Properties of Knots in Cooling Stellar Jets

Modelling the formation of the maximal emission regions in Herbig-Haro flows, the so-called ‘knots,’ remains a main challenge in the investigation of the YSO's outflows. Recent HST images of optical regions reveal their wide morphological variety. Knotty structures and arc-like regions coexist, suggesting that several mechanisms could be responsible for the global scenario. Arc-like emissions are probably due to other mini-working surfaces or non-axially symmetric interaction of the kinking jet matter with the external medium, while knots seen in [SII] are mostly axially symmetric objects and may have a different origin. In this paper we show that a pattern of regularly spaced, knotty emission regions forms in stationary jets, with emissivity and kinematic features consistent with observations. To this purpose, numerical simulations of non-equilibrium, radiative, hydrodynamical jets in axial symmetric geometry have been performed.     

Far-ultraviolet extinction and diffuse interstellar bands

We relate the equivalent widths of the major diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) near 5797 and 5780 Å with different colour excesses, normalized by E ( B − V ) , which characterize the growth of interstellar extinction in different wavelength ranges. It is demonstrated that the two DIBs correlate best with different parts of the extinction curve, and the ratio of these diffuse bands is best correlated with the far-ultraviolet (UV) rise. A number of peculiar lines of sight are also found, indicating that the carriers of some DIBs and the far-UV extinction can be separated in certain environments, e.g. towards the Per OB2 association.     

New stellar members of the Coma Berenices open star cluster

We present the results of a survey of the Coma Berenices open star cluster (Melotte 111), undertaken using proper motions from the USNO-B1.0 (United States Naval Observatory) and photometry from the Two-Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) Point Source catalogues. We have identified 60 new candidate members with masses in the range  1.007 < M < 0.269 M_⊙  . For each we have estimated a membership probability by extracting control clusters from the proper motion vector diagram. All 60 are found to have greater than 60 per cent probability of being members, more than doubling the number of known cluster members. The new luminosity function for the cluster peaks at bright magnitudes, but is rising at   K ≈ 12  , indicating that it is likely that lower mass members may exist. The mass function also supports this hypothesis.     

Some remarks on the Gaussian beam summation method

Summary. Recently, a method using superposition of Gaussian beams has been proposed for the solution of high-frequency wave problems. The method is a potentially useful approach when the more usual techniques of ray theory fail: it gives answers which are finite at caustics, computes a nonzero field in shadow zones, and exhibits critical angle phenomena, including head waves. Subsequent tests by several authors have been encouraging, although some reported solutions show an unexplained dependence on the 'free' complex parameter ε which specifies the initial widths and phases of the Gaussian beams.
We use methods of uniform asymptotic expansions to explain the behaviour of the Gaussian beam method. We show how it computes correctly the entire caustic boundary layer of a caustic of arbitrary complexity, and computes correctly in a region of critical reflection. However, the beam solution for head waves and in edge-diffracted shadow zones are shown to have the correct asymptotic form, but with governing parameters that are explicitly ε-dependent. We also explain the mechanism by which the beam solution degrades when there are strong lateral inhomogeneities. We compare numerically our predictions for some representative, model problems, with exact solutions obtained by other means.     

First evidence of Pentoxylales in Antarctica

Plant remains from the Byers Peninsula, South Shetlands Islands, are described. These are leaves referred toTaeniopterissp. and female fructifications referred toCarnoconites llambiasiiCésari sp. nov. They are considered to belong to the Pentoxylales, originally described from India, Australia and New Zealand. This is the first record of this group of gymnosperms from Antarctica. The occurrence contributes to further differentiation between floras of this part of Gondwana and Laurasia.     

Sedimentology,palaeoecology and geochronology of Last Interglacial deposits from Deeping St James,Lincolnshire, England

Pollen, plant macrofossil, molluscan and coleopteran data from organic muds below the low terrace of the River Welland at Deeping St James, Lincolnshire indicate deposition in the mixed oak forest phase of a Late Pleistocene interglacial. Coleopteran and molluscan data suggest summer temperatures up to 4°C warmer than at present in eastern England, and plant macrofossil material suggests a climate more continental than that of Britain in the Holocene. No direct analogue of this biota, however, exists currently in Europe. Biostratigraphical indications from the pollen coleoptera and Mollusca suggest an age in the Ipswichian Interglacial. Thermoluminescence dates between 120 ka and 75 ka and amino-acid ratios with a mean of 0.11 show that deposition of the sediments took place during Oxygen Isotope Stage 5. This accurate dating of a partial Ipswichian succession allows discussion of the ages of a number of other interglacial sites in eastern England of assumed Ipswichian age. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrogeochemical parameters for assessment of groundwater quality in a river sub-basin

Hydrogeochemical studies were carried out in the Ghataprabha River sub-basin to assess the quality and suitability of groundwater for domestic and irrigation purposes. In the present study, an integrated, geophysical and chemical investigation was carried out in the basaltic terrain. Groundwater samples were collected covering the entire major hydrogeological environment for one hydrological cycle. Comparison of the groundwater quality in relation to drinking water quality standards proves that most of the water samples are not suitable for drinking. Chemical indices such as sodium percentage, sodium adsorption ratio and chloroalkaline indices used for evaluating the water quality for irrigation suggest that the majority of the groundwater samples were good for irrigation. Positive values of 74% of groundwater samples indicated the absence of base exchange reaction (chloroalkaline disequilibrium) and negative ratio of 26% samples indicated a base exchange reaction (chloroalkaline equilibrium). Resistivity tomography studies revealed that the high concentration of total dissolved solids, chloride and sodium were due to the local anthropogenic activities and weathering of basalt rocks.