Motion of charged particles in the magnetosphere

The adiabatic motion of charged particles in the magnetosphere has been investigated using Mead-Fairfield magnetospheric field model (Mead and Fairfield, 1975). Since the motion of charged particles in a dipolar field geometry is well understood, we bring out in this paper some important features in characteristic motion due to non-dipolar distortions in the field geometry. We look at the tilt averaged picture of the field configuration and estimate theoretically the parameters like bounce period, longitudinal invariant and the bounce averaged drift velocities of the charged particle in the Mead-Fairfield field geometry. These parameters are evaluated as a function of pitch angle and azimuthal position in the region of ring current (5 to 7 Earth radii from the centre of the Earth) for four ranges of magnetic activity. At different longitudes the non-dipolar contribution as a percentage of dipole value in bounce period and longitudinal invariant show maximum variation for particles close to 90° pitch angles. For any low pitch angle, these effects maximize at the midnight meridian. The radial component of the bounce averaged drift velocity is found to be greatest at the dawn-dusk meridians and the contribution vanishes at the day and midnight meridians for all pitch angles. In the absence of tilt-dependent terms in the model, the latitudinal component of the drift velocity vanishes. On the other hand, the relative non-dipolar contribution to bounce averaged azimuthal drift velocity is very high as compared to similar contribution in other characteristic parameters of particle motion. It is also shown that non-dipolar contribution in bounce period, longitudinal invariant and bounce averaged drift velocities increases in magnitude with increase in distance and magnetic activity.     

The interaction of an obliquely incidents-polarized plane electromagnetic wave at a warm moving magnetized plasma half-space

The interaction of ans-polarized plane electromagnetic wave incident from a dielectric (or vacuum) region on awarm moving magnetized plasma half-space is considered. The external magnetic field is assumed to be normal to the direction of the wave normal and the velocity of the moving medium. Using the first three moment equations, together with Maxwell's electromagnetic equations, we construct the constitutive relations in the rest frame of the moving medium. The constitutive relations are then transformed to the laboratory frame by invokingMinkowski's equations for the moving plasma medium, and the dispersion relation for the propagating ordinary mode in the moving medium is derived. Expressions are obtained for the phase and group velocities and the index of refraction for the ordinary mode, as also for power reflection and transmission coefficients. It is found that in contrast to the case of a cold magnetized plasma, the ordinary electromagnetic mode excited in the warm magnetoplasma medium getsmodified due to the presence of an external magnetic field. In addition, the various reflection and transmission characteristics for a warm magnetoplasma depend on the velocity of the moving plasma as well as on the strength of the applied magnetic field, as against the case for a cold moving magnetized plasma. Numerical results on the reflection coefficient are presented for several values of the parameters characterizing the electron-plasma temperature, the velocity of the moving medium and the strength of the applied magnetic field.     

New record of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plectoidothyris</Emphasis> from the Middle Jurassic Sequence of Jaisalmer Basin,Western India: Implications on the easterly brachiopod migrations

The Bathonian sediments of the Jaisalmer Basin, India host a terebratulide brachiopod Plectoidothyris which has been previously known from the Bajocian rocks of the Boreal Province. The sharp and prominent plication of the anterior commissure and increased length of costae separates the Jaisalmer specimens from other known species of the genus and the population represents an endemic species — Plectoidothyris jaisalmerensis. The population was only cursorily described earlier lacking in details of precise stratigraphic control and was wrongly assigned to a different genus. The present study is based on a large number of specimens from different localities with precise stratigraphic data, coupled with this some recent findings of time-diagnostic ammonites have helped determine the Plectoidothyris jaisalmerensis duration in the Jaisalmer Basin as the Late Bathonian. Presence of lower Jurassic Boreal brachiopod genera in the Middle Jurassic rocks of Ethiopian and Indo — Madagascan biogeographic provinces has been noticed earlier whereto Plectoidothyris is a new addition while it is also the first report of the genus from the Jurassic of India. The brachiopod migrations from the north to south of the Tethys provide evidences for opening of shallow water routes in the Tethyan seaway and are probably indicative of warmer water conditions in the Indo-Madagascan and African areas during the Middle Jurassic.     

The effect of a uniform external pressure on the ionospheric boundary of a non-magnetic planet in a steady solar wind

The interaction of the solar wind with non-magnetic planets has been investigated theoretically taking account of the dilution of a planet's gravity field with distance and a uniform static external pressure of the incident solar wind. This results in the termination of the ionospheric boundary at a finite distance on the nightside of the planet. Numerical results are obtained for the shape of the boundary for different values of the scale height of the ionosphere, and for ratios of static to dynamic pressure of the incident solar wind.     

Chemometric analysis to infer hydro-geochemical processes in a semi-arid region of India

Groundwater exploitation in Punjab has increased in last few decades due to rapid increase in industrialization, population, crop production, and erratic monsoon. In the present study, groundwater samples from 29 locations were collected and analyzed for almost all major anions, cations, and heavy metals. The analyzed parameters formed the attribute database for statistical analysis. The study approach included multivariate statistical analysis of hydro-chemical data to identify hydro-geochemical processes occurring in the study area and its relation to groundwater quality. The principal component analysis produced seven significant factors that explained nearly 77 % of the cumulative variance. Factor 1 explained nearly 22.05 % of dataset with variables loading indicating mineralization of geological component of soil. Trilinear plot and other graphical methods were also used to identify chemical facies of groundwater and geochemical processes occurring in study area. The water type in the study area is of Na/K–Mg–HCO₃ type. It was found that the general hydro-geochemistry of groundwater in the study area dominated is by the processes such as carbonate/silicate weathering, ion-exchange, and dissolution. Thus, statistical methods can prove to be an effective tool understanding hydro-geochemistry of a region along with conventional graphical methods.     

GSC 45401533: Observations and Analysis of a NewlyDiscovered Binary Star

R observations of a newly discovered binary GSC 4540_1533 are presented. Analysis of the light curve with the Wilson-Devinney program indicates that the system is detached and consist of 2 main sequence stars. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Neutron stars and the equation of state

The interior of neutron stars consists of the densest, although relatively cold, matter known in the universe. Here, baryon number densities might reach values close to ten times the nuclear saturation density. These suggest that the constituents of neutron star cores not only consist of nucleons, but also of more exotic baryons like hyperons or a phase of deconfined quarks. We discuss the consequences of such exotic particles on the gross properties and phenomenology of neutron stars. In addition, we determine the general phase structure of dense and also hot matter in the chiral parity-doublet model and confront model results with the recent constraints derived from the neutron star merger observation.     

Orbital evolution and orbital phase resolved spectroscopy of the HMXB pulsar 4U 1538-52 with RXTE-PCA and BeppoSAX

We report here results from detailed timing and spectral studies of the high mass X-ray binary pulsar 4U 1538-52 over several binary periods using observations made with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) and BeppoSAX satellites. Pulse timing analysis with the 2003 RXTE data over two binary orbits confirms an eccentric orbit of the system. Combining the orbitial parameters determined from this observation with the earlier measurements we did not find any evidence of orbital decay in this X-ray binary. We have carried out orbital phase resolved spectroscopy to measure changes in the spectral parameters with orbital phase, particularly the absorption column density and the iron line flux. The RXTE-PCA spectra in the 3–20 keV energy range were fitted ∼6.4 keV, whereas the BeppoSAX spectra needed only a power law and Gaussian emission line at ∼6.4 keV in the restricted energy range of 0.3–10.0 keV. An absorption along the line of sight was included for both the RXTE and BeppoSAX data. The variation of the free spectral parameters over the binary orbit was investigated and we found that the variation of the column density of absorbing material in the line of sight with orbital phase is in reasonable agreement with a simple model of a spherically symmetric stellar wind from the companion star.