CATASTROPHIC ECO-ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE IN THE SONGNEN PLAIN, NORTHEASTERN CHINA SINCE 1900S

Although the Songnen Plain in the northeastern China was developed relatively late in the temperate zone of the world, its eco-environment has changed greatly. This paper analyzes the changes of land cover and the rates and trends ofdesertification during the past 100 years in the Songnen Plain. According to the macroscopic analysis, we find that the eco-environment in the plain has reached to the threshold of catastrophic change since the 1950s. The Thorn Needle Catastrophic Model was used to determine and validate this conclusion. Human activities, including large-scale construction projects, such as huge dams and dikes, and excessive grazing were the primary factors contributing to regional eco-environmental catastrophe. And irrational reclamation of the wilderness also affected the eco-environmental change. The results reveal the complex human-land interactions.     

Neutron capture measurements on radioactive93Zr

Neutron capture measurements made on a sample of fission-product zirconium containing 20%⁹³Zr(t _1/2=1.5×10⁶a) at the Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator time-of-flight facility resulted in the identification of 138 resonance peaks for the⁹³Zr isotope at neutron energies up to 21.5 keV. Average capture cross sections from 20 to 300 keV were derived by subtracting neutron capture yields of the stable zirconium isotopes^{90, 91, 92, 94, 96}Zr and additional backgrounds. The average cross sections found were significantly less than those of JENDL-1. While generally 30% higher than those of ENDF/B —V below 60 keV, the binned data overlapped the smooth ENDF/B —V curve. The average for a Maxwellian neutron spectrum withkT=30 keV is (95±10) mb and the resonance contribution to the capture resonance integral is (15.0±0.5)b.Research sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under contract DE-AC05-840R21400 with the Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc.     

Theoretical properties of radio-galaxies

A complete sample of symmetric double radio-galaxies has been investigated by inferring the propagation of a jet along the radio-axis and computing velocities with the aid of different models. A best linear fit between radio-luminosity and velocity is proposed in the range 10⁴⁰ ergs s^–145 ergs s^–1.     

Real-time difference imaging analysis of MOA Galactic bulge observations during 2000

We describe observations carried out by the MOA group of the Galactic bulge during 2000 that were designed to detect efficiently gravitational microlensing of faint stars in which the magnification is high and/or of short duration. These events are particularly useful for studies of extrasolar planets and faint stars. Approximately 17 deg² were monitored at a sampling rate of up to six times per night. The images were analysed in real time using a difference imaging technique. 20 microlensing candidates were detected, of which eight were alerted to the microlensing community whilst in progress. Approximately half of the candidates had high magnifications (≳10), at least one had very high magnification (≳50), and one exhibited a clear parallax effect. The details of these events are reported here, together with details of the on-line difference imaging technique. Some nova-like events were also observed and these are described, together with one asteroid.     

Automatic Determination of Stellar Atmospheric Parameters Using Neural Networks and Instance-Based Machine Learning

In this article we show how machine learning methods can beeffectively applied to the problem of automatically predictingstellar atmospheric parameters from spectral information, a veryimportant problem in stellar astronomy. We apply feedforwardneural networks, Kohonen's self-organizing maps andlocally-weighted regression to predict the stellar atmosphericparameters effective temperature, surface gravity and metallicityfrom spectral indices. Our experimental results show that thethree methods are capable of predicting the parameters with verygood accuracy. Locally weighted regression gives slightly betterresults than the other methods using the original dataset asinput, while self-organizing maps outperform the other methods when significant amounts of noise are added. We also implemented a heterogeneous ensemble of predictors, combining the results given by the three algorithms. This ensemble yields better results than any of the three algorithms alone, using both the original and the noisy data.     

A sapphirine–phlogopite–cordierite paragenesis in a low-P amphibolite facies terrain, Arunta Inlier, Australia

Summary Silica-undersaturated phlogopite schists from the Cackleberry Metamorphics, Arunta Inlier, central Australia, preserve relatively low-temperature sapphirine-bearing parageneses that developed during low-pressure upper amphibolite facies metamorphism. Peak metamorphic phlogopite–cordierite–sapphirine assemblages are interpreted to have formed during the same event recorded in nearby metapelites, at c.3 kbar and 650–700 °C. Initial cooling of the terrain resulted in the breakdown of sapphirine to corundum–chlorite–phlogopite and corundum–spinel–chlorite assemblages. Further retrogression at greenschist facies conditions resulted in the replacement of sapphirine by diaspore–chlorite intergrowths. The reaction textures are consistent with a near-isobaric heating-cooling path at low-pressure, and provide evidence for the stability of sapphirine at c.700 °C at low pressures in rocks of an appropriate Mg- and Fe³⁺-rich bulk composition. Received August 15, 2001 accepted December 27, 2001     

Parameter information from non-linear cosmological fields

We develop a general formalism for analysing parameter information from non-Gaussian cosmic fields. The method can be adapted to include the non-linear effects in galaxy redshift surveys, weak lensing surveys and cosmic velocity field surveys as part of parameter estimation. It can also be used as a test of non-Gaussianity of the cosmic microwave background. Generalizing maximum-likelihood analysis to second order, we calculate the non-linear Fisher information matrix and likelihood surfaces in parameter space. To this order we find that the information content is always increased by including non-linearity. Our methods are applied to a realistic model of a galaxy redshift survey, including non-linear evolution, galaxy bias, shot-noise and redshift-space distortions to second order. We find that including non-linearities allows all of the degeneracies between parameters to be lifted. Marginalized parameter uncertainties of a few per cent will then be obtainable using forthcoming galaxy redshift surveys.     

Dhofar 081: A new lunar highland meteorite

Abstract— The lunar meteorite Dhofar 081, found as a single fragment of 174 g in the Dhofar region of Oman, is a shocked feldspathic fragmental highland breccia dominated by anorthosite‐rich lithic and mineral clasts embedded into a fine‐grained mostly shock melted clastic matrix. Major mineral phases in the bulk rock are Ca‐rich plagioclase (An_96.5–99.5), pyroxene (FS_21.9–46.2Wo_3.0–41.4), and olivine (Fa_29.3–47.8); accessory phases include Fe‐Ni metal, ilmenite, and Ti‐Cr‐rich spinel. Dhofar 081 contains subordinate crystalline fragments of large anorthosites, intersertal impact‐melt rocks, microporphyritic impact‐melt breccias, dark fine‐grained impact‐melt breccias, large cataclastic feldspars, and irregularly shaped brown glass clasts. Mafic components are rare and no genuine regolith components were found in the sections studied. Minerals in Dhofar 081 show homogeneously distributed shock features: intergranular recrystallization, strong fracturing and mosaicism in feldspar as well as a high density of mostly irregular fractures in pyroxene and olivine. Localized impact melting caused by one or several impacts led to a strong lithification. Based on these effects an equilibration shock pressure of about 15–20 GPa is estimated for the strongest shock event in Dhofar 081. Devitrification of the “glassy” material in the rock indicates thermal annealing after shock melting suggesting that the 15–20 GPa shock event predated the ejection event. According to the concentrations of implanted solar noble gases Dhofar 081 represents a polymict clastic breccia deposit with possibly a minor regolith component. A similar noble gas record of Dhofar 081 and MacAlpine Hills 88104/05 suggests the possibility of a source crater pairing of both meteorites. As indicated by noble gas measurements pairing of Dhofar 081 with the other lunar meteorites found in Oman, Dhofar 025 and Dhofar 026, is unlikely.     

Non Gaussian and Non Local Transport in the Earth's Distant Magnetotail

We study the ion dynamics in a magnetic field reversal with a constant electric field and with a model of three dimensional magnetic turbulence. By computing the mean square displacements in the plane of the current sheet we find superdiffusive and superballistic transport regimes. Since velocity increases with the length of the free path, we have accelerated Lévyflights. The possibility to generate power law velocity distribution functions is pointed out, as well as the long memory effects and non local properties of ion transport. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.