Reconciling discrepant chronologies for the geomagnetic excursion in the Mono Basin,California: Insights from new 40Ar/39Ar dating experiments and a revised relative paleointensity correlation

Lacustrine sediments of the Wilson Creek Formation in the Mono Basin, California, record a paleomagnetic field excursion constrained by ¹⁴C and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar geochronology to have occurred within the last 50 ka. However, ¹⁴C and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages are discordant, making it difficult to distinguish which of two possible excursions during this period, the Mono Lake or Laschamp, is recorded in the Mono Basin. New ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age determinations from sanidine, as well as the first biotite and obsidian ages, for three of the nineteen rhyolitic ashes intercalated with these sediments are presented and compared to previous ¹⁴C and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar data sets. Although the sanidine ages of the three ashes are stratigraphically consistent with each other and previously determined ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages for other ashes in the Wilson Creek Formation, each is significantly older than ¹⁴C ages obtained from stratigraphically equivalent beds, relative paleointensity field correlations, oxygen isotope records, and glacial histories. These data indicate an absence of juvenile, eruptive crystals and most likely reflect the incorporation of crystals from older volcanic centers or underlying sediment. We examine the strengths and weaknesses of all available geochronologic data for the section exposed at Wilson Creek to arrive at an internally consistent set of age constraints. Using these constraints we propose two new relative paleointensity correlations for the section, both of which indicate that the excursion recorded in the Mono Basin occurred at ～30–34 ka on the Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 (GISP2) ice core time scale.     

Tidal evolution in close binary systems,III

In this paper we shall investigate the energy of close binary systems of constant momentum takng into consideration the first-order effects of rotation and tidal attraction of the components of finite size. The equations for the momentum and the energy of the system will be set up in Section 2, making use of terms including the effects of finite size of the components of finite degree of central condensation. In Section 3 perturbation theory is applied to these equations using the results of Kopal (1972b) as our initial values. In Section 4 we shall compare our results with the initial values and then discuss variations in our constants and the application to various real systems.     

An improved lunar moment of inertia determination: a proposed strategy

The current error of 0.0025 on the lunar homogeneity parameterI/MR ² is dominated by the uncertainties in theC ₂₀ andC ₂₂ gravity harmonics. This error level is equivalent to a 4.20 gm cm^–3 density uncertainty for a lunar interior model having a core 300 km in radius. Covariance analyses are performed using Doppler data from the relay satellite of the proposed Lunar Polar Orbiter mission to determine an optimum reduction strategy which obtains an order of magnitude improvement in the gravity estimates. Error studies show the long-arc reduction method obtains results which are an order of magnitude more accurate than the short-arc technique. The nominal 4000 km circular orbit of the relay satellite is very sensitive to the unmodeled effects of gravity harmonics of degree 5 through 9. Results from this orbital geometry indicate that it may not be possible to achieve the desired order of magnitude accuracy improvement. A modified orbit having the identical orbital conditions as the nominal one, but with a larger semi-major axis of 7000 km is studied. Results show the desired order of magnitude improvement can be achieved when a complete fourth degree and order model and some fifth and sixth degree terms are estimated while considering the unmodeled effects of the remaining harmonics through degree and order eight. Studies also show a 50% additional improvement inC ₂₂ can be achieved if differential differenced Doppler is also processed with the direct Doppler. The improved uncertainty inI/MR ² reduces the core density error from 4.20 gm cm^–3 to 0.1 gm cm^–3 for the case of a lunar density model having a 300 km core radius.Contribution #2885 of the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, U.S.A.     

Advances in the fatigue assessment of wire ropes

This paper presents the findings from an in-depth analysis of the (axial) stiffness data recorded during tension–tension fatigue tests on wire ropes, particularly in relation to how changes in stiffness during testing relate to changes in rope strength. A linear relationship between stiffness and strength is shown to exist and a methodology presented for quantifying residual strength with applied cycles. New lower bound fatigue lines for six-strand rope and spiral strand are presented which are based on a 10% loss of strength. These new lines have the advantage of having been established using a common discard criterion for wire ropes.     

Pre-perihelion CCD photometry of Comet 1995 01 (Hale-Bopp)

Systematic CCD photometry of Comet 1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) began in early August 1995 shortly after its discovery (IAU Circular 6187) and continued until mid-November 1996. The light curve derived from a 34″ square centered on the nucleus shows clearly and objectively how the inner regions of the comet brightened during this 15 month period. Possible connections between sudden brightenings and reported outbursts are investigated. During the interval August–December 1995, the magnitude of the comet showed strong evidence of a periodicity of 20±5 days with a full amplitude of approximately 0.20 mag. It is noteworthy that this result spans both the period of 18 days suggested by Sekanina (1995, 1996) and the “superperiod” of 22±2 days reported by Jorda et al. (1997). However, in 1996 neither this periodicity nor any other could be detected with certainty in the photometric data.     

Thermal equilibrium in Europa's ice shell

Models of tidal-convective equilibrium for Europa's ice shell are computed using a laboratory-derived composite flow law for ice. Volume diffusion creep is found to dominate the flow law at equilibrium, and thus the thickness of the shell is strongly dependent on the poorly known grain size of the ice. This grain size is, however, constrained to be less than a few millimeters if equilibrium is achieved at the current eccentricity. Europa's ice shell cannot be thinner than about 16 km in equilibrium at present, since tidal dissipation cannot generate enough heat in such a thin shell to balance the heat transport. No conductive equilibria are found; this is likely due to the fact that most of a conductive shell must be cold if temperature gradients are to be large enough to carry the heat. A minimum eccentricity of about 0.0025 (about 1/4 the present value) below which there are no equilibria is also found.     

The yield of ionization in critical ionization velocity space experiments

We compare the conditions in laboratory and space critical ionization velocity (CIV) experiments. One significant difference that comes to light is the rapid expansion of the neutral cloud in space experiments, which does not take place in the laboratory. This has important ramifications for the ultimate ionization yield if there is a time delay in the ignition of the CIV discharge. We find that a simple kinetic model implies that the delay time of CIV ignition is a critical factor in determining the ultimate yield of the experiment. Although the delay time is difficult to calculate precisely, we provide some estimates that predict low CIV yield for typical space experimental geometries, densities and expansion rates. We examine the possibility of the variation of experimental conditions to maximize yield, but find that natural limitations in the design of space experiments may lead to low yields in the best of circumstances. This implies that experiments to date neither prove nor disprove the relevance of the CIV process to cosmology.     

Planetary cratering 1. The question of multiple impactor populations: Lunar evidence

Abstract— This paper addresses several current issues related to use of craters in interpreting planetary surface histories. The primary goal is to test the widely adopted hypothesis of multiple populations of impactors at different times or places in the Solar System. New data presented here revise a “lunar highland” crater diameter distribution that has been widely used as evidence of an early distinct population of impactors. This curve, which has a depression of the size distribution at mid-sizes, does not, in fact, represent the lunar highlands generally. I show that it is associated with regions of intercrater plains. The more extensive the obliteration by intercrater plains, the deeper the depression. Modeling indicates that the depression of the curve is caused by the obliteration process itself. The oldest, most cratered regions of lunar highlands do not show the depression. These findings call into question earlier interpretations of multiple populations of impactors in the Solar System and of a distinctive primordial population. The present work is consistent, instead, with (1) a relatively uniform size distribution of interplanetary impactors, of mixed origins, back to 4 Ga ago and throughout the sampled Solar System; (2) fragmentation as the process that produced that size distribution; (3) saturation equilibrium on the most heavily cratered surfaces; and (4) differences in structure in the size distribution caused not by distinct impactor populations but by episodes of endogenic obliteration. If accepted, these results would modify some studies of solar system evolution, including assertions of two to five distinct populations of impactors, assumptions of lack of saturation equilibrium, and identifications of specific heliocentric or planetocentric sources for impactors within outer planet satellite systems.