Field-aligned currents above an auroral arc

Simultaneous observations of precipitating electrons and protons in the energy range from 15 eV to 35 keV and magnetic field variations were made onboard a sounding rocket payload launched from the Andoya Rocket Range. The electric current density deduced from the electron precipitation observed during the passage over an auroral arc was comparable to that determined from the magnetic field variations. In addition, a downward current was observed by its magnetic field signature at the northern edge of the arc which was, however, not accompanied by significant particle fluxes in the energy range under consideration. It will be assumed that this current was carried by thermal electrons of ionospheric origin.     

Experimentally determined partitioning of Rb between richterites and aqueous (Na, K)-chloride solutions

The distribution of Rb-Na and Rb-K between richterite and a 2-molal aqueous (Na, K, Rb)-chloride solution has been investigated with hydrothermal experiments at 800^∘C and 200 MPa. Experiments were performed as syntheses in which amphiboles grew in the presence of an excess fluid containing the exchangeable cations Na⁺-Rb⁺ or Na⁺-K⁺-Rb⁺. The obtained amphiboles were large enough (up to 20 m in width) for reliable EMP analysis. They were chemically homogeneous and HRTEM investigations showed that they were structurally well ordered. The Rb, Na, K, Ca and Mg concentrations in coexisting fluids were measured by ICP-AES. According to the possible incorporation of Na, K and Rb on the A-site, solid solutions in the ternary Na(NaCa) Mg₅[Si₈O₂₂/(OH)₂] (richterite)-K(NaCa)Mg₅[Si₈O₂₂/(OH)₂] (K-richterite)-Rb(NaCa)Mg₅[Si₈O₂₂/(OH)₂] (Rb-richterite) were expected. However, Rb-rich richterites always had significant amounts of A-site vacancy concentrations (X _□ ^amph=□ ^A /(Rb^A+K^A +Na^A+□^A) of up to 0.42 in the K-free (Na,Rb)-richterites and of up to 0.67 in the (Na, K, Rb)-richterites which corresponds to the same content of tremolite+cummingtonite-component. Amphiboles containing practically only Rb besides vacancies and no Na and/or K on the A-site were also synthesized, however. The Rb-Na and Rb-K exchange coefficients between fluid and richterites are similar. Rubidium always fractionated strongly into the fluid phase. For low Rb-concentrations in richterite (X _Rb ^amph<0.1) a linear correlation between X _Rb ^fluid and X _Rb ^amph exists. In this concentration range, the derived exchange coefficients K _D(Rb−K) ^amph−fluid and K _D(Rb−Na) ^amph−fluid were 0.08 ± 0.04 and 0.04 ± 0.02, respectively. These low exchange coefficients show that significant amounts of Rb in amphiboles require a Rb-rich fluid phase. The results indicate that K-Rb fractionation between alkali amphiboles and fluids is significantly different from K-Rb fractionation between alkali feldspar/ phlogopite and fluid, with K_Ds of about 0.5 and 1.2, respectively. Formation of richterites will drastically alter the K/Rb-ratios of fluids or melts. These results may have important implications for the genetical interpretation of various geological settings, e.g., MARID-type rocks. Received: 6 October 1997 / Accepted: 7 July 1998     

Soho Observations of the Connection Between Line Profile Parameters in Active and Quiet Regions and the Net Red Shift in Euv Emission Lines

We present high spatial and spectral resolution observations of one active and one quiet-Sun region, obtained with CDS and SUMER on SOHO. The connections between the line profile parameters are studied and a systematic wavelength shift towards the red with increasing peak line intensity (line broadening) is detected. The large scatter in the data calls for another approach. We apply conditional probability analysis to a series of EUV emission lines and find significant correlations between line profile parameters. For a given interval in wavelength shift we find that: (1) line profiles with large intensities (line widths) and red shifts above the average constitute an increasing fraction of the profiles as the relative wavelength shift increases, (2) line profiles with large intensities (line widths) and blue shifts compared to the average, on the other hand, constitute a decreasing fraction of the profiles as the relative wavelength shift increases. These results extend the findings of an earlier quiet-Sun study from one to several emission lines and expand the validity to include the active region. Interestingly, the active region observations show correlations between peak line intensity and wavelength shift in the coronal lines.The tendency for red-shifted profiles to be more intense than blue-shifted profiles will shift line profiles derived by integrating along the slit towards the red. From the present observations we are not able to determine the fraction of the net red shift that emerges from this correlation. We suggest that the same mechanism is responsible both for the correlation between the line profile parameters and for the differential red shift between the transition region and chromospheric emission lines.     

Transport von Feldspäten und Quarz im Temperaturgefälle

In the attempt to study the composition and behaviour of metasomatically active solutions we have examined the kind of gaseous solutions which are formed by water in contact with the minerals of a granite under a pressure of 2000 bars at 600° C, and how these solutions behave within a temperature gradient at the same pressure. The temperature ranged from 620° to 180° C. The following minerals were considered: quartz, K-feldspar (adularia), plagioclase (andesine) and mixtures of quartz with adularia, quartz with andesine, quartz with adularia and andesine, quartz mixed with mierokline-perthite, oligoelase and biotite.All these minerals are completely dissolved by water under these physical conditions. The solutions always contain more silica than the minerals, if quartz is present. The dissolved components are transported within the temperature gradient. In the solutions, Ca derived from the anorthite-component of the plagioclase and Mg from the biotite form associations together with silica, which travel tohigher temperatures. There they crystallize in form of wollastonite and/or diopside. On the other hand, Na and K, AI and the Fe from the biotite and the largest part of the silica, travel from the 600° C-region tolower temperatures. There they crystallize in form of quartz, K-feldspar, albite, some muscovite and Mg-free biotite rich in Fe. In experiments of only short duration, metastable analcime instead of albite has been formed. In long lasting experiments of 10 weeks, a separation of Na and K was evident: Albite was formed in the temperature range 470° to 420° C, whereas K-feldspar (with some albite component) and Mg-free biotite crystallize together with quartz in a larger temperature range below 420° C; see figure 6.The different minerals from a mixture influence each other's solubility in such a way that the amount of both feldspars and quartz dissolved and transported within a unit of time is decreased. Compared with the amount obtained when quartz alone constitutes the solid phase, only 40 % of that amount is dissolved and transported when the quartz had been mixed with adularia; the value amounts to only 30% when it was mixed with andesine. When both feldspars. are present together with quartz, the amount of dissolved and transported quartz is decreased to about 20 % of the original amount; see table 7. However, in all cases the amount of dissolved quartz is larger than the sum of the dissolved feldspar substances. Thus, the solution formed from a mixture of quartz and feldspars which is transported to lower temperatures always contains more silica than the mineral mixture. The amount of adularia dissolved and transported is reduced by the presence of quartz to 1/6 of that amount furnished at 6000 C by adularia alone. Under the same conditions the amount of andesine is reduced to one half. — The amount of adularia transported per unit of time is nearly equal to the amount of plagioclase components if quartz is present. However, if no quartz is present, the proportion of dissolved and transported adularia to plagioclase-components is noticeably shifted in favour of adularia. This would be the case with syenite as the source for the solutions.In the attempt to produce skarns in a way closely related to nature, silica-rich solutions from a granite have been brought into contact with dolomite. The contact was situated at 600°, 570° and 500° C. With equal duration of the experiments, the results were similar. With different durations the following effect was observed: at the beginning, the silica-rich solution reacts with the dolomite under formation of forsterite, calcite and C0₂. When more materialis transported into the contact,region diopside (the mineral containing more silica) is formed from calcite, forsterite and additional silica. When the same metasomatically active solution meets a marble, (contact at 600° C) wollastonite is formed. In these metasomatic processes the partial pressure of C0₂ in the gasphase remained low under our experimental conditions.     

Die Definitionen von Grauwacke,Arkose und Ton

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Ein geologischer Querschnitt durch den Vogelsberg von Gießen bis Stockhausen bei Lauterbach

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Die Bildung der Dreikanter

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Physiological changes in the coastal marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 exposed to low ferric ion levels

Cyanobacteria are ubiquitous in marine waters. These prokaryotic cells are of particular interest in areas of the ocean where the availability of iron may be limiting for cell growth since these organisms commonly excrete iron-specific organic ligands (siderophores) in response to low levels of iron. It is generally considered that the production of siderophores provides a competitive advantage over the competing microorganisms that do not produce these ligands.In order to ascertain the influence of iron availability on the physiology of picoplanktonic cyanobacteria we performed a series of experiments on the coastal coccoid cyanobacterium, Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002. Physiological responses were examined in cells grown in a continuous cuture system with influx media containing a range of iron concentrations (from 4.2 × 10⁻⁵ to 5.1 × 10⁻⁹ M FeCl₃). Steady-state growth rates, combined with growth data from batch cultures demonstrated a non-linear response between iron availability and cell proliferation: cell yields were considerably higher in the lowest-iron chemostats than predicted based on the yields in the higher-iron chemostats. The higher yields during low-iron growth corresponded with the production of the extracellular siderophores and the induction of the specific iron-siderophore membrane transport proteins. A comparison of iron transport and carbon acquisition rates between the low-iron grown cells and the high-iron grown cells indicates that under low-iron growth conditions, iron and carbon acquisition meets the growth demands of the cells, whereas growth at higher iron levels enabled excessive (luxury) carbon acquisition and storage. We conclude that cyanobacteria are efficiently adapted to grow in low-iron environments (providing sufficient light for photosynthesis is available) and the luxury-uptake of carbon may serve as the source material for the extracellular ligands released by these cells. Since the release of siderophores was at iron levels in excess of the levels that induce the siderophore-mediated transport of iron, cyanobacteria growing in an environment with varying levels of iron may contribute substantial amounts of their stored carbon reserves into the DOC as iron-specific ligands.