On Poincaré's second species solutions

A proof of the existence of Poincaré's second species solution in the restricted three body problem is given. It is not based, as Perko's and Guillaume's work, on singular perturbation and asymptotic approximation but rather on topological equivalence between differential systems in the neighborhood of an equilibrium.Proceedings of the Sixth Conference on Mathematical Methods in Celestial Mechanics held at Oberwolfach (West Germany) from 14 to 19 August, 1978.     

Mechanism of differentiation in the Morin Anorthosite complex

The Morin Anorthosite (Grenville province, Canadian shield) occupies the centre of a recrystallised and deformed plutonic complex. Density measurements on selected specimens and density calculations from chemical analysis have shown that such features as layering in basic and intermediate rock, and plagioclase xenocrysts in acidic rocks can be interpreted as having participated in magmatic processes of gravity accumulation and convection currents. Thus, mechanical differentiation in this complex is not basically different from that of well-known layered complexes.The relatively low viscosity that would seem to be required in such processes is in conflict with the high-viscosity type of intrusion that can be deduced from field observations. One way to reconcile these two conflicting concepts is by proposing a model in which the time of consolidation is long enough for gravity accumulation and convection currents to operate, even in a highly viscous magma. This condition can only be attained in catazonal environment. The viscosity of the differentiating magma could be, in this model, of the order of 10¹³ poises.     

The problem of critical inclination combined with a resonance in mean motion in artificial satellite theory

In this paper the two-degree of freedom problem of a geosynchronous artificial satellite orbiting near the critical inclination is studied. First a local approach of this problem is considered. A semi-numerical method, well suited to describe the perturbations of a non-trivial separable system, is then applied such that surfaces of section illustrating the global secular dynamics are obtained. The results are confirmed by numerical integrations of the full Hamiltonian.Research Assistant for the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research     

Using Laser Beacons for Daytime Adaptive Optics

This article examines the use of Laser Beacons for daytime astronomical observations. There are two potential applications: the diffraction limited observation of (1) the structure in the solar corona at all wavelengths, and (2) non-solar astronomical objects in the thermal infrared part of the spectrum. We examine the brightness of the Laser Beacon required as well as the limitations imposed by the daytime sky brightness and sky/telescope thermal emission on the observable magnitude limits. For both applications the use of Laser Beacon adaptive optics in daytime results in important research opportunities.     

An analysis of the observed contrast of solar surface granulation

The contrast of the solar surface granulation detected in the focal plane of the observing system as well as its relations with the aperture of the observing system, the coherent length of atmospheric turbulence and the sensitivity of the detecting system are analyzed. The results of numerical calculation of the granulation contrast as functions of aperture, coherent length of atmospheric turbulence and sensitivity of the detecting system are presented. Results of a related observation are also given.     

The Atmospheric Boundary-Layer Structure Within A Cold Air Outbreak: Comparison Of In Situ, Lidar And Satellite Measurements With Three-Dimensional Simulations

A cold-air outbreak over the Mediterranean, associated with a Tramontane event, has been simulated with the atmospheric non-hydrostatic model Meso-NH using a horizontal resolution of 2 km. Results are compared with in situ aircraft, airborne lidar and satellite measurements. On average, the mean and turbulent parameters simulated in the surface layer and mixed layer compared well with in situ measurements. The model was able to reproduce accurately the Foehn effect in the wake of Cape Creus, as well as the occurence of rolls in the coastal region in connection with cloud streets observed with AVHRR. Over the sea, the threshold value of turbulent kinetic energy defining the height of the atmospheric boundary-layer top in the model (defined as 25% of the maximum turbulent kinetic energy in the profile) enables the simulated atmospheric boundary-layer height to match the one retrieved from lidar measurements. Nevertheless, the model did not handle very well the abrupt gradients of all meteorological parameters observed at the top of the atmospheric boundary-layer. Reasons for this are investigated.     

Long-range detection of hydroacoustic signals from large icebergs in the Ross Sea, Antarctica

Hydroacoustic signals detected in late 2000 by seismic stations in Polynesia are shown to originate from huge icebergs which at the time were drifting in the Ross Sea after calving off the Ross Ice Shelf. The signals present a broad variety of spectral characteristics, most of them featuring prominent eigenfrequencies in the 4-7 Hz range, often complemented by overtones. Most epicenters, obtained by combining observations of distant hydroacoustic and regional seismic records, follow the spatio-temporal evolution of the drift of iceberg B-15B. Most of the signals are generated during a 36-day time window when it is speculated that B-15B collided with smaller icebergs or was scraping the ocean floor on the shallow continental shelf. We speculate on the possible physical nature of the resonator generating the signals, which could correspond to an elastic mode of the iceberg, or to the oscillation of fluid-filled cracks in the ice.