Gravel sources of knappable alibates silicified dolomite

Alibates silicified dolomite is one of the principal knappable lithic materials indigenous to the Southern High Plains. Prehistorically, this material was extensively quarried along the Canadian River in Potter County, Texas. Some of these quarries are preserved in what is now the Alibates National Monument. Archaeologists working in Oklahoma traditionally interpret artifacts of Alibates silicified dolomite as evidence for long distance trade. However, a survey of three transects across the Canadian's valley in western Oklahoma reveals the persistent, but minor, presence of Alibates clasts in gravel deposits. Thirty-nine gravel exposures yielded 1365 clasts of the dolomite. The abundance, size, shape, and knappability of this material is comparable to most flakes and implements found on western Oklahoma archaeological sites, especially those of prehistoric and protohistoric Plains Villagers. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Radial velocities of pulsating subdwarf B stars: KPD 2109+4401 and PB 8783

High-speed spectroscopy of two pulsating subdwarf B stars, KPD 2109+4401 and PB 8783, is presented. Radial motions are detected with the same frequencies as reported from photometric observations and with amplitudes of ∼2 km s⁻¹ in two or more independent modes. These represent the first direct observations of surface motion arising from multimode non-radial oscillations in subdwarf B stars. In the case of the sdB+F binary PB 8783, the velocities of both components are resolved; high-frequency oscillations are found only in the sdB star and not the F star. There also appears to be evidence for mutual motion of the binary components. If confirmed, it implies that the F-type companion is ≳1.2 times more massive than the sdB star, while the amplitude of the F-star acceleration over 4 h would constrain the orbital period to lie between 0.5 and 3.2 d.     

Photosynthetic responses of selected Antarctic plants to solar radiation in the southern maritime Antarctic

The effects of UV-B exclusion and enhancement of solar radiation on photosynthesis of the two phanerogams which occur in the maritime Antarctic, Deschampsia antarctica and Colobanthus quitensis , and the moss Sanionia uncinats were investigated. Data on air temperature and solar radiation illustrate a drastic seasonal variation. Daily O₃ column mean values and UV-B measured at ground level document the occurrence of the O₃"hole" in the spring of 1997, with a concomitant increase in UV-B. The grass, D. antarctica , exhibited a broad temperature optimum for photosynthesis between 10–25°C while photosynthesis did not saturate even at high irradiance. The high water use efficiencies measured in the grass may be one of the features explaining the presence of this species in the maritime Antarctic. The net photosynthesis response to intercellular CO₂ (A/c_i) for D. antarctica was typical of a C₃ plant. Exposure to a biologically effective UV-B irradiance of 0.74 W M^-2 did not result in any significant change in either the maximum rate of photosynthesis at saturating CO₂ and light, or in the initial carboxylation efficiency of Rubisco. (V_c,max). Furthermore while ambient (or enhanced) solar UV-B did not affect photochemical yield, measured in the field, of C. quitensis and D. antarctica , UV-B enhancement did affect negatively photochemical yield in S. uncinata . In D. antarctica plants, exposure to UV-B at low irradiances elicited increased flavonoid synthesis. The observed effects of UV-B enhancement on the moss (decreased photochemical yield) and the grass (increase in flavonoids) require further, separate investigation.     

Mercurian volcanism questioned

The Mariner 10 television team has argued that extensive plains on Mercury were formed by volcanism and compared them with the demonstrably lunar maria. I believe, however, that in stratigraphic relations, surface morphology, and albedo contrast, the Mercurian plains more closely resemble the lunar light plains. These lunar plains were interpreted as volcanic on the basis of data comparable to that available to the Mariner 10 investigators but have been shown by the Apollo missions to be of impact origin. The plains on Mercury might also be formed of impact materials, perhaps of impact melt or other basin ejecta that behaved more like a fluid when emplaced that did lunar basin ejecta.     

WELL FIELD CONTAMINATION NEAR BALD KNOB,ALLEGANY COUNTY,MARYLAND

A case study from Allegany County, Maryland illustrates that, in the absence of a baseline of water quantity and quality established prior to coal mining, resolution of conflicts is neither fully possible nor equitable.     

Temperature Dependence of Single-Crystal Spinel (MgAl2O4) Elastic Constants from 293 to 423°K Measured by Light-Sound Scattering in the Raman-Nath Region

Summary. The temperature dependence of single-crystal elastic constants of synthetic stoichiometric MgAl₂O₄ spinel has been measured by the light-sound scattering technique in the Raman-Nath region. The crystal is set into forced vibration by a single crystal LiNbO₃ transducer coupled to one crystal face. A He-Ne Laser beam is diffracted by the stress-induced birefringence inside the crystal. The diffraction angle is determined from the distance between two spots exposed on a photographic plate by the first order diffracted beams as measured by a microdensitometer. The sound wavelength inside the crystal is then inferred from the laser diffraction angle. Combining the sound wavelength with the measured transducer frequency, the velocity inside the crystal is determined typically to a precision of 0·05 per cent. In this method, the measurement of velocity is not dependent on either the determination of sample length or on phase shifts at sample-transducer interface. Velocities of four pure modes, L //[001], T //[001], L //[110], and T //[110]( P //[1 1 0] are measured in the temperature range between 293 and 423 °K. A linear temperature dependence is fit to the data by a least square method. Values obtained at 25 °C from this linear fit are
The temperature dependence of the adiabatic elastic constants and bulk and shear (VRH average) moduli is computed using the density and literature value of thermal expansion coefficient. Values obtained are:
A comparison with previous measurements by pulse superposition and ultrasonic interferometry methods is made. Disagreement, when present, is discussed in terms of the separate measuring techniques. Finally, the present method, with its possibility for further improvement, is evaluated as a new method to measure temperature and pressure dependence of elastic constants.     

An analytic solution for theJ 2 perturbed equatorial orbit

An analytic solution for theJ ₂ perturbed equatorial orbit is obtained in terms of elliptic functions and integrals. The necessary equations for computing the position and velocity vectors, and the time are given in terms of known functions. The perturbed periapsis and apoapsis distances are determined from the roots of a characteristic cubic.