Solar coronal heating by magnetic cancellation – III. Thermodynamics

We present two-dimensional numerical magnetohydrodynamics simulations of a coronal X-ray bright point (XBP) caused by a cancelling magnetic feature (CMF). Cancellation is driven by converging motions of two magnetic bipolar sources. These sources are initially disconnected from each other so that both, the CMF and the associated reconnection/heating event (i.e. the XBP), are modelled in a self-consistent way. In the initial state, there is no X-point but two separatrices are present. Hence, the reconnection/heating and the cancellation phases have not yet started. Our numerical experiments end shortly after the converging magnetic bipole has fully cancelled. By this time, reconnection in the inner domain has ceased and occurs only at the base. Solving the energy equation with various heating and cooling terms included, and considering different bottom boundary conditions, reveals that the unrealistically high temperatures produced by Ohmic heating are reduced to more moderate temperatures of 1.5–2 MK consistent with observations of XBPs, if thermal conduction is included and density and temperature are fixed at the base.     

Wavelet analysis of turbulence in cirrus clouds

Two flights of the UK Meteorological Offices Hercules aircraft through daytime frontal cirrus around Scotland have been analysed using wavelet analysis on the vertical velocity time-series from the horizontal runs. It is shown that wavelet analysis is a useful tool for analysing the turbulence data in cirrus clouds. It finds the largest scales involved in producing turbulence, as does Fourier analysis, such as the 2-km spectral peaks corresponding to convective activity during flight A283. Wavelet spectra have the added advantage that the position is shown, and so they identify smaller-scale, highly localised processes such as the production of turbulent kinetic energy by the breaking of Kelvin-Helmholtz waves due to the vertical shear in the horizontal wind. These may be lost in Fourier spectra obtained for long time-series, though they contribute something to the average spectral density at the appropriate scale. The main disadvantage of this technique is that only octave frequency bands are resolved.     

Theory of decametric radio emissions from Jupiter

It is suggested that the Jovian decametric emissions (DAM) originate in a cyclotron instability of weakly relativistic electrons trapped in the Jovian magnetic field. The resulting radiation has a group velocity in the magnetosphheric plasma which may be of order 10²km/sec, and thus takes much more time to escape the magnetosphere than if the group velocity were at or near the speed of light. Therefore, the asymmetry of the Io phase with respect to sources east and west of the Earth-Jupiter line does not imply an asymmetric beaming of DAM; it is caused by the delay the waves experience in traversing the magnetosphere. The frequency drifts of milli- and decasecond bursts are also explained. It is found that the rotation of the magnetosphere can play an important role, since the observer views the propagation velocity of the waves as the sum of their group velocity and the velocity of the medium itself. The rotation velocity is in opposite directions, relative to the observer, for sources east and west of the Earth-Jupiter line; the resultant vector addition gives positive frequency drifts for decasecond bursts from the early and fourth sources, and negative drifts for bursts from the main and third sources. The negative drifts of millisecond bursts may be the result of large density gradients of plasma in a temporarily compressed magnetosphere.     

Osteuropa und die zyklische Gliederung der Erdgeschichte

Zusammenfassung Die epirogenetische Geschichte Osteuropas (Fennosarmatiens) läßt sich seit dem Kambrium in 11 Zyklen der Transgression und Regression gliedern, die vermutlich den PulsationenGrabaus entsprechen. Bei im allgemeinen gleichzeitigem und gleichsinnigem Verlauf zeigen sich regional gewisse Unterschiede oder Phasendifferenzen, indem einige stabilere Teile Sarmatiens die einzelnen Zyklen nur verzögert oder überhaupt nicht mitmachen. Diese Pulsationen sind nicht identisch mit den vom Verf. angenommenen Großzyklen Westeuropas, sondern werden von ihnen überlagert, allerdings in regelmäßiger Weise, derart, daß mehrere Pulsationen einen Großzyklus zusammensetzen. Durch diese Überlagerung entstehen Phasendivergenzen, welche den Gesamtvorgang komplizieren, ohne seine Gesetzmäßigkeit aufzuheben. Eine dritte Ursache für regionale Unterschiede besteht in dem vom Verf. schon früher betonten zyklischen Abdrehen der tektogenetischen Beanspruchung, welche zwischen alpidisch und uralisch wechselt. Da, entsprechend dem Großgefüge, im Westen die alpidische, im Osten die uralische Bewegungstendenz vorwiegt, entstehen zwangsläufig zeitliche Differenzen, die zu einer weiteren Komplikation des Bildes beitragen. Der Verf. legt aber Wert auf die Feststellung, daß diese Differenzen und Komplikationen in dem Wesen der zyklischen Prozesse begründet sind und ihre Gesetzmäßigkeit nicht nur nicht aufheben, sondern im Gegenteil dazu dienen können, die tieferen Ursachen des erdgeschichtlichen Rhythmus zu ergründen.     

Die West-Mecklenburgische Senke

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Das Präkambrium Finnlands

Ohne ZusammenfassungDer vorliegende Aufsatz berichtet über die wissenschaftlichen Ergebnisse der Tagung der Internationalen Vereinigung zum Studium des Präkambriums in Helsingfors im Juli 1931, hinzugefügt sind einige ergänzende Betrachtungen zum Rappakiwiproblem.