Possibilities and Limitations of Interdisciplinary, User-oriented Research: Experiences from the German Research Network Natural Disasters

The German Research Network for Natural Disasters (DFNK) linked 15 partners with scientific expertise in the field of natural hazards. Main objectives were the development and provision of the scientific fundamentals for an advanced risk management of important natural disasters in Germany, i.e., floods, earthquakes, storms and wildland fires. This included risk analyses, the development of information systems for supporting disaster management, and recommendations for risk reduction measures. This paper gives an overview of DFNK and summarises its experiences concerning multidisciplinarity and user-orientation. It illustrates the concept of risk chains, causally linking the different processes from hazard to risk. The step from hazard to risk requires interdisciplinary research teams. The experiences show that integrative concepts allow results not achievable with mono-disciplinary approaches. Integrative approaches pave the way to harmonised safety considerations taking into account the different hazards in a region within a common framework. User-orientation, policy advice and development of operational tools are key issues of disaster research. The experiences of DFNK illustrate the limitations of a research network in bridging the gap between research and application within rather short-term projects. Successful cooperation with users could be established by those activities where, at the beginning of the project, a user was identified who had a strong interest in solving an urgent problem.     

Determining meteoroid bulk densities using a plasma scattering model with high-power large-aperture radar data

We present an improved technique for calculating bulk densities of low-mass (<1 g) meteoroids using a scattering model applied to the high-density plasma formed around the meteoroid as it enters Earth’s atmosphere. These plasmas, referred to as head echoes, travel at or near the speed of the meteoroid, thereby allowing the determination of the ballistic coefficient (mass divided by physical cross-section), which depends upon speed and deceleration. Concurrently, we apply a scattering model to the returned signal strength of the head echo in order to correlate radar-cross-section (RCS) to plasma density and meteoroid mass. In this way, we can uniquely solve for the meteoroid mass, radius and bulk density independently. We have applied this new technique to head echo data collected in 2007 and 2008 simultaneously at VHF (160 MHz) and UHF (422 MHz) at ALTAIR, which is a high-power large-aperture radar located on the Kwajalein Atoll. These data include approximately 20,000 detections with dual-frequency, dual-polarization, and monopulse (i.e. angle) returns. From 2000 detections with the smallest monopulse errors, we find a mean meteoroid bulk density of 0.9 g/cm³ with observations spanning almost three orders of magnitude from 0.01 g/cm³ to 8 g/cm³. Our results show a clear dependence between meteoroid bulk density and altitude of head echo formation, as well as dependence between meteoroid bulk density and 3D speed. The highest bulk densities are detected at the lowest altitudes and lowest speeds. Additionally, we stipulate that the approximations used to derive the ballistic parameter, in addition to neglecting fragmentation, suggest that the traditional ballistic parameter must be used with caution when determining meteoroid parameters.     

Cratering and penetration experiments in aluminum and teflon: Implications for space‐exposed surfaces

Abstract– Whether a target is penetrated or not during hypervelocity impact depends strongly on typical impactor dimensions (D_p) relative to the absolute target thickness (T). We have therefore conducted impact experiments in aluminum₁₁₀₀ and Teflon^FEP targets that systematically varied D_p/T (=D*), ranging from genuine cratering events in thick targets (D_p << T) to the nondisruptive passage of the impactor through very thin films (D_p >> T). The objectives were to (1) delineate the transition from cratering to penetration events, (2) characterize the diameter of the penetration hole (D_h) as a function of D*, and (3) determine the threshold target thickness that yields D_h = D_p. We employed spherical soda‐lime glass (SLG) projectiles of D_p = 50–3175 μm at impact velocities (V) from 1 to 7 km s^?1, and varied target thicknesses from microns to centimeters. The transition from cratering to penetration processes in thick targets forms a continuum in all morphologic aspects. The entrance side of the target resembles that of a standard crater even when the back of the target suffers substantial, physical perforations via spallation and plastic deformation. We thus suggest that the cratering‐to‐penetration transition does not occur when the target becomes physically perforated (i.e., at the “ballistic limit”), but when the shock pulse duration in the projectile (t_p) is identical to that in the target (t_t), i.e., t_p = t_t. This condition is readily calculated from equation‐of‐state data. As a consequence, in reconstructing impactor dimensions from observations of space‐exposed substrates, we recommend that crater size (D_c) be used for the case of t_p < t_t, and that penetration hole diameter (D_h) be used when t_p > t_t. The morphologic evolution of the penetration hole and its size also forms a continuum that strongly depends on both the scaled parameter D* and on V, but it is independent of the absolute scale. The condition of D_h = D_p is approached at D* > 50. The dependence of D_h on T and V, however, is very systematic. This has led to new and detailed calibration curves, permitting the reconstruction of D_p from the measurement of either crater diameter or penetration‐hole size in Al₁₁₀₀ and Teflon^FEP targets of arbitrary thickness. We also placed witness plates behind penetrated targets to intercept the down‐range debris plume, which is generally a mixture of both target and impactor fragments and melts. These witness plates also reveal that the debris plume systematically and diagnostically depends on D*. Thick targets shed spall debris only, and target thickness must be less than crater depth (T_c) to allow projectile material on the witness plate. Concentric plume patterns, accented by characteristic “hole saw” rings, characterize penetrated Al‐targets at D* = 1–10, but they give way to distinctly radial geometries at D* = 10–20. Most of the target debris occupies the periphery of the plume, while the projectile fragments or melts reside in its central parts. The periphery of the plume is also typically more fine‐grained than its center. At D* > 50, the exit plume is dominated by solid projectile fragments that progressively coagulate and overlap with each other, giving rise to compound craters. The latter have irregular crater interiors on account of the heterogeneous mass distribution of a collisionally produced, aggregate impactor. Similarly, complex craters are observed on LDEF and Stardust and they are produced by aggregate cosmic‐dust particles containing large, dense components within a relatively low‐density, fine‐grained matrix. The witness‐plate observations can also be used to address the enigmatic clustering of impact sites observed on Stardust’s aerogel and aluminum surfaces. We suggest that this clustering is difficult to produce by the collision of particles from comet Wild 2 with the Stardust spacecraft, and that it is more likely due to particle disaggregation in the comet’s coma.     

On Modeling Dry Deposition of Long-Lived and Chemically Reactive Species over Heterogeneous Terrain

An explicit multi-layer subgrid-scheme was developed for ameso-/-scale model to consider subgrid-scale surface heterogeneity, dry deposition, biogenic and anthropogenic emission of trace gases. Since dry deposition measurements of highly reactive trace species are scarce we try to evaluate this scheme by heuristic principles. The results of simulations conducted for a 5×5 km² resolution with and without thisscheme are evaluated by using results of a model run with 1×1 km²resolution, which is taken as a `grand thruth' and which has the same resolution as the subgrid. The explict multi-layer subgrid scheme provides a similar distribution of dry deposition fluxes as the much more computationally expensive simulation with the 1×1 km² resolution.Dry deposition fluxes determined from observations give evidence that the explicit multi-layer subgrid scheme which does not require a constant flux approximation for a layer of several decameters leads to an improvement in determining the exchange between the atmosphere and the ground.Results of simulations with a microscale model show that the inhomogeneity at forest edges leads to an increase of the turbulent transports of up to a factor 4 compared to horizontally homogeneous terrain, which is assumed to be the conditions of the subgrid cells (and which is usually the assumption for the entire grid cell in mesoscale models). Inhomogeneity inside an extended stand of trees causes an overall increase of 5–10% withhigh local extremes, i.e. such an inhomogeneity results to an underestimation of dry deposition in meso-/-scale models. The effects are most pronounced for a wind direction perpendicular to the forest edge.     

Cenozoic intra-plate magmatism in the Darfur volcanic province: mantle source, phonolite-trachyte genesis and relation to other volcanic provinces in NE Africa

Chemical and Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic compositions of Late Cenozoic to Quaternary small-volume phonolite, trachyte and related mafic rocks from the Darfur volcanic province/NW-Sudan have been investigated. Isotope signatures indicate variable but minor crustal contributions. Some phonolitic and trachytic rocks show the same isotopic composition as their primitive mantle-derived parents, and no crustal contributions are visible in the trace element patterns of these samples. The magmatic evolution of the evolved rocks is dominated by crystal fractionation. The Si-undersaturated strongly alkaline phonolite and the Si-saturated mildly alkaline trachyte can be modelled by fractionation of basanite and basalt, respectively. The suite of basanite–basalt–phonolite–trachyte with characteristic isotope signatures from the Darfur volcanic province fits the compositional features of other Cenozoic intra-plate magmatism scattered in North and Central Africa (e.g., Tibesti, Maghreb, Cameroon line), which evolved on a lithosphere that was reworked or formed during the Neoproterozoic.     

Properties and origin of small particles in the atmosphere of Central Asia

The properties and originof small C-bearing and mineral particles are thoroughly studied above the Central Asian Region. It is shown that the Aral Sea soils play a significant role in accumulation of the higher concentrations of the metals of the crustal origin and rare-earth elements in small mineral particles of samples     

Ob-Stars on the utmost Borders of M 31

In a field of 4 square degrees, including the southwestern part of M 31 18 blue starlike objects are found by a photometric statistics in U,B,V of all starlike objects in this field. With great probability 13 of them are OB stars of M 31. Their utmost distances from the nucleus of M 31 are 35…50 kpc. Three further objects are probably quasistellar objects. Two others are striking by their extraordinary position in the two-colour diagram and cannot be classified in a distinct category of objects.