A new semi-quantitative Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) method for detection of maleimide (2,5-pyrroledione) with potential application to astrobiology

Nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds are fundamental biochemical components of all life on Earth and, presumably, life elsewhere in our solar system. Dete...     

Formation Mechanism of Mud Bank Along the Southwest Coast of India

Mud bank formation during the southwest monsoon along the southwest coast of India remains an enigma to the researchers and coastal community in spite of several earlier studies. The present study attempts to unravel the mystery through a high-frequency, season-long time-series observation at Alappuzha, located at the southern part of the west coast of India, a region of frequent occurrence of mud bank. Using 7-month-long weekly time-series observation, we identified strong winds and high waves associated with onset of the southwest monsoon and subsequent three episodic atmospheric low-pressure events (LPEs).With the help of in situ time-series data, we show that the strong winds and high waves associated with southwest monsoon pre-conditions the near shore bottom sediment to bring it into suspension. The high amplitude waves associated with the southwest monsoon, while propagating from the deep water to shallow water region, interact with the bottom initiating bottom-sediment movement and its suspension due to wave refraction and shoaling. The sporadic occurrence of the atmospheric LPEs enhances the process of suspension of bottom sediment in the near shore region leading to the formation of fluid mud. Simulations with a cohesive sediment transport model yielded realistic estimates of sediment transport, in the presence of an onshore current, a pre-requisite for transporting the fluid mud toward the coast. The prevailing onshore upwelling current during the southwest monsoon provides the favorable pre-requisite conditions for transporting the fluid mud through depression channel network towards the coast. Once sufficient quantity and thickness of fluid mud is accumulated in the near shore region, it acts as a wave damper for subsequent high monsoon waves, as indicated by the time-series wave data, leading to the formation of tranquil mud bank region. Depression channel networks extending from the shelf to the coast off Alappuzha, Kochi, Ponnani, Beypore, and Ullal were found in the bathymetric charts, thus explaining why mud banks occur only at few locations in spite of the prevalence of similar monsoon conditions.     

Statistical Properties of Ribbon Evolution and Reconnection Electric Fields in Eruptive and Confined Flares

A statistical study of the chromospheric ribbon evolution in H\(\alpha\) two-ribbon flares was performed. The data set consists of 50 confined (62%) and eruptive (38%) flares that occurred from June 2000 to June 2015. The flares were selected homogeneously over the H\(\alpha\) and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) classes, with an emphasis on including powerful confined flares and weak eruptive flares. H\(\alpha\) filtergrams from the Kanzelhöhe Observatory in combination with Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) and Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) magnetograms were used to derive the ribbon separation, the ribbon-separation velocity, the magnetic-field strength, and the reconnection electric field. We find that eruptive flares reveal statistically larger ribbon separation and higher ribbon-separation velocities than confined flares. In addition, the ribbon separation of eruptive flares correlates with the GOES SXR flux, whereas no clear dependence was found for confined flares. The maximum ribbon-separation velocity is not correlated with the GOES flux, but eruptive flares reveal on average a higher ribbon-separation velocity (by ≈?10 km?s^?1). The local reconnection electric field of confined (\(cc=0.50 \pm0.02\)) and eruptive (\(cc=0.77 \pm0.03\)) flares correlates with the GOES flux, indicating that more powerful flares involve stronger reconnection electric fields. In addition, eruptive flares with higher electric-field strengths tend to be accompanied by faster coronal mass ejections.     

Evolution of latitude zonal structure of the large-scale magnetic field in solar cycles

Properties of a latitude zonal component of the large-scale solar magnetic field are analyzed on the basis of H charts for 1905–1982. Poleward migration of prominences is used to determine the time of reversal of the polar magnetic field for 1870–1905. It is shown that in each hemisphere the polar, middle latitude and equatorial zones of the predominant polarity of large-scale magnetic field can be detected by calculating the average latitude of prominence samples referred to one boundary of the large-scale magnetic field. The cases of a single and three-fold polar magnetic field reversal are investigated. It is shown that prominence samples referred to one boundary of the large-scale magnetic field do not have any regular equatorward drift. They manifest a poleward migration with a variable velocity up to 30 m s^-1 depending on the phase of the cycle. The direction of migration is the same for both low-latitude and high-latitude zones. Two different time intervals of poleward migration are found. One lasts from the beginning of the cycle to the time of polar magnetic field reversal and the other lasts from the time of reversal to the time of minimum activity. The velocity of poleward migration of prominences during the first period is from 5 m s^-1 to 30 m s^-1 and the second period is devoid of regular latitude drift.     

Possible solar neutron events recorded by the ground-based neutron monitor

Possible solar neutron emission associated with five SMM gamma-ray events on 7 June 1980, 21 June 1980, 6 November 1980, 26 November 1982 and 25 April 1984 was found from analysis of 10-minute records of the ground-based neutron monitor at Tokyo. Of these the two events on 21 June 1980 and 25 April 1984 have been already known as neutron events. The time histories of the neutron monitor count rate are compared with those of the gamma-ray count rate and the possibility of energetic neutron emission at the flare site is discussed.     

Non-equilibrium Condensation ina Primordial Solar Nebula: Formation of Refractory Metal Nuggets

We present a theoretical investigation of non-equilibrium condensation of refractory metalsinthe primordial solar nebula, in relation to the origin of “Fremdlinges” included inCAIs. Todescribe the nucleation process of grains from vapor, weadopted asemi-phenomenological modelmodified fromthe classical nucleation theoryby the introductionof the second virial coefficient of vapor. This modelachieves excellent agreement with nucleation rate experiment. However,the second virial coefficients are unknown for a vapor of refractory metals. To overcome this, weexpress the nucleation rate by theuse of the chemical potential of dimersinsteadof the second virial coefficient.On the basis of this new nucleation theory,we have performed numerical simulations ofnon-equilibrium condensation of refractory metals andfind thattheircondensation temperatures, T_c, decrease considerably in comparison withequilibrium condensation. Even if the characteristiccooling time scale is aslarge as 1×10⁵ years, the decrease in T_c isfrom 200 to 400 Kfor rare elements such as W, Re,and Os. This remarkablenon-equilibrium behaviormainly stemsfromthelow totalpressure in the primordial solar nebula. From our new modelwealso obtainthe typical size ofgrainsformed in condensation. We findthatthe cooling time should be ?1×10⁵ years for sub-micron-sized or largerrefractory metal nuggetsto form.     

Analysis of mutations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene and Ki- and Ha-ras proto-oncogenes in hepatic tumors of European flounder (Platichthys flesus).

DNA from five tumors, three other-injured livers and two normal liver tissue samples from the European flounder were analyzed for mutations in exons 5-8 of the tumor suppressor gene p53 and at codons 12, 13 and 61 of Ha- and Ki-ras proto-oncogenes. No tumor-specific mutations were identified by direct sequencing and single-strand conformation polymorphism of these genes. A number of silent polymorphisms were noted in p53. In addition to a need for more extensive analyses of flounder liver tumor samples for ras or p53 mutations, other cancer-related genes should be investigated.