Mass-radius relationships and constraints on the composition of Pluto,II

A new estimate of Pluto's mass within the range of possible masses considered in an earlier work has enabled us to refine our model of Pluto's interior.     

Local galactic field of forces and the interstellar matter

The density distributions of the two main components in interstellar hydrogen are calculated using 21 cm line data from the Berkeley Survey and the Pulkovo Survey. The narrow, dense component (state I of neutral hydrogen) has a Gaussianz-distribution with a scale-height of 50 pc in the local zones (the galactic disk). For the wide, tenuous component (hydrogen in state II) we postulate a distribution valid in the zones where such a material predominates (70 pc?z? 350 pc the galactic stratum) i.e., $$n_H \left( z \right) = n_H \left( 0 \right)exp \left( { - \left( {z/300{\text{ }}pc} \right)^{3/2} } \right).$$ Similar components are found in the dust distribution and in the available stellar data reaching sufficiently highz-altitudes. The scale-heights depend on the stellar type: the stratum in M III stars is considerably wider than in A stars (500–700 pc against 300 pc). The gas to dust ratio is approximately the same in both components: 0.66 atom cm^?3 mag^?1 kpc in the galactic plane. A third state of the gas is postulated associating it the observed free electron stratum at a scale-height of 660 pc (hydrogen fully ionized at high temperatures). The ratio between the observed dispersions in neutral hydrogen (thermal width plus turbulence) and the total dispersions corresponding to the real inner energies in the medium is obtained by a comparison with the dispersion distribution σ(z) of the different stellar types associated with the disk and the stratum $$\sigma ^2 \left( {total} \right) = \sigma ^2 \left( {21{\text{ cm line}}} \right) \cdot {\text{ }}Q^2 ,$$ from which we graphically obtainedQ ²=2.9 ± 0.3, although that number could be lower in the densest parts of the spiral arms. Its dependence on magnetic field and cosmic rays is analysed, indicating equipartition of the different energy components in the interstellar medium and consistency with the observed values of the magnetic field: i.e., fluctuations with an average of ～ 3 μG (associated with the disk) in a homogeneous background of ～ 1 μG (associated with the stratum). A minimum and maximumK _z-force are obtained assuming extreme conditions for the total density distribution (gas plus stars). TheK _z-force obtained from the interstellar gas in its different states using approximations of the Boltzmann equation is a reasonable intermediate case between maximum and minimumK _z. The mass density obtained in the galactic plane is 0.20±0.05M _⊙ pc^?3, and the results indicate that the galactic disk is somewhat narrower and denser than has usually been believed. The effects of wave-like distributions of matter in thez-coordinate are analysed in relation with theK _z-force, and comparisons with theoretical results are performed. A qualitative model for the galactic field of force is postulated together with a classification of the different zones of the Galaxy according to their observed ranges in velocity dispersions and the behaviour of the potential well at differentz-altitudes. The disk containing at least two-thirds of the total mass atz<100 pc, the stratum containing one-third or less of the total mass atz≤600–800 pc, and the halo at higherz-altitudes with a small fraction of such a mass which is difficult to evaluate.     

Coherence analysis of granular intensity

A high resolution spectrogram of the Mg b₂ line from the quiet Sun disc centre is subjected to a coherence analysis. We find that the coherence between intensity fluctuations in the continuum and the wings of the line breaks down at a distance = 0.35 Å from line centre. From this and the r.m.s. intensity contrast as a function of we are led to the following simple model of temperature fluctuation T in the solar photosphere: A lower part (below 50 km, or ₅₀₀₀ > 0.25) with strongly inward increasing T and an upper part (above 50 km) with constant T = 75 K. The two parts are supposed to fluctuate incoherently.Mitteilungen aus dem Kiepenheuer Institut Nr. 166.     

O VI (λ = 1032 Å) profiles in and above an active region prominence,compared to quiet Sun center and limb profiles

O vi ( = 1032 Å) profiles have been measured in and above a filament at the limb, previously analyzed in H i, Mg ii, Ca ii resonance lines (Vial et al., 1979). They are compared to profiles measured at the quiet Sun center and at the quiet Sun limb.Absolute intensities are found to be about 1.55 times larger than above the quiet limb at the same height (3); at the top of the prominence (15 above the limb) one finds a maximum blue shift and a minimum line width. The inferred non-thermal velocity (29 km s^–1) is about the same as in cooler lines while the approaching line-of-sight velocity (8 km s^–1) is lower than in Ca ii lines.The O vi profile recorded 30 above the limb outside the filament is wider (FWHM = 0.33 Å). It can be interpreted as a coronal emission of O vi ions with a temperature of about 10⁶ K, and a non-thermal velocity (NTV) of 49 km s^–1. This NTV is twice the NTV of quiet Sun center O vi profiles. Lower NTV require higher temperatures and densities (as suggested by K-coronameter measurements). Computed emission measures for this high temperature regime agree with determinations from disk intensities of euv lines.     

A low β coronal loop model

A localized force-free current is proposed as a model for the observed coronal loops.An upper limit for the growth rate of kink instabilities in this model is found by solving numerically, in cylinder symmetry, the MHD equation of motion, with the boundary condition = 0 outside the loop.For various current densities a spectrum of kinks is found. These instabilities will disrupt the loops that are long or strongly twisted, on a time scale of a few seconds.The kinks in short or barely twisted loops are too long to fit.     

Asteroid rotation: III. 1978 Observations

Photoelectric observations of 32 asteroids observed from Table Mountain Observatory during the second half of 1978 are reported. Rotation periods were obtained for most objects. Absolute magnitudes and phase functions were not determined for any of these asteroids. The geometric mean rotation period of the 32 asteroids observed is 14.2 ± 1.6 hr, as compared to 9.38 ± 0.35 hr for 182 asteroids analyzed in Paper I (A. W. Harris and J. A. Burns, 1979, Icarus 40, 115–144). We attribute this difference to an observational selection effect which favors detection of fast rotation, as discussed in Paper I. If this is true, then the present sample contains the reverse bias, since it is complete in that a period (in some cases very approximate) was obtained for each object observed, but fast rotators are underrepresented due to prior discovery of their rotation properties.     

A new satellite of Saturn: Dione B

On March 1, 1980, observations of Saturn from Pic-du-Midi Observatory using a Lallemand electronographic camera led to the discovery of a new satellite (V magnitude ? + 17.5) whose orbital period is surprisingly similar to that of Dione.     

Solar flares and the cosmic ray intensity

The relationship between the cosmic ray intensity and solar activity during solar cycle 20 is discussed. A model is developed whereby it is possible to simulate the observed cosmic ray intensity from the observed number of solar flares of importance 1. This model leads to a radius for the modulation region of 60–70 AU. It is suggested that high speed solar streams also made a small contribution to the modulation of cosmic rays during solar cycle 20.     

Shock waves and type II radiobursts in the interplanetary medium

The planetary radio astronomy experiment on the Voyager spacecraft observed several type II solar radiobursts at frequencies below 1.3 MHz; these correspond to shock waves at distances between 20R and 1 AU from the Sun. We study the characteristics of these bursts and discuss the information that they give on shock waves in the interplanetary medium and on the origin of the high energy electrons which give rise to the radioemission. The relatively frequent occurence of type II bursts at large distances from the Sun favors the hypothesis of the emission by a longitudinal shockwave. The observed spectral characteristics reveal that the source of emission is restricted to only a small portion of the shock. From the relation between type II bursts, type III bursts and optical flares, we suggest that some of the type II bursts could be excited by type III burst fast electrons which catch up the shock and are then trapped.