On the possibility of investigation of the magnetic field structure in subphotospheric layers of the Sun according to observations of sunspot torsional oscillations

A method of investigation of the magnetic field structure in subphotospheric layers of the Sun has been developed. The method is based on observations of the torisonal oscillations of single sunspots. Characteristics of the torsional oscillations have been obtained from observations of the longitudinal magnetic field and radial velocities of seven single sunspots in the photospheric line Fe I λ5253 Å. The parameters of the torsional oscillations and magnetic tubes in the deep layers have been determined. The radius of the cross section of a magnetic flux tube forming a sunspot is greatest near the Sun’s surface and is approximately equal to the radius of a sunspot umbra. Down to the deeper layers, it decreases quite quickly. The longitudinal electric current appearing in the magnetic tube changes direction. The typical time of the current changes is determined by the period of the torsional oscillations. The intensity of the longitudinal magnetic field in the tube increases with depth. The Alfven wave velocity averaged over the length of a magnetic tube is tens or hundreds of times less than this velocity in a sunspot umbra. It decreases with an increase in the period of oscillations. A decrease in the Alfven wave velocity leads to an increase in the twisting angle of magnetic field lines.     

Grain alignment in dense interstellar environments: spectropolarimetry of the 4.67-μm CO-ice feature in the field star Elias 16 (Taurus dark cloud)

We present spectropolarimetry of the solid CO feature at 4.67 μm along the line of sight to Elias 16, a field star background to the Taurus dark cloud. A clear increase in polarization is observed across the feature with the peak of polarization shifted in wavelength relative to the peak of absorption. This shows that dust grains in dense, cold environments (temperatures ∼20 K or less) can align and produce polarization by dichroic absorption. For a grain model, consisting of a core with a single mantle, the polarization feature is best modelled by a thick CO mantle, possibly including 10 per cent water-ice, with the volume ratio of mantle to bare grain of ∼5. Radiative torques could be responsible for the grain alignment provided the grain radius is at least 0.5 μm. This would require the grain cores to have a radius of at least 0.3 μm, much larger than grain sizes in the diffuse interstellar medium. Sizes of this order seem reasonable on the basis of independent evidence for grain growth by coagulation, as well as mantle formation, inside dense clouds.     

Variations of the magnetic field near Mars caused by magnetic crustal anomalies

The possible avenues for photoelectron transport were determined during southern hemisphere winter at Mars by using a mapping analysis of the theoretical magnetic field. Magnetic field line tracing was performed by superposing two magnetic field models: (1) magnetic field derived from a three-dimensional (3D) self-consistent quasi-neutral hybrid model which does not contain the Martian crustal magnetic anomalies and (2) a 3D map of the magnetic field associated with the magnetic anomalies based on Mars Global Surveyor magnetic field measurements. It was found that magnetic field lines connected to the nightside of the planet are mainly channeled within the optical shadow of the magnetotail whereas magnetic field lines connected to the dayside of the planet are observed to form the remainder of the magnetosphere. The simulation suggests that the crustal anomalies create “a magnetic shield” by decreasing the region near Mars which is magnetically connected to the Martian magnetosphere. The rotation of Mars causes periodic changes in magnetic connectivity, but not to qualitative changes in the overall magnetic field draping around Mars.     

The solar dynamo in the light of the distribution of various sunspot magnetic classes over butterfly diagram

We present the data concerning the distribution of various sunspot magnetic classes over the solar butterfly diagram and discuss how this data can inform solar dynamo models. We use the statistics of sunspots that violate the Hale polarity law to estimate the ratio of the fluctuating and mean components of the toroidal magnetic field inside the solar convective zone. An analysis of the spatial distribution of bipolar, unipolar and complex sunspot groups in the context of simple dynamo models results in the conclusion that the mean toroidal field is relatively simple and maintains its shape during the course of the solar cycle (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Center to limb variation of penumbral Stokes V profiles

We investigated the horizontal and the vertical component of the Evershed flow (EF). To this end, we computed average Stokes V profiles for various velocity classes in penumbrae at different heliocentric angles. Our results show that for blueshifted profiles an additional lobe with the same polarity as the spot is present in the blue side of the average Stokes V profile. The amplitude of the additional lobe grows with increasing blueshift and with increasing heliocentric angle. For small redshifts, the profiles show an additional lobe with the opposite polarity as the spot on the red side of the average Stokes V profile. Even at disk center, the original polarity of the average Stokes V profile is reversed for strong redshifts. The transition between the different types of Stokes V profiles is continuous and indicates that not only the vertical, but also the horizontal EF is a magnetized stream of plasma in a magnetic background field (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The GREGOR polarimetric calibration unit

The new Solar telescope GREGOR is designed to observe small‐scale dynamic magnetic structures below a size of 70 km on the Sun with high spectral resolution and polarimetric accuracy. For this purpose, the polarimetric concept of GREGOR is based on a combination of post‐focus polarimeters with pre‐focus equipment for high precision calibration. The Leibniz‐Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam developed the GREGOR calibration unit which is an integral part of the telescope. We give an overview of the function and design of the calibration unit and present the results of extensive testing series done in the Solar Observatory “Einsteinturm” and at GREGOR (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

塔里木板块东南缘多坝沟金矿区花岗岩类年代学、地球化学特征及找矿意义

多坝沟金矿是近年来塔里木盆地东南缘新发现的一处具有一定规模的金矿床,矿区内出露的英云闪长岩侵入闪长岩中,金矿体主要赋存在英云闪长岩体内部的构造蚀变带中。笔者对矿区闪长岩、英云闪长岩和金矿石进行了岩石学和地球化学研究,闪长岩具有埃达克型花岗岩特征,英云闪长岩具有喜马拉雅型花岗岩特征,全岩δ18OV-SMOW‰为11.0‰~13.4‰。通过金矿石的LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb测年,获得具有多期峰值的变质年龄,206Pb/238U年龄值在422~1 284 Ma,这组年龄显示出闪长岩形成年龄为（497±13）Ma,英云闪长岩的形成年龄为（435.9±6.6）Ma,伴随构造热液活动的年龄,成矿年龄稍晚于英云闪长岩的年龄,矿区的2期岩浆活动与塔里木东南缘-阿尔金北缘早古生代2期主要成矿阶段一致,多坝沟金矿成矿阶段主要集中在第二阶段,表明在塔里木盆地东南缘寻找与早古生代形成的埃达克型和喜马拉雅型花岗岩有关金铜矿床具有一定的潜力。     

“十三五”期间中国探矿权及地质勘查投资时空演变

基于详细的统计数据,从时间、空间、结构等多个纬度,对中国探矿权及地质勘查投资情况进行了时间序列、因素相关性等对比分析和综合研究,为政府管理部门制定政策和规划提供参考依据。通过研究,揭示了影响探矿权及地质勘查投资的主要因素、底层逻辑和发展规律,并认为受国内外宏观经济增速放缓、地缘政治等因素影响,特别是国内相关产业政策、生态和环境保护压力,“十三五”期间中国探矿权数、地质勘查投入和新发现矿产地持续大幅度减少。“十三五”期间,新立探矿权同比减少52.1%,注销探矿权数是“十二五”期间的3.7倍多。油气矿产的探矿权登记面积和地质勘查投资分别占全国的96%和77.6%;非油气矿产探矿权数占全国的90%以上,有近60%的非油气探矿权在西部地区;非油气地质勘查投资中,水工环及科技等投资额占居半壁江山。预计中国在能源矿产、战略性矿产等勘查领域将增加勘查投入,地质勘查投资将于2024年后逐渐走出低谷。     

泥河湾盆地下沙沟剖面磁组构特征分析与古湖环境变化研究

泥河湾盆地是中国北方很重要的沉积盆地,但由于盆地范围较广,局部地区环境变化差异较大,目前对泥河湾盆地的环境变化的认识还较为局限。文章通过对下沙沟剖面（厚度260 m）的河湖相沉积物进行详细的岩石磁学和磁组构研究,以尝试恢复下沙沟地区以及盆地东部古湖环境的演化过程,希望能够对泥河湾盆地环境变化提供一些新的指示。研究结果显示,样品中磁性矿物以PSD的磁铁矿颗粒为主,部分样品中含有少量赤铁矿。下沙沟剖面的沉积物受后期扰动很小,属于正常的重力沉积。沉积物磁面理（F）比磁线理（L）更发育,磁组构参数中磁面理F、各向异性度P_j和水流速度函数Fs对环境变化的响应更加明显,古水流分析结果显示下沙沟地区没有长期稳定的流向,环境变化情况复杂。根据下沙沟剖面河湖相沉积物的磁性地层学年龄框架,以郝家台剖面顶部河湖相沉积物的年龄作为该剖面的顶界,得到了下沙沟剖面2.7~0.3 Ma的磁组构参数变化特征。结合岩性和磁组构参数变化的阶段性特征,将下沙沟地区以及盆地东部古湖环境演化历史分为5个阶段：2.7~2.4 Ma,古湖早期逐渐扩张,于早更新世达到了古湖发育的最盛时期,水体动荡,略不稳定;2.4~1.9 Ma,环境变化主要受气候因素影响,下沙沟地区水动力频繁变化,古湖经历了一次扩张和收缩;1.9~1.3 Ma,下沙沟地区的沉积主要受控于河流作用,盆地东部主要受到构造因素的影响,古湖处于持续收缩的阶段;1.3~0.9 Ma,下沙沟地区环境变化剧烈,受中更新世气候转型的影响较大,古湖东部也较大范围的受到中更新世气候转型的影响;0.9~0.3 Ma,全球气候变化剧烈,对古湖东部环境也有一定的影响,但整体还处于水体较为稳定的湖泊环境,古湖并未开始消亡。