Unusual spatial-temporal dynamics of geomagnetic disturbances during the main phase of the extremely strong magnetic storm of November 7–8, 2004

The spatial dynamics of geomagnetic variations and pulsations, auroras, and riometer absorption during the development of the main phase of the extremely strong magnetic storm of November 7–8, 2004, has been studied. It has been indicated that intense disturbances were observed in the early morning sector of auroral latitudes rather than in the nighttime sector, as usually takes place during magnetic storms. The unusual spatial dynamics was revealed at the beginning of the storm main phase. A rapid poleward expansion of disturbances from geomagnetic latitudes of 65°–66° to 74°–75° and the development of the so-called polar cap substorm with a negative bay amplitude of up to 2500 nT, accompanied by precipitation of energetic electrons (riometer absorption) and generation of Pi2–Pi3 pulsations, were observed when IMF B _z was about ?45 nT. The geomagnetic activity maximum subsequently sharply shifted equatorward to 60°–61°. The spatial dynamics of the westward electrojet, Pi2–Pi3 geomagnetic pulsations, and riometer absorption was similar, which can indicate that the source of these phenomena is common.     

Bayesian improver of a distribution

 An estimate of a distribution obtained from a sample by any method of classical statistics may be erroneous when the sample is not representative of the population. A subjective distribution elicited from an expert may be miscalibrated when information is scanty and experience limited. The Bayesian Improver of a Distribution (BID) exploits a coherence principle and improves, in the ex ante sense, an initial estimate of a continuous distribution by using (i) the known distribution of a related variate and (ii) information about the dependence structure between the two variates. The theory of BID is developed into an applied (ABID) procedure. The ABID estimator is applicable to any continuous, monotone likelihood ratio dependent variates with arbitrary, strictly increasing marginal distributions, parametric or nonparametric; it is analytic in form and easy to implement via statistical or judgmental methods; it converges to the true distribution, provided the initial estimator does, as the sample size n→∞; it outperforms the initial estimator in the expected Kolmogorov–Smirnov distance for all n; and it offers the greatest gains when n is small – precisely when improved estimates are needed most.     

Variations in the geomagnetic field and auroras during the main phase of a large magnetic storm of November 20, 2003

The substorm characteristics during the main phase of a large magnetic storm of November 20, 2003, are studied based on the data of TV observations of auroras and auroral absorption at Tixie Bay station and at the global network of magnetic stations. The contribution of auroral particles, responsible for the emission of discrete auroras, has been estimated based on an analysis of the spatial-time variations in the auroral luminosity intensity. This contribution accounted for ～40% of the total luminous flux, which is approximately twice as large as was previously observed in substorm disturbances. Responses of the solar wind and IMF parameters in substorms and variations in the magnetic indices, characterizing geomagnetic activity in the northern polar cap and ring current (PCN, ASY-H and SYM-H), have been detected. The spatial-time distribution of the equivalent ionospheric currents has been constructed, and the total value of these currents along the meridian has been determined based on the [Popov et al., 2001] method and using the IMAGE magnetic data. It has been obtained that the maximal total equivalent ionospheric current in the premidnight sector (～2000 MLT) leads the minimal value of the SYM-H index by ～1.5 h.     

The Late Silurian Age of the Reference Aralaul Granosyenites–Granite Massif (Northern Kazakhstan)

This work presents the results of U–Pb geochronological studies of alkaline granites of the Aralaul complex of Northern Kazakhstan, which allow one to substantiate their Late Silurian (420 ± 4 Ma) age. Taking into consideration the previously obtained data, we propose a new development scheme of Paleozoic granitoid magmatism in Northern Kazakhstan, which includes Late Ordovician granite–granodiorite (Zerenda and Krykkuduk), Early Silurian granite–leucogranite (Borovoe and Karabulak), Late Silurian granosyenites–granite (Aralaul), and Early Devonian (Balkashino and Orlinogorsk) complexes.     

Optical absorption and mössbauer spectra of purple and green yoderite,a kyanite-related mineral

Mössbauer and polarized optical absorption spectra of the kyanite-related mineral yoderite were recorded. Mössbauer spectra of the purple (PY) and green yoderite (GY) from Mautia Hill, Tanzania, show that the bulk of the iron is Fe³⁺ in both varieties, with Fe²⁺/(Fe²⁺+Fe³⁺) ratios near 0.05. Combining this result with new microprobe data for PY and with literature data for GY gives the crystallochemical formulae: $$\begin{gathered} ({\text{Mg}}_{{\text{1}}{\text{.95}}} {\text{Fe}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.02}}}^{{\text{2 + }}} {\text{Mn}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.01}}}^{{\text{2 + }}} {\text{Fe}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.34}}}^{{\text{3 + }}} {\text{Mn}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.07}}}^{{\text{3 + }}} {\text{Ti}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.01}}} {\text{Al}}_{{\text{3}}{\text{.57}}} )_{5.97}^{[5,6]} \hfill \\ {\text{Al}}_{{\text{2}}{\text{.00}}}^{{\text{[5]}}} [({\text{Si}}_{{\text{3}}{\text{.98}}} {\text{P}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.03}}} ){\text{O}}_{{\text{18}}{\text{.02}}} ({\text{OH)}}_{{\text{1}}{\text{.98}}} ] \hfill \\ \end{gathered}$$ and PY and $$\begin{gathered} ({\text{Mg}}_{{\text{1}}{\text{.98}}} {\text{Fe}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.02}}}^{{\text{2 + }}} {\text{Mn}}_{{\text{< 0}}{\text{.001}}}^{{\text{2 + }}} {\text{Fe}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.45}}}^{{\text{3 + }}} {\text{Ti}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.01}}} {\text{Al}}_{{\text{3}}{\text{.56}}} )_{6.02}^{[5,6]} \hfill \\ {\text{Al}}_{{\text{2}}{\text{.00}}}^{{\text{[5]}}} [({\text{Si}}_{{\text{3}}{\text{.91}}} {\text{O}}_{{\text{17}}{\text{.73}}} {\text{(OH)}}_{{\text{2}}{\text{.27}}} ] \hfill \\ \end{gathered}$$ for GY. The Mössbauer spectra at room temperature contain one main doublet with isomer shifts and quadrupole splittings of 0.36 (PY), 0.38 (GY) and 1.00 (PY), 0.92 (GY) mm s^?1, respectively. These values correspond to Fe³⁺ in six or five-fold coordination. The doublet components have anomalously large half widths indicating either accomodation of Fe³⁺ in more than one position (e.g., octahedraA1 and five coordinatedA2) or the yet unresolved superstructure. Besides strong absorption in the ultraviolet (UV) starting from about 25,000 cm^?1, the polarized optical absorption spectra are dominated by strong bands around 16,500 and 21,000 cm^?1 (PY) and a medium strong band at around 13,800 cm^?1 (GY). Position and polarization of these bands, in combination with the UV absorption, explain the colour and pleochroism of the two varieties. The bands in question are assigned to homonuclear metal-to-metal charge transfer transitions: Mn²⁺(A1) Mn³⁺(A1′) ? Mn³⁺(A1) Mn²⁺(A1′) and Mn²⁺(A1) Mn³⁺(A2 ? Mn³⁺(A1) Mn²⁺(A2) in PY and Fe²⁺(A1) Fe³⁺(A1′) ? Fe³⁺(A1) Fe²⁺(A1′) in GY. The evidence for homonuclear Mn²⁺ Mn³⁺ charge transfer (CTF) is not quite clear and needs further study. Heteronuclear FeTi CTF does not contribute to the spectra. In PY, additional weak bands were resolved at energies around 17,700, 18,700, 21,000, and 21,900 cm^?1 and assigned to Mn³⁺ in two positions. Weak bands around 10,000 cm^?1 in both varieties are assigned to Fe²⁺ spin-alloweddd-transitions. Very weak and sharp bands, around 15,400, 16,400, 21,300, 22,100, 23,800, and 25,000 cm^?1 are identified in GY and assigned to Fe³⁺ spin-forbiddendd-transitions.     

Phobos-grunt soil sampling device

The main objective of the Phobos-Grunt spacecraft mission is to sample Phobos soil and delivery it to Earth. Soil sampling is performed by means of a soil sampling device. The article covers the structure of the soil sampling device, its main functions and operation cyclogram.     

Observations of the compact group of galaxies Shahbazian 130

Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory and Special Astrophysical Observatory, Academy of Sciences. Translated fromAstrofizika, Vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 67–75, July–August, 1991.