Ongoing partial reconnection in a limb flare

The limb flare on August 2, 1993 08:30 UT, consisting of two crossed loops, shows evidence of partial X-type reconnection. The observations suggest that partial reconnection was an ongoing process during about 10 min until flare ignition.Visiting Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, on leave from SRON Laboratory for Space Research, Sorbonnelaan 2, Utrecht, The Netherlands.     

Vegetation and climate during the Weichselian Early Glacial and Pleniglacial in the Niederlausitz,eastern Germany — macrofossil and pollen evidence

Cryoturbated organic beds and channel fills, intercalated with sandy and gravelly fluvial units, have been studied in an opencast brown‐coal mine near Nochten (Niederlausitz), eastern Germany. The fluvial–aeolian sequence covers parts of the Early, Pleni‐ and Late‐glacial. The detailed chronology is based on 11 radiocarbon and 12 OSL dates, covering the period between ca. 100 kyr and 11 kyr BP. Basal peat deposits are correlated with an Early Weichselian interstadial. During this period boreal forests were present and minimum mean summer temperatures were > 13°C. Early Pleniglacial deposits are absent. The Middle and Late Pleniglacial environments were treeless and different types of tundra vegetation can be recognised. Minimum mean summer temperatures varied between 10 and 15°C. Vegetation and climate is reconstructed in detail for the periods around 34–38 kyr BP and 24–25 kyr BP. Around 34–38 ka, a mixture between a low shrub tundra and a cottongrass tussock–subshrub tundra was present. The botanical and sedimentological data suggest that from the Middle to the Late Pleniglacial, the climate became more continental, aridity and wind strength increased, and the role of a protecting winter snow cover decreased. A sedge–grass–moss tundra dominated around 24 and 25 kyr BP. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Excited cosmic plasmas

We describe some aspects of the energetic radiations of high-energy cosmical plasmas in stellar environments, mainly stellar chromospheres and coronae, and solar and stellar flare-type phenomena. As far as possible we discuss the morphology and physics of these plasmas, and we speculate on their origin. This paper is a review, partly of a historical character, describing particularly some contributions from the Astronomical Institute at Utrecht to this field of astrophysical research.Paper dedicated to Professor Hannes Alfvén on the occasion of his 70th birthday, 30 May, 1978.     

On the appearance of magnetic flux in the solar photosphere

Ideas and models for the appearance of photospheric magnetic structure are confronted with observational data. Some findings are: The magnetic flux emerging in an active region consists of a bundle of flux tubes which were already concentrated before penetrating into the photosphere. A model of a rising bunch of flux tubes joining into a few strands at larger depths describes the coalescence of spots near the leading and following edges of the active region while more flux may surface near the center of the region. There is no observational evidence for appreciable helical twists in the flux bundles.Throughout the region's lifetime the magnetic elements move coherently, the whole magnetic structure rotates faster than the quiet photosphere. In active regions the convective flow at scales larger than the granulation is arrested by the magnetic structure. The long-lived supergranular cells around spots and in the enhanced network in turn determine the decay properties of spots and facular clusters. The modulation of the convective flow by the magnetic structure explains the slow dispersal of faculae.The hierarchy of magnetic elements (sunspots-pores-knots-facular clusters-facular points) may be explained by a set of magnetostatic flux tube models in the top of the convection zone. The underlying assumptions are that the heat flow along the magnetic field is reduced and that there is no heat exchange across the field except by radiation.A tentative model is proposed to account for the amplification, ascent and emergence of intense flux bundles. The assumptions are: (i) the field is concentrated in toroidal bundles by differential rotation, (ii) in the deep convection zone flux bundles are contained by the external turbulent pressure, and (iii) for field strengths up to the equipartition value efficient lateral heat exchange is possible. After a loop has surfaced radiative cooling and subsequent convective downflow reduce the temperature in the top of the flux tubes which then contract to field strengths well above the local equipartition value. There the heat flow is channelled along the field, which creates the conditions for the magnetostatic flux tube models without requiring a blocking of the heat flow somewhere within the tubes.The paper contains a brief review on the evolution of the magnetic field from the emergence in active regions up to the enigmatic disappearance, and a list of topics for further observational investigation.     

Heat-capacity measurements and absolute entropy of ɛ-Mg2PO4OH

The low-temperature heat capacity of -Mg₂PO₄OH was measured between 10 and 400 K by adiabatic calorimetry. No phase transition was observed over this temperature range. A relative enthalpy increment of 22,119 J mol^–1 and an absolute entropy value of 127.13±0.25 J mol^–1 K^–1 at 298.15 K are derived from the results. The low-temperature heat-capacity data are compared with the DSC data obtained from 143 K to 775 K and show marginal differences in the common temperature range. The latter data are fitted by the polynomial

Do Planetary Motions Drive Solar Variability?

We examine the occasionally forwarded hypothesis that solar activity originates by planetary Newtonian attraction on the Sun. We do this by comparing three accelerations working on solar matter at the tachocline level: Those due to planetary tidal forces, to the motion of the Sun around the planetary system's centre of gravity, and the observed accelerations at that level. We find that the latter are by a factor of about 1000 larger than the former two and therefore cannot be caused by planetary attractions. We conclude that the cause of the dynamo is purely solar.     

Direct comparison of enzyme histochemical and immunohistochemical methods to localize an enzyme

Immunohistochemical localization of enzymes is compared directly with localization of enzyme activity with (catalytic) enzyme histochemical methods. The two approaches demonstrate principally different aspects of an enzyme. The immunohistochemical method localizes the enzyme protein whether it is active or not whereas the catalytic method visualizes the functionally active enzyme only. Furthermore, enzyme histochemical methods appear to be highly sensitive in comparison with immunohistochemical methods. Finally, the catalytic methods are simple and last 5-60 min at room temp, whereas immunohistochemical methods take hours at least. It can be concluded that enzyme histochemical methods are the methods of choice to localize enzymes because they detect the functional activity of an enzyme, they are relatively simple and their sensitivity is high.     

Late Pleistocene and Holocene palaeogeography of the Lower Tagus Valley (Portugal): effects of relative sea level, valley morphology and sediment supply

Because of the deep glacial incision, the Lower Tagus Valley hosts a sedimentary record since 20 000 cal BP, making this a unique site along the European Atlantic margin with respect to palaeogeographic and sea level changes. Based on nine cross-sections and 55 radiocarbon dates together with a newly created relative sea level curve, we constructed five palaeogeographic maps of the infill of the Lower Tagus Valley since 20 000 cal BP. We illustrate that relative sea level rise and fluvial sediment supply were the prime forcing factors determining the depositional history and palaeogeographic changes. Around 20 000 cal BP a deeply incised braided river existed, which was directly connected to the ocean across the narrow continental shelf. After that (12 000 cal BP) the gradually moister and warmer climate caused a change to a single-channel river. During the following period (12 000–7000 cal BP) relative sea level rise resulted in a transgression in the Lower Tagus Valley and the establishment of extensive tidal environments. After relative sea level rise had ended (7000 cal BP) the valley was progressively filled by a fluvial wedge and tidally influenced bayhead delta. Since 1000 cal BP the valley-fill history was dominated by increased sediment input due to human-induced degradation of catchment slopes. Generally, climate was of subordinate importance during the entire studied period, merely causing a single-channel river resulting from the change from the cold Heinrich event 1 to the temperate Bölling–Allerød interstadial. Despite the tectonic activity in the region, neotectonic uplift or subsidence was limited, as supported by the horizontal relative sea level curve since 7000 cal BP. Neotectonics played a minor role due to the large distance from the Fennoscandian ice sheet and the narrow continental shelf, which prohibited strong glacio- and hydro-isostatic movements.     

21 May 1980 flare review

A review is given of observations and theories relevant to the solar flare of 21 May, 1980, 20 ∶ 50 UT, the best studied flare on record. For more than 30 hr before the flare there was filament activation and plasma heating to above 10 MK. A flare precursor was present ≥6 min before the flare onset. The flare started with filament activation (20 ∶ 50 UT), followed by thick-target heating of two footpoints and subsequent ablation and convective evaporation involving energies of 1 to 2 × 10³¹ erg. Coronal explosions occurred at 20 ∶ 57 UT (possibly associated with a type-II burst) and at 21 ∶ 04 UT (associated with an Hα spray?). Post-flare loops were first seen at 20 ∶ 57 UT, and their upward motion is interpreted as a manifestation of successive field-line reconnections. A type-IV radio burst which later changed into a type-I noise storm was related to a giant coronal arch located just below the radio noise storm region. Some implications and difficulties these observations present to current flare theories are mentioned.