On the absence of winds in advection-dominated accretion flows

We show that recently published assertions that advection-dominated accretion flows (ADAFs) require the presence of strong winds are unfounded because they assume that low radiative efficiency in flows accreting at low rates on to black holes implies vanishing radial energy and angular momentum fluxes through the flow (which is also formulated in terms of the 'Bernoulli function' being positive). This, however, is a property only of self-similar solutions which are an inadequate representation of global accretion flows. We recall general properties of accretion flows on to black holes and show that such, necessarily transonic, flows may have either d positive or negative Bernoulli function depending on the flow viscosity. Flows with low viscosities ( α ≲0.1 in the α -viscosity model) have a negative Bernoulli function. Without exception, all 2D and 1D numerical models of low-viscosity flows constructed to date experience no significant outflows. At high viscosities the presence of outflows depends on the assumed viscosity, on the equation of state and on the outer boundary condition. The positive sign of the Bernoulli function invoked in this context is irrelevant to the presence of outflows. As an illustration, we recall 2D numerical models with moderate viscosity that have positive values of the Bernoulli function and experience no outflows. ADAFs, therefore, do not differ from this point of view from thin Keplerian discs: they may have, but they do not have to have, strong winds.     

Solar Microflares Observed by SphinX and RHESSI

In 2009, the Russian Complex Orbital Observations Near-Earth of Activity of the Sun (CORONAS-Photon) spacecraft was launched, carrying the Polish Solar PHotometer In X-rays (SphinX). The SphinX was most sensitive in the spectral range 1.2?–?15 keV, thus an excellent opportunity appeared for comparison with the low-energy end of Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) spectra. Common spectral measurements with these instruments cover the range where most of the flare energy is accumulated. We have chosen four consecutive small solar events observed on 4 July 2009 at 13:43 UT, 13:48 UT, 13:52 UT, and 13:55 UT (RHESSI flare peak times) and used them to compare the data and results from the two instruments. Moreover, we included Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) records in our analysis. In practice, the range of comparison performed for SphinX and RHESSI is limited roughly to 3?–?6 keV. RHESSI fluxes measured with a use of one, four, and nine detectors in the 3?–?4 keV energy band agree with SphinX measurements. However, we observed that SphinX spectral irradiances are three times higher than those of RHESSI in the 4?–?6 keV energy band. This effect contributes to the difference in obtained emission measures, but the derived temperatures of plasma components are similar. RHESSI spectra were fitted using a model with two thermal components. We have found that the RHESSI hot component is in agreement with GOES, and the RHESSI hotter component fits the SphinX flaring component well. Moreover, we calculated the so-called thermodynamic measure and the total thermal energy content in the four microflares that we studied. The results obtained show that SphinX is a very sensitive complementary observatory for RHESSI and GOES.     

Pipe laying simulation with an active reel drive

Dynamic and quasi-static models for analysis of a pipe lay spread are presented in the paper. Depending on the type of a pipe, spooling it on a big drum (reel) may cause plastic deformations. When the pipe is reeled out at sea, again it undergoes plastic deformations. In order to model such a nonlinear behaviour, a model, which includes both elasto-plastic material characteristics and large deformations, is required. Discretisation of the pipe is performed by means of the Rigid Finite Element Method (RFEM), which allows us to study static and dynamic problems, taking into account required properties of the model. Different sea conditions are simulated and analysed. It is shown how operational conditions can limit the ability of laying operation by a dedicated vessel, due to an unstable system response. The second part of the paper presents an upgrade of a passive reel drive by application of an active drive. In the model used for control applications, the pipe is modelled by a neural network. This allows us to perform a real-time calculations. In this fast-response calculation model, nonlinear aspects of the system are taken into account. The improvements in a pipe laying vessel performance are presented by some results of numerical simulations. The conclusions are also formulated.     

The variability of ruthenium in chromite from chassignite and olivine‐phyric shergottite meteorites: New insights into the behavior of PGE and sulfur in Martian magmatic systems

The Martian meteorites comprise mantle‐derived mafic to ultramafic rocks that formed in shallow intrusions and/or lava flows. This study reports the first in situ platinum‐group element data on chromite and ulvöspinel from a series of dunitic chassignites and olivine‐phyric shergottites, determined using laser‐ablation ICP‐MS. As recent studies have shown that Ru has strongly contrasting affinities for coexisting sulfide and spinel phases, the precise in situ analysis of this element in spinel can provide important insights into the sulfide saturation history of Martian mantle‐derived melts. The new data reveal distinctive differences between the two meteorite groups. Chromite from the chassignites Northwest Africa 2737 (NWA 2737) and Chassigny contained detectable concentrations of Ru (up to ~160 ppb Ru) in solid solution, whereas chromite and ulvöspinel from the olivine‐phyric shergottites Yamato‐980459 (Y‐980459), Tissint, and Dhofar 019 displayed Ru concentrations consistently below detection limit (<42 ppb). The relatively elevated Ru signatures of chromite from the chassignites suggest a Ru‐rich (~1–4 ppb) parental melt for this meteorite group, which presumably did not experience segregation of immiscible sulfide liquids over the interval of mantle melting, melt ascent, and chromite crystallization. The relatively Ru‐depleted signature of chromite and ulvöspinel from the olivine‐phyric shergottites may be the consequence of relatively lower Ru contents (<1 ppb) in the parental melts, and/or the presence of sulfides during the crystallization of the spinel phases. The results of this study illustrate the significance of platinum‐group element in situ analysis on spinel phases to decipher the sulfide saturation history of magmatic systems.     

Influence of the atmospheric conditions on PM<Subscript>10</Subscript> concentrations in Poznań, Poland

This study investigates atmospheric conditions’ influence on the mean and extreme characteristics of PM₁₀ concentrations in Poznań during the period 2006–2013. A correlation analysis was carried out to identify the most important meteorological variables influencing the seasonal dynamics of PM₁₀ concentrations. The highest absolute correlation values were obtained for planetary boundary layer height (r = ?0.57), thermal (daily minimum air temperature: r = ?0.51), anemological (average daily wind speed: r = ?0.37), and pluvial (precipitation occurrence: r = ?0.36) conditions, however the highest correlations were observed for temporal autocorrelations (1 day lag: r = 0.70). As regulated by law, extreme events were identified on the basis of daily threshold value i.e. 50 μg m^?3. On average, annually there are approximately 71.3 days anywhere in the city when the threshold value is exceeded, 46.6 % of those occur in winter. Additionally, 83.7 % of these cases have been found to be continuous episodes of a few days, with the longest one persisting for 22 days. The analysis of the macro-scale circulation patterns led to the identification of an easy-to-perceive seasonal relations between atmospheric fields that favour the occurrence of high PM₁₀ concentration, as well as synoptic situations contributing to the rapid air quality improvement. The highest PM₁₀ concentrations are a clear reaction to a decrease in air temperature by over 3 °C, with simultaneous lowering of PBL height, mean wind speed (by around 1 m s^?1) and changing dominant wind directions from western to eastern sectors. In most cases, such a situation is related to the expansion of a high pressure system over eastern Europe and weakening of the Icelandic Low. Usually, air quality conditions improve along with an intensification of westerlies associated with the occurrence of low pressure systems over western and central Europe. Opposite relations are distinguishable in summer, when air quality deterioration is related to the inflow of tropical air masses originating over the Sahara desert.     

Cosmogenic chlorine-36 production rates in terrestrial rocks

Chlorine-36 is produced in rocks exposed to cosmic rays at the earth surface through thermal neutron activation of ³⁵Cl, spallation of ³⁹K and ⁴⁰Ca, and slow negative moun capture by ⁴⁰Ca. We have measured the ³⁶Cl content of ¹⁴C-dated glacial boulders from the White Mountains in eastern California and in a ¹⁴C-dated basalt flow from Utah. Effective, time-intergrated production parameters were calculated by simultaneous solution of the ³⁶Cl production equations. The production rates due to spallation are 4160 ± 310 and 3050 ± 210 atoms ³⁶Cl yr⁻¹ mol⁻¹³⁹K and ⁴⁰Ca, respectively. The thermal neutron capture rate was calculated to be (3.07 ± 0.24) × 10⁵ neutrons (kg of rock)⁻¹ yr⁻¹. The reported values are normalized to sea level and high geomagnetic latitudes. Production of ³⁶Cl at different altitudes and latitudes can be estimated by appropriate scaling of the sea level rates. Chlorine-36 dating was performed on carbonate ejecta from Meteor Crater, Arizona, and late Pleistocene morainal boulders from the Sierra Nevada, California. Calculated ³⁶Cl ages are in good agreement with previously reported ages obtained using independent methods.     

Analysis of the high-resolution x-ray spectra obtained aboard the intercosmos 16 satellite

The Bragg-type, flat ADP crystal spectrometer, launched on board the INTERCOSMOS 16 satellite has been used for measurements of the X-ray spectra emitted from solar active region plasmas. During the period of the instrument operation (August–September, 1976) only a few active regions were present on the Sun (minimum of the solar activity). About 60 spectra have been registered. In the present paper using a spectrum averaged over 20 scans, we measured the wavelengths corresponding to the statistically significant spectral features seen in this spectrum in the wavelength range 9.14–9.33 Å. By comparison with the calculated line wavelengths and intensities predicted in the framework of the thermal model of the average active region, we performed the identification of these features. Besides rather prominent resonance, intercombination, and forbidden lines of the He-like ion Mg xi, it was possible to identify the satellite lines which correspond to 1s ² nl - 1s2p nl transitions from the states with n = 2, 3, and 4. The present paper is the first in a series dealing with the INTERCOSMOS 16 Mg xi spectra.