Response of Nereis diversicolor population (Polychaeta,Nereididae) to the pollution impact – Authie and Seine estuaries (France)

A survey within the French National Programme of Ecotoxicology was carried out in 2002, 2003 and 2004 to study the response of Nereis diversicolor populations (Polychaeta, Nereididae) to the impact of pollution in the Authie estuary (non-contaminated site) and in the Seine estuary (contaminated site). In the period studied, the density varied from 672 ind. m⁻² to 3584 ind. m⁻² in the Authie estuary and from 80 ind. m⁻² to 920 ind. m⁻² in the Seine estuary. Biomass varied from 3.94 g m⁻² (dry weight) in February 2004 to 38.0 g m⁻² in August 2003 in the Authie estuary and from 3.4 g m⁻² in February 2002 to 0.6 g m⁻² in February 2004 in the Seine estuary. Density and biomass of the populations of N. diversicolor were consistently lower in the Seine estuary than in the Authie estuary. Size frequency histograms permit the analysis of the cohorts as well as the elaboration of the growth curves. For the individuals from the Authie estuary, the relation between dry weight (DW) and length L3 (prostomium, peristomium and chaetiger 1) was DW = 4.2205 L3^2.9832. For those from the Seine estuary, the relation between dry weight and L3 was DW = 0.4697e^1.7209L3. The individuals of N. diversicolor should belong to eight cohorts in Authie estuary (two cohorts each year) instead of six cohorts for those from the Seine estuary. These differences can be attributed to the effect of pollution on the population of N. diversicolor.     

Nonextensive collisioneless dust-acoustic shock waves in a charge varying dusty plasma

Nonlinear dust-acoustic (DA) shock waves are addressed in a nonextensive dusty plasma exhibiting self-consistent nonadiabatic charge variation. Our results reveal that the amplitude, strength and nature of the DA shock waves are extremely sensitive to the degree of ion nonextensivity. Significant differences in the potential function occur for very small changes in the value of the nonextensive parameter. Stronger is the ions correlation, more important is the charge variation induced nonlinear wave damping.     

Dust acoustic soliton energy in a mixed nonthermal high energy-tail electron distribution

Weak dust acoustic (DA) solitary waves are investigated in a mixed nonthermal high energy-tail electron distribution, focusing on the influence of an interplay between nonthermality and superthermality on the DA soliton energy. It is shown that in a pure superthermal plasma (α=0), electron thermalization (κ→∞) leads to an increase of the energy carried by the soliton. Addition of minute quantities of nonthermal electrons drastically modifies the κ-dependence of the soliton energy E _κ,α . The latter first decreases, then exhibits a local minimum before leveling at a constant value. The energy exchange between the non-Maxwellian electrons and the localized solitary structure depends drastically on the interplay between superthermality and nonthermality.     

Contribution of 19F resonances on 18O(p,α)15N reaction rate

The ¹⁸O(p,α)¹⁵N reaction influences the isotopes production such as ¹⁹F, ¹⁸O, and ¹⁵N which can be used to test the models of stellar evolution. ¹⁹F is synthesized in both asymptotic giant branch (AGB) and metal-rich Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars. Using R-matrix theory we allow new values of resonances parameters in ¹⁹F. We show that the most important contribution to the differential and total cross section at low energies, comes from the levels in ¹⁹F situated at resonances energies E _R =151, 680 and 840 keV with spin and parity 1/2⁺. The total width of the 680 keV resonance is badly known. So, we have focused on this broad resonance corresponding to the 8.65 MeV level in ¹⁹F. We delimit the temperature range in which each resonance contribution to the total reaction rate occurs by analyzing the ratio (N _A 〈σν〉 _i /N _A 〈σν〉). This allowed us to show that the 680 and 840 keV broad resonances strongly dominate the reaction rate over the stellar temperature range T ₉=0.02–0.06 and T ₉=0.5–5. Finally, these results were compared to NACRE and Iliadis astrophysical compilations.     

Nonlinear dust acoustic waves in electronegative dusty plasmas

The problem of nonlinear localized dust acoustic (DA) is addressed in a plasma comprising positive ions, negative ions, and mobile negatively charged dust grains. We first consider the case when the grain charge remains constant and discuss later the case when the charge variations are self-consistently included. It is found that a relative increase of the positive ion density favors the propagation of the DA solitary waves, in the sense that the domain of their admissible Mach numbers enlarges. Furthermore, electronegativity makes the dust acoustic solitary structure more spiky. When the dust grain charge Q _d is allowed to fluctuate, the latter is expressed in terms of the Lambert function and we take advantage of this transcendental function to investigate the variable charge DA solitary wave. Q _d adopts a localized profile and becomes more negative as the number of charges Z ₍₋₎ of the negative ion increases. The dust grains are found to be highly localized. This localization (accumulation) caused by a balance of the electrostatic forces acting on the dust grains becomes more effective for lower values of Z ₍₋₎. An increase of Z ₍₋₎ may lead to a local depletion of the negative ions from the region of the soliton’s localization. The results are useful to understand the salient features of localization of large amplitude dust acoustic waves in cosmic plasmas such as the ionospheric D-region and the mesosphere.     

Nonextensive dust acoustic shock structures in complex plasmas

Nonlinear dust acoustic (DA) shock waves are studied in a nonextensive charge varying complex plasma. A burger-like equation the coefficients of which is significantly modified by nonextensivity and dust charge fluctuation is derived. It is found that the influence of particle (electrons and ions) nonextensivity and dust charge fluctuation affect the basic properties of the collisionless DA shock wave drastically.     

Electron-acoustic solitons in plasma with nonthermal electrons

Nonlinear electron-acoustic solitary waves (EASWs) are studied using Sagdeev’s pseudo-potential technique in a collisionless unmagnetized plasma consisting of a cold electron fluid, nonthermal hot electrons and stationary ions. It is shown that the presence of fast nonthermal electrons may modify the parametric region where electron-acoustic solitons may exist. Our investigation is of wide relevance to astronomers and space scientists working on interstellar space plasmas.     

Nonlinear dust acoustic waves in a charge varying complex plasma with nonthermal ions featuring Tsallis distribution

The concept of ion nonthermality is generalized within the theoretical framework of the Tsallis thermostatistics. In this connection, a physically meaningful ion distribution function is outlined. As the nonextensive character of the nonthermal ions increases, the distribution shoulders may become less or more prominent and high energy states are less or more probable than in the extensive nonthermal case. Variable charge dust acoustic waves are then addressed. We first consider the case of adiabatic dust charge variation and discuss later the case when the nonadiabatic charge variations are self-consistently included. Our results may complement and provide new insight into previously published work in nonthermal space plasmas.     

Arbitrary amplitude electron-acoustic solitary waves in the presence of excess superthermal electrons

The problem of arbitrary amplitude electron-acoustic solitary (EAS) waves in a plasma having cold fluid electrons, hot superthermal electrons and stationary ions is addressed. The domain of their allowable Mach numbers enlarges as the spectral index κ increases revealing therefore that the “maxwellisation” process of the hot component favors the propagation of the EAS waves. As the superthermal character of the plasma is increased, the potential pulse amplitude increases while its width is narrowed, i.e, the superthermal effects makes the electron-acoustic solitary structure more spiky. As the spectral index κ decreases, the hot electrons are locally expelled and pushed out of the region of the soliton’s localization. A decrease of the fractional number density of the hot electrons relative to that of the cold ones number density would lead to an increase of the depth as well as the width of the localized EAS wave. Our results should help to understand the salient features of large amplitude localized structures that may occur in the plasma sheet boundary layer and may provide an explanation for the strong spiky waveforms that have been observed in auroral electric fields.     

Attempt to identify seismic sources in the eastern Mitidja basin using gravity data and aftershock sequence of the Boumerdes (May 21, 2003; Algeria) earthquake

In order to try to identify the seismogenic sources in the epicentral area, we interpreted data collected from gravity and aftershocks in the eastern part of the Mitidja basin after the occurrence of the 21 May 2003 Boumerdes earthquake (Mw = 6.8). The residual gravity anomaly and the horizontal gradient maps revealed the basement shape and density discontinuities. A seismotectonic model obtained from the aftershocks distribution and gravity data is proposed. This model highlights three active faults: one offshore and two onshore. The offshore reverse fault striking NE-SW, parallel to the coast, is consistent with the USGS focal mechanism of the main event, which is assumed to have the most moment release. The two onshore dipping blind active faults are postulated at crossing angles near the SW tip of the main fault. The interpretation is based mainly on the re-location and distribution of aftershocks, and their focal solutions. It is also supported by the basin structures obtained from the inversion and interpretation of residual gravity anomalies, as well as by additional compiled information such as the pattern of coastal co-seismic uplift. This configuration puts forward the failure mode complexity during the main shock. The topography of the basement obtained from 3D gravity inversion shows that all the onshore located aftershocks occurred in the basement, and the area between the two onshore faults rose as a consequence of their sliding.