Ammonia photolysis and the greenhouse effect in the primordial atmosphere of the earth

Photochemical calculations indicate that in the prebiotic atmosphere of the Earth ammonia would have been irreversibly converted to N₂ in less than 40 years if the ammonia surface mixing ratio were ≤ 10^?4. However, if a continuous outgassing of ammonia were maintained, radiative equilibrium calculations indicate that a surface mixing ratio of ammonia of 10^?5 or greater would provide a sufficient greenhouse effect to keep the surface temperature above freezing. With a 10^?4 mixing ratio of ammonia, 60 to 70% of the present day solar luminosity would be adequate to maintain surface temperatures above freezing. A lower limit to the time constant for accumulation of an amount of nitrogen equivalent to the present day value is 10 my if the outgassing were such as to provide a continuous surface mixing ratio of ammonia ≥ 10^?5.     

Solution of the equation of transfer for Rayleigh's phase function by the principle of invariance

In this paper we shall construct the solution of the equation of transfer in a semi-infinite atmosphere with no incident radiation for Rayleigh's phase function by the method of the Principles of Invariance and using the law of diffuse reflection. The solution will then be applied to find the laws of darkening for Rayleigh's phase function.     

Collision frequency and transport properties of electrons in the ionosphere

A unified ionospheric electron collision frequency model profile 〈ν_g〉 has been calculated in the height range 50–500 km. The computed profile accounts for the electron collisions with the neutral particles as well as the ions. Experimental values of momentum transfer cross-sections have been used for electron collisions with N₂, O₂ and Ar and theoretical values for N, O, He and H. It is observed that the electron-ion collisions 〈ν_ei〉 dominate over the electron-neutral collisions 〈ν_en〉 above 170 km. However, 〈ν_e?N〉 is of the same order of magnitude as 〈ν_e?O〉 in the height range 170–210 km. Above 360 km 〈ν_e?O〉 becomes more important among the neutrals. The temporal, seasonal and solar epoch variations of 〈ν_ei〉 are also shown. A typical electron collision frequency profile 〈ν_g〉 corresponding to the exospheric temperature of 1100 K has been compared with the available experimental results for D, E and F-regions obtained from different experimental techniques. This profile has been used to determine the electrical, thermal, heat flow and current flow conductivities, the mobility and the diffusivity of electrons. The results so obtained are found to be in good agreement with the earlier results.     

Effects of convection electric field on the thermal plasma flow between the ionosphere and the protonosphere

Dynamic behavior of the coupled ionosphere-protonosphere system in the magnetospheric convection electric field has been theoretically studied for two plasmasphere models. In the first model, it is assumed that the whole plasmasphere is in equilibrium with the underlying ionosphere in a diurnal average sense. The result for this model shows that the plasma flow between the ionosphere and the protonosphere is strongly affected by the convection electric field as a result of changes in the volume of magnetic flux tubes associated with the convective cross-L motion. Since the convection electric field is assumed to be directed from dawn to dusk, magnetic flux tubes expand on the dusk side and contract on the dawn side when rotating around the earth. The expansion of magnetic flux tubes on the dusk side causes the enhancement of the upward H⁺ flow, whereas the contraction on the dawn side causes the enhancement of the downward H⁺ flow. Consequently, the H⁺ density decreases on the dusk side and increases on the dawn side. It is also found that significant latitudinal variations in the ionospheric structures result from the L-dependency of these effects. In particular, the H⁺ density at 1000 km level becomes very low in the region of the plasmasphere bulge on the dusk side. In the second model, it is assumed that the outer portion of the plasmasphere is in the recovery state after depletions during geomagnetically disturbed periods. The result for this model shows that the upward H⁺ flux increases with latitude and consequently the H⁺ density decreases with latitude in the region of the outer plasmasphere. In summary, the present theoretical study provides a basis for comparison between the equatorial plasmapause and the trough features in the topside ionosphere.     

Continuation of periodic orbits: Three-dimensional circular restricted to the general three-body problem

It is proved that a periodic orbit of the three-dimensional circular restricted three-body problem can be continued analytically, when the mass of the third body is sufficiently small, to a periodic orbit of the three dimensional general three-body problem in a rotating frame. The above method is not applicable when the period of the periodic orbit of the restricted problem is equal to 2k (k any integer), in the usual normalized units. Several numerical examples are given.     

Existence of the continuations in theN-body problem

The method of obtaining the estimates of the maximalt-interval ( _–, ₊) on which the solution of theN-body problem exists and which is such that some fixed mutual distance (e. g. ₁₂) exceeds some fixed non-negative lower bound, for allt contained in ( _–, ₊), is considered. For given masses and initial data, the increasing sequences of the numbers _k , each of which provides the estimate ₊ > _k , are constructed. It appears that if ₊ = +, then .     

On transfer equation in a semi-infinite atmosphere with albedo ω>1

In this note we derive an exact solution of transfer equation in a plane-parallel semiinfinite atmosphere with albedo >1, by the method of Laplace transform and Wiener-Hopf technique. The emergent intensityI(0, ) is obtained in terms of theH ⁰-functionH ⁰() (Das Gupta, 1978) for which some good approximations are given. Intensity at any depth is also obtained.I(0, )/I(0, 0) is plotted in graphs against [0,1], and shows a maximum which drops and shifts towards the origin as increases.     

Photoelectric study of the δ Scuti star HR 1225

The periodogram analysis of theV observations of the Scuti star HR 1225 has been carried out. Two frequencies of 6.415 cd (P ₀=0 _. ^d 1558) and 8.418 cd (P ₁=0 _. ^d 1188) have been determined. The period ratio ofP ₁/P ₀=0.762 indicates radial pulsation. The absolute magnitude, effective temperature and mass of the star are derived to be 1 _. ^m 05, 7600 K and 1.9M , respectively.     

The enigma of helium and anomalous xenon

Isotopically anomalous xenon in chondrites is closely associated with low-Z noble gases, but there is no helium (or neon) in the noble gas component with normal xenon. The correlation of elemental and isotopic heterogeneities in meteoritic noble gases places stringent limits on the origin of isotopically anomalous elements in meteorites and on the formation of the solar system.     

A history of the determination of Pluto's mass

Lowell's value for the mass of Planet X was about seven times that of the Earth. Postdiscovery determinations of the mass of Pluto from analysis of the observed motions of Uranus and Neptune reduced this value to about one Earth mass. More extended analyses in the past 10 years have lowered this value to about one-tenth of an Earth mass. The mass so derived, however, fails to agree by a factor of 50 with that determined from the motion of the newly discovered satellite Charon. The discrepancy may arise from unmodeled effects in the motions of the outer planets.