Hinode 7: Conference Summary and Future Suggestions

This conclusion to the meeting attempts to summarise what we have learnt during the conference (mainly from the review talks) about new observations from Hinode and about theories stimulated by them. Suggestions for future study are also offered.Comment: This is the concluding summary for the Hinode 7 Conference, to be published in Pub. Astron. Soc. Japa

A Life of Fun Playing With Solar Magnetic Fields (Special Historical Review)

This invited memoire describes my fortunate life, which has been enriched by meeting many wonderful people. The story starts at home and university, and continues with accounts of St Andrews and trips to the USA, together with musings on the book "Solar MHD". The nature and results of collaborations with key people from abroad and with students is mentioned at length. Finally, other important aspects of my life are mentioned briefly before wrapping up.Comment: Invited Memoire in the Journal Solar Physic

Self-Feeding Turbulent Magnetic Reconnection on Macroscopic Scales

Within a MHD approach we find magnetic reconnection to progress in two entirely different ways. The first is well-known: the laminar Sweet-Parker process. But a second, completely different and chaotic reconnection process is possible. This regime has properties of immediate practical relevance: i) it is much faster, developing on scales of the order of the Alfv\'en time, and ii) the areas of reconnection become distributed chaotically over a macroscopic region. The onset of the faster process is the formation of closed circulation patterns where the jets going out of the reconnection regions turn around and forces their way back in, carrying along copious amounts of magnetic flux

On the nature of reconnection at a solar coronal null point above a separatrix dome

Three-dimensional magnetic null points are ubiquitous in the solar corona, and in any generic mixed-polarity magnetic field. We consider magnetic reconnection at an isolated coronal null point, whose fan field lines form a dome structure. We demonstrate using analytical and computational models several features of spine-fan reconnection at such a null, including the fact that substantial magnetic flux transfer from one region of field line connectivity to another can occur. The flux transfer occurs across the current sheet that forms around the null point during spine-fan reconnection, and there is no separator present. Also, flipping of magnetic field lines takes place in a manner similar to that observed in quasi-separatrix layer or slip-running reconnection.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Nearctic \u3ci\u3eAcleris\u3c/i\u3e: Resurrection of \u3ci\u3eA. Stadiana\u3c/i\u3e and a Revised Identity for \u3ci\u3eA. Semiannula\u3c/i\u3e (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Type study showed that Acleris stadiana (Barnes & Busck), currently considered a junior synonym of A. semiannula (Robinson), is in fact a distinct taxon. Although superficially similar, these taxa differ markedly in genital structure. In males of A. semiannula, the aedeagus is short, broad, and virtually straight, whereas in those of A. stadiana, it is long, thin, and sharply bent. What was known in literature as A. semiannula proved to be A. stadi­ana. We redefine both A. semiannula and the resurrected A. stadiana

The Effect of Hydrostatic Weighting on the Vertical Temperature Structure of the Solar Corona

We investigate the effect of hydrostatic scale heights ${\lambda}(T)$ in coronal loops on the determination of the vertical temperature structure $T(h)$ of the solar corona. Every method that determines an average temperature at a particular line-of-sight from optically thin emission (e.g. in EUV or soft X-ray wavelengths) of a mutli-temperature plasma, is subject to the emission measure-weighted contributions $dEM(T)/dT$ from different temperatures. Because most of the coronal structures (along open or closed field lines) are close to hydrostatic equilibrium, the hydrostatic temperature scale height introduces a height-dependent weighting function that causes a systematic bias in the determination of the temperature structure $T(h)$ as function of altitude $h$. The net effect is that the averaged temperature seems to increase with altitude, $dT(h)/dh > 0$, even if every coronal loop (of a multi-temperature ensemble) is isothermal in itself. We simulate this effect with differential emission measure distributions observed by {\sl SERTS} for an instrument with a broadband temperature filter such as {\sl Yohkoh/SXT} and find that the apparent temperature increase due to hydrostatic weighting is of order \Delta T \approx T_0 \times h/r_{\sun}. We suggest that this effect largely explains the systematic temperature increase in the upper corona reported in recent studies (e.g. by Sturrock et al., Wheatland et al., or Priest et al.), rather than being an intrinsic signature of a coronal heating mechanism.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures. ApJ Letters, accepted 2000 April 6, in pres

Flow reversals in turbulent convection via vortex reconnections

We employ detailed numerical simulations to probe the mechanism of flow reversals in two-dimensional turbulent convection. We show that the reversals occur via vortex reconnection of two attracting corner rolls having same sign of vorticity, thus leading to major restructuring of the flow. Large fluctuations in heat transport are observed during the reversal due to this flow reconfiguration. The flow configurations during the reversals have been analyzed quantitatively using large-scale modes. Using these tools, we also show why flow reversals occur for a restricted range of Rayleigh and Prandt numbers

Sharing the burden of adapting to increasing flood risk: who pays for flood insurance and flood risk management investment in the United Kingdom

Many countries are exploring alternative strategies to counter rising flood risk as there is concern at the extra burden that such increasing risk will bring. The aim of this paper is to explore the nature of these burdens, and outline responses in the United Kingdom where both the government and the private flood insurers have new policies and proposals. Our method is to collate the extensive existing authoritative data and information - from government and the insurance industry - about the risks that are being experienced and the related policy responses. The results show that these seek to concentrate somewhat more the financial burden of, respectively, flood risk management costs and insurance provisions on to those who are at risk and away from the general taxpayer and those who pay insurance premiums. Other countries may well learn from these developments. The pre-existing cross-subsidies are being reduced and, in this way, it is hoped that extra resources for risk management investment will be forthcoming (from local contributions from at-risk communities) and flood insurance will remain affordable, available and commercially viable. A key conclusion here is that it appears that any increase in flood frequency and severity in the UK appears likely to affect the financially deprived communities to a greater extent than others, not least because they are less likely to insure. Government arrangements to prioritise their contribution to risk reducing towards these financially deprived communities is a sign that this regressive effect of floods is real and serious, and those arrangements are to be welcomed

THE EFFECTS OF VERBAL AND NONVERBAL LEARNING STYLES ON STUDENT ATTITUDE, INTERPRETATION, AND INTEGRATION OF CONTENT WHEN READING GRAPHIC NOVELS

This study examined the effects of cognitive learning styles on how middle school students internalize and comprehend graphic novels. Using a qualitative approach the multiple case study examined student survey data, class assignments, interview responses, and focus group transcriptions in an effort to describe students’ perceptions of using graphic novels in a social-studies setting. After obtaining a convenience sample of 109 grade-eight students, an examination of the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) scores took place. A purposeful sample of 11 students was drawn to construct three bounded case study groups representing varying verbal, nonverbal, and balanced learning styles as determined by the OLSAT. Upon the completion of all data collection and analysis a smaller sample of three students was chosen for a focus group. Emerging themes facilitated the generation of protocols for both interviews and focus groups and complemented the themes addressed in the PRGNS. Within and cross-case pattern analysis of data drawn from case study groups and the focus group yielded both similarities and differences. Verbal, nonverbal, and balanced subgroups believed there is potential depth and challenge to graphic novels, an engaging storyline is essential in maintaining focus while reading, prior knowledge impacts their ability to recognize symbols, and images provide focus and prevent mind wandering while reading. When preferences for reading genre were examined it was found that both the verbal and balanced subgroups had an overwhelming preference for fiction while the nonverbal subgroup preferred nonfiction. Finally, the reading attack strategies used by the subgroups differed based on their use of visuals with the reading. The verbal subgroup indicated reading the text of a textbook assignment first and later looking at visuals such as charts and pictures. Nonverbal participants discussed skimming the images and captions before reading the text, and the balanced group generally used bold headings like titles and subtitles to preview the content before reading text

Allocating water of the Nile River

Presented at River basin management to meet competing needs: proceedings from the USCID conference on shared rivers held on October 21-31, 1998 in Park City, Utah.The Egyptian philosophy of water use is that of an agrarian society even though perhaps only 50% of foodstuffs are produced domestically. The Egyptian Government is now implementing a plan of action that will spread water over vast new areas of the Western Desert and the Sinai. The objective is to transfer within 20 years as many as 7 million persons from the Nile Valley and the Delta to intensively irrigated areas of the Western Desert. This diversion of Nile River water is to be accomplished even as the nine upstream riparians are demanding more water. A paradigm shift is required. Those guiding irrigation development in the Western Desert must accept and embrace a model of mixed development based on: 1) the eventual minimization of irrigation of field crops, 2) the identification and filling of now dry water-table aquifers through diversion of excess river flows in wet years, and 3) exploitation of minerals and other important resources of the Western Desert to support the new communities. Clearly, during the initial stages of New Valley developments, the government needs to divert the entire excesses of wet year flows for over-irrigation of reclamation crops and the filling of pre-identified underground reservoirs. Integrated ground-water-surface-water systems should be established., successively along the path of development, to supply municipal and industrial water and for the irrigation of vegetables and fruit trees. A large component of the water required for creating shaded communities and wind breaks should be derived from reuse of treated wastewater effluents and the pumping of mildly brackish ground water. Thus, through the establishment of water-table aquifers along the route of development and the careful husbanding of the water resource, extensive settlements can be realized in the western Desert without substantial diminishment of the productive capacity of the agriculture of the Nile Valley and Delta. Sustainability of the colonization will depend equally on the exercise of care in protecting the fragile desert environment in every zone of development and the equitable collection of water user fees from the start of project operations