A stability study of asteroid families near the 3:1 and 5:2 resonance with Jupiter

By using theD-criterion Lindblad (1992) has identified 14 asteroid families from a sample of 4100 numbered asteroids with proper elements from Milani and Kneevi (1990). Taxonomic types and other physical properties for a significant number of objects in five of the families show strong homogeneity within each family, further strengthening their internal relationship.To test the hypothesis of a common origin in, e.g., a catastrophic collision event, we have set out to integrate the orbits of the members of the Maria, Dora and Oppavia-Gefion families over some 10⁶ years. The mean distance for the Maria family is close to the 3:1 mean-motion resonance with Jupiter, while the other two families lie close to the 5:2 resonance.We used a simplified solar system model which included the perturbations by Jupiter and Saturn only and implemented Everhart's variable stepsize integrator RA15. All close encounters between the family members (within 0.1 AU) were recorded as well. Preliminary results from integrations over 4×10⁵ years are presented here.The statistics of close encounters show pronounced peaks for several members within each family, while for others no significant levels above the background of random encounters or even very low frequencies were found. This indicates a subclustering within the families. Quite a lot of very close (<0.005 AU) mutual encounters are found, which suggest that, at least for the larger members in a family, the mutual gravitational interactions could be of some importance for the real orbital evolutions.The encounter statistics between the Dora and Oppavia family members suggest a possible interrelationship between this two groups.     

Generalized Lyapunov exponents indicators in Hamiltonian dynamics: An application to a double star system

The Lyapunov characteristic numbers (LCNs) which are defined as the mean value of the distribution of the local variations of the tangent vectors to the flow (=ln _k ⁱ ) (see Froeschlé, 1984) have been found to be sensitive indicators of stochasticity. So we computed the distribution of these local variations and determined the moments of higher order for the integrable and stochastic regions in a binary star system with =0.5.     

Čerenkov radiation within the Earth's upper atmosphere

A brief review of erenkov radiation within the upper atmospheric plasma has been presented. Different attempts in this context are systematically discussed. The results of analysis about the nature and characteristics of VLF hisses in terms of incoherent erenkov radiation are given in a concise manner. The occurrence of resonance cone has also been reported.     

Coupled atmosphere-ocean models of Titan's past

We have developed a coupled atmosphere and ocean model of Titan's surface. The atmospheric model is a 1-D spectrally-resolved radiative-convective model. The ocean thermodynamics are based upon solution theory. The ocean, initially composed of CH4, becomes progressively enriched in ethane over time. The partial pressures of N2 and CH4 in the atmosphere are dependent on the ocean temperature and composition. We find that the resulting system is stable against a runaway greenhouse. Accounting for the decreased solar luminosity, we find that Titan's surface temperature was about 20 K colder 4 Gyr ago. Without an ocean, but only small CH4 lakes, the temperature change is 12 K. In both cases we find that the surface of Titan may have been ice covered about 3 Gyr ago. In the lakes case condensation of N2 provides the ice, whereas in the ocean case the ocean freezes. The dominant factor influencing the evolution of Titan's surface temperature is the change in the solar constant--amplified, if an ocean is present, by the temperature dependence of the solubility of N2. Accretional heating can dramatically alter the surface temperature; a surface thermal flux of 500 erg cm-2 sec-1, representative of small levels of accretional heating, results in a approximately 20 K change in surface temperatures.     

Quasi-periodical structures in the galaxy populations: mass and luminosity functions for the cluster galaxies

A search and estimation of the statistical significance of the quasi-periodical structures (QPS) has been carried out: for the luminosity function of the galaxies in a few rich clusters; for the integrated mass function of galaxies in the superclusters identified via = 21 cm observations. Some statistically significant QPS have been revealed. The periods for these structures are in agreement between each other, at this basis the hypothesis has been proposed that an effect of the QPS at the level of galaxies has some universal character. Frequency doubling has been discovered for these QPS.     

Chemical abundance behavior of type I planetary nebulae

In this work 13 Planetary Nebulae have been classified as Type I according to Peimbert's criteria (Peimbert, 1978). These objects have been added to a previous sample (Maciel and Faúndez-Abans, 1985) and diagrams of O/H versus N/H, S/H, Ne/H and Ar/H, as well as N/H versus S/H, Ne/H and Ar/H have been drawn. All of them exhibit a tendency for linear correlation; moreover, the behavior of O and N versus Ar and S are very similar, with approximately the same slope. When the excitation class parameter was included in the diagrams, no clear tendency can be discerned, for any class.     

Adsorption of fluoride on goethite surfaces-implications on dental epidemiology

Fluoride ion interaction with synthetically prepared goethite has been investigated over a range of pH values (4–9) and F^– concentrations (10^–3–10^–5 M). The amount of F^– retained by goethite suspensions was found to be a function of pH, media ionic strength, F^– concentration, and goethite concentration. The lowest ionic strength (0.001 M KNO₃) gave the highest adsorption medium. Uptake was minimal at pH >7 and increased with decreasing pH. Thermodynamic properties for fluoride adsorption at 298 K and 323 K were investigated. The isosteric heat of adsorption (H _r) was calculated and the heterogeneity and homogeneity of the surface examined for goethite. In view of the importance of fluoride in dental health, the interaction of fluoride on goethite in the physical environment has important implications on dental epidemiology.     

The deposit size frequency method for estimating undiscovered uranium deposits

The deposit size frequency (DSF) method has been developed as a generalization of the method that was used in the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) program to estimate the uranium endowment of the United States. The DSF method overcomes difficulties encountered during the NURE program when geologists were asked to provide subjective estimates of (1) the endowed fraction of an area judged favorable (factorF) for the occurrence of undiscovered uranium deposits and (2) the tons of endowed rock per unit area (factorT) within the endowed fraction of the favorable area. Because the magnitudes of factorsF andT were unfamiliar to nearly all of the geologists, most geologists responded by estimating the number of undiscovered deposits likely to occur within the favorable area and the average size of these deposits. The DSF method combines factorsF andT into a single factor (F·T) that represents the tons of endowed rock per unit area of the undiscovered deposits within the favorable area. FactorF·T, provided by the geologist, is the estimated number of undiscovered deposits per unit area in each of a number of specified deposit-size classes. The number of deposit-size classes and the size interval of each class are based on the data collected from the deposits in known (control) areas. The DSF method affords greater latitude in making subjective estimates than the NURE method and emphasizes more of the everyday experience of exploration geologists. Using the DSF method, new assessments have been made for the young, organic-rich surficial uranium deposits in Washington and idaho and for the solution-collapse breccia pipe uranium deposits in the Grand Canyon region in Arizona and adjacent Utah.     

流体在岩浆型铬铁矿和铂族元素成矿过程中的作用及意义

镁铁- 超镁铁岩是揭示地幔物质组成和壳幔相互作用的重要窗口，也是Ni- Cu- PGE- Cr等金属矿产资源的重要载体。不同的镁铁- 超镁铁岩体赋矿特征明显不同：蛇绿岩以产出铬铁矿床为特征，阿拉斯加型岩体主要赋含铂族元素(PGE)矿床，大型层状岩体则可同时产出铬铁矿床、PGE矿床和Cu- Ni硫化物矿床。这种成矿差异显然与赋矿岩体形成的构造背景、母岩浆经历的岩浆演化过程有关，但缺少关键控制因素的研究。前人对上述不同种类矿床的研究工作主要集中于地幔源区的部分熔融、上升过程中或岩浆房内的围岩混染和结晶分异等岩浆过程，而极少关注流体作用。近年来，实验岩石学和岩石地球化学的研究均表明幔源岩浆演化过程中的流体活动可能对成矿元素的富集迁移起到至关重要的作用，同时这些成矿元素的赋存状态和分配系数也在不断更新。厘清Cr和PGE在熔体演化——尤其是流体出溶过程中的地球化学行为，刻画并揭示其迁移富集、分离和再富集的成矿过程及控制因素，已成为当前岩浆矿床研究的热点。本文围绕富水流体与铬铁矿和PGE成矿关系的科学问题，总结了不同镁铁- 超镁铁岩体的成矿差异以及铬铁矿和PGE矿床成矿过程中的流体活动记录，提出流体性质和组分对铬铁矿和PGE迁移富集的控制作用，强调有必要开展蛇绿岩、大型层状镁铁- 超镁铁岩体和阿拉斯加型岩体的对比研究。