Journal and Proceedings of
The Royal Society of New South Wales
Volume 113 Parts 1 and 2 [Issued 25 June, 1980]
CONTENTS
| AUTHORS & TITLES | PAGES |
| Part 1 | |
| Lomb, N.R., Precise Observations of Minor Planets at Sydney Observatory during 1979 | 1-6 |
| King, David, S., Proper Motions in the Region of the Galactic Cluster NGC 5662 | 7-11 |
| McCracken, K.G., Some Spacecraft I Have Known [Invited Paper] |
13-17 |
| Bahadur, K., Ranganayaki, S. Kumar, and Krishna, A., Study of the Effect of Chloramphenicol on Photochemical Formation of Self-Sustaining Coacervates in Presence of Low Concentration of Biological Minerals | 19-21 |
| Napper, Donald H., Polymers, Plastics and Fibres: The Old and the New [Presidential Address, 1980] |
23-29 |
| Part 2 | |
| Albani, Alberto, A Vessel Positioning Method for Surveys in Coastal Waters | 31-33 |
| Russell, T.G., A Clast Fabric Paleocurrent Study of the Late Devonian Keepit Conglomerate, Northeastern New South Wales | 35-47 |
| Pemberton, John W., The Geology of an Area Near Cudgegong, New South Wales | 49-62 |
| Lau, Henry and Steele, Ken, Pitfalls in Hand Spectroscopy | 63 |
vol 113 pt 1 pp. 1-6
Precise Observations of Minor Planets at Sydney Observatory during 1979
N.R. Lomb
Abstract. Positions of 1 Ceres, 3 Juno, 4 Vesta, 6 Hebe, 7 Iris, 40 Harmonia, 51 Nemausa, 532 Herculina and 704 Interamnia obtained with the 23 cm camera are given.
vol 113 pts 1-2 pp. 7-11
Proper Motions in the Region of the Galactic Cluster NGC 5662
David S. King
Abstract. Relative proper motions in the region of the galactic cluster NGC 5662 are determined with the aim of identifying which are non-members. The relative proper motions have an average standard error of 0".09/century and reveal 77 likely members and 111 likely non-members.
vol 113 pt 1 pp. 13-17
Some Spacecraft I Have Known
K.G. McCracken
Introduction. Spacecraft have personalities of their own. Some are attractive to look at; others look like an unsuccessful piece of cubist sculpture. Some are very demanding on the experimenter, while others are very easy to get on with. The great majority of them, I am pleased to say, work exceedingly well, and for a long time. It is a commonly observed phenomenon that equipment is much more reliable in space than in the laboratory. People seem to have a bad effect on space equipment.
Space research is carried out from satellites, rockets and from earth. In the following, I briefly touch on my experiences with each method. I also touch on that important problem, "what do you do when your scientific interest seems to have dried up?". The short answer is "be thankful, a change is good for you".
vol 113 pt 1 pp. 19-21
Study of the Effect of Chloramphenicol on Photochemical Formation of Self-Sustaining Coacervates in Presence of Low Concentration of Biological Minerals
K. Bahadur, S. Kumar Ranganayaki and A. Krishna
Abstract. The number of self-sustaining particles formed in sterilised aqueous mixture, containing ammonium molybdate, diammonium hydrogen phosphate and formaldehyde in the presence of small concentration of biological minerals, increase on exposure to sunlight, if a small concentration of chloramphenicol is added in the mixture. On prolonged exposure, the number of particles does not increase in the mixture which has high concentration of chloramphenicol and the inhibition in the formation of particles is proportional to the concentration of chloramphenicol in the irradiated mixture.
vol 113 pt 1 pp. 23-29
Polymers, Plastics and Fibres: The Old and the New
Donald H. Napper
[Presidential Address, 1980]
Abstract. This is the age of polymers: already the production of polymers for plastics, fibres, rubbers and surface coatings exceeds that of copper or aluminium and it is projected that even the production of steel will be outstripped in this decade. The unique properties that differentiate polymers ('giant molecules') from conventional small molecules are discussed. Case histories of some of the more important plastics (e.g. polythene) and fibres (e.g. nylon and terylene) are presented.
vol 113 pt 2 pp. 31-33
A Vessel Positioning Method for Surveys in Coastal Waters
Alberto Albani
Abstract. A simple and precise system for positioning a vessel engaged in surveys of coastal waters is presented. The vessel position can be obtained either graphically or numerically using coordinates: both resection and intersection methods can be applied. The method is based on the use of a 35 mm camera.
vol 113 pt 2 pp. 35-47
A Clast Fabric Paleocurrent Study of the Late Devonian Keepit Conglomerate, Northeastern New South Wales
T.G. Russell
Abstract. Due to a scarcity of directional sedimentary structures in outcrops of the Late Devonian Keepit Conglomerate fabric studies were undertaken upon both the fluvial and the resedimented marine conglomerates of this formation with the primary aim of providing paleocurrent data.
AB plane orientation was found to be a more useful indicator of paleocurrent direction than A-axes, the latter typically being more variable in their orientation. Both the fluvial and resedimented conglomerates possessed in almost all instances a moderate to pronounced imbrication of the AB plane. The relationship of the vector mean to the inferred paleocurrent direction is not always one of agreement. Interpretation of the vector mean in terms of paleocurrent direction should always be done with reference to the fabric diagram.
Paleocurrent data obtained by fabric studies of the Keepit Conglomerate indicate individual flow directions ranging from east of north to south-southwest. Two anaomalous samples indicate northwesterly directed paleocurrents. The fabric paleocurrent directions agree with other data in suggesting for the depositional basin during Keepit Conglomerate time a source area to te west, with sediments dispersal down an east-sloping paleoslope.
vol 113 pt 2 pp.49-62
The Geology of an Area Near Cudgegong, New South Wales
John W. Pemberton
Abstract. In the area immediately southeast of Cudgegong, the Cudgegong Fault separates probable Ordovician and Silurian rocks in the west from an Early Devonian sequence in the east. The Aarons Pass Granite, of possible Kanimblan (Late Carboniferous) age, outcrops in the southwest part of the area. In the south, Permian conglomerates unconformably overlie the older rocks.
The oldest rocks are the ?Solfala Volcanics, a sequence of metamorphosed pyroxene andesites with lenticular chert and calc-silicate lenses of possible Ordovician age. They are overlain by the Silurian Willow Glen Formation (new name), a sequence of shallow water litharenites, limestones and rhyodacitic tuffs. The Toolamanang Volcanics (new name) consist of rhyodacitic lavas and breccias, volcarenites and lutites, and conformably overlie the Willow Glen Formation. The above sequence bears a strong lithological resemblance to that established by Packham (1968) in the Sofala area. Suggested correlations are the ?Sofala Volcanics with the Sofala Volcanics; the Willow Glen Formation with the Tanwarra Shale; and the Toolamanang Volcanics with the Bells Creek Volcanics. The intrusion of the Aarons Pass Granite has thermally metamorphosed the southern outcrops of the ?Ordovician and Silurian rocks. Adjacent to the granite, this metamorphism is represented by rocks of both hornblende-hornfels and albite-epidote-hornfels facies.
The Early Devonian rocks are a shallow water sequence deposited on the Capertee Geanticline. The lowest unit, the Roxburgh Formation (new name), consists of a sequence of quartzarenites, lutites, conglomerates and sublitharenites. The unit is overlain by the dacitic Riversdale Volcanics. This is in turn disconformably overlain by the limestones and litharenites of the Carwell Creek Beds. The Early Devonian strata are folded in a broad south-plunging anticline and syncline with tight, small-scale folding in the cores, and faulting on the limbs.
vol 113 pt 2 p. 63
Pitfalls in Hand Spectroscopy
Henry Lau and Ken Steele
Abstract. Laboratory staff wearing absorptive lenses using a hand spectroscope can wrongly recognise the presence of haemoglobin pigment. We are reporting one such case from our laboratory. Subsequently the absorptive properties of a group of commonly used absorptive lenses were analysed.