Photochemistry and Vertical Transport in Io's Atmosphere and Ionosphere     

Michael E. Summers  Darrell F. Strobel 《Icarus》1996,120(2):290-316

We present an updated model for the photochemistry of Io's atmosphere and ionosphere and use this model to investigate the sensitivity of the chemical structure to vertical transport rates. SO₂is assumed to be the dominant atmospheric gas, with minor molecular sodium species such as Na₂S or Na₂O released by sputtering or venting from the surface. Photochemical products include SO, O₂, S, O, Na, NaO, NaS, and Na₂. We consider both “thick” and “thin” SO₂atmospheres that encompass the range allowed by recent HST and millimeter-wave observations, and evaluate the possibility that O₂and/or SO may be significant minor dayside constituents and therefore likely dominant nightside gases. The fast reaction between S and O₂limits the column abundance of O₂to ∼10⁴less than that calculated by Kumar (J. Geophys. Res.87, 1677–1684, 1982; 89(A9), 7399–7406, 1984) for a pure sulfur/oxygen atmosphere. If a significant source of NaO₂or Na₂O were supplied by the surface and mixed rapidly upward, then oxygen liberated in the chemical reactions which also liberate free Na would provide an additional source of O₂. Fast eddy mixing will enhance the transport of molecular sodium species to the exobase, in addition to increasing the vertical transport rate of ions. Ions produced in the atmosphere will be accelerated by the reduced corotation electric field penetrating the atmosphere. These ions experience collisions with the neutral gas, leading to enhanced vertical ion diffusion. The dominant ion, Na⁺, is lost primarily by charge exchange with Na₂O and/or Na₂S in the lower atmosphere and by diffusion through the ionopause in the upper atmosphere. The atmospheric column abundance of SO, O₂, and the upper atmosphere escape rates of Na, S, O, and molecular sodium species are all strong functions of the eddy mixing rate. Most atmospheric escape, including that of molecular sodium species, probably occurs from the low density “background” SO₂atmosphere, while a localized high density “volcanic” SO₂atmosphere can yield an ionosphere consistent with that detected by the Pioneer 10 spacecraft.  相似文献   

Planetary boundary layer and surface layer sensitivity to land surface parameters   总被引：1，自引：1，他引：0  

Wen-Yih Sun  Michael G. Bosilovich 《Boundary-Layer Meteorology》1996,77(3-4):353-378

The sensitivity of the development of the convective planetary boundary layer (PBL) and the surface layer are examined using a coupled surface parameterization and detailed PBL model. First, the coupling is verified against observations from the First ISLSCP (International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project) Field Experiment (FIFE). Results of the sensitivity experiments indicate that the PBL is most sensitive to the amount of soil water content, and the proximity of the soil water content to critical soil texture values (field capacity and wilting point). While vegetation cover is not the most sensitive parameter at the surface, its influence on the surface energy and hydrologic balance is crucial. Model sensitivity to minimum stomatal resistance, type of soil parameterization and canopy height (surface roughness and displacement depth) is also discussed.  相似文献   

Commentary and critique of “accounting for mineral resources: Issues and BEA's initial estimates”     

DeVerle Harris  Michael Rieber 《Natural Resources Research》1996,5(1):7-21

The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), U.S. Department of Commerce, in keeping with broad international efforts to green national gross domestic product (GDP) accounts, has attempted to create satellite accounts for mineral depletion. The present paper criticizes the BEA's unit rent measure of resource depletion, which is based upon Hotelling's pure theory of exhaustion. Following a thorough criticism of Hotelling's theory as a real-world model of mineral prices, practical issues related to the treatment of recycling, exploration, definition of reserves/resources, and their valuation/exploitation are introduced. For crude oil and natural gas and the nonfuel minerals, specific application problems of joint products and residuals complicate BEA's assumptions and efforts.  相似文献   

Cordierite-garnet-sillimanite-quartz equilibrium: I. New experimental calibration in the system FeO−Al2O3−SiO2−H2O and certain P-T-X H2O relations     

Biswajit Mukhopadhyay  Michael J. Holdaway 《Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology》1994,116(4):462-472

The equilibrium in which hydrous Fe-cordierite breaks down to almandine, sillimanite, quartz, and water was previously experimentally determined by Richardson (1968) and Holdaway and Lee (1977) using QMF buffer and by Weisbrod (1973) using QIF buffer. All these studies yielded similar results — a negative dP/dT slope for the equilibrium curve. However, based on theoretical arguments, Martignole and Sisi (1981), and based on Fe-Mg partitioning experiments on coexisting cordierite and garnet in equilibrium with sillimanite and quartz, Aranovich and Podlesskii (1983) suggested that this equilibrium curve has a positive dP/dT slope and its position depends on the water content of the equilibrium cordierite. We have redetermined this equilibrium using a much improved tecnique of detecting reaction direction, and cordierite starting material that contained virtually no hercynite. Hercynite was present as a contaminant in the cordierites of previous experimental studies and possibly reacted with quartz during the experimental runs to expand the apparent stability field of Fe-cordierite. We synthesized Fe-cordierite from reagent grade oxides at 710°C and 2 kbar (using QMF buffer) with two intermediate stages of grinding and mixing. The cordierite has a unit cell volume of 1574.60 ų (molar volume=23.706 J/bar) and no Fe³⁺ as indicated by X-ray diffraction and room temperature Mössbauer studies respectively. Reaction direction was concluded by noting20% change of the ratios of intensities of two key X-ray diffraction peaks of cordierite and almandine. Our results show that the four-phase equilibrium curve passes through the points 2.1 kbar, 650°C and 2.5 kbar, 750°C. This disagrees with all previous experimental studies. H₂O in the Fe-cordierite, equilibrated at 2.2 kbar and 700°C and determined by H-extraction line in the stable isotope laboratory, is 1.13 wt% (n=0.41 moles). H₂O content of pure Mg-cordierite equilibrated under identical conditions and determined by thermogravimentric conditions and determined by thermogravimetric analysis is 1.22 wt% (n=0.40). Similar determinations on Fe-cordierite and Mg-cordierite equilibrated at 2.0 kbar and 650°C show 1.27 wt% (n=0.46) and 1.47 wt% (n=0.48) of H₂O respectively. Thus, H₂O content appears to be independent of Fe/Mg ratio in cordierite, a conclusion which supports previous experimental determinations. The experimentally determined equilibrium curve represents conditions of P_H2O=P_total. From this we calculated the anhydrous curve representing equilibrium under conditions of X _H2O ^V =0.0. A family of calculated equilibrium curves of constant n _H2O ^Cord cut the experimentally determined curve at a very small angle indicating a slight variation in n _H2O ^Cord in cordierite in equilibrium with almandine, sillimanite, and quartz under the conditions of constant X _H2O ^V . Ancther set of calculated equilibrium curves, each representing constant a _H2O ^V demonstrate that the slopes of the curves vary with X _H2O ^V , and are all positive in the full range of 0.0X _H2O ^V 1.0.  相似文献   

Die Rheingrabenrandverwerfung im Wattkopftunnel bei Ettlingen (Nordschwarzwald)     

Ernst Neßeler  Michael Fröhler  Sebastían Lebede 《International Journal of Earth Sciences》1993,82(4):765-768

The Wattkopftunnel, near Ettlingen (Nordschwarzwald), drives through the eastern margin of the Rheingraben. The tunnel passes cenozoic and mesozoic sediments. Early quarternary and tertiary beds are situated west of the main thrust of the Rheingraben. Fossil record indicates upper Oligocene age (Chatt) for parts of the tertiary sediments. At the eastern border of the Rheingraben, wedges of jurassic and middle triassic series are squeezed. East of the Rheingraben the tunnel drives in the lower triassic Bausandstein. The eastern margin of the Rheingraben was investigated in detail during tunneling. Faults of the Rheingraben margin are distributed in an 130 meter wide fault zone in the tunnel. Total stratigraphic separation by the normal faults reaches more than 2 000 meters. The cenozoic sequence suffered synsedimentary to early diagenetic deformation, while the mesozoic series are characterized by ruptural deformation. The fault- and joint system is directed in the rheinische Richtung (SSW-NNE). East of the Rheingraben a second direction occur, running parallel to the lower Albtal (W-E).

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Crystallization processes in an artificial magma: variations in crystal shape,growth rate and composition with melt cooling history     

Nelia W. Dunbar  Gary K. Jacobs  Michael T. Naney 《Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology》1995,120(3-4):412-425

A large (4.8 m³, 1.3x10⁷ g) artificial mafic melt with a bulk composition similar to that of a basalt (but with a high CaO content of 17 wt%) was generated during a demonstration of in situ vitrification and was allowed to cool naturally. During the melting process, convection was vigorous, resulting in a chemically and thermally homogeneous melt body. Once heating was complete, the cooling rate was rapid with the temperature dropping from 1500°C to 500°C in 6 days within the interior of the 3 m diameter, 1.5 m thick body. A 20 h period of constant temperature (1140°C) observed during colling was the result of latent heat released by widespread crystallization. The final crystalline assemblage consists of diopsidic to hedenbergitic pyroxene and anorthitic feldspar, with a subordinate amount of potassic feldspar, plus a small amount of evolved glass. The compositions and proportions of phases agree well with those predicted by the MELTS thermodynamic model. Thermal and textural evidence suggest that convection within the melt ceased coincident with formation of the first crystals. Textural investigation of core samples reveals large (up to 1 cm in length) acicular diopsidic pyroxenes in a matrix of smaller feldspar and zoned pyroxene crystals (500 m in length). Crystal shape and pyroxene composition vary as a function of position within the solidified body, as a function of cooling rate. Both crystal size and degree of crystallinity are highest in the central, most slowly-cooled parts of the rock. Crystal shape is characterized by tabular, equilibrium-growth forms in the slowly-cooled areas, grading to highly skeletal, dendritic forms at the rapidly-cooled edges of the body. The pyroxene crystals are dominantly homogeneous diopside, but crystals are characterized by thin Fe-rich hedenbergitic rims. These rims were deposited when Mg in the melt was depleted by diopside growth, and melt temperature had cooled sufficiently to allow Fe-rich pyroxene growth. Crystal growth rates can be calculated based on thermal behavior of the melt, reinforced by thermodynamic modelling, and are determined to be between 10^-7 and 10^-8 cm/s in the central part of the melt. These estimates agree well with growth rates in natural systems with similar cooling rates. Pyroxene crystals that formed at a higher cooling rates are characterized by higher Al and lower Mg contents relative to tabular equilibrium crystalline forms, presumably as a result of disequilibrium melt compositions at the crystal-melt interface.New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM 87801, USA  相似文献   

Signatures of solar wind interaction with the nightside ionosphere of Venus     

Harry A. Taylor Jr.  Leonard Kramer  Paul A. Cloutier  Shannon S. Walker 《Earth, Moon, and Planets》1995,69(2):173-199

Plasma and field relationships observed across the nightside of Venus evidence a chaotic variety of interactions between the ionosphere and the combined effect of the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field draped about the planet. Close examination of these data reveal within the chaos a number of repeatable signatures key to understanding fundamental field-plasma interactions. Observed from the Pioneer Venus Orbiter, (PVO), nightside conditions range from extensive, full-up ionospheres with little evidence of dynamic or energetic perturbations, to an almost full depletion, sometimes described as disappearing ionospheres. Between these extremes, the ionospheric structure is often irregular, sometimes exhibiting well-defined density troughs, at other times complex intervals of either abundant or minimal plasma concentration. Consistently, large B-fields (typically exceeding 5–10 nanoteslas) coincide with plasma decreases, whereas stable, abundant plasma distributions are associated with very low-level field. We examine hundreds of nightside orbits, identifying close correlations between regions of elevated magnetic fields featuring polarity reversals, and (a) exclusive low-frequency or distinctive broadband noise, or both, in the electric field data, (b) turbulent, superthermal behavior of the the ions and electrons. We review extensive studies of nightside fields to show that the correlations observed are consistent with theoretical arguments that the presence of strong magnetic fields within normal ionospheric heights indicates the intrusion of magnetosheath fields and plasma within such regions. We find abundant evidence that the ionosphere is frequently disrupted by such events, exhibiting a chaotic, auroral-like complexity appearing over a wide range of altitude and local time. We show that field-plasma disturbances, widely suggested to be similar to conditions in the Earth's auroral regions, are tightly linked to the electric field noise otherwise attributed to lightning. Owing to the coincidence inherent in this relationship, we suggest that natural, predictable plasma instabilities associated with the plasma gradients and current sheets evident within these events produce the E-field noise. The data relationships argue for a more detailed investigation of solar wind induced E-field noise mechanisms as the appropriate scientific procedure for invoking sources for the noise previously attributed to lightning. Consistent with these views, we note that independent analyses have offered alternative explanations of the noise as arising from ionospheric disturbances, that repeated searches for optical evidence of lightning have found no such evidence, and that no accepted theoretical work has yet surfaced to support the inference of lightning at Venus.  相似文献   

Uranus: Disk structure within the 7300-Å methane band     

Michael J. Price  Otto G. Franz 《Icarus》1979,39(3):459-472

Orthogonal narrow-band (100 Å) photoelectric slit scan photometry of Uranus has been used to infer the basic two-dimensional structure of the disk within the 7300-Å methane band. Numerical image reconstruction and restoration techniques have been applied to quantitatively estimate the degrees of polar and limb brightening on the planet. Through partial removal of atmospheric smearing, an effective spatial resolution of approximately 0.9 arcsec has been achieved. Peak polar, limb, and central intensities on the disk are in the respective proportions 3:2:1. In addition, the bright polar feature is displaced from the geometric pole towards the equator of the planet.  相似文献   

Science aspects of a mission beyond the planets     

Leonard D. Jaffe  Charles V. Ivie 《Icarus》1979,39(3):486-494

A mission out of the planetary system, launched about the year 2000, could provide valuable data concerning characteristics of the heliopause, the interstellar medium, stellar distances (by parallax measurements), low-energy cosmic rays, interplanetary gas distribution, and mass of the solar system. Secondary objectives include investigation of Pluto. Candidate science measurements, instruments, and instrument development needs are discussed. The mission should extend from 400 to 1000 AU from the Sun. A heliocentric hyperbolic escape velocity of 50–100 km/sec or more is needed to attain this distance within a reasonable mission duration (20–50 years). The trajectory should be toward the incoming interstellar gas. For a year 2000 launch, a Pluto encounter and orbiter can be included. A second mission targeted parallel to the solar axis would also be worthwhile.  相似文献   

Remote spectroscopic identification of carbonaceous chondrite mineralogies: Applications to Ceres and Pallas     

Harold P. Larson  Michael A. Feierberg  Uwe Fink  Howard A. Smith 《Icarus》1979,39(2):257-271

High-resolution spectroscopic observations of asteroids Ceres and Pallas have been obtained in the 1.0- to 2.6-μm region. Combined with previous spectralmeasurements at other wavelengths, this work presents the broadband spectral reflectances of these asteroids over the 0.4 to 3.6-um region. This extended coverage permits new analyses of the surface mineralogies of these objects. Using laboratory comparison spectra of meteorites and mixtures of terrestrial minerals, the surfaces of Ceres and Pallas are consistent with mixtures of opaques and hydrated silicates, such as are found in types C1 and C2 meteorites. This research emphasizes the importance of the 3-um spectral region for studying by remote methods the relationship of carbonaceous chondrite mineralogies to asteroid surfaces.  相似文献