Observations of the Ca xix resonance line during the impulsive phase of solar flares

Numerical simulations of flaring coronal loops, based on the assumption of an electron beam energy input, show that material is ablated from the chromosphere at approximately the local sound speed, thus giving rise to an overall blueshift in the spectrum of the soft X-ray Ca xix resonance line of up to 5 mÅ. In this paper we critically examine the observational evidence for the existence of this blueshift. From an exhaustive analysis of seven limb flares and nine disk flares, we find no indication of Ca xix blueshifts in excess of about 1 mÅ. This conclusion may present serious problems for the electron beam hypothesis: possible reasons for the apparent discrepancy between theory and observations are discussed.     

15,000-yr pollen record of vegetation change in the high altitude tropical Andes at Laguna Verde Alta, Venezuela

Pollen analysis of sediments from a high-altitude (4215 m), Neotropical (9°N) Andean lake was conducted in order to reconstruct local and regional vegetation dynamics since deglaciation. Although deglaciation commenced 15,500 cal yr B.P., the area around the Laguna Verde Alta (LVA) remained a periglacial desert, practically unvegetated, until about 11,000 cal yr B.P. At this time, a lycopod assemblage bearing no modern analog colonized the superpáramo. Although this community persisted until 6000 cal yr B.P., it began to decline somewhat earlier, in synchrony with cooling following the Holocene thermal maximum of the Northern Hemisphere. At this time, the pioneer assemblage was replaced by a low-diversity superpáramo community that became established 9000 cal yr B.P. This replacement coincides with regional declines in temperature and/or available moisture. Modern, more diverse superpáramo assemblages were not established until 4600 cal yr B.P., and were accompanied by a dramatic decline in Alnus, probably the result of factors associated with climate, humans, or both. Pollen influx from upper Andean forests is remarkably higher than expected during the Late Glacial and early to middle Holocene, especially between 14,000 and 12,600 cal yr B.P., when unparalleled high values are recorded. We propose that intensification of upslope orographic winds transported lower elevation forest pollen to the superpáramo, causing the apparent increase in tree pollen at high altitude. The association between increased forest pollen and summer insolation at this time suggests a causal link; however, further work is needed to clarify this relationship.     

Long-term dynamical evolution of dusty ejecta from Deimos

We re-assess expected properties of the presumed dust belt of Mars formed by impact ejecta from Deimos. Previous studies have shown that dynamics of Deimos particles are dominated by two perturbing forces: radiation pressure (RP) and Mars’ oblateness (J2). At the same time, they have demonstrated that lifetimes of particles, especially of grains about ten of micrometers in size, may reach more than 10⁴ years. On such timescales, the Poynting-Robertson drag (PR) becomes important. Here we provide a study of the dynamics under the combined action of all three perturbing forces. We show that a PR decay of the semimajor axes leads to an adiabatic decrease of amplitudes and periods of oscillations in orbital inclinations predicted in the framework of the underlying RP+J2 problem. Furthermore, we show that smallest of the long-lived Deimos grains (radius≈5- may reach a chaotic regime, resulting in unpredictable and abrupt changes of their dynamics. The particles just above that size (≈10-) should be the most abundant in the Deimos torus. Our dynamical analysis, combined with a more accurate study of the particle lifetimes, provides corrections to earlier predictions about the dimensions and geometry of the Deimos torus. In addition to a population, appreciably inclined and shifted towards the Sun, the torus should contain a more contracted, less asymmetric, and less tilted component between the orbits of Phobos and Deimos.     

Optimal and sustainable extraction of groundwater in coastal aquifers

Four examples are investigated for the optimal and sustainable extraction of groundwater from a coastal aquifer under the threat of seawater intrusion. The objectives and constraints of these management scenarios include maximizing the total volume of water pumped, maximizing the profit of selling water, minimizing the operational and water treatment costs, minimizing the salt concentration of the pumped water, and controlling the drawdown limits. The physical model is based on the density-dependent advective-dispersive solute transport model. Genetic algorithm is used as the optimization tool. The models are tested on a hypothetical confined aquifer with four pumping wells located at various depths. These solutions establish the feasibility of simulating various management scenarios under complex three-dimensional flow and transport processes in coastal aquifers for the optimal and sustainable use of groundwater.     

Magnetic Twist and Writhe of δ Active Regions

We have selected 104 active regions with a δ magnetic configuration from 1996 to 2002 to study how important a role the kink instability plays in such active regions. In this study, we employ the systematic tilt angle of each active region as a proxy for the writhe of a flux tube and the force-free parameter, α_best, as a proxy for the magnetic field twist in the flux tube. It is found that 65–67% of the active regions have the same sign of twist and writhe. About 34% (32%) of the active regions violate (follow) the Hale-Nicholson and Joy's Laws (HNJL) but follow (violate) the hemispheric helicity rule (HHR). Sixty-one (61) of the 104 active regions studied each produced more than five large flares. Active regions violating HNJL, but following HHR, have a much stronger tendency to produce X-class flares and/or strong proton events. Comparing with previous studies for active regions with well-defined (simpler) bipolar magnetic configuration, it is found that the numbers following both HNJL and HHR are significantly lower in the δ-configuration case, while numbers violating one of the laws and the rule significantly increase with the increase of the magnetic complexity of the active regions. These results support the prediction for the presence of a kink instability, that the twist and writhe of the magnetic fields exhibit the same sign for δ active regions (Linton et al., Astrophys. J. 507, 40, 1998, Astrophys. J. 522, 1205, 1999; Fan et al., Astrophys. J. 521, 460, 1999). Finally, we analyze possible origins of the twist and writhe of the magnetic fields for the active regions studied.