On mini-halo encounters with stars

We study, analytically and numerically, the energy input into dark matter mini-haloes by interactions with stars. We find that the fractional energy input in simulations of Plummer spheres agrees well with the impulse approximation for small and large impact parameters, with a rapid transition between these two regimes. Using the impulse approximation, the fractional energy input at large impact parameters is fairly independent of the mass and density profiles of the mini-halo; however, low-mass mini-haloes experience a greater fractional energy input in close encounters. We formulate a fitting function which encodes these results and use it to estimate the disruption time-scales of mini-haloes, taking into account the stellar velocity dispersion and mass distribution. For mini-haloes with mass     on typical orbits which pass through the disc, we find that the estimated disruption time-scales are independent of mini-halo mass, and are of the order of the age of the Milky Way. For more massive mini-haloes, the estimated disruption time-scales increase rapidly with increasing mass.     

Surface displacements due to batter piles driven in cross‐anisotropic media

This article derives the closed‐form solutions for estimating the vertical surface displacements of cross‐anisotropic media due to various loading types of batter piles. The loading types include an embedded point load for an end‐bearing pile, uniform skin friction, and linear variation of skin friction for a friction pile. The planes of cross‐anisotropy are assumed to be parallel to the horizontal ground surface. The proposed solutions are never mentioned in literature and can be developed from Wang and Liao's solutions for a horizontal and vertical point load embedded in the cross‐anisotropic half‐space. The present solutions are identical with Wang's solutions when batter angle equals to 0^°. In addition, the solutions indicate that the surface displacements in cross‐anisotropic media are influenced by the type and degree of material anisotropy, angle of inclination, and loading types. An illustrative example is given at the end of this article to investigate the effect of the type and degree of soil anisotropy (E/E′, G′/E′, and ν/ν′), pile inclination (α), and different loading types (a point load, a uniform skin friction, and a linear variation of skin friction) on vertical surface displacements. Results show that the displacements accounted for pile batter are quite different from those estimated from plumb piles, both driven in cross‐anisotropic media. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Distribution and burial of organic carbon in sediments from the Indian Ocean upwelling region off Java and Sumatra,Indonesia

Sediments were sampled and oxygen profiles of the water column were determined in the Indian Ocean off west and south Indonesia in order to obtain information on the production, transformation, and accumulation of organic matter (OM). The stable carbon isotope composition (δ¹³C_org) in combination with C/N ratios depicts the almost exclusively marine origin of sedimentary organic matter in the entire study area. Maximum concentrations of organic carbon (C_org) and nitrogen (N) of 3.0% and 0.31%, respectively, were observed in the northern Mentawai Basin and in the Savu and Lombok basins. Minimum δ¹⁵N values of 3.7‰ were measured in the northern Mentawai Basin, whereas they varied around 5.4‰ at stations outside this region. Minimum bottom water oxygen concentrations of 1.1 mL L^?1, corresponding to an oxygen saturation of 16.1%, indicate reduced ventilation of bottom water in the northern Mentawai Basin. This low bottom water oxygen reduces organic matter decomposition, which is demonstrated by the almost unaltered isotopic composition of nitrogen during early diagenesis. Maximum C_org accumulation rates (CARs) were measured in the Lombok (10.4 g C m^?2 yr^?1) and northern Mentawai basins (5.2 g C m^?2 yr^?1). Upwelling-induced high productivity is responsible for the high CAR off East Java, Lombok, and Savu Basins, while a better OM preservation caused by reduced ventilation contributes to the high CAR observed in the northern Mentawai Basin. The interplay between primary production, remineralisation, and organic carbon burial determines the regional heterogeneity. CAR in the Indian Ocean upwelling region off Indonesia is lower than in the Peru and Chile upwellings, but in the same order of magnitude as in the Arabian Sea, the Benguela, and Gulf of California upwellings, and corresponds to 0.1–7.1% of the global ocean carbon burial. This demonstrates the relevance of the Indian Ocean margin off Indonesia for the global OM burial.     

河北平山小觉地区阜平岩群中三种岩类深熔现象的岩相学特征

深熔作用(Anatexis)引起了地壳内部固体物质的重溶与熔融和进一步的初始花岗质岩浆的形成。本文主要从岩相学角度对河北平山阜平岩群3种主要变质岩类中一部分岩石在薄片中所显示的初期深熔特征进行了报道,提出识别深熔作用发生发展初期的一些岩相学标志,为相应的理论探讨提供岩相学方面的依据。区域变质岩石初始深熔的共同特征之一是不同矿物粒度都较相应的同类变质岩石为粗。由于经历粒间流体作用的重溶、溶蚀乃至再度晶出的过程,长英质岩石中长石、石英等矿物改变为具有弯曲、波纹状外形的缝合线结构,而“铰链状结构”的形成则是两微斜长石颗粒之间出现钠交代的结果。深熔作用过程中微斜长石显示出不均匀的光性特征,形成具交代成因的条纹长石细脉和条痕;斜长石出现不规则长方形和补丁状的微斜长石反条纹长石,显示“糟化”或绢云母化,或存在不同程度的“暗化”区域,也可转变成为纤维状至细柱状夕线石,沿斜长石中的一些细小裂纹和遭受应变的解理还出现几乎不透明的物质,它们可能原由深熔作用所形成,可称之为“网格状结构”;黑云母可部分地发生分解,在适当的温压条件下则完全分解,形成原可能为熔体的物质,也可转变成为纤维状至细柱状夕线石;角闪石存在一定程度的“暗化”,并形成与斜长石中所见类似的“网     

兰州-民和盆地第四纪地层学研究

在野外调查和室内分析的基础上,对兰州-民和盆地的晚新生代地层和环境进行了较系统的研究,对第四纪地层进行了地貌学、岩石学、年代学、土壤地层学和古气候学研究,查明了研究区各地貌单元形成时代与物质组成特点、侵蚀期与堆积期的旋回过程及黄土中1.9MaB.P.以来磁化率与古气候、古土壤事件(S26-S0)、古气候演化的周期(45ka、100ka)、特点和黄土中15万年以来短尺度气候事件(H1-9及DO1-10).     

Short Note: Precision and Convergence of a Steady Two-Dimensional Ice Sheet Flow Model

Ice-sheet flow is described by the Navier–Stokes equations. We present here an analytical solution for a very simple configuration of two-dimensional ice sheet flow. It is obtained for an imposed flat surface elevation and for a linear flow law. This analytical solution is used here to estimate the performance and precision of a two-dimensional ice sheet flow model. In particular, the comparison of this 2D ice sheet flow model with the analytical solution has allowed to test all the terms involved in the mechanical equations. This analytical solution may be very useful to test similar types of models.     

A probabilistic assessment of eruption recurrence on Taveuni volcano, Fiji

Taveuni, a 437-km² oceanic intraplate volcano in the northeastern Fiji Group, has been active throughout the Holocene and currently has a rapidly growing population. Alkali basalt magmas were erupted through monogenetic vents at constantly shifting locations along a SW-striking rift zone. Hence, quantification of volcanic hazard, in both spatial and temporal terms, is of great importance for disaster management and development agencies. Unlike previous probabilistic assessments of hazards in volcanic fields, the activity on Taveuni is both more recent and on a lesser spatial scale. This enables us to focus our attention on different aspects of the analysis. In particular, we propose a first attempt at dealing with the imprecision and inaccuracy inherent in volcanic eruption age data obtained via radiocarbon dating. Our results indicate that volcanic activity on Taveuni has a tendency to occur in episodes. If this tendency is strong, the present hazard may be considerably greater than otherwise supposed. We also confirm an apparent tendency for the volcanic activity to migrate southwards along the Taveuni rift axis towards the most densely settled area, and also the widest axial vent zone. This indicates that the risk from volcanic activity is again higher than might otherwise be supposed. We estimate a Taveuni-wide probability of0.56 for renewed activity within the next 50 years. Such quantitative results can be utilised within loss estimations during the planning stages of new infrastructure and business developments at various locations on the island.     

ROBUST: The ROle of BUffering capacities in STabilising coastal lagoon ecosystems

“Buffer capacities” has been defined in ecology as a holistic concept (e.g., Integration of Ecosystem Theories: A Pattern, second ed. Kluwer, Dordrecht, 1997, 388pp), but we show that it can also be worked out in mechanistic studies. Our mechanistic approach highlights that “buffering capacities” can be depleted progressively, and, therefore, we make a distinction between current and potential “buffering capacities”. We have applied this concept to understand the limited “local stability” in seagrass ecosystems and their vulnerability towards structural changes into macro-algal dominated communities. We explored the following processes and studied how they confer buffering capacities to the seagrass ecosystem: (i) net autotrophy is persistent in Zostera noltii meadows where plant assimilation acts as a sink for nutrients, this contrasted with the Ulva system that shifted back and forth between net autotrophy and net heterotrophy; (ii) the Z. noltii ecosystem possesses a certain albeit rather limited capacity to modify the balance between nitrogen fixation and denitrification, i.e., it was found that in situ nitrogen fixation always exceeded denitrification; (iii) the nitrogen demand of organoheterotrophic bacteria in the sediment results in nitrogen retention of N in the sediment and hence a buffer against release of nitrogen compounds from sediments, (iv) habitat diversification in seagrass meadows provides shelter for meiofauna and hence buffering against adverse conditions, (v) sedimentary iron provides a buffer against noxious sulfide (note: bacterial sulfide production is enhanced in anoxic sediment niches by increased organic matter loading). On the other hand, in the coastal system we studied, sedimentary iron appears less important as a redox-coupled buffer system against phosphate loading. This is because most inorganic phosphate is bound to calcium rather than to iron. In addition, our studies have highlighted the importance of plant–microbe interactions in the seagrass meadows.