Slumping and shallow faulting related to the presence of salt on the Continental Slope and Rise off North Carolina

Seismic reflection profiles and long- and medium-range sidescan sonar were used to investigate a salt diapir complex and area of slope instability near the base of the Continental Slope off North Carolina. Within the area of investigation three diapirs are bounded on their upslope side by a scarp 60 m high and 50 km long. The slope above the scarp is characterized by a series of shallow rotational normal faults. The bottom below the scarp is furrowed by slide tracks, which were probably carved by large blocks that broke off the scarp face and slid downslope leaving rubble and scree lobes.Extensive slumping in this area appears to be a result of uplift and faulting associated with salt intrusion, which has fractured and oversteepened the slope leading to instability and failure. Sharply defined slide tracks suggest that slope failure above the breached diapir complex is a continuing process, in contrast to much of the surrounding slope area where few instability features were observed.     

Gravitational collapse of a dust ball — The external observer's point of view

The problem of collapse of a dust ball has been studied in detail from the point of view of an external observer (O). It is seen that although there is no material pressure from the point of view of the comoving observer, there is a non-vanishing material pressure in the ball from the point of view of O. In the early stages of collapse (w.r.t. O), this pressure is positive everywhere inside the ball, while during the later stages, if one goes outwards from the centre towards the surface of the ball, this pressure is negative up to a certain value of the radial coordinate, and then changes its sign thereafter. On the basis of this pressure, one can understand the physics of the whole scenario of collapse w.r.t. O; in particular, the important feature is that in the ultimate stages an event horizon is formed asymptotically and there is no collapse to a point (as takes place from the point of view of the comoving observer).     

On the R z -sunspot relative number variations

The Zürich sunspot relative number R _z series has been analysed by the cyclogram method. The amplitude and the frequency variations of the Fourier 11 yr component between 1700–1983 A.D., were determined in a continuous way.Four distinct time intervals with significantly different characteristics of the periodicities are observed and discussed.Their second harmonics are also considered. The periodicity changes are contemporary to those of the 11 yr cycles.Around the year 1903 it seems that an important event has happened in the Sun. In fact the 11.4 yr cycle periodicity, that was very stable since at least 1825 started to change gradually to smaller values and similarly it happened to the second harmonic which also stopped and abruptly changed of phase of 90°.     

Improved theoretical line ratios for Ciii in the Sun

The recent twelve-state R-matrix calculations of electron excitation rates in Ciii by Berrington are used to derive level populations applicable to the solar transition region. Line ratios R = I(2p ^{2 3} P ^e - 2s2p ³ P ^°)/I(2s2p ¹ P ^° - 2s ^{2 1} S ^e ) and R ₂=I(2p ^{2 1} S ^e - 2s2p ¹ P ^°)/I(2p ^{2 3} P ^e - 2s2p ³ P ^°) deduced from these data in conjunction with the relevent transition probabilities are found to be in much better agreement with the observed quiet Sun values than those determined from the level population calculations of Keenan et al.     

The klein–nishina Effects in Blazar Jets

Blazars are the only (with one or two exceptions) extragalactic objects which were detected and identified at gamma-ray energies so far. It is suspected that most of the unidentified gamma-ray sources may be the blazars as well. Because the entire electromagnetic spectrum of these objects is dominated by non-thermal radiation from relativistically moving jets, the effects such as the Klein–Nishina regime in the Compton scattering may play a major role in shaping some parts of the blazar spectrum. Within the framework of external radiation Compton model, we present how these effect influence the spectra of blazars for which the production of gamma rays is dominated by Comptonization of external radiation.     

Accumulation of Zn,Cu and Cd by crabs and barnacles

The crab Carcinus maenas (L.) and the barnacle Elminius modestus Darwin were exposed to a range of dissolved concentrations of Zn, Cu and Cd for 21 days in artificial seawater. Accumulation of Zn and Cu by crabs has been interpreted in terms of the presence of a regulation mechanism to maintain constant body concentrations (83·2 ± 19·4 μg Zn g^?1 dry wt.; 39·8 ± 9·8 μg Cu g^?1 dry wt.) under varying external dissolved metal levels, until a threshold dissolved metal concentration (c. 400 μg Zn l^?1; c. 170 μg Cu l^?1) beyond which net accumulation of metal begins. Cadium appears to be accumulated by C. maenas at all exposures with no evidence for regulation of body cadmium concentrations. Exposure of E. modestus to Zn, Cu or Cd caused net accumulation of the respective metal in the bodies of the barnacles, with no evidence for regulation of body metal concentrations.