Transient‐state groundwater flow in various geometries with wells at arbitrary positions: analytical methods

We have developed a method for analytically solving the porous medium flow equation in many different geometries for horizontal (two‐dimensional), homogeneous and isotropic aquifers containing impermeable boundaries and any number of pumping or injection wells located at arbitrary positions within the system. Solutions and results are presented for rectangular and circular aquifers but the method presented here is easily extendible to many geometries. Results are also presented for systems where constant head boundary conditions can be emulated internal to the aquifer boundary. Recommendations for extensions of the present work are briefly discussed. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ultra-Deep Optical Spectroscopy with PMAS. Using the Nod-and-Shuffle Technique

PMAS, the Potsdam Multi-Aperture Spectrophotometer, is a new integral field spectrograph in the optical, which is optimized for good transmission and high image quality from 350 nm to 1 μm. We present our plan to implement a CCD charge-shuffle mode to allow for beam switching with a very high degree of sky subtraction accuracy for faint object 3-D spectroscopy. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Electric Discharges in the Protoplanetary Nebula as a Source of Impulse Magnetic Fields to Promote Dust Aggregation

Lightning discharge generated in the protoplanetary nebula is viewed as a temporally isolated surge in the flow of electrically charged particles, similar to that of terrestrial lightning. If the current is intense enough, a powerful circular impulse magnetic field is generated around the instantaneous virtual electric conductor. Such magnetic field is capable of magnetizing dust grains containing ferromagnetic components present in its vicinity to their saturation levels. As a result, dust grains attract one another, forming the aggregates. This magnetically driven attraction suggests an important process possibly operational at an early stage of the planetary accretion. Based on both a classical model for electric conductor, and the theory of Lienard–Wiechert electromagnetic potentials, our calculations show that the magnetic impulse due to a discharge channel of a few cm in diameter transferring a charge of about 10⁴ electrons reaches as high as 10 T. At these magnetic fields, the ferromagnetic dust grains, and possibly the already-formed larger aggregates as well, are easily magnetized to the saturation levels, producing compact clusters exhibiting permanent magnetic moments.     

Invariance and scaling properties in the distributions of contributing area and energy in drainage basins

The cumulative probability distributions for stream order, stream length, contributing area, and energy dissipation per unit length of channel are derived, for an ordered drainage system, from Horton's laws of network composition. It is shown how these distributions can be related to the fractal nature of single rivers and river networks. Finally, it is shown that the structure proposed here for these probability distributions is able to fit the observed frequency distributions, and their deviations from straight lines in a log-log plot.     

On the perturbation of the anomalistic period of a highly eccentric orbit satellite due to the zonal harmonics

In this note a simple formula is given for the perturbation of the anomalistic period of a highly eccentric orbit due to the zonal harmonics. This perturbation depends essentially only on the semi-major axisa, the eccentricitye (or pericentre radius r =a(1-e)) and the latitude of the pericentre.     

Correlation between hydrogen isotope ratios of lipid biomarkers and sediment maturity

We investigated the influence of thermal maturity on the hydrogen isotope ratios of sedimentary hydrocarbons to prove that the isotope ratio of hydrocarbons mirrors paleoclimate signatures. δD values from n-alkanes and acyclic isoprenoids of two sediment sections (Kupferschiefer [KS], 258 Ma, and Posidonienschiefer [PS], 184 Ma) with different maturation history were investigated. Both covered thermal maturity from 0.48 to 1.3 R_c (vitrinite reflectance and reflectance calculated from MPI1). Sediment burial up to 4500 m caused thermal maturation of organic matter in the KS horizon from the Early Zechstein basin of Poland, whereas contact metamorphic thermal maturation originated in the Early Toarcian PS (Posidonienschiefer) of the North German Vlotho Massif. The δD values of the extracted n-alkanes positively correlate with thermal maturity in the KS (y = 56‰ × MPI1[x] − 160‰ [VSMOW]) and in the PS (y = 104‰ × MPI1[x] − 200‰ [VSMOW]). The δD values of isoprenoids (i.e., pristane, phytane) were even more enriched with increasing maturity (y = 179‰ × MPI1[x] − 341‰ [VSMOW] in the KS; y = 300‰ × MPI1[x] − 415‰ [VSMOW] in PS).These results explain why isotope ratios of n-alkanes and isoprenoids in mature sediments are generally enriched in D and do not have the expected isotopic difference between n-alkanes and isoprenoids of ∼190‰. Moreover, the correlation between sediment maturity parameters and δD values suggests that after correction the δD values of n-alkanes can be used to reconstruct climate and environment in the geological past.