Spectroscopic and bond-topological investigation of interstitial volatiles in beryl from Slovakia

Nine beryl samples from Western Carpathians, Slovakia, were investigated by infrared and Raman spectroscopy and differential thermal analysis. Two types of water H₂O I and H₂O II were detected. Infrared spectroscopy proved the presence of water type I and II in the presence of alkali cations with several bands: (1) symmetric stretching vibration—ν₁; (2) antisymmetric stretching mode—ν₃; (3) bending vibration—ν₂. The presence of singly and doubly coordinated type II water (IIs and IId) was confirmed by single-crystal IR spectroscopy. From Raman spectra a band at 3606 cm^?1 was assigned to ν₁ of water type I and the range of 3597–3600 cm^?1 to water type II. The presence of doubly coordinating water indicates a relatively highly hydrated environment with the presence of alkali ions including Na as the dominant cation coordinated by H₂O II. CO₂ bands were detected only by single-crystal IR spectroscopy. Thermal analysis proved total water loss in the range of 1.4–2.0 wt% and three main dehydration events. Based on the study of bond-topological arrangements two molecules of H₂O IId are each bound with two H···O1 bonds and one Na–O_W bond with an angular distortion, and by releasing one H₂O molecule more stable H₂O IIs is produced. The H₂O I molecule is bound only by two equivalent hydrogen bonds. The H₂O IIs molecule with a Na–O_W bond strength of 0.28 vu and two H···O1 bonds of 0.14 vu without any forced angular distortion is the most stable of all.     

Regional VS30 model for the St. Lawrence Lowlands,Eastern Canada

Shear-wave velocity of the top 30?m, V_S30, is commonly used for prediction of the seismic site response. This paper presents development, validation and uncertainty assessment of a regional V_S30 model based on a combination of simplified 3D geology and statistically representative velocity values. Results identify soft marine sediments in deep sedimentary basins as zones most susceptible to seismic shaking. Compared to the available urban-scale seismic zonation studies, the regional model showed a success rate of roughly 64% in predicting local site category. The standard deviation was in average 30% of the expected V_S30 value.     

Real-time raster projection for web maps

The virtual globe is the default visualization for Digital Earth applications, but it can only show one half of the Earth. This article introduces user-adjustable, on-the-fly projection of georeferenced raster images for web mapping and web GIS applications. This technique allows users to center a map on arbitrary locations, while still seeing the entire Earth surface. Modern web mapping libraries can apply map projection transformations to vector data in the browser, but they do not currently support the projection of raster images at interactive frame rates. We use the cross-platform WebGL (Web Graphics Library) graphics pipeline for hardware-accelerated projection of raster data in web browsers. Two algorithmic techniques – inverse per-fragment projection, and combined forward per-triangle and inverse per-fragment projection – for georeferenced raster imagery are documented. The resulting raster maps combine the ease of use and flexibility of interactive virtual globes with the ability to show the entire Earth. The adjustable projection of raster imagery allows users to observe global phenomena that are difficult to visualize on virtual globes or traditional maps with static projections.     

Circumstellar dust and related phenomena at phase 0.8 in Miras

SeveralM-type Mira variables (o Cet, RT Cyg) exhibit a sudden polarization increase near phaseP=0.8 of visual light period, whereas the position angle of the linearly polarized component remains almost unchanged. The degree of polarization is observed to be high (6%) in the violet and blue region and to decrease slowly toward the infrared. In connection with appearance of the 10 m band this indicates the presence of circumstellar silicate grains of diameters varying between 100 nm and 1 m.In dirty silicate particles, i.e. SiO₂ + metal ion admixture, the colour centres can be activated by absorbing of energetic photons, which results in increasing imaginary part of the refractive index. As showed by Svat of (1980), this mechanism can explain the polarization rise of light transmitted through a layer of aligned nonspherical dirty silicate glassy grains. From the appearance of the Balmer emission lines in the lower atmospheric layer, SiO maser activity disruption and the other phenomena occuring atP0.8 it is concluded, that the source of the activating short wavelength radiation can lie in the ionization front ahead of the expanding shock wave (assumed in the model of Miras atmosphere by Hinkle and Barnes, 1979) and in other eruptive phenomena in Miras. The same mechanism can be effective in Nova outbursts, RS CVn flares and T Tau sudden luminosity variations. The role of magnetic field in the Miras atmosphere is discussed.     

Some minerals as new natural models of ferrites

Summary The electron density distribution in the intermediateE-F layer is determined by developing theN(z) profile into a power series. The unknown coefficients are found by means of the boundary conditions for transition towards theE andF1 layers as well as by the value of the maximum electron density in the intermediate layer. In case that stratiform layers in theE-F layer which can be sounded are not available, the measured value for the nondeviative absorption at short waves reflected by theF layer is made use of. The comparisons show the reliable accuracy of the method when seven terms are used in the power series.     

Is radiomagnetization possible?

Резюме Дискутирована возможность, возникаетли под влиянием действия γ-облучения и постоянного магнитного поля на ферромагнитные вещества новыИ вид намагниченности, т. н. радионамагниченность. Приведеннее рассуждение частично обосновано экспериментами выполненнычi БродскоИ, которая лабораторным образом проверила некоторые изменения магнитных свойств минералов под влиянием γ-облучения. Остается пока необБясненным вопрос, если специфичные магнитные свойства верхнепалеозойских горных пород не были обусловлены интенсивным (или долговременным) воздействием γ-облучения при совместном воздействии геомагнитного поля.