Reaction textures and P–T conditions of Opx-Crd gneisses from Karimnagar, Andhra Pradesh, India

Summary The Karimnagar granulite terrain is an integral part of the Eastern Dharwar Craton (EDC). It has received much interest because of the only reported granulite facies rocks in the EDC. These granulites contain quartz-free sapphirine-spinel-bearing granulites, kornerupine – bearing granulites, mafic granulites, orthopyroxene-cordierite gneisses, charnockites, amphibolites, dolerite dykes, granite gneisses, quartzites and banded magnetite quartzite. The orthopyroxene-cordierite gneisses occur as enclaves within granite-gneiss in association with banded magnetite quartzites, charnockites and amphibolites. The observed reaction textures, spectacular as they are, have an extraordinary information content within a tiny domain. Coronas, symplectites and resorption textures are of particular interest as they reflect discontinuous or continuous reactions under changing physical conditions. The main mineral assemblages encountered in these gneisses are orthopyroxene – cordierite – biotite – plagioclase – perthite – quartz and garnet – orthopyroxene – cordierite – biotite – quartz – plagioclase – perthite ± sillimanite. Multiphase reaction textures in conjunction with mineral chemical data in the KFMASH system indicate the following reactions: Based on chemographic relationships and petrogenetic grids in the K₂O–FeO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O (KFMASH) system, a sequence of prograde (early stage), isothermal decompression (middle stage) and retrograde (late stage) reactions (‘back reactions’ and hydration reactions) are inferred. Relatively lower P–T estimates (0.35 GPa/550–750 °C) obtained from the different geothermobarometers are attributed to late Fe–Mg re-equilibration during cooling. Therefore, the convergence method has been applied to retrieve simultaneously the P–T conditions of the thermal peak of metamorphism. The near thermal peak condition of metamorphism estimated by the convergence method are 850 °C/0.62 GPa. The P–T estimates define a retrograde trajectory with substantial decompression.     

Numerical simulations to study kinetic Alfvén wave and whistler wave spectra in solar wind plasma

The numerical simulations of the model equation governing the nonlinear evolution of kinetic Alfvén wave (KAW) in solar wind plasmas are performed. The nonlinear dynamical equation of KAW satisfies the modified nonlinear Schrödinger MNLS equation when the ponderomotive nonlinearity is incorporated in the KAW dynamics. The effect of Landau damping is taken into account in the KAW dynamics. The coherent (in the absence of Landau damping) and damped (with Landau damping) localized structures of pump KAW as a consequence of ponderomotive nonlinearity have been studied in the solar wind at 1 AU. A weak whistler signal propagating in these localized structures is amplified which leads to the development of its own coherent and damped localized structures. Magnetic field (KAW) and electric field (whistler wave) power spectra and their spectral indices are calculated. Our results reveal the change in spectral index because of the damping effect which has good agreement with the observations. These damped structures and steeper spectra may be one of the reasons responsible for the plasma heating and particles acceleration in solar wind.     

Nonlinear Dynamics of Kinetic Alfvén and Whistler Waves in the Solar Wind

In this article we investigate the nonlinear dynamics of 3D kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs) and quasi-transverse weak whistler waves in a magnetized plasma. We have studied the problem numerically to examine the transient evolution of localized structures of 3D KAWs and whistler waves. The nonlinearity arises as a result of ponderomotive effects associated with 3D KAWs; consequently, the background density modifies. The weak whistler waves propagating in this modified density are localized and amplified. To improve our insight into the basic physics behind the formation of these localized structures, we have also solved the system semi-analytically. The power spectra show a Kolmogorov scaling (with a power of \(-5/3\)) in the inertial range that lies above the ion gyroradius. Below this scale, dispersive effects start to appear, and the power spectrum follows a steeper scaling (?2 to ?4). Our results show the important role that KAWs and whistler waves play in the energy cascading from larger to smaller scales. The results are consistent with the solar wind observations by the Cluster spacecraft.     

Alfvénic drift Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in the presence of an equilibrium electric field

Alfvénic drift Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is discussed in the presence of equilibrium electric and magnetic fields which are perpendicular to each other. A dispersion relation is achieved with the help of WKB approximation and the instability criterion is established. A comparison is made with the previous studies and it is shown that the electric field has a stabilizing or destabilizing effect on the system according to the conditions discussed in the text.     

Remote Sensing and GIS Based Landslide Susceptibility Assessment using Binary Logistic Regression Model: A Case Study in the Ganeshganga Watershed, Himalayas

A comprehensive Landslide Susceptibility Zonation (LSZ) map is sought for adopting any landslide preventive and mitigation measures. In the present study, LSZ map of landslide prone Ganeshganga watershed (known for Patalganga Landslide) has been generated using a binary logistic regression (BLR) model. Relevant thematic layers pertaining to the causative factors for landslide occurrences, such as slope, aspect, relative relief, lithology, tectonic structures, lineaments, land use and land cover, distance to drainage, drainage density and anthropogenic factors like distance to road, have been generated using remote sensing images, field survey, ancillary data and GIS techniques. The coefficients of the causative factors retained by the BLR model along with the constant have been used to construct the landslide susceptibility map of the study area, which has further been categorized into four landslide susceptibility zones from high to very low. The resultant landslide susceptibility map was validated using receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showing an accuracy of 95.2 % for an independent set of test samples. The result also showed a strong agreement between distribution of existing landslides and predicted landslide susceptibility zones.     

Thermal-convective instability of a composite rotating stellar atmosphere in the presence of a variable magnetic field,medium permeability and solute gradient

The thermal-convective instability of a composite rotating stellar atmosphere in the presence of a variable horizontal magnetic field is considered to include, separately, the effects of medium permeability and solute gradient. The criteria for monotonic instability in each case have been obtained which generalize the Defouw's criterion derived for thermal-convective instability in the absence of above effects.     

List of forthcoming papers

List of forthcoming papers