A Multi-Wavelength Simultaneous Study of the Composition of the Halley Family Comet 8P/Tuttle

We report on simultaneous optical and infrared observations of the Halley Family comet 8P/Tuttle performed with the ESO Very Large Telescope. Such multi-wavelength and coordinated observations are a good example of what can be done to support space missions. From high resolution optical spectroscopy of the CN (0,0) 388 nm and NH₂ (0,9,0) 610 nm bands using UVES at UT2 we determined ¹²C/¹³C = 90 ± 10 and ¹⁴N/¹⁵N = 150 ± 20 in CN and we derived a nuclear spin temperature of NH₃ of 29 ± 1 K. These values are similar to those found in Oort-Cloud and Jupiter Family comets. From low resolution long slit spectroscopy with FORS1 at UT2 we determined the CN, C₃ and C₂ production rates and the parent and daughter scale lengths up to 5.2 10⁵ km tailward. From high resolution IR spectroscopy with CRIRES at UT1 we measured simultaneously the production rates and mixing ratios of H₂O, HCN, C₂H₂, CH₄, C₂H₆, and CH₃OH.     

IRCS/Subaru observations of water in the inner coma of Comet 73P-B/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3: Spatially resolved rotational temperatures and ortho-para ratios

Comet 73P-B/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 was observed with IRCS/Subaru at geocentric distance of 0.074 AU on UT 10 May 2006. Multiple H₂O emission lines were detected in non-resonant fluorescence near 2.9 μm. No significant variation in total H₂O production rate was found during the (3 h) duration of our observations. H₂O rotational temperatures and ortho-to-para abundance ratios were measured for several positions in the coma. The temperatures extracted from two different time intervals show very similar spatial distributions. For both, the rotational temperature decreased from ∼110 to ∼90 K as the projected distance from the nucleus increased from ∼5 to ∼30 km. We see no evidence for OPR change in the coma. The H₂O ortho-para ratio is consistent with the statistical equilibrium value (3.0) for all spatially resolved measurements. This implies a nuclear spin temperature higher than ∼45 K.     

Bayesian and Neural Network Approaches to Estimate Deep Temperature Distribution for Assessing a Supercritical Geothermal System: Evaluation Using a Numerical Model

The temperature distribution at depth is a key variable when assessing the potential of a supercritical geothermal resource as well as a conventional geothermal resource. Data-driven estimation by a machine-learning approach is a promising way to estimate temperature distributions at depth in geothermal fields. In this study, we developed two methodologies—one based on Bayesian estimation and the other on neural networks—to estimate temperature distributions in geothermal fields. These methodologies can be used to supplement existing temperature logs, by estimating temperature distributions in unexplored regions of the subsurface, based on electrical resistivity data, observed geological/mineralogical boundaries, and microseismic observations. We evaluated the accuracy and characteristics of these methodologies using a numerical model of the Kakkonda geothermal field, Japan, where a temperature above 500 °C was observed below a depth of about 3.7 km. When using geological and geophysical knowledge as prior information for the machine learning methods, the results demonstrate that the approaches can provide subsurface temperature estimates that are consistent with the temperature distribution given by the numerical model. Using a numerical model as a benchmark helps to understand the characteristics of the machine learning approaches and may help to identify ways of improving these methods.

     

Seasonal variation of volatile organic iodine compounds in the water column of Funka Bay,Hokkaido, Japan

Volatile organic iodine compounds (VOIs) emitted from the ocean surface to the air play an important role in atmospheric chemistry. Shipboard observations were conducted in Funka Bay, Hokkaido, Japan, bimonthly or monthly from March 2012 to December 2014, to elucidate the seasonal variations of VOI concentrations in seawater and their sea-to-air iodine fluxes. The bay water exchanges with the open ocean water of the North Pacific twice a year (early spring and autumn). Vertical profiles of CH₂I₂, CH₂ClI, CH₃I, and C₂H₅I concentrations in the bay water were measured bimonthly or monthly within an identified water mass. The VOI concentrations began to increase after early April at the end of the diatom spring bloom, and represented substantial peaks in June or July. The temporal variation of the C₂H₅I profile, which showed a distinct peak in the bottom layer from April to July, was similar to the PO₄ ^3? variation profile. Correlation between C₂H₅I and PO₄ ^3? concentrations (r = 0.93) suggests that C₂H₅I production was associated with degradation of organic matter deposited on the bottom after the spring bloom. CH₂I₂ and CH₂ClI concentrations increased substantially in the surface and subsurface layers (0–60 m) in June or July resulted in a clear seasonal variation of the sea-to-air iodine flux of the VOIs (high in summer or autumn and low in spring).     

Supernova Nucleosynthesis, Chemical Evolution, and Cosmic Supernova Rate

In the chemical evolution of the Galaxy, Type II supernovae (SNe II)have contributed to the early metal enrichment and later Type Iasupernovae (SNe Ia) have contributed to the delayed enrichment of Fe.In principle, hypothetical pre-galactic population III objects couldcause the earliest heavy element enrichment. Here we present our twonew findings. 1) The peculiar abundance pattern among iron peakelements (Cr, Mn, Co, and Fe) in the very metal poor can be reproducedwith SN II nucleosynthesis yields without invoking the contributionfrom Pop III objects. 2) The observed chemical evolution in the solarneighborhood is well reproduced with the metallicity dependentoccurrence of SNe Ia, where SNe Ia do not occur if the iron abundanceof the progenitors is as low as [Fe/H] ≲ -1. We make theprediction that the cosmic SN Ia rate drops at z ∼ 1-2 because ofthe low-iron abundance, which can be observed with the Next GenerationSpace Telescope. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Influences of the snow cover on landslide displacement in winter period: a case study in a heavy snowfall area of Japan

The displacement of a relatively small reactivated landslide in a snowy area in Japan was monitored over a long period. The displacement rate of the landslide, which was approximately of 20 mm d^?1 before the formation of snow cover, decelerated drastically during the continuous snow cover period every winter period. Possible causes included reduction in the amount of water that reached the ground surface (MR: meltwater and/or rainwater) and increase in snow load. Given that the actual displacement of the landslide was far below the predicted value based on the relationship between landslide displacement and MR immediately before the continuous snow cover period, the deceleration of landslide displacement was more likely attributable to the increase in snow load than to the reduction in MR. An investigation of the link between snow load and landslide displacement showed a negative logarithmic relationship. A dynamic analysis based on the limit equilibrium method showed that snow load increases the effective normal stress and the stability of a landslide in which the mean inclination angle of the slip surface is smaller than the internal friction angle. The stability of the actual slope was also analyzed by conducting soil tests on samples collected at the site and using the resultant parameters. The analysis also showed that the increase in snow load increases the safety factor and reduces the landslide displacement. The displacement of a relatively small landslide that has a shallow slip surface was found to be greatly influenced by snow cover.     

Analytical methods for error propagation in planar space–time prisms

The space–time prism demarcates all locations in space–time that a mobile object or person can occupy during an episode of potential or unobserved movement. The prism is central to time geography as a measure of potential mobility and to mobile object databases as a measure of location possibilities given sampling error. This paper develops an analytical approach to assessing error propagation in space–time prisms and prism–prism intersections. We analyze the geometry of the prisms to derive a core set of geometric problems involving the intersection of circles and ellipses. Analytical error propagation techniques such as the Taylor linearization method based on the first-order partial derivatives are not available since explicit functions describing the intersections and their derivatives are unwieldy. However, since we have implicit functions describing prism geometry, we modify this approach using an implicit function theorem that provides the required first-order partials without the explicit expressions. We describe the general method as well as details for the two spatial dimensions case and provide example calculations.     

Study of Water Motion at the Dissolved Oxygen Minimum Layer and Local Oxygen Consumption Rate from the Lagrangian Viewpoint

By using the Euler-Lagrangian method, we examine water movements within the layer of minimum oxygen concentration and estimate local oxygen consumption rates for 15 regions of the global ocean. To do this, a number of labeled particles (which represent water parcels) are deployed at the center of a grid with 15 depth levels and tracked backward in time for 50 years in a three-dimensional velocity field. We assume that a particle picks up oxygen when it encounters the point of maximum oxygen concentration along the 50 years segment of its path. We introduce a contribution rate from waters distributed throughout the global ocean to the oxygen concentration of a local layer under consideration. Water parcels which are assumed to pick up oxygen within the oxygen minimum layer of an oceanic region under consideration make a very small contribution to the overall oxygen concentration of this layer. In addition, these parcels move out of the layer and water parcels from the upper layers take their place. The averaged Lagrangian local oxygen consumption rate is 0.033 ml/l/yr for the depth of the oxygen minimum layer, 0.20 ml/l/yr at 100 m depth (euphotic layer), 0.043 ml/l/yr for layers from 150 m to 800 m depth and 0.012 ml/l/yr for deep layers from 800 m to 3000 m. The present Lagrangian numerical experiment produces a maximum difference between observed and calculated concentrations of oxygen and, therefore, a maximum oxygen consumption rate. Although the present method has an ambiguity as to how oxygen is picked up, we nevertheless were able to identify regions in which the water parcels pick up oxygen of maximum concentration. We found that the South Equatorial Current (SEC) transports oxygen of higher concentration to the middle latitude regions of both the North Atlantic and the North Pacific across the equator.     

Characteristics of rainfall systems accompanied with Changma front at Chujado in Korea

The rainy season from June to July in the East Asia is called the Changma in Korea, the Meiyu in China, or the Baiu in Japan. The mesoscale convective systems which occur near a front frequently lead to severe weather phenomenon such as localized gust and heavy rainfall. An intensive field experiment was conducted at Chujado (33.95°N, 126.28°E) to find out the characteristics of the precipitating system using information such as the raindrop size distribution, kinematic features during a Changma period between June 21 2007 and July 11 2007. Different characteristics of three identified rainfall cases in a Changma frontal precipitation system occurred from 5 to 6 July in 2007 at Chujado area have been identified. Based on the radar reflectivity and raingage at Chujado, each rainfall system maintained for 7 hours, 4 hours, and 9 hours, respectively. According to the analysis of a total vertical wind shear (TVWS) and a directional vertical wind shear (DVWS), the temperature gradient was the strongest near the surface and both warm and cold advections were occurred in all cases but at different levels. The deep warm advection was related to the longer rainfall lifetime and stronger rainrate, but smaller raindrop size. The unstable atmospheric condition, which has cold advection at the surface and warm advection in higher level, caused the larger size diameter of raindrop. The echo top height of 30 dBZ was around 6 km in the two rainfall systems and around 4 km in the other one. The number concentrations of raindrop has turning point at the drop size of 2 mm in diameter. The stronger (weaker) updraft and downdraft were also related to the decreased number concentration of smaller (larger) size drops and increased that of the larger (smaller) drops.