Plasma Heating by Forced Magnetic Reconnection

A model of forced magnetic reconnection in a force-free magnetic field is considered, which allows calculation of the magnetic energy release during the current sheet reconnection. The dependence of this energy on characteristics of the magnetic configuration has been studied, and it was found that the released energy becomes very large when the field is near the marginal tearing stability. A persistent plasma heating provided by ongoing external driving and internal reconnection is also derived. It shows a typical relaxation-type dependence on the driving frequency, with dissipation becoming most efficient when the time-scales of the driving and reconnection are comparable. Possible implications of the obtained results for the problem of solar coronal heating are discussed. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Enstatite-diopside solvus and geothermometry

The enstatite-diopside solvus presents certain interesting thermodynamic and crystal-structural problems. The solvus may be considered as parts of two solvi one with the ortho-structure and the other with clino-structure. By assuming the standard free energy change for the two reactions (MgMgSi₂O₆)opx ? (MgMgSi₂O₆)cpx and (CaMgSi₂O₆) opx ? (CaMgSi₂O₆) cpx as 500 and 1 000 to 3 000 cal/mol respectively, it is possible to calculate the regular solution parameter W for orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene. These W's essentially refer to mixing on M2 sites. The expression for the equilibrium constant by assuming ideal mixing for Fe-Mg, Fe-Ca and non-ideal mixing for Ca-Mg on binary M1 and ternary M2 sites is given by 1 $$K_a = \frac{{X_{{\text{Mg - cpx}}}^{{\text{M1}}} X_{{\text{Mg - cpx}}}^{{\text{M2}}} \exp \left[ {\frac{{W_{{\text{cpx}}} }}{{RT}}\left\{ {X_{{\text{Ca - cpx}}}^{{\text{M2}}} \left( {X_{{\text{Ca - cpx}}}^{{\text{M2}}} + X_{{\text{Fe - cpx}}}^{{\text{M2}}} } \right)} \right\}} \right]}}{{X_{{\text{Mg - cpx}}}^{{\text{M1}}} X_{{\text{Mg - opx}}}^{{\text{M2}}} \exp \left[ {\frac{{W_{{\text{cpx}}} }}{{RT}}\left\{ {X_{{\text{Ca - opx}}}^{{\text{M2}}} \left( {X_{{\text{Ca - opx}}}^{{\text{M2}}} + X_{{\text{Fe - opx}}}^{{\text{M2}}} } \right)} \right\}} \right]}}$$ where X's are site occupancies, R is 1.987 and T is temperature in ^oK. Temperature of pyroxene crystallization may be estimated by substituting for T in the above equation until the equation ?RT In K _a=500 is satisfied. The shortcomings of this method are the incomplete standard free energy data on the end member components and the absence of site occupancy data in pyroxenes at high temperatures. The assumed free energy data do, however, show the possible extent of inaccuracy in temperature estimates resulting from the neglect of Mg-Ca non ideality.     

Land use pattern of upper tons catchment district,Uttarkashi, U. P.

Aerial Photographs of 1:50,000 scale pertaining to Tons Catchment were used for generating a land use map showing cultivated lands, forests land, grass land, barren land with rock outcrops, snow and glaciers. The area was divided into 4 altitudinal Zones. More than 81% lies above 3000 m height and should be left for natural regeneration. Cultivated land occupies 4.97% of the area and is concentrated below 3000 m altitudinal zone and lies along river courses and on river terraces. Distribution of forest lands in altitudinal zone indicates that percent area covered under forest is higher than the average distribution of forest as reported by Seth (1978). Grass and open scrub, barren Innd with rock outcrops, glaciers and snow covered areas occupy 6.8%, 18.1%, 16.5% and 28.0% respectively.     

Moon—An albite depleted giant Skaergaard?

The chemical composition of 2188 terrestrial igneous rocks ranging from ultrabasic to granitic composition was analyzed statistically using the method of factor analysis (principal components). The resultant first and second factors were: $$\begin{gathered} {\text{ }}F_1 = 0.933{\text{ Na}}_{\text{2}} {\text{O + 0}}{\text{.143 SiO}}_{\text{2}} + 0.206{\text{ K}}_{\text{2}} {\text{O}} - 0.346{\text{ CaO}} - 0.263{\text{ MgO}} - \hfill \\ .203{\text{ FeO}} \pm \cdot \cdot \cdot \hfill \\ {\text{ }}F_2 = 0.979{\text{ Al}}_{\text{2}} {\text{O}}_{\text{3}} - 0.269{\text{ MgO}} - 0.151{\text{ SiO}}_{\text{2}} - 0.112{\text{ FeO}} \pm \cdot \cdot \cdot \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ where oxides are in weight percent. A plot of the first factor against the second results in a useful igneous variation diagram. When the compositions of the 2188 terrestrial rocks and 604 lunar rocks are plotted on this diagram, the two groups of rocks are clearly separated within an albite-anorthite-forsterite-fayalite-quartz polygon. None of the terrestrial differentiation trends are significant for lunar rocks. The major difference in the chemistry of lunar and terrestrial rocks lies in the former being albite poor. Removal of most of the albite from the compositions of terrestrial layered intrusives such as the Skaergaard results in an excellent match between the compositions of the two groups of rocks. Albite subtracted compositions of Skaergaard rocks in particular cover the entire range of chemical variation in the lunar rocks. The statistical results prompt us to speculate further on the similarity of the moon and Skaergaard. We note that the average composition of the moon (Wanke et al., 1974) is similar to the albite subtracted composition of the Skaergaard magma. The lunar crust and a significant part of the lunar interior may match the albite subtracted and somewhat Mg enriched Skaergaard magma.     

Trace fossils from the late cretaceous Lameta Formation,Jabalpur area,Madhya Pradesh: Paleoenvironmental implications

In Jabalpur area about 18 m to 45 m thick Lameta Formation is stratigraphically divisible into five lithounits namely, Green Sandstone, Lower Limestone, Mottled Nodular Beds, Upper Limestone and Upper Sandstone. Having differentiated lithofacies constitution and here grouped as facies associations, these units are intensively burrowed and sparingly fossiliferous. Ichnogenera including Arenicolites, Calycraterion, Fucusopsis, Laevicyclus, Macanopsis, Ophiomorpha, Paleomeandron, Rhizocorallium, Stipsellus, Thalassinoides and Zoophycos are recovered from the Lower Limestone, Mottled Nodular Beds and Upper Limestone associations of the Lameta Formation of Jabalpur area.Among these, Arenicolites, Calycraterion, Laevicyclus, Ophiomorpha, Rhizocorallium, Stipsellus and Thalassinoides belong to mixed Skolithos and Cruziana ichnofacies and indicate sandy backshore to sublittoral condition of deposition. Additionally rhyzocretes, some times chertified, are also present in different parts of the Lameta Formation. Ichnofacies assemblage supported by sedimentological information suggests that the Lameta Formation of Jabalpur area was deposited in coastal marine settings where sediments were subaerially exposed intermittently.     

A model of Earth’s deep interior basedon mineralogical data

Summary ?We describe here a model of formation of the core and the early history of Earth based on recent experimental mineralogical data. In a nebular setting, where differentiated planetesimals with their iron cores were plentiful, hot condensing solids mixed with the planetesimal irons and formed the solid proto-core (Fe-Ni-S-C). FeO from unmixing in magnesiowustite and from a dissociation of perovskite in the newly accreted mantle concentrated at the core-mantle interface and reacted with the nascent core. The interface grew to form the liquid core (Fe-Ni-O-S-C) at the expense of the solid proto-core and the formation of much of the outer core was complete within the first 500 million years. The model is consistent with geochemical data and has important implications for the dynamics of the inner core.

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Zusammenfassung ?Das Innere der Erde: Ein Modell basierend auf mineralogischen Daten Wir pr?sentieren ein Modell zur Bildung des Erdkerns und der frühen Geschichte der Erde, das auf neuen experimentellen mineralogischen Daten basiert. In einem nebularen System, in dem differenzierte Planetesimals mit Eisenkernen sehr h?ufig waren, mischten sich kondensierte Festk?rper mit dem Eisen der Planetesimals, um einen festen Protokern (Fe-Ni-S-C) zu formen. FeO, das aus Magnesiowüstit entmischte und durch Dissoziation aus Perovskit im Mantel entstand, konzentrierte sich in der Kern – Mantel – Grenzzone und reagierte mit dem neugebildeten Kern. Diese Grenzzone wuchs und es entstand ein flüssiger (Fe-Mi-O-S-C) Kern auf Kosten des festen Protokerns. Die Bildung des ?u?eren Kerns war innerhalb der ersten 500 Millionen Jahre abgeschlossen. Dieses Modell ist mit geochemischen Daten konsistent und hat wichtige Auswirkungen auf die Dynamik des inneren Kerns.

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Received February 9, 1999;/revised version accepted April 9, 1999     

Infrared spectroscopic observations of 69230 Hermes (1937 UB): possible unweathered endmember among ordinary chondrite analogs

We have obtained near-infrared (0.8-2.5 μm) spectra of Hermes (1937 UB) using the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility on Mauna Kea. We find Hermes to have spectral properties consistent with L/LL chondrites, with a strong visual similarity to Gaffey (1976, J. Geophys. Res. 81, 905) average L6 chondrites. We define a ratio of band areas (RBA) using the Modified Gaussian Method (MGM: Sunshine and Pieters, 1990, in: Lunar and Planetary Institute Conference Abstracts, p. 1223, 1993, J. Geophys. Res. 98, 9075) to quantify near-infrared asteroidal data lacking a visible component. Hermes has a spectrum nearly indistinguishable from (19356) 1997 GH3. Together, these asteroids represent new endmembers on the continuum of spectra from ordinary chondrite meteorites to large main-belt S-class asteroids. We discuss regolith effects that may be occurring on Hermes and other possible ordinary chondrite parent bodies, and constrain the albedo of Hermes to 0.4 or higher (effective diameter 650 m or smaller) if it has a regolith. This value for albedo/diameter is consistent with radar results.     

Resource Flows of Villages with Contrasting Lifestyles in Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, Central Himalaya, India

Resource use efficiency analyses of village ecosystem are necessary for effective and efficient planning of resource utilization. This paper deals with economic and energy input-output analyses of different components of village ecosystem in representative buffer zone villages, which are practicing transhumance and settled way of lifestyles in Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve （NDBR） of Garhwal Himalaya. While the villages practicing transhumance used various natural resources spatially segregated,the villages practicing settled way of lifestyle have to manage resources from a limited spatial area through rotation and varied extraction intensities. Forests subsidized the production activity in both type of villages and the per capita resource extractions were found to be greater in tran~humance village than settled village. Though crops provided maximum energy, in terms of economic criteria, animal husbandry played important role in both settled and transhumance villages. As villages representing both the situations showed different ways of adjustments to the conservation oriented land use changes, management authority needs to address the eco-development plans fulfilling the aspirations of all people traditionally using the resources of the Reserve to reduce the conflicts and encourage their participation in the conservation of the area.     

Reaction-Diffusion Systems and Nonlinear Waves

The authors investigate the solution of a nonlinear reaction-diffusion equation connected with nonlinear waves. The equation discussed is more general than the one discussed recently by Manne et al. (2000). The results are presented in a compact and elegant form in terms of Mittag-Leffler functions and generalized Mittag-Leffler functions, which are suitable for numerical computation. The importance of the derived results lies in the fact that numerous results on fractional reaction, fractional diffusion, anomalous diffusion problems, and fractional telegraph equations scattered in the literature can be derived, as special cases, of the results investigated in this article.