Energetic protons associated with a forward-reverse interplanetary shock pair at 1 A.U.

A forward-reverse interplanetary shock was observed on 25 March 1969 by the magnetometer and plasma detector on the HEOS-1 satellite. This relatively rare event was described by Chao et al (1972) who concluded that the shock pair was formed at a distance 0.10–0.13 A.U. upstream of the Earth as a result of the interaction between a fast and a slow solar wind streams. Simultaneous observations of 1 MeV solar proton fluxes were also performed on HEOS-1. A characteristic intensity peak was observed as the forward shock passed by the spacecraft. The evolution of the proton intensity, together with a detailed analysis of anisotropies and pitch angle distributions show a complex dynamic picture of the effect of the forward shock on the ambient proton population. Significant changes in particle fluxes are seen to be correlated with fluctuations in the magnetic field. It is suggested that simple geometrical models of shock-associated acceleration should be expanded to include the effect of magnetic fluctuations on particle fluxes. The interaction region limited by the forward and reverse shocks contained a large variety of magnetic fluctuations. Following the tangential discontinuity separating the fast solar wind stream from the preceding slow stream, a sunward flow was observed in the proton data, followed by a small but significant drop in intensity prior to the reverse shock.     

Adaptation of Pressure Based CFD Solvers for Mesoscale Atmospheric Problems

General purpose Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solvers are frequently used in small-scale urban pollution dispersion simulations without a large extent of ver- tical flow. Vertical flow, however, plays an important role in the formation of local breezes, such as urban heat island induced breezes that have great significance in the ventilation of large cities. The effects of atmospheric stratification, anelasticity and Coriolis force must be taken into account in such simulations. We introduce a general method for adapting pressure based CFD solvers to atmospheric flow simulations in order to take advantage of their high flexibility in geometrical modelling and meshing. Compressibility and thermal stratification effects are taken into account by utilizing a novel system of transformations of the field variables and by adding consequential source terms to the model equations of incompressible flow. Phenomena involving mesoscale to microscale coupled effects can be analyzed without model nesting, applying only local grid refinement of an arbitrary level. Elements of the method are validated against an analytical solution, results of a reference calculation, and a laboratory scale urban heat island circulation experiment. The new approach can be applied with benefits to several areas of application. Inclusion of the moisture transport phenomena and the surface energy balance are important further steps towards the practical application of the method.     

Mineralogy and geochemistry of Devonian ultramafic minor intrusions of the southern Kola Peninsula, Russia: implications for the petrogenesis of kimberlites and melilitites

Minor magmatic intrusions of kimberlite, melilitite and cpx-melilitite occur in the southern part of the Kola Peninsula, Russia, on the Terskii Coast and near the town of Kandalaksha. They yield K-Ar ages of 382 ± 14 Ma and 365 ± 16 Ma, similar to the magmatic rocks from the Kola Alkaline Province. The Terskii Coast kimberlites have mineralogical and geochemical affinities with group 1 kimberlites, whereas the Kandalaksha monticellite kimberlite more closely resembles calcite kimberlites. The lower Al₂O₃ content in the Kola kimberlites indicates a strongly depleted harzburgitic source, while higher Al₂O₃ in the melilitites suggests a lherzolitic source. The Terskii Coast kimberlites are anomalously potassic and significantly enriched in P and Ba compared to other group 1 kimberlites. In contrast, the melilitites are sodic and are anomalously depleted in P compared to worldwide melilitites. Trace element patterns of the Kola kimberlites and melilitites indicate the presence of K- and P-rich phases in the mantle source. To account for the K-troughs shown by both magma types, a K-rich phase such as phlogopite is thought to be residual in their sources; however, the anomalous K-enrichment in the Terskii Coast kimberlites may indicate that an additional metasomatic K-rich phase (e.g. K-richterite and/or a complex K-Ba-phosphate) existed in the kimberlite source. The P-depletion in the melilitites may suggest that a phosphate phase such as apatite remained residual in the melilititic source. However, anomalous P-enrichment in the kimberlites cannot be explained by complete melting of the same phase because the kimberlites are a smaller degree melt; thus, it is most likely that another metasomatic phosphate mineral existed in the source of the kimberlites. The Kola kimberlites and melilitites are all strongly LREE-enriched but the kimberlites have a steeper REE pattern and are significantly more depleted in HREE, indicating a higher proportion of garnet in their source. Higher Nb/Y ratios and lower SiO₂ values in the kimberlites indicate that they were a smaller degree partial melt than the melilitites. The presence of diamonds in the Terskii Coast kimberlites indicates a relatively deep origin, while the melilitites originated from shallower depth. The non-diamondiferous Kandalaksha monticellite kimberlite has lower abundances of all incompatible trace elements, suggesting a higher degree of partial melting and/or a less enriched and shallower source than the Terskii Coast kimberlites. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_i, ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd_i and Pb isotope compositions confirm that the Terskii Coast kimberlites have close affinities with group 1 kimberlites and were derived from an asthenospheric mantle source, while the Kandalaksha monticellite kimberlite and Terskii Coast melilitites were derived from lithospheric mantle. Impact of a Devonian asthenospheric mantle plume on the base of the Archaean-Proterozoic lithosphere of the Kola Peninsula caused widespread emplacement of kimberlites, melilitites, ultramafic lamprophyres and other more fractionated alkaline magmas. The nature of the mantle affected by metasomatism associated with the plume and, in particular, the depth of melting and the stability of the metasomatic phases, gave rise to the observed differences between kimberlites and the related melilitites and other magmas. Received: 3 March 1997 / Accepted: 7 October 1997     

The STAGES view of red spirals and dusty red galaxies: mass-dependent quenching of star formation in cluster infall

We investigate the properties of optically passive spirals and dusty red galaxies in the A901/2 cluster complex at redshift ∼0.17 using rest-frame near-ultraviolet–optical spectral energy distributions, 24-μm infrared data and Hubble Space Telescope morphologies from the STAGES data set. The cluster sample is based on COMBO-17 redshifts with an rms precision of  σ _cz ≈ 2000 km s⁻¹  . We find that 'dusty red galaxies' and 'optically passive spirals' in A901/2 are largely the same phenomenon, and that they form stars at a substantial rate, which is only four times lower than that in blue spirals at fixed mass. This star formation is more obscured than in blue galaxies and its optical signatures are weak. They appear predominantly in the stellar mass range of  log  M _*/M_⊙=[10, 11]  where they constitute over half of the star-forming galaxies in the cluster; they are thus a vital ingredient for understanding the overall picture of star formation quenching in clusters. We find that the mean specific star formation rate (SFR) of star-forming galaxies in the cluster is clearly lower than in the field, in contrast to the specific SFR properties of blue galaxies alone, which appear similar in cluster and field. Such a rich red spiral population is best explained if quenching is a slow process and morphological transformation is delayed even more. At  log  M _*/M_⊙ < 10  , such galaxies are rare, suggesting that their quenching is fast and accompanied by morphological change. We note that edge-on spirals play a minor role; despite being dust reddened they form only a small fraction of spirals independent of environment.     

A comparison of theoretical and experimental estimates of the solar proton diffusion coefficient during three flare events

The propagation time for solar protons observed during the events of January 24, February 25 and March 17, 1969 are compared with those estimated from numerical solutions of the Fokker-Planck transport equation, using values of the diffusion coefficient of the form K _r = K ₀ r ^b where r is radial distance from the Sun, K ₀ is obtained from the plasma-field parameters near the Earth and b varies from - 3 to + 1. K ₀ is derived either by assuming that all the magnetic fluctuation power is in small amplitude transverse waves or alternatively in discontinuous changes in ¦B¦ along the flux tube of propagation. In the first case it is found that the K ₀ values calculated require either b -3, implying a very rapid wave growth with r, or the Fokker-Planck equation reduces to the situation of purely convective transport which is at variance with the experimental observations. More reasonable results are found in the second case although even here K ₀ is probably underestimated. Alternative ways of deducing K ₀ empirically from particle anisotropy measurements are put forward and these seem to favour the discontinuity model.     

Galaxy groups at 0.3 ≤z≤ 0.55 – I. Group properties

The evolution of galaxies in groups may have important implications for the evolution of the star formation history of the Universe, since many processes which operate in groups may suppress star formation and the fraction of galaxies in bound groups grows rapidly between   z = 1  and the present day. In this paper, we present an investigation of the properties of galaxies in galaxy groups at intermediate redshift  ( z ∼ 0.4)  . The groups were selected from the Canadian Network for Observational Cosmology Redshift Survey (CNOC2) redshift survey as described by Carlberg et al., with further spectroscopic follow-up undertaken at the Magellan telescope in order to improve the completeness and depth of the sample. We present the data for the individual groups, and find no clear trend in the fraction of passive galaxies with group velocity dispersion and group concentration. We stack the galaxy groups in order to compare the properties of group galaxies with those of field galaxies at the same redshift. The groups contain a larger fraction of passive galaxies than the field, this trend being particularly clear for galaxies brighter than   M _{B J} < −20  in the higher velocity dispersion groups. In addition, we see evidence for an excess of bright passive galaxies in the groups relative to the field. In contrast, the luminosity functions of the star-forming galaxies in the groups and the field are consistent. These trends are qualitatively consistent with the differences between group and field galaxies seen in the local Universe.     

The erosion history of the Central Alps: evidence from zircon fission track data of the foreland basin sediments

Fission track dating on detrital zircons of Alpine debris in the Swiss molasse basin provides information about the erosion history of the Central Alps and the thermal evolution of source terrains. During Oligocene times, only sedimentary cover nappes, and Austroalpine basement units were eroded. Incision into Austroalpine basement units is indicated by increasing importance of Cretaceous cooling ages in granite pebbles upsection. Erosion of Penninic basement units started between 25 and 20 Ma. Early Oligocene zircon FT ages show that Penninic basement units were exposed at ∼20 Ma. Deeper Penninic units of the Lepontine Dome became exposed first at ∼14 Ma, contemporaneously with the opening of the Tauern window in the Eastern Alps. A middle Miocene cooling rate of 40 °C Myr⁻¹ is deduced for the Lower Penninic units of the Lepontine Dome.