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Notes: Through the principal use of the reduced magnetohydrodynamic version of the finite aspect ratio code [L. A. Charlton et al., J. Comput. Phys. 86, 270 (1990)], an m/n=1/1 resistive kink mode was poloidally rotated with the accompanying rotational shear. It was observed that the growth rate of this unstable mode can either decrease or increase as the applied equilibrium rotation is increased to near poloidal sonic speeds. Shear in the poloidal rotation profile is stabilizing, but only if the destabilizing effects of bulk rotation can be overcome. Therefore, the mode's stability was sensitive to the location of the rotation's peak relative to the eigenmode's spatial extent. The destabilizing effects of bulk rotation are apparently a rotationally enhanced beta, and the stabilizing effects appear to be caused by exceeding a critical rotational shear spatially averaged over the eigenmode structure. © 2001 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: In this paper numerical solutions of Zakharov-type equations for lower-hybrid (LH) waves, including pumping at the long wavelengths and dissipation at short wavelengths in the form of dissipative cavitons are described. The caviton is a quasistationary structure undergoing many sequences of collapse due to dissipation, created by ion–wave interactions, which is compensated for by constant pump action. The possibility of trapping of short-wavelength LH oscillations by much broader density cavitons is investigated both analytically and numerically. Analytic self-similar solutions corresponding to collapse of such cavitons are constructed and demonstrate cascading to shorter wavelengths, which develops faster than the three-dimensional (3-D) quasiclassical cavity contraction. Numerical solutions show the development of deep caviton modulation due to the instability of quasiclassical collapse. Results of the numerical and analytical investigation are used to explain the recent observations of cavity formation in the auroral ionosphere, and show that the measured structures could indeed arise from quasiclassical LH collapse. © 1995 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: The effects of externally imposed and self-generated poloidal flows on turbulence and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) activity are examined in the context of the possible Electric Tokamak (ET) [Phys. Plasmas 6, 4722 (1999)] plasmas and (circularized) DIII-D-like [Fusion Technol. 8, 441 (1985)] discharges. Global gyrokinetic particle simulations and reduced MHD calculations respectively show that ion temperature gradient driven turbulence (ITGDT) and resistive internal kink MHD activity can be reduced and/or suppressed with experimentally achievable externally imposed flows for possible ET start-up plasmas. Global gyrokinetic particle simulations of ITGDT also serve to demonstrate that self-generated flows are necessary to yield experimentally relevant radial correlation lengths in the case of DIII-D-like discharges. © 2000 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: The Electric Tokamak (ET), currently under construction at the University of California–Los Angeles, is designed to rotate poloidally via a radial current induced by fast wave rf heating fast enough to bifurcate the plasma into a global "H mode" ("high confinement mode"). A global gyrokinetic code is used to explore and illustrate some of the effects on ion temperature gradient turbulence. The realistic radial electric field required to completely suppress these modes for ET parameters is demonstrated to be 〈−30 V/cm at its maximum near the half radius. The effects of both a poloidally supersonic bulk rotation threshold and the shear in this rotation near that supersonic threshold were shown to be important in reducing these modes. © 1999 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: Ultrahigh-temperature quartz-sapphirine granulite xenoliths in the post-Karoo Lace kimberlite, South Africa, comprise mainly quartz, sapphirine, garnet and sillimanite, with rarer orthopyroxene, antiperthite, corundum and zinc-bearing spinel; constant accessories are rutile, graphite and sulphides. Comparison with assemblages in the experimentally determined FMAS and KFMASH grids indicates initial equilibration at 〉1040 °C and 9–11 kbar. Corona assemblages involving garnet, sillimanite and minor cordierite developed on a near-isobaric cooling P–T  path as both temperature and, to a lesser extent, pressures decreased. Garnet-orthopyroxene Fe-Mg exchange thermometers record temperatures of only 830–916 °C. These estimates do not indicate the peak metamorphic conditions but instead reflect the importance of post-peak Fe-Mg exchange during cooling. Correction of mineral Fe-Mg compositions for this exhange using a convergence approach of Fitzsimons & Harley (1994) leads to retrieved P–T  estimates from garnet-orthopyroxene thermobarometry (c. 1000 °C and 10.5±0.7 kbar) that are consistent with the petrogenetic grid constraints. U-Pb dating of a single zircon grain gives an age of 2590±83 Ma, interpreted as the age of the metamorphic event. Protolith major and trace element chemistries of the xenoliths differ from sapphirine-quartzites typical of the Napier Complex (Antarctica) but are comparable to less siliceous, high Cr and Ni, sapphirine granulites reported from several ultrahigh temperature granulite terranes.

Notes: Using x-ray diffraction techniques, we measure the root-mean-square width of the buried crystalline/amorphous Si(001)/SiO2 interface, as a function of oxide thickness. We find that the interface width decreases with increasing oxide thickness; the oxide growth process kinetically smoothens the buried interface. We also find a difference between the rate of smoothing for wet and dry oxides. © 1995 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: 1. Two acidic peatland upland streams in north-east Scotland draining catchments of 1.3 and 41.4 km2 were sampled each season for 2 years to investigate diurnal variations in dissolved and gaseous forms of carbon. Stream metabolism, alkalinity, discharge, pH, air and water temperatures were measured to aid data interpretation.2. Free CO2 showed marked diurnal variation with lowest concentrations during the period from late morning to early afternoon and highest during the hours of darkness. Although alkalinity and pH also showed some diurnal fluctuations, in comparison with other more productive alkaline systems, variation was small. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) showed no significant diurnal pattern. However, significant changes in stream discharge influenced DOC concentrations, as well as over-riding diurnal patterns of free CO2, alkalinity and pH.3. The highest diurnal ratios (maximum concentration/minimum concentration) in CO2, gross primary productivity (GPP) and community respiration (CR) occurred in spring and summer and the lowest in autumn and winter. Variation in biotic in-stream processes caused changes in CO2 concentrations and temperature affected both the solubility of CO2 and changes in up-stream CO2 inputs. There was no significant difference in diurnal fluctuations between the two orders of stream studied.4. The mean GPP (as CO2) was 0.81 g CO2 m−2 day−1 and mean CR 2.67 g CO2 m−2 day−1. The mean primary production/respiration (P/R) ratio was 0.26 ± 0.09 and 0.33 ± 0.15 in the first and second order streams, respectively. These values are low compared with published data because these heterotrophic headwater streams are dominated by benthic respiration and upstream allochthonous inputs with little autotrophic metabolism, particularly during the colder autumn and winter months.5. The results have implications for the calculation of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) fluxes in streamwater. Samples taken during daylight hours tend to have lower concentrations of free CO2 and HCO3− than samples taken during darkness. During spring, concentrations of free CO2 were measured up to 2.4 (annual mean 1.8) times higher at night than during the day at a similar discharge. It is suggested that fluxes based on daytime measurements alone will under-estimate the annual flux of these determinands in streamwater by as much as 40%.