High-resolution spectroscopy of gamma-ray bursts

We report on results from the Goddard germanium Gamma-Ray Burst Spectrometer flown on the ISEE-3 spacecraft. Spectral and temporal studies of two events on 4 and 19 November, 1978 are presented. The power law spectral indices were found to be respectively –1.82 and –1.31, the latter being the hardest event thus far detected. Evidence for two lines in the 4 November event is presented — a broad feature at 420 keV and a narrower one at 740 keV. These are consistent with a common redshift if the parent lines are assumed to be the positron annihilation line (511 keV) and the first excited state of iron (847 keV). If this interpretation is correct, it is shown that additional lines from higher levels of iron and possibly other nuclei are expected and that they may represent a significant contribution to the total spectrum above 1 MeV.Paper presented at the Symposium on Cosmic-Ray Bursts, held at Toulouse, France, 26–29 November, 1979.     

The First Results of U–Pb Isotope Dating of Detrital Zircons from the Upper Mesoproterozoic Gulliksenfellet Quartzite (Southern Part of Wedel Jarlsberg Land,Southwest Spitsbergen)

The first results of U–Pb isotopic dating (LA–ICP–MS) of detrital zircons from metasedimentary rocks of the pre-Devonian basement of the SW part of western Spitsbergen (from Upper Mezoproterozoic Gulliksenfellet quartzite) showed ages ranging from 1700 ± 25 to 2948 ± 27 Ma.     

Measuring proton energies and fluxes using EIT (SOHO) CCD areas outside the solar disk images

An indirect proton flux measuring tool based on discrimination of the energy deposited by protons in 128 × 128 pixel EIT CCD areas outside the solar disk images is presented. Single pixel intensity events are converted into proton incident energy flux using modeled energy deposition curves for angles of incidence ±60° in four EIT spatial areas with different proton stopping power. The extracted proton flux is corrected for both the loss of one‐pixel events in the range of angles of incidence as well as for the contribution to the single pixel events resulting from scattered middle‐energy protons (low‐energy or high‐energy particles are stopped by the EIT components or pass through them, accordingly). A simple geometrical approach was found and applied to correct for a non‐unique relation between the proton‐associated CCD output signal and the incident proton energy. With this geometrical approximation four unique proton incident energy ranges were determined as 45–49, 145–154, 297–335, and 390–440 MeV. The indirect proton flux measuring tool has been tested by comparing Solar Energetic Particles (SEP) flux temporal profiles extracted from the EIT CCD frames and downloaded from the GOES database for the Bastille Day (BD) of 2000 July 14 and the more recent 2005 January 20 events. The SEP flux temporal profiles and proton spectra extracted from the EIT in the relatively narrow energy ranges between 45 and 440 MeV reported here are consistent with the related GOES profiles. The four additional EIT extracted ranges provide higher energy resolution of the SEP data. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Search for spatial variation in the jovian N/N ratio from Cassini/CIRS observations

We have used the spectra obtained by the Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) onboard the Cassini spacecraft to search for latitudinal variation in the ¹⁵N/¹⁴N ratio on Jupiter. We found no variations statistically significant given the observational and model uncertainties. The absence of latitudinal variations demonstrates that ¹⁵NH₃ is not fractionated in Jupiter's atmosphere, and that the measured ¹⁵N/¹⁴N represents Jupiter's global value. Our mean value for the global jovian ¹⁵N/¹⁴N ratio of (2.22±0.52)×10⁻³ agrees with previous measurements made by Fouchet et al. (2000, Icarus 143, 223-243) and Owen et al. (2001, Astrophys. J. 553, L77-L79). We argue that the jovian isotopic ¹⁵N/¹⁴N ratio must represent the solar nitrogen isotopic composition. The solar ¹⁵N/¹⁴N ratio hence significantly differs from the terrestrial value: (¹⁵N/¹⁴N)_⊕=3.68×10⁻³. This supports the proposition that terrestrial nitrogen originates from a nitrogen reservoir isolated from the main nitrogen reservoir in the proto-solar nebula. The origin and carrier of this isolated reservoir are still unknown.     

The influence of minerals on the pyrolysis of kerogens

The effect of mineral matter on the laboratory pyrolysis of sediments, kerogens and coals, and of coal macerals mixed with either alumina, bentonite, kaolinite, or calcium carbonate has been investigated. Some minerals are more active than others in effecting changes in the composition of the pyrolysate. The relative content of low molecular weight pyrolysis products is higher for kerogens pyrolyzed in a mineral matrix than for isolated kerogens. Our limited data suggests that this is due to both condensation and gasification of higher molecular weight constituents in the ‘primary’ pyrolysate. Differences in the content of aromatic versus aliphatic compounds have been noted when pyrograms from coal macerals are compared with pyrograms from coal maceral-mineral mixtures. We conclude that mineralogy is important in controlling the composition of kerogen pyrolysis products.     

EVIDENCE FOR THE PRESENCE OF LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT ALCOHOLS AND CARBONYL COMPOUNDS IN THE MURCHISON METEORITE†

Alcohols, aldehydes and ketones identified in the Murchison C2 chondrite include: methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, butyl alcohols, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, acetone, 2-butanone, 3-pentanone and 2-pentanone.     

Broadening of lines of Be ii, Sr ii and Ba ii by collisions with hydrogen atoms and the solar abundance of strontium

In a previous paper by the present authors the theory of Anstee and O'Mara for the broadening of spectral lines of neutral atoms by collisions with hydrogen atoms was extended to singly ionized atoms. In this paper we apply the method to the resonance and triplet lines of ionized strontium, the infrared triplet of ionized barium, and the resonance lines of ionized beryllium. Analysis of five lines of ionized strontium, previously regarded as too strong for an abundance analysis, and two lines of neutral strontium results in a solar abundance of strontium of log( N _Sr N _H)+12=2.92±0.05, which is entirely consistent with the meteoritic value.     

Scour at the head of a vertical-wall breakwater

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation on the near-bed flow patterns, the bed shear stress amplification and scour around the head of a vertical-wall breakwater, using regular waves. The Keulegan-Carpenter number (KC), based on the diameter of the breakwater head, is found to be the major parameter that governs the flow and the equilibrium scour depth. Basic flow structures are identified as function of KC. The scour depth is found to increase with increasing the Keulegan-Carpenter number. The necessary extent of the conventional stone protection is studied. An empirical formula is worked out for the width of the protection layer as function of KC. Also, the effects of head shape, the angle of attack and the presence of a co-directional current are investigated. The results indicate that the scour depth is increased considerably in the presence of a current. Likewise, the scour depth is increased when the head shape is changed from a round shape to a sharp-edged one. It is found that the angle of attack is also an influencing factor as regards the scour depth.