Imaging the Underground Coal Gasification Zone with Microgravity Surveys

The paper describes results of microgravity measurements made on the surface over an underground geo reactor where experimental coal gasification was performed in a shallow seam of coal. The aim of the research was to determine whether, and to what extent, the microgravity method can be used to detect and image a coal gasification zone, especially caverns where the coal was burnt out. In theory, the effects of coal gasification process create caverns and cracks, e.g., zones of altered bulk density. Before the measurements, theoretical density models of completely and partially gasified coal were analysed. Results of the calculations of gravity field response showed that in both cases on the surface over the gasification zone there should be local gravimetric anomalies. Over the geo reactor, two series of gravimetric measurements prior to and after gasification were conducted. Comparison of the results of two measurement series revealed the presence of gravimetric anomalies that could be related to the cavern formation process. Data from these measurements were used to verify theoretical models. After the experiment, a small cavern was detected at the depth of the coal seam by the test borehole drilled in one of the anomalous areas.     

Usefulness of the Modified NRCS-CN Method for the Assessment of Direct Runoff in a Mountain Catchment

The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of modified methods, developed on the basis of NRCS-CN method, in determining the size of an effective rainfall (direct runoff). The analyses were performed for the mountain catchment of the Kamienica river, right-hand tributary of the Dunajec. The amount of direct runoff was calculated using the following methods: (1) Original NRCS-CN model, (2) Mishra—Singh model (MS model), (3) Sahu Mishra Eldho model (SME model), (4) Sahu 1-p model, (5) Sahu 3-p model, and (6) Q_base model. The study results indicated that the amount of direct runoff, determined on the basis of the original NRCS-CN method, may differ significantly from the actually observed values. The best results were achieved when the direct runoff was determined using the SME and Sahu 3-p model.     

Small angle X-ray scattering mapping and kinetics study of sub-critical CO2 sorption by two Australian coals

Time- and position-resolved synchrotron small angle X-ray scattering data were acquired from samples of two Australian coal seams: Bulli seam (Bulli 4, R_o = 1.42%, Sydney Basin), which naturally contains CO₂ and Baralaba seam (R_o = 0.67%, Bowen Basin), a potential candidate for sequestering CO₂. This experimental approach has provided unique, pore-size-specific insights into the kinetics of CO₂ sorption in the micro- and small mesopores (diameter 5 to 175 Å) and the density of the sorbed CO₂ at reservoir-like conditions of temperature and hydrostatic pressure.For both samples, at pressures above 5 bar, the density of CO₂ confined in pores was found to be uniform, with no densification in near-wall regions. In the Bulli 4 sample, CO₂ first flooded the slit pores between polyaromatic sheets. In the pore-size range analysed, the confined CO₂ density was close to that of the free CO₂. The kinetics data are too noisy for reliable quantitative analysis, but qualitatively indicate faster kinetics in mineral-matter-rich regions.In the Baralaba sample, CO₂ preferentially invaded the smallest micropores and the confined CO₂ density was up to five times that of the free CO₂. Faster CO₂ sorption kinetics was found to be correlated with higher mineral matter content but, the mineral-matter-rich regions had lower-density CO₂ confined in their pores. Remarkably, the kinetics was pore-size dependent, being faster for smaller pores.These results suggest that injection into the permeable section of an interbedded coal-clastic sequence could provide a viable combination of reasonable injectivity and high sorption capacity.     

Evaluating ecosystem-based management options: Effects of trawling in Torres Strait,Australia

A suite of management options for a prawn trawl fishery in Torres Strait, Australia was assessed for impacts on the benthic fauna using a dynamic management strategy evaluation approach. The specification of the management options was gained through consultation with stakeholders. Data for the model was drawn from several sources: the fleet data from fishery logbooks and satellite vessel monitoring systems, benthic depletion rates from trawl-down experiments, benthic recovery rates from post-experiment recovery monitoring studies, and benthic distribution from large-scale benthic surveys. Although there were large uncertainties in the resulting indicators, robust measures relevant to management were obtained by taking ratios relative to the status quo. The management control with the biggest effect was total effort; reducing trawl effort always led to increases in benthic faunal density of up to 10%. Spatial closures had a smaller benefit of up to 2%. The effect of closing a set of buffer zones around reefs to trawling was indistinguishable from the status quo option. Closing a larger area, however, was largely beneficial especially for sea cucumbers. When the spatial distributions of fauna prior to fishing were accounted for, fauna with distributions positively correlated with effort improved relative to those negatively correlated. The reduction in prawn catch under effort reduction scenarios could be ameliorated by introducing temporal closures over the full-moon period.     

New Results from the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Solar Maximum Mission/Bent Crystal Spectrometer</Emphasis>

The Bent Crystal Spectrometer (BCS) onboard the NASA Solar Maximum Mission was part of the X-ray Polychromator, which observed numerous flares and bright active regions from February to November 1980, when operation was suspended as a result of the failure of the spacecraft fine-pointing system. Observations resumed following the Space Shuttle SMM Repair Mission in April 1984 and continued until November 1989. BCS spectra have been widely used in the past to obtain temperatures, emission measures, and turbulent and bulk flows during flares, as well as element abundances. Instrumental details including calibration factors not previously published are given here, and the in-orbit performance of the BCS is evaluated. Some significant changes during the mission are described, and recommendations for future instrumentation are made. Using improved estimates for the instrument parameters and operational limits, it is now possible to obtain de-convolved calibrated spectra that show finer detail than before, providing the means for improved interpretation of the physics of the emitting plasmas. The results indicate how historical archived data can be re-used to obtain enhanced and new, scientifically valuable results.     

Charge States of Krypton and Xenon in the Solar Wind

We calculate charge state distributions of Kr and Xe in a model for two different types of solar wind using the effective ionization and recombination rates provided from the OPEN_ADAS data base. The charge states of heavy elements in the solar wind are essential for estimating the efficiency of Coulomb drag in the inner corona. We find that xenon ions experience particularly low Coulomb drag from protons in the inner corona, comparable to the notoriously weak drag of protons on helium ions. It has been found long ago that helium in the solar wind can be strongly depleted near interplanetary current sheets, whereas coronal mass ejecta are sometimes strongly enriched in helium. We argue that if the extraordinary variability of the helium abundance in the solar wind is due to inefficient Coulomb drag, the xenon abundance must vary strongly. In fact, a secular decrease of the solar wind xenon abundance relative to the other heavier noble gases (Ne, Ar, Kr) has been postulated based on a comparison of noble gases in recently irradiated and ancient samples of ilmenite in the lunar regolith. We conclude that decreasing solar activity and decreasing frequency of coronal mass ejections over the solar lifetime might be responsible for a secularly decreasing abundance of xenon in the solar wind.     

Flare Characteristics from X-ray Light Curves

A new methodology is given to determine basic parameters of flares from their X-ray light curves. Algorithms are developed from the analysis of small X-ray flares occurring during the deep solar minimum of 2009, between Solar Cycles 23 and 24, observed by the Polish Solar Photometer in X-rays (SphinX) on the Complex Orbital Observations Near-Earth of Activity of the Sun-Photon (CORONAS-Photon) spacecraft. One is a semi-automatic flare detection procedure that gives start, peak, and end times for single (“elementary”) flare events under the assumption that the light curve is a simple convolution of a Gaussian and exponential decay functions. More complex flares with multiple peaks can generally be described by a sum of such elementary flares. Flare time profiles in the two energy ranges of SphinX (1.16?–?1.51 keV, 1.51?–?15 keV) are used to derive temperature and emission measure as a function of time during each flare. The result is a comprehensive catalogue – the SphinX Flare Catalogue – which contains 1600 flares or flare-like events and is made available for general use. The methods described here can be applied to observations made by Geosynchronous Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES), the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) and other broad-band spectrometers.     

Dynamics of viscous universe

The dynamics of the viscous Robertson-Walker universe is presented using the phase variables method. Connection between violence of the strong energy condition and the behaviour of the Universe near the singularity is discussed.     

Hamiltonian formalism for Euler parameters

The Euler-Poinsot equations of rigid body motion are considered. The Euler parameters attitude parametrization is assumed. The Hamiltonian form of these equations is obtained. Two different solutions are shown. A short discussion of free motion in this new treatment is also given.     

About stability of libration points in the restricted photogravitational three body problem

Nonlinear stability of the triangular libration point in the photogravitational restricted three body problem was investigated in the whole range of the parameters. Some results obtained earlier are corrected. The method for proper determination of cases when stability cannot be determined by four order terms of the hamiltonian was proposed.