Non-axisymmetric α2Ω-dynamo waves in thin stellar shells

Linear α²Ω-dynamo waves are investigated in a thin turbulent, differentially rotating convective stellar shell. A simplified one-dimensional model is considered and an asymptotic solution constructed based on the small aspect ratio of the shell. In a previous paper Griffiths et al. (Griffiths, G.L., Bassom, A.P., Soward, A.M. and Kuzanyan, K.M., Nonlinear α²Ω-dynamo waves in stellar shells, Geophys. Astrophys. Fluid Dynam., 2001, 94, 85–133) considered the modulation of dynamo waves, linked to a latitudinal-dependent local α-effect and radial gradient of the zonal shear flow. These effects are measured at latitude θ by the magnetic Reynolds numbers R _α f(θ) and R _Ω g(θ). The modulated Parker wave, which propagates towards the equator, is localised at some mid-latitude θ_p under a Gaussian envelope. In this article, we include the influence of a latitudinal-dependent zonal flow possessing angular velocity Ω_*(θ) and consider the possibility of non-axisymmetric dynamo waves with azimuthal wave number m. We find that the critical dynamo number D _c?=?R _α R _Ω is minimised by axisymmetric modes in the αΩ-limit (Rα→0). On the other hand, when Rα?≠?0 there may exist a band of wave numbers 0?m?m ^? for which the non-axisymmetric modes have a smaller D _c than in the axisymmetric case. Here m ^? is regarded as a continuous function of R _α with the property m?→0 as R _α→0 and the band is only non-empty when m??>1, which happens for sufficiently large R _α. The preference for non-axisymmetric modes is possible because the wind-up of the non-axisymmetric structures can be compensated by phase mixing inherent to the α²Ω-dynamo. For parameter values resembling solar conditions, the Parker wave of maximum dynamo activity at latitude θ_p not only propagates equatorwards but also westwards relative to the local angular velocity Ω_*(θ _p ). Since the critical dynamo number D _c?=?R _α R _Ω is O (1) for small R _α, the condition m ^??>?1 for non-axisymmetric mode preference imposes an upper limit on the size of |dΩ_*/dθ|.     

Trans-polar vgp shifts and earth's rotation

Abstract

At about 13,200 BP and 1000 BP, the geomagnetic field experienced trans-polar VGP shifts between main centra in Arctic Siberia and Arctic Canada, respectively. Both shifts are associated with major changes in the Earth's rate of rotation indicating a causal connection. The 1000 BP VGP shift and change in rotation is also associated with a decrease in the geomagnetic dipole field strength. The trans-polar VGP shifts seem to be of dipolar nature. They seem to be consistent with the displacement of the symmetry axis of two rotating bodies.     

地球自转对强震震中附近中小地震的影响

论述2008年5月12日四川汶川Ms8.0地震和2010年4月14日青海玉树Ms7.1地震前震中附近中小地震和地球自转季节性变化的关系,介绍1970年以来中国大陆其他14例M≥7.0地震震例.研究发现,在强震前几年时间内,震中附近地区的中小地震有偏向发生于地球自转速率季节性变化加速或者减速某一阶段的现象.该结果对深入认识地震与地球自转之间的关系具有一定启示意义,对地震预测具有一定指导意义.     

南极月球陨石EET96008矿物学和岩石学特征

EET 96008是一块发现于南极Elephant地区的玄武岩质角砾岩月球陨石。本文对该陨石的矿物岩石学特征进行了详细的观察和描述。EET 96008具有典型的碎屑结构,其角砾浑圆度低,角砾大小一般为0.1-2mm,它主要由角砾（50.2vol%）和基质（49.8vol%）组成,该陨石角砾类型多样：（1）晶屑：主要为辉石、橄榄石、长石以及石英;（2）岩屑：主要为变粒岩岩屑、基性岩岩屑、苏长岩质斜长岩岩屑;（3）玻屑：主要为斜长岩质。基质和角砾在颗粒上是连续过渡的,基质主要是由粒度小于0.1mm的矿物碎屑和玻屑组成。该陨石辉石类型多样,成分变化大Fs18.0-58.0Wo3.9-45.2En3.5-79.1,出溶现象普遍,出溶条纹达到1μm宽;橄榄石中Fa值主要分为两个区域,Fa50-70以及Fa80-95,铁含量较高,平均Fa71.8;长石成分以钙长石为主（An84.9-97.9）,部分斜长石已熔长石化。该陨石与QUE 94281同为月球玄武岩质角砾岩,在结构及矿物组成上具有类似性,但是在岩屑类型及橄榄石矿物成分上存在着明显不同,为非成对陨石,且源区可能不同。EET 96008具有三个典型的冲击暗化区域,有大量的玻璃质以及冲击熔融囊的产生,冲击程度达到S5以上。该陨石在冲击作用下,富铁辉石分解产生钙铁辉石-铁橄榄石-石英,该现象为了解月球表面冲击历史提供了重要的科学依据。     

Stable and unstable barotropic shelf waves in a coastal current

Abstract

We consider the linearized stability of a barotropic coastal current flowing parallel to a straight coastline over a continental shelf and slope whose depth varies monotonically with distance from the coast. Some necessary conditions for stability and various semi-circle theorems are reviewed for general current profiles and bottom topography. A criterion for topography to be a destabilizing influence is derived. Some general results for stable waves are also described. Analytic solutions are obtained for a piece-wise linear current profile and the exponential depth profile (Buchwald and Adams, 1968). Dispersion diagrams are obtained for a monotonic current profile, where it is shown that the effect of topography is destabilizing, and for a triangular current profile. The dispersion diagrams generally contain a finite number (usually one or two) of unstable waves, and a set of stable waves, which may be infinite in number. The results are applied to some specific coastal regimes.     

Effects of material variability on the ductility of composite beams and overstrength coefficients

The aim of this paper is to investigate the plastic rotation capacity of composite beams as well as the overstrength factors for composite joints considering the actual European steel production. It relies on the statistical data of the mechanical properties of steel profiles and reinforcement bars produced in several European steel mills that have been collected during the European research project OPUS. Several steel and composite structures have been designed following the EN 1998 rules, and the effect of the statistical distribution of the steel properties on the design has been analyzed. In such structures, the first attainment of the rotation capacity is expected to happen in the hogging region. The plastic rotation capacity was evaluated using the so‐called standard beam concept. The moment–rotation curve was constructed by joining together the pre‐buckling branch, determined using a fiber model, and the post‐buckling part derived by considering the local plastic failure mechanism as suggested by Gioncu. A program in MATLAB (MATLAB version 7.10.0. Natick, Massachusetts: The MathWorks Inc., 2010) was developed to establish such curve for arbitrary composite beams. The predictions of the model compare favorably against the experimental results. On the basis of the probabilistic model for the mechanical properties of steel, we derive the statistical distribution of the maximum rotation defined at the intersection of the pre‐buckling and post‐buckling curves. Next, we estimate the so‐called overstrength factors. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rotation,activity, and lithium abundance in cool binary stars

We have used two robotic telescopes to obtain time‐series high‐resolution optical echelle spectroscopy and VI and/or by photometry for a sample of 60 active stars, mostly binaries. Orbital solutions are presented for 26 double‐lined systems and for 19 single‐lined systems, seven of them for the first time but all of them with unprecedented phase coverage and accuracy. Eighteen systems turned out to be single stars. The total of 6609 R = 55000 échelle spectra are also used to systematically determine effective temperatures, gravities, metallicities, rotational velocities, lithium abundances and absolute Hα‐core fluxes as a function of time. The photometry is used to infer unspotted brightness, V – I and/or b – y colors, spot‐induced brightness amplitudes and precise rotation periods. An extra 22 radial‐velocity standard stars were monitored throughout the science observations and yield a new barycentric zero point for our STELLA/SES robotic system. Our data are complemented by literature data and are used to determine rotation‐temperature‐activity relations for active binary components. We also relate lithium abundance to rotation and surface temperature. We find that 74% of all known rapidly‐rotating active binary stars are synchronized and in circular orbits but 26% (61 systems) are rotating asynchronously of which half have P_rot > P_orb and e > 0. Because rotational synchronization is predicted to occur before orbital circularization active binaries should undergo an extra spin‐down besides tidal dissipation. We suspect this to be due to a magnetically channeled wind with its subsequent braking torque. We find a steep increase of rotation period with decreasing effective temperature for active stars, P_rot α T^–7_eff, for both single and binaries, main sequence and evolved. For inactive, single giants with P_rot > 100 d, the relation is much weaker, P_rot α T^‐1.12_eff. Our data also indicate a period‐activity relation for Hα of the form R_Hα α P_0.24^rot for binaries and R_Hα α P_‐0.14^rot for singles. Its power‐law difference is possibly significant. Lithium abundances in our (field‐star) sample generally increase with effective temperature and are paralleled with an increase of the dispersion. The dispersion for binaries can be 1–2 orders of magnitude larger than for singles, peaking at an absolute spread of 3 orders of magnitude near T_eff ≈ 5000 K. On average, binaries of comparable effective temperature appear to exhibit 0.25 dex less surface lithium than singles, as expected if the depletion mechanism is rotation dependent. We also find a trend of increased Li abundance with rotational period of form log n (Li) α –0.6 log P_rot but again with a dispersion of as large as 3‐4 orders of magnitude (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

应力主轴循环旋转条件下饱和砂土的变形特性

采用香港科技大学的空心圆柱扭剪仪对日本标准丰浦砂进行了3个系列、每个系列包含中主应力系数=0.1、0.5和1.0三种不同情况的纯应力主轴循环旋转排水试验。试验过程中控制作用在砂样上的有效主应力的幅值不变,仅应力主轴在0°至180°之间循环旋转。着重分析了纯应力主轴循环旋转条件下饱和砂土的剪切变形特性、体应变的发展规律及中主应力系数的影响。