Structure and dynamics of water on Li-, Na-, K-, Cs-, H3O-exchanged muscovite surfaces: A molecular dynamics study

The distribution and dynamics of water molecules and monovalent cations (Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Cs⁺, and H₃O⁺) on muscovite surfaces were investigated by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The direct comparison of calculated X-ray reflectivity profiles and electron density profiles with experiments revealed the precise structure at the aqueous monovalent electrolyte solutions/muscovite interface. To explain the experimentally observed electron density profiles for the CsCl solution-muscovite interface, the co-adsorption of Cs⁺ and Cl⁻ ion pairs would be necessary. Two types of inner-sphere complexes and one type of outer-sphere complex were observed for hydrated Li⁺ ions near the muscovite surface. For Na⁺, K⁺, Cs⁺, and H₃O⁺ ions, the inner-sphere complexes were stable on the muscovite surface. The density oscillation of water molecules was observed to approximately 1.5 nm from the muscovite surface. The number of peaks and the locations for the density of water oxygen atoms were almost similar among the water molecules coordinated to Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, and H₃O⁺ ions adsorbed on the muscovite surfaces. The water molecules around Cs⁺ ions that were adsorbed to muscovite surfaces seemed to avoid coordinating with Cs⁺ ions on the surface, and the density of water oxygen near the muscovite surface decreased relative to that in a bulk state. There was no significant difference in self-diffusion, viscosity, retention time, and reorientation time of water molecules among different cations adsorbed to muscovite surfaces. These translational and rotational motions of water molecules located at less than 1 nm from the muscovite surfaces were slower than those in a bulk state. A significant difference was observed for the exchange times of water molecules around monovalent cations. The exchange time of water molecules was long around Li⁺ ions and decreased with an increase in the ionic radius.     

Orbital signals found in physical and chemical properties of bottom sediments from Lake Baikal

Physical and chemical properties of two 100 m sediment cores (BDP-93-1, 93-2) obtained from the Buguldeika saddle of Lake Baikal in the eastern Siberia and a ¹⁴C-based age scale for the core show that the core bottom is about 400000 years ago and that the changes in the sedimentological environment of the area during the interval were that comparatively coarse and high C/N ratio sediments accumulated in the lake during interglacial periods, and fine material and low C/N ratio during glacial periods. The tentative age scale suggests that the first excursion in the earth's magnetic field at about 26 m (BDP-93-1 and 93-2) from the sediment surface corresponds to the Blake event. Statistical analyses of the data-sets for the some properties show that the fluctuations have distinct periods; 20000 years, 40000 years and 100000 years, that are related to the Milankovitch parameters and support that the tentative age scale is approximately acceptable.     

Wide field X-ray monitor on board the High Energy Transient Experiment (HETE)

The High-Energy Transient Experiment (HETE) is designed for the multiwavelengths study of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) in UV, X-ray and gamma-ray range with three scientific instruments. The X-ray instrument, Wide-field X-ray Monitor (WXM), consists of four units of one-dimensional position sensitive gas proportional counters and two perpendicularly oriented one-dimensional coded apertures. The WXM has a wide FOV of 1.5 steradian together with the capability to locate GRBs with 10 arcmin accuracy, and covers photon energies of 2 to 25 keV with an energy resolution of typically 18 % at 6 keV, measuring wide band spectra together with the gamma-ray spectrometer (FREGATE). The coded X-ray image will be deconvolved on board and the GRB location will be provided to the UV camera within 1 sec . GRB locations will also be broadcast in real time to ground-based observers for follow-up observations.     

Meridional flow in thick accretion disks

We have studied the effect of the flow in the accretion disk. The specific angular momentum of the disk is assumed to be constant and the polytropic relation is used. We have solved the structure of the disk and the flow patterns of the irrotational perfect fluid.As far as the obtained results are concerned, the flow does not affect the shape of the configuration in the bulk of the disk, although the flow velocity reaches even a half of the sound velocity at the inner edge of the disk. Therefore, in order to study accretion disk models with the moderate mass accretion rate—i.e.,

Lost primordial continents

We investigate the bulk density variations of some representative compositions for the lower mantle based on the pressure–volume–temperature equation of state of the constituent mineral phases. The density variations of pyrolite, harzburgite, mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB), tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite (TTG), and anorthosite are studied at a temperature of 300 K and at lower mantle pressures. The density of MORB is greater than that of pyrolite throughout the lower mantle, while the density of harzburgite is slightly lower than that of pyrolite. The density of anorthosite is comparable to that of pyrolite in the lower mantle in general, and greater in the lowermost mantle, while the density of TTG is lower than pyrolite throughout the lower mantle. The above results have important implications for the fate of primordial continents, TTG and anorthosite crust. While subducted TTG might be stagnant in the mantle transition zone, dense subducted anorthositic crust could be expected to sink to the core–mantle boundary (CMB) and thus might be a major component of the D" layer immediately above the CMB. Thus, we propose that significant bodies of continental material could be present in the mantle in the transition zone and immediately above the CMB, in addition to the continents on the Earth's surface.     

Mechanism of Nutrient Supply to Warm-Core Ring off Sanriku, Japan

The mechanism by which nutrient is supplied to a warm-core ring (WCR) was investigated in order to understand the greater productivity of WCR than that of the Kuroshio, where the WCR originattes. A single WCR was observed in January and May, 1997. The thermostad (a layer of isothermal and isohaline water) of the WCR had different properties from January to May, the differences: Δwater temperature: −0.698°C, Δsalinity: −0.048, Δsigma θ: +0.072, Δnitrite+nitrate-N: +1.83 μM, Δphosphate: +0.011 μM and Δsilicate: +3.2 μM. We examined three possible mechanisms for nutrient supply to WCR in winter, namely: 1) inflow of the Oyashio surface water into WCR; 2) isopycnal mixing with Oyashio water; 3) entrainment of the water below the WCR into the WCR. The results were as follows: 1) When the decrease of salinity was due to the inflow of the Oyashio surface water, the increase of nutrients (nitrite+nitrate-N, phosphate-P and silicate-Si) was estimated to be only 17–27% of the observed increase. 2) When the decrease of salinity was due to isopycnal mixing, the increase of nutrients was estimated to be 30–42% of the observed increase. 3) When the decrease of salinity in the WCR in May was due to entrainment of the water below the WCR in winter by convection, the mixing depth was calculated be 620 m according to the salt budget. The increase of nutrients in this case was calculated to be 82–95% of the observed increase. The main mechanism of nutrient supply to WCR was concluded to be due to the entrainment of the water below the WCR by winter mixing. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Static and dynamic fault parameters of the Saitama earthquake of July 1, 1968

The source mechanism of the Saitama earthquake (36.07°N,139.40°E, M_s = 5.4) of July 1, 1968, is studied on the basis of P-wave first motion, aftershock, long-period surface-wave data and low-magnification long-period seismograms recorded in the nearfield. A precise location of the aftershocks is made using P and S—P time data obtained by a micro-earthquake observatory network. The synthetic near-field seismograms based on the Haskell model are directly compared with the observed near-field seismograms for wave form and amplitude to determine the dynamic fault parameters. The results obtained are as follows: source geometry, reverse dip slip with considerable right-lateral strike-slip component; dip direction, N6°E; dip angle 30°; fault dimension, 10 × 6 km²; rupture velocity, 3.4 km/sec in the direction S30°E; average dislocation, 92 cm; average dislocation velocity, 92 cm/sec; seismic moment, 1.9 · 10²⁵ dyn-cm; stress drop, 100 bar. The effective stress is about the same as the stress drop. For major earthquakes in the Japanese Islands, the dislocation velocity, .D, is found to be proportional to the stress drop, σ. This relation can be expressed by .D - (β/μ)σ, where β is the shear velocity and μ is the rigidity. This result has an importance in engineering seismology because the stress drop scales the seismic motion in the vicinity of an earthquake fault.     

Forced convection accompanying wind waves

Wind-wave tunnel experiments reveal, by use of techniques of the flow visualization, that wind waves are accompanied by the wind drift surface current with large velocity shear and with horizontal variation of velocity relative to the wave profile. The surface current converges from the crest to a little leeward face of the crest, making a downward flow there, even though the wave is not breaking. Namely, wind waves are accompanied by forced convections relative to the crests of the waves. Since the location of the convergence and the downward flow travels on the water surface as the crest of the wave propagates, the motion as a whole is characterized by turbulent structure as well as by the nature of water-surface waves. In this meaning, the term of real wind waves is proposed in contrast with ordinary water waves. The study of real wind waves will be essential in future development of the study of wind waves.