Morphology of Lonar Crater,India: Comparisons and implications

Lonar Crater is a young meteorite impact crater emplaced in Deccan basalt. Data from 5 drillholes, a gravity network, and field mapping are used to reconstruct its original dimensions, delineate the nature of the pre-impact target rocks, and interpret the emplacement mode of the ejecta. Our estimates of the pre-erosion dimensions are: average diameter of 1710 m; average rim height of 40 m (30–35 m of rim rock uplift, 5–10 m of ejected debris); depth of 230–245 m (from rim crest to crater floor). The crater's circularity index is 0.9 and is unlikely to have been lower in the past. There are minor irregularities in the original crater floor (present sediment-breccia boundary) possibly due to incipient rebound effects. A continuous ejecta blanket extends an average of 1410 m beyond the pre-erosion rim crest.In general, fresh terrestrial craters, less than 10 km in diameter, have smaller depth/diameter and larger rim height/diameter ratios than their lunar counterparts. Both ratios are intermediate for Mercurian craters, suggesting that crater shape is gravity dependent, all else being equal. Lonar demonstrates that all else is not always equal. Its depth/diameter ratio is normal but, because of less rim rock uplift, its rim height/diameter ratio is much smaller than both fresh terrestrial and lunar impact craters. The target rock column at Lonar consists of one or more layers of weathered, soft basalt capped by fresh, dense flows. Plastic deformation and/or compaction of this lower, incompetent material probably absorbed much of the energy normally available in the cratering process for rim rock uplift.A variety of features within the ejecta blanket and the immediately underlying substrate, plus the broad extent of the blanket boundaries, suggest that a fluidized debris surge was the dominant mechanism of ejecta transportation and deposition at Lonar. In these aspects, Lonar should be a good analog for the fluidized craters of Mars.     

Coherence analysis of granular intensity

A high resolution spectrogram of the Mg b₂ line from the quiet Sun disc centre is subjected to a coherence analysis. We find that the coherence between intensity fluctuations in the continuum and the wings of the line breaks down at a distance = 0.35 Å from line centre. From this and the r.m.s. intensity contrast as a function of we are led to the following simple model of temperature fluctuation T in the solar photosphere: A lower part (below 50 km, or ₅₀₀₀ > 0.25) with strongly inward increasing T and an upper part (above 50 km) with constant T = 75 K. The two parts are supposed to fluctuate incoherently.Mitteilungen aus dem Kiepenheuer Institut Nr. 166.     

40Ar39Ar ages of Allende

KAr and/or ⁴⁰Ar³⁹Ar plateau ages of Allende samples—whole rock, matrix, chondrules, white inclusions–range from 3.8 AE for matrix of ?5 AE for some white inclusions, but cluster strongly near 4.53 AE. This age marks the dominant KAr resetting of Allende materials. Age spectra show disturbances due to ³⁹Ar recoil or some other argon redistribution processes. Possible explanations for the apparent presolar ages (>4.6 AE) include: ?20% loss of ³⁹Ar; ?40% loss of ⁴⁰K ～3.8 AE ago with no loss of ⁴⁰Arl trapped argon of unique ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar isotopic composition; admixture of “very old” presolar grains.     

Energy spectra of cosmic ray nuclei: 4≤Z≤26 and 0.3≤E≤2 GeV amu−1

Energy spectra of cosmic ray nuclei in the charge range 5Z26 have been derived from the response of an acrylic plastic erenkov detector. Data were obtained using a balloon-borne detector and cover the energy range 320E2200 MeV amu^–1. Spectra are derived from a formal deconvolution using the method of Lezniak (1975). Relative spectra of different elements are compared by observing the charge ratios. Secondary-primary ratios are observed to decrease with increasing energy, consistent with the effect previously observed at higher energy. Primary-to-primary ratios are constant for 6Z10 and 14Z26 but vary for 10Z14. This data is found to be consistent with existing data, where comparable, and lends strong support to the idea of two separate source populations contributing to the cosmic ray composition.Work supported by University of Maryland Grant NGR 21-002-316.     

Energetic properties of interplanetary plasma at the earth's orbit following the August 4, 1972 flare

Solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field data were obtained by the PROGNOZ 1 and PROGNOZ 2 satellites during the period following the August 4, 1972 (0621 UT) solar flare. A thermalized plasma was recorded one hour after the shock followed two hours later by the plasma piston with a bulk velocity higher than 1700 km s^-1. The comparison between the PROGNOZ and PIONEER 9 solar wind data shows an attenuation of the plasma properties with the deflection from the flare's meridian.     

Tridiurnal variations in cosmic-ray intensity

The tridiurnal wave in cosmic-ray intensity expected from a free space anisotropy is theoretically calculated for different cosmic-ray stations which are characterized by different shapes of asymptotic cones of acceptance. The amplitude A and the time of maximum Tmax are given for latitude dependence of the form cosⁿ λ and rigidity dependence of the form $\text{R}{}^{\mathrm{\beta }}\text{exp (?(R?}\text{1}\text{R}{}_0\text{))}$, where λ and R are the latitude and rigidity respectively and n, β, R₀ are constants. The values of A and Tmax, are calculated for different values of n, β and R₀ for each station. The dependence of A and Tmax on the anisotropy parameters is studied for the proper selection of cosmic-ray stations whose data may be used in determining these parameters.Available experimental data were used to find the observed amplitudes of the tridiurnal variations at five stations using power spectrum analysis with hanning applied on the averaged trains. Minimum variance analysis of the theoretical and experimental amplitudes showed that β has a value between 1 and 2, R₀ greater than 100 GV and n smaller than 3.     

Photochemistry of nitrogen in the Martian atmosphere

Models are developed for the photochemistry of a CO₂H₂ON₂ atmosphere on Mars and estimates are given for the concentrations of N, NO, NO₂, NO₃, N₂O₅, HNO₂, HNO₃, and N₂O as a function of altitude. Nitric oxide is the most abundant form of odd nitrogen, present with a mixing ratio relative to CO₂ of order 10^?8. Deposition rates for nitrite and nitrate minerals could be as large as 3× 10⁵ N equivalent atoms cm^?2 sec^?1 under present conditions and may have been higher in the past.     

Interplanetary acceleration of energetic particles at 1 and 5 AU

Energetic particle (0.1 to 100 MeV protons) acceleration is studied by using high resolution interplanetary magnetic field and plasma measurements at 1 AU (HEOS-2) and at 5 AU (Pioneer 10). Energy changes of a particle population are followed by computing test particle trajectories and the energy changes through the particle interaction with the time varying magnetic field. The results show that considerable particle acceleration takes place throughout the interplanetary medium, both in the corotating interaction regions (CIR) (5 AU), and in quiet regions (1 AU). Although shocks may contribute to acceleration we suggest statistical acceleration within the CIRs is sufficient to explain most energetic particle observations (e.g., McDonaldet al., 1975; Barnes and Simpson, 1976).The first and second order statistical acceleration coefficients which include transit time damping and Alfvén resonance interactions, are found to be well represented byD _T 8.5×10^–6 T ^0.5 MeV s^–1 andD _TT 4×10^–6 T ^1.5 MeV² s^–1 at 5 AU.By comparison, Fisk's estimates (1976), based on quasi-linear theory for transit-time damping, gaveD _TT 5×10^–7 T MeV² s^–1 at 1 AU.     

Observation of MKN 501 at gamma-ray energies

During a balloon flight in September 1979 of the MISO low-energy -ray telescope, the BL Lac-object MkN 501 was studied in the hard X-ray range above 30 keV and in the low energy -ray range up to 19 MeV. No statistically significant X- and -ray fluxes were detected. The implications of the upper limits obtained are discussed in the light of the relativistic jet theories recently proposed.