The even-odd systematics inR-process nuclide abundances

We report and discuss solar systemN _R abundances for nuclidesA>70, obtained as differences between measured solar system abundances and calculatedS-process contributions. The abundance peak atA163 in the rare Earth element region reveals properties which are similar to those of theR-process peaks corresponding to magic neutron numbersN=82 andN=126. We observe that systematic differences in theN _R abundances of even-A and odd-A nuclides are restricted to specific mass regions. We discuss possible interpretations and conclude that these differences are most probably related to the properties of nuclear species during _– to the stability valley.... A genesis of the elements such as is sketched out would not be confined to our little Solar System, but would probably follow the same general sequence of events in every center of energy now visible as a Star. Sir William Crookes (1886)Paper dedicated to Professor Hannes Alfvén on the occasion of his 80th birthday, 30 May 1988.     

The stability parameters of three-dimensional periodic three-body orbits

Formulae containing the elements of the variational matrix are obtained which determine the linear isoenergetic stability parameters of three-dimensional periodic orbits of the general three-boy problem. This requires the numerical integration of the variational equations but produces the stability parameters with the effective accuracy of the numerical integration. The conditions for stability, criticality, and bifurcations are briefly examined and the stability determination procedure is tested in the determination of some three-dimensional periodic orbits of low inclination bifurcating from vertical-critical coplanar orbits.     

The lunar geochemistry of chromium and vanadium

Crystal/liquid partition coefficients for Cr, V, Mn, and Fe have been determined experimentally between olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene and silicate melt possesing the composition of a primitive lunar green glass, at oxygen fugacities appropriate to the lunar interior. These species all behave essentially as compatible elements and possess crystal/liquid partition coefficients mostly between 0.3 and 0.9. Partition coefficients for Cr, V, and Mn are generally similar to those of Fe. This implies that crystal/liquid fractionation processes in the lunar interior which do not involve the participation of spinels would not have been effective in fractionating MnO, CrO, and VO from FeO. The well-known constancy of FeO/MnO ratios in nearly all lunar rocks is a reflection of this behaviour. It is shown that comparably strong correlations between CrO-;FeO and VO-;FeO exist for lunar highland breccias and soils from all sites and that these correlations extend to primitive lunar volcanic glasses associated with mare volcanism, strongly suggesting that the CrO/FeO and VO/FeO ratios so derived are of global importance. The observed ratios characterizing differentiated regions of the Moon can be combined with the corresponding ratios for residual refractory portions of the Moon, using measured partition coefficients for Fe, Mg, Cr, V, and Mn between olivine, orthopyroxene and liquid. Bulk Moon abundances for Cr and V have been calculated for a range of reasonable assumptions concerning the petrogenetic relationships between differentiated portions of the Moon and complementary refractory residua consisting of olivine and orthopyroxene mineralogies. Because of the small differences in crystal liquid partition coefficients between FeO, CrO, and VO, these estimates are insensitive to large variations in the models. The bulk Moon is accordingly estimated to contain 2190–2463 ppm Cr and 79–95 ppm V. These values are very similar to the Cr and V contents of the Earth's mantle, estimated as 3010 ppm Cr and 81 ppm V by Sun (1982). The geochemical implications of these similarities are discussed.     

Identification of the interstellar cyanomethyl radical (CH2CN) in the molecular clouds TMC-1 and Sagittarius B2

We report the astronomical identification of the cyanomethyl radical, CH2CN, the heaviest nonlinear molecular radical to be identified in interstellar clouds. The complex fine and hyperfine structures of the lowest rotational transitions at about 20.12 and 40.24 GHz are resolved in TMC-1, where the abundance appears to be about 5 x 10(-9) relative to that of H2. This is significantly greater than the observed abundance of CH3CN (methyl cyanide) in TMC-1. In Sgr B2 the hyperfine structure is blended in the higher frequency transitions at 40, 80, and 100 GHz, although the spin-rotation doubling is clearly evident. Preliminary searches in other sources indicate that the distribution of CH2CN is similar to that for such carbon chain species as HC3N or C4H.     

Combustion as the cause of comet P/Halley's activity

The totality of the results obtained in the VEGA, GIOTTO and SUISEI projects does not lend itself to interpretation within the old sublimation models of comet activity considering solar radiation as the sole source of energy. Among them are the systematic excess of the velocity and temperature of the gas escaping from the nucleus over the theoretical values, the outflow being concentrated in several ( ~ 12–15) narrow ( ~ 300 m in size at the nucleus) hypersonic jets carrying very large amounts of remarkably fine CHON dust and located along continuous lines on the nuclear surface, intense release from the nucleus or very close to it (2 × 10³km) of CO (Q _Co/Q _{H2 O} = 0.05–0.2) with a smaller amount of CO₂ (Q _{CO 2}/ Q _{H2 O} 0.015), large near-nucleus abundances of C, C⁺ (Q _C/Q _CO 0.29), etc.The new observations, together with some earlier data still poorly understood (e.g. the appearance in the coma of large amounts of C₃) can be accounted for by assuming the cometary ices to contain, apart from hydrocarbons, nitrogen-containing compounds, etc. also of free oxygen ( ~ 15 wt.%). Under these conditions, burning should occur in the products of sublimation under deficiency of oxidizer accompanied by the production of soot, smoke, etc. The burning should propagate under the surface crust and localize primarily at a few sites.The presence of oxygen in cometary ices follows from a new eruption theory assuming the minor bodies of the Solar System to have formed in explosions of the massive ice envelopes saturated by electrolysis products on distant moonlike bodies of the type of Ganymede and Callisto.     

A new approach to the possibilities of Σ(D)-dependence and distances of the supernova remnants

A new way of choosing of the calibrators for constructing (D)-dependence of supernova remnants (SNR) is suggested. A knowledge of the distance of an SNR is not sufficient to consider it as a calibrator. It is shown that neither more accurate determination of distance to calibrators, nor an increase in their number, nor an increase in the precision of the remnant angular size and radio flux determination can lead to a considerable improvement of simple (D)-dependence which is suggested in the given work.For remnants with small surface brightnesses there is no (D)-dependence at all. The most accurate remnant distances currently known, are given: these are liable to change only after a large amount of additional observational data accurately compiled.     

Discrete Alfvén waves in planar flux tubes

Properties of discrete Alfvén wave modes are derived, at frequencies up to the ion-cyclotron frequency, for current-carrying plasma slabs with non-uniform densities. It is shown that the essential features of the dispersion relations can be derived by examining the dominant terms in the potential function, when the wave equation is cast in the Schrödinger equation form. Analytical predictions for a class of mass and current density profiles are compared with numerically calculated dispersion relations and wavefields for particular profiles.     

A spectroscopic study of the microorganism model of interstellar grains

The microorganism model of interstellar grains is investigated by spectroscopy from the infrared (IR), visible to the ultraviolet (UV) wave regions.E. coli, yeast and spores ofBacillus subtilis exhibit absorption bands at =3.1 and 9.7 m; they also exhibit several absorptions at 68 m which are in agreement with the observed IS extinction curves.To obtain the extinction curves in the visible and UV regions, dry films of microorganism are prepared on a MgF₂ plate or synthesized quartz plate and their spectra measured. In the wavelength region 190400 nm, conventional spectrophotometers are adopted for the measurement. The extinction curve of the film ofE. coli is similar to the observed IS curve.For the wave-range 100<<400 nm, a vacuum UV spectrometer is adopted to avoid absorptions due to O₂ in the atmosphere. The extinction spectra by this method are in agreement with the result obtained by the conventional method where comparison is possible. The extinction curves ofE. coli and yeast are such that they incrase towards the short wavelength and exhibit a peak at -190 nm, which is different from the well-known IS peak at =220 nm. It remains to be seen whether interstellar low temperatures (1040 K) can shift the peak position in the extinction curve of biochemical materials.     

An estimate of the contribution of high nergy cosmic-ray protons to the absorbed dose inventory of a cometary nucleus

We discuss the contribution of cosmic-ray protons at all energies above 1 MeV to the absorbed doses of the surface layers of a comet. Since there exists no calculation which takes into account proton energy losses by means of losses to electrons and nuclear collisions (in a cascade process), and losses due to the low energy end-products of the cascade, we have made a rough estimate of all of these contributions. An analytical formula is proposed that allows a rapid estimate of ranges and the dose absorbed at any depth. We give dose-depth curves for two extreme values of the energy at which nuclear collisions begin to dominate the slowing-down process, and for an intermediate value we display the dose-depth curve down to 20 m from the surface. The relevance of these findings to dosimetry in comets and some alterations of cometary material are considered. The need for improving the analytical expression proposed is stressed.     

Isovortical orbits in uniformly rotating coordinates

For the conservative, two degree-of-freedom system with autonomous potential functionV(x,y) in rotating coordinates; $$\dot u - 2n\upsilon = V_x , \dot \upsilon + 2nu = V_y $$ , vorticity (v _x -u _y ) is constant along the orbit when the relative velocity field is divergence-free such that: $$u(x,y,t) = \psi _y , \upsilon (x,y,t) = - \psi _x $$ . Unlike isoenergetic reduction using the Jacobi, integral and eliminating the time,non-singular reduction from fourth to second-order occurs when (u,v) are determined explicitly as functions of their arguments by solving for ψ (x, y, t). The orbit function ψ satisfies a second-order, non-linear partial differential equation of the Monge Ampere type: $$2(\psi _{xx} \psi _{yy} - \psi _{xy}^2 ) - 2(\psi _{xx} + \psi _{yy} ) + V_{xx} + V_{yy} = 0$$ . Isovortical orbits in the rotating frame arenot level curves of ψ because it contains time explicitly due to coriolis effects. Rather, (x, y) coordinates along the orbit are obtained, from (u, v) either by numerical integration of the kinematic equations, or by partial differentiation of the Legendre transform ? of ψ. In the latter case, ? is shown to satisfy a non-linear, second-order partial differential equation in three independent variables, derived from the Monge-Ampere Equation. Complete reduction to quadrature is possible when space-time symmetries exist, as in the case of central force motion.