The Brightness Temperature of the Quiet Solar Chromosphere at 2.6 mm

The absolute brightness temperature of the Sun at millimeter wavelengths is an important diagnostic of the solar chromosphere. Because the Sun is so bright, measurement of this property usually involves the operation of telescopes under extreme conditions and requires a rigorous performance assessment of the telescope. In this study, we establish solar observation and calibration techniques at 2.6 mm wavelength for the Nobeyama 45 m telescope and accurately derive the absolute solar brightness temperature. We tune the superconductor–insulator–superconductor (SIS) receiver by inducing different bias voltages onto the SIS mixer to prevent saturation. Then, we examine the linearity of the receiver system by comparing outputs derived from different tuning conditions. Furthermore, we measure the lunar filled beam efficiency of the telescope using the New Moon, and then derive the absolute brightness temperature of the Sun. The derived solar brightness temperature is \(7700 \pm 310~\mbox{K}\) at 115 GHz. The telescope beam pattern is modeled as a summation of three Gaussian functions and derived using the solar limb. The real shape of the Sun is determined via deconvolution of the beam pattern from the observed map. Such well-calibrated single-dish observations are important for high-resolution chromospheric studies because they provide the absolute temperature scale that is lacking from interferometer observations.     

一种特殊类型硅质岩——浮石状燧石

一种较为少见的特殊硅质岩产于南京及巢湖地区的下二叠统孤峰组地层中。它的显著特征是岩石中存在大量菱形和不规则状孔隙,孔隙周边和孔隙间主要由微晶石英组成。通过对该岩石的成分和结构等特征的研究,认为它是一种交代碳酸盐岩成因的硅质岩,并定名为浮石状燧石。     

Microbiological and Chemical Studies in the Seas of Hiuchi and Bingo—II

The distribution of inorganic nitrogen compounds and the metabolic rates of these compounds by microorganisms as a whole were investigated in the Seas of Hiuchi and Bingo. The results obtained are as follows:

1. Of inorganic nitrogen compounds, the contents in sea water, those in bottom muds, the uptake or liberation rates of microorganisms as a whole in sea water, and the liberation rates from bottom muds to sea water are 0.2～4.0 μg at. N/l, 3～60 μg at.N/100 g, 0.01～0.5 μg at.N//lhr, and 0.3～1.9 μg at.N/100 cm²/hr, respectively, and these contents or rates of ammonia usually are the largest of these inorganic nitrogen compounds.
2. From the above-mentioned results and the others, it is suggested that the nitrogen in the seas circulates mainly in sea water itself and the course of nitrogen cycle, which passes through bottom muds, is not so important, and further that, of the cycle of inorganic nitrogen compounds, the main course is the course which ammonia is liberated from organic nitrogen compounds and it is immediately uptaked by microorganisms, and the course which it is oxidized to nitrate and the others are not so important.

     

Specific accumulation and temporal trends of organochlorine contaminants in Dall's porpoises (Phocoenoides dalli) from Japanese coastal waters

Organochlorine compounds (OCs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs), chlordane related compounds, hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), tris(4-chlorophenyl) methane (TCPMe) and tris(4-chlorophenyl) methanol were determined in the blubber of Dall's porpoises (Phocoenoides dalli) collected from Japanese coastal waters in 1998/1999. Among OCs analyzed, PCBs were the predominant contaminants with concentrations ranging from 1.5 to 39 microg/g on a wet weight basis. OCs concentrations were relatively low and less variable in mature females possibly due to the lactational excretion from their bodies, while in males the concentrations were increased with body length. Concentrations and compositions of DDTs and HCHs showed significant differences between the truei-type population off the Pacific coast of northern Japan and dalli-type from the Sea of Japan/Okhotsk, suggesting its usefulness to discriminate different populations. OCs levels detected in truei-type porpoises collected in 1998/1999 were lower than those collected in 1984, except TCPMe. On the other hand, except DDTs, the residue levels of other organochlorines in dalli-type porpoises showed no significant decrease since 1984.     

The Carbon Cycle of Sandy Lands in China and its GlobalSignificance

The quantitative C dynamics of desertifiedlands in Northern China were predicted for the years2000 and 2030, based on the areas and conversion rates(positive and negative) of desertified lands in thepast forty years and organic carbon contents of soils.The top 1.0 m soil layer of natural desertified landsin China contained some 7,841 Tg of organic carbon asof 1992. In China, over the last 40 years, a total of2,812 Tg of organic carbon was released from desertlands and, in the reverse process about 644 Tg oforganic-C were fixed into lands undergoingdesertification. Thus, China's desert lands have showna net release of 2,168 Tg of organic-C over the past40 years, equivalent to 7,949 Tg of CO₂. By theyear 2000, the area of desertified lands in China hadincreased 40,300 km² and released 368 Tg oforganic-C into the atmosphere. By 2030 this area willincrease to 249,700 km² and release about 1,996 Tg of organic-Cinto the atmosphere. Net releases of151 Tg and 1,243 Tg of organic-C can be expectedby the year 2000 and 2030, respectively. This wouldbe equivalent to a net release of 553 Tg of CO₂by 2000 and 4,558 Tg by 2030. Thus, the organiccarbon released through land desertification in Chinacould be an important factor affecting changes inconcentrations of greenhouse gases worldwide.     

Heterogeneous Saltation: Theory, Observation and Comparison

In the theory of saltation, under development since the 1940s, it is often assumed that saltation is homogeneous, i.e., saltating particles are uniform in size and follow identical trajectories. This assumption is a limitation to the development of saltation theory. In this paper, as in some other studies made since the 1980s, we are concerned with the saltation of multi-sized particles in turbulent flows, a process that we refer to as heterogeneous saltation. The theory deals with several questions, including the variation of particle size distribution with height, the entrainment rates of particles in different size ranges, and the associated profiles of saltation flux, particle momentum flux and particle concentration. It is hypothesised that saltation is dynamically similar and ‘universal’ similarity functions can be established. The similarity function for saltation flux is presented. Field observations are carried out at the southern fringe of the Takla Makan Desert in April 2002. Measurements of streamwise saltation flux of 32 particle size groups are made using a sand particle counter, together with measurements of wind speed and other atmospheric variables. These data are used to validate the saltation theory, by examining whether the observed saltation flux and particle size distribution can be reproduced. It is shown that the theory is promising in predicting these quantities.