Reversals of the earth's magnetic field

One of the most intriguing problems in geophysics to-day is why the Earth's magnetic field reverses. This review summarizes the progress in our knowledge of the subject since Bullard's [1] Bakerian Lecture to the Royal Society in 1967. Reversals have played a major role in the changed outlook in geological thinking through the development of the concept of plate tectonics. Polarity transitions also provide the geologist with horizons which may be applied to stratigraphic correlations and dating problems. The mean frequency of reversals has also shown marked changes in the past and these may well be related to major tectonic changes. In spite of all these increased benefits to the geologist, the physics of the reversal mechanism is still not well understood. The detailed behaviour of the magnetic field during a polarity transition is described as well as the more recently observed phenomenon of excursions of the field or aborted reversals. Physical and mechanical models of the geodynamo are examined in some detail in so far as they may affect reversals. The role of convection in the Earth's core is also discussed.     

The effect of the earth's magnetic field on auger analysis

Semi-quantitative analyses of thin films or surfaces are commonly obtained from the peak intensities in the differentiated Auger spectrum. To reduce effects of surface roughness, beam focus and electron current, ratios of peak heights are used rather than absolute values. In performing analysis of CdSe single crystal and thin film samples in a commercial Auger analyzer fitted with a cylindrical mirror analyzer (CMA), the ratio of the Cd(376 eV) to Se(1315 eV) peaks was found to vary by as much as 15% when the diameter of the incident electron beam was increased from 5 to 60 μm. The effect was found to be due to an energy-dependent shift of the electron beam caused by the earth's magnetic field. The electron transmission of the CMA was measured as a function of the primary electron beam spot position on the sample. The transmission decreases rapidly once the spot falls outside an area with a radius ～25 μm. Due to this response, the relative shift in position caused by the magnetic field produces variations in peak ratios when the spot size is changed. This effect will produce inaccurate analysis if the Auger peaks differ significantly in energy and the primary electron beam spot size is large, and accounts for the observed 15% variation in $\text{Cd}\text{Se}$ ratio.     

Excitation-autoionization cross sections and rate coefficients for Ga-like ions

Detailed level-by-level calculations of cross sections and rate coefficients for electron impact direct and indirect ionization of ions belonging to the GaI isoelectronic sequence (ground 3d ¹⁰4s ²4p) have been performed. The cross sections are presented in the energy range near the threshold for the five ions Kr⁵⁺, Mo¹¹⁺, Xe²³⁺, Pr²⁸⁺ and Dy³⁵⁺. The rate coefficients are given for ions from Kr⁵⁺ to U⁶¹⁺ in the GaI sequence at seven electron temperatures (kT _e = 0.1E _I , 0.3E _I , 0.5E _I , 0.7E _I ,E _I , 2E _I and 10E _I , where E _I is the first ionization energy). The calculations include the contribution of direct ionization (DI) calculated using the Lotz formula approximation and the contributions of excitation-autoionization (EA) computed in the framework of the distorted wave (DW) approximation for the 4s-nl, 3d-nl and 3p-nl resonant inner-shell excitations. The ionization enhancement due to the EA channels is presented as a function of Z along the GaI isoelectronic sequence. The present results show the great importance of the EA processes; an ionization enhancement factor of up to 10 is predicted for instance for La²⁶⁺ (Z = 57) at electron temperature of coronal equilibrium maximum abundance.     

New constants of motion for systems of free gravitating particles in Newton's and Einstein's theories of gravitation

New quantities have been found which are constants of motion in Newton's gravitational theory. Analogous but different quantities exist in Einstein's theory. The difference between the Newtonian and the relativistic quantities may be used to distinguish experimentally between the theories.     

Ionization cross sections and rate coefficients for the ground state of AsI-like ions

Detailed level-by-level calculations of cross sections and rate coefficients for electron impact direct ionization and excitation-autoionization of AsI-like ions in the 3d ¹⁰4s ²4p ³ (⁴S_3/2) ground state have been performed. The cross sections are presented in the energy range near the threshold for the five ions Mo⁹⁺, Xe²¹⁺, Pr²⁶⁺, Dy³³⁺ and W⁴¹⁺. The rate coefficients are given for all the ions from Sr⁵⁺ to U⁵⁹⁺ in the AsI sequence at the seven electron temperatures (k T _e = 0.1E _I ,0.3E _I ,0.5E _I ,0.7E _I ,E _I ,2E _I and 10E _I , where E _I is the first ionization energy). The calculations include the contribution of direct ionization (DI) calculated using the Lotz formula approximation and the contributions of excitation-autoionization (EA) computed in the framework of the Distorted Wave (DW) approximation for the 4s ? nl, 3d ? nl and 3p ? nl resonant inner-shell excitations. The ionization enhancement due to the EA channels is presented as a function of Z along the AsI isoelectronic sequence. The present results show the great importance of the EA processes; an ionization enhancement factor of up to 6.5 is predicted for instance for Dy³³⁺ (Z = 66) at electron temperature of coronal equilibrium maximum abundance.     

Calculation of dielectronic recombination cross sections and rate coefficients for heliumlike carbon

A simplified relativistic configuration interaction method is used to calculate the dielectronic recombination cross sections and rate coefficients for heliumlike carbon. In this method, the infinite resonant doubly excited states can be treated conveniently in the frame of Quantum Defect Theory. Our calculated cross sections are in agreements with the experimental measurements except for the 1s2lnl'(n=6,7) resonances. The total energy-integrated cross sections and rate coefficients over all dielectronic resonances are in agreements with the experimental measurements within percent. Received: 7 July 1997 / Revised: 7 October 1997 / Accepted: 8 December 1997     

Electron impact ionization rate coefficients and cross sections for highly ionized iron

Electron impact ionization cross sections for the ions Fe(XVII)-(XXVI) have been computed in a distorted wave exchange approximation. Analytic fits are provided for the cross section data, as well as for the rate coefficients assuming a Maxwellian electron velocity distribution. For ejection of a 2p ground state electron, the scaled ionization rate was found to depend linearly on the number of 2p electrons in the ion.     

Calculation of absorption and resonance Raman cross sections of ClO2 in the gas‐phase and in solution: including Duschinsky effects

The time‐correlation function formalism has been used to calculate resonance Raman cross sections, excitation profiles, and electronic absorption spectra of the OClO molecule in the gas‐phase and in different solvents like cyclohexane, chloroform, and water. The multidimensional time domain integrals that arise in these calculations have been evaluated for the case in which an X²B₁ òA₁ electronic transition takes place between displaced‐distorted‐rotated harmonic potential energy surfaces. Ab initio calculations have been performed to provide the spectroscopic constants required for the evaluation of these integrals. The calculated absorption spectra and resonance Raman cross sections have been compared with the experimental results. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

MacDonald's theorem and Milatz's theorem for multivariate stochastic processes

MacDonald's theorem, which expresses the spectral density of a randomly fluctuating variable α(t) in terms of the finite time average of that variable, α_θ(t), is generalized for multivariate processes. For purely random processes, having a white spectrum, this also yields the corresponding generalization of Milatz's theorem.     

Studies of the sensitivity of the components of the earth's radiation balance to changes in cloud properties using a zonally averaged model

The accuracy of a simple radiative transfer scheme suitable for use in a general circulation model of the atmosphere is assessed by comparing the calculated radiative heat balance of the Earth/atmosphere system with the available observational data. Studies are then performed to determine the sensitivity of the radiative components to changes in the cloud data and cloud parameterisations which constitute the largest potential source of error in the model input data.     

A possible unification of Newton's and Coulomb's forces

We have considered electric charge as the fourth component of the particle momentum in five-dimensional space–time. The fifth dimension has been compactified on a circle with an extremely small radius determined from the fundamental physics constants. First, we have given equations in the framework of five-dimensional special relativity and determined the corresponding reduction to four-dimensional space–time. Then, in order to obtain an appropriate charge-to-mass ratio and to avoid the Fourier modes problem, we have considered the propagation of an off-mass shell particle in the five-dimensional space–time which can be interpreted as the motion of an on-mass shell particle in the four-dimensional world we experience. As an example, we have discussed the five-dimensional kinematic equations associated with the electron-positron annihilation process into two photons. Finally, the consequences on the gravitational interaction between two elementary charged particles has been studied. As a main result, we have obtained a unification of Newton's gravitational and Coulomb's electrostatic forces.