SHRIMP U–Pb ages of diagenetic and hydrothermal xenotime from the Archaean Witwatersrand Supergroup of South Africa

SHRIMP dating of xenotime overgrowths on detrital zircon grains can constrain maximum durations since diagenesis and therefore provide minimum dates of sediment deposition. Thus, xenotime dating has significant economic application to Precambrian sediment-hosted ore deposits, such as Witwatersrand Au–U, for which there are no precise depositional ages. The growth history of xenotime in the Witwatersrand Supergroup is texturally complex, with several phases evident. The oldest authigenic xenotime ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb age obtained in sandstone underlying the Vaal Reef is 2764 ± 5 Myr (1 σ), and most likely represents a mixture of diagenetic and hydrothermal growth. Nevertheless, this represents the oldest authigenic mineral age yet recorded in the sequence and provides a minimum age of deposition. Other xenotime data record a spread of ages that correspond to numerous post-diagenetic thermotectonic events (including a Ventersdorp event at ≈ 2720 Ma) up to the ≈2020 Ma Vredefort event.     

Evolutionary state of W UMa-type systems

The evolutionary status of a sample of 31 W UMa-type systems (20 of W, 9 of A, and 2 of A/W sub-class) is examined and discussed on the basis of their positions in the H-R, mass-radius and mass-luminosity diagrams. The absolute elements of these systems have been evaluated by use of their spectroscopic and photometric data as they were found in the literature. Since different analysis methods have been used by the various investigators this gives the opportunity to make different H-R, mass-radius and mass-luminosity diagrams, according to the method used, and compare the results.Moreover, from the spectral type-period diagram of those systems that have spectral types from O to G2 it was found that all of them lie in the evolved region. Finally, the log (L _l/L _s) log (M _l/M _s) diagrams are presented and discussed.     

Helium abundance in Novae

The⁴He abundance of the Nova Delphini 1967 is determined, using their nebular stage spectra, which is of the order 0.18 by number and 0.39 by mass. Our results and similar measurements on other novae show that the⁴He abundance in novae is about twice the amount predicted by the Big-Bang theory. The binary structure is the main cause of⁴He overabundance in novae.     

APPLICATION OF ANALYTIC HIERARCHY PROCESS TO ASSESSING THE ECOLOGICAL VULNERABILITY OF WETLANDS IN THE JIANGHAN PLAIN

Wetlands in the Jianghan Plain are important components of wetland types in lake area in the middle and lower reaches the Changjiang (Yangtze) River and they fulfill many uses and functions related to hydrology,waste assimilation, ecosystem productivity and biodiversity. Owing to natural factors and human activities, especially excessive reclamation from lakes, the shrinking process of the lakes has been accelerated. Wetland ecosystem has shown the characteristics of vulnerability. According to the analysis of wetland ecological function in the Jianghan Plain, this paper presented an index system related to productivity, stability and environmental capacity. By using the method of Analytic Hierarchy Process, we computed the values of the relative weights of the indexes, and evaluated the vulnerability level of the wetland ecosystem by the method of multi-indexes. The case study showed that the fragile extent of wetland ecosystem in the Jianghan Plain is 5.6. This means that the wetland ecosystem in the Jiang-han Plain is laid to the state of middle vulnerability. Therefore, the wetland conservation and eco-rehabilitation in the JiangJaan Plain should be paid attention to.     

The Siberian Solar Radio Telescope: the current state of the instrument,observations, and data

The Siberian Solar Radio Telescope (SSRT) is one of the world's largest solar radio heliographs. It commenced operation in 1983, and since then has undergone several upgrades. The operating frequency of the SSRT is 5.7 GHz. Since 1992 the instrument has had the capability to make one-dimensional scans with a high time resolution of 56 ms and an angular resolution of 15 arc sec. Making one of these scans now takes 14 ms. In 1996 the capability was added to make full, two-dimensional images of the solar disk. The SSRT is now capable of obtaining images with an angular resolution of 21 arc sec every 2 min. In this paper we describe the main features and operation of the instrument, particularly emphasizing issues pertaining to the imaging process and factors limiting data quality. Some of the data processing and analysis techniques are discussed. We present examples of full-disk solar images of the quiet Sun, recorded near solar activity minimum, and images of specific structures: plages, coronal bright points, filaments and prominences, and coronal holes. We also present some observations of dynamic phenomena, such as eruptive prominences and solar flares, which illustrate the high-time-resolution observations that can be done with this instrument. We compare SSRT observations at 5.7 GHz, including computed `light curves', both morphologically and quantatively, with observations made in other spectral domains, such as 17 GHz radio images, Hα filtergrams and magnetograms, extreme-ultraviolet and X-ray observations, and dynamic radio spectra.     

Correcting systematic effects in a large set of photometric light curves

We suggest a new algorithm to remove systematic effects in a large set of light curves obtained by a photometric survey. The algorithm can remove systematic effects, such as those associated with atmospheric extinction, detector efficiency, or point spread function changes over the detector. The algorithm works without any prior knowledge of the effects, as long as they linearly appear in many stars of the sample. The approach, which was originally developed to remove atmospheric extinction effects, is based on a lower rank approximation of matrices, an approach which has already been suggested and used in chemometrics, for example. The proposed algorithm is especially useful in cases where the uncertainties of the measurements are unequal. For equal uncertainties, the algorithm reduces to the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) algorithm. We present a simulation to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm and we point out its potential, in the search for transit candidates in particular.     

Modulation of galactic cosmic ray anisotropy in heliomagnetosphere: Influence of cosmic ray scattering on sidereal daily variation

In previous papers, the present authors have shown that the galactic anisotropy is modulated due to cosmic ray orbital deflection in the heliomagnetosphere, and that the sidereal time daily variations of galactic origin can be expressed using the basic vectors, which have been obtained by calculating trajectories of cosmic rays in a model magnetosphere having Parker's Archimedian spiral structure with a flat or a wavy neutral sheet. In the present paper, the magnetic irregularities superposed on the Parker's spiral field have been taken into account, which cause the scattering of cosmic rays and disturb their orbits. We examined the fluctuations of asymptotic directions calculating their orbits by the Monte-Carlo simulation, based on the theory of the multiple scattering process. It is shown that the dispersion of the projected deviation angle is determined mainly by the scattering mean free path and by the structure of the order magnetic field, e.g. the polarity state of the heliomagnetosphere and the extent of the neutral sheet. We investigated also the influence of the fluctuations of asymptotic directions on the sidereal daily variation. It is found that, under some conditions, the scattering causes only the attenuation of the amplitude of the basic vector, and does not change its phase. The attenuation is negligibly small at high rigidities larger than ~ 1000 GV, but becomes more serious with decreasing rigidity. The rigidity dependence curve of the attenuation rate was calculated for various cases. A simple and approximate method is also presented for the derivation of those curves for any value of the magnitude of the mean free path and for various model magnetospheres. It is noted, however, that the lower limiting rigidity below which the present method is not applicable is relatively high in the Positive polarity state.     

The NAIAD experiment for WIMP searches at Boulby mine and recent results

The NAIAD experiment (NaI Advanced Detector) for weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter searches at Boulby mine (UK) is described. The detector consists of an array of encapsulated and unencapsulated NaI(Tl) crystals with high light yield. Six crystals are collecting data at present. Data accumulated by four of them (10.6 kg × year exposure) have been used to set upper limits on the WIMP–nucleon spin-independent and WIMP–proton spin-dependent cross-sections. Pulse shape analysis has been applied to discriminate between nuclear recoils, as may be caused by WIMP interactions, and electron recoils due to gamma background. Various calibrations of crystals are presented.     

STUDY ON DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OF SHIPPING CENTERS AND TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS IN THE YELLOW SEA RIM IN THE YELLOW SEA RIM

It is very important to establish cooperative mechanism to guarantee all members to develop their e-conomies in the Yellow Sea Rim. In this paper, the development strategies ofshipplng centers and transportation networkare discussed based on economic giobalization tendency. The results argue that a united transportation network should bebuilt in order to promote the economic competition of Northeast Asia in the world. As a key component of the economiccooperation, a hierarchical shipping centers network should be established with Hong Kong, Shanghai, Pusan, Koho,and Tokyo as cores. The authorities of China, Japan, R. O. Korea and D. P. B. Korea should make more efforts tobuild a set of cooperation institutions based on raising the transportation efficiency.