Terrestrial Magnetism Research Articles

Russian studies of Antarctic auroras: A review

The studies of auroras at Russian Antarctic observatories in the Southern Hemisphere began in 1957 during the second Complex Antarctic expedition and performed almost continuously up to 1993 during more than 30 years. Many observers of auroras and scientists that analyzed obtained results participated in these studies. Members of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AANII), Russian Committee on Hydrometeorology (Rosgidromet); Pushkov Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere, and Radiowave Propagation, Russian Academy of Sciences (IZMIRAN); Vernov Institute of Nuclear Physics, Moscow State University (NIIYaF MGU); Polar Geophysical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences (PGI); St. Petersburg State University (SPbGU); Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth (IFZ); Shafer Institute of Cosmophysical Research and Aeronomy, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (IKFIA SB RAN); and other institutions made an enormous contribution to the studies of Antarctic auroras. The main results of the studies of Antarctic auroras, obtained by Russian scientists, are reviewed in this work.

Comment on “Amateur observations of atmospheric phenomena during the IGY”

Following the article by Schröder [2007], we point out the key roles played by several Russian scientists in the planning and implementation of observations of aurorae during the International Geophysical Year (IGY).The leader of the program and the organizer of the visual observational network in the USSR was Nikolay V. Pushkov (1903–1981), director of the Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere, and Radio Wave Propagation (IZMIRAN, Troitsk, Russia, now called the Pushkov Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere, and Radiowave Propagation). As a member of the Comite Special de l'Annee Geophysique Internationale (CSAGI), Pushkov was actively involved in the inception of the international program of visual observations of aurorae that was accepted for the period of the IGY.

Hidden depths: Halley, hell and other people

During the long eighteenth century, boundaries between theology and natural philosophy, between imaginary and factual travel narratives, between fiction and social commentary, were far more fluid than they are today. To explore these relationships, this paper links Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein—a book often hailed as the first science fiction novel—to two earlier works which are now less well known: Edmond Halley’s article about terrestrial magnetism, in which he suggested that God had created inhabited illuminated cavities inside the earth; and a satirical fantasy voyage written by the Danish author Ludvig Holberg, but published anonymously as Niels Klim’s journey to the underground and immediately translated into many languages. Attention is focussed on how the ambiguous presentation of these and other texts blurs any straightforward classification of genres. The aim of examining these writers together is not to search for direct mappings from one project to another, but instead to introduce Holberg’s unfamiliar yet important book and also to cast new light on Frankenstein, one of England’s most famous works of literature.

Non-thermal effects of EMF upon the mammalian brain: the Lund experience

The environment in which biology exists has dramatically changed during the last decades. Life was formed during billions of years, exposed to, and shaped by the original physical forces such as gravitation, cosmic irradiation and the terrestrial magnetism. The existing organisms are created to function in harmony with these forces. However, in the late 19th century mankind introduced the use of electricity and during the very last decades, microwaves of the modern communication society spread around the world. Today one third of the world’s population is owner of the microwave-producing mobile phones. The question is: to what extent are living organisms affected by these ubiquitous radio frequency fields? Since 1988 our group has studied the effects upon the mammalian blood-brain barrier (BBB) by non-thermal radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF). These have been revealed to cause significantly increased leakage of albumin through the BBB of exposed rats as compared to non-exposed animals—in a total series of about two thousand animals. One remarkable observation is the fact that the lowest energy levels give rise to the most pronounced albumin leakage. If mobile communication, even at extremely low energy levels, causes the users’ own albumin to leak out through the BBB, also other unwanted and toxic molecules in the blood, may leak into the brain tissue and concentrate in and damage the neurons and glial cells of the brain. In later studies we have shown that a 2-h exposure to GSM 915 MHz at non-thermal levels, gives rise to significant neuronal damage, seen 28 and 50 days after the exposure. In our continued research, the non-thermal effects (histology, memory functions) of long-term exposure for 13 months are studied as well as the effects of short term GSM 1,800 MHz upon gene expression. Most of our findings support that living organisms are affected by the non-thermal radio frequency fields. Studies from other laboratories in some cases find effects, while in other cases effects are not seen. Our conclusion is that all researchers involved in this field have the obligation to intensify this research in order to reduce, or avoid, the possible negative effects of the man made microwaves!

Update on digital library project

AGU is on track to deliver by the end of this year access to all articles published throughout its history and in the predecessor to JGR, Terrestrial Magnetism and Electricity, from vol. 1, no. 1 (1896) of that journal. To date, more than two thirds of journal articles (∼65,000) have been scanned. Books and Eos issues will be completed next.When introduced, this digital library will feature searching and linking capabilities for both abstracts and reference lists and will be integrated with the current publications.

Discovery of the pearl waves by Eyvind Sucksdorff

Eyvind Sucksdorff (1899–1955) was an enthusiastic scientist who was the director of Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory (SGO) from 1927 to 1945. He continued magnetic measurements, which were started in 1913 when SGO was established. Sucksdorff observed events with periodically modulated amplitude in the registration of the new La Cour quick-run magnetometers in 1932–35. He interpreted these events to be due to short-period oscillations and called them “rapid micropulsations” or “pearl necklace” due to the shape of the signal in the registration. From the “pearl necklaces” he estimated the upper bound of the oscillation to be 2–3 s. Sucksdorff did not know the accurate values of the eigenperiods of the systems (H, D and Z components of the magnetometer). Later measurements have shown that they were 2–3 s. Nowadays, the pearl pulsations discovered by Sucksdorff 70 years ago are known as a subgroup of Pc1 magnetic pulsations. Sucksdorff published his observations in 1936. He studied both the annual and diurnal distributions of the new pulsations. Comparisons of the records made in Stockholm, Copenhagen and Sodankylä revealed for the first time the global features of Pc1 pulsations. Sucksdorff did not present any explanation for the pearl pulsations he had observed. Leiv Harang from the Auroral Observatory at Tromsø, Norway, published his analysis of rapid registrations made in Tromsø in 1932–36 in the same issue of the Terrestrial Magnetism and Atmospheric Electricity. He used the name “vibrations” for his short-period oscillations.

The Re-Os isotopic system: geochemistry and methodology at the Geochronological Research Center (CPGeo) of the University of São Paulo, Brazil

The Re-Os isotopic system is an important tool for the study of mantle-crust processes, geochronology and the tracing of source reservoirs for metal deposition. Rhenium and osmium differ fundamentally from other lithophile isotopic systems with regards to their behavior during partial melting processes, coupled with the chalcophile/siderophile nature of both elements. These differences make the system extremely useful for a number of novel applications not traditionally addressed by lithophile isotopic systems. A low-blank technique for the analysis of Re-Os isotopes in geological materials has been established at the Geochronological Research Center (CPGeo) of the Geosciences Institute of the University of São Paulo, Brazil, with the aim of furthering knowledge of regional geology, tectonic evolution, petrology and ore deposition in South America. The techniques described here use isotope dilution to simultaneously determine the concentration of Os and Re as well the Os isotopic composition of geologic materials. Sample digestion and sample-isotopic spike equilibration are achieved in sealed borosilicate glass tubes at high temperature. Osmium is separated and purified by carbon tetrachloride solvent extraction and micro-distillation techniques. Rhenium is separated and purified by anion exchange chromatography. Accuracy of the concentration and isotopic determinations is monitored by the analysis of a certified reference material (WPR-1) and the use of the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism (DTM) Os isotopic standard. Measured values and precision of these standards is within error and comparable to established Re-Os laboratories.

Geophysical travellers: the magneticians of the Carnegie Institution of Washington

Abstract Between 1904 and World War II, a group of researchers ranged the world over in an effort to understand the Earth's magnetism. They called themselves ‘magneticians’ and they worked for the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism at the Carnegie Institution of Washington. Directed by Louis Agricola Bauer (1865–1932) and John Adam Fleming (1877–1956), these investigators followed carefully selected routes through Africa, Asia, South America, and other remote regions. They carried with them a heavy complement of instruments, camp gear, and evening wear, for those times when they reached outposts of European civilization.

James Alfred Van Allen

James Alfred Van Allen

George W. Wetherill (1925–2006)

George West Wetherill, a pioneer of geochronolgy and planetary science, passed away from heart failure at his home in Washington, D.C., on 19 July 2006, one month short of his 81st birthday Wetherill, director emeritus of the Carnegie Institution of Washington's Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, made major contributions to a wide variety of fields, including geochronology and the formation of the planets.Wetherill was born in Philadelphia, Pa., on 12 August 1925. After service in the U.S. Navy in World War II, where he taught radar at the Naval Research Laboratory, he entered the University of Chicago on the G.I. Bill. Wetherill obtained four degrees, culminating in his Ph.D. in physics in 1953. He began work at Carnegie's Department of Terrestrial Magnetism in 1953 and became part of its geochronology group, working with Thomas Aldrich, George Tilton, and Gordon Davis.

George West Wetherill

George West Wetherill

A tribute to the life and work of George W. Wetherill: Some reflections of his career at DTM

George Wetherill and I worked together as scientific collaborators when I was a postdoctoral fellow in 1977-1978 at the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism (DTM) of the Carnegie Institution of Washington (CIW) in Washington, D.C. We worked on problems of meteoroids interacting in Earth's atmosphere along with Richard McCrosky at Harvard College Observatory and Zdeněk Ceplecha at the Ondřejov Observatory in Czechoslovakia and also with Sundar Rajan who had already arrived at DTM from the University of California at Berkeley before me.

Extending AGU's digital library

AGU has a long and proud history of publishing. The Union's most visible and stalwart publication, the Journal of Geophysical Research (JGR), traces its roots to 1896, when the journal Terrestrial Magnetism first appeared. Since then, AGU's publications have come to include more than a dozen journals, books, maps, and the venerable Eos Transactions, which you are reading now.By far, the largest amount of AGU's published output has been in the form of printed media. Print communications have served scholars for centuries, and they remain valuable. However, today's investigators expect to conduct research in the digital environment of the Internet, where material can be more easily found, accessed, and utilized. Consequently, it is common for scholarly publishers these days to convert their older, print content so that it is accessible and usable on the Internet, a process often called ‘retrospective digitization.’ AGU is embarking on such a process.

The All-Russia conference on the Experimental and Theoretical Basis of Forecasting Heliogeophysical Activity Organized by the Solar Section of the Scientific Council of the Russian Academy of Ciences on Astronomy and the Pushkov Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere, and Radio Wave Propagation, Russian Academy of Sciences (October 10–15, 2005, Troitsk)

The All-Russia conference on the Experimental and Theoretical Basis of Forecasting Heliogeophysical Activity Organized by the Solar Section of the Scientific Council of the Russian Academy of Ciences on Astronomy and the Pushkov Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere, and Radio Wave Propagation, Russian Academy of Sciences (October 10–15, 2005, Troitsk)

Statistical considerations in superposed epoch analysis and its applications in space research

Superposed epoch analysis is often used to demonstrate an effect or a periodicity. This method of analysis was originally proposed by Chree (Some phenomena of sunspots and of terrestrial magnetism at Kew observatory. Philosophical Transactions Royal Society London Series A 212, 75) and applied for studying the time variation of geophysical data. In its first application, Chree reported a 27-day periodicity (recurrence tendency) in geomagnetic data. Since then this method of analysis is being used in several disciplines either for testing the relationship between two diverse phenomena or to search for periodicities in the data. In addition to cosmic ray physics, various fields of research in which this method of analysis is often used include solar, magnetospheric, heliospheric, ionospheric and atmospheric physics as well as astrophysics and meteorology/climatology etc. Although a powerful method, an appropriate procedure to test the level of significance (statistical reality) of the obtained results is still lacking. This is highly desirable as, in the absence of a suitable test, a spurious/undesirable signal may appear as a ‘genuine’ effect. This paper describes two techniques with application, one based on t-test and other on F-test, to test the significance level of results obtained on the basis of superposed epoch (Chree) analysis. Since most of the data acquired in atmosphere and space show a solar cycle variation, an appropriate procedure is also described for the data transformation (removal of solar cycle variation) before subjected to test a ‘genuine’ effect. To highlight the necessity for removal of solar cycle effect, a comparison of the results of significance test, before and after the data transformation, is also presented. Although these techniques are applicable to solar/astrophysical/heliospheric/magnetospheric/ionospheric/atmospheric/meteorological data, the procedure is illustrated using cosmic ray data. Details of the procedure to test the Forbush-decrease effect in cosmic ray intensity observed due to passage of interplanetary shocks, are discussed. Test results by two statistical procedures, one based on t -test and another based on F -test, are also compared in this paper. The effectiveness of interplanetary shocks on transient modulation of cosmic rays is studied and tested by both techniques. Both the techniques lead to similar conclusions. It is demonstrated, using both the techniques, that the effect of interplanetary shocks on transient modulation of cosmic ray intensity is statistically significant only due to the shocks whose sudden commencement amplitude exceeds certain limits.

2A1-E14 小型芝刈りロボット群のパスプランニング手法

In this paper, inspection about robustness and efficiency mowing strategy that uses small mowing robots and charge station. The mowing robots (Robomower) will be expected to mowing work at open areas like as parks. To work in the open area, the robots must keep the safety for people at first. The Robomower is GPS based small mowing robots. It has many sensors: GPS, terrestrial magnetism direction sensor, ultrasonic wave sensors and tactile bumper switches...etc. The Robomower communicate with other robot use Ad-hoc network and SOAP communication. The mowing task is that robots pass all work area that divided the grid areas. The approach strategy is path tracing and moving to objective point at perigee. And make the path uses GA. It is tested the approach strategies work on the mowing task by the real robots experiment.

2P2-C09 自律型屋内航空ロボットの開発

A small arial robot is developed in order to inspect the obstructed indoor hazardous areas such as disaster-stricken areas. Attitude sensors and CPU (Central Processing Unit) are integrated into a radio controlled small helicopter EP-CALIBER M24 (Kyosyo Corporation) for autonomous flight. The rate giro, the acceleration sensor, and the terrestrial magnetism sensor sensor are used to control the attitude. To confirm the effectiveness of the system,the flight experiment are performed, and succeed in the flight during about 3.5 [s]. This paper describes the detail of the development of the autonomous indoor aerial robot.

Experience, Pedagogy, and the Study of Terrestrial Magnetism

In 1842, British astronomer Sir John Herschel wrote a letter to Carl Friedrich Gauss seeking his advice about how to make data collection more efficient on the Magnetic Crusade, a large-scale initiative to study the earth's magnetic field. Surprisingly, even though Gauss had managed a similar initiative, he refused to give Herschel the advice he wanted, claiming that he needed to see Herschel's results before he could reply. Taking this miscommunication as a point of departure, this article traces the cause of this miscommunication to differences in how each scientist viewed scientific training and the communicability of different kinds of scientific knowledge.

Observations of Solar X-ray Spectra by the DIOGENESS and RESIK Spectrometers Onboard the CORONAS-F Satellite

The first scientific results of the analysis of the X-ray spectra of flares and active regions in the solar corona obtained by Polish-led spectrometers RESIK and DIOGENESS onboard the CORONAS-F satellite are presented. The instruments were designed and made in the Solar Physics Division of the Space Research Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences (SRC PAS, Wroclaw, Poland). The Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ion- osphere, and Radio Wave Propagation (IZMIRAN, Russia) and the Astronomical Institute of the Czech Acad- emy of Sciences also participated in designing the DIOGENESS spectrometer, while IZMIRAN (Russia), Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL, Great Britain), Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL, Great Brit- ain), and Naval Research Laboratory (NRL, United States) contributed to the development of the RESIK spec- trometer. In the paper, we give spectra obtained in a number of previously unstudied spectral ranges and a pre- liminary identification of new spectral lines. The results for the shifts of the X-ray spectral lines observed with the use of a so-called dopplerometer configuration are also presented. Methods for determining the abundances of the rare elements in the solar corona, including chlorine, potassium, and argon, are described.

Surveying terrestrial magnetism in time and space

Charts marked with the lines of magnetic variation have been published since Halley's Atlantic chart of 1701. It was already known that the location of the magnetic poles shifted over time, and that the north and south poles were not diametrically opposite. As more seafarers penetrated the Southern Ocean, isogons on the charts were extended southwards with greater confidence. At sea variation was measured by comparing compass direction with the Sun's midday shadow. In polar regions, where horizontal force is too weak to attract a compass needle, the location of the pole was sought by observing the inclination of a dip needle swinging in the magnetic meridian, which would hang vertically at the pole. The Fox dip circle, developed in 1834, was the first instrument capable of measuring dip and intensity at sea, and allowed James Clark Ross to predict the location of the South Magnetic Pole. In 1902 Discovery's crew landed an observatory ashore, but a trek on to the plateau failed to reach the magnetic pole. Success came in 1909 during Shackleton's Nimrod expedition, when T. Edgeworth David's party reached the zone of maximum dip. Over the following years data from photographic magnetometers recording declination, vertical and horizontal intensity were routinely made at the various national bases round Antarctica; they contributed to our knowledge of the Earth's internal magnetism and on the solar influences.