Optical properties of solid and liquid sulfur at visible and infrared wavelengths

Knowledge of the optical constants of elemental sulfur has potential applications to Venus, Jupiter, Io, Amalthea, and the Earth. The real part, n, of the index of refraction of liquid sulfur (at 133°C) and of solid orthorhombic sulfur (at 25°C) for the wavelength range 0.4–2.0 μm were measured ellipsometrically. The imaginary part, k, of the refractive index of liquid sulfur was obtained by transmittance measurements at the same temperature and wavelength range. The reflectance of semi-infinite slabs of solid and liquid sulfur is calculated using the measured n and k values. We confirm that sulfur melts on Io would be classified as “black” by the Voyager imaging system.     

2种亚洲龙鱼的D-Loop序列结构分析

采用PCR技术对2种亚洲龙鱼的mtDNAD_Loop全序列进行扩增和测序,序列结构分析和序列同源性比对结果表明,2种亚洲龙鱼的mtDNAD_Loop在靠近5’端有3个终止相关序列TAS(Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ),靠近D_Loop的3’端有4个保守区域CSB1、CSB2、CSB3、CSB-D。在终止相关序列和保守区域之间是连续重复区域。经DNASP4.0软件分析,全序列中检测出多态位点数(S)为26,其中有17个转换,核苷酸多样性(Pi)为0.013,平均核苷酸差异数(K)为17.333。     

Variations in the natural abundance of 15N in estuarine suspended particulate matter: A specific indicator of biological processing

In this study, the ¹⁴N:¹⁵N ratio of suspended particulate material collected from the Tamar river estuary, south-west England, is described. Three populations of particles, distinguishable by their ¹⁵N content, were observed. This investigation has shown that populations of estuarine particles are generated by biological transformations in situ and that the ¹⁵N content of estuarine particles does not merely reflect hydrodynamic mixing of the freshwater and seawater source particulate material.     

Initial interpretation of Titan plasma interaction as observed by the Cassini plasma spectrometer: Comparisons with Voyager 1

The Cassini plasma spectrometer (CAPS) instrument made measurements of Titan's plasma environment when the Cassini Orbiter flew through the moon's plasma wake October 26, 2004 (flyby TA). Initial CAPS ion and electron measurements from this encounter will be compared with measurements made by the Voyager 1 plasma science instrument (PLS). The comparisons will be used to evaluate previous interpretations and predictions of the Titan plasma environment that have been made using PLS measurements. The plasma wake trajectories of flyby TA and Voyager 1 are similar because they occurred when Titan was near Saturn's local noon. These similarities make possible direct, meaningful comparisons between the various plasma wake measurements. They lead to the following: (A) The light and heavy ions, H⁺and N⁺/O⁺, were observed by PLS in Saturn's magnetosphere in the vicinity of Titan while the higher mass resolution of CAPS yielded H⁺ and H₂⁺as the light constituents and O⁺/CH₄⁺ as the heavy ions. (B) Finite gyroradius effects were apparent in PLS and CAPS measurements of ambient O⁺ ions as a result of their absorption by Titan's extended atmosphere. (C) The principal pickup ions inferred from both PLS and CAPS measurements are H⁺, H₂⁺, N⁺, CH₄⁺ and N₂⁺. (D) The inference that heavy pickup ions, observed by PLS, were in narrow beam distributions was empirically established by the CAPS measurements. (E) Slowing down of the ambient plasma due to pickup ion mass loading was observed by both instruments on the anti-Saturn side of Titan. (F) Strong mass loading just outside the ionotail by a heavy ion such as N₂⁺ is apparent in PLS and CAPS measurements. (G) Except for the expected differences due to the differing trajectories, the magnitudes and structures of the electron densities and temperatures observed by both instruments are similar. The high-energy electron bite-out observed by PLS in the magnetotail is consistent with that observed by CAPS.     

A simple model for lensing by black holes in galactic nuclei

The lensing properties of the Plummer model with a central point mass and external shear are derived, including the image multiplicities, critical curves and caustics. This provides a simple model for a flattened galaxy with a central supermassive black hole. For the Plummer model with black hole, the maximum number of images is four, provided the black hole mass is less than an upper bound which is calculated analytically. This introduces a method to constrain black hole masses by counting images, thus applicable at cosmological distance. With shear, the maximum number of images is six and we illustrate the occurrence of an astroid caustic and two metamorphoses.     

Particulate organic matter in the coastal and estuarine waters of Goa and its relationship with phytoplankton production

In the coastal and estuarine waters of Goa, particulate organic carbon (POC) varied from 0.52 to 2.51 mg l^?1 and from 0.28 to 5.24 mg l^?1 and particulate phosphorus (PP) varied from 0.71 to 5.18 μg l^?1 and from 0.78 to 20.34 μg l^?1, respectively. The mean values of chlorophyll and primary productivity were 1.94 mg m^?3 and 938.1 mg C m^?2 day^?1 in the coastal waters and 4.3 mg m^?3 and 636.5 mg C m^?1 day^?1 in the estuarine waters, respectively.$\text{POC}\text{chl}$ ratios were low in June and October even when POC values were quite high. The POC in surface waters was linearly correlated with the chlorophyll content. Also PP increased when chlorophyll and primary productivity remained high. The results suggest that the phytoplankton was sharply increasing and contributed to POC and PP content. The percentage of detritus calculated from the intercept values of chlorophyll on POC varied from 46 to 76% depending on season. Results indicate that the major portion of POC and PP during postmonsoon (October–January) is derived from phytoplankton production while the allochthonous matter predominate during monsoon (June–September).     

胶辽鲁西徐淮地区新元古代地层多重划分对比

依据岩性组合、古生物特征及地震事件层研究，对胶辽鲁西徐淮地区新元古代地层可作如下多重划分对比：鲁西黑山官组、二青山组分别与辽东的钓鱼台组，南芬组相当，胶东豹山口组可与南芬组对比，它们同属青白口系。辽东南关岭组下部、鲁西石旺庄组下部、苏皖北部贾园组、淮南九里桥组皆为一套砂灰岩组合，都发育第一期地震事件层，并开始含有后生动物化石，为等时地层单位，与其以上各前寒武岩石地层单位同属灯影峡阶，鲁西的佟家庄组、浮来山组可分别与辽东桥头组、长岭子组、胶东辅子夼组、南庄组、苏皖北部兰陵组一城山组、淮南伍山组一四十里长山组对比，归属《中国区域年代地层(地质年代)表》新划分的陡山陀阶。     

Marine Ingressive Events Recorded in Epicontinental Sequences:Example from the Cretaceous Songliao Basin of NE China in Comparison with the Triassic Central Europe Basin of SW Germany

Songliao Basin is filled predominantly with continental facies sediments including alluvial fan, fluvial plain, fan delta , lacustrine delta, shore ?shallow lacustrine, beach salty flat, semi - deep to deep lacustrine, subaqueous gravity flow, lacustrine swamp and pyroclastic sediments. However, some event units were formed during lake - marine linking periods of the Mid - Cretaceous in the basin, which include black shales with high values for salinity ( Sr/Ba) , alkalinity (Ca Mg)/ (Si Al) , reducibility ( Ni Zn)/Ga and sulfide sulfur as well as heavy isotopes. The Breitenholz ?section to be represen-ted for facies comparison with the Cretaceous evaporitic series in Northeast China is localized in Southwest Germany. Stratig-raphically it belongs to the Crabfeld Formation of Keuper of the Germanic Triassic corresponding to Ladinian - Camian of the international reference scale, and is generally called Lower Gipskeuper. The Germanic Triassic was deposited in the epiconti-nental(cratonic) central Euro