Benthic study of the continental slope off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina

Concern was raised by the NCESRP (1992) that since not much is known about the bottom communities around the Manteo 467 lease block, exploration activities could result in significant environmental disturbance. Therefore, the principal task of this study was to survey the sea floor of the Cape Hatteras continental slope in the vicinity of the Manteo 467 site prior tn any decision on permitting of exploratory drilling. The study objectives as listed in the scope of work are as follows: 1. Define the \u27unusual benthic community\u27 that exists offshore North Carolina which is at its peak in the vicinity of the proposed Manteo drill site and \u27the Point.\u27 The working definition shall be based on species composition and relative abundance. However, the definition must also consider the impact of physical oceanographic processes, oxygen levels, and sediment types and flux. 2. Using the Offshore Operators\u27 Committee (OOC) model (MOEPSO, estimate the area between the 300- and 1,500-m isobaths which could be covered by the deposition of muds and cunings at the proposed drill site. 3. Survey the area of the Manteo site for the \u27unusual benthic community\u27 as defined in objective No. 1. The survey must include benthic mcgafauna as well as the infauna.

General properties of the pion production reaction in nuclear matter

The pion production reaction $\pi^+ \to \pi^+\pi^{\pm}$ on $^{45}Sc$ was studied at incident pion energies of $T_{\pi^{+}}$ = 240, 260, 280, 300, and 320 MeV. The experiment was performed using the $M11$ pion-channel at TRIUMF, and multiparticle events, ($\pi^+,\pi^+\pi^{\pm}$) and ($\pi^+,\pi^+\pi^{\pm}p$), were detected with the CHAOS spectrometer. Results are reported in the form of both differential and total cross sections, and are compared to theoretical predictions and the reaction phase space. The present investigation of the T-dependence of the $\pi^+ A \to \pi^+\pi^{\pm} A'$ reaction complements earlier examinations of the A-dependence of the reaction, which was measured using $^{2}H$, $^{4}He$, $^{12}C$, $^{16}O$, $^{40}Ca$, and $^{208}Pb$ targets at $\sim$280 MeV. Some general properties of the pion-induced pion production reaction in nuclear matter will be presented, based on the combined results of the two studies.Comment: 23 pages, Latex, accepted for publication in Nucl. Phys.