Gamma-ray bursts from a close pulsar binary system?

The close neutron-star binary system comprised of the radio pulsars PSR J0737-3039 A,B is discussed. An analysis of the observational data indicates that the wind from pulsar A, which is more powerful than the wind from pulsar B, strongly distorts the magnetosphere of pulsar B. A shock separating the relativistic wind from pulsar A and the corotating magnetosphere of pulsar B should form inside the light cylinder of pulsar B. A weakly diverging “tail” of magnetic field is also formed, which stores a magnetic energy on the order of 10³⁰ erg. This energy could be liberated over a short time on the order of 0.1 s as a result of reconnection of the magnetic-force lines in this “tail,” leading to an outburst of electromagnetic radiation with energies near 100 keV, with an observed flux at the Earth of 4 × 10^?11 erg cm^?2 s^?2. Such outbursts would occur sporadically, as in the case of magnetic substorms in the Earth’s magnetosphere.     

Geological structure of the Mediterranean Sea floor (based on geological—Geophysical data)

According to geophysical data, the Mediterranean Sea depressions are noted for a peculiar type of the earth's crust. The sedimentary rock sequence is of great thickness (8–15 km) and is of platform-type dislocation. Several structural stages are distinguished in the sedimentary complex. The youngest of them are the Messinian (evaporite) and Pliocene—Quaternary stages. The consolidated part of the earth's crust shows small thickness and is divided into large blocks. Vertical dislocations of the large crustal blocks which were conditioned by condensation—rarefaction and the upper mantle substance migration were at the base of Mediterranean sea floor transformation.     

火山岩与地形联合约束下海岛土壤稀土元素地球化学空间分布异质性——以广西涠洲岛为例

海岛土壤地球化学特征的研究对于认识海岛表生地质环境有重要意义。本研究以我国最大的第四纪火山海岛——涠洲岛为案例,重点研究亚热带海岛环境下火山岩风化土壤的稀土元素（REE）地球化学特征,并探讨影响其空间分布的关键因素。结果表明,涠洲岛土壤REE总量（ΣREE）自然变化范围较大,介于59.07~575.30 mg/kg,平均值为285.53 mg/kg,高于中国大陆土壤背景值（163.86 mg/kg）,指示火山岩风化海岛具有较高的土壤REE丰度。反距离权重插值法（IDW）分析指示,岛内土壤的REE含量高低变化呈现出以带状和斑块状为主体形态的空间分布不均一性,推断其成因与母质岩石类型和地形位置等因素密切相关。3种不同岩性的成土母岩的ΣREE含量变化序列为：玄武岩（236.66 mg/kg）>火山碎屑岩（215.58 mg/kg）>含生物碎屑海滩沉积物（18.99 mg/kg）,对应的土壤ΣREE含量具有类似变化规律,即玄武岩土壤（307.20 mg/kg）>火山碎屑岩土壤（297.46 mg/kg）>含生物碎屑海滩沉积物土壤（89.73 mg/kg）。该证据指示母岩是控制岛内土壤REE含量变化的首位因素,玄武岩整体上易形成具有较高REE丰度的土壤,火山碎屑岩次之,而含生物碎屑海滩沉积物反之。此外,本研究还发现火山碎屑岩单一岩性区内,发育的土壤REE含量也会随地形地貌差异而出现显著变化,其原因是地形地貌制约了土壤矿物和化学风化程度,海蚀丘陵比海积平原更利于海岛土壤中REE次生富集作用的发生。

     

An algorithm to retrieve precipitation with synthetic aperture radar

This paper presents a new type of rainfall retrieval algorithm, called the model-oriented statistical and Volterra integration. It is a combination of the model-oriented statistical (MOS) and Volterra integral equation (VIE) approaches. The steps involved in this new algorithm can be briefly illustrated as follows. Firstly, information such as the start point and width of the rain is obtained through pre-analysis of the data received by synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Secondly, the VIE retrieval algorithm is employed over a short distance to obtain information on the shape of the rain. Finally, the rain rate can be calculated by using the MOS retrieval algorithm. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm is effective and simple, and can lead to time savings of nearly 50% compared with MOS. An example of application of SAR data is also discussed, involving the retrieval of precipitation information over the South China Sea.     

Influence of a spatial structure of precipitates on polarization characteristics of the outgoing microwave radiation of the atmosphere

Issues of the formation and recording of the spatial and angular distributions of thermal radio radiation of rainfall in the microwave range are discussed. The thermal radio-frequency radiative transfer in a threedimensional rain cell is simulated numerically with a different rainfall rate, taking into account the nonspherical shape of falling raindrops and their size distribution. The role of the three-dimensional inhomogeneity of rainfall fields in the formation of a field of their inherent thermal radio radiation in the microwave range is revealed.     

The proto-terrestrial mechanism of the appearance of water and early genesis of the global ocean

We consider chemical reactions for the appearance of water during the formation of the planet from cosmic gas and dust material to explain the early geological existence of the Earth’s hydrosphere. This process is fully supported by the resources of the initial substances and thermal energy. Thus, the concept of V.I. Vernadsly about the geological eternity of the World Ocean and ancient age of the oceanic lithosphere is supported. The identical high location of the ancient and modern continental platforms under the conditions of continual isostatical equilibrium in the asthenosphere–lithosphere–hydrosphere gives grounds to conclude that the ocean water depth is stable. Taking this into account, we can consider that the geological evolution of the Earth began in the conditions of the existence of the World Ocean when the mass of the hydrosphere only slightly exceeded the modern one.     

Neotectonics and the Upper Mantle Structure of Central Asia

Geotectonics - Studies carried out by the authors show that the uplift of Central Asia situated between the eastern Alpine–Himalayan and western Altai–Stanovoy orogenic belts formed in...     

TERMO-LR Experiment on the Luna-27 Lander: Study of Thermophysical,Physicomechanical, and Electromagnetic Properties of the Lunar Soil

Solar System Research - The device is being developed for the TERMO-LR experiment on the Luna-27 lunar lander; it is intended for contact geophysical measurements of various properties of the lunar...     

On the Question of Calculating the Parameters of Vortices in the Near-Surface Atmosphere of Mars

Solar System Research - The paper is dedicated to the study of dust vortices on the Earth and Mars. The hydrodynamic similarity of convective vortices is considered, and the similarity criteria are...     

Applied Aspects of Different Frequency Bands of Seismic and Water Acoustic Investigations on the Shelf

Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics - This article focuses on the study of the information value of offshore technologies based on the generation of acoustic signals in water in a wide...