Early-type disk galaxies: Structure and kinematics

Spectroscopic observations of three lenticular (S0) galaxies (NGC 1167, NGC 4150, and NGC 6340) and one SBa galaxy (NGC 2273) have been taken with the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences aimed to study the structure and kinematic properties of early-type disk galaxies. The radial profiles of the stellar radial velocities and the velocity dispersion are measured. N-body simulations are used to construct dynamical models of galaxies containing a stellar disk, bulge, and halo. The masses of individual components are estimated formaximum-mass disk models. A comparison of models with estimated rotational velocities and the stellar velocity dispersion suggests that the stellar disks in lenticular galaxies are “overheated”; i.e., there is a significant excess velocity dispersion over the minimum level required to maintain the stability of the disk. This supports the hypothesis that the stellar disks of S0 galaxies were subject to strong gravitational perturbations. The relative thickness of the stellar disks in the S0 galaxies considered substantially exceed the typical disk thickness of spiral galaxies.     

Geochemical Features of Cupriferous Sandstones in the Orenburg Area of the Ural Region

The new geochemical data obtained of cupriferous sandstones of the Orenburg area of the Ural region show that the Permian host stratum could have served as the source of rare-earth elements and other microelements for the ore-forming fluids. They confirm the possibility of using a convection model to explain the genesis of the copper ores studied. This model indicates the likely multistage development of mineralization to significant depths, like in the Manto deposits in Chili. Consequently, the Permian cupriferous sandstones of the southwestern area of the Ural region can be considered a very promising source of raw material for the development of copper industry in the area.

     

New Find of Cuticular Coal in the Franz Josef Land

Coal pebbles found in 1994 in the Greham Bell Island (Franz Josef Land Archipelago) are made up of the Barzas-type cuticular liptobiolith. The coal belongs to the initial stage of catagenesis and is characterized by high content of cutinite (up to 70%) with very low reflectance (R_o= 0.1%). Maceration products show some tegillate elements of Arthropodaand individual Devonian spores. It is supposed that plant cuticle and Arthropoda exocuticle are present in this coal. The obtained data suggest the presence of Paleozoic rocks in the sedimentary sequence, although they are not yet recovered. These data complement the available information on the distribution of specific Devonian coals and allow us to have a new insight into the zoogenic material involved in the coal formation.     

A multi-proxy approach for revealing recent climatic changes in the Russian Altai

For the first time we present a multi-proxy data set for the Russian Altai, consisting of Siberian larch tree-ring width (TRW), latewood density (MXD), δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O in cellulose chronologies obtained for the period 1779–2007 and cell wall thickness (CWT) for 1900–2008. All of these parameters agree well between each other in the high-frequency variability, while the low-frequency climate information shows systematic differences. The correlation analysis with temperature and precipitation data from the closest weather station and gridded data revealed that annual TRW, MXD, CWT, and δ¹³C data contain a strong summer temperature signal, while δ¹⁸O in cellulose represents a mixed summer and winter temperature and precipitation signal. The temperature and precipitation reconstructions from the Belukha ice core and Teletskoe lake sediments were used to investigate the correspondence of different independent proxies. Low frequency patterns in TRW and δ¹³C chronologies are consistent with temperature reconstructions from nearby Belukha ice core and Teletskoe lake sediments showing a pronounced warming trend in the last century. Their combination could be used for the regional temperature reconstruction. The long-term δ¹⁸O trend agrees with the precipitation reconstruction from the Teletskoe lake sediment indicating more humid conditions during the twentieth century. Therefore, these two proxies could be combined for the precipitation reconstruction.     

On the Impact of Insufficient Atmospheric Moistening on the Low Annual Discharge of Large Rivers in European Russia

Water Resources - The regional peculiarities of annual atmospheric moistening in European Russia are investigated using Standardized Precipitation and Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). It was found...     

Sources of fluids and material for gold and antimony mineralization in the Adychanskii ore region (East Yakutia,Russia)

The peculiarities of fluid inclusions; the O and C isotope composition of host rocks, vein minerals, and inclusions; and the S and Pb isotope composition of sulfides allowed us to distinguish two groups of fluids with a similar temperature, salinity, and source of the aqueous part produced upon metagenesis and mobilized during collisional events. Quartz-A precipitates from the CO₂–H₂O hydrocarbonate–Na fluid with a salinity of 7–10 wt % eq. NaCl at a depth of ～6 km (290–340°C, 1550 bar). Regeneration of quartz (quartz-C), precipitation of quartz-B, and quartz-AB with carbonate and chlorite occurred at a depth from 3.5 to 1.5 km (250–380°C, 1250–900–350 bar) from CO₂–CH₄–N hydrous sulfate–hydrocarbonate Na–Mg fluids with Cl^–, Ca, and K and a salinity of 5–10 wt % eq. NaCl, and a wide variety of impurities. The localization of veins in sinistral shear dislocations and strong heterogeneity in the P–T conditions allow us to explain the formation of fluid-2 by the postcollisional events.     

Estimation of additional foundation settlements caused by dynamic loading in urban areas

Response of different soils to dynamic loading is of fundamental interest in many engineering, geophysical and environmental studies. Many methods have been proposed to estimate dynamic stability of soils. One more approach, based on laboratory cyclic testing, is discussed in this paper. In our tests, not only the specific features of examined soils, but also different conditions of static and dynamic loading have been taken into account. An analysis of the obtained experimental data explicitly supports the hypothesis of a logarithmic relationship between the axial deformation of soil in cyclic triaxial compression and the number of loading cycles. Evaluation of soil deformation under vibrodynamic loads can also be based on energy approach. The use of critical amount of energy dissipated by soil per its unit volume has been proved to be reliable even in a low dynamic stress range. Convergence of the proposed solution was proved using field measurements and observations. The proposed approach has been applied to evaluate additional settlements of structures founded on the basis of different soil profiles and under various static and dynamic loading conditions.     

TEXTURE OF FOREST COMMUNITIES ON AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS

The authors discuss a method by which the image characteristics of forest vegetation can be used to determine various valuational characteristics of forest stands through the combination of air photo interpretation and ground surveys at selected training sites. Construction of curves showing changes in image texture and tone occurring at different stages in the growth cycle of a pine forest community are used to estimate the age of a forest stand, and through known relationships between age and other stand characteristics incorporated into yield tables, to approximate such valuational characteristics as mean diameter, mean height, and stand volume. Translated from: Distantsionnyye issledovaniya rel'yefa Sibiri, A. L. Yanshin and V. N. Sharanov, eds. Novosibirsk, Nauka, 1985, pp. 73-78.     

Equatorial plasma bubbles at altitudes of the topside ionosphere

A consistent patter, indicating that subtroughs in the He⁺ density and plasma bubbles can be considered as phenomena of the same origin, has been obtained within the scope of the existent model of equatorial plasma bubbles. The study has been performed based on the measurements of the ISS-b satellite, which flew during the period of high solar activity. The conclusion has been made based on a comparative analysis of the characteristics of subtroughs with the parameters of the known equatorial phenomena. (1) The similarity of the LT variations in the latitude of the minimums of subtroughs in the He⁺ density has been revealed. (2) It has been displayed that the variations in the averaged depth of subtroughs change from season to season similarly to the LT variations in the average velocity of the equatorial vertical plasma drift. (3) Good correlation (R = 0.67) between the occurrence probability of subtroughs and equatorial spread F statistics, constructed as the functions of LT and month, has been obtained. (4) The obtained velocity of the possible rise of plasma irregularities (observed as regions depleted in He⁺) is in good agreement with the ionosonde, satellite, and radar measurements of the equatorial plasma bubble velocities of the same period. (5) It has been indicated that plasma irregularities, reaching the altitudes of the topside ionosphere in the low-latitude and midlatitude regions during high solar activity, are most observable as depleted regions (subtroughs) of He⁺ density.     

Hydrometeorological conditions in the Barents Sea during El Niño of 1997–1998

Interadapted fields of main hydrophysical characteristics in the vicinity of hydrological sections carried out in 1997–1998 in the Barents Sea are obtained on the basis of model computations. The complex analysis of these materials and atmospheric situation in the region during 1997–1998 enabled to estimate quantitatively the variations of significant hydrodynamic conditions: the decrease in the inflow of rather warm and salty North Atlantic waters and the compensation inflow of polar waters, the decrease in total heat content and the weakening of water dynamics in the system of the general cyclonic circulation, and the increase in the ice coverage of the Barents Sea in anomalously cold winter 1997/98. It is revealed with a high degree of the confidence probability that the significant deviations from the normal conditions occur in response to the global El Niño disturbance which took place in the same years with the maximum values of the Southern Oscillation Index in January–March 1998.