the impactor population and uncertainties in the strength of planetary satellites. More pressing are the qualitative issues that remain to be resolved including the nature of reaccretion of the debris and the origin of Saturn's rings.     

Recent advances in planetary magnetism

During the past decade, significant advances in thein situ measurements of planetary magnetic fields have been made. The U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. have conducted spacecraft investigations of all the planets, from innermost Mercury out to Jupiter. Unexpectedly, Mercury was found to possess a global magnetic field but neither the Moon nor Venus do. The results at Mars are incomplete butif a global field exists, it is clearly quite weak. The main magnetic field of Jupiter has been measured directly for the first time and confirms, as well as augments appreciably, the past 2 decades of groundbased radio astronomical studies which provided indirect evidence of the field. Progress in developing analytically complete models of the dynamo process suggests a possible common origin for Mercury, Earth and Jupiter.Paper dedicated to Professor Hannes Alfvén on the occasion of his 70th birthday, 30 May, 1978.     

Lightning generation in planetary atmospheres

The possibilities of lightning generation on other planets are considered, and the basic conditions that exist in terrestrial clouds during lightning discharges and the various theories of charge separation are reviewed. Recent measurements of cloud structure and whistlers, as well as optical observation of lightning on Jupiter, suggest that charge separation and lightning discharges occur on other planets in ways similar to those in which they occur on Earth. Using these terrestrial ideas, it is concluded that lightning on Venus will probably be found in clouds that are located in regions of convection such as those observed downwind of the subsolar point. It is also possible that if volcanoes on Venus are erupting, they too can produce lightning discharges in their plumes although it seems unlikely that this process can account for the observed rate of discharge. Jovian lightning is most probably generated in the lower water-ice clouds. These clouds are of moderate temperatures and have strong convection and large mass loading, all important ingredients for electrical buildup. Lightning is all but ruled out for Mars, even though some electrification is possible owing to the large dust storms on that planet.     

Gravitational scattering in planetary rings

The gravitational influence of a large body (moonlet; satellite) on the radial structure of planetary rings has been calculated numerically. A drastical change of the surface mass density is obtained even after a single scattering process of the ring-particles on a moonlet (satellite). The final surface density shows a significant radial structure, which has been used to estimate radius and mass of satellites embedded in rings of low optical depth (E-ring, Cassini-division, C-ring of Saturn).