Comparison of true-height electron density profiles derived by POLAN and NHPC methods

The changing state of the ionosphere is generally monitored by networks of vertical ionosondes that provide us with regular ionospheric sounding. Many ionospheric applications require determination of the true-height electron density profiles. Therefore, ionograms must be further inverted into real-height electron density profiles. The paper presents the comparison study of the true-height electron density profiles inverted from ionograms using two different methods POLAN (Titheridge, 1985) and NHPC (Huang and Reinish, 1996; Reinish et al., 2005), widely used by the ionospheric research community. Our results show significant systematic differences between electron density profiles calculated by these two inversion methods. pkn@ufa.cas.cz     

杭州下沙粉土三轴试验分析

位于杭州东部的下沙城区地基深14m范围内主要土层为钱塘江近代冲堆积形成的砂质粉土,工程性质特殊,土性指标变异性大。通过对杭州下沙粉土原状样、扰动样、重塑样的三轴试验,结果表明土样受扰动的影响大,用室内测得的不固结不排水三轴压缩试验结果不能代表现场土的强度。原状土样应力应变呈加工软化型,重塑土样应力应变呈加工硬化。在三轴CU试验不排水剪切过程中,孔隙水压力先是增加然后下降,表现了剪胀性。试验结果分析有利于加深对近代冲积堆积的下沙粉土的认识,并对工程应用具有参考价值。     

A study of velocity fields in the transition region of ε Eri (K2 V)

Analyses of the widths and shifts of optically thin emission lines in the ultraviolet spectrum of the active dwarf ε Eri (K2 V) are presented. The spectra were obtained using the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope and the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer . The linewidths are used to find the non-thermal energy density and its variation with temperature from the chromosphere to the upper transition region. The energy fluxes that could be carried by Alfvén and acoustic waves are investigated, to test their possible roles in coronal heating. Acoustic waves do not appear to be a viable means of coronal heating. There is, in principle, ample flux in Alfvén waves, but detailed calculations of wave propagation are required before definite conclusions can be drawn concerning their viability. The high sensitivity and spectral resolution of the above instruments have allowed two-component Gaussian fits to be made to the profiles of the stronger transition region lines. The broad and narrow components that result share some similarities with those observed in the Sun, but in ε Eri the broad component is redshifted relative to the narrow component and contributes more to the total line flux. The possible origins of the two components and the energy fluxes implied are discussed. On balance our results support the conclusion of Wood, Linsky & Ayres, that the narrow component is related to Alfvén waves reaching to the corona, but the origin of the broad component is not clear.     

An ultra-high-resolution study of the interstellar medium towards Orion

We report ultra-high-resolution observations     of Na  i , Ca  ii , K  i , CH and CH⁺ for interstellar sightlines towards 12 bright stars in Orion. These data enable the detection of many more absorption components than previously recognized, providing a more accurate perspective on the absorbing medium. This is especially so for the line of sight to the Orion nebula, a region not previously studied at very high resolution. Model fits have been constructed for the absorption-line profiles, providing estimates for the column density, velocity dispersion and central velocity for each constituent velocity component. A comparison between the absorption occurring in sightlines with small angular separations has been used, along with comparisons with other studies, to estimate the line-of-sight velocity structures. Comparisons with earlier studies have also revealed temporal variability in the absorption-line profile of ζ Ori, highlighting the presence of small-scale spatial structure in the interstellar medium on scales of ≈10 au. Where absorption from both Na⁰ and K⁰ is observed for a particular cloud, a comparison of the velocity dispersions measured for each of these species provides rigorous limits on both the kinetic temperature and turbulent velocity prevailing in each cloud. Our results indicate the turbulent motions to be subsonic in each case.     abundance ratios are derived for individual clouds, providing an indication of their physical state.     

邢台余震区的震源参数

在1966年发生6.8和7.2级邢台地震的余震区里,从1976年1月至1985年11月已记录到约6000次地震,其中最大的两次地震是1981年11月9日M_L=5.8和1985年11月30日M_L=5.6的地震。本文利用P波初动半周期,测定了这一时间段里发生的69次M_L=2.7—4.4的地震的震源参数。应力降在0.01兆帕到10兆帕的范围内变化,且主要集中在0.1兆帕和1兆帕之间,因此取1兆帕以上为高应力降,用以评定该区的应力积累情况。震源半径的变化范围大,但在M_L≤3.7的范围内不随M_L而变大,而应力降则随M_L而增大。1981年的5.8级地震和1985年的5.6级地震,虽然在震前、震后的地震活动上都完全不一样,但其共同点是:震前出现的高应力降地震比较多,且其应力降的数值有随时间增高的趋势。     

The effects of layering and local stresses in composite volcanoes on dyke emplacement and volcanic hazards

Since most volcanic eruptions are fed by dykes, any assessment of volcanic hazards in an area must include an evaluation of the probability of injected dykes either reaching the surface or becoming arrested. Composite volcanoes are normally composed of alternating stiff (high Young's modulus) and soft (low Young's modulus) layers. Numerical models indicate that during unrest periods with magma-chamber inflation, the local stresses in composite volcanoes commonly prevent dyke-fed eruptions: while the stresses in the stiff layers may favour dyke propagation and seismogenic faulting, the local stresses in the soft layer remain seismically quiet and favour dyke arrest. Geodetic and field studies also indicate that most dykes never reach the surface, and that only a small fraction of the magma volume injected from a chamber erupts at the surface. I propose that for a dyke-fed eruption to occur, all the layers along the potential pathway of the dyke must have local stresses that favour magma-driven extension-fracture propagation. Thus, the stress field along the pathway must be homogenised. To cite this article: A. Gudmundsson, C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).     

Roche tomography of cataclysmic variables – I. Artefacts and techniques

Roche tomography is a technique used for imaging the Roche-lobe-filling secondary stars in cataclysmic variables (CVs). In order to interpret Roche tomograms correctly, one must determine whether features in the reconstruction are real, or the result of statistical or systematic errors. We explore the effects of systematic errors using reconstructions of simulated data sets, and show that systematic errors result in characteristic distortions of the final reconstructions that can be identified and corrected. In addition, we present a new method of estimating statistical errors on tomographic reconstructions using a Monte Carlo bootstrapping algorithm, and show this method to be much more reliable than Monte Carlo methods which 'jiggle' the data points in accordance with the size of their error bars.     

Short period line profile and light variations in the Be star ω Orionis

We present the results of a multisite spectroscopic and photometric campaign on the Be star ω Orionis. From the photometry and radial velocity variation of several spectral lines, we confirm that the star is a variable with period     . Only one period can be extracted from both the photometric and radial velocity observations. We find that the projected rotational velocity from the helium lines     is considerably smaller than from the metal lines     . The line profiles show an excess absorption feature moving from blue to red for half the period and from red to blue for the other half of the period. Another excess absorption feature moves exactly out of phase. The excess absorption features are present in photospheric lines as well as in lines which are significantly affected by circumstellar material, such as H β . From this we conclude that the periodic variations are most probably associated with corotating circumstellar material.