Keplerian expansions in terms of Henrard's practical variables

Formulae for the Keplerian expansions in terms of Henrard's practical variables are given. Two different methods were applied: one using the Bessel functions and one based on the Lie transforms. The former involves less series products, but the latter is more flexible and universal.     

Snow research in Svalbard–an overview

This paper summarizes the most significant snow-related research that has been conducted in Svalbard. Most of the research has been performed during the 1990s and includes investigations of snow distribution, snow-melt, snow pack characteristics, remote sensing of snow and biological studies where snow conditions play an important role. For example, studies have shown regional trends with about 50% higher amounts of snow accumulation at the east coast of Spitsbergen compared to the west coast. Further, the accumulation rates are about twice as high in the south compared to the north. On average, the increase in accumulation with elevation is 97 mm water equivalents per 100 m increase in elevation. Several researchers reported melt rates, which are primarily driven by incoming short-wave radiation, in the range of 10-20 mm/day during spring. Maximum melt rates close to 70 mm/day have been measured. In addition to presenting an overview of research activities, we discuss new, unpublished results in areas where considerable progress is being made. These are i) modelling of snow distribution, ii) modelling of snowmelt runoff and iii) monitoring of snow coverage by satellite imagery. We also identify some weaknesses in current research activities. They are lacks of i) integration between various studies, ii) comparative studies with other Arctic regions, iii) applying local field studies in models that can be used to study larger areas of Svalbard and, finally, iv) using satellite remote sensing data for operational monitoring purposes.     

Origin and post-glacial evolution of surface cracks: A case study from the area of the Last Glaciation,north-eastern Poland

The analysis of LiDAR-based digital elevation models revealed the existence of groups of longitudinal fractures in the ground in northern Poland at the limit of the ice sheet's extent during its last maximum. Our research on the closed elongated depressions (CEDs) of the Jedwabno test field (Szuć site, north-east Poland) focuses on explaining their origins and their post-glacial history. This region was covered by an ice sheet and glacitectonically active during the Vistulian, and at least some surface fractures are possible witnesses to this activity. Using geomorphological mapping, sedimentological and geophysical research, we assumed it was related that the origin of these features here is associated with groundwater migration at the end of the Vistulian glaciation or later when groundwater flow intensified due to a rapid climate warming that caused permafrost to melt. The thawing of permafrost caused to transition from continuous permafrost to discontinuous, which in turn created groundwater flow that was probably responsible for the development of the surface cracks (fractures). Radiocarbon, palaeobiological (pollen, Cladocera) and geochemical studies allowed for an estimation of the formation time of these unique surface cracks in the Older Dryas. Prevailing conditions were also reconstructed for the later dynamic changes of the end of the Late Vistulian glaciation and in the Late Holocene until the Subatlantic Period (Megalayan stage). The surface cracks with steep slopes, despite their small area, are extraordinary sedimentation traps that have, in a special way, retained an almost complete record of the environmental and climate changes of the Late Glacial. There are sedimentological gaps in the Holocene, especially after the Preboreal (old part of the Greenlandian Stage), caused by changes in water levels, aeolian processes and human activity.     

A dendroclimatological study of east- and west-facing slopes in mountainous areas subjected to strong air pollution (the Sudetes,Central Europe)

The Sudetes Mountains (Central Europe) were under a particularly intense long-term air pollution load during the 1970s and 1980s. Intense industrial activity in this area led to large-scale forest dieback and reductions in tree growth rates, potentially limiting the use of tree-ring data from this region in dendroclimatic research. In this paper, ring-width chronologies were constructed for 493 Norway spruce trees (Picea abies L. Karst.) from 17 sampling sites within five major mountain ranges in the Sudetes Mountains of Poland. Growth-climate response data indicate that April?July temperatures are the main factor affecting radial growth of trees in the study area. Our data also indicate the strong influence of slope aspect on temperature signal strength. The lowest correlation values were obtained for sites located on western slopes with effective fog deposition, which are strongly affected by pollution. An appropriate sampling strategy resulted in the creation of a temperature-sensitive proxy record (rAMJJ = 0.70), exceptional for areas under strong pressure from human activity. Based on a regional master chronology, growing season (April?July) temperatures over the past 200 years were then reconstructed. Four warm and four cold periods were distinguished and compared with other reconstructions and long-term instrumental data.     

The planet formation imager

The Planet Formation Imager (PFI, www.planetformationimager.org) is a next-generation infrared interferometer array with the primary goal of imaging the active phases of planet formation in nearby star forming regions. PFI will be sensitive to warm dust emission using mid-infrared capabilities made possible by precise fringe tracking in the near-infrared. An L/M band combiner will be especially sensitive to thermal emission from young exoplanets (and their disks) with a high spectral resolution mode to probe the kinematics of CO and H₂O gas. In this paper, we give an overview of the main science goals of PFI, define a baseline PFI architecture that can achieve those goals, point at remaining technical challenges, and suggest activities today that will help make the Planet Formation Imager facility a reality.     

New active galactic nuclei science cases with interferometry

Infrared (IR) interferometry has made widely recognised contributions to the way we look at the dusty environment of supermassive black holes on parsec scales. It finally provided direct evidence for orientation-dependent unification of active galaxies, however it also showed that the classical “torus” picture is oversimplified. New scientific opportunities for AGN have been suggested, and will soon be carried out, focusing on the dynamical aspects of spectrally and spatially resolved interferometry, as well as the potential to employ interferometry for cosmology. This will open interferometry to new scientific communities.     

Production key figures for planning the mining of manganese nodules

Under the impression of decreasing ore grades and increasing production costs in conventional mining, seafloor minerals came into focus. Having gained a basic understanding of geological settings, there is still a lack of tools to assess and plan future mining projects in the deep-sea. This paper contributes to a mining concept which is inspired by the high-tech farming industry: strip mining. Potential mining fields are identified using image filters in conjunction with hydroacoustic backscatter data and slope angles and are portioned into long, narrow strips. In the framework of the EU-funded Blue Mining project, these methods were applied to a part of the eastern German exploration area, located in the manganese nodule belt of the Clarion Clipperton Zone, Pacific Ocean. Both, the mapping technique and the mining concept presented in this paper can be used in early-stage feasibility studies to derive estimates on production key figures for seafloor manganese nodule mining.     

Laboratory characterization of bent monocrystal wafers for Bragg X-ray spectroscopy

We describe our laboratory procedures for precise measurements of lattice surface profile, where Bragg reflection takes place, of bent monocrystal wafers. A comparison of X-ray spectrometer characteristics for perfect and real crystals is presented. The described procedures will be used to measure the properties of the crystals that will be used as the dispersive elements in the future solar X-ray spectrometers SolpeX and ChemiX.