Observations of longperiod mass velocity oscillations in the Sun's chromosphere

Observations made by the differential method in the H line have revealed longperiod (on a timescale of 40 to 80 min) line-of-sight velocity oscillations which increase in amplitude with distance from the centre to the solar limb and, as we believe, give rise to prominence oscillations. As a test, we present some results of simultaneous observations at the photospheric level where such periods are absent.Oscillatory processes in the solar chromosphere have been studied by many authors. Previous efforts in this vein led to the detection of shortperiod oscillations in both the mass velocities and radiation intensity (Deubner, 1981). The oscillation periods obtained do not, normally, exceed 10–20 min (Dubov, 1978). More recently, Merkulenko and Mishina (1985), using filter observations in the H line, found intensity fluctuations with periods not exceeding 78 min. However, the observing technique they used does not exclude the possibility that those fluctuations were due to the influence of the Earth's atmosphere. It is also interesting to note that in spectra obtained by Merkulenko and Mishina (1985), the amplitude of the 3 min oscillations is anomalously small and the 5 min period is altogether absent, while the majority of other papers treating the brightness oscillations in the chromosphere, do not report such periods in the first place. So far, we are not aware of any other evidence concerning the longperiod velocity oscillations in the chromosphere on a timescale of 40–80 min.Longperiod oscillations in prominences (filaments) in the range from 40 to 80 min, as found by Bashkirtsev et al. (1983) and Bashkirtsev and Mashnich (1984, 1985), indicate that such oscillations can exist in both the chromosphere and the corona (Hollweg et al., 1982).In this note we report on experimental evidence for the existence of longperiod oscillations of mass velocity in the solar chromosphere.     

Directions and possibilities of mathematical geology

This paper considers the present state of mathematical geology. Three directions are recognized: applied, theoretical, and mathematical. Applied mathematical geology includes formal use of mathematics to solve problems and computer processing of data. Success is achieved by a correspondence of mathematical methods used to the nature of geological data. This correspondence can be demonstrated by purely mathematical means. Theoretical mathematical geology uses mathematics as a language of geology; however, a number of methodological problems must be solved: formalization of initial geological concepts and creation of a strict conceptual basis, substantiation of initial principles of mathematical simulation, creation of theoretical geological models, problems of elementary and coincidence in geology, and methodological substantiations of possibilities of any mathematical model to approximate geological models. The essense and significance of these problems are considered. The main task of mathematical geology is to prove its correspondence to the nature of the geological objects studied, geological data obtained, and geological problems solvable. Finally, the main problems of mathematical geology are not so much mathematical as geological and methodological.     

Unsteady hydromagnetic flow through a porous medium between two infinite parallel porous plates with time-varying suction

Unsteady two-dimensional flow of a viscous incompressible and electrical-conducting fluid through a porous medium bounded by two infinite parallel plates under the action of a transverse magnetic field is presented when there is time-varying suction at the plates. The lower plate is at rest while the upper plate is oscillating in its own plane about a constant mean velocity. Expressions for the velocity, fluctuating parts of the velocity, amplitude, and phase of the skin-friction are obtained. The flow phenomenon has been characterized by the parametersK (permeability of the porous medium),N(magnetic parameter) (frequency parameter), andA(variable suction parameter) and the role of these parameters on the flow characteristics has been studied.     

Magnetic reconnection in high-temperature plasma of solar flares

Quasi-steady high-temperature current sheets are an energy source during the main or hot phase of solar flares. Such sheets are shown to be stabilized with respect to the tearing instability by a small transverse component of magnetic field existing in the sheets.     

A new approach to the possibilities of Σ(D)-dependence and distances of the supernova remnants

A new way of choosing of the calibrators for constructing (D)-dependence of supernova remnants (SNR) is suggested. A knowledge of the distance of an SNR is not sufficient to consider it as a calibrator. It is shown that neither more accurate determination of distance to calibrators, nor an increase in their number, nor an increase in the precision of the remnant angular size and radio flux determination can lead to a considerable improvement of simple (D)-dependence which is suggested in the given work.For remnants with small surface brightnesses there is no (D)-dependence at all. The most accurate remnant distances currently known, are given: these are liable to change only after a large amount of additional observational data accurately compiled.     

An estimate of the contribution of high nergy cosmic-ray protons to the absorbed dose inventory of a cometary nucleus

We discuss the contribution of cosmic-ray protons at all energies above 1 MeV to the absorbed doses of the surface layers of a comet. Since there exists no calculation which takes into account proton energy losses by means of losses to electrons and nuclear collisions (in a cascade process), and losses due to the low energy end-products of the cascade, we have made a rough estimate of all of these contributions. An analytical formula is proposed that allows a rapid estimate of ranges and the dose absorbed at any depth. We give dose-depth curves for two extreme values of the energy at which nuclear collisions begin to dominate the slowing-down process, and for an intermediate value we display the dose-depth curve down to 20 m from the surface. The relevance of these findings to dosimetry in comets and some alterations of cometary material are considered. The need for improving the analytical expression proposed is stressed.     

Energy interconnection between the plasma cloud ejected from the active region and the shock wave

The relation between the ejected plasma cloud and the shock wave propagating ahead of it is examined for 27 pairs of such events. The flare sprays and the eruptive prominences observed in H line as well as the fast-moving sources of type-IV radio bursts have been considered as such ejected plasma clouds. Propagation of the shock wave in the solar corona has been examined from the observations of type-II radio bursts. Using the Parker model of the propagation of a shock wave, the shock wave velocity has been compared with the plasma cloud velocity. Energy interconnection between these two events has been studied. In the majority of the investigated cases there exists an energetic interconnection between the plasma cloud and the shock wave.     

Use of the population potential model for predicting the growth of cities in a region (with reference to Moscow Oblast)

"A modification of the population potential model is used to analyze the structure of the potential of population for cities of the Moscow region, to develop a relationship between population potential and city size, and to use this procedure to forecast future population change in Moscow Oblast cities." Cities in the region with a population of 50,000 or more at the censuses of 1959, 1970, and 1979 are included.     

Distance estimate of M31 based on the size distribution of Hii regions and dark clouds

The size distribution of dark clouds and of H II regions were used to derive a distance of 440±22 kpc for M31. Some galactic H II regions and dark clouds were combined with the same ingredients in M31 to study the mass spectrum of both phenomena. A gas to dust ratio of 10001 has been derived for M31. Radii of the classical H II regions as derived in this work using distance of 440 kpc agrees with the galactic classical H II region radii.