TREK: A cosmic-ray experiment on the Russian space station MIR

The goals of the TREK experiment, now in place on the MIR Space Station, are to resolve and measure the composition of both odd-Z and even-Z cosmic-ray nuclei up to uranium, to measure the isotopic composition of Fe-group nuclei, and to search for transuranic nucleic and exotic particles such as strangelets. To collect tracks of ultraheavy cosmic rays, exterior panels holding an array of BP-1 phosphate glass 1.2m² in area and 16 plates thick are now mounted outside the Kvant-2 module on MIR. Heaters and relays regulate the temperature of the glass at 25°±5°C. The detectors will record 10³ cosmic-ray tracks withZ50 during 2.5 years. An interior panel consisting of an array 0.09 m² in area and 32 plates thick and mounted on the inside wall of the Soyuz spacecraft (attached to the Space Station) will collect tracks of about 13000 Fe and 500 Ni nuclei.     

The almost constant-speed two-body problem with resistance

The almost constant-speed motion of a mass acted upon by a Newtonian attraction and a resisting force is treated. The equation of orbit is derived for a specific type of resistance which covers the familiar case of Danby's drag(=r ^–2) whilst the vector invariants are obtained by direct operation on the vector form of the equation of motion.     

New observations of solar noise storm radiation at decameter wavelengths

We report multifrequency observations of storm continuum and other radio bursts. Based on their positional study and their correlation with other coronal and photospheric features, we deduce that the storm source is located in the magnetic field lines lying above a single bipolar active region. Energetic electrons trapped in the magnetic structures above the spots must be responsible for the storm radiation. We show that spontaneous emission of Langmuir waves by anisotropic distributions can explain both storm continuum and bursts self-consistently. Whenever the collisional damping ( _c ) is more than the growth (- _A ), there is a steady emission responsible for the continuum, and whenever _c = - _A (which may be satisfied randomly) there is a sudden jump in T _b giving rise to bursts. The number density of energetic particles required to explain the storm continuum at 73.8, 50, and 30.9 MHz frequencies is estimated to lie in the limits n _b /n _e 10^–10–10^–9 in the context of the present observations. The brightness spectrum of the storm continuum is computed and compared with observations.On leave from Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore 560034, India.     

Results of TV imaging of Phobos (Experiment VSK-Fregat)

From February to March 1989 the Phobos 2 spacecraft took 37 TV images of Phobos at a distance of 190-1100 km. These images complement Mariner-9 and Viking data by providing higher-resolution coverage of a large region West of the crater Stickney (40-160 degrees W) and by providing disk-resolved measurements of surface brightness at a greater range of wavelengths and additional phase angles. These images have supported updated mapping and characterization of large craters and grooves, and have provided additional observations of craters' and grooves' bright rims. Variations in surface visible/near-infrared color ratio of almost a factor of 2 have been recognized; these variations appear to be associated with the ejecta of specific large impact craters. Updated determinations of satellite mass and volume allow calculation of a more accurate value of bulk density, 1.90 +/- 0.1 g cm-3. This is significantly lower than the density of meteoritic analogs to Phobos' surface, suggesting a porous interior perhaps containing interstitial ice.     

Les gisements d'émeraude de la Cordillère Orientale de la Colombie: Nouvelles données métallogéniques

Emerald deposits of Colombia are confined to lower Cretaceous shales of the Eastern Cordillera. The tectonic pattern of the deposits is related to deep reverse and large regional fault systems. Hydrofracturing is the main factor controlling emerald mineralization. It permitted to the hydrothermal solutions to permeate through fractures but also along stratification planes forming in this case stratabound mineralizations. Emerald occurs in calcite veins, veinlets, pockets and brecciated zones associated mainly with pyrite, quartz, parisite, codazzite and fluorite. Emerald mineralization belongs to an epigenetic hydrothermal process. The alternance of arenite-shale formations in the Cretaceous probably played an important role in the accumulation of solutions and in the propagation of the hydrothermal channels. The origin of emerald involves chemical elements mobilized by the fluids in the Cr-V-Fe-Al-Si-bearing black shales. The source of beryllium remains a problem and is discussed in the paper.     

Mass motions associated with Hα active region arch structures

We have studied mass motions associated with active region arch structures from observations of a developing active region near the center of the solar disk. We present a method for the computation of the line-of-sight velocity from photographs at H ± 0.5 under the assumption of Beckers' cloud model and reasonable assumptions about the Doppler width and optical depth of the arches. Some arches show motions typical to arch filaments (the material moves towards the observer near the apex of the arch and away from the observer near the footpoints), while in others the velocity field is more complex. Assuming a symmetric loop, we reconstructed the velocity vector along an arch filament. The results are consistent with the picture where material is draining out of the filament while the whole structure is ascending with a velocity near that of the apex, which does not exceed 10 km s^–1. The motion is systematically slower than expected from a free-fall model.     

Strömgren photometry of a-stars: A test of physical parameter determination

By use of known published values forT _eff, logg, andM _v, a check on our procedure for determining the physical parameters of A v-type stars from Strömgren photometry has been performed. External errors for our calculated physical parameters have been obtained.Paper presented at the 11th European Regional Astronomical Meetings of the IAU on New Windows to the Universe, held 3–8 July, 1989, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.     

Photoionization models of QSO's intervening absorption clouds

A new sufficiently compact code LINESPEC is described which is designed to determine the kinetic (collisional+photo) ionization equilibrium in a slab of a hot (T10⁴K) rarefied gas, and to simulate synthetic absorption-line spectra formed due to passing continuous radiation (from a quasar) through the slab. Eighty-six resonant absorption lines of ions and atoms of H, He, C, N, O, Ne, Mg, Al, Si, S, Ca, Fe are included with wavelengths in the range 9125000 Å. the behaviour and observability of various lines are analysed as a function of intensity of the ionizing radiation and kinetic plasma temperature (for a power-law spectrum of ionizing photons,N _ph (E) E ^– with =1.5;E is photon energy). For the purely collisional ionization (N _ph =0), the spectrum contains various combinations of absorption lines of hydrogen and/or of atoms and ions of other elements, the relative intensities of the lines being strongly temperaturedependent. If the ionizing radiation is intense enough, the L line dominates. In a wide parameter range L may be the only line visible in the UV spectral range.     

Synchronous aperture synthesis observations of pulsars

By modifying the online software of the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope it is possible to sample the radio emission from a field containing a pulsar synchronously with the pulsed signal. Recording the emission from eight separate temporal windows, we can simultaneously observe both the on-pulse and off-pulse signals. We are using this technique for three different kinds of pulsar investigation: (a) to check and improve the positions of some pulsars; (b) to look for unpulsed components; and (c) to search for weak extended emission around pulsars. Observations have been carried out at 6, 21, 49, and 92 cm. Examples of results from all three types of investigation are given.Paper presented at the 11th European Regional Astronomical Meetings of the IAU on New Windows to the Universe, held 3–8 July, 1989, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.     

The nonlinear solar dynamo and differential rotation: A Taylor number puzzle?

We consider dynamically consistent mean-field dynamos in a spherical shell of incompressible fluid. The generation of magnetic field and differential rotation is parameterized by the - and -effects, respectively. Extending previous investigations, we include now the cases of moderate and rapid rotation in the sense that the inverse Rossby number can approach or exceed unity: This can lead to disk-shaped -contours, which are in better accordance with recent results of helioseismology than cylindrical -contours. On the other hand, in order to obtain -dynamo cycles the Taylor number has to be so large, that eventually cylindrical -contours become unavoidable (cf. Taylor-Proudman theorem). We discuss the different possibilities in a state diagram, where the inverse Rossby number and the relative correlation length are taken as the elementary parameters for mean-field dynamos.