Propagation and absorption of cyclotron maser radiation in solar microwave spike bursts

It has been argued that the loss-cone-driven electron cyclotron maser instability can account for the properties of millisecond microwave spike bursts observed during some solar flares. However, as it propagates outward from the corona, maser radiation undergoes gyroresonance absorption when its frequency is a harmonic of the local electron-cyclotron frequency. Existing analytical models using slab geometries predict that this absorption should be sufficiently strong to prevent the radiation from being seen at the observed levels, except under highly restrictive conditions or for unrealistic plasma parameters. A more comprehensive analysis is presented here to determine if and when maser radiation can escape to produce microwave spike bursts. This analysis employs numerical raytracing and incorporates propagation and absorption of fundamental maser emission in a realistic model of a coronal flux loop. It is found that ranges of physical conditions do exist under which maser radiation can escape to an observer and that these conditions are much more limiting for fundamental emission in the extraordinary ()-mode than in the ordinary (o)-mode. Detailed investigation implies that escaping radiation in the -mode is highly directional and chiefly observable toward the center of the solar disk, while escapingo-mode radiation is found to emerge from the corona over a much wider range of directions, with some cases corresponding to radiation observable near the solar limb.     

Unusual coronal activity following the flare of 6 November 1980

For almost 30 hr after the major (gamma-ray) two-ribbon flare on 6 November 1980, 03:30 UT, the Hard X-Ray Imaging Spectrometer (HXIS) aboard the SMM satellite imaged in > 3.5 keV X-rays a gigantic arch extending above the active region over the limb. Like a similar configuration on 22 May 1980, this arch formed the lowest part of a stationary post-flare radio noise storm recorded at metric wavelengths at Nançay and Culgoora. 6.5 hr after the flare a coronal region below the arch started quasi-periodic pulsations in X-ray brightness, observed by several SMM instruments. These brightness variations had no response in the chromosphere (H), very little in the transition layer (O v), but they clearly correlated with similar variations in brightness at 169 MHz. There were 13 pulses of this kind, with apparent periodicity of about 20 min, until another flare occurred in the active region at 15:00 UT. All the brightenings appeared within a localized area of about 30000 km² in the northern part of the active region, but they definitely did not occur all at the same place.The top of the X-ray arch, at an altitude of 155 000 km, was continuously and smoothly decaying, taking no part in the striking variations below it. Therefore, the area variable in brightness does not seem to be the footpoint of the arch, as we supposed for similar variations on 22 May. More likely, it is a separate region connected directly with the source of the radio storm; particles accelerated in the storm may be dumped into the low corona and cause the X-ray enhancements. The X-ray arch was enhanced by two orders of magnitude in 3.5–5.5 keV X-ray counts and the temperature increased from 7.3 × 10⁶ to 9 × 10⁶ K when the new two-ribbon flare occurred at 15:00 UT. Thus, it is possible that energy is brought into the arch via the upper parts of the reconnecting flare loops - a process that can continue for hours.     

北京地区两次沙尘(暴)天气过程对比分析

通过对 2 0 0 0年 4月 6日和 4月 9日北京地区两次沙尘 (暴 )天气过程的对比分析认为 :蒙古气旋型和不伴有气旋的西北槽型所造成的北京沙尘天气的严重程度不同 ;沙源地区中低层较强上升运动的主要作用是将当地沙尘垂直输送到空中 ,然后在70 0hPa较强西北气流的引导下将卷起的沙尘水平输送到下游地区 ;不稳定层结又加强了沙尘天气 ;沙尘暴区上空z 螺旋度分布的特征是高层为负值 ,低层为正值 ,对流层中低层螺旋度正的大值区与卫星云图显示的沙尘暴区具有较好的一致性 ,对沙尘暴的预报有一定的指示意义     

碳酸岩Sr、Nd、Pb 同位素地球化学研究评述

碳酸岩是出露相对较少的幔源岩石，其中Sr与Nd是研究地幔物质组成的主要对象之一。本文统计了世界上主要碳酸岩的锶、钕、铅同位素组成特征；研究显示，碳酸岩源区主要是洋岛玄武岩高U／Pb的HIMU端员和富集端员(EM1或EM2)的混合作用；此外大部分碳酸岩的锶、钕同位素落在大洋玄武岩范围内；这些均表明其成因与地慢柱有密切联系。碳酸岩及与之共生的硅酸岩的同源或独立源区模式部很难充分解释两者同位素组成特征，逭反映碳酸岩的演化模式涉及更复杂的过程。可能是俯冲作用使碳酸岩源区经历不同时间和程度的富集、亏损过程导致地幔源区成分不均一。     

Pollution history and recovery of a boreal lake exposed to a heavy bleached pulping effluent load

We examined the effects of heavy pulp mill discharges on the Lake Lievestuoreenjärvi ecosystem and the later recovery of diatom and chironomid communities from age-dated short core samples. Beginning in 1927 the lake received a heavy effluent load from a sulphite pulp mill. Except for the recession during the Second World War and the temporary closure of the mill from 1967 to 1971, the industrial load, containing large quantities of nutrients, organic matter and toxic compounds, increased continuously. In the early 1980s, laboratory documents were falsified by the directors of the mill and the systematic illegal effluent overload led to a collapse of the whole lake ecosystem. In 1985, the outdated plant was finally closed down. Based on the assessment of chemical properties and biological remains of the sediment, we distinguished five developmental phases in the ecological state of the lake. In the pre-industrial phase, the pelagic and profundal benthic communities were dominated by species preferring ultraoligotrophic or oligotrophic lakes. Concomitant with the increasing discharge and deposition of chlorine compounds, resin acids, and mercury, as well as strong acidity and hypolimnetic and epilimnetic anoxia, the ecological status changed in a short period from excellent to bad. Finally, in the early 1960s, the majority of the lake was virtually dead and the aquatic life survived only in the uppermost littoral zone. Since 1985, a fast recovery in the water quality has led to a strong, but temporary eutrophy in pelagic communities. The main peak of eutrophication was caused by the invasion of a species new to the lake,Aulacoseira granulata var.angustissima. Later, the pelagic communities shifted towards oligotrophy, but the original, pre-industrial status has not been re-established. The profundal benthic communities have not achieved the pre-industrial structure, but at present indicate mesotrophy.     

The Pleistocene history of Wales and the borderland

The Pleistocene rock-stratigraphic record is accorded more or less traditional time-stratigraphic interpretation which was held widely before application of an Irish developmental model in 1960. The following sequence of events are recognised: (1) Complete glaciation, of indeterminate age, which antedated the raised beach interglacial. (2) The raised beach episode which is shown to be the last (Ipswichian) interglacial. (3) The last (Devensian/Weichselian) glaciation, followed by possible readvance in northwest and northeast Wales; prior and subsequent to glaciation periglacial conditions obtained. It is shown that the Irish model, relying heavily as it does on the equation of rock and time stratigraphy, is inapplicable in Wales.     

塔中Ⅰ号坡折带上奥陶统礁滩的白云石化及其储集意义

塔里木盆地塔中Ⅰ号坡折带上奥陶统良里塔格组礁滩灰岩发生了少量白云石化作用。白云石化主要发育在溶洞充填的钙质渗流粉砂,泥晶生物碎屑灰岩的泥晶基质,亮晶颗粒灰岩的钙藻屑、藻砂屑、藻泥屑等三种组构中。白云石化直接贡献了平均1%的孔隙度,同时产生的白云石晶间孔为进一步溶蚀提供了通道,对有效储层的形成起到了重要作用。高镁方解石生物是白云石化所需镁离子的重要来源。这套与生物白云石化相关的礁滩储层地质预测需要深入研究钙藻、海百合等生物的古生态、岩相环境及分布。     

华南区域季节性降水的差异分析

运用EOF方法研究华南区域降水时空分布特征,结果表明：（1）华南地区各季节降水在年际和年代际的时间变化上有区域一致性,但有季节性差异,其中春季和秋季在20世纪80年代后降水明显减少,旱年增多;而夏季90年代后降水明显增加,涝年增多;冬季变化则不明显。（2）华南地区各季节降水在空间分布上也有差异,其中春季降水呈现东多西少的分布特征,大值中心位于广西东北部、广东中部及西南沿海。夏季和秋季降水相似,呈南多北少的分布特征,大值中心位于广西沿海和广东西南沿海。冬季降水呈东北多西南少的分布特征,大值中心位于粤北。     

Precession and nutation in the η Carinae binary system: evidence from the X-ray light curve

It is believed that η Carinae is actually a massive binary system, with the wind–wind interaction responsible for the strong X-ray emission. Although the overall shape of the X-ray light curve can be explained by the high eccentricity of the binary orbit, other features like the asymmetry near periastron passage and the short quasi-periodic oscillations seen at those epochs have not yet been accounted for. In this paper we explain these features assuming that the rotation axis of η Carinae is not perpendicular to the orbital plane of the binary system. As a consequence, the companion star will face η Carinae on the orbital plane at different latitudes for different orbital phases and, since both the mass-loss rate and the wind velocity are latitude dependent, they would produce the observed asymmetries in the X-ray flux. We were able to reproduce the main features of the X-ray light curve assuming that the rotation axis of η Carinae forms an angle of  29°± 4°  with the axis of the binary orbit. We also explained the short quasi-periodic oscillations by assuming nutation of the rotation axis, with an amplitude of about  5°  and a period of about 22 days. The nutation parameters, as well as the precession of the apsis, with a period of about 274 years, are consistent with what is expected from the torques induced by the companion star.