Intercalibration of Solar Soft X-Ray Broad Band Measurements from SOLRAD 9 through GOES-12

The two-band soft X-ray observations of solar flares made by the Naval Research Laboratory’s (NRL) SOLar RADiation (SOLRAD) satellites and by the Geostationary Orbiting Environmental Satellites (GOES) operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center have produced a nearly continuous record of solar flare observations over a period of more than forty years (1969 – 2011). However, early GOES observations (i.e., GOES-2) and later (GOES-8 and subsequent missions) are not directly comparable due to changes in the conversion of measured currents to integrated fluxes in the two spectral bands that were adopted: 0.05 – 0.3 (or 0.4) nm, which we refer to as XS and 0.1 – 0.8 nm (XL). Furthermore, additional flux adjustments, using overlapping data sets, were imposed to provide consistency of flare-flux levels from mission to mission. This article evaluates the results of these changes and compares experimental GOES-8/GOES-2 results with changes predicted from modeled flare spectra. The factors by which recent GOES observations can be matched to GOES-2 are then optimized by adapting a technique first used to extrapolate GOES X-ray fluxes above saturation using ionospheric VLF radio phase enhancements. A nearly 20% increase in published GOES-8 XL data would be required to match to GOES-2 XL fluxes, which were based on observed flare spectra. On the other hand, a factor of 1.07 would match GOES-8 and later flat-spectrum 0.1 – 0.8 nm fluxes to GOES-2 XL if the latter data were converted to a flat-spectrum basis. Finally, GOES-8 observations are compared to solar soft X-ray estimates made concurrently with other techniques. Published GOES-8 0.1 – 0.8 nm fluxes are found to be 0.59 of the mean of these other determinations. Rescaling GOES to a realistic flare spectrum and removing a 30% downward adjustment applied to the GOES-8 measurements during initial data processing would place GOES-8 and later GOES XL fluxes at 0.94 of this XL mean. GOES-2 on the same scale would lie at about 0.70 of this mean. Significant uncertainties in the absolute levels of broad band soft X-ray fluxes still remain, however.     

The influence of salinity on the heat-shock protein response of Potamocorbula amurensis (Bivalvia)

For biomarkers to be useful in assessing anthropogenic impacts in field studies involving aquatic organisms, they should not be affected by naturally occurring changes in environmental parameters such as salinity. This is especially important in estuarine environments and for relatively unspecific biomarkers like heat-shock proteins (hsps, stress proteins). In this study, the heat-shock protein response was measured in the euryhaline clam, Potamocorbula amurensis, after exposure to a range of salinities reflecting normal and extreme environmental conditions in Northern San Francisco Bay, California. The ability to raise cellular hsp70 levels in response to heat-shock was significantly impaired in P. amurensis collected from a low (0.5 ppt) salinity field site, and after 14 day exposure to low salinity in the laboratory.     

The myth of the brackish Sarmatian Sea

The biota of the 1.5 Ma period of the Middle Miocene Sarmatian of the Central Paratethys lack stenohaline components. This was the reason to interpret the Sarmatian stage as transitional between the marine Badenian and the lacustrine Pannonian stages. However, our new data indicate that brackish water conditions could not have prevailed. Sarmatian foraminifera, molluscs, serpulids, bryozoans, dasycladacean and corallinacean algae as well as diatoms clearly indicate normal marine conditions for the entire Sarmatian. During the Lower Sarmatian, however, a sea-level lowstand forced the development of many marginal marine environments. During the Late Sarmatian a highly productive carbonate factory of oolite shoals, mass-occurrences of thick-shelled molluscs and larger foraminifera, as well as marine cements clearly point to normal marine to hypersaline conditions. This trend is not restricted to the western margin of the Pannonian Basin System but can be observed in the entire Central and even Eastern Paratethys.     

Die Galaktische BeschleunigungK(z) Und Das Lokale System

The galactic accelerationK(z) calculated by Perry (1969) is explained by the influence of a local galactic mass concentration.

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Mitteilungen Serie A, Nr. 46.     

On the equilibrium of an exact charge neutral magnetopause

The way is discussed by which microinstabilities of an exact charge neutral magnetopause could lead to a trapped particle flow, the absence of which causes the non-existence of an equilibrium magnetospheric boundary layer in the Parker-Lerche model. Furthermore, it is argued that instead of the non-equilibrium effect of Parker and Lerche, microinstabilities of an exact charge neutral magnetopause might be the underlying physical process of an Axford and Hines' type viscous interaction.     

Über Pattersonsynthesen

Ohne ZusammenfassungMitteilung Nr. 75, Abteilung für Kristallographie und Strukturlehre; Zusammenfassung eines Vortrages, gehalten auf Einladung der Sektion für Kristallkunde der Deutschen Mineralogischen Gesellschaft an der 2. Diskussionstagung in Erlangen, 25. und 26. April 1953.[BA=Bull. Anal., CA.=Chem. Abstr., CZ.=Chem. Zbl.]     

AGB star intershell abundances inferred from UV spectra of extremely hot post-AGB stars

The hydrogen-deficiency in extremely hot post-AGB stars of spectral class PG1159 is probably caused by a (very) late helium-shell flash or a AGB final thermal pulse that consumes the hydrogen envelope, exposing the usually-hidden intershell region. Thus, the photospheric element abundances of these stars allow us to draw conclusions about details of nuclear burning and mixing processes in the precursor AGB stars. We compare predicted element abundances to those determined by quantitative spectral analyses performed with advanced non-LTE model atmospheres. A good qualitative and quantitative agreement is found for many species (He, C, N, O, Ne, F, Si, Ar) but discrepancies for others (P, S, Fe) point at shortcomings in stellar evolution models for AGB stars. Almost all of the chemical trace elements in these hot stars can only be identified in the UV spectral range. The Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer and the Hubble Space Telescope played a crucial role for this research.     

Lithologische Studien und zyklische Sedimentation in der helvetischen Zone der Schweizeralpen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Semi-monthly mean sea-level pressure maps for the Mediterranean area

Summary Semi-monthly mean sea-level pressure maps for the Mediterranean and adjacent areas are presented. Isobars have been drawn at 1-millibar intervals. The most significant features on the maps and the advantages of the mode of presentation are discussed briefly.

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Zusammenfassung Es werden auf das Meeresniveau bezogene halbmonatliche mittlere Luftdruckkarten für das Mittelmeergebiet und die anstoßenden Länder vorgelegt. Die Isobaren wurden für Millibarabstände gezeichnet. Die wichtigsten Resultate der Karten und die Vorzüge der Darstellungsweise werden kurz besprochen.

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Résumé Présentation de cartes de la pression moyenne semi-mensuelle, réduite au niveau de la mer, de la région méditerranéenne et des contrées voisines. Les isobares sont tracées de millibar en millibar. Brève discussion des traits principaux des cartes et des avantages de la méthode de représentation.

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With 25 Figures.

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The work reported in this paper has been supported by the Geophysics Research Division of the Air Force Cambridge Research Center, under Contract AF 19 (122)-466.     

Kontinuierliche Schwärzungskurven und diffuse Röntgenstrahlen-reflexe bei Einschlußverbindungen

Ohne ZusammenfassungHerrn Professor Dr. O. H.Erdmannsdörffer zur Vollendung seines 75. Lebensjahres in Dankbarkeit gewidmet.