How a Realistic Magnetosphere Alters the Polarizations of Surface, Fast Magnetosonic, and Alfvén Waves.

System-scale magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves within Earth's magnetosphere are often understood theoretically using box models. While these have been highly instructive in understanding many fundamental features of the various wave modes present, they neglect the complexities of geospace such as the inhomogeneities and curvilinear geometries present. Here, we show global MHD simulations of resonant waves impulsively excited by a solar wind pressure pulse. Although many aspects of the surface, fast magnetosonic (cavity/waveguide), and Alfvén modes present agree with the box and axially symmetric dipole models, we find some predictions for large-scale waves are significantly altered in a realistic magnetosphere. The radial ordering of fast mode turning points and Alfvén resonant locations may be reversed even with monotonic wave speeds. Additional nodes along field lines that are not present in the displacement/velocity occur in both the perpendicular and compressional components of the magnetic field. Close to the magnetopause, the perpendicular oscillations of the magnetic field have the opposite handedness to the velocity. Finally, widely used detection techniques for standing waves, both across and along the field, can fail to identify their presence. We explain how all these features arise from the MHD equations when accounting for a non-uniform background field and propose modified methods that might be applied to spacecraft observations.

A large-scale snail control trial with trifenmorph in the Gezira irrigation scheme, Sudan.

A large-scale field trial was carried out during December 1973 to assess the effect of trifenmorph on Bulinus truncatus and Biomphalaria pfeifferi in 379 000 feddans ( approximately 159 000 ha) of the Gezira irrigation system in the Sudan. The commercial formulation used (Frescon) is an emulsifiable concentrate containing 16.5% trifenmorph. Five dispensers were used to add the commercial product to the water continuously for 7.5 days; 18 121 litres were used to treat 28.4 million m(3) of water. In addition, each minor canal was hand-sprayed from the tail to 300 m upstream of the last open field outlet pipe; 360 litres of the commercial formulation were used for this operation.A minimum concentration of 0.035 mg trifenmorph per litre of water was produced at the head of each minor canal. The use of caged snails showed that a concentration as low as 0.015 mg/litre was sufficient to produce 100% mortality in B. truncatus in 7.5 days; this is equivalent to a concentration x time product of 0.12 mg/litre days.

Rayleigh centennial.

This brief sketch of the contributions of the fourth Baron Rayleigh is intended to supplement the biographical material contained in the October 1964 issue of Applied Optics.

Absence of residues from crops irrigated with water treated with trifenmorph for schistosomiasis control.

The fate of the molluscicide trifenmorph (N-tritylmorpholine) following its use in irrigation systems to control the intermediate hosts of schistosomes was studied by laboratory and field experiments. Laboratory studies with (14)C-trifenmorph indicated that bean plants did not take up detectable residues when the soil in which they were grown was irrigated with water containing trifenmorph in concentrations likely to occur in the field. These laboratory studies have been complemented by field irrigation studies of growing crops in southern Africa and the Sudan. Residues of trifenmorph and its breakdown product triphenylmethanol could not be detected in the crops and the limit of detectability was 0.01-0.02 ppm. These results indicate that residues are not likely to be present in irrigated crops following the treatment of the irrigation water systems with trifenmorph.

The rate of hydrolysis of the molluscicide N-tritylmorpholine.

N-Tritylmorpholine (Frescon, WL 8008) shows promise for the control of the snails that are intermediate hosts of trematodes. A knowledge of the rate of hydrolysis of the compound is important in connexion with its field use, and the rate of hydrolysis of (14)C-N-tritylmorpholine has been found to be dependent on the pH of the water and on the initial concentration of the compound. This rate is relatively high at low pH values (< 7.0), but decreases logarithmically as the pH increases.A prolonged low-dosage technique has been developed for the application of N-tritylmorpholine to irrigation systems. The present results indicate that, under these conditions, effective control of the snails is likely to be achieved in water of pH > 7.5, whereas in water of pH < 7.0 the compound is unlikely to penetrate very far downstream before losing its molluscicidal activity. In waters in the pH range 7.0-7.5 the use of higher concentrations and shorter application times may be desirable.

Break-down of the molluscicide N-tritylmorpholine in soil and in rice.

The molluscicide N-tritylmorpholine (Frescon, WL 8008) is likely to be applied to flowing water systems in bilharziasis control programmes. The treated water in irrigation systems will sometimes be applied to growing crops, such as rice, and the nature of the terminal residues of N-tritylmorpholine in rice has therefore been investigated.Crops were grown under greenhouse conditions in soil treated with water containing (14)C-and(3)H-N-tritylmorpholine, using dosage levels very much greater than those that will generally be used in the field. The major radiocomponent in the rice plants was triphenylcarbinol (triphenylmethanol), together with smaller amounts of unchanged N-tritylmorpholine and o-, m-, and p-hydroxytriphenylcarbinol. The hydroxytriphenylcarbinols were present as the free hydroxy compounds and as plant conjugates.Residues of the parent molluscicide and its break-down products are not considered likely to present a toxic hazard to animals or men that eat the crops.