High resolution submillimeter observations of massive protostars

We describe results from recent Submillimeter Array observations of massive protostellar objects (CepheusA-East, NGC7538 IRS1, and G5.89-0.39) with resolutions ranging from 0.8″ to 2″. A wide range of spectral and continuum properties are observed, with one unifying theme: at these resolutions all of the studied sources reveal multiple submillimeter cores. Some are observed to have cm-wavelength counterparts, and others not, suggesting a range of evolutionary stages coexisting in close proximity. In the presence of such complexity and multiplicity of sources, these data suggest that the interpretation of diagnostics such as kinematic velocity gradients and temperatures that are strongly dependent on spatial resolution should be approached cautiously.     

Ground motion parameters of Shillong plateau: One of the most seismically active zones of northeastern India

Strong ground motion parameters for Shillong plateau of northeastern India are examined. Empirical relations are obtained for main parameters of ground motions as a function of earthquake magnitude, fault type, source depth, velocity characterization of medium and distance. Correlation between ground motion parameters and characteristics of seismogenic zones are established. A new attenuation relation for peak ground acceleration is developed, which predicts higher expected PGA in the region. Parameters of ...     

Groundwater appraisal of Dhekiajuli,Assam, India: an insight of agricultural suitability and arsenic enrichment

The present work is an effort to develop an appraisal of the hydrogeochemical regime for the aquifers of Dhekiajuli, Sonitpur district, Assam, which is imperative considering: (i) excessive use of groundwater for irrigation; (ii) reported high arsenic (As) contamination; (iii) application of fertilizer is an inevitable process undergoing in this region to achieve higher yield owing to deteriorating water quality; and (iv) study area being the location of many tea estates of Assam, that export tea in many foreign countries. The highest As concentration of 44.39 µg/L was detected in this study (Bachasimalu and Sitalmari region), implying high As-contaminated aquifers being used for drinking and irrigation purposes in the area. The relative abundance pattern of major cations and anions was in the order of Na⁺ > Mg²⁺ > Ca²⁺ > K⁺ and HCO₃ ^? > Cl^? > SO₄ ^2?, respectively. Majority of the samples belong to Na⁺–K⁺–Cl^?–HCO₃ ^? and mixed water type. Closer inspection of Piper plot reveals that a higher As value (>40 µg/L) was prevalent in HCO₃ ^? water type. Results of hydrogeochemical plots suggest silicate and carbonate weathering, ion exchange and anthropogenic activities to be the dominant processes governing groundwater contamination, including As which is further supported from PCA loadings. The Singri area to the east of the affected areas and adjacent to the Brahmaputra River has oxic aquifers owing to the absence of mass deposition of younger sediments, while reducing conditions prevails in the Bachasimalu and Sitalmari region. High positive correlation between As and Fe (r = 0.83**) and a negative correlation between ORP and Fe (r = ?0.68**) further add that Fe (hydr)oxides are the direct source of As release in the affected region, the mechanism being reductive hydrolysis of such (hydr)oxides. The study implies that although groundwater is suitable for irrigation use, there is a high probability of As getting into the food chain through tea and other edible plants irrigated with As-contaminated water; thus, the area has a maximum probability of facing health hazards caused by As-contaminated groundwater.     

Ground electrical and electromagnetic studies in Koyna-Warna region,India

The geochemistry of the mafic xenoliths from Baspa valley of Himachal Pradesh, India has been investigated to characterize their protoliths on the basis of immobile elements, especially trace elements including REE. The mafic xenoliths occur within the Kinnaur Kailash granite (KKG) and their geochemistry show that they have tholeiitic nature with basaltic composition. Compositionally, they range from ‘depleted’ to ‘enriched’ MORB as observed on the binary diagrams of Ti vs V and Zr vs Ti and on ternary diagrams of Zr-Ti-Y and Th-Zr-N. Likewise, they match with various enriched or ‘transitional’ MORB types as evident from their Zr vs Nb binary plot. Their enriched character when compared with N-MORB, E-MORB and OIB rocks on chondrite and primordial mantle normalized plots reveals that it is intermediate to that of E-MORB and OIB. The geochemistry of the rocks suggest that the enriched components are probably derived by melting of a mantle source with E-MORB or OIB rather than due to the crustal contamination. The study carried out emphasize that the mafic xenoliths have developed in rift environment, and that they are not volcanic rocks of island arc related to subduction tectonics. It is visualized that the mafic xenoliths were formed as cumulate rocks from the tholeiitic magmas that were rising to lower crust levels in a rift environment, which at a later stage got entrapped as restitic material in the host Kinnaur Kailash granite formed in a collision environment, and propose a change of regime from rift related to collision environment prior to Palaeozoic period.     

A study of the distortion wave in the RS CVn eclipsing binary SV Camelopardalis

The light outside the eclipses of the totally eclipsing RS CVn binary SV Camelopardalis (SV Cam) is Fourier analysed and the amplitudes of the distortion waves have been derived. The distribution of the percentage contributions of these amplitudes inV, B andU colours with respect to the luminosities of the binary components indicates that the hotter component is the source of the distortion waves. These distortion waves, attributed to star spots, are modelled according to Budding (1977) and spot parameters like longitude, latitude, temperature and size are obtained. From this study it is noticed that while symmetric waves with two minima could be fitted satisfactorily, asymmetric waves with more than two minima could not be fitted well. From the longitudes of the minima of the best fitted curves, migration periods of four spot groups are determined. Assuming synchronism between rotation and orbital periods, the rotation periods of the four spot groups are derived from their migration periods. The period of rotation of one of the spot groups having direct motion is found to be 0^d.5934209 while the periods of the other three spot groups having retrograde motion are 0^d.5926588, 0^d.592607 and 0^d.5924688. As the latitudes of these spots are known from modelling parameters, the latitude having a rotation period equal to that of the orbital period (co-rotating latitude) is found to be about 30°     

BV 690, a new bright Type II Cepheid

B andV observations of the suspected variable BV 690 = NSV 04298 are reported. The star shows light variations with a period of l^d.2400 and with amplitudes of 0^m.27, 0^m.36 and 0^m.11 inV, B, andB-V respectively. The light curves show steeper rise than decline, and there is evidence for the presence of a bump in the descending branch around the phase of 0.35. From considerations of the period, spectral type, presence of the bump and high tangential velocity we conclude that BV 690 belongs to the BL Herculis class of Typen Cepheids     

Orbital elements of the RS CVn eclipsing binary,SV Camelopardalis

The extensiveUBV observations of SV Camelopardalis by Patkos (1982) have been analysed to derive the orbital elements of the system. The data were corrected for the effect of third body (Sarma, Sarma & Abhyankar 1985) and for the ‘RS CVn’ distortion wave (Sarma, Vivekanandarao & Sarma 1988). The cleaned data were used to obtain a preliminary solution by a modified version of Wellmann method (Sarma & Abhyankar 1979) from which we concluded that the primary eclipse is a transit. The final orbital elements of SV Cam were obtained by the modified version (Sarma 1988; Sarmaet al. 1987) of WINK program by Wood (1972). The colour and median brightness variation are discussed. From the spectroscopic mass functionf(m) = 0.118 M_⊙ (Hiltner 1953), the absolute dimensions of the components are found to be 0.826 M_bd & 0.592 M_⊙ and 1.236 R_⊙ & 0.778 R_⊙ for the primary and secondary components, respectively. The age of the binary system is estimated to be 6.0 ± 1.0 × 10⁸ years     

Seasonal variability of physico-chemical characteristics of the Haldia channel of Hooghly estuary, India

Physical and chemical characteristics of the Hooghly estuary during winter (December 1997–January 1998), summer (May 1998) and post-monsoon (November 1998) seasons have been studied. Salinity varied spatially and temporally and seasonally during ebb and flood tide conditions. Water temperature showed a difference of 10‡C in winter to summer. Temperature did not vary much vertically as it is a well-mixed estuary. Strong currents exceeding 100 cm S^-1 were observed during peak ebb and flood tide conditions irrespective of the season. Longitudinal eddy diffusion coefficient (K _x ) was estimated as 757m S^-1 and 811m² S^-1 during summer and post-monsoon seasons, respectively. The vertical eddy diffusion coefficient (ε_v) was estimated as 0.0337 m² S^-1 during post-monsoon season. The salinity and current observations are compared with those obtained from models reported earlier. Values of pH, Dissolved Oxygen and Biological Oxygen Demand are within the threshold limits of the estuarine environment. Nutrients show seasonal variation in the estuarine environment. High values (160-2686 mg l^-1) of total suspended matter were noticed both at surface and bottom in the study region showing the impact of fresh water and sediment transportation.