A technique for calibration of monostatic echosounder systems

A calibration technique has been adapted to render complete system calibrations of high-frequency acoustical instrumentation. This is based on standard targets; specifically, precisely manufactured spheres composed of tungsten carbide with 6% cobalt binder. The use of multiple sphere sizes was found to be advantageous, both as an independent check of the calibrations, and so that resonances in the sphere responses at certain frequencies could be avoided. Complete system gains and beam patterns, which include effects of bandpass filters and finite-pulse lengths, were determined by moving the spheres individually in the transducer far-fields. Use of this procedure ensures control over the acoustical characteristics of transducers, which may change from the time of manufacture and first testing due, for example, to platform mounting. It also provides a direct means of measuring the sampling volume at relatively high and constant signal-to-noise ratios. Implementation of this technique is discussed using a multifrequency sonar system as an example     

Virial oscillations of celestial bodies: V. The structure of the potential and kinetic energies of a celestial body as a record of its creation history

The physical meaning of the terms of the potential and kinetic energy expressions, expanded by means of the density variation function for a nonuniform self-gravitating sphere, is discussed. The terms of the expansions represent the energy and the moment of inertia of the uniform sphere, the energy and the moment of inertia of the nonuniformities interacting with the uniform sphere, and the energy of the nonuniformities interacting with each other. It follows from the physical meaning of the above components of the energy structure, and also from the observational fact of the expansion of the Universe that the phase transition, notably, fusion of particles and nuclei and condensation of liquid and solid phases of the expanded matter accompanied by release of energy, must be the physical cause of initial thermal and gravitational instability of the matter. The released kinetic energy being constrained by the general motion of the expansion, develops regional and local turbulent (cyclonic) motion of the matter, which should be the second physical effect responsible for the creation of celestial bodies and their rotation.     

Constraints on the formation of layered tektites from the excavation and analysis of layered tektites from northeast Thailand

Abstract— The size, shape, composition, and vesicle content of 6 kg of layered tektite fragments, excavated near the town of Huai Sai, Thailand, place some constraints on the formation of layered tektites. The mass, shape, and distribution of the fragments are not consistent with an origin as a “puddle” of impact melt but suggest that they were derived from a single equant block. The presence of vesicles up to 7 mm in mean diameter within the tektite fragments suggests that the material was too viscous to allow for significant gravity-driven flow. These results suggest that layered tektites may be analogous to lava bombs, which may have been stretched and deformed in flight but underwent little flow after landing. Rather than being a product of “unusual circumstances,” such as multiple impacts, layered tektites may differ from splash-form tektites only in initial temperature of formation, speed of ejection, and small differences in initial composition.     

Measurements of the north polar cap of Mars and the Earth's northern hemisphere ice and snow cover

The boundaries of the polar caps of Mars have been measured on more than 3000 photographs since 1905 from the plate collection at the Lowell Observatory. For the Earth, the polar caps have been accurately mapped only since the mid 1960's when satellites were first available to synoptically view the polar regions. The polar caps of both planets wax and wane in response to changes in the seasons, and interannual differences in polar cap behavior on Mars as well as Earth are intimately linked to global energy balance. Data on the year to year variations in the extent of the north polar caps of Mars and Earth have been assembled and compared, although only 6 years of concurrent data were available for comparison.     

Infrared observations of serendipitous hard Chandra X-ray sources

We present observations of a sample of optically faint, hard X-ray sources of the kind likely to be responsible for much of the hard X-ray background. We confirm that such sources are easily detected in the near-infrared, and find that they have a featureless continuum suggesting that the active nucleus is heavily obscured. The infrared colours of the majority of the targets observed are consistent with absorbed elliptical host galaxies at z =1–2. It is likely that we are observing some of the brighter members of the important new class of X-ray type II quasars.     

Three-dimensional coronal structures using clark lake observations

We have undertaken a study of coronal features observed at meter-decameter wavelengths using the Clark Lake radioheliograph. Among the coronal structures we have studied are the radio manifestations of coronal streamers on the solar disk and above the solar limb. We have analyzed the radio data quantitatively, using ray-tracing models for comparison with the maps. Our study provides information about the streamers' three-dimensional shapes, scales, and density profiles, for comparison with related observations using white-light coronagraphs.