Laboratory simulation of volatilisation from melts induced by micrometeoroid impacts

The laboratory simulation experiments on volatilization from the melts formed due to micrometeoroid impacts on the lunar surface were carried out. The simulation was performed using modulated laser pulses incident on rocks and minerals in vacuum; in so doing microcraters on the targets, glass particles, condensates were formed and gases solved in the bulk of the rock and mineral grains were released. It is shown that volatilization from only the crater glass layers is negligible, which fully confirms the theoretical predictions of Nussinov and Chernyak.The volatilizations from the drops formed by the micrometeoric impacts can be noticeable. For micron-sized drops, predominant among the others after the impact, the volatilization of Na, K and other volatiles can be up to 10 to 20%. For larger-sized (d10² m) drops the volatilization should lead to the appearance of the significant gradients of the element concentrations over the particle cross-section and as a result of their normalization it leads to the surface enrichment by some elements (Si and others).The mechanism of dust formation due to the surface rocks attack by volatilizing alkaline metals (Naughtonet al.) on the Moon probably is not effective. It is the consequence of such a fact that the condensate of the target materials evaporated due to other simultaneous micrometeoric impacts and had the same (as the target has) elemental composition is the very strong background for volatilizing and condensating alkaline elements.Preliminary conclusions about a possible correlation between the composition and the sizes of dust particles in the Solar system and in the Universe (at similar initial composition) have been drawn.     

Cosmic ray intensity variations and two types of high speed solar streams

This study deals with the short-term variations of cosmic ray intensity during the interval 1973–78. Daily means of high latitude neutron and meson monitors from the same station and those of a low latitude neutron monitor have been analysed using the Chree method of superposed epochs. The zero epoch for the Chree analyses corresponds to the day of a substantial increase (V 200 km s^–1) in the solar wind speed to values of 550 km s^–1 and which persists at such high values for an interval of at least three days. The investigation reveals the existence of two types of cosmic ray intensity variations with distinctly different spectral characteristics. During the interval 1973–76, relative changes in the neutron and meson monitor rates are nearly equal indicating an almost flat rigidity spectrum of variation. During 1977–78, however, the spectrum acquires a negative spectral character similar to that observed for Forbush decreases. We suggest that events of the interval 1973–76 are essentially due to high speed streams associated with solar coronal holes and that events of the interval 1977–78 are due to fast streams from solar active regions with flare activity.     

Tunneling and interference of Alfvén waves

The propagation and interference of Alfvén waves in magnetic regions is studied. A multilayer approximation of the standard models of the solar atmosphere is used. In each layer, there is a linear law of temperature variation and a power law of Alfvén velocity variation. The analytical solutions of a wave equation are stitched at the layer boundaries. The low-frequency Alfvén waves (P > 1 s) are able to transfer the energy from sunspots into the corona by tunneling only. The chromosphere is not a resonance filter for the Alfvén waves. The interference and resonance of Alfvén waves are found to be important to wave propagation through the magnetic coronal arches. The transmission coefficient of Alfvén waves into the corona increases sharply on the resonance frequences. To take into account the wave absorption in the corona, a method of equivalent schemes is developed. The heating of a coronal arch by Alfvén waves is discussed.     

On geological processes on venus: Analysis of the relationship between altitude and degree of surface roughness

Aiming to study the relationship between Venus surface heights and surface roughness, the Pioneer Venus surface altitude map and map of r.m.s. slope in m-dkm scale have been analy sed for the Beta and Ishtar regions using a system of digital image processing. To integrate the data obtained, the results of geomorphological analysis of Venera 9 and 10 TV panoramas as well as gamma-spectrometric and photometric measurements were used. The analysis gives proof that Venera 9 and 10 landing sites represent geologic-morphologic situations typical of Venus, thus enabling the results of observations made at landing sites to be extended to large provinces. Apparently this conclusion is also applicable to the Venera 8 landing site. No strong relationship exists between the roughness of the surface and its altitude or the amount of a regional slope; neither for the Beta nor for the Ishtar region. A weak direct correlation observable for roughness-altitude pairs for the Beta region and roughness-altitude, roughness-slope pairs for the Ishtar region are quite obviously a consequence of regional roughness control, i.e. of an overall character of geological structure. On Venus the factors contributing to higher surface roughness on the m-dkm scale are, obviously, mostly volcanic and tectonic in their nature whilst those responsible for smoothing-out of the surface are chiefly exogenic. The rate of exogenic transformation of the Cytherean surface may be fairly high. On Venus, similarly as on the Earth, active tectono-magmatic processes have possibly taken place in recent geological epochs. One of the places where they are manifest is an extensive zone running from north to south across the Beta, Phoebe and Themis highlands. Within its limits occur both the process of basaltic shield-type volcanism and areal basalt effusions at low hypsometric levels accounting for the formation of lowland plains at the expense of ancient rolling plains. The basalts of the shield volcano Beta show some differences in composition compared to those of areal effusions at low hypsometric levels. The overall character of Cytherean tectonics in the recent geologic epoch is apparently block-type with a predominance of vertical movements. Against the background of the sinking of some of the blocks the other ones are rising and, possibly, such compensation upheavals have been responsible for the formation of the Ishtar region.     

Comments about the direct perturbations of Venus and Mars on the Moon's motion

In a previous paper (Standaert, 1980) we have described an algorithm to compute the direct perturbation of the planets on the Moon's motion. A short summary of this algorithm is presented in Section 2 of this paper. Our first results permit us to present some complements and comments about these computations.The algorithm is based upon the Lie transform method and is implemented using Chapront's ELP as solution of the main problem with the partial derivatives of Henrard's Semi-Analytical Lunar Ephemeris (SALE), and Bretagnon's mean Keplerian orbit.An analysis of truncation errors in intermediate results is presented including the resonance effects. The final accuracy of the solution is intended to be about 0.0005 for terms of period up to 2000 yr in the case of Venus and up to 5000 yr in the case of Mars.The effects of second-order terms in the masses are investigated. Only those depending upon the second derivatives of the mean motions are found to be significant to the given accuracy and are included.Proceedings of the Conference on Analytical Methods and Ephemerides: Theory and Observations of the Moon and Planets. Facultés universitaires Notre Dame de la Paix, Namur, Belgium, 28–31 July, 1980.     

Measurements of peroxyacetylnitrate in the marine boundary layer over the Atlantic

The atmospheric concentration of peroxyacetylnitrate (PAN) was measured during a cruise of the R.S. Polarstern from Bremerhaven (Germany) to Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) in September/ October 1988. The measurements were made in-situ by a combination of electron capture gaschromatography with a cryogenic preconcentration step. The theoretical lower limit of detection (3) was 0.4 ppt. The mixing ratios of PAN varied by more than three orders of magnitude from 2000 ppt in the English Channel to less than 0.4 ppt south of the Azores (38° N). South of 35° N, PAN levels were below the detection limit, except at 30–31° S off the eastern coast of South America. Here, PAN mixing ratios of 10 to 100 ppt were detected in continentally influenced air masses. Detectable levels of PAN were mostly observed in air masses of continental or high northern origin. Changes in the wind directions were usually associated with substantial changes in the PAN mixing ratios.     

Theory of the local scale parameter method for EDM

The determination of a representative refractive index for the wave path is the main limitation of the attainable accuracy in electronic distance measurement. To overcome this limitation the length ratio method was initially proposed and later developed into the local scale parameter (LSP) method. In this paper, the mathematical model of the LSP method is derived for electro-optical distance measurement from first principles based on the physics of the atmospheric boundary layer. The model does not rely on standard atmospheres. It is shown that atmospheric temperatures and pressures must be observed at instrument stations but not at reflector stations. Appropriate LSP field procedures and the results of some field experiments are summarized. The method consistently produces accuracies of better than ±1 ppm. Use of the method is recommended for high precision (trilateration) networks, which need to be measured repeatedly and where absolute scale is not relevant.     

Periodicities in sea-level changes at Stockholm

The annual mean sea-level time series for Stockholm (Sweden) for 1825–1984 (160 data points) had a large long-term negative (almost linear, only slightly quadratic) trend. After correcting for the same, the detrended series was subjected to maximum entropy spectral analysis (MESA). Choosing selected periodicities for further multiple regression analysis, series for the first 80 yr (1825–1904) showed periodicities at T = 2.40, 5.0, 6.1, 13.5, 14.8 and 32 yr, significant at a 2 level. The three largest peaks (italicized) had amplitudes of approximately (2.5–3.0) ± 0.8 cm. The latter 80 yr (1905–1984) showed significant periodicities at T= 2.05, 2.7, 3.0, 3.6, 4.4, 5.5, 6.3, 7.7, 9.8, 20.5 and 33 yr. The three largest peaks (italicized) had amplitudes of approximately (2.0–2.5) ± 0.7 cm. The whole period of 160 yr (1825–1984) showed significant periodicities at T = 2.05, 2.9, 3.2, 4.5, 4.9, 5.6, 6.4, 7.8, 11.0, 13.7, 14.8, 29 and 43 yr. The three largest peaks (italicized) had amplitudes of approximately (1.6–1.9) ± 0.6 cm. All these significant peaks explained a variance of only about 30% or less, indicating a large random component of approximately 70%. Peaks at T = 11 yr (sunspot cycle) or T = 18.6 yr (lunar nodal term) were either absent or very weak. Most of the other peaks were transient (present in the first 80 yr or the latter 80 yr) except an uncertain quasibiennial oscillation (QBO) (T = 2–3 yr) and T = 5–6 yr and T 30 yr, which seemed to be persistent throughout the whole period. Some periodicities seem to resemble those seen in the Southern Oscillation (SO) index.     

The front of 8 October 1987 — Predictions of three mesoscale models

Summary The forntal passage of 8 October 1987, which was extensively sampled during the first intense observation period of the German Front Experiment, is simulated by aid of three mesoscale models. The results are intercompared and held against the manually and objectively analysed observations of the meso and meso- scales, respectively. The orographic impact is studied by comparing model runs with full and cut-off Alps. Implications regarding similar efforts in the future conclude the paper.With 11 Figures     

The role of sediments in the phosphorus cycle in Lake Lugano. I. Geochemical approach

The bottom sediment from three coring stations in Lake Lugano (Lago di Lugano) show major differences in their role in the P-cycles related to their geochemistry and characteristics of sedimentation. In the northern basin, the deepest sediment may be considered practically inactive, due to a permanently reduced condition at the sediment-water interface. In the southern basin, the sediments are active with respect to P-recycling with strong seasonal variations. One of the sites (Figino) behaves as a sink for P due to a high iron content and an important rate of detrital sedimentation.