The satellites of Neptune and the origin of Pluto

Pluto and the chaotic satellite system of Neptune may have originated from a single encounter of Neptune with a massive solar system body. A series of numerical experiments has been carried out to try to set limits on the circumstances of such an encounter. These experiments show that orbits very much like those of Pluto, Triton, and Nereid can result from a single close encounter of such a body with Neptune. The implied mass range and encounter velocities limit the source of the encountering body to a former trans-Neptunian planet in the 2- to 5-Earth-mass range.     

Potential and inductive electric fields in the magnetosphere during auroras

During quiescent auroras the large-scale electric field is essentially irrotational. The volume formed by the plasma sheet and its extension into the auroral oval is connected to an external source by electric currents, which enter and leave the volume at different electric potentials and which supply sufficient energy to support the auroral activity. The location of the actual acceleration of particles depends on the internal distribution of electric fields and currents. One important feature is the energization of the carriers of the cross-tail current and another is the acceleration of electrons precipitated through relatively low-altitude magnetic-field-aligned potential drops.Substorm auroras depend on rapid and (especially initially) localized release of energy that can only be supplied by tapping stored magnetic energy. The energy is transmitted to the charged particle via electric inductive fields.The primary electric field due to changing electric currents is redistributed in a complicated way—but never extinguished—by polarization of charges. As a consequence, any tendency of the plasma to suppress magnetic-field-aligned components of the electric fields leads to a corresponding enhancement of the transverse component.     

Thermal balance of the mid-latitude F2-region at night

The thermal balance of the plasma in the night-time mid-latitude F2-region is examined using solutions of the steady-state O⁺ and electron heat balance equations. The required concentrations and field-aligned velocities are obtained from a simultaneous solution of the time-dependent O⁺ continuity and momentum equations.The results demonstrate the systematic trend for the O⁺ temperature to be 10–20 K greater than the electron temperature during the night at around 300 km, as observed at St. Santin by Bauer and Mazaudier. It is shown that frictional heating between the O⁺ and neutral gases is the cause of the O⁺ temperature being greater than the electron temperature; the greater the importance of frictional heating in the thermal balance the greater is the difference in the O⁺ and electron temperatures. A study is made of the roles played in the thermal balance of the plasma by the thermal conductivity of the O⁺ and electron gases; collisional heat transfer between O⁺ electrons and neutrals; frictional heating between the O⁺ and neutral gases; and advection and convection due to field-aligned O⁺ and electron motions. The results of the study show that, at around 300 km, electron cooling by excitation of the fine structure of the ground state of atomic oxygen plays a major role in the thermal balance of the electrons and, since the temperature of the ions is little affected by this electron cooling process, in determining the difference between the ion and electron temperatures.     

Spectroscopic observations of winds on Venus: I. Technique and data reduction

We present out methods of measurement and reduction of high-dispersion photographic spectra of Venus. Our preliminary results are consistent with slow direct or no rotation at the level we sample, and disagree strongly with a 4-day retrograde rotation. A serious systematic error, which affects much published work, is due to blending of solar lines in the sky with those reflected from the planet. This always tends to produce a spurious retrograde “rotation.” Only data obtained in a dark sky, or daytime observations from which the sky lines have been accurately subtracted, can be relied upon. All such data give low wind speeds.     

High dispersion spectroscopic observations of Venus near superior conjunction IV. Results for the carbon dioxide bands in the IV-N photographic region

Phase curves for the CO₂ bands at 7883, 7820, and 8689 Å are presented. While the weaker bands at 7820 and 7883 Å show a definite “inverse phase effect,” the band at 8689 Å shows a more normal phase curve; it also exhibited much larger day-to-day variations in the CO₂ abundance near superior conjunction in 1971. Because the variation of the phase curves with band strength is comparable to temporal variations on Venus, simultaneous observations of strong and weak bands are still needed to determine the dependence on band strength accurately.     

Some possible effects of Jupiter's rings on the Jovian inner plasmasphere

The ionospheric plasma density on magnetic field lines threading the Jovian rings which are located inside ～1.8 R_J on the jovigraphic equatorial plane, is calculated by using a rotating ion exosphere model. It is found that the bulk of the ionospheric particles on these field lines are on ballistic trajectories. On field lines approximately symmetric with respect to the jovigraphic equator, the ring, which to a first approximation would absorb the population of trapped particles, consequently has little effect. On field lines which are made asymmetric by the higher-order multipoles of Jupiter's field and the tilt of the dipole axis, the rings may have a significant effect. It is suggested that better definition of the rings' atmospheric and ionospheric properties is required to model these localized effects. If the rings are found to be an important plasma source for the inner magnetosphere, the present exospheric model will have to be revised.     

Local galactic field of forces and the interstellar matter

The density distributions of the two main components in interstellar hydrogen are calculated using 21 cm line data from the Berkeley Survey and the Pulkovo Survey. The narrow, dense component (state I of neutral hydrogen) has a Gaussianz-distribution with a scale-height of 50 pc in the local zones (the galactic disk). For the wide, tenuous component (hydrogen in state II) we postulate a distribution valid in the zones where such a material predominates (70 pc?z? 350 pc the galactic stratum) i.e., $$n_H \left( z \right) = n_H \left( 0 \right)exp \left( { - \left( {z/300{\text{ }}pc} \right)^{3/2} } \right).$$ Similar components are found in the dust distribution and in the available stellar data reaching sufficiently highz-altitudes. The scale-heights depend on the stellar type: the stratum in M III stars is considerably wider than in A stars (500–700 pc against 300 pc). The gas to dust ratio is approximately the same in both components: 0.66 atom cm^?3 mag^?1 kpc in the galactic plane. A third state of the gas is postulated associating it the observed free electron stratum at a scale-height of 660 pc (hydrogen fully ionized at high temperatures). The ratio between the observed dispersions in neutral hydrogen (thermal width plus turbulence) and the total dispersions corresponding to the real inner energies in the medium is obtained by a comparison with the dispersion distribution σ(z) of the different stellar types associated with the disk and the stratum $$\sigma ^2 \left( {total} \right) = \sigma ^2 \left( {21{\text{ cm line}}} \right) \cdot {\text{ }}Q^2 ,$$ from which we graphically obtainedQ ²=2.9 ± 0.3, although that number could be lower in the densest parts of the spiral arms. Its dependence on magnetic field and cosmic rays is analysed, indicating equipartition of the different energy components in the interstellar medium and consistency with the observed values of the magnetic field: i.e., fluctuations with an average of ～ 3 μG (associated with the disk) in a homogeneous background of ～ 1 μG (associated with the stratum). A minimum and maximumK _z-force are obtained assuming extreme conditions for the total density distribution (gas plus stars). TheK _z-force obtained from the interstellar gas in its different states using approximations of the Boltzmann equation is a reasonable intermediate case between maximum and minimumK _z. The mass density obtained in the galactic plane is 0.20±0.05M _⊙ pc^?3, and the results indicate that the galactic disk is somewhat narrower and denser than has usually been believed. The effects of wave-like distributions of matter in thez-coordinate are analysed in relation with theK _z-force, and comparisons with theoretical results are performed. A qualitative model for the galactic field of force is postulated together with a classification of the different zones of the Galaxy according to their observed ranges in velocity dispersions and the behaviour of the potential well at differentz-altitudes. The disk containing at least two-thirds of the total mass atz<100 pc, the stratum containing one-third or less of the total mass atz≤600–800 pc, and the halo at higherz-altitudes with a small fraction of such a mass which is difficult to evaluate.     

The evolution of the polar coronal holes

He i 10830 Å synoptic maps, obtained at the Kitt Peak National Observatory during 1974–1979, show that the Sun's polar coronal holes have contracted significantly during 1977–1978. Prior to the accelerated increase of sunspot activity in mid-1977, the area of each polar cap was on the order of 8% of the Sun's total surface area (4R ²), whereas toward the end of 1978 these areas fell below 2% of 4R ². Synoptic polar plots show that the vestigual holes had irregular shapes and were often well removed from the poles themselves. These results are consistent with the changes that one would expect when the polar magnetic fields are weakening just prior to sunspot maximum.     

Comparison between some Hα and X-ray flares

In the present paper, H-evolutive curves of chromospheric events are compared with flux evolutive curves of X-ray events observed at the same time in different spectral regions. A correspondence between the emissions E(I _H/I _chr)'s at higher and higher H-intensity levels, and the X-ray fluxes F()'s in harder and harder -ranges is shown. Further, the present observations seem to indicate the existence of a single triggering mechanism during the flash-phase of a flare. It is also shown that these results may be in agreement with Brown's model for chromospheric flares.     

Auroral recombination of N and O: A possible source for emission in the γ and δ bands of NO

Radiative recombination of N and O provides a significant source for auroral emission in the γ and δ bands of NO with selective population of vibrational levels in the A²Σ⁺ and C²Π states. This mechanism may account for emissions detected near 2150 Å. Models are derived for the auroral ionosphere and include estimates for the concentrations of N and NO. The concentration of NO is estimated to have a value of about 10⁸ cm^?1 near 140 km in an IBC III aurora. The corresponding density for N is about 5 × 10⁷cm^?3 and the concentration ratio $\text{NO}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{O}{}_2{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ has a value of about 5.5.