Detection Of Soft X-Ray Emission From Comet C/1995 O1 (Hale–Bopp)

We report the detection of soft X-rays from comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) by the Low Energy Concentrator Spectrometer (LECS) on-board the X-ray satellite, BeppoSAX. The observations took place on 1996 September 10–11 approximately 1 day after a large dust outburst (Schulz et al., 1997–1999). After correcting for the comets motion, a 7σ enhancement was found centered (2.1 ± 1.3) x 10⁵ km from the position of the nucleus, in the general solar direction. The total X-ray luminosity in the 0.1–2.0 keV energy band is 5 x 10¹⁶ erg s⁻¹ which is at least a factor of ∼ 3 greater than measured by the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE)4 days later and suggests that the bulk of the emission measured by the LECS is related to the dust outburst. The extracted LECS spectrum is well fit by a thermal bremsstrahlung-like distribution of temperature of 0.29 ± 0.06 keV - consistent with that observed in other comets. We find no evidence for fluorescent carbon or oxygen emission and place 95% confidence limits of 1.0 x 10¹⁵ and 7.8 x 10¹⁵ erg s⁻¹ to narrow line emission at 0.28 and 0.53 keV, respectively. We calculate that if such lines are present, they constitute at most 18% of the 0.1–2.0 keV continuum luminosity. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Deriving the GRB distance scale

We describe a method to address the burster origin problem by determining their distance scale. We show that this can be easily carried out at soft X-ray wavelengths by measuring the effective column densities of a representative sample of burst spectra. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the technique by simulating the performance of a small CATSAT-type mission (Forrestet al., 1995).     

First results from the TGRS high-resolution GRB Spectrometer

The Transient Gamma Ray Spectrometer (TGRS) is a 215 cm³ passivelycooled germanium detector designed primarily to study spectral features of gamma ray bursts. Since shortly after its launch on 1994 Nov. 1 it has been producing high-resolution spectra of GRBs and solar flares. Some of these spectra are presented here.Although it has not yet detected any line features in GRBs-none were expected so early in the mission-several bursts have been seen simultaneously by TGRS, the Konus instruments on the same spacecraft, and the BATSE instrument on Compton GRO. A comparison of the spectra obtained by these various instruments, as presented here, may resolve the question of whether line features actually exist, and if so provide detailed spectroscopy to determine their physical origin.     

A set modified equinoctial orbit elements

Modified equinoctial elements are introduced which are suitable for perturbation analysis of all kinds of orbit. Equations of motion in Lagrangian and Gaussian forms are derived. Identities connecting the partial derivatives of the disturbing function with respect to equinoctial elements are established. Numerical comparisons of the evolution of a perturbed, highly eccentric, elliptic orbit analysed in equinoctial elements and by Cowell's method show satisfactory agreement.     

The calculation of a best-fit ellipsoid from elliptical sections on arbitrarily orientated planes

A two-stage procedure is described for the calculation of a best-fit ellipsoid from elliptical sections measured on three or more arbitrary planes. The first stage produces an initial, trial solution. This is used as a starting point for a standard, linear, least-squares treatment to determine the best-fit ellipsoid.Factors influencing the reliability of a solution (for example, number of measurements and quality of data) are discussed in the context of real and synthetic examples. The examples indicate that the procedure described is relatively robust and they allow guidelines for its routine practical application to be suggested.     

Comparison of crustal velocity profiles determined by seismic refraction and teleseismic methods

Recently, two diverse seismic techniques were applied independently to the study of the crustal structure of the Cumberland Plateau, eastern Tennessee. One involved a reinterpretation of a refraction experiment performed in 1965 by the U.S. Geological Survey, consisting of two 400 km long, reversed refraction lines. The other entailed the inversion of broadband teleseismic P waveforms recorded at a single three-component broadband station, RSCP, located at the intersection of the two refraction profiles. A comparison of the two sets of velocity profiles revealed many similarities and some significant differences. Both sets of velocity models consist of three major crustal layers: (1) an upper crust (V_p = 6.1–6.4 km/s) down to about 17 km, (2) a mid-crust (V_p = 6.7–6.9 km/s) between 17 and 40 km depth, (3) a lower crust (V_p = 7.2–7.4 km/s) from 40 to 51 km depth. The refraction models have linear transition zones up to 11 km thick at the base of each layer, whereas the teleseismic models have more irregular transition zones at the base of the mid- and lower crust. The differences in the results of these studies are attributed to the differing frequency bandwidths of the data sets; the predominant sensitivity of the teleseismic data to shear velocities, compared to compressional velocities for the refraction data; and the different analysis procedures involved in each method. Nevertheless, the similarities indicate that the teleseismic waveform method with broadband data is capable of retreiving comparable crustal information as the Cumberland Plateau refraction survey. In addition, it provides the kind of complementary information required to constrain the composition of the continental lower crust and uppermost mantle.     

Magnetic susceptibility anisotropy,strain, and progressive deformation in Permian sediments from the Maritime Alps (France)

The relationships among magnetic susceptibility anisotropy, finite strain, and progressive deformation have been studied in Permian red shales and slates of the Maritime Alps (southeastern France). These rocks contain deformed reduction spots which serve as finite strain indicators. The magnetic fabric of undeformed regions is modified during deformation to yield characteristic magnetic susceptibility anisotropy patterns and a magnetic equivalent of the deformation path derived from strain measurements. The magnetic fabric changes progressively from oblate to prolate, and back to oblate as deformation increases. The quantitative relationships between natural strain and magnetic anisotropy in these rocks have been determined. They differ between the less and more deformed areas, perhaps due to a change in deformation mechanism accompanying an increase in metamorphism. The relationships provide a rapid means of strain determination using magnetic measurements but their variation emphasizes the need for local structural control.     

A simple model for non-vanishing rotational hysteresis in haematite

The model, applicable to fine-grained haematite, assumes that the magnetization of a grain is constrained to lie in the basal plane, within which there is a single easy axis. Following Stoner and Wohlfarth (1948), torque curves and rotational hysteresis are calculated, for various field strengths, as a function of the orientations of the basal plane and easy axis. The results show that, for certain orientations, rotational hysteresis may be expected to persist to very high field strengths. Further, the dependence of rotational hysteresis on orientation implies that rotational hysteresis is anisotropic and thus, that, for a distribution of grains, the anisotropy of resultant rotational hysteresis will reflect the degree of preferred orientation. It may therefore serve as a rock fabric parameter. Calculated models of resultant rotational hysteresis for assumed preferred orientation distributions compare favourably with measurements on a sample of Cambrian purple slate from North Wales.     

Thermal and dynamic characteristics of alpine lake breezes,Lake Tekapo,New Zealand

Thermodynamic characteristics and temporal variation of alpine lake breezes in the eastern Southern Alps are examined. Research was conducted in a large glacially excavated basin dominated by an 87 square kilometre melt-water lake as part of a study of windblown dust dispersion. The surrounding mountain ranges were found to shelter the lake basin from most synoptic winds, thereby allowing local and regional thermally generated circulations to develop to ridge height, approximately 1300m above the surrounding landscape. During favourable synoptic conditions the local lake breeze becomes embedded within the regional valley wind forming an extended lake breeze. Tethersonde flights during these conditions made using a kite based sounding system identified both stable internal (SIBL) and thermal internal boundary layer (TIBL) conditions over the down wind shoreline. Two equations for estimating the height of both boundary-layer types were tested against observations and found to provide good first order predictive estimates of boundary-layer height.     

Analysis of the wind field and heat budget in an alpine lake basin during summertime fair weather conditions

Summary ?Observational data collected in the Lake Tekapo hydro catchment of the Southern Alps in New Zealand are used to analyse the wind and temperature fields in the alpine lake basin during summertime fair weather conditions. Measurements from surface stations, pilot balloon and tethersonde soundings, Doppler sodar and an instrumented light aircraft provide evidence of multi-scale interacting wind systems, ranging from microscale slope winds to mesoscale coast-to-basin flows. Thermal forcing of the winds occurred due to differential heating as a consequence of orography and heterogeneous surface features, which is quantified by heat budget and pressure field analysis. The daytime vertical temperature structure was characterised by distinct layering. Features of particular interest are the formation of thermal internal boundary layers due to the lake-land discontinuity and the development of elevated mixed layers. The latter were generated by advective heating from the basin and valley sidewalls by slope winds and by a superimposed valley wind blowing from the basin over Lake Tekapo and up the tributary Godley Valley. Daytime heating in the basin and its tributary valleys caused the development of a strong horizontal temperature gradient between the basin atmosphere and that over the surrounding landscape, and hence the development of a mesoscale heat low over the basin. After noon, air from outside the basin started flowing over mountain saddles into the basin causing cooling in the lowest layers, whereas at ridge top height the horizontal air temperature gradient between inside and outside the basin continued to increase. In the early evening, a more massive intrusion of cold air caused rapid cooling and a transition to a rather uniform slightly stable stratification up to about 2000 m agl. The onset time of this rapid cooling varied about 1–2 h between observation sites and was probably triggered by the decay of up-slope winds inside the basin, which previously countered the intrusion of air over the surrounding ridges. The intrusion of air from outside the basin continued until about mid-night, when a northerly mountain wind from the Godley Valley became dominant. The results illustrate the extreme complexity that can be caused by the operation of thermal forcing processes at a wide range of spatial scales. Received June 25, 2001; Revised December 21, 2001