Laboratory Experiment of Plasma Flow Around Magnetic Sail

To propel a spacecraft in the direction leaving the Sun, a magnetic sail (MagSail) blocks the hypersonic solar wind plasma flow by an artificial magnetic field. In order to simulate the interaction between the solar wind and the artificially deployed magnetic field produced around a magnetic sail spacecraft, a laboratory simulator was designed and constructed inside a space chamber. As a solar wind simulator, a high-power magnetoplasmadynamic arcjet is operated in a quasisteady mode of 0.8 ms duration. It can generate a simulated solar wind that is a high-speed (above 20 km/s), high-density (10¹⁸ m⁻³) hydrogen plasma plume of ∼0.7 m in diameter. A small coil (2 cm in diameter), which is to simulate a magnetic sail spacecraft and can obtain 1.9-T magnetic field strength at its center, was immersed inside the simulated solar wind. Using these devices, the formation of a magnetic cavity (∼8 cm in radius) was observed around the coil, which indicates successful simulation of the plasma flow of a MagSail in the laboratory.     

青藏高原那曲地区冰冰雹天气系统中的大气电场

利用１９９８年４～９月间进行的ＧＡＭＥ－ＴＩＢＥＴ青堪稿原云和降水的多普勒雷达及大气平均电场加强期观测实验资料,对青藏高原那曲地区的冰雹天气系统中的大民电场作了定量观测和研究。结果表明：在降雹过程中大气电场强度基本上系统中的大气电场强度基本上均为负值,其峰值也均强于－２２ｋＶｍ＾－１;在降雹过程中随着降雹时间的临近,大民场强度基本不断增强,但降雹开始时大气电场强度并不达到其峰值,峰值出现的时刻比开     

青藏高原那曲地区冰雹天气系统中的大气电场

利用1998年4～9月间进行的GAME-TIBET青藏高原云和降水的多普勒雷达及大气平均电场加强期观测实验资料, 对青藏高原那曲地区的冰雹天气系统中的大气电场作了定量观测和研究.结果表明: 在降雹过程中大气电场强度基本上均为负值, 其峰值也均强于-22 kVm-1; 在降雹过程中随着降雹时间的临近, 大气电场强度不断增强, 但降雹开始时大气电场强度并未达到其峰值, 峰值出现的时刻比开始降雹的时刻略有滞后; 在各降雹日中, 较强的大气电场强度基本上对应着各冰雹谱分布段较多的冰雹数目, 而这种较好的相关在各谱分布段上都表现出来; 随着降雹时间的临近, 每5 min闪电频数不断增强.在开始降雹时每5 min闪电频数平均达到43, 峰值的出现时刻略滞后于开始降雹的时刻, 这一滞后时间一般平均在3 min左右; 在降雹过程中, 单位面积中的冰雹数目与对应时段内总闪电数有着较好的对数关系, 相关系数R为0.954 0.在降雹过程的时间序列上, 冰雹云成熟期过后, 总闪电次数与冰雹降雹率成反相关.     

Electrical conductivities of pyrolitic mantle and MORB materials up to the lowermost mantle conditions

The electrical conductivities of natural pyrolitic mantle and MORB materials were measured at high pressure and temperature covering the entire lower mantle conditions up to 133 GPa and 2650 K. In contrast to the previous laboratory-based models, our data demonstrate that the conductivity of pyrolite does not increase monotonically but varies dramatically with depth in the lower mantle; it drops due to high-spin to low-spin transition of iron in both perovskite and ferropericlase in the mid-lower mantle and increases sharply across the perovskite to post-perovskite phase transition at the D″ layer. We also found that the MORB exhibits much higher conductivity than pyrolite. The depth–conductivity profile measured for pyrolite does not match the geomagnetic field data below about 1500-km depth, possibly suggesting the existence of large quantities of subducted MORB crust in the deep lower mantle. The observations of geomagnetic jerks suggest that the electrical conductivity may be laterally heterogeneous in the lowermost mantle with high anomaly underneath Africa and the Pacific, the same regions as large low shear-wave velocity provinces. Such conductivity and shear-wave speed anomalies are also possibly caused by the deep subduction and accumulation of dense MORB crust above the core–mantle boundary.     

Improving GPS positioning estimates during extreme weather situations by the help of fine-mesh numerical weather models

Space geodetic applications require to model troposphere delays as good as possible in order to achieve highly accurate positioning estimates. However, these models are not capable to consider complex refractivity fields which are likely to occur during extreme weather situations like typhoons, storms, heavy rain-fall, etc. Thus it has been investigated how positioning results can be improved if information from numerical weather models is taken into account. It will be demonstrated that positioning errors can be significantly reduced by the usage of ray-traced slant delays. Therefore, meso-scale and fine-mesh numerical weather models are utilized and their impact on the positioning results will be measured. The approach has been evaluated during a typhoon passage using global positioning service (GPS) observations of 72 receivers located around Tokyo, proving the usefulness of ray-traced slant delays for positioning applications. Thereby, it is possible reduce virtual station movements as well as improve station height repeatabilities by up to 30% w.r.t. standard processing techniques. Additionally the advantages and caveats of numerical weather models will be discussed and it will be shown how fine-mesh numerical weather models, which are restricted in their spatial extent, have to be handled in order to provide useful corrections.     

Rare earth element diffusion in a natural pyrope single crystal at 2.8 GPa

Volume diffusion rates of Ce, Sm, Dy, and Yb have been measured in a natural pyrope-rich garnet single crystal (Py₇₁Alm₁₆Gr₁₃) at a pressure of 2.8 GPa and temperatures of 1,200-1,450 °C. Pieces of a single gem-quality pyrope megacryst were polished, coated with a thin layer of polycrystalline REE oxide, then annealed in a piston cylinder device for times between 2.6 and 90 h. Diffusion profiles in the annealed samples were measured by SIMS depth profiling. The dependence of diffusion rates on temperature can be described by the following Arrhenius equations (diffusion coefficients in m²/s): % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+- % feaaeaart1ev0aaatCvAUfKttLearuavTnhis1MBaeXatLxBI9gBam % XvP5wqSXMqHnxAJn0BKvguHDwzZbqegm0B1jxALjhiov2DaeHbuLwB % Lnhiov2DGi1BTfMBaebbfv3ySLgzGueE0jxyaibaieYlf9irVeeu0d % Xdh9vqqj-hEeeu0xXdbba9frFj0-OqFfea0dXdd9vqaq-JfrVkFHe9 % pgea0dXdar-Jb9hs0dXdbPYxe9vr0-vr0-vqpWqaaeaabiGaciaaca % qabeaadaabauaaaOqaauaabeqaeeaaaaqaaiGbcYgaSjabc+gaVjab % cEgaNnaaBaaaleaacqaIXaqmcqaIWaamaeqaaOGaemiraq0aaSbaaS % qaaiabbMfazjabbkgaIbqabaGccqGH9aqpcqGGOaakcqGHsislcqaI % 3aWncqGGUaGlcqaI3aWncqaIZaWmcqGHXcqScqaIWaamcqGGUaGlcq % aI5aqocqaI3aWncqGGPaqkcqGHsisldaqadaqaaiabiodaZiabisda % 0iabiodaZiabgglaXkabiodaZiabicdaWiaaysW7cqqGRbWAcqqGkb % GscaaMe8UaeeyBa0Maee4Ba8MaeeiBaW2aaWbaaSqabeaacqqGTaql % cqqGXaqmaaGccqGGVaWlcqaIYaGmcqGGUaGlcqaIZaWmcqaIWaamcq % aIZaWmcqWGsbGucqWGubavaiaawIcacaGLPaaaaeaacyGGSbaBcqGG % VbWBcqGGNbWzdaWgaaWcbaGaeGymaeJaeGimaadabeaakiabdseaen % aaBaaaleaacqqGebarcqqG5bqEaeqaaOGaeyypa0JaeiikaGIaeyOe % I0IaeGyoaKJaeiOla4IaeGimaaJaeGinaqJaeyySaeRaeGimaaJaei % Ola4IaeGyoaKJaeG4naCJaeiykaKIaeyOeI0YaaeWaaeaacqaIZaWm % cqaIWaamcqaIYaGmcqGHXcqScqaIZaWmcqaIWaamcaaMe8Uaee4AaS % MaeeOsaOKaaGjbVlabb2gaTjabb+gaVjabbYgaSnaaCaaaleqabaGa % eeyla0IaeeymaedaaOGaei4la8IaeGOmaiJaeiOla4IaeG4mamJaeG % imaaJaeG4mamJaemOuaiLaemivaqfacaGLOaGaayzkaaaabaGagiiB % aWMaei4Ba8Maei4zaC2aaSbaaSqaaiabigdaXiabicdaWaqabaGccq % WGebardaWgaaWcbaGaee4uamLaeeyBa0gabeaakiabg2da9iabcIca % OiabgkHiTiabiMda5iabc6caUiabikdaYiabigdaXiabgglaXkabic % daWiabc6caUiabiMda5iabiEda3iabcMcaPiabgkHiTmaabmaabaGa % eG4mamJaeGimaaJaeGimaaJaeyySaeRaeG4mamJaeGimaaJaaGjbVl % abbUgaRjabbQeakjaaysW7cqqGTbqBcqqGVbWBcqqGSbaBdaahaaWc % beqaaiabb2caTiabbgdaXaaakiabc+caViabikdaYiabc6caUiabio % daZiabicdaWiabiodaZiabdkfasjabdsfaubGaayjkaiaawMcaaaqa % aiGbcYgaSjabc+gaVjabcEgaNnaaBaaaleaacqaIXaqmcqaIWaamae % qaaOGaemiraq0aaSbaaSqaaiabboeadjabbwgaLbqabaGccqGH9aqp % cqGGOaakcqGHsislcqaI5aqocqGGUaGlcqaI3aWncqaI0aancqGHXc % qScqaIYaGmcqGGUaGlcqaI4aaocqaI0aancqGGPaqkcqGHsisldaqa % daqaaiabikdaYiabiIda4iabisda0iabgglaXkabiMda5iabigdaXi % aaysW7cqqGRbWAcqqGkbGscaaMe8UaeeyBa0Maee4Ba8MaeeiBaW2a % aWbaaSqabeaacqqGTaqlcqqGXaqmaaGccqGGVaWlcqaIYaGmcqGGUa % GlcqaIZaWmcqaIWaamcqaIZaWmcqWGsbGucqWGubavaiaawIcacaGL % Paaaaaaaaa!0C76!

Temperature structure of active regions deduced from the helium-like sulphur lines

Solar active-region temperatures have been determined from the full-Sun spectra of helium-like sulphur (Sxv) observed by the Bragg Crystal Spectrometer on board theYohkoh satellite. The average temperature deduced from Sxv is demonstrated to vary with the solar activity level: A temperature of 2.5 × 10⁶ K is derived from the spectra taken during low solar activity, similar to the general corona, while 4 × 10⁶ K is obtained during a higher activity phase. For the latter, the high-temperature tail of the differential emission measure of active regions is found most likely due to the superposition of numerous flare-like events (micro/nano-flares).     

An ion microprobe study of the partitioning of trace elements between clinopyroxene and liquid in the system diopside-albite-anorthite

The partitioning of trace elements (Sc, Ti, Sr and Sm) between diopsidic clinopyroxene and liquid was studied experimentally in the system diopside-albite-anorthite at 1250°C, 1300°C and 1345°C at 1 atm. Twelve different bulk compositions were selected to study the effects of temperature and chemical composition. A Cameca ion microprobe was used to determine trace element concentrations in both clinopyroxene and liquid. Experiments of different run duration $\text{1}\text{4}\text{8}\text{?}$ days) showed that equilibrium was approached in less than 4 days at 1275°C. Equilibrium was also evaluated by a reversal run. A series of runs of constant bulk composition but with variable trace element contents showed that Henry's Law was obeyed over concentration ranges of the trace elements similar to those encountered in natural systems. The partition coefficients show significant ranges: Sc, 0.345~2.61; Ti, 0.084~0.214; Sr, 0.075~0.136; Sm, 0.054~0.328; the values are comparable with those obtained experimentally by other investigators. The partition coefficients vary as a function of both temperature and chemical composition. The experimental results are discussed in terms of exchange equilibria using the Bottinga-Weill silicate melt model. It is demonstrated that analytical uncertainties of both major and trace elements play an important role in understanding trace element exchange equilibria; propagation of analytical errors in the thermodynamic treatment is equally important.     

Trace element concentrations in the isotopically unique Allende inclusion,EK 1-4-1

Concentrations of rare-earth elements (REE), Sc, Fe, Co, Cr, Na and Ir in the bulk sample and mineral separates of the isotopically unique Allende inclusion, EK 1-4-1, were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis. REE concentrations were also determined by mass-spectrometric isotope dilution for two density separates.The inclusion showed enrichment of light REE over heavy REE with a positive Yb anomaly, thus showing a tendency to resemble group II fine-grained inclusions in REE abundances, although EK 1-4-1 is a coarse-grained inclusion. High Cr concentrations also indicate group II affinity. However, high Ir (6 ppm) and Sc (105 ppm), and low FeO (1.80%), and Co (13.8 ppm) concentrations in the bulk sample and low Na concentrations in mineral separates show group I affinity.Between melilite and pyroxene fractions, the same samples in which mass-fractionated O isotope ratios were observed (Clayton and Mayeda, 1977), REE, Sc, Co and Fe showed distributions which are substantially different from those observed for “ordinary” Allende type B inclusions. These two minerals do not appear to be in equilibrium with respect to trace element distributions.The results indicate that the isotopically unique EK 1-4-1 is also unusual in its elemental abundances and distributions.