Empirical estimate of p-mode frequency shift for solar cycle 23

We have obtained empirical relations between the p-mode frequency shift and the change in solar activity indices. The empirical relations are determined on the basis of frequencies obtained from BBSO and GONG stations during solar cycle 22. These relations are applied to estimate the change in mean frequency for the cycle 21 and 23. A remarkable agreement between the calculated and observed frequency shifts for the ascending phase of cycle 23, indicates that the derived relations are independent of epoch and do not change significantly from cycle to cycle. We propose that these relations could be used to estimate the shift in p-mode frequencies for past, present and future solar activity cycles, if the solar activity index is known. The maximum frequency shift for cycle 23 is estimated to be 265±90 nHz, corresponding to a predicted maximum smoothed sunspot number 118.1±35.     

A simple shaker table for seismometer calibration

A unique and simple shaker table (shake table or shaking table), designed, constructed, and installed at the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics, has proven to be a valuable aid in testing and calibrating short period seismometers, as well as ocean bottom and ocean sub-bottom seismometer/tilt meter packages. It consists of a platform suspended in a stairwell by a single elastic cord (10 m extended length) driven by GeoSpace HS-10 geophones. Platform motion is monitored by orthogonal reference geophones and tilt meters. The relatively low natural periods of the platform, about 1.9 sec vertical and 6.5 sec horizontal, provide sufficient isolation from local vibrations that calibration can be made near operational amplitudes. Vertical or horizontal driver geophones can be driven by a commercial signal generator or white noise generator, or from magnetic tape output. The table can also be tilted with respect to the drivers to determine tilt tolerances and to calibrate tilt meters. A Hewlett-Packard 3582-A spectrum analyzer, used to analyze both reference and output signals, provides near real-time system cabibration and is an efficient means for investigating parasitic system resonances. The analyzer can also provide a white noise signal source to the driver geophones.Hawaii Institute of Geophysics Contribution 1443.     

Tissue distribution of metals in striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) from the Apulian coasts, southern Italy.

Tissue distributions of metals (mercury, lead, cadmium, zinc, copper, iron, manganese) were determined in six specimens of striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba, Meyen) stranded on the Apulian coasts (Southern Italy) between February and June 1987. Methyl mercury and selenium were also determined in the liver samples. The liver accumulated the highest concentrations of metals, except for cadmium and chromium. Metal levels were higher than those found in dolphins living in the Atlantic, but lower than those recorded in the same species from the French Mediterranean coasts. Necroscopic surveys found that all specimens were affected by haemorrhagic gastritis, but the cause was not clear. While it was not possible to related the death of dolphins to a specific cause, or to contaminants, the accumulation of metals is likely to contribute to the health of the organism and represents a risk factor for dolphins.     

Kinematics of B-F Stars as a Function of Their Dereddened Color from Gaia and PCRV Data

Parallaxes with an accuracy better than 10% and proper motions from the Gaia DR1 TGAS catalogue, radial velocities from the Pulkovo Compilation of Radial Velocities (PCRV), accurate Tycho-2 photometry, theoretical PARSEC, MIST, YaPSI, BaSTI isochrones, and the most accurate reddening and interstellar extinction estimates have been used to analyze the kinematics of 9543 thin-disk B-F stars as a function of their dereddened color. The stars under consideration are located on the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram relative to the isochrones with an accuracy of a few hundredths of a magnitude, i.e., at the level of uncertainty in the parallax, photometry, reddening, extinction, and the isochrones themselves. This has allowed us to choose the most plausible reddening and extinction estimates and to conclude that the reddening and extinction were significantly underestimated in some kinematic studies of other authors. Owing to the higher accuracy of TGAS parallaxes than that of Hipparcos ones, the median accuracy of the velocity components U, V, W in this study has improved to 1.7 km s^?1, although outside the range ?0.1 ^m < (B _T ? V _T )₀ < 0.5 ^m the kinematic characteristics are noticeably biased due to the incompleteness of the sample. We have confirmed the variations in the mean velocity of stars relative to the Sun and the stellar velocity dispersion as a function of their dereddened color known from the Hipparcos data. Given the age estimates for the stars under consideration from the TRILEGAL model and the Geneva–Copenhagen survey, these variations may be considered as variations as a function of the stellar age. A comparison of our results with the results of other studies of the stellar kinematics near the Sun has shown that selection and reddening underestimation explain almost completely the discrepancies between the results. The dispersions and mean velocities from the results of reliable studies fit into a ±2 km s^?1 corridor, while the ratios σ _V /σ _U and σ _W /σ _U fit into ±0.05. Based on all reliable studies in the range ?0.1 ^m < (B _T ? V _T )₀ < 0.5^m, i.e., for an age from 0.23 to 2.4 Gyr, we have found: W_⊙ = 7.15 km s^?1, \({\sigma _U} = 16.0{e^{1.29({B_T} - {V_T})o}}\), \({\sigma _V} = 10.9{e^{1.11({B_T} - {V_T})o}}\), \({\sigma _W} = 6.8{e^{1.46({B_T} - {V_T})o}}\), the stellar velocity dispersions in km s^?1 are proportional to the age in Gyr raised to the power β _U = 0.33, β _V = 0.285, and β _W = 0.37.     

Infrared observations of eight X-ray sources from Galactic plane surveys

Increasing the identification completeness of sources from new X-ray sky surveys is a necessary condition for further works on analyzing the formation and long-term evolution of star systems in our Galaxy. Infrared observations of several sources selected from Galactic plane surveys as candidates for low-mass X-ray binaries with the IRSF telescope at the South African Astronomical Observatory are presented. The infrared fluxes have been reliably measured from five of the eight sources (4U 1556-60, 4U 1708-40, AX J165901-4208, IGR J16287-5021, IGR J17350-2045, AX J171922-3703, SAX J1712.6-3739, 4U 1705-32). One of the objects (AX J165901-4208) may be a candidate for symbiotic X-ray binaries, i.e., binaries in which the companion of a relativistic object is a giant star. The distances have been estimated for three sources and the orbital periods have been estimated for two.     

Dynamic link between the level of ductile crustal flow and style of normal faulting of brittle crust

In a rheologically layered crust, compositional layers have an upper, elasto-plastic part and a lower, viscous one. When broken, the upper elastic part undergoes flexure, which is upward for the foot-wall and downward for the hanging wall. As a consequence of bending, stresses will develop locally that can overcome the strength of the plate and, therefore, impose the migration of active fault. In the lower, viscous part of each compositional layer, rocks can potentially flow. Numerical modelling of the behaviour of a crust made up of two compositional layers, during and following extension, shows that flow can take place not only in the lower crust but also, and more importantly, in the lower part of the upper crust. The ability of crustal rocks to flow influences the style and kinematics of rifted regions. When no flow occurs, subsidence will affect the extending areas, both hanging wall and foot-wall will subside with respect to an absolute reference frame such as sea level, and there will be a strict proportionality between extension and thinning. In addition, the downward movement of the fault blocks will decrease the local stresses created in the foot-wall and increase those of the hanging wall, thereby imposing a migration of fault towards the hanging wall. This is the behaviour of extensional settings developed on stabilised crust and which evolved in a passive margin. When flow does take place, middle crustal rocks will move towards the rifting zone causing isostatically driven upward movements that will be superimposed on movements associated with crustal and lithospheric thinning. Consequently, fault blocks will move upwards and the crust will show more extension than thinning. The upward movements will decrease the stresses developed in the hanging walls and increase those of the foot-wall. Faults will then migrate towards the foot-wall. Such a mode of deformation is expected in regions with thickened crust and has its most apparent expression in core complexes.     

Variations in the Rate of Anaerobic Succinate Accumulation within the Central and Marginal Regions of an Euryoxic Bivalve Mantle

Abstract. Anaerobic metabolism in the central and marginal portions of the mantle of Mercenaria mercenaria was compared. Anaerobic succinate accumulation was more rapid in the central region. This difference may be due to higher phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity in the central region. Thus, the central region is more specialized for anaerobic metabolism and the marginal region more for net shell growth. The original rate of succinate accumulation in the mantle is similar in isolated mantles and intact clams, suggesting that mantle succinate production does not require translocation of precursors from other tissues. However, in intact clams, the rate of succinate accumulation in the central region of the mantle slows after four hours. The reduced rate is probably caused by reducing the metabolic rate. Succinate accumulation and shell dissolution are slower in freshly collected clams than in clams that had been stored anaerobically. The difference may be due to induction of PEPCK synthesis during storage. Shell derived calcium did not accumulate in the mantle and, therefore did not alter the intracellular calcium concentration in the mantle.     

Neutron background in large-scale xenon detectors for dark matter searches

Simulations of the neutron background for future large-scale particle dark matter detectors are presented. Neutrons were generated in rock and detector elements via spontaneous fission and (α,n) reactions, and by cosmic-ray muons. The simulation techniques and results are discussed in the context of the expected sensitivity of a generic liquid xenon dark matter detector. Methods of neutron background suppression are investigated. A sensitivity of 10⁻⁹–10⁻¹⁰ pb to WIMP-nucleon interactions can be achieved by a tonne-scale detector.     

THE CORRELATION BETWEEN SUNSPOT AND CORONAL HOLE CYCLES AND A FORECAST OF THE MAXIMUM OF SUNSPOT CYCLE 23

We have shown in previous papers that a close relationship exists between the evolution of polar coronal hole area, estimated from K-coronameter observations, and the Wolf sunspot number, with a time lag of about half a solar cycle. In this paper we study the same relationship, but with the total coronal hole area at the base of the corona as obtained from a potential field model of the coronal magnetic field, which provides a more complete series of about three solar cycles. We confirm the relationship for the two last cycles and find that the forward time shift in the coronal hole area for the best correlation with sunspot number is almost the same for cycles 21 and 22, and this shift is also the time between peaks in both series. We use this result to make an early prediction of the time and size of the sunspot maximum for solar cycle 23, and find that this should occur early in 2001 and have a magnitude of about 190, similar to that of the two previous sunspot cycles.