The role of vibrationally excited nitrogen and oxygen in the ionosphere over Millstone Hill during 16-23 March, 1990

We present a comparison of the observed behavior of the F region ionosphere over Millstone Hill during the geomagnetically quiet and storm period on 16/23 March, 1990, with numerical model calculations from the time-dependent mathematical model of the Earths ionosphere and plasmasphere. The effects of vibrationally excited N₂(v) and O₂(v) on the electron density and temperature are studied using the N₂(v) and O₂(v) Boltzmann and non-Boltzmann distribution assumptions. The deviations from the Boltzmann distribution for the first five vibrational levels of N₂(v) and O₂(v) were calculated. The present study suggests that these deviations are not significant at vibrational levels v = 1 and 2, and the calculated distributions of N₂(v) and O₂(v) are highly non-Boltzmann at vibrational levels v > 2. The N₂(v) and O₂(v) non-Boltzmann distribution assumption leads to the decrease of the calculated daytime NmF2 up to a factor of 1.44 (maximum value) in comparison with the N₂(v) and O₂(v) Boltzmann distribution assumption. The resulting effects of N₂(v > 0) and O₂(v) > 0) on the NmF2 is the decrease of the calculated daytime NmF2 up to a factor of 2.8 (maximum value) for Boltzmann populations of N₂(v) and O₂(v) and up to a factor of 3.5 (maximum value) for non-Boltzmann populations of N₂(v) and O₂(v). This decrease in electron density results in the increase of the calculated daytime electron temperature up to about 1040/1410 K (maximum value) at the F2 peak altitude giving closer agreement between the measured and modeled electron temperatures. Both the daytime and nighttime densities are not reproduced by the model without N₂(v > 0) and O₂(v > 0), and inclusion of vibrationally excited N2 and O2 brings the model and data into better agreement. The effects of vibrationally excited O2 and N2 on the electron density and temperature are most pronounced during daytime.     

The problem of transfer of radionuclide pollution by sea ice

The problem of the radioactive pollution of the ice cover is discussed in this paper. An estimation of the possible transport of the radionuclides by drifting ice from the Kara Sea into the Arctic Ocean is presented. The conclusion about the importance of the contribution of drifting ice to the contamination of the Greenland coastal water is based on the comparison of estimates of the multiyear export of radioactive drifting ice from the Kara Sea with the observed concentrations of the radionuclides in the Greenland coastal water.     

Magnetic stratigraphy of the Ordovician in the lower reach of the Kotuy River: the age of the Bysy-Yuryakh stratum and the rate of geomagnetic reversals on the eve of the superchron

Until recently, the existing data prevented the geophysicists from accurately dating the Bysy-Yuryakh stratum, which outcrops in the middle reach of the Kotuy River, constraining the time of its formation to a wide interval from the end of the Late Cambrian to the beginning of the Silurian. The obtained paleomagnetic data unambiguously correlate the Bysy-Yuryakh stratum to the Nyaian regional stage and constrain its formation, at least a considerable part of it, by the Tremadocian. This result perfectly agrees with the data on the Bysy-Yuryakh conodonts studied in this work and yields a spectacular example of the successful application of paleomagnetic studies in solving important tasks of stratigraphy and, correspondingly, petroleum geology. Within the Bysy-Yuryakh stratum, we revealed a large normal-polarity interval corresponding to the long (>1 Ma) period when the geomagnetic reversals were absent. This result, in combination with the data for the Tremadocian and Middle–Upper Cambrian sequences of the other regions, indicates that (1) the rate of occurrence of the geomagnetic reversals on the eve of the Ordovician Moyero superchron of reversed polarity was at most one reversal per Ma; (2) the superchron does not switch on instantaneously but is preceded by a certain gradual change in the operation conditions of the dynamo mechanism which, inter alia, manifests itself by the reduction of the frequency of geomagnetic reversals with the approach of the superchron. This finding supports the views according to which a process preparing the establishment of the superchrons takes place at the core–mantle boundary.     

Infrared emission from X-ray sources

The infrared emission from some X-ray sources is attributed to proton—cyclotron masering process operating near the polar regions of an accreting neutron star in a binary system.     

Seasonal and long-term sea level variability in the marginal seas of the Arctic Ocean

One of the parameters useful for monitoring large-scale climate variability in the Arctic Ocean is sea level. It integrates virtually all static and dynamic processes in the hydrosphere and atmosphere of the Arctic. Previously unavailable mean monthly sea level data at 44 coastal and island stations in the Kara, Laptev, East Siberian and Chukchi seas covering years from 1950 to 1990 were used to analyse seasonal and inter-annual variability. Sea level has a significant annual cycle with an average seasonal amplitude (from peak to peak) in the coastal zone of the Arctic seas on the order of 20 - 30 cm. The analysis of inter-annual and inter-decadal changes has shown that at nearly all stations in the Kara, Laptev, East Siberian and Chukchi seas from the beginning of the 1950s through the end of 1980s there is a positive trend in sea level variability. The main contribution to the sea level rise was in the 1980s; on average for the coastal zone of Siberian shelf the sea level in the 1980s was 5-6 cm higher than in the previous decades. A reasonable agreement between observed decadal mean sea level values and the results of diagnostic model simulations suggests that this rise in the Arctic seas is connected with the reorganization of large-scale circulation of the Arctic Ocean, rather than the regional lowering of the coasts, as has been suggested previously.     

Anomalous variations in the ionospheric <Emphasis Type="Italic">F</Emphasis><Subscript>2</Subscript>-layer structure at geomagnetic midlatitudes of the Southern and Northern hemispheres at the transition from summer to winter conditions under low solar activity

The structure and dynamics of the ionosphere and plasmasphere at low solar activity under quiet geomagnetic conditions on January 15–17, 1985, and July 10–13, 1986, over Millstone Hill station and Argentine Islands ionosonde, the locations of which are approximately magnetically conjugate, have been theoretically calculated. The detected correction of the model input parameters makes it possible to coordinate the measured and calculated anomalous variations in the electron density NmF2 at the height hmF2 of the ionospheric F2 layer over Argentine Islands ionosonde as well as the calculated and measured values of NmF2 and electron temperature at the hmF2 height over Millstone Hill station. It has been shown that vibrationally excited N₂ and O₂ molecules almost do not influence the formation of the winter anomaly under the conditions of low solar activity. A difference between the influence of electronically excited O⁺ on N _e ions under winter and summer conditions forms not more than 11% of the N _e winter anomaly event in the F ₂ layer and topside ionosphere. The model without electronically excited O⁺ ions reduces the duration of the N _e winter anomaly event. It has been shown that the seasonal variations in the composition of the neutral atmosphere form mainly the NmF2 winter anomaly event over the Millstone Hill radar at low solar activity.     

冷生风化作用对边坡稳定性影响

The experiment shows that considerable influence on density rock properties are subjected by nival weathering conditions. The main parameter defining the rock suitability for solution various engineering and geological problems is its firmness limit on single axis pressing. The firmness properties of sandstone being in absolutely dry condition for Kabakta suite at the beginning of investigation was 64.7 MPa, for Nerungri suite sandstones it was 48. 7 MPa. The investigations showed how much the nival conditions of cryohypergenesis of rock sandstones in Kabakta and Nerungri suites have destructive influence in comparison with aquale and more over aerale conditions. In the aerale conditions sedimentary rock firmness of Kabakta suite decreased to 23.2 MPa, in aquale conditions to 16.5, and in the nivale conditions to 8.9 MPa. In Nerungri suite sandstones are according to 17.7 MPa, 11.1 MPa, and 6 MPa after 300 freezing and thawing cycles. The common sandstone firmness decrease of Kabakta suite was 25 %,of Nerungri suite it was 23.8%. Marlstone samples after 400 FTC decrease to 62% in the nivale conditions and to 33 % in the aerale conditions. After 3～5 years of exploitation marlstone will destruct due to structural and textural inhomogenesis up to gruss, i.e. it will not meet the requirements of durability.Judging by the results of carried out experiment it should be concluded that by cryogenic weathering the sedimentary rocks (sandstones) and rocks with schistose lithogenic texture (marlstone) are subjected to disintegration. The primary rock samples firmness considerably influences on the disintegration rate.     

Radiation from a strongly-magnetized plasma: The case of predominant scattering

On the basis of diffusion approach for normal modes, solutions of the radiative transfer problem are obtained and analysed for an optically thick tenuous plasma with a strong magnetic field. The case is considered when the scattering processes without change of photon frequency are dominant. The radiative transfer coefficients as well as spectra, angular dependences and polarization of the outgoing radiation are investigated in detail for a cold plasma,kT _emc ², |–s _B|kT _e/mc ² )^1/2|cos|, whereT _e is the electron plasma temperature, _B=eB/mc the electron cyclotron frequency,s=1,2,... the number of cyclotron harmonic and the angle between the magnetic field and wave vector. The effects of electronpositron vacuum polarization are taken into account and shown to be very significant. Simple analytic solutions are obtained for various limiting cases (small and large vacuum polarization; high, low and close to the cyclotron resonance radiation frequencies; different orientations of the magnetic field, etc). The results obtained are necessary for analysing X-ray and gamma-ray radiation from strongly magnetized neutron stars.