Sea-surface wave growth under extraterrestrial atmospheres: Preliminary wind tunnel experiments with application to Mars and Titan

We describe for the first time the generation and measurement of capillary waves in a water surface in a wind tunnel running with air at pressures of 15-1000 mbar. These experiments suggest a stronger dependence of wave generation on atmospheric density than the simple proportionality that might be expected from energy transfer arguments. Additionally, airflow over a nonaqueous fluid (kerosene) was found to produce waves of higher amplitude than for water under the same conditions. These preliminary results may indicate different efficiencies of wave generation on other planets, for which empirical terrestrial relations therefore do not apply, and thus may have a bearing on the lack of strong shoreline features on Mars and the possibility of specular glints from hydrocarbon lakes on Titan.     

Dense Gas, Chemistry and Star Formation in Luminous Galaxies

The molecular phase of the ISM constitutes the main source of fuel for the activity in starburst and AGNs. The physical conditions and chemical constitution of the molecular gas will change with, and respond to, the evolution of the activity. This paper includes a short discussion of the ¹²CO/¹³CO 1–0 line intensity ratio as a diagnostic tool of the molecular gas properties of luminous galaxies – paired with examples of high-resolution studies of how the line ratio varies within galaxies. A possible connection between the OH megamasers and galaxies with unusually high ¹²CO/¹³CO 1–0 line intensity ratios are also briefly discussed.The relative intensities of the dense gas tracers HNC, HCN, HCO⁺ and CN are a result of both chemistry and starburst evolution. The discussion on the interpretation of HNC 1–0 emission includes the importance of ion-neutral chemistry in a luminous starburst region. Finally, simple cartoon ISM models and how they can be applied to LIRGs and ULIRGs, are presented.     

Methods to determine the angular resolution of the HEGRA extended air shower scintillator array

A precise knowledge of the angular resolution of scintillator arrays used to observe extended air showers (EAS) is of key importance in the search for VHE/UHE γ point sources. Four independent methods have been used to determine the mean resolution for which a value of ΔΘ₆₃ of 0.8°(1.0°) at a proton threshold of 50 (40) TeV has been found for the HEGRA EAS-array.     

Geology of the Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago and the North Kara Terrane in the Russian high Arctic

The Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago is located at 80°N near the continental shelf break, between the Kara and Laptev seas. Sedimentary successions of Neoproterozoic and Palaeozoic age dominate the bedrock geology. Together with Northern Tajmyr, Severnaya Zemlya constitutes the main land areas of the North Kara Terrane (NKT), which is inferred here to have been a part of the Timanide margin of Baltica, i.e. an integral part of Baltica at least since the Vendian. Vendian turbidites derived from the Timanide Orogen are inferred to have been deposited on Neoproterozoic greenschist facies, granite-intruded basement. Shallow-water siliclastic deposition in the Early to Mid-Cambrian was followed by highly organic-rich shales in the Late Cambrian and influx of more turbidites. An episode of folding, the Kan’on River deformation, separates these formations from the overlying Tremadocian conglomerates and sandstones. In the Early Ordovician, rift-related magmatic rocks accompanied the deposition of variegated marls, sandstones, carbonates and evaporites. Dark shales and gypsiferous limestones characterise the Mid-Ordovician. Late Ordovician quartz-sandstones mark a hiatus, followed by carbonate rocks that extend up into and through most of the Silurian. The latter give way upwards into Old Red Sandstones, which are inferred to have been deposited in a Caledonian foreland basin. Deformation, reaching the area in the latest Devonian or earliest Carboniferous and referred to as the Severnaya Zemlya episode, is thought to be Caledonian-related. The dominating E-vergent structure was controlled by décollement zones in Ordovician evaporite-bearing strata; detachment folds and thrusts developed in the west and were apparently impeded by a barrier of Ordovician igneous rocks in the east. Below the décollement zones, the Neoproterozoic to Early Ordovician succession was deformed into open to close folds. The exposed strata in the lower structural level have been juxtaposed with those in the upper structural level along the major N-trending Fiordovoe Lake Fault Zone, which involved several kilometres of dextral strike-slip movement and downthrow to the west. A major Early Carboniferous unconformity separates the folded Mid-Palaeozoic and older rocks from overlying Carboniferous formations, as on Franz Joseph Land and Svalbard. Subsequent latest Palaeozoic to Early Mesozoic orogeny, as on Taimyr, apparently had little influence on the Severnaya Zemlya successions.     

Very low grade metamorphism of the Taveyanne formation of western Switzerland

The andesitic early Oligocene Taveyanne metagreywacke of the Helvetic nappes of western Switzerland shows an increase of metamorphic grade from zeolite facies through lower greenschist facies. Electron microprobe analysis, fluid inclusion thermometry, stable isotope analysis, coal rank, illite and chlorite crystallinity and thermodynamic calculations were carried out to determine metamorphic conditions. Evaluation of all techniques used in this study suggest that only combinations of different parameters yield reliable information to constrain very low-grade metamorphic conditions. Electron microprobe analyses are presented for actinolite, chlorite, epidote, phengite, laumontite, prehnite, pumpellyite, and titanite. With increasing metamorphic grade, chlorite is enriched in tetrahedral Al, pumpellyite becomes poorer in Fe_tot and more homogeneous in chemical composition, and titanite tends to incorporate Ti at the expense of Al and Fe³⁺. Metamorphic P-T conditions were determined by a combination of fluid inclusion microthermobarometry, stable isotope thermometry on quartz-calcite veins, chlorite “geothermometry” and thermodynamic calculations. Peak temperatures range from 210–250 °C for zeolite facies to 270–300 °C for prehnite-pumpellyite facies to 300–360 °C for pumpellyite-actinolite facies. An evaluation of 289 chlorite analyses indicates that the tetrahedral Al content is negatively correlated with the saponite component. Temperatures derived from chlorite “geothermometry” match maximum temperature conditions mentioned above. Illite crystallinity data for shales and slates intercalated with the Taveyanne metagreywacke indicate that the diagenetic zone correlates with the zeolite facies, the upper anchizone with the prehnite-pumpellyite facies, and the lower epizone with the pumpellyite-actinolite facies. A comparison of coal rank and illite crystallinity data (n=12,r=0.91) yielded R _max values of 2.9 and 5.5% for the lower and upper boundary of the anchizone, respectively. Received: 2 August 1996 / Accepted: 16 July 1997     

Elektrochemische Einschätzung des Oberflächenzustandes von Wasserreinigungskohlen

Electrochemical Characterization of the Surface of Activated Carbon Used in Water Treatment Plants. We tried to measure electrochemically those properties of activated carbons which are important for using them for water purification. A success was achieved with the electrochemical immersion potential U_i which is found to be a function of concentration of functional surface groups on the carbon surface. However, the expected direct proportionality for inert surfaces between BET surface area and amount of charge measured in recharge processes has not been observed.     

‘Ageing in place’: experiences of older adults in Amsterdam and Portland

This article addresses the importance and meanings of formal and informal social support relationships and neighbourhood ties for older adults ‘ageing in place’ in urban neighbourhoods in two different welfare state settings: Portland (Oregon, the United States) and Amsterdam (the Netherlands). The rising number of people growing old(er) in urban environments raises new demands and pressing challenges for urban development. The majority of older adults are and will be ageing in their homes and communities, as opposed to institutionalized care facilities and settings. At the same time, the provision of formal and public care is being increasingly challenged by government cutbacks. On top of this, the formerly strong welfare states in many European countries have weakened. In-depth interviews with 40 older adults and key informants in two neighbourhoods in each city provide the empirical basis for this study. In Portland, there are widespread local civic initiatives related to care provision for older adults. The city has a long tradition both of individual responsibility and community culture, which has emerged from and appears to compensate for the overall lack of state services and support. Amsterdam has a long tradition of state provision, but is experiencing a policy shift towards a stronger reliance on private market-led services, and an emphasis on family and community as providers of support. Although a few emerging local initiatives for elderly care in Amsterdam were identified, it is unclear whether this form of community support can compensate for decreasing state provision in Amsterdam. This study raises concerns about the future of care provision for older adults living in unsupportive urban neighbourhoods, without financial resources or nearby relatives.     

Differential recruitment of introduced Pacific oysters and native mussels at the North Sea coast: coexistence possible?

Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas Thunberg 1793) have been introduced into the Wadden Sea (North Sea), where they settle on native mussel beds (Mytilus edulis L.), which represent the only extensive insular hard substrata in this soft-sediment environment. As abundances of C. gigas rose, some mussel beds became increasingly overgrown with oysters, whereas others did not. Field experiments revealed that recruitment of C. gigas was higher in the lower intertidal than in the upper subtidal zone, that it was higher on conspecifics than on mussels, and that it was not affected by barnacle epigrowth except when settling on mussels. Mussel recruitment is known from inter- and subtidal zones. It occurred equally on oyster and mussel shells but showed a clear preference for barnacle epigrowth over clean shells. Assuming that settlement and recruitment are key processes for species abundances on the North Sea coast, it is predicted that the positive feedback in oyster settlement will lead to rapid reef formation of this invader at the expense of mussel beds. Mussels, however, may escape competitive exclusion by settling between or on the larger oysters especially when barnacles are abundant. Experimental patches with mussels were more often covered by fucoid algae (Fucus vesiculosus forma mytili Nienburg) than patches with oysters, and oyster recruitment was poor underneath such algal canopies. Thus, fucoids may provide the native mussels with a refuge from the invading oysters and the two bivalves may coexist, provided food is not limiting.