Analysis of the positive ionospheric response to a moderate geomagnetic storm using a global numerical model

Current theories of F-layer storms are discussed using numerical simulations with the Upper Atmosphere Model, a global self-consistent, time dependent numerical model of the thermosphere-ionosphere-plasmasphere-magnetosphere system including electrodynamical coupling effects. A case study of a moderate geomagnetic storm at low solar activity during the northern winter solstice exemplifies the complex storm phenomena. The study focuses on positive ionospheric storm effects in relation to thermospheric disturbances in general and thermospheric composition changes in particular. It investigates the dynamical effects of both neutral meridional winds and electric fields caused by the disturbance dynamo effect. The penetration of short-time electric fields of magnetospheric origin during storm intensification phases is shown for the first time in this model study. Comparisons of the calculated thermospheric composition changes with satellite observations of AE-C and ESRO-4 during storm time show a good agreement. The empirical MSISE90 model, however, is less consistent with the simulations. It does not show the equatorward propagation of the disturbances and predicts that they have a gentler latitudinal gradient. Both theoretical and experimental data reveal that although the ratio of [O]/[N₂] at high latitudes decreases significantly during the magnetic storm compared with the quiet time level, at mid to low latitudes it does not increase (at fixed altitudes) above the quiet reference level. Meanwhile, the ionospheric storm is positive there. We conclude that the positive phase of the ionospheric storm is mainly due to uplifting of ionospheric F2-region plasma at mid latitudes and its equatorward movement at low latitudes along geomagnetic field lines caused by large-scale neutral wind circulation and the passage of travelling atmospheric disturbances (TADs). The calculated zonal electric field disturbances also help to create the positive ionospheric disturbances both at middle and low latitudes. Minor contributions arise from the general density enhancement of all constituents during geomagnetic storms, which favours ion production processes above ion losses at fixed height under day-light conditions.     

The Spatial Pattern of Complementary and Alternative Medical Offices Across Ontario and Within Intermediate-Sized Metropolitan Areas

Complementary and alternative medical approaches such as chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, holistic, and naturopathic therapies act as complements to, and in some cases replacements for, conventional medical techniques. The growing acceptance of the benefits of "traditional" medicine in the Canadian province of Ontario continues to provide complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners with business opportunities, but to date little attention has been directed toward the spatial patterns exhibited by these operations. A province-wide database of 4,599 records, containing addresses and selected characteristics (e.g., sales, employment) of CAM offices, is utilized to describe the geographic pattern across Ontario. An additional database allows for the assessment of four intermediate-sized census metropolitan areas (CMAs) in Ontario (Kingston, Guelph, Thunder Bay, and Greater Sudbury), and it is determined (using a general nearest neighbor analysis and a nearest neighbor hierarchical clustering procedure) that CAM offices are significantly clustered in specific portions of each CMA. The results from a survey administered to CAM practitioners suggests that the benefits of urbanization economies are biasing location decisions within these CMAs, and that localization economies advantages appear to be influencing complementary and alternative healthcare specialists to share offices.     

Invariant manifolds, phase correlations of chaotic orbits and the spiral structure of galaxies

In the presence of a strong   m = 2  component in a rotating galaxy, the phase-space structure near corotation is shaped to a large extent by the invariant manifolds of the short-period family of unstable periodic orbits terminating at L ₁ or L ₂. The main effect of these manifolds is to create robust phase correlations among a number of chaotic orbits large enough to support a spiral density wave outside corotation. The phenomenon is described theoretically by soliton-like solutions of a Sine–Gordon equation. Numerical examples are given in an N -body simulation of a barred spiral galaxy. In these examples, we demonstrate how the projection of unstable manifolds in configuration space reproduces essentially the entire observed bar–spiral pattern.     

Differential uplift between Beihuaiyang and Dabie orogenic belt

Isotope dating, hornblende geobarometer, fission-track analysis and fluid inclusion homogeneous temperature analysis have been applied to Caledonian, Variscan and Yenshan plutons in Bei Huaiyang (BHY) and Dabie orogenic belt (DOB), and the emplaced depths and ages of these plutons have been obtained in order to obtain differential uplift time and uplift heights between BHY and DOB since late Paleozoic era. BHY had experienced three stages of uplift (C1-C2, T-J2, J3-K1) and its total uplift height is about 10 km, but, DOB had only experienced two stages of uplift (T-J2, J3-K1) and its maximum uplift height is more than 15 km. BHY uplift occurred mainly before the mid-Jurassic (about 150 Ma), but DOB uplift took place after the mid-Jurassic (about 150 Ma).     

MIXTURE ANGLYSIS USING FACTOR ANGLYSIS I: CALIBRATION AND QUANTITATION

One of the major application areas of factor analysis, multivariate calibration and quantitation, is coveredin this review. The algorithms, methodologies and applications covered include principal componentregression, target transformation factor analysis, singular value decomposition and rank annihilationfactor analysis. Many important areas of research having relevance to multivariate calibration andquantitation problems are also covered in this review, including background correction, measurementerror, rank determination, cross-validation, figures of merit, detection of invalid samples, experimentaldesign, sample selection, statistical inference and wavelength selection.     

On determining the noon polar cap boundary from SuperDARN HF radar backscatter characteristics

Previous work has shown that ionospheric HF radar backscatter in the noon sector can be used to locate the footprint of the magnetospheric cusp particle precipitation. This has enabled the radar data to be used as a proxy for the location of the polar cap boundary, and hence measure the flow of plasma across it to derive the reconnection electric field in the ionosphere. This work used only single radar data sets with a field of view limited to 2 h of local time. In this case study using four of the SuperDARN radars, we examine the boundary determined over 6 h of magnetic local time around the noon sector and its relationship to the convection pattern. The variation with longitude of the latitude of the radar scatter with cusp characteristics shows a bay-like feature. It is shown that this feature is shaped by the variation with longitude of the poleward flow component of the ionospheric plasma and may be understood in terms of cusp ion time-of-flight effects. Using this interpretation, we derive the time-of-flight of the cusp ions and find that it is consistent with approximately 1 keV ions injected from a subsolar reconnection site. A method for deriving a more accurate estimate of the location of the open-closed field line boundary from HF radar data is described.     

柯坪6.5级地震的部分前兆异常及预报

1991年2月25日柯坪6.5级地震前,震中附近地区的土层地应力、金属摆倾斜仪等多项前兆观测出现异常变化,说明强震发生前近场灵敏度较低的简陋仪器也能观测到明显的前兆反应。分析、认识这些异常对地震短临预报的决策是有益的。     

Axisymmetry in protoplanetary nebulae – II. A near-infrared imaging polarimetric survey

In an imaging polarimetry survey of candidate post-AGB stars, scattering envelopes are detected around 20 objects. These envelopes represent the final mass-loss phases at the end of the AGB. In all cases, evidence for axisymmetry in the dust density is seen, suggesting that the presence of an axisymmetric outflow may be a ubiquitous phenomenon of the AGB to post-AGB transition. We use the polarized flux images to classify the objects into detached shell, bipolar and unresolved targets. Modelling based on a simple axisymmetric shell geometry supports the contention that post-AGB objects fall into one of two classes that differ in the amount of dust in the circumstellar environment: the detached shells correspond to stars with an optically thin expanding circumstellar envelope (CSE) whereas the bipolar and unresolved targets have optically thick dust structures, probably in the form of discs, which remain bound to the star, rather than partaking in the expansion of the AGB CSE. It is suggested that this bifurcation in morphology is rooted in the presence or absence of a binary companion, which determines whether or not a disc forms. Because the detached shell objects also appear axisymmetric, an additional mechanism for generating the axisymmetry, such as a magnetically shaped outflow, is needed if they do indeed have single star progenitors.     

岩溶洞穴次生碳酸盐沉积铀及其同位素组成古气候环境研究进展

洞穴沉积铀含量及其同位素初始234U/238U[（234U/238U)0]变化均与过去气候环境变化关系密切。文章分别对石笋中U含量和(234U/238U)0的气候意义进行统计分析发现,多数研究认为洞穴沉积U含量和(234U/238U)0可能指示土壤湿度和有效降水变化。然而,不管是对洞穴沉积的U含量还是(234U/238U)0,其气候环境意义解读还存在两种观点。但无论如何,这些研究成果都显示了洞穴沉积的U含量和(234U/238U)0是研究过去气候环境变化的重要替代指标。在未来的研究中,除了土壤环境和过程,还应关注U来源的相对贡献变化和其他微量元素与U元素的关系。这一指标可能在对东亚地区的大气粉尘活动和冬季风演化、地表生物量的变化研究等方面发挥重要作用。      

我国岩溶资源环境领域的创新问题

中国岩溶地区资源环境问题突出,制约着经济社会的发展。“十八大”以来国家大力推进科技创新和生态文明建设。科技创新不仅有助于解决和应对岩溶地区的资源环境问题,也将推动岩溶科学的发展,服务我国生态文明建设。今后的岩溶研究应当落实地球系统科学在岩溶学中的应用,发挥我国岩溶研究的地域优势,探索我国岩溶关键带的特征和重要过程;加强岩溶作用应对全球变化、岩溶碳汇速率和稳定性的研究,建立应对极端气候的长效机制;考虑古纬度和古气候对古岩溶形成的影响;深入探索微生物对深部碳酸盐岩岩溶形成的作用;系统梳理和总结我国第一期石漠化治理工程的经验和存在的问题,更好地指导下一步的治理工作;思考从南北方岩溶分界线的角度开展岩溶自然遗产地的申报工作;将现代大数据等技术运用到岩溶资源环境、水文地质研究中,做好地质灾害的预警预报和应对资源短缺问题的研究,服务国家需求。