62 research outputs found
Dust Devil Tracks
Dust devils that leave dark- or light-toned tracks are common on Mars and they can also be found on the Earthâs surface. Dust devil tracks (hereinafter DDTs) are ephemeral surface features with mostly sub-annual lifetimes. Regarding their size, DDT widths can range between âŒ1 m and âŒ1 km, depending on the diameter of dust devil that created the track, and DDT lengths range from a few tens of meters to several kilometers, limited by the duration and horizontal ground speed of dust devils. DDTs can be classified into three main types based on their morphology and albedo in contrast to their surroundings; all are found on both planets: (a) dark continuous DDTs, (b) dark cycloidal DDTs, and (c) bright DDTs. Dark continuous DDTs are the most common type on Mars. They are characterized by their relatively homogenous and continuous low albedo surface tracks. Based on terrestrial and martian in situ studies, these DDTs most likely form when surficial dust layers are removed to expose larger-grained substrate material (coarse sands of â„500 ÎŒm in diameter). The exposure of larger-grained materials changes the photometric properties of the surface; hence leading to lower albedo tracks because grain size is photometrically inversely proportional to the surface reflectance. However, although not observed so far, compositional differences (i.e., color differences) might also lead to albedo contrasts when dust is removed to expose substrate materials with mineralogical differences. For dark continuous DDTs, albedo drop measurements are around 2.5 % in the wavelength range of 550â850 nm on Mars and around 0.5 % in the wavelength range from 300â1100 nm on Earth. The removal of an equivalent layer thickness around 1 ÎŒm is sufficient for the formation of visible dark continuous DDTs on Mars and Earth. The next type of DDTs, dark cycloidal DDTs, are characterized by their low albedo pattern of overlapping scallops. Terrestrial in situ studies imply that they are formed when sand-sized material that is eroded from the outer vortex area of a dust devil is redeposited in annular patterns in the central vortex region. This type of DDT can also be found in on Mars in orbital image data, and although in situ studies are lacking, terrestrial analog studies, laboratory work, and numerical modeling suggest they have the same formation mechanism as those on Earth. Finally, bright DDTs are characterized by their continuous track pattern and high albedo compared to their undisturbed surroundings. They are found on both planets, but to date they have only been analyzed in situ on Earth. Here, the destruction of aggregates of dust, silt and sand by dust devils leads to smooth surfaces in contrast to the undisturbed rough surfaces surrounding the track. The resulting change in photometric properties occurs because the smoother surfaces have a higher reflectance compared to the surrounding rough surface, leading to bright DDTs. On Mars, the destruction of surficial dust-aggregates may also lead to bright DDTs. However, higher reflective surfaces may be produced by other formation mechanisms, such as dust compaction by passing dust devils, as this may also cause changes in photometric properties. On Mars, DDTs in general are found at all elevations and on a global scale, except on the permanent polar caps. DDT maximum areal densities occur during spring and summer in both hemispheres produced by an increase in dust devil activity caused by maximum insolation. Regionally, dust devil densities vary spatially likely controlled by changes in dust cover thicknesses and substrate materials. This variability makes it difficult to infer dust devil activity from DDT frequencies. Furthermore, only a fraction of dust devils leave tracks. However, DDTs can be used as proxies for dust devil lifetimes and wind directions and speeds, and they can also be used to predict lander or rover solar panel clearing events. Overall, the high DDT frequency in many areas on Mars leads to drastic albedo changes that affect large-scale weather patterns
Measurement of the Charged Multiplicities in b, c and Light Quark Events from Z0 Decays
Average charged multiplicities have been measured separately in , and
light quark () events from decays measured in the SLD experiment.
Impact parameters of charged tracks were used to select enriched samples of
and light quark events, and reconstructed charmed mesons were used to select
quark events. We measured the charged multiplicities:
,
, from
which we derived the differences between the total average charged
multiplicities of or quark events and light quark events: and . We compared
these measurements with those at lower center-of-mass energies and with
perturbative QCD predictions. These combined results are in agreement with the
QCD expectations and disfavor the hypothesis of flavor-independent
fragmentation.Comment: 19 pages LaTex, 4 EPS figures, to appear in Physics Letters
Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.
BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362
Geologic interpretation of the near-infrared images of area SW of Beta Regio taken by the Venus Monitoring Camera
We analyze night-time near-infrared (NIR) images of Beta-Phoebe region obtained with the 1-ÎŒm channel of the
Venus Monitoring Camera (VMC) onboard Venus Express. Comparisons with the results of the Magellan radar
survey and the model NIR images show that the night-time VMC images provide reliable information on spatial
variations of the NIR surface emission.
Here we consider if tessera terrain has the different NIR emissivity (and thus mineralogical composition) in com-
parison to the surrounding basaltic plains. This is done through the study of an area SW of Beta Regio where
there is a massif of tessera terrain, Chimon-mana Tessera, surrounded by supposedly basaltic plains. Our analysis
showed that 1-ÎŒm emissivity of tessera surface material is by 15 â 35 % lower than that of relatively fresh suppos-
edly basaltic lavas of plains and volcanic edifices. This is consistent with hypothesis that the tessera material is not
basaltic, maybe felsic, that is in agreement with the results of analyses of VEX VIRTIS and Galileo NIMS data. If
the felsic nature of venusian tesserae will be confirmed in further studies this may have important implications on
geochemical environments in early history of Venus.
We have found that the surface materials of plains in the study area are very variegated in their 1-ÎŒm emissivity,
which probably reflects variability of degree of their chemical weathering.
We have also found a possible decrease of the calculated emissivity at the top of Tuulikki Mons volcano which, if
real, may be due to different (more felsic?) composition of volcanic products on the volcano summit
Desiccation mechanism for formation of giant polygons on Earth and intermediate-sized polygons on Mars: results from a pre-fracture model
We present a pre-fracture incrementally non-linear elasticâhydric model to constrain the models of formation of giant (spacing of 20â300 m) desiccation cracks on Earth, and possibly intermediate sized (80 to 350 m) polygonal networks of cracks located in many impact craters on Mars which have been interpreted to form by desiccation as opposed to thermal contraction (El Maarry et al., 2010). The results of the model show that tensile stresses rise monotonically with desiccation. However, in soils with diffusivities below 10â 4 m2/s, it is not possible to generate high enough stresses to cause fracturing. On the other hand, intermediate values between 10â 2 and 10â 4 m2/s create optimum conditions for the formation of cracks at the time scales suggested for the formation of giant desiccation polygons on Earth. Our model clearly shows that for typical diffusivity values of clayey soils with a considerable amount of smectites enough stress can build up to stimulate cracking of various spatial scales. These results corroborate earlier assumptions that giant desiccation polygons on Earth occur through lowering of the water table rather than surface evaporation. Extending the model to Mars shows that soils would crack within similar diffusivity limits but in slightly longer periods of time owing to the lower gravity. Finally, a model for formation of desiccation cracks on Mars is presented that shows that two main conditions need to be fulfilled for desiccation cracks to occur under current martian climatic conditions, namely, that the thermal and soil diffusivity conditions 1) allow for the formation of an unsaturated zone with a considerable thickness while at the same time 2) limiting the growth of the permafrost downward which would disrupt the cracking process
Water vapor near the cloud tops of Venus from Venus Express/VIRTIS dayside data
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