Identification of physical processes inherent in artificial neural network rainfall runoff models

The emergence of artificial neural network (ANN) technology has provided many promising results in the field of hydrology and water resources simulation. However, one of the major criticisms of ANN hydrologic models is that they do not consider/explain the underlying physical processes in a watershed, resulting in them being labelled as black‐box models. This paper discusses a research study conducted in order to examine whether or not the physical processes in a watershed are inherent in a trained ANN rainfall‐runoff model. The investigation is based on analysing definite statistical measures of strength of relationship between the disintegrated hidden neuron responses of an ANN model and its input variables, as well as various deterministic components of a conceptual rainfall‐runoff model. The approach is illustrated by presenting a case study for the Kentucky River watershed. The results suggest that the distributed structure of the ANN is able to capture certain physical behaviour of the rainfall‐runoff process. The results demonstrate that the hidden neurons in the ANN rainfall‐runoff model approximate various components of the hydrologic system, such as infiltration, base flow, and delayed and quick surface flow, etc., and represent the rising limb and different portions of the falling limb of a flow hydrograph. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

What Drives Star Formation?

Current theoretical models for what drives star formation (especially low-mass star formation) are: (1) magnetic support of self-gravitating clouds with ambipolar diffusion removing support in cores and triggering collapse and (2) compressible turbulence forming self-gravitating clumps that collapse as soon as the turbulent cascade produces insufficient turbulent support. Observations of magnetic fields can distinguish between these two models because of different predictions in three areas: (1) magnetic field morphology, (2) the scaling of field strength with density and non-thermal velocities, and (3) the mass to magnetic flux ratio, M/Φ. We first discuss the techniques and limitations of methods for observing magnetic fields in star formation regions, then describe results for the L1544 prestellar core as an exemplar of the observational results. Application of the three tests leads to the following conclusions. The observational data show that both magnetic fields and turbulence are important in molecular cloud physics. Field lines are generally regular rather than chaotic, implying strong field strengths. But fields are not aligned with the minor axes of oblate spheroidal clouds, suggesting that turbulence is important. Field strengths appear to scale with non-thermal velocity widths, suggesting a significant turbulent support of clouds. Giant Molecular Clouds (GMCs) require mass accumulation over sufficiently large volumes that they would likely have an approximately critical M/Φ. Yet H I clouds are observed to be highly subcritical. If self-gravitating (molecular) clouds form with the subcritical M/Φ of H I clouds, the molecular clouds will be subcritical. However, the observations of molecular cloud cores suggest that they are approximately critical, with no direct evidence for subcritical molecular clouds or cloud envelopes. Hence, the observations remain inconclusive in deciding between the two extreme-case models of what drives star formation. What is needed to further advance our understanding of the role of magnetic fields in the star formation process are additional high sensitivity surveys of magnetic field strengths and other cloud properties in order to further refine the assessment of the importance of magnetic fields in molecular cores and envelopes.     

“Comet‐tail” ejecta streaks: A predicted cratering landform unique to Titan

Abstract— A model for an impact ejecta landform peculiar to Saturn's moon Titan is presented. Expansion of the ejecta plume from moderate‐sized craters is constrained by Titan's thick atmosphere. Much of the plume is collimated along the incoming bolide's trajectory, as was observed for plumes from impacts on Jupiter of P/Shoemaker‐Levy‐9, but is retained as a linear, diagonal ejecta cloud, unlike on Venus where the plume “blows out.” On Titan, the blowout is suppressed because the vertically‐extended atmosphere requires a long wake to reach the vacuum of space, and the modest impact velocities mean plume expansion along the wake is slow enough to allow the wake to close off. Beyond the immediate ejecta blanket around the crater, distal ejecta is released into the atmosphere from an oblique line source: this material is winnowed by the zonal wind field to form streaks, with coarse radar‐bright particles transported less far than fine radar‐dark material. Thus, the ejecta form two distinct streaks faintly reminiscent of dual comet tails, a sharply W‐E radar‐dark one, and a less swept and sometimes comma‐shaped radar‐bright one.     

The Dergaon (H5) chondrite: Fall,classification, petrological and chemical characteristics,cosmogenic effects,and noble gas records

Abstract— A multiple fall of a stony meteorite occurred near the town of Dergaon in Assam, India, on March 2, 2001. Several fragments weighing <2 kg and a single large fragment weighing ～10 kg were recovered from the strewn field, which extended over several tens of square kilometers. Chemical, petrographic, and oxygen isotopic studies indicate it to be, in most aspects, a typical H5 chondrite, except the unusually low K content of ～340 ppm. A cosmic ray exposure of 9.7 Ma is inferred from the cosmogenic noble gas records. Activities of eleven cosmogenic radionuclides were measured. ²⁶Al and ²²Na activities as well as the ²²Na/²⁶Al activity ratio are close to the values expected on the basis of solar modulation of galactic cosmic rays. The low ⁶⁰Co activity (<1 dpm/kg) is indicative of a small preatmospheric size of the meteorite. Cosmic ray heavy nuclei track densities in olivine grains range from ～106 cm^?2 in samples from the largest fragment to approximately (4–9) × 105 cm^?2 in one of the smaller fragments. The combined track, radionuclide, and noble gas data suggest a preatmospheric radius of ～20 cm for the Dergaon meteorite.     

Flows in clumpy planetary nebulae

The dynamics of clumps observed in planetary nebulae are considered. The possibility that SiO maser spots in evolved stars and the planetary nebula clumps are formed by the Parker instability behind shocks in pulsating stars' atmospheres is raised. Molecular observations of the clumps are suggested. The effects of the ablation of clumps on the global flow structure of a more tenuous plasma in which they are embedded are reviewed.     

Simulating colour variations in pulsating sdB stars

After briefly recalling basic facts about the metallicity gradients inspiral galaxies, we summarize two recent N-body gas-dynamical modelsthat implement a non-instantaneous gas recycling and point our their potential for an improved treatment of the chemical evolution ingalactic disks.     

Change in cloud-top temperatures over Europe

Long-term measurements from Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) onboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellites were evaluated to assess variability in cloud-top temperatures over central and eastern Europe that saw radical infrastructural changes after the fall of the East Bloc in 1989 that has affected the pollution levels and hence cloud albedo. Four years in the late 1980s (1985-1988) and in the late 1990s (1997-2000) were chosen, as these are distinctively marked as episodes of very high and lower air pollution (sulphates and particulate matter). During the late 1980s, low- and medium-level clouds were colder by more than 2 K and convective clouds even by 4 K. Cloud-tops over and around polluted regions are higher, and their temperatures showed stronger variability, suggesting an indirect aerosol effect in the thermal spectral range as well.     

Dwarf nova oscillations and quasi-periodic oscillations in cataclysmic variables – IV. Observations of frequency doubling and tripling in VW Hyi

We present new observations of the rapid oscillations in the dwarf nova VW Hyi, made late in outburst. These dwarf nova oscillations (DNOs) increase in period until they reach 33 s, when a transition to a strong 1st harmonic and weak fundamental takes place. After further period increase, the 2nd harmonic appears; often all three components are present simultaneously. This 1:2:3 frequency suite is similar to what has been seen in some neutron star and black hole X-ray binaries, but has not previously been seen in a cataclysmic variable. When studied in detail, the fundamental and 2nd harmonic vary similarly in phase, but the 1st harmonic behaves independently, though keeping close to twice the frequency of the fundamental. The fundamental period of the DNOs, as directly observed or inferred from the harmonics, increases to ∼100 s before the oscillation disappears as the star reaches quiescence. Its maximum period is close to that of the 'longer-period' DNOs observed in VW Hyi. The quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs), which have fundamental periods 400–1000 s, behave in the same way, showing 1st and 2nd harmonics at approximately the same times as the DNOs. We explore some possible models. One in which the existence of the 1st harmonic is due to the transition from viewing a single accretion region to viewing two regions, and the rate of accretion on to the primary is modulated at the frequency of the 1st harmonic, as in the 'beat frequency model', can generate the suite of DNO frequencies observed. But the behaviour of the QPOs is not yet understood.