A method for second-order diffraction potential from an axisymmetric body

The paper provides a detailed analysis for the second-order diffraction of monochromatic waves. For the second-order potential on the free surface, the paper proposed a forward prediction method for computing the integration on the free surface. By this method we only need to run the infinity integration on the free surface directly for a few points; a one-step quadrature can then be applied successively outward from the body for potentials at other points. For wave diffraction from a body of revolution with a vertical axis, the paper derives a new integral equation, which can cancel the leading singularity in the derivative of ring Green's functions automatically. To obtain accurate results, different approaches are also used to deal with singularities in the ring Green's functions in the integration on both the body surface and free surface. The method has been implemented for bodies of revolution with vertical axes, but the theory is also available for arbitrary bodies.A numerical examination is made to validate the numerical code by comparing the second-order forces and moments on uniform and truncated cylinders and second-order diffraction potentials on the free surface with some published results. The comparison shows that the present results are in good agreement with those published. The method is also used to compute the second-order wave elevation around uniform and truncated cylinders.     

Numerical simulations of pulsationally unstable accretion disks around supermassive black holes

The innermost region of slim accretion disks with standard viscosity is unstable against axisymmetric radial inertial acoustic perturbations under certain conditions. Numerical simulations are performed in order to demonstrate behaviors of such unstable disks. It is shown that oscillations with the period of 10^–3 (M _BH/M ) s can be excited near the inner edge of the disks, whereM _BH is the mass of the central object. This kind of unstable disks is a possible origin of the periodic X-ray time variabilities with period of 10⁴s observed in a Seyfert galaxy NGC 6814.     

Experimental investigation of the α-β transformation of San Carlos olivine single crystal

Single crystalline San Carlos olivine (1 mm cube) was transformed to (Mg,Fe)₂SiO₄β-phase at 13.5–15 GPa, 1030–1330 °C for 0–600 min using a multi-anvil high pressure apparatus. The α-β transformation occurred by incoherent surface nucleation and interface-controlled growth and recovered partially transformed samples showed sharply defined reaction rim. The growth rate of the β-phase rim significantly decreased with time and the growth eventually ceased. TEM observations revealed that many dislocations were created in both the relict olivine just near the α-β interface and the β-phase in the rim, which show evidence for deformation caused by interfacial stresses associated with the misfit elastic strain of the transformation. The observed tangled dislocation texture in β-phase suggested that the β-phase rim was hardened and relaxation of the interfacial stress was retarded. This probably caused a localized pressure drop in the relict olivine and decreased the growth rate. Time-dependent growth rates of β-phase is possibly controlled by the rheology of β-phase, which must be considered for the prediction of the olivine metastability in the subducting slabs. Received: 24 January 1997 / Revised, accepted: 24 July 1998     

Geotraverse across the Sikhote Alin — The Sea of Japan — The Honshu Island — The Pacific

The paper presents the results of geological-geophysical research carried out during the Soviet-Japanese cooperative study of the structure and dynamics of the Earth's crust and upper mantle in the transition zone from the Pacific Ocean to the Asian continent. The 300 km deep geological-geophysical section of the tectonosphere (geotraverse) has been compiled on the basis of combined interpretations of seismic, geological, petrographic, gravimetric, magnetometric, electromagnetic and heat flow measurements. Estimates were made of deep temperatures along the geotraverse and of the depths of the partial melting level that can be identified with the upper boundary of the asthenosphere.     

A Numerical Study of Turbulence Statistics and the Structure of a Spatially-Developing Boundary Layer Over a Realistic Urban Geometry

Sonic anemometer measurements are analyzed from two primary field programs and 12 supplementary sites to examine the behaviour of the turbulent heat flux near the surface with high wind speeds in the nocturnal boundary layer. On average, large downward heat flux is found for high wind speeds for most of the sites where some stratification is maintained in spite of relatively intense vertical mixing. The stratification for high wind speeds is found to be dependent on wind direction, suggesting the importance of warm-air advection, even for locally homogenous sites. Warm-air advection is also inferred from a large imbalance of the heat budget of the air for strong winds. Shortcomings of our study are noted.     

Giant Megamullion in the Parece Vela Backarc Basin

We present results of high-resolution bathymetric studies of the extinct intermediate-spreading Parece Vela Basin in the northwestern Pacific, where we have identified an extremely large mullion structure, here termed a giant megamullion. We find that the giant megamullion is nearly an order of magnitude larger than the similar structures in the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge (`megamullions'). The giant megamullion has slightly elevated mantle Bouguer anomaly, and yields serpentinized peridotites and gabbros, suggesting that they are exposing oceanic crust and upper mantle. An off-axis rugged `chaotic terrain' was also identified in the Parece Vela Basin. The terrain consists of isolated and elevated blocks capped by corrugated axis-normal lineations, and associated deeps. We thus interpret it as analogues to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge megamullions. We propose that amagmatic tectonics producing the giant megamullion and the chaotic terrain occupied a significant part in crustal construction in the Parece Vela Basin evolution.     

Variability of the central region in active galactic nuclei

Summary We review implications of the observed optical and X-ray variability (periodicities and light-curves), relevant for the understanding of physical conditions in the deep interiors of active galactic nuclei. We discuss in detail kinematical, hydrodynamical, thermal and radiative transfer effects which may be responsible for observed variability patterns. We put emphasis on theoretical options which can predict basic accretion parameters, such as the mass of the central black hole, the accretion rate and the inclination angle, in terms of observable quantities. Closed analytical results are given whenever available.     

A Paleogene magmatic overprint on Cretaceous seamounts of the western Pacific

The West Pacific Seamount Province (WPSP) represents a series of short-lived Cretaceous hotspot tracks. However, no intraplate volcanoes in advance of petit-spot volcanism erupted near a trench have been identified after the formation of the WPSP on the western Pacific Plate. This study reports new ages for Paleogene volcanic edifices within the northern WPSP, specifically the Ogasawara Plateau and related ridges, and Minamitorishima Island. These Paleogene ages are the first reported for basaltic rocks on western Pacific seamounts, in an area that has previously only yielded Cretaceous ages. The newly found Paleogene volcanisms overprint the Early–middle Cretaceous volcanic edifices, because the seamount or paleo-island material-covered reefal limestone caps on these edifices are uniformly older than the Paleogene volcanism identified in this study. This study outlines several possible causative factors for the Paleogene volcanism overprinting onto existing Cretaceous seamounts, including volcanism related to lithospheric stress, or a younger hotspot track within the northern part of the WPSP that records magmatism from ~60 Ma.     

Fine-scale chemostratigraphy of cross-sectioned hydrogenous ferromanganese nodules from the western North Pacific

A broad area densely covered by ferromanganese nodules was recently discovered around Minamitorishima (Marcus) Island, representing a high-potential metal resource, particularly for Co, Ni, Mo, and W. We studied 16 nodule samples from nodule fields around Minamitorishima Island. To define the fine-scale chemostratigraphy of the nodules, polished cross-sections of the samples were analyzed by microfocus X-ray fluorescence. Our results show that a general pattern of compositional variation was common throughout the growth history of the nodules in all the regions we studied. Chemical mapping clarified changes in the chemical signature and proportion of five lithological components throughout the growth history: Mn represented columnar δ-MnO₂; Fe represented layered amorphous FeOOH*xH₂O; Ti represented TiO₂*2H₂O intergrown with an amorphous FeOOH phase; P, Ca and Y represented particles of biogenic calcium phosphate; and Si, Al, K, Cu, and Ni represented pelagic sediment infills. We proposed a method for a creating a multi-dimensional compositional map of the fine-scale chemostratigraphy observed in the ferromanganese oxide layers on the basis of merging the mapped Mn, Fe, Ti, P, Si and Cu intensities. Multi-dimensional compositional mapping of the sampled nodules from the western North Pacific revealed two fundamental findings: (1) previously recognized first-order Fe–Mn layers, L0, L1, and L2, were further divided into two, three, and four sublayers, respectively, and (2) a delayed supply of material to be nuclei of nodule or a growth hiatus of Fe–Mn layer(s), leading to missing sublayers in the layers L0 and L2, regulated the nodule size. In contrast, layer L1, which does not have any missing sublayers, was commonly observed in the samples for this study and has been reported in studies of other regions in the western Pacific. We propose, therefore, that the layer L1 is a key facies for examining chemostratigraphic correlations with other areas of seafloor.