Lunar surface agglutinates: Mapping composition anomalies

From the Clementine UVVIS imagery of the lunar surface, the abundance of agglutinates in the lunar regolith and their composition in terms of FeO and Al₂O₃ oxides have been predicted. Data on the spectral, chemical, and mineralogic measurements of about 30 lunar soil samples from the Lunar Samples Characterization Consortium (LSCC) collection were used. The fulfilled prognosis confirms that the mare agglutinates are enriched in Al₂O₃ and depleted of FeO, while the highland agglutinates are depleted of Al₂O₃ and enriched in FeO. This behavior can be caused by the global transport of the lunar surface material induced by cosmogenic factors.     

Estimating average shock pressures recorded by impactite samples based on universal stage investigations of planar deformation features in quartz—Sources of error and recommendations

Planar deformation features (PDFs) in quartz are the most widely used indicator of shock metamorphism in terrestrial rocks. They can also be used for estimating average shock pressures that quartz-bearing rocks have been subjected to. Here we report on a number of observations and problems that we have encountered when performing universal stage measurements and crystallographically indexing of PDF orientations in quartz. These include a comparison between manual and automated methods of indexing PDFs, an evaluation of the new stereographic projection template, and observations regarding the PDF statistics related to the c-axis position and rhombohedral plane symmetry. We further discuss the implications that our findings have for shock barometry studies. Our study shows that the currently used stereographic projection template for indexing PDFs in quartz might induce an overestimation of rhombohedral planes with low Miller–Bravais indices. We suggest, based on a comparison of different shock barometry methods, that a unified method of assigning shock pressures to samples based on PDFs in quartz is necessary to allow comparison of data sets. This method needs to take into account not only the average number of PDF sets/grain but also the number of high Miller–Bravais index planes, both of which are important factors according to our study. Finally, we present a suggestion for such a method (which is valid for nonporous quartz-bearing rock types), which consists of assigning quartz grains into types (A–E) based on the PDF orientation pattern, and then calculation of a mean shock pressure for each sample.     

Radio Observations at 232 MHz and Multifrequency Spectral Studies of SNR HB21

Radio observational results at 232 MHz and multifrequency studies of supernova remnant (SNR) HB21 are presented. Its integrated flux density at 232 MHz is about 390 ± 30 Jy. Both the integrated spectral index and the spatial variations of spectral index of the remnant were calculated by combining the new map at 232 MHz with previously published maps made at 408, 1420, 2695, and 4750 MHz. The SNR has an integrated spectral index of about α = -0.43(S _ν ∝ ν^α) between 232 and 4750 MHz. In general the spectral index varies from –0.5 in southeast and west regions of the remnant to –0.3 in the central region and near the northwest edge. The new data of 232 MHz reveals that there is interaction between the remnant and the surrounding gas along the east edge of the remnant which causes the spectrum flattening at low frequency, while the very good agreement between the structure of X-ray emission and the central flat spectrum area suggests that the existence of thermal emission is the reason of spectrum flattening in the area. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Bistatic Radar Detection in the Luna-Resurs Mission

An overview of radiophysical investigations of the lunar soil and plasma shell by active radar detection with the use of spacecraft is presented. The possibility is analyzed of conducting bistatic measurements using the Irkutsk Incoherent Scattering Radar and the onboard radar system RLK-L which is being developed for the orbital station of the Luna-Resurs mission.     

Generation of the Stressed State of the Lithosphere of the Earth and Mars Caused by the Reorientation of Their Figures

The computer simulation of the reorientation of the Earth and Mars lithosphere figure has been performed, which due to the dynamic redistribution of masses, allowed to reveal certain regularities of the structure-forming processes. It has been shown that the shape of the lithosphere surface has a different orientation relatively to the geoids’ (aroids) figure. This causes redistribution of masses leading to a strained state of the lithosphere as a result of endogenous and gravitational-rotational forces action in the evolutionary processes of planet’s self-development. The solution of this problem is considered on the example of lithosphere surface heights approximation by a biaxial ellipsoid with seven parameters. The acting horizontal forces in the upper shell of the planet has been calculated, introducing the concept of “evolutionary deviation of the plumb” and assuming that the tangential forces are proportional to the angle, which is defined as the angle between the direction of the plumb line in the past geological epoch and the plumb line direction at a given point. The calculated fields of tangential force vectors show good consistency with the direction of space-time displacement of Earth’s continents and tectonic plates and consistent with the results of the horizontal movements of GNSS stations. This is quite convincing evidence that under the long-term action of vortex rotationalgravitational forces, the lithospheres masses acquire the properties of creep. All this leads to the fact that interacting blocks and plates within the vortex rotational-gravitational model can be interconnected to elastic fields that creates a single planetary geodynamic field that forms the evolutionary state of the geo-environment.     

Influence of astronomical factors on the dynamics of lithospheric plates

We suggest the concept of the Earth’s lithosphere as a geocosmic system of mobile lithospheric plates affected by both external astronomical influences (solar radiation, tides) and planetary factors—the Earth’s atmosphere, hydrosphere, and mantle convection. The annual period in seismicity is shown to have a clear cosmic origin related to the seasonal periodicity of solar radiation in the northern and southern hemispheres. The atmosphere can act as a transmitter of the annual periodicity to the lithospheric plates. The formulated concept of the lithosphere has led us to put forward testable hypotheses about the dynamical atmospherelithosphere relationship. These hypotheses form the basis for the next program of research on the Earth’s lithosphere as a geocosmic system.     

Five dimensional cosmological models in Lyra geometry with time dependent displacement field

In this paper exact solutions of the five-dimensional vacuum cosmological field equations based on Lyra geometry are obtained. Further it is shown that neither dust distribution nor perfect fluid distributions survive for the model. Some properties of the vacuum model are also discussed.     

The oxygen abundance in the H II regions of the spiral galaxy M101 determined from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectra

We examined the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectra of the H II regions in the disk of the spiral galaxy M101 (NGC 5457), and 17 H II regions with the auroral oxygen line [O III] λ 436.3 nm in their spectra were selected for line intensity measurements. The measurement data were used to determine the oxygen abundance in the H II region sample. We demonstrate that the spectral SDSS data supplemented with the information on the nebular oxygen line [O II] λ 372.7 nm based on the recently found ff-relation between the oxygen line intensities in the spectra of H II regions allow the oxygen abundance to be determined as accurately as in the standard T _e method. The parameters of the radial oxygen abundance distribution in the M101 disk (the abundance at the galactic center and the radial gradient) are estimated.     

Imaging Borrelly

The nucleus, coma, and dust jets of short-period Comet 19P/Borrelly were imaged from the Deep Space 1 spacecraft during its close flyby in September 2001. A prominent jet dominated the near-nucleus coma and emanated roughly normal to the long axis of nucleus from a broad central cavity. We show it to have remained fixed in position for more than 34 hr, much longer than the 26-hr rotation period. This confirms earlier suggestions that it is co-aligned with the rotation axis. From a combination of fitting the nucleus light curve from approach images and the nucleus' orientation from stereo images at encounter, we conclude that the sense of rotation is right-handed around the main jet vector. The inferred rotation pole is approximately perpendicular to the long axis of the nucleus, consistent with a simple rotational state. Lacking an existing IAU comet-specific convention but applying a convention provisionally adopted for asteroids, we label this the north pole. This places the sub-solar latitude at ∼60° N at the time of the perihelion with the north pole in constant sunlight and thus receiving maximum average insolation.     

Mapping of Io's thermal radiation by the Galileo photopolarimeter-radiometer (PPR) instrument

Between 1999 and 2002, the Galileo spacecraft made 6 close flybys of Io during which many observations of Io's thermal radiation were made with the photopolarimeter-radiometer (PPR). While the NIMS instrument could measure thermal emission from hot spots with T>200 K, PPR was the only Galileo instrument capable of mapping the lower temperatures of older, cooling lava flows, and the passive background. We tabulate all data taken by PPR of Io during these flybys and describe some scientific highlights revealed by the data. The data include almost complete coverage of Io at better than 250 km resolution, with extensive regional coverage at higher resolutions. We found a modest poleward drop in nighttime background temperatures and evidence of thermal inertia variations across the surface. Comparison of high spatial resolution temperature measurements with observed daytime SO₂ gas pressures on Io provides evidence for local cold trapping of SO₂ frost on scales smaller than the 60 km resolution of the PPR data. We also calculated the power output from several hot spots and estimated total global heat flow to be about 2.0-2.6 W m⁻². The low-latitude diurnal temperature variations for the regions between obvious hot spots are well matched by a laterally-inhomogeneous thermal model with less than 1 W m⁻² endogenic heat flow.