Chromospheric evolution and the flare activity of super-active region NOAA 6555

Super-active region NOAA 6555 was highly flare productive during the period March 21st–27th, 1991 of its disk passage. We have st udied its chromospheric activity using high spatial resolution Hα filtergrams taken at Udaipur along with MSFC vector magnetograms. A possible relationship of flare productivity and the variation in shear has been explored. Flares were generally seen in those subareas of the active region which possessed closed magnetic field configuration, whereas only minor flares and/or surges occurred in subareas showing open magnetic field configuration. Physical mechanisms responsible for the observed surges are also discussed.     

A well-behaved class of charged analogue of Durgapal solution

We present a well behaved class of charged analogue of M.C. Durgapal (J. Phys. A, Math. Gen. 15:2637, 1982) solution. This solution describes charged fluid balls with positively finite central pressure, positively finite central density; their ratio is less than one and causality condition is obeyed at the centre. The outmarch of pressure, density, pressure-density ratio and the adiabatic speed of sound is monotonically decreasing, however, the electric intensity is monotonically increasing in nature. This solution gives us wide range of parameter for every positive value of n for which the solution is well behaved hence, suitable for modeling of super dense stars. Keeping in view of well behaved nature of this solution, one new class of solution is being studied extensively. Moreover, this class of solution gives us wide range of constant K (0≤K≤2.2) for which the solution is well behaved hence, suitable for modeling of super dense stars like strange quark stars, neutron stars and pulsars. For this class of solution the mass of a star is maximized with all degree of suitability, compatible with quark stars, neutron stars and pulsars. By assuming the surface density ρ _b =2×10¹⁴ g/cm³ (like, Brecher and Capocaso, Nature 259:377, 1976), corresponding to K=0 with X=0..235, the resulting well behaved model has the mass M=4.03M _Θ , radius r _b =19.53 km and moment of inertia I=1.213×10⁴⁶ g?cm²; for K=1.5 with X=0.235, the resulting well behaved model has the mass M=4.43M _Θ , radius r _b =18.04 km and moment of inertia I=1.136×10⁴⁶ g?cm²; for K=2.2 with X=0.235, the resulting well behaved model has the mass M=4.56M _Θ , radius r _b =17.30 km and moment of inertia I=1.076×10⁴⁶ g?cm². These values of masses and moment of inertia are found to be consistent with the crab pulsars.     

Environmental impact on coastal wetlands since 4 ka in Cauvery Delta: Palynology and thecamoebian study

Palaeoclimate and Palaeoecological study was carried out in ～2 m sediment core deposited since 4 ka in an estuarine environment along Uppanar River mouth, Cauvery Delta. Palynological and thecamoebian evidences indicate (1) a basal fluvial lacustrine depositional environment (～4–3 ka) characterized by sandy sediment, with low salinity and dominance of non-pollen forms like foraminiferal linings and thecamoebians with a low percentage of pollen and spores and (2) an estuarine environment (since 3 ka) characterized by clayey sediment with high salinity and a good percentage of mangrove and terrestrial pollen along with non-pollen forms. A shift in the depositional environment since ～3 ka indicates monsoonal and geomorphological changes in the coastal wetland. During this period dominance of Avicennia and Cheno/Ams indicate low freshwater runoff from land suggesting a weakened monsoon condition enhanced by anthropogenic activity.     

Effect of the Coriolis force and slowly varying flow on the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability

The effect of the Coriolis force on the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability has been investigated, in which basic velocities of fluid are varying slowly with lateral coordinatey. The problem is solved by J.W.K.B. approximation method. Parabolic and other types of profiles for wide long channel flow have also been studied in detail.     

Luminescence chronology of river adjustment and incision of Quaternary sediments in the alluvial plain of the Sabarmati River, north Gujarat, India

River adjustment and incision in the Sabarmati basin, Gujarat, India have been examined at a site near Mahudi. Towards this, the morphostratigraphy and depositional chronometry of the middle alluvial plains were investigated. The upper fluvial sequence, along with the overlying aeolian sand and riverbed scroll plains, provide clues to the evolution of the present Sabarmati River. Sedimentological analyses of the upper fluvial sequence indicate its deposition by a meandering river system during what is believed to be a persistent wetter phase. Luminescence chronology bracketed this sequence to between 54 and 30 ka, which corresponds to Oxygen Isotope Stage-3, during which the SW monsoon was enhanced. The overlying aeolian sand has been dated to 12 ka, indicating that dune accretion occurred simultaneously with the strengthening of the SW monsoon during the Early Holocene. Adjustment of the Sabarmati along a N–S transect is placed around 12 ka and the incision is bracketed between 12 and 4.5 ka. River adjustment could have been tectonic; however, the incision was facilitated by the availability of continuous flow in the river caused by the SW monsoon. The basin experienced two tectonic events at about 3 and 0.3 ka, as demonstrated by the morphology of the scroll plains.     

Evidence for the thrust emplacement of the ‘Lesser Himalaya’ Chur granite,Himachal Pradesh

Numerous peraluminous and porphyritic granitic bodies and augen gneisses of granitic compositions occur in the nappe sequences of the Lower Himalaya. They are Proterozoic-to-lower Paleozoic in age and have been grouped into the ‘Lesser Himalaya granite belt’. The mode of emplacement and tectonic significance of these granites are as yet uncertain but they are generally considered to be sheet-like intrusions into the surrounding rocks. The small and isolated granite body (the Chur granite) that crops out around the Chur peak in the Himachal Himalaya is one of the more famous of these granites. Several lines of evidence have been adduced to show that the Chur granite has a thrust (the Chur thrust) contact with the underlying metasedimentary sequence (locally called the Jutogh Group). The Chur granite with restricted occurrence at the highest topographic and structural levels represents an erosional remnant of a much larger sub-horizontal thrust sheet. The contact relations between the country rocks and many of the other granite and granitic augen gneisses in the Lesser Himalaya belt are apparently similar to that of the Chur granite suggesting that at least some of them may also represent thrust sheets.     

Assessment of the biological quality of riverine water using pathogenicity islands (PAIs) of coliform bacteria as pollution indicator

The biological methods of quality assessment of water include the determination of harmful biological entities. In this study, quality of water from two riverine study sites was monitored in terms of the most probable number (MPN index) and pathogenicity. MPN index was found to be 0.11 and 0.15/100 mL which was also confirmed by membrane filtration technique (MFT). The isolated pure cultures were subjected to various pathogenicity tests including blood haemolysis and biofilm formation. Out of ten isolates, six showed positive results and these potentially pathogenic isolates were found to be resistant to various antibiotics like erythromycin (E), vancomycin (VA), chloramphenicol (C), tetracyclin (TE), acidoclav (AC) and kanamycin (K). Genetic analysis of these six isolates confirms the presence of flanking regions of virulence cassettes pathogenicity island (PAI) in their genome. Hence, in addition to the MPN test, the pathogenicity tests using the amplification of flanking regions of PAI can be used as a marker for determination of biological quality of water.     

Understanding the dynamical-microphysical-electrical processes associated with severe thunderstorms over the Beijing metropolitan region

The Dynamical-microphysical-electrical Processes in Severe Thunderstorms and Lightning Hazards(STORM973)project conducted coordinated comprehensive field observations of thunderstorms in the Beijing metropolitan region(BMR)during the warm season from 2014 to 2018.The aim of the project was to understand how dynamical,microphysical and electrical processes interact in severe thunderstorms in the BMR,and how to assimilate lightning data in numerical weather prediction models to improve severe thunderstorm forecasts.The platforms used in the field campaign included the Beijing Lightning Network(BLNET,consisting of 16 stations),2 X-band dual linear polarimetric Doppler radars,and 4 laser raindrop spectrometers.The collaboration also made use of the China Meteorological Administration’s mesoscale meteorological observation network in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.Although diverse thunderstorm types were documented,it was found that squall lines and multicell storms were the two major categories of severe thunderstorms with frequent lightning activity and extreme rainfall or unexpected local short-duration heavy rainfall resulting in inundations in the central urban area,influenced by the terrain and environmental conditions.The flash density maximums were found in eastern Changping District,central and eastern Shunyi District,and the central urban area of Beijing,suggesting that the urban heat island effect has a crucial role in the intensification of thunderstorms over Beijing.In addition,the flash rate associated with super thunderstorms can reach hundreds of flashes per minute in the central city regions.The super(5%of the total),strong(35%),and weak(60%)thunderstorms contributed about 37%,56%,and 7%to the total flashes in the BMR,respectively.Owing to the close connection between lightning activity and the thermodynamic and microphysical characteristics of the thunderstorms,the lightning flash rate can be used as an indicator of severe weather events,such as hail and short-duration heavy rainfall.Lightning data can also be assimilated into numerical weather prediction models to help improve the forecasting of severe convection and precipitation at the cloud-resolved scale,through adjusting or correcting the thermodynamic and microphysical parameters of the model.     

Upper Ocean Four-Dimensional Variational Data Assimilation in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal

A regional ocean circulation model with four-dimensional variational data assimilation scheme is configured to study the ocean state of the Indian Ocean region (65°E–95°E; 5°N–20°N) covering the Arabian Sea (AS) and Bay of Bengal (BoB). The state estimation setup uses 10 km horizontal resolution and 5 m vertical resolution in the upper ocean. The in-situ temperature and salinity, satellite-derived observations of sea surface height, and blended (in-situ and satellite-derived) observations of sea surface temperature alongwith their associated uncertainties are used for data assimilation with the regionally configured ocean model. The ocean state estimation is carried out for 61 days (1 June to 31 July 2013). The assimilated fields are closer to observations compared to other global state estimates. The mixed layer depth (MLD) of the region shows deepening during the period of assimilation with AS showing higher MLD compared to the BoB. An empirical forecast equation is derived for the prediction of MLD using the air–sea forcing variables as predictors. The surface and sub-surface (50 m) heat and salt budget tendencies of the region are also investigated. It is found that at the sub-surface, only the advection and diffusion temperature and salt tendencies are important.