Distribution of Heavy Metals in Lake Seliger Bottom Deposits

The distribution of some microelements in the surface and stratified layers of bottom sediments in Lake Seliger is studied. Data on the bottom deposit pollution by heavy metals is used to determine the anthropogenic load on the lake ecosystem. Cd, Zn, and Pb are shown to rapidly accumulate in thick (>1 m) bottom deposits that have formed during the period of lake existence. The concentrations of Cd and Zn are shown to correlate with the organic matter in thick bottom deposits.     

Use of Groundwater Level Fluctuations near an Operating Water Supply Well to Estimate Aquifer Transmissivity

We developed a method to estimate aquifer transmissivity from the hydraulic-head data associated with the normal cyclic operation of a water supply well thus avoiding the need for interrupting the water supply associated with a traditional aquifer test. The method is based on an analytical solution that relates the aquifer's transmissivity to the standard deviation of the hydraulic-head fluctuations in one or more observation wells that are due to the periodic pumping of the production well. We analyzed the resulting analytical solution and demonstrated that when the observation wells are located near the pumping well, the solution has a simple, Dupuit like form. Numerical analysis demonstrates that the analytical solution can also be used for a quasi-periodic pumping of the supply well. Simulation of cyclic pumping in a statistically heterogeneous medium confirms that the method is suitable for analyzing the transmissivity of weakly or moderately heterogeneous aquifers. If only one observation well is available, and the shift in the phase of hydraulic-head oscillations between the pumping well and the observation well is not identifiable. Prior knowledge of aquifer's hydraulic diffusivity is required to obtain the value of the aquifer transmissivity.     

Solar sources of interplanetary shocks on November 7–11, 2004

In a methodically independent manner compared to earlier works, an adjustment is performed to a series of solar sources, including six interplanetary shocks observed on November 7–11, 2004, during a very large solar-terrestrial storm. The results of different researchers are compared with one another and with this publication.     

Clarification of sources of material returned by Luna 24 spacecraft based on analysis of new images of the landing site taken by lunar reconnaissance orbiter

We describe the results of the geologic analysis of high-resolution (0.5 m/px) LROC NAC images of the landing site of the Luna 24 spacecraft, which landed in the southeastern part of Mare Crisium, drilled a borehole to the depth of ～2 m and recovered a core, which was then delivered to the Earth. LROC NAC images show that the spacecraft landed on the rim of the 65-m crater Lev. Image analysis was aided by calculations of the expected thickness of ejecta from crater Lev found to be 0.5–1 m. Using these calculations and the results of photogeologic analysis, we reconsidered the characteristics of the Luna 24 core material. This led to an understanding of the geologic position of different parts of the Luna 24 core and allowed us to distinguish in the core the intervals dominated by: 1—effects of arrival of ejecta from the 6.5-km crater Fahrenheit (Zone IV), 2—gradual reworking of the local regolith by small impacts (Zones II and III), and 3—emplacement of ejecta of Lev crater, which is a secondary of the distant 22-km crater Giordano Bruno (Zone I). This understanding allowed us to propose that some additional new analyses of the Luna 24 material be undertaken, with emphasis on the study of Zone IV and Zone I. Additional analysis of zone IV could search for and identify material of ejecta from the crater Fahrenheit and their comparisons with local materials, while new analysis of Zone I could study the material derived from the deepest parts of the local regolith and search for material of the impactor (ejecta from the very young Giordano Bruno crater on the lunar farside) that formed Lev crater.     

Changes in the indices of the strength and strain properties of loamy soils under the influence of fermentation and denitrification

The results of studying the influence of fermenting and denitrifying bacteria on some properties of loamy soils are presented. After the treatment of loamy soils by the bacteria, there was a tendency towards a decrease in soil densities, an increase in porosity, a decrease in the angle of internal friction by 10–40% and in the angle of coherence by 25–40%, along with a decrease in the strain modulus by 35–65% in the load range of 0.1–0.2 MPa. Data are analyzed, and microbiological processes that might cause such changes in the soil are indicated.     

Contact diagnostics of combustion products of rocket engines, their units, and systems

This article is devoted to a new block-module device used in the diagnostics of condensed combustion products of rocket engines during research and development with liquid-propellant rocket engines (Glushko NPO Energomash; engines RD-171, RD-180, and RD-191) and solid-propellant rocket motors. Soot samplings from the supersonic high-temperature jet of a high-power liquid-propellant rocket engine were taken by the given device for the first time in practice for closed-exhaust lines. A large quantity of significant results was also obtained during a combustion investigation of solid propellants within solid-propellant rocket motors.     

Sector spherical harmonic analysis of the solar magnetic field

The theory of sector harmonic analysis has been developed as applied to the specific conditions of the solar magnetic field. A computer program has been developed. The possibilities of the program are illustrated in an analysis of a large-scale open solar field “singularity” observed on August 11, 2004, using MDI magnetometer data.     

Impact airblast triggers dust avalanches on Mars

Visible images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have revealed more than 200 new impact sites on Mars (almost all in dust-mantled regions) containing 1–50 m diameter craters, often in clusters. We count approximately 65,000 small-scale slope streaks within 2 to 3 km of one such cluster and categorize them into four morphologically distinct types. Here we show that these slope streaks (interpreted as dust avalanches) are triggered by the impact event but, surprisingly, are not due to seismic shaking; instead, the dust avalanches are due to airblasts created by the supersonic meteor(s) before impact. Sixteen of the new impact sites are associated with high areal densities of dust avalanches. The observed dust avalanche frequency suggests that impact-generated airblasts constitute a locally important and previously unrecognized process for inducing slope degradation on Mars.     

The Multifrequency Siberian Radioheliograph

The ten-antenna prototype of the multifrequency Siberian radioheliograph is described. The prototype consists of four parts: antennas with broadband front-ends, analog back-ends, digital receivers and a correlator. The prototype antennas are mounted on the outermost stations of the Siberian Solar Radio Telescope (SSRT) array. A signal from each antenna is transmitted to a workroom by an analog fiber optical link, laid in an underground tunnel. After mixing, all signals are digitized and processed by digital receivers before the data are transmitted to the correlator. The digital receivers and the correlator are accessible by the Local Area Network (LAN). The frequency range of the prototype is from 4 to 8 GHz. Currently the frequency switching observing mode is used. The prototype data include both circular polarizations at a number of frequencies given by a list. This prototype is the first stage of the multifrequency Siberian radioheliograph development. It is assumed that the radioheliograph will consist of 96 antennas and will occupy stations of the West–East–South subarray of the SSRT. The radioheliograph will be fully constructed in the autumn of 2012. We plan to reach the brightness temperature sensitivity of about 100 K for the snapshot image, a spatial resolution up to 13 arcseconds at 8 GHz and a polarization measurement accuracy about a few percent. First results with the ten-antenna prototype are presented of observations of solar microwave bursts. The prototype’s abilities to estimate source size and locations at different frequencies are discussed.     

Mesoscale Atmospheric Cyclonic Vortices over the Black and Caspian Seas as Seen in Satellite Remote Sensing Data

Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics - This is an analysis of optical images from Terra, Aqua, and Suomi NPP satellites, as well as associated synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images from...