Non-sinusoidal transit timing variations for the exoplanet HAT-P-12b

Considering the importance of investigating the transit timing variations(TTVs) of transiting exoplanets,we present a follow-up study of HAT-P-12 b.We include six new light curves observed between2011 and 2015 from three different observatories,in association with 25 light curves taken from the published literature.The sample of the data used thus covers a time span of ～10.2 years with a large coverage of epochs(1160) for the transiting events of the exoplanet HAT-P-12 b.The light curves are utilized to determine the orbital parameters and conduct an investigation of possible TTVs.The new linear ephemeris shows a large value of reduced χ~2,i.e.X~2_(red)(23)=7.93,and the sinusoidal fitting using the prominent frequency coming from a periodogram shows a reduced χ~2 around 4.Based on these values and the corresponding O-C diagrams,we suspect the presence of a possible non-sinusoidal TTV in this planetary system.Finally,we find that a scenario with an additional non-transiting exoplanet could explain this TTV with an even smaller reduced χ~2 value of around 2.     

Linear kinetic theory of instabilities of a gravitatingstellar disk

Linear kinetic theory is developed to describe collective oscillations (and their instabilities) propagating in a rapidly rotating disk of stars, representing a highly flattened galaxy. The analysis is carried out for the special case of a self-gravitating, infinitesimally thin, and spatially inhomogeneous system, taking into account the effects both of thermal movements of stars and of gravitational encounters between stars and giant molecular clouds of an interstellar medium. The star–cloud encounters are described with the use of the Landau collision integral. The dynamics of gravity perturbations with rare interparticle encounters is considered. Such a disk is treated by employing the well elaborated mathematical formalisms from plasma perturbation theory using normal-mode analysis. In particular, the method of solving the Boltzmann equation is applied by integration along paths, neglecting the influence of star–cloud encounters on the distribution of stars in the zeroth-order approximation. We are especially interested in important kinetic effects due to wave–star resonances, which we have little knowledge about. The kinetic effects are introduced via a minor drift motion of stars which is computed from the equations of stellar motion in an unperturbed central force field of a galaxy. The dispersion laws for two main branches of disk's oscillations, that is the classical Jeans branch and an additional gradient branch, are deduced. The resonant Landau-type instabilities of hydrodynamically stable Jeans and gradient gravity perturbations is considered to be a long-term generating mechanism for propagating density waves, thereby leading to spiral-like and/or ring-like patterns in the flat galaxies. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Experimental shock metamorphism of the L4 ordinary chondrite Saratov induced by spherical shock waves up to 400 GPa

Abstract– We carried out shock experiments on macroscopic spherical samples of the L4 ordinary chondrite Saratov (natural shock stages S2–S3), using explosively generated spherical shock waves with maximum peak pressures of 400 GPa and shock‐induced temperatures >800 °C (up to several thousands °C). The evolution of shock metamorphism within a radius of the spherical samples was investigated using optical and scanning electron microscopy, microprobe and magnetic analyses as well as Mössbauer spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction techniques. Petrographic analyses revealed a shock‐induced formation of three different concentric petrographic zones within the shocked samples: zone of total melting (I), zone of partial melting (II), and zone of solid‐state shock features (III). We found a progressive pressure‐induced oxidation of Fe‐Ni metal, whose degree increased with increasing shock peak pressure. The amount of FeO within zone I increased the factor of 1.4 with respect to its amount in the unshocked Saratov sample. This suggests that within zone I about 70 wt% of the initial metallic iron was oxidized, whereas magnetic analyses showed that about 10 wt% of it remained intact. This strongly supports the hypothesis that, in addition to oxidation, a migration of metallic iron from the central heavily shocked zone I toward less shocked peripheral zone took place as well (likely through shock veins where metallic droplets were observed). Magnetic analyses also showed a shock‐induced transformation of tetrataenite to taenite within all shocked subsamples, resulting in magnetic softening of these subsamples (decrease in remanent coercivity). These results have important implications for extraterrestrial paleomagnetism suggesting that due to natural impact processes, the buried crustal rocks of heavily cratered solid solar system bodies can have stronger remanent magnetism than the corresponding surface rocks.     

New Taxa of Chrysomelidae (Insecta:Coleoptera)from Rovno Amber,Late Eocene

<正>Leaf beetles Chrysomelidae of Rovno amber,from the Late Eocene,are recorded and described. Chrysomelidae of Rovno amber are represented by three subfamilies:Galerucinae(Alticini),Chrysomelinae,and Eumolpinae.Two new genera and three new species of Alticini:Manobiomorpha Nadein,gen.nov.(type species Manobiomorpha eocenica Nadein,sp.nov.),Psyllototus Nadein,gen.nov.(type species Psyllototus progenitor Nadein,sp.nov.),and Crepidodera decolorata Nadein et Perkovsky,sp.nov.are described.A new chrysomeline genus and species Paleophaedon minutus Nadein gen.nov.et sp.nov.is described.Probable trophic association of Crepidodera decolorata sp.nov.,the taxonomic positions of Manobiomorpha gen.nov.and Psyllototus gen.nov., and the composition of leaf beetle faunas of Middle and Late Eocene of Europe are discussed.     

Community Structure in the Amber Forest: Study of the Arthropod Syninclusia in the Rovno Amber(Late Eocene of Ukraine)

<正>Arthropodan syninclusions in the Late Eocene Rovno amber were examined using x~2 to reveal correlation of the component groups(some taxa of Diptera,ants,aphids,and mites) supposedly indicative of the biocoenotic relationships in the ancient amber forest.Three tightly correlated groups were identified,representing a putative aerial plankton guild(Chironomidae+Ceratopogonidae) and two tree-trunk guilds,one of which (Dolichopodidae+Germaraphis) is possibly connected to more open or/and more hygrophilous habitats than the other(Sciara zone Diptera +"Acarus"rhombeus).The ants were not linked with any of the above components.     

Variation Trend and Characteristics of Anthropogenic CO Column Content in the Atmosphere over Beijing and Moscow

The anthropogenic CO column content in the atmosphere is derived from measurements with infrared grating spectrometers in Beijing, China, and Moscow, Russia, during 1992-2012. Some specific variation char- acteristics and long-term variation trends of the CO col- umn content in the atmosphere in these regions are dis- cussed. An evident variation trend of anthropogenic CO in the atmosphere for the Beijing region is not observed during 1992-2012, while for the Moscow region, it de- creases yearly by about 1.4% for the same period. High CO concentrations appear quite frequently in Beijing, but much less frequently in Moscow, except during the natu- ral fire events in summer 2010. From back trajectory analysis, the high CO concentration observed in Beijing can be attributed to the intensive CO emission sources in its surrounding areas.     

The Oka Belt (Southern Siberia and Northern Mongolia): A Neoproterozoic analog of the Japanese Shimanto Belt?

Abstract   The Oka Belt, composed of clastic rocks and greenschists, extends for approximately 600 km in the South-Siberian Sayan region and adjacent northern Mongolia. For a long time the Oka Belt's age and tectonic setting were the most controversial problem in the region. We argue that the belt was formed in Late Neoproterozoic as an accretionary prism. The Oka Belt shows imbricated thrust structure, which had originally seaward vergence and reflected the Neoproterozoic accretion process. The Early Paleozoic orogeny had minor effect on its structural style. The belt contains tectonic slivers of mid-ocean ridge basalts, some oceanic-island basalts and possible pelagic sediments. In several localities they are associated with gabbro and serpentinite. All these rocks represent the oceanic lithosphere subducting beneath the Oka prism and trapped within it. In the inner zone of the Oka Belt are the blueschists exhumed from the deeper prism level. The northern Oka Belt includes mafic intrusions geochemically similar to normal mid-oceanic ridge basalt and felsic volcaniclastic rocks. This segment of the belt is very similar to the Tertiary portion of northern Shimanto Belt, in Japan, and has also experienced the subduction of orthogonal oceanic ridge beneath the prism. This event dates back to 753 ± 16 Ma (the U-Pb zircon discordia). The Oka prism started accreting in Mid-Neoproterozoic after the subduction had initiated under the Japan-like South-Siberian continental terrain. The prism existed through the second half of Neoproterozoic and accumulated a huge volume of sialic material to enlarge the nearby continent. Currently, the Oka Belt remains poorly studied and is very promising for further investigation and discoveries.     

Primary production and development of phytoplankton in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean

Based on the compilation of numerous data obtained with various methods, the paper discusses primary productivity (PP) in the Atlantic Sector of the Southern Ocean. The distribution of PP values follows the law of zonality: PP values increase southward from 0.25--0.50 gC m^–2 day^–1, in the waters of the Subtropical frontal zone, to > 1.00 gC m^–2 day^–1 at the Antarctic coast. Deviations from zonality law were observed in the waters of frontal zones, on the Patagonia Shelf, and in neritic areas. The spatial heterogenities in PP distribution is determined by structural particularities of the horizontal circulation of waters and the respective distribution of different water masses and their modifications. Factors determining PP in the region, as well as correlation of PP and productivity on higher trophic levels, are discussed.     

Shallow velocity–depth model imaging by refraction tomography1

A tomographic imaging technique combined with coherence inversion is proposed for constructing a near-surface model from refraction events. A model obtained from coherence inversion serves as a good background model for the tomographic reconstruction. A simultaneous iterative reconstruction technique (SIRT) algorithm was used for this purpose. This is a simple algorithm and can be easily adapted to irregular acquisition geometry and limited angular aperture. Using synthetic data it was shown that the proposed procedure can be used for determination of local velocity anomalies in a shallow subsurface. The technique was also tested on a real data set.