Seismic Inference using Genetic Algorithms     

Travis S. Metcalfe 《Astrophysics and Space Science》2003,284(1):141-151

A flood of reliable seismic data will soon arrive. The migration to largertelescopes on the ground may free up 4-m class instruments for multi-sitecampaigns, and several forthcoming satellite missions promise to yieldnearly uninterrupted long-term coverage of many pulsating stars. We willthen face the challenge of determining the fundamental properties of thesestars from the data, by trying to match them with the output of ourcomputer models. The traditional approach to this task is to make informedguesses for each of the model parameters, and then adjust them iterativelyuntil an adequate match is found. The trouble is: how do we know that oursolution is unique, or that some other combination of parameters will notdo even better? Computers are now sufficiently powerful and inexpensivethat we can produce large grids of models and simply compare all ofthem to the observations. The question then becomes: what range ofparameters do we want to consider, and how many models do we want tocalculate? This can minimize the subjective nature of the process, but itmay not be the most efficient approach and it may give us a false sense ofsecurity that the final result is correct, when it is really justoptimal. I discuss these issues in the context of recent advances inthe asteroseismological analysis of white dwarf stars.  相似文献   

The Citation Impact of Digital Preprint Archives for Solar Physics Papers   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Travis S. Metcalfe 《Solar physics》2006,239(1-2):549-553

Papers that are posted to a digital preprint archive are typically cited twice as often as papers that are not posted. This has been demonstrated for papers published in a wide variety of journals, and in many different subfields of astronomy. Most astronomers now use the arXiv.org server (astro-ph) to distribute preprints, but the solar physics community has an independent archive hosted at Montana State University. For several samples of solar physics papers published in 2003, I quantify the boost in citation rates for preprints posted to each of these servers. I show that papers on the MSU archive typically have citation rates 1.7 times higher than the average of similar papers that are not posted as preprints, while those posted to astro-ph get 2.6 times the average. A comparable boost is found for papers published in conference proceedings, suggesting that the higher citation rates are not the result of self-selection of above-average papers. Editors’ Note: This paper lies outside the normal purview of Solar Physics papers, however the editors feel that the content is of sufficient importance for all Solar Physics authors and readers to merit its publication.  相似文献   

Kinetic studies of lead(II) uptake by the seagrass Zostera muelleri in water by radiotracing,atomic absorption spectrometry and electrochemical techniques     

Alan M Bond  Julie R Bradbury  Henry A Hudson  John S Garnham  Peter J Hanna  Stanley Strother 《Marine Chemistry》1985,16(1):1-9

Evidence was found that uptake of lead from seawater in both model and natural systems by the leaves of the seagrass Zostera muelleri does occur for live, dead and scraped leaves at all the lead concentrations tested. Positive uptake of lead was measured using the three analytical techniques of radio-tracer, differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry and atomic absorption spectrometry; similar uptake profiles were obtained for each technique. Profiles always showed an initial rapid uptake phase followed by a gradual transition to a plateau phase at which an approximate equilibrium between lead attached to seagrass and free ionic lead in seawater was reached. The presence of active lead uptake processes was indicated in experiments which attempted to remove lead from leaves by a chelating agent.  相似文献   

Radiation Products in Processed Ices Relevant to Edgeworth-Kuiper-Belt Objects     

Moore  M. H.  Hudson  R. L.  Ferrante  R. F. 《Earth, Moon, and Planets》2003,92(1-4):291-306

Near the inner edge of the Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt (EKB) are Pluto and Charon, which are known to have N₂- and H₂O-dominated surface ices, respectively. Such non-polar and polar ices, and perhaps mixtures of them, also may be present on other trans-Neptunian objects. Pluto, Charon, and all EKB objects reside in a weak, but constant UV-photon and energetic ion radiation environment that drives chemical reactions in their surface ices. Effects of photon and ion processing include changes in ice composition, volatility, spectra, and albedo, and these have been studied in a number of laboratories. This paper focuses on ice processing by ion irradiation and is aimed at understanding the volatiles, ions, and residues that may exist on outer solar system objects. We summarize radiation chemical products of N₂-rich and H₂O-rich ices containing CO or CH₄, including possible volatiles such as alcohols, acids, and bases. Less-volatile products that could accumulate on EKB objects are observed to form in the laboratory from acid-base reactions, reactions promoted by warming, or reactions due to radiation processing of a relatively pure ice (e.g., CO → C₃O₂). New IR spectra are reported for the 1–5 mu;m region, along with band strengths for the stronger features of carbon suboxide, carbonic acid, the ammonium and cyanate ions, polyoxymethylene, and ethylene glycol. These six materials are possible contributors to EKB surfaces, and will be of interest to observers and future missions.  相似文献   

Energetic ions in solar γ-ray flares     

Hugh S. Hudson 《Solar physics》1985,100(1-2):515-535

Solar flares emit line and continuum -radiation as well as neutrons and charged particles. These high-energy emissions require the presence of energetic ions within the magnetic structures of the flare proper. We have already learned a great deal about the location and mode of particle acceleration. The observations have now become extensive enough so that we can begin to study the dynamics of the energetic ions within the flare structures themselves. This paper reviews the -ray and neutron observations and the theory of their emission, and discusses on this basis the presence of energetic ions deep within the flaring atmosphere.  相似文献   

Upper limits on the total radiant energy of solar flares     

H. S. Hudson  R. C. Willson 《Solar physics》1983,86(1-2):123-130

We establish limits on the total radiant energy of solar flares during the period 1980 February – November, using the solar-constant monitor (ACRIM) on board the Solar Maximum Mission. Typical limits amount to 6 × 10²⁹ erg/s for a 32-second integration time, with 5σ statistical significance, for an impulsive emission; for a gradual component, about 4 × 10³² ergs total radiant energy. The limits lie about an order of magnitude higher than the total radiant energy estimated from the various known emission components, suggesting that no heretofore unknown dominant component of flare radiation exists.  相似文献   

Seasonality and selectivity in the feeding ecology and reproductive biology of deep-sea bathyal holothurians     

Ian R. Hudson  Benjamin D. Wigham  David S. M. Billett  Paul A. Tyler 《Progress in Oceanography》2003,59(4):381-407

Chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments were determined from the gut sediments of five species of bathyal holothurian in the NE Atlantic, sampled shortly after the spring/summer phytoplankton bloom in 2001 and prior to the spring bloom in 2002. Three species, Laetmogone violacea, Paroriza pallens and Bathyplotes natans, sampled within a similar depth range (900–1100 m) in the summer of 2001 showed significant differences in their chlorophyll and carotenoid pigment concentrations. This suggests they may select for slightly different components from the available food resource. Four species sampled in early spring 2002, Laetmogone violacea, Paroriza pallens, Benthogone rosea and Benthothuria funebris, also had significant differences in their pigment concentrations. These species were sampled over a wider depth range (1000–3100 m) showing a bathymetric trend in pigment concentrations. There was a distinct seasonal change in the composition and concentration of the pigments, linked to a reduction in the availability of fresh organic material during autumn and winter periods.Ovarian tissue was also examined. The carotenoid pigments found in the ovary also occurred in the OM ingested by the holothurians. The dominant gonadal carotenoid pigments were β-carotene, echinenone and zeaxanthin. The potential for using these carotenoids to gain a competitive advantage through selectivity of chlorophyll and carotenoid pigment biomarkers are discussed in relation to competition for food resources by deposit-feeders. The results were also compared with selectivity in abyssal species.  相似文献   

A Yohkoh search for “black-light flares”     

Lidia Van Driel-Gesztelvi  Hugh S. Hudson  Bachtiar Anwar  Eijiro Hiei 《Solar physics》1994,152(1):145-151

Calculations which predict that a phenomenon analogous to stellar negative pre-flares could also exist on the Sun were published by Hénouxet al. (1990), and Aboudarhamet al., (1990), who showed that at the beginning of a solar white-light flare (WLF) event an electron beam can cause a transient darkening before the WLF emission starts, under certain conditions. They named this event a black light flare (BLF). Such a BLF event should appear as diffuse dark patches lasting for about 20 seconds preceding the WLF emission, which would coincide with intense and impulsive hard X-ray bursts. The BLF location would be at (or in the vicinity of) the forthcoming bright patches. Their predicted contrast depends on the position of the flare on the solar disc and on the wavelength band of the observation.TheYohkoh satellite provided white-light data from the aspect camera of the SXT instrument (Tsunetaet al., 1991), at 431 nm and with a typical image interval of 10–12 s. We have studied nine white-light flares observed with this instrument, with X-ray class larger than M6. We have found a few interesting episodes, but no unambiguous example of the predicted BLF event. This study, although the best survey to date, was not ideal from the observational point of view. We therefore encourage further searches. Successful observations of this phenomenon on the Sun would greatly strengthen our knowledge of the lower solar atmosphere and its effects on solar luminosity variations.  相似文献   

Gamma radiation and photospheric white-light flare continuum     

H. S. Hudson  B. N. Dwivedi 《Solar physics》1982,76(1):45-61

Recent gamma-ray observations of solar flares have provided a better means for estimating the heating of the solar atmosphere by energetic protons. Such heating has been suggested as the explanation of the continuum emission of the white-light flare. We have analyzed the effects on the photosphere of high-energy particles capable of producing the intense gamma-ray emission observed in the 1978 July 11 flare. Using a simple energy-balance argument and taking into account hydrogen ionization, we have obtained the following conclusions:

1. Heating near τ₅₀₀₀ = 1 in the input HSRA model atmosphere is negligible, even for very high fluxes of energetic particles.
2. Energy deposition increases with height for the inferred proton spectra, and does not depend strongly upon the assumed angle of incidence. The computed energy inputs fall in the range 10–100 ergs (cm³ s)^?1 at the top of the photosphere.
3. H^? continuum dominates for column densities as small as 10²² cm^?3, but at greater heights hydrogen ionizes sufficiently for the higher continua to dominate the energy balance.
4. The total energy deposited in the ‘photospheric’ region of H^? dominance could be within a factor of 3 of the necessary energy deposition, by comparison with the white-light flare of 1972 August 7, but the emergent spectrum is quite red so that the intensity excess in the visible band is insufficient to explain the observations.

In summary, it remains energetically possible, within observational limits, that high-energy protons could cause sufficient heating of the upper photosphere to produce detectable excess continuum, but emission from the vicinity of τ = 1 is not significant.  相似文献   

Solar flares,microflares, nanoflares,and coronal heating   总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2  

H. S. Hudson 《Solar physics》1991,133(2):357-369

Solar flare occurrence follows a power-law distribution against total flare energy W: dN/dW W ^– with an index 1.8 as determined by several studies. This implies (a) that microflares must have a different, steeper distribution if they are energetically significant, and (b) there must be a high-energy cutoff of the observed distribution. We identify the distinct soft distribution needed for coronal heating, if such a distribution exists, with Parker's nanoflares.This paper considers a microflare to be a member of the normal X-ray burst population, with comparable physical parameters except for a smaller total energy.  相似文献