A 20 cm2 CCD mosaic camera for a dark matter search part I : Mechanics,optics and cryogeny

A 20cm ² CCD mosaic camera has been especially built to search for dark galactic halo objects by the gravitational microlensing effect. The sensitive area is made of 16 edge-buttable CCDs developped by Thomson-CTS, with 23×23 µm ² pixels. The 35 kg camera housing and mechanical equipment is presented. The associated electronics and data acquisition system are described in a separate paper. The camera resides at the focal plane of a 40 cm, f/10, Ferson reflector. The instrument has been in operation since December 1991 at the La Silla Observatory (ESO).     

铅在高岭石表面的解吸动力学

经过酸性条件下（pH=3.1)Pb(Ⅱ）高岭石表面解吸动力学的研究，发现解吸反应与吸附反应动力学相似，也是一个二阶段的过程，即初始的快速解吸之后伴随着一个缓慢的释放过程。在快速解吸阶段，7min内解吸量即已达到41％。吸附铅没有完全解吸，有近38％残留在高岭石表面，即解吸和吸附过程不是完全可逆的。解吸过程可以用扩展Elovich方程、Elovich方程、双常数方程和一级扩散方程较好地似合。     

新疆伽师强震群的震源破裂特征

利用国内外短周期P波初动符号及全球数字地震台网 (GDSN)的宽频带数字记录资料 ,研究了 1997年 1月 2 3日至 1997年 11月 4日伽师强震群的震源机制解和伽师强震群中的 5个强震、后续地震及其周边地震的震源破裂过程。从震源机制解来看 ,伽师强震群主要有走滑和正倾两种破裂类型 ,主压应力轴方向主要为NNE向和近垂直 ,而主张应力轴为NW向并近水平 ,与区域构造应力场方向存在差异 ,具有明显的局部特征。从破裂过程看 ,伽师强震群的破裂过程相对简单 ,破裂面积不大 ,上升时间较短 ,是由一点向四周快速扩散的脆性破裂 ,无明显的伸展方向 ,与阿图什地震完全不同。研究结果表明 ,伽师强震群与震源附近的地壳结构在垂向和横向上的非均匀变化有着密切关系 ,而阿图什地震与塔里木盆地的现今构造运动关系密切。伽师强震群是在震源区附近地壳上部垂向和水平向力共同作用下发生的多次沿NNE向的快速脆性破裂 ,从而形成了以张性破裂和左旋走滑为主的震源特征     

Provenance of Precambrian Fe- and Al-rich Metapelites in the Yenisey Ridge and Kuznetsk Alatau, Siberia： Geochemical Signatures

Major, trace and rare earth element contents of Fe- and Al-rich metapelites from the Korda （Yenisey Ridge） and Amar （Kuznetsk Alatau） formations were determined to examine the nature, origin and evolution of their protoliths. Results indicate that these rocks are the redeposited and metamorphosed products of Precambrian kaolinitic weathering crusts, while the geochemical distinctions between the studied metapelites are determined by different weathering conditions in the source area and tectonic settings. The protolith of the Korda Formation metapelites was produced by erosion products of the post-Archean granitoid rocks, which accumulated under humid climate conditions in shallow-water basins along the continental margin. The geochemical characteristics of the deeper primary deposits of the Amar Formation suggest that volcanogenic material of mafic composition derived from an island-arc environment had a major role in supplying the erosion zone. These results agree with lithofacies data and with the geodynamic reconstruction of the evolution of the Yenisey Ridge and Kuznetsk Alatau during the Mesoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic, respectively. It was shown that REEs had limited mobility during contact metamorphism. The coherent mobility of REEs during collisional metamorphism may be attributed both to mineral reactions responsible for modal changes and to local chemical heterogeneity inherited from the initial protolith.     

Plant diversity and community structure of Brazilian <Emphasis Type="Italic">Páramos</Emphasis>

In Eastern South America, high altitude grasslands represent a mountain system that has a high number of endemic species. However, studies on the ecology of plant communities in these environments remain scarce. We aimed to evaluate the patterns of biodiversity and structure of plant communities from rocky outcrops in high altitude grasslands of three areas at the Caparaó National Park, southeastern Brazil, by sampling 300 randomly distributed plots. Then, we compared the floristic composition, relative abundance, and biological and vegetation spectra among areas. We classified species as endemic and non-endemic and verified the occurrence of endangered species. Species richness was evaluated by rarefaction analysis on the sampling units. The importance value and species abundance distribution (SAD) models were assessed. We also performed an indicator species analysis. We sampled 58 species belonging to 49 genera and 32 families. The number of species decreased with increasing altitude, with significant differences being observed among areas regarding richness, abundance, and cover. Of the total number of species, 10 are endemic to the Caparaó National Park and 17 are listed on the Brazilian Red List of endangered species. The dominant families on all peaks were Asteraceae and Poaceae. The SAD models showed lognormal and geometric distributions, corroborating the fact that 10 species that were common to all three areas were also the most dominant ones in the communities and showed the highest importance values, which ranged between 35% and 60%. Indicator species analysis revealed that 28 species (48.27%) were indicators. Of these, 42.85% had maximum specificity, meaning that they occurred only in one area. Thus, the number of species per life form ratio was similar among areas, yet vegetation spectra differed, especially for hemicryptophytes. The altimetric difference among the areas showed to be a very important driver in the community assembly, influencing the evaluated variables, however, other drivers as soil depth, slope and water could also influence the community structure on a smaller and local spatial scale.     

Experimental investigation of water impact on axisymmetric bodies

The results of an elaborate experimental investigation on bottom slamming of axisymmetric objects are presented. Drop tests have been performed on a hemisphere and two conical shapes with different deadrise angles. The test setup is designed so as to prevent small rotations of the test objects which cause scatter in the measurement data. The pressure distribution and evolution as well as the body motion parameters are measured during impact. By means of a high speed camera the water uprise is visualized and the wetting factor is determined for the cones. The results are compared with a three-dimensional asymptotic theory for axisymmetric rigid bodies with constant entry velocity. The ratio between the registered peak pressures and the asymptotic theory are in accordance with comparable experiments in the literature. The asymptotic theory, however, is found to be quite conservative, since the measured peak pressure levels appear to be approximately 50% to 75% of the theoretical levels.     

The control of the production process of phytoplankton by the physical structure of the aquatic environment with special reference to its optical properties

This tutorial was designed for nonbiologists requiring an introduction to the nature and general timescales of phytoplankton responses to physical forcing in aquatic environments. As such, an effort was made to highlight biological markers which might assist in identifying, measuring and/or validating physical processes controlling the variability in the distribution, abundance, composition and activity of phytoplankton communities. Given the recent advances in environmental optics and remote sensing capabilities, a special emphasis was placed on the nature and utility of phytoplankton optical properties in current bio-optical modelling efforts to predict temporal and spatial variability in phytoplankton productivity and growth.     

Origin of ultramafic inclusions and megacrysts in a monchiquite dyke at Streap,inverness-shire,Scotland

Spinel lherzolite nodules, composed of olivine (Fo_88.7?89.2), clinepyroxene (6.5% Al₂O₃) and Al-rich spinel, and websterite nodules as well as megacrysts of clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene and magnetite occur in a monchiquite at Streap, Scotland. Petrographic data are given and microprobe analyses of coexisting phases in six spinel lherzolite nodules and one websterite nodule are reported, along with analyses of both types of pyroxene megacrysts. The spinel lherzolites show internal chemical homogeneity, and their mineral chemistries suggest equilibrium conditions of 1100–1200°C and 14–23 kb. The websterite nodules are, on the basis of mineral chemistry and petrography, considered to be crustal material. The megacrysts constitute a separate group, differing in composition from analogous phases in associated lherzolites and websterites as well as from monchiquite phenocryst phases, and show systematic chemical variations corresponding to low pressure crystal fractionation processes.     

Height dependence of diurnal variations of wind velocity and water temperature near the air-sea interface of the tropical Atlantic

From measurements during the Atlantic Trade Wind Experiment (ATEX) 1969, amplitudes and phases of the diurnal harmonic water-temperature variation between the sea surface and 50-m depth and of the semi-diurnal wind variation between 1 and 8 m were obtained. If the vertical diffusion of heat in the ocean is thought to be constant, a coefficient of K= 320 cm² s^–1 in the equation of diffusion fits best the observed data in the mixed layer. However, the measurements point to a decrease of K with depth.The height variation of the semi-diurnal zonal wind wave is caused by the influence of eddy viscosity. Our data are well fitted by results of the equation of diffusion, using the assumption of Lettau (1974) that the transfer coefficient of vertical transport of momentum is not only a function of height but also depends on time because of the semi-diurnal variation of surface stress.