Infrared imaging of Jupiter in the 8–14-micrometer spectral region

High spatial resolution images of Jupiter were produced on the Hale 200-in. telescope in August 1974 and October 1975. A programmable wobbling secondary was used to raster scan the planet with 64 by 64 1-arsec pixels. Images were made with broadband (8–14 μm) and several 1- and 2-μm wide filters. All images reveal a belt and zone structure similar to visible pjotographs. Belts, in the broadband data, appear to be about 2°K hotter than the zones, but contrast varies markedly in different parts of the 8–14-μm spectral region. The lowest belt-zone contrast is found in the hydrogen opacity dominated region at 12.5 μm, while images at 9.5 μm exhibit the greatest contrast. Isolated areas are observed to be as much as 4°K hotter than surrounding areas at 9.5 μm. This large contrast is probably due to variations in the distribution of the ammonia clouds in the upper atmosphere.     

Photochemistry of nitrogen in the Martian atmosphere

Models are developed for the photochemistry of a CO₂H₂ON₂ atmosphere on Mars and estimates are given for the concentrations of N, NO, NO₂, NO₃, N₂O₅, HNO₂, HNO₃, and N₂O as a function of altitude. Nitric oxide is the most abundant form of odd nitrogen, present with a mixing ratio relative to CO₂ of order 10^?8. Deposition rates for nitrite and nitrate minerals could be as large as 3× 10⁵ N equivalent atoms cm^?2 sec^?1 under present conditions and may have been higher in the past.     

Interplanetary acceleration of energetic particles at 1 and 5 AU

Energetic particle (0.1 to 100 MeV protons) acceleration is studied by using high resolution interplanetary magnetic field and plasma measurements at 1 AU (HEOS-2) and at 5 AU (Pioneer 10). Energy changes of a particle population are followed by computing test particle trajectories and the energy changes through the particle interaction with the time varying magnetic field. The results show that considerable particle acceleration takes place throughout the interplanetary medium, both in the corotating interaction regions (CIR) (5 AU), and in quiet regions (1 AU). Although shocks may contribute to acceleration we suggest statistical acceleration within the CIRs is sufficient to explain most energetic particle observations (e.g., McDonaldet al., 1975; Barnes and Simpson, 1976).The first and second order statistical acceleration coefficients which include transit time damping and Alfvén resonance interactions, are found to be well represented byD _T 8.5×10^–6 T ^0.5 MeV s^–1 andD _TT 4×10^–6 T ^1.5 MeV² s^–1 at 5 AU.By comparison, Fisk's estimates (1976), based on quasi-linear theory for transit-time damping, gaveD _TT 5×10^–7 T MeV² s^–1 at 1 AU.     

Observation of MKN 501 at gamma-ray energies

During a balloon flight in September 1979 of the MISO low-energy -ray telescope, the BL Lac-object MkN 501 was studied in the hard X-ray range above 30 keV and in the low energy -ray range up to 19 MeV. No statistically significant X- and -ray fluxes were detected. The implications of the upper limits obtained are discussed in the light of the relativistic jet theories recently proposed.     

Search for variability in hydrogen-poor stars

The evolutionary status of hydrogen-poor stars is analyzed.Photoelectric observations of six objects are reported as a first step of a long-term project devoted to search for variability of a large sample of hydrogen-poor stars.The observed stars show phenomena of microvariability with an amplitude of the order of 0^m. 1 or less.Two extreme helium stars have been examined: a period in the range of 0^d.162-0^d.164 has been found for BD+ 10⁰2179, andP=0^d.1079962 for BD+13⁰3324.The mass-losing O subdwarf (sdO) BD+37⁰ 443 presents short-term fluctuations with a time-scale of several minutes and long-term variations on a scale of months. The standard sdO BD+75⁰325 is probably non-variable, although light variations of very small amplitude (m0.03) with a time-scale of about 1 hr might be present. The high gravity sdO BD+25⁰4655, which is very close to the white dwarf stage, also presents variability on a time-scale of about 13 minutes, and might be an analog of the recently discovered pulsating sdO, or hot white dwarf, PG 1159-035.The variability of the intermediate helium star HD 37776 is finally confirmed.     

Central configurations of four bodies with one inferior mass

The number of equivalence classes of central configurations (abbr. c.c.) in the planar 4-body problem with three arbitrary and a fourth small mass is investigated. These c.c. are derived according to their generic origin in the 3-body problem. It is shown that each 3-body collinear c.c. generates exactly 2 non-collinear c.c. (besides 4 collinear ones) of 4 bodies with smallm ₄0; and that any 3-body equilateral triangle c.c. generates exactly 8 or 9 or 10 (depending onm ₁,m ₂,m ₃) planar 4-body c.c. withm ₄=0. Further, every one of these c.c. can be continued uniquely to sufficiently smallm ₄>0 except when there are just 9; then exactly one of them is degenerate, and we conjecture that it is not continuable tom ₄>0.Paper presented at the 1981 Oberwolfach Conference on Mathematical Methods in Celestial Mechanics.     

Theory of the local scale parameter method for EDM

The determination of a representative refractive index for the wave path is the main limitation of the attainable accuracy in electronic distance measurement. To overcome this limitation the length ratio method was initially proposed and later developed into the local scale parameter (LSP) method. In this paper, the mathematical model of the LSP method is derived for electro-optical distance measurement from first principles based on the physics of the atmospheric boundary layer. The model does not rely on standard atmospheres. It is shown that atmospheric temperatures and pressures must be observed at instrument stations but not at reflector stations. Appropriate LSP field procedures and the results of some field experiments are summarized. The method consistently produces accuracies of better than ±1 ppm. Use of the method is recommended for high precision (trilateration) networks, which need to be measured repeatedly and where absolute scale is not relevant.     

Diploptene: an indicator of terrigenous organic carbon in Washington coastal sediments

The pentacyclic triterpene 17 beta(H),21 beta(H)-hop-22(29)-ene (diploptene) occurs in sediments throughout the Columbia River drainage basin and off the southern coast of Washington state in concentrations comparable to long-chain plantwax n-alkanes. The same relationship is evident for diploptene and long-chain n-alkanes in soils from the Willamette Valley. Microorganisms indigenous to soils and soil erosion are indicated as the biological source and physical process, respectively, for diploptene in coastal sediments. Similarity between the stable carbon isotopic composition (delta 13CPDB) of diploptene isolated from soil in the Willamette Valley (-31.2 +/- 0.3%) and from sediments deposited throughout the Washington coastal environment (-31.2 +/- 0.5%) supports this argument. Values of delta for diploptene in river sediments are variable and 8-17% lighter, indicating that an additional biological source such as methane-oxidizing bacteria makes a significant contribution to the diploptene record in river sediments. Selective biodegradation resulting from a difference in the physicochemical association within eroded particles can explain the absence of the more-13C-depleted form of diploptene in Washington coastal sediments, but this mechanism remains unproven.