Model computations of Schumann resonance on Titan

We model the global electromagnetic (Schumann) resonance in the atmosphere of Titan. Parameters of conductivity of the lower ionosphere were implemented taken from existing aeronomic models of Titan's atmosphere. Two exponential conductivity profiles were constructed: one of them suggests favorable conditions for Schumann resonance and the other models considerable attenuation in the ionospheric plasma. Peak frequencies and Q-factors of resonance were computed as well as resonance spectra for the signals arriving from individual vertical lightning discharges and from strokes uniformly distributed over the planet. The models show that detection of Schumann resonance on Titan is feasible, especially in favorable conditions. Possible applications of Schumann resonance in the studies of Titan's lightning activity are outlined.     

Dynamics Of 2/1 Resonant Extrasolar Systems Application to HD82943 and GLIESE876

A complete study is made of the resonant motion of two planets revolving around a star, in the model of the general planar three body problem. The resonant motion corresponds to periodic motion of the two planets, in a rotating frame, and the position and stability properties of the periodic orbits determine the topology of the phase space and consequently play an important role in the evolution of the system. Several families of symmetric periodic orbits are computed numerically, for the 2/1 resonance, and for the masses of some observed extrasolar planetary systems. In this way we obtain a global view of all the possible stable configurations of a system of two planets. These define the regions of the phase space where a resonant extrasolar system could be trapped, if it had followed in the past a migration process.The factors that affect the stability of a resonant system are studied. For the same resonance and the same planetary masses, a large value of the eccentricities may stabilize the system, even in the case where the two planetary orbits intersect. The phase of the two planets (position at perihelion or aphelion when the star and the two planets are aligned) plays an important role, and the change of the phase, other things being the same, may destabilize the system. Also, the ratio of the planetary masses, for the same total mass of the two planets, plays an important role and the system, at some resonances and some phases, is destabilized when this ratio changes.The above results are applied to the observed extrasolar planetary systems HD 82943, Gliese 876 and also to some preliminary results of HD 160691. It is shown that the observed configurations are close to stable periodic motion.     

Motion of dust in mean motion resonances with planets

Effect of stellar electromagnetic radiation on the motion of spherical dust particle in mean motion orbital resonances with a planet is investigated. Planar circular restricted three-body problem with the Poynting–Robertson (P–R) effect yields monotonic secular evolution of eccentricity when the particle is trapped in the resonance. Planar elliptic restricted three-body problem with the P–R effect enables nonmonotonous secular evolution of eccentricity and the evolution of eccentricity is qualitatively consistent with the published results for the complicated case of interaction of electromagnetic radiation with nonspherical dust grain. Thus, it is sufficient to allow either nonzero eccentricity of the planet or nonsphericity of the grain and the orbital evolutions in the resonances are qualitatively equal for the two cases. This holds both for exterior and interior mean motion orbital resonances. Evolutions of argument of perihelion in the planar circular and elliptical restricted three-body problems are shown. Numerical integrations show that an analytic expression for the secular time derivative of the particle’s argument of perihelion does not exist, if only dependence on semimajor axis, eccentricity and argument of perihelion is admitted. Connection between the shift of perihelion and oscillations in secular eccentricity is presented for the planar elliptic restricted three-body problem with the P–R effect. Period of the oscillations corresponds to the period of one revolution of perihelion. Change of optical properties of the spherical grain with the heliocentric distance is also considered. The change of the optical properties: (i) does not have any significant influence on the secular evolution of eccentricity, (ii) causes that the shift of perihelion is mainly in the same direction/orientation as the particle motion around the Sun. The statements hold both for circular and noncircular planetary orbits.     

Variability of global lightning activity on the ENSO time scale

Global lightning activity has been studied on the ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) time scale based on recordings of the Earth's Schumann resonances at Nagycenk (NCK), Hungary as well as observations from the OTD (Optical Transient Detector) and the LIS (Lightning Imaging Sensor) satellites in space. Both the intensity and position of lightning activity vary on the ENSO time scale. The magnitude of the global variation in lightning flash rate is ~10% from La Niña to El Niño. In general, more lightning is observed in the tropical–extratropical land regions during warm, El Niño episodes, especially in Southeast Asia. Although oceanic lightning activity is a minor contributor to global lightning, an opposite behavior is observed in the Pacific and other oceanic regions. More lightning is present during cold, La Niña conditions than during the warm, El Niño episodes. The annual distribution of global lightning is slightly offset from the equator into the Northern Hemisphere due to the north–south asymmetry of the land/ocean area ratio. Schumann resonance intensity variations suggest a southward (equator-ward) shift and satellite observations support this and show in addition an eastward shift in the global position during warm, El Niño episodes. The greatest lightning contrast between warm El Niño and cold La Niña episodes has been identified at the latitudes of descending dry air in the Hadley circulation.     

New Determinations of the Ages of Tide in the North Atlantic Ocean

Ages of tide provide relevant information about the spatial distribution of existing anomalies in the normal modes of the oceans, because a delay may be associated with bottom friction energy dissipation, closely located resonances, bathymetric gradients, or radiational effects. The determination of other parameters, such as the age of diurnal tide or age of parallax, also provide further knowledge about the ocean's hydrodynamical response to acting forces. Following the development of new ocean models and the availability of a greater amount of data, these parameters can be redetermined. We present the spatial distribution of these parameters in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, obtained from 507 stations. The results are discussed in terms of bathymetric models, coastal features, sea surface temperature, wind and other environmental factors.     

天然电磁辐射测深技术的应用

天然电磁辐射测深技术是一项利用天然电磁场探测地球介质相对电阻率与介质埋深的地球物理探测技术．此项技术主要探测在天然电磁场作用下在近地表形成的综合电场的垂直分量,根据其频谱的局部变化构制岩层相对电阻率与埋藏深度的直方图,进而对地下岩层的性质和分布特征作出合理的分析和判断．本文主要以探测实例说明本项技术的应用效果及其适用的范围．     

The Trojan problem

There has been a renewed interest in the Trojan problem in recent years. Significant progress has been made in discovering and understanding dynamical features of motion of Jupiter's Trojan asteroids. The dynamics of hypothetical Trojan-type asteroids of other major planets has also been the subject of several recent investigations. This paper offers an overview on the current status of researches on real and hypothetical Trojan asteroids of the major planets. Results of analytical and numerical works are surveyed. Questions of dynamical properties, long-term evolution of orbits, stability regions around the triangular Lagrangian points are discussed among other problems of the Trojans.     

Chaos and secondary resonances in the mimas–tethys system

We have investigated the role of the 200yr period discovered by Vienne and Duriez (1992) on the tidal evolution of the Mimas–Tethys system through the 2:4 ii present resonance. Three terms are found to generate this period. We present a perturbedpendulum model in which these terms bring about a perturbation to the ideal ii resonance pendulum, which is in a direct ratio to the eccentricity e of Tethys. Although e is now very small, it is shown that this quantity could have been much greater in the past. We also show, thanks to this model, that these terms may have brought about a stochastic layer of noticeable width at the time of capture in the ii resonance, with the consequence that the possible values of the inclination i of Mimas before capture range from 0.4° to 0.6° (these uncertainties arise from the present uncertainties on e). The role of each one of the three terms is examined in the appearance of chaos. A capture into the 1/1 secondary resonance (between the libration period of the primary ii resonance and the period of about 200yr) is found possible. It means that the system could have experienced several captures in the primary resonance, instead of a single one, and that i could have been, with this assumption, much lower than 0.4°. A probability of capture into this secondary resonance as a function of the eccentricity of Tethys on encounter is derived, using Malhotra's method (Malhotra, 1990). Allan's values of i = 0.42° and e 0 (Allan, 1969) are therefore called into question, and taking e 0 is shown to be absolutely necessary if we want to understand the phenomena at work in the Mimas–Tethys system.     

The Prograde C7 Resonance for Earth and Mars Satellite Orbits

The resonance C7 is a 1:1 eccentricity (apsidal) resonance between the longitude of a satellite's pericentre and the mean longitude of the Sun. A previous paper by the author (Breiter, 1999) identified it as the strongest of the lunisolar apsidal resonances. After the reduction to a single degree of freedom, the problem is studied qualitatively for the prograde orbits around the Earth and Mars. Pitchfork, saddle-node, and saddle connection bifurcations give rise to a complicated phase flow, which may involve up to nine critical points. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.