The impact of wave loads and pore-water pressure generation on initiation of sediment transport

The build-up of pore-water pressure by waves can lead to sediment liquefaction and subsequent transport by traction currents. This process was investigated by measuring pore-water pressures both in a field experiment and laboratory wave tank tests. Liquefaction was observed in the wave tank tests. The results suggest that sand is less susceptible than silts to wave-induced liquefaction because of the tendency to partially dissipate pore-water pressures. However, previous studies have determined that pore-water pressures must approach liquefaction before current velocities necessary to initiate transport are reduced. Once liquefaction has occurred more sediment can be transported.     

Chemical abundances from B-stars in the Magellanic Clouds

We observed near-Main-Sequence B-stars in the Magellanic Clouds with the 3.6 m telescope and CASPEC at La Silla. We obtained spectra of high resolution and high S/N-ratio. The stars are members of the blue globular clusters NGC 1818 (LMC) and NGC 330 (SMC). The spectra are used for differential abundance analyses using HER as galactic reference star. Apart from CNO the metals are underabundant by about a factor of three and four for the LMC and SMC star, respectively. The CNO pattern is interesting since in both stars oxygen is considerably more abundant than carbon.Based on observations collected at ESO, La Silla and on Calar Alto, Spain and on observations made with the International Ultraviolet Explorer.     

Resonance line radiation originating from a region with well-developed plasma turbulence

This study considers the influence of the effects of scattering due to Langmuir turbulent pulsations in the transfer of radiation in the spectral lines. The transfer equation of radiation in spectral lines, by taking into account scattering due to Langmuir turbulent pulsations, is written in a form convenient for application by numerical methods.The profile's intensity for a plane-parallel finite isothermal slab of a turbulent plasma in the case of complete redistribution of scattering by an atom are obtained. Numerical studies show that in this case with the broadening of spectral lines and the decreasing of self-reversal, the Langmuir frequency _pe is of the same order as the electronic Doppler width _De. Creation of the line satellites when _pe is larger than the line width is shown with the aid of numerical methods.     

A stability study of asteroid families near the 3:1 and 5:2 resonance with Jupiter

By using theD-criterion Lindblad (1992) has identified 14 asteroid families from a sample of 4100 numbered asteroids with proper elements from Milani and Kneevi (1990). Taxonomic types and other physical properties for a significant number of objects in five of the families show strong homogeneity within each family, further strengthening their internal relationship.To test the hypothesis of a common origin in, e.g., a catastrophic collision event, we have set out to integrate the orbits of the members of the Maria, Dora and Oppavia-Gefion families over some 10⁶ years. The mean distance for the Maria family is close to the 3:1 mean-motion resonance with Jupiter, while the other two families lie close to the 5:2 resonance.We used a simplified solar system model which included the perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn only and implemented Everhart's variable stepsize integrator RA15. All close encounters between the family members (within 0.1 AU) were recorded as well. Preliminary results from integrations over 4×10⁵ years are presented here.The statistics of close encounters show pronounced peaks for several members within each family, while for others no significant levels above the background of random encounters or even very low frequencies were found. This indicates a subclustering within the families. Quite a lot of very close (<0.005 AU) mutual encounters are found, which suggest that, at least for the larger members in a family, the mutual gravitational interactions could be of some importance for the real orbital evolutions.The encounter statistics between the Dora and Oppavia family members suggest a possible interrelationship between this two groups.     

Phase transitions in the ISM a source of dissipative behaviour

By considering a simple fluid model, we investigate the role of phase transitions in the ISM on the galaxy- scale gas dynamics. Cooling and heating timescales in the ISM are typically shorter than typical galactic rotation timescales, so the individual phases in the ISM can be assumed to be in temperature equilibrium with the radiation field. Using this approximation we can construct an equation of state which depends upon the average density and mass fractions in the individual phases. Previous studies suggest that there is an equilibrium phase fraction as a function of pressure. We incorporate evolution towards this equilibrium state as a relaxation term with a time to obtain equilibrium . We derive a condition in terms of a critical Mach number when one dimensional shocks should be continuous. For small values of the relaxation time we show that the relaxation term acts like a viscosity. We show with one dimensional simulations that increasing causes shocks to become smoother. This work suggests that phase changes can strongly effect the gas dynamics of the ISM across spiral arms and bars.     

Lifetime migration in Indonesia based on 1971 and 1980 census data

Internal migration trends in Indonesia are reviewed using 1971 and 1980 census data. The author notes that although migration in 1971 was primarily to Jakarta and Lampung, by 1980 it was more diversified, with significant migration to some of the outer islands. The importance of the national transmigration program is noted.     

Newtonian cosmology with a varying gravitational constant

Newtonian cosmology is developed with the assumption that the gravitational constantG diminishes with time. The functional form adopted forG(t), a modification of a suggestion of Dirac, isG=A(k+t) ^–1, wheret is the age of the Universe and a small constantk is inserted to avoid a singularity in the two-body problem. IfR is the scale factor, normalized to unity at an epoch time , the differential equation is then . Here ₀ is the mean density at the epoch time. With the above form forG(t), the solution is reducible to quadratures.The scale factorR either increases indefinitely or has one and only one maximum. LetH ₀ be the present value of Hubble's constant /R and _0c the minimum density for a maximum ofR, i.e., for closure of the Universe. The conditions for a maximum lead to a boundary curve of _0c versusH ₀ and the numbers indicate strongly that thisG-variable Newtonian model corresponds to an open universe. An upward estimate of the age of the Universe from 10¹⁰ yr to five times such a value would still lead to the same conclusion.The present Newtonian cosmology appears to refute the statement, sometimes made, that the Dirac model forG necessarily leads to the conclusion that the age of the Universe is one-third the Hubble time. Appendix B treats this point, explaining that this incorrect conclusion arises from using all the assumptions in Dirac (1938). The present paper uses only Dirac's final result, viz,G(k+t)^–1, superposing it on the differential equation .     

Deep drilling at the Siljan Ring impact structure: oxygen-isotope geochemistry of granite

The Siljan Ring is a 362-Ma-old impact structure formed in 1700-Ma-old I-type granites. A 6.8-km-deep borehole provides a vertical profile through granites and isolated horizontal diabase sills. Fluid-inclusion thermometry, and oxygen-isotope compositions of vein quartz, granite, diabase, impact melt, and pseudotachylite, reveal a complex history of fluid activity in the Siljan Ring, much of which can be related to the meteorite impact. In granites from the deep borehole, ¹⁸O values of matrix quartz increase with depth from near 8.0 at the surface to 9.5 at 5760 m depth. In contrast, feldspar ¹⁸O values decrease with depth from near 10 at the surface to 7.1 at 5760 m, forming a pattern opposite to the one defined by quartz isotopic compositions. Values of ¹⁸O for surface granites outside the impact structure are distinct from those in near-surface samples from the deep borehole. In the deep borehole, feldspar coloration varies from brick-red at the surface to white at 5760 m, and the abundances of crack-healing calcite and other secondary minerals decrease over the same interval. Superimposed on the overall decrease in alteration intensity with depth are localized fracture zones at 4662, 5415, and 6044 m depth that contain altered granites, and which provided pathways for deep penetration of surface water. The antithetic variation of quartz and feldspar ¹⁸O values, which can be correlated with mineralogical evidence of alteration, provides evidence for interaction between rocks and impact-heated fluids (100–300° C) in the upper 2 km of the pluton. Penetration of water to depths below 2 km was restricted by a general decrease in impact-fracturing with depth, and by a 60-m-thick diabase sill at 1500 m depth that may have been an aquitard. At depths below 4 km in the pluton, where water/rock ratios were low, oxygen isotopic compositions preserve evidence for limited high-temperature (>500° C) exchange between alkali feldspar and fluids. The high-temperature exchange may have been a post-impact event involving impact-heated fluids, or a post-magmatic event.