Anomalies of some tidal waves of UT1

Summary. The M _f and M _m waves of UT1 have been analysed from the BIH data during the period 1967.0 to 1984.0 in order to derive the Love number k .
These analyses performed during successive intervals of this period show some anomalies in the values of the Love number k derived from the M _f wave. Large variations with time of the amplitude and the phase appear for this wave while the values derived from the M _m wave present a good stability during the whole period.
The spectrum of the UT1-residuals (as obtained by removing the theoretical zonal tidal UT1 terms) shows the existence of a perturbation wave near the M _f period. This wave lies in the range 13.5–13.9 day according to the analysed interval; it could be related with the perturbation wave noticed by some authors near the M _f gravimetric wave.     

Spectra of simulated lightning on Venus,Jupiter, and Titan

Laser-induced plasmas in various gas mixtures were used to simulate lightning in other planetary atmospheres. This method of simulation has the advantage of producing short-duration, high-temperature plasmas free from electrode contamination. The laser-induced plasma discharges in air are shown to accurately simulate terrestrial lightning and can be expected to simulate lightning spectra in other planetary atmospheres. Spectra from 240 to 880 nm are presented for simulated lightning in the atmospheres of Venus, Earth, Jupiter, and Titan. The spectra of lightning on the other giant planets are expected to be similar to that of Jupiter because the atmospheres of these planets are composed mainly of hydrogen and helium. The spectra of Venus and Titan show substantial amounts of radiation due to the presence of carbon atoms and ions and show CN Violet radiation. Although small amounts of CH₄ and NH₃ are present in the Jovian atmosphere, only emission from hydrogen and helium is observed. Most differences in the spectra can be understood in terms of the elemental ratios of the gas mixtures. Consequently, observations of the spectra of lightning on other planets should provide in situ estimates of the atmospheric and aerosol composition in the cloud layers in which lightning is occuring. In particular, the detection of inert gases such as helium should be possible and the relative abundance of these gases compared to major constituents might be determined.     

Effect of particle acceleration process on the flare characteristics of blazars

Following the kinetic equation approach, we study the flare processes in blazars in the optical-to-X-ray region, considering energy dependent acceleration time-scale of electrons and synchrotron and adiabatic cooling as their dominant energy loss processes.     

Eastern Aphrodite Terra on Venus: Characteristics,structure, and mode of origin

Eastern Aphrodite Terra and Western Aphrodite form an altimetrically prominent 14,000 km long part of the equatorial highlands on Venus. Several parallel linear discontinuities striking northwest across the general east-west regional strike of the highlands are mapped in the altimetric and radar image data of Eastern Aphrodite and identified on the basis of abrupt termination of rift-like central chasma, offset and segmentation of the center of the highlands, and radar image discontinuities in the lowlands to the north. These characteristics are similar to those of linear discontinuities previously mapped in Western Aphrodite in terms of length, orientation, and influence on the central highlands and adjacent lowlands.Altimetric profiles in directions parallel to the discontinuities are regionally symmetric, more ridge-like in Eastern Aphrodite compared to the plateau-dominated form of topography in Western Aphrodite, and are characterized by alternating paired ridge-and-trough forms near their crests and on their flanks. By mapping the center of symmetry in multiple profiles, the prominent segmentation of the highland is shown to be imparted by an offset of the regional symmetry along the mapped discontinuities. These characteristics are morphologically similar to several of the large-scale characteristics of divergent plate boundaries of Earth, including mid-ocean rise crests and rifts, offset at fracture zones and transform faults, and symmetric thermal boundary layer topography.The altitude of the surface in profiles parallel to the discontinuities decreases as the square root of distance from the symmetry axes and with a slope similar to that predicted for thermal boundary layer topography associated with rates of divergence on Venus of ~ 1 ± 0.5 cm/yr. In order to test the hypothesis that the linear discontinuities are analogous to fracture zones, the predicted altitude of the surface at great distance from the centers of symmetry of the central highland and in directions across the discontinuities was calculated on the basis of a thermal boundary layer topography model with offset of altimetric symmetry at each discontinuity. Similarity of observed Arecibo high-resolution altimetric profiles across the discontinuities with that calculated for thermal boundary layer topography offset by transform faults reveals that in terms of the sense and magnitude of regional steps in altimetry across discontinuities and the altitude of the surface, Eastern Aphrodite is similar to the known characteristics of crustal spreading at divergent boundaries. The plateau-like form of Western Aphrodite and the ridge-like form of Eastern Aphrodite are analogous respectively to the difference between areas of anomalous (Iceland) and normal crustal production along rise crests on Earth. Estimates of volumetric differences in crustal production in the environment of Venus and as it would be influenced by differences in mantle temperature beneath Western and Eastern Aphrodite imply that Eastern Aphrodite represents normal crustal production. On this basis, Western Aphrodite may be characterized by a mantle temperature that is warmer than the mantle beneath Eastern Aphrodite Terra, perhaps in association with deep convective mantle upwelling.'Geology and Tectonics of Venus', special issue edited by Alexander T. Basilevsky (USSR Acad. of Sci., Moscow), James W. Head (Brown University, Providence), Gordon H. Pettengill (MIT. Cambridge, Massachusetts) and R. S. Saunders (J.P.L., Pasadena).     

Stray-light measurements at the Observatorio del Teide

A new procedure to separate the instrumental and atmospheric components of stray light is presented. It is based on the dependence of the aureole's atmospheric component on the air mass and is applied to measurements taken with the Vacuum Newton Telescope (VNT) at the Observatorio del Teide (Tenerife). The resulting instrumental part is independent of the air mass.The variation of both components with wavelength is also studied. The instrumental component shows no dependence on wavelength, in contrast to the atmospheric one which is greater in the blue than in the red.It is concluded that observations with air masses larger than two will probably be strongly affected by stray light.     

阿吾拉勒山西段二叠纪火山岩组合与构造环境分析

阿吾拉勒山体西段发育了厚度巨大的下二叠统火山岩,这些火山岩均属碱性玄武岩系列,以钾质类型为主,钠质类型次之,岩浆演化呈现出跨越B型趋势。这种火山活动是在大陆地壳内部产生的,代表了陆内裂谷演化的早期阶段。在早二叠世末期,由于受到新源运动的影响,这种火山活动被终止了。     

Spectrophotometry of comet Levy (1990c)

Two spectrophotometric scans of comet Levy (1990c) have been analysed to estimate Haser model column densities and production rates of CN andC ₂ molecules.