Towards a Dynamical History of ‘Proto-Encke‘     

D.J. Asher  S.V.M. Clube 《Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy》1997,69(1-2):149-170

There are too few active comets to account for the observed zodiacal dust. Rather we look to the collisional fragmentation and erosion of sub-kilometre meteoroids in orbit close to the ecliptic. Since 1975 we have also been aware of an apparently massive meteoroidal swarm in probable 7:2 mean motion resonance with Jupiter, seemingly at the heart of the Taurid Complex and connecting therefore with the near-ecliptic system through the so-called Štohl Stream. The notable absence of pre-1786 apparitions of 2P/Encke took on a new significance with the 1983 detection by IRAS of its asymmetric trail inside this resonance. Thus it was possible all these meteoroidal components were ultimately derived from a continuously eroded, substantially dormant, librating progenitor within the trail whose more volatile inclusions are exposed from time to time and expelled either singly or severally as independent comets. A Taurid progenitor of this kind (proto-Encke) dominating the inner Solar System environment probably then accounts for most of the recorded enhancements of the larger meteoroid flux to Earth, including ‘Tunguska’ bodies as well. Terrestrial dust insertions which control mean temperature and hence climate are also inferred based upon the libration and nodal precession half-periods of proto-Encke (∼0.2 kyr, ∼2.5 kyr respectively) albeit the longer of these cycles was not at first evident in the terrestrial record (Asher & Clube 1993). Recently however this cycle appears to have been confirmed as a significant (long term) global warming/meridional atmospheric circulation / iceberg calving cycle with the correct phase producing the so-called mini-Heinrich and Heinrich events of the Holocene and late Upper Pleistocene respectively, i.e., during the past ∼60 kyr BP. The comparative stability of this terrestrial cycle, in contrast with the weakness of the observed resonance, suggests a fairly recent diversion therefore from a much stronger sungrazing 7:2 Jovian resonance in which proto-Encke's and Jupiter's longitudes of perihelion are related by ϖ pE ≈ ϖ J or ϖ J + π. Thus both the Hephaistos Stream and the Taurid Complex could have formed together during a recent close planetary encounter, say with Mercury ∼5 kyr BP. It follows that we envisage a single large progenitor in 7:2 Jovian sungrazing resonance for 50 kyr or so which undergoes repeated tidal stress: a continuous dust-induced major glaciation is thus sustained on Earth for most of this dynamical timescale before a disruptive planetgrazing event finally brings its sungrazing status to an end and produces the present meteoroidal complex. This evolutionary sequence almost certainly requires that the original sungrazing stream still exists (without its source): a potentially significant fact because it may have a direct bearing on both the observed zodiacal bands and the original progenitor orbit as well as the known periodic variation of solar radiance and convected magnetic field, of possible relevance to the solar cycle. While these aspects have to be further explored, the purpose of the present investigation is to describe some preliminary modelling with a view to inferring the likely dynamical history of proto-Encke. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.  相似文献   

A Model for the Common Origin of Jupiter Family and Halley Type Comets     

V. V. Emel’yanenko  D. J. Asher  M. E. Bailey 《Earth, Moon, and Planets》2013,110(1-2):105-130

A numerical simulation of the Oort cloud is used to explain the observed orbital distributions and numbers of Jupiter-family (JF) and Halley-type (HT) short-period (SP) comets. Comets are given initial orbits with perihelion distances between 5 and 36 au, and evolve under planetary, stellar and Galactic perturbations for 4.5 Gyr. This process leads to the formation of an Oort cloud (which we define as the region of semimajor axes a > 1,000 au), and to a flux of cometary bodies from the Oort cloud returning to the planetary region at the present epoch. The results are consistent with the dynamical characteristics of SP comets and other observed cometary populations: the near-parabolic flux, Centaurs, and high-eccentricity trans-Neptunian objects. To achieve this consistency with observations, the model requires that the number of comets versus initial perihelion distance is concentrated towards the outer planetary region. Moreover, the mean physical lifetime of observable comets in the inner planetary region (q < 2.5 au) at the present epoch should be an increasing function of the comets’ initial perihelion distances. Virtually all observed HT comets and nearly half of observed JF comets come from the Oort cloud, and initially (4.5 Gyr ago) from orbits concentrated near the outer planetary region. Comets that have been in the Oort cloud also return to the Centaur (5 < q < 28 au, a < 1,000 au) and near-Neptune high-eccentricity regions. Such objects with perihelia near Neptune are hard to discover, but Centaurs with characteristics predicted by the model (e.g. large semimajor axes, above 60 au, or high inclinations, above 40°) are increasingly being found by observers. The model provides a unified picture for the origin of JF and HT comets. It predicts that the mean physical lifetime of all comets in the region q < 1.5 au is less than ～200 revolutions.  相似文献   

Equilibria of the marine multiphase ammonia system   总被引：3，自引：0，他引：3  

P. K. Quinn  W. E. Asher  R. J. Charlson 《Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry》1992,14(1-4):11-30

A lack of empirical data has made it difficult to ascertain whether ammonia is in equilibrium between the oceanic, atmospheric gas and atmospheric particle phases in the remote marine environment. Reported here are simultaneous measurements of the saturation concentration of ammonia relative to ammonia concentrations in ocean surface waters; total seawater ammonia; atmospheric gas phase ammonia; and atmospheric particulate-phase ammonium, non-seasalt sulfate, methanesulfonate, and nitrate. Sampling was performed in May of 1987 in the northeast Pacific Ocean environment and in April and May of 1988 in the central Pacific Ocean environment.These measurements were used to determine the degree to which ammonia approached equilibrium between the oceanic and atmospheric gas and aerosol particle phases. The experimental atmospheric gas phase ammonia concentrations were compared with calculated equilibrium concentrations assuming a Henry's law type of partitioning between the gas and condensed phases. Characteristic times of the processes controlling the fate of ammonia in the marine environment also were compared.The measured atmospheric gas phase and oceanic concentrations of ammonia indicate that ammonia is not in a Henry's law equilibrium across the air/sea interface. This disequilibrium is a result of the long air/sea exchange equilibration time relative to the lifetime of ammonia in the atmosphere. Comparison of the calculated equilibrium gas phase ammonia concentrations with the measured gas phase ammonia concentrations shows that attainment of equilibrium between the atmospheric gas and particle phases is a strong function of the chemical composition of the aerosol particles. The data suggest that fully neutralized aerosol particles are not in Henry's law equilibrium with the gas phase while equilibrium is observed for particles with an average ammonium to non-seasalt sulfate molar ratio less than 1.8.  相似文献   

The palaeoflood record of a hyperarid catchment,Nahal Zin,Negev Desert,Israel     

Noam Greenbaum  Asher P. Schick  Victor R. Baker 《地球表面变化过程与地形》2000,25(9):951-971

The palaeohydrology of Nahal Zin, a 1400 km² catchment in the hyperarid Negev Desert, is inferred from slackwater deposits and palaeostage indicators in a canyon near its lower end. The palaeoflood record, augmented by the instrumental and historical records of the last decade, includes 28 floods ranging from 200 to 1500 m³s⁻¹ over the last 2000 years. This helps to reanalyse the frequency of floods in this drainage system. The clusters of floods around 1000 years BP and again during the last 60 years are characterized by high flow magnitudes. Periods with many floods correspond well to periods with high Dead Sea levels and are probably relatively wet periods, while periods with few floods correspond well to low Dead Sea levels indicating a drier climate. Fluctuations in the frequency of floods are typical of periods of transition from one climate regime to another. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

Seismic based characterization of total organic content from the marine Sembar shale,Lower Indus Basin,Pakistan     

Omer Aziz  Tahir Hussain  Matee Ullah  Asher Samuel Bhatti  Aamir Ali 《Marine Geophysical Researches》2018,39(4):491-508

The exploration and production of unconventional resources has increased significantly over the past few years around the globe to fulfill growing energy demands. Hydrocarbon potential of these unconventional petroleum systems depends on the presence of significant organic matter; their thermal maturity and the quality of present hydrocarbons i.e. gas or oil shale. In this work, we present a workflow for estimating Total Organic Content (TOC) from seismic reflection data. To achieve the objective of this study, we have chosen a classic potential candidate for exploration of unconventional reserves, the shale of the Sembar Formation, Lower Indus Basin, Pakistan. Our method includes the estimation of TOC from the well data using the Passey’s ΔlogR and Schwarzkofp’s methods. From seismic data, maps of Relative Acoustic Impedance (RAI) are extracted at maximum and minimum TOC zones within the Sembar Formation. A geostatistical trend with good correlation coefficient (R²) for cross-plots between TOC and RAI at well locations is used for estimation of seismic based TOC at the reservoir scale. Our results suggest a good calibration of TOC values from seismic at well locations. The estimated TOC values range from 1 to 4% showing that the shale of the Sembar Formation lies in the range of good to excellent unconventional oil/gas play within the context of TOC. This methodology of source rock evaluation provides a spatial distribution of TOC at the reservoir scale as compared to the conventional distribution generated from samples collected over sparse wells. The approach presented in this work has wider applications for source rock evaluation in other similar petroliferous basins worldwide.  相似文献   

Late Neoproterozoic (Ediacaran)-Early Paleozoic (Cambrian) acritarchs from the Marwar Supergroup,Bikaner-Nagaur Basin,Rajasthan     

Bijai Prasad  Ramson Asher  Bihuti Borgohai 《Journal of the Geological Society of India》2010,75(2):415-431

Characteristic latest Neoproterozoic and Early Paleozoic acritarchs and associated organic-walled microfossils are recorded from the sediments of Marwar Supergroup encountered in BGW-A well (Bikaner-Nagaur Basin) from 1123–481 m depth. Six distinct acritarch assemblages, broadly comparable with globally known Ediacaran (Vendian) and Cambrian assemblages are recognised. The recovered microfossils provide precise age for different units of the Marwar Supergroup whose ages, till now, were poorly understood due to absence or paucity of invertebrate and other mega and microfossils.  相似文献   

Meteor Outburst Profiles and Cometary Ejection Models     

D. J. Asher 《Earth, Moon, and Planets》2008,102(1-4):27-33

The spatial structure of meteor streams, and the activity profiles of their corresponding meteor showers, depend firstly on the distribution of meteoroid orbits soon after ejection from the parent comet nucleus, and secondly on the subsequent dynamical evolution. The latter increases in importance as more time elapses. For younger structures within streams, notably the dust trails that cause sharp meteor outbursts, it is the cometary ejection model (meteoroid production rate as a function of time through the several months of the comet’s perihelion return, and velocity distribution of the meteoroids released) that primarily determines the shape and width of the trail structure. This paper describes how a trail cross section can be calculated once an ejection model has been assumed. Such calculations, if made for a range of ejection model parameters and compared with observed parameters of storms and outbursts, can be used to constrain quantitatively the process of meteoroid ejection from the nucleus, including the mass distribution of ejected meteoroids.  相似文献   

Resonant behavior of comet Halley and the Orionid stream     

A. Sekhar  D. J. Asher 《Meteoritics & planetary science》2014,49(1):52-62

Comet 1P/Halley has the unique distinction of having a very comprehensive set of observational records for almost every perihelion passage from 240 B.C. This has helped to constrain theoretical models pertaining to its orbital evolution. Many previous works have shown the active role of mean motion resonances (MMR) in the evolution of various meteoroid streams. Here, we look at how various resonances, especially the 1:6 and 2:13 MMR with Jupiter, affect comet 1P/Halley and thereby enhance the chances of meteoroid particles getting trapped in resonance, leading to meteor outbursts in some particular years. Comet Halley itself librated in the 2:13 resonance from 240 B.C. to 1700 A.D. and in the 1:6 resonance from 1404 B.C. to 690 B.C., while stream particles can survive for time scales of the order of 10,000 yr and 1,000 yr in the 1:6 and 2:13 resonances, respectively. This determines the long‐term dynamical evolution and stream structure, influencing the occurrence of Orionid outbursts. Specifically, we are able to correlate the occurrence of enhanced meteor phenomena seen between 1436–1440, 1933–1938, and 2006–2010 with the 1:6 resonance and meteor outbursts in 1916 and 1993 with the 2:13 resonance. Ancient as well as modern observational records agree with these theoretical simulations to a very good degree.  相似文献   

Theoretical meteor radiants for macroscopic Taurid Complex objects     

D. J. Asher  D. I. Steel 《Earth, Moon, and Planets》1995,68(1-3):155-164

The calculation of theoretical meteor radiants is discussed for comets and asteroids whose orbits pass within, but at present do not necessarily intersect, that of the Earth, in particular from the perspective of developing a suitable method for application to Taurid Complex orbits. The main question addressed here is how to allow for dynamical evolution between epochs when an orbit isnot Earth-intersecting (as at present in most cases for macroscopic bodies) and those when itis (i.e., when meteors can actually be observed). This should be understood in terms of evolution in the past, such that meteoroids released some time ago have evolved differentially from the putative parents, allowing meteors to be detected now. Theoretical radiants for macroscopic Taurid objects are then presented and compared with observations of the nighttime and daytime Taurid meteor showers. These are found to be broadly similar in form, given the sparsity of some of the data, adding weight to the hypothesis that this sub-jovian complex contains kilometre-plus asteroids. A similar conclusion results for the group of objects in similar orbits to (2212) Hephaistos.  相似文献   

TERRA BOOKS/BOOKS RECEIVED     

Asher Shadom 《地学学报》1989,1(3):304-306

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