A precise geodetic measurement network using three modern space geodetic techniques, i.e. Very Long Baseline Interferometry, Satellite Laser Ranging, and Global Positioning System, is being established around Tokyo, Japan by the Communications Research Laboratory. The Key Stone Project, which is the name of the project, was started to obtain precise relative positions of four stations using these three space geodetic techniques on a daily basis. The system was designed to make frequent observations possible with minimum human operations and to provide analyzed results as fast as possible. This paper describes various aspects of new features and the performance of the automatic geodetic Very Long Baseline Interferometry observation and data analysis system designed for the Key Stone Project. This automated design has allowed daily Very Long Baseline Interferometry experiments to be conducted since January 1995 and the results to be immediately made available for public use after each experiment.

View full abstract

Spherical harmonic models of the 1969, 1979 and 1992 geomagnetic jerks are computed using data from about 160 worldwide geomagnetic observatories. The dominance of the internal origin part with respect to the external one confirms again the internal origin of these events. A change of sign is observed between two successive jerks (1969-1979, 1979-1992). The acceleration jump of the fluid flow at the core mantle boundary (CMB) generating the three jerks is computed. Striking similarities between the three acceleration maps are observed (within the sign change mentioned above). These results suggest some long time scale memory in the processes that are responsible for the jerks. These processes remain to be elucidated.

View full abstract

Chamosite-hematite type oolitic ironstone is distributed in the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary zone of the Hazara area, Lesser Himalayan thrust zone, in the northwestern margin of the Indo-Pakistani subcontinent. A total of 52 oriented samples were collected from 6 beds in two open pit mines, Nathia Gali and Bagnotar. Ferromagnetic properties of the oolitic ironstone are dominated by fine-grained hematite that possesses a characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM). The ChRM is a chemical remanent magnetization (CRM) acquired by the hematite which formed from Fe-rich initial materials (iron hydroxides) during early diagenesis of the ironstone bed. The direction of the remanent magnetization indicates that the magnetization was acquired in an equatorial region (average inclination = 2°, paleolatitude = 1°N), which is consistent with the paleoposition of the Indian subcontinent during early Paleocene time, as estimated by previous data. The initial Fe-rich sediments were deposited under anoxic conditions, probably in a non-marine or brackish environment. During early diagenesis, after development of oolitic textures, the paleoenvironment became arid, where the CRM was acquired through the conversion of amorphous hydroxides or goethite to fine-grained hematite. The paleomagnetic results reveal complicated local rotational movements of oolitic ironstone blocks about vertical axes, which might be a result of intense thrusting within the terrane after early Tertiary collision between India and Asia.

View full abstract

Two rocket experiments were carried out just before and after the polar night at Andoya (69°N), Norway to investigate transport of nitric oxide produced by auroral processes into the middle atmosphere and its influence on the ozone chemistry. Nitric oxide densities of (2-5) × 10⁸ cm^-3 found in the 70-90 km region are one to two orders of magnitude larger than those at middle latitudes. The measured density profiles appear to agree semiquantitatively with model simulations which includes auroral processes. The influence on ozone densities in the 70-90 km region due to such enhanced nitric oxide abundance is found to be still insignificant as compared to that due to transport in the middle of February, one month after the end of polar night and one month before the spring equinox. The larger ozone densities found in February (in spite of longer sunlit duration) than in November in the 40-60 km region again support predominance of transport over photochemical destruction.

View full abstract

Characteristics of geomagnetic sudden commencement (SC) observed in middle and low latitudes are discussed on the basis of data analyses of magnetic variations and a numerical calculation. From the data analyses, it is found that a negative impulse is usually superposed on the main impulse of SC in H component just after its onset, at the stations in middle to high latitudes in the local time range from the morning to the early afternoon. The superposition of the negative impulse causes the decrease of SC amplitude in H component with increasing latitude in this area. The occurrence of the negative impulse does not seem to be dependent on geomagnetic activity. Examining a case study and a numerical analysis, it is suggested that this negative impulse is a signature of the magnetic variation due to the polar-originated ionospheric current system responsible for the main impulse of SC (DP_MI). The discussion includes the possible interpretation of PPI introduced by Kikuchi and Araki (1985) and the availability of D component magnetic data in middle latitude for a rough estimation of the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling process.

View full abstract

Wavelet analysis is suitable for investigating waves, such as Pi 2 pulsations, which are limited in both time and frequency. We have developed an algorithm to detect Pi 2 pulsations by wavelet analysis. We tested the algorithm and found that the results of Pi 2 detection are consistent with those obtained by visual inspection. The algorithm is applied in a project which aims at the nowcasting of substorm onsets. In this project we use real-time geomagnetic field data, with a sampling rate of 1 second, obtained at mid- and low-latitude stations (Mineyama in Japan, the York SAMNET station in the U.K., and Boulder in the U.S.). These stations are each separated by about 120° in longitude, so at least one station is on the nightside at all times. We plan to analyze the real-time data at each station using the Pi 2 detection algorithm, and to exchange the detection results among these stations via the Internet. Therefore we can obtain information about substorm onsets in real-time, even if we are on the dayside. We have constructed a system to detect Pi 2 pulsations automatically at Mineyama observatory. The detection results for the period of February to August 1996 showed that the rate of successful detection of Pi 2 pulsations was 83.4% for the nightside (18-06MLT) and 26.5% for the dayside (06-18MLT). The detection results near local midnight (20-02MLT) give the rate of successful detection of 93.2%.

View full abstract

The Planet-B neutral gas mass spectrometer is designed for in-situ measurements of the gas composition in the upper atmosphere of Mars. The sensor uses a dual frequency quadrupole mass analyzer with a mass range of 1-60 amu (atomic mass units) and two electron multipliers to cover the dynamic range required. The ion source, which is collinear with the analyzer, operates in two different modes: 1) a closed source mode measuring non-surface reactive neutral species that have thermally accommodated to the gas inlet walls; and 2) an open source mode measuring chemically surface active species by direct beaming with no surface collisions. The in-line Retarding Potential Analysis (RPA) system selects the mode of operation. An onboard Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is used to control the instrument operating parameters in accordance with pre-programmed sequences and to package the telemetry data. The sensor is sealed and maintained in a vacuum prior to launch and will be opened to the environment of Mars after orbit insertion. Measurements of He, N, O, CO, N₂, NO, O₂, Ar, and CO₂ will be done at periapsis and the data will be used to determine the variation of the neutral atmosphere density and temperature with altitude, local solar time and season. Measurements are possible from 130-140 km to 500 km depending on the gas species, chemical background, and instrument measurement mode. The data will contribute to the studies of thermosphere energetics, lower atmosphere meteorology (e.g. dust storms) and serve as a resource for studies of the interaction of the upper atmosphere with the solar wind.

View full abstract

The characteristic scale of the Martian magnetosheath is less than the pick-up gyroradius of oxygen ions. This leads to admissible differential motion of protons and heavies and a strong coupling between both ion fluids. 2D biionMHDsimulations reveal many newinteresting features in such Large Larmour RadiuKlaus Baumgartels systems. The formation of an ion-composition boundary, which separates both plasmas, and structuring of the transition from proton dominated plasma of the solar wind origin to massive planetary plasma are the main features of the interaction. Acomprehensive multi-instrument study of Martian plasma environment and the comparison with theoretical modelling initiated in the framework of the Visiting Science Programme of the International Space Science Institute (ISSI) in Bern (Switzerland) gives confirmation that Mars interacts with the solar wind like a comet which has a outgassing rate near to that of Grigg-Skjellerup. The results may also be relevant for small bodies which are surrounded by a neutral gas atmosphere (icy moons, asteroids, Mercury).

View full abstract