Coronal scattering as a source of flare-associated polarized hard X-rays

We consider the scattering of flare-associated X-rays above 1 keV at coronal heights, particularly from regions of enhanced density. This includes a discussion of the polarization of the scattered X-rays. Although the scattered radiation would not be bright by comparison with the total hard X-ray flux from a flare, its detectability would be enhanced for events located a few degrees behind the limb for which the dominant `footpoint' hard X-ray sources are occulted. Thus we predict that major flares occurring beyond the solar limb may be detectable via scattering in density enhancements that happen to be visible above the limb, and that such sources may be strongly polarized. Since thin-target bremsstrahlung will generally greatly exceed the scattered thick-target flux in flare loops themselves, these considerations apply only to coronal structures that do not contain significant populations of non-thermal electrons.     

Nonuniform Target Ionization and Fitting Thick Target Electron Injection Spectra to RHESSI Data

Past analyses of flare hard X-ray (HXR) spectra have largely ignored the effect of nonuniform ionization along the electron paths in the thick-target model, though it is very significant for well-resolved spectra. The inverse problem (photon spectrum to electron injection spectrum F ₀(E ₀)) is disturbingly non-unique. However, we show that it is relatively simple to allow for the effect in forward fitting of parametric models of F ₀(E ₀)) and provide an expression to evaluate it for the usual single power-law form of F ₀(E ₀)).The expression involves the column depth N _* of the transition region in the flare loop as one of the parameters so data fitting can enable derivation of N _* (and its evaporative evolution) as part of the fitting procedure. The fit to RHESSI data on four flares for a single power law F ₀(E ₀)) is much improved when ionization structure is included compared to when the usual fully ionized approximation is used. This removes the need, in these events at least, to invoke broken power laws, or other forms, of the acceleration spectrum F ₀(E ₀)) to explain the observed photon spectrum     

Empirical correction of RHESSI spectra for photospheric albedo and its effect on inferred electron spectra

Photospheric Compton backscatter (albedo) makes a significant contribution to observed hard X-ray (HXR) spectral fluxes over the RHESSI energy range and should be allowed for in HXR spectral interpretation. The full correction problem is nonlinear and messy but we offer a simple approximate first-order correction procedure for global HXR spectra based upon empirical fits to published albedo simulations. We also illustrate the impact of this correction on inferred electron spectra for the thin- and thick-target models.     

Anomalous isotopic concentrations in the sea off Southern California

Measurements are reported of the ¹⁰Be concentrations in 15 sediments from the sea off southern California. The sedimentation patterns are modelled with a two component system, one component having the high ¹⁰Be concentration of pelagic sediment and the other the low concentration of continental runoff. The pelagic component, brought to the region by the California Current with the Pacific Ocean as reservoir, is very likely the source not only of anomalously high ¹⁰Be deposition but also of similar effects with ²¹⁰¹Pb, ^239,240pu and ²⁴¹Pu.     

Evaluation of swimmer-based rip current escape strategies

Rip currents are the primary hazard on surf beaches, and early studies described them as fast, shore-normal flows that extended seaward of the surf zone. Based on this traditional view, commonly promoted safety advice was to escape a rip current by swimming parallel to the beach. However, recent studies have shown dominant rip current re-circulation within the surf zone and have endorsed floating as an appropriate escape strategy. Here, a first quantitative assessment of the efficacy of various rip current escape strategies, with a focus on the underlying physical processes, is presented. A field study was conducted at Shelly Beach, NSW, Australia, measuring three rip currents (two open beaches, one topographic) over 3 days in varying wave conditions. Floating was found to be a longer duration, more variable escape strategy ( $ \overline{t} $  = 3.8 min, σ = 2.4 min), than swimming parallel ( $ \overline{t} $  = 2.2 min, σ = 1.0 min). Neither of the scenarios is 100 % foolproof, and both fail in some scenarios, making simplified safety recommendations difficult. Swim parallel failures are related to swimming against the alongshore current of the rip circulation. Float failures related to surf zone exits, with the highest exit rate occurring in the topographic rip. Float failures also occurred due to multiple re-circulations without the person attaining safe footing on the bar. The variable spatial and temporal behaviour of rip currents suggests that a single escape strategy safety message is inappropriate. Instead, a combined approach and scenario-specific safety advice should be considered by beach safety practitioners to promote to the public.     

Estimating the size and distribution of South Asian religious populations in Britain: is there an alternative to a religion question in the census?

This paper addresses the question of whether there is an alternative to asking a direct religious question in the 2001 Census through a systematic review of alternative methods of quantifying religious populations. After establishing the limited availability of direct information on religion, the paper considers the application of an inferential method for estimating religious populations based on data from the 1994 Fourth National Survey of Ethnic Minorities (NSEM). Except for the monoreligious Pakistani and Bangladeshi populations, evidence of substantial spatial variation in the association between ethnicity and religion severely limits application of the method below national level. Using the religiously diverse Indian population of outer London as a case study, the NSEM is investigated to see whether the incorporation of other ?predictors? of religion as weighting variables improves sensitivity of the method to this variation. In a second method, logistic regression is employed to develop predictive models of religious affiliation for application to census microdata. Based on these two applications, it was concluded that very little of the variation in the religious geography of Indians in outer London can be inferred from measured characteristics in the census. However, this does not necessarily imply support for inclusion of a religion question in the 2001 Census. It was suggested that it may be more appropriate and cost effective to define and solve the need for data locally.     

Triple Differencing with Kalman Filtering: Making It Work

Since global positioning system (GPS) measurements are ranges (code) and biased ranges (carrier), it seems natural to model them as ranges and determine the biases. This is particularly compelling since the double-difference range biases turn out to be integers. At some level there is also an elegance, perhaps therefore a naturalness, to modeling the carrier measurements as time differences of double differences. While something is lost something else is gained. Here we apply the proven delayed-state Kalman filter to processing carrier phase measurements as triple differences. In practice we process these triple differences along with double-difference code measurements. We also treat the measurement error as, mostly, Gauss-Markov states to be determined. Many of the details are discussed and experimental results are included. These demonstrate that excellent performance can be obtained if the Kalman filter modeling is done carefully. ? 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Voluminous low temperature rhyolitic magmas in New Zealand

The glassy acid pumices, lavas and ignimbrites of the Pleistocene-Recent Central volcanic region of New Zealand contain iron-titanium oxide microphenocrysts, whose composition has been determined. Thirteen coexisting titanomagnetite-ilmenite pairs (all onephase and homogeneous) give two groups of equilibration temperatures: 735–780° C for amphibole-bearing rhyolites, and 860–890° C for very young non-amphibole-bearing pumices. O¹⁸/O¹⁶ analyses of coexisting phenocrysts from five amphibole-bearing rhyolites give estimated temperatures in the range 695–860° C, with an average of approximately 780° C.Using Zen's (1971) thermodynamic data on anthophyllite, the fugacity of water has been calculated for two rhyolites with cummingtonite-orthopyroxene-quartz phenocrysts; at 735° C and 745° C, fH₂O is 1100 and 1300 bars respectively. These values are consistent with that derived for an analysed phenocryst assemblage of biotite-sanidine-magnetite. As all the investigated rhyolites contain phenocrysts of orthopyroxene and magnetite, it is suggested that the small increase in of the low-temperature amphibole assemblages in comparison to the amphibole-free assemblages is caused by higher silica activity, as quartz phenocrysts are absent in the high-temperature amphibole-free rhyolites.The existence of large-scale rhyolitic magmas, with phenocryst contents ranging from 0–40 %, at temperatures in the lower part of the magmatic range, is interpreted to be consistent with previously suggested models of upper crustal anatexis in New Zealand, in which the breakdown of micas contributed the water necessary for partial melting.Details of the occurrence and chemistry of the cummingtonite phenocrysts are given in the appendix.     

On-Orbit Degradation of Solar Instruments

We present the lessons learned about the degradation observed in several space solar missions, based on contributions at the Workshop about On-Orbit Degradation of Solar and Space Weather Instruments that took place at the Solar Terrestrial Centre of Excellence (Royal Observatory of Belgium) in Brussels on 3 May 2012. The aim of this workshop was to open discussions related to the degradation observed in Sun-observing instruments exposed to the effects of the space environment. This article summarizes the various lessons learned and offers recommendations to reduce or correct expected degradation with the goal of increasing the useful lifespan of future and ongoing space missions.