On the expansion of the secular part of the perturbing function of mutual attraction in the satellite systems of planets

We propose a special representation for the secular part of the perturbing function describing the mutual attraction of satellites. In contrast to the known representations, it has a single analytical form for any ratio between the semimajor axes of the perturbed and perturbing satellites. The resulting expression is a partial sum of a power series with respect to the small eccentricities and planet-equatorial inclinations of the satellites’ orbits. This sum includes terms up to and including the fourth degree with respect to these small parameters. The proposed expansion is compared with one of the known expansions for the secular part of the perturbing function.     

Astronomical and physical aspects of the Chelyabinsk event (February 15, 2013)

Various observational data including infrasound, seismic, optical (onboard) monitoring, ground video and photo records, and evidence from witnesses of the Chelyabinsk event on February 15, 2013, have been analyzed. The extensive material gathered has provided a base for investigations of the physical properties of the object, the results of which are discussed. A bolide light curve is constructed, which shows a multiplicity of flashes. Estimations of the energy of the meteoroid explosion, which took place in the atmosphere at an altitude of about 23 km, show evidence of the formation of a high-power shock wave equivalent to 300–500 kilotons of TNT. The object diameter corresponding to this energy falls within the range 16–19 m. The trajectory of the meteor is outlined. It is preliminarily concluded that the Chelyabinsk meteorite was a representative the Apollo asteroid family.     

Study of dynamical processes at the final stages of planetary system formation: Resonance motion of giant planets

According to current observational data, planets of many exoplanetary systems have resonant motion. The formation of resonance configurations is studied within a unified model of planetary migration. Planets in the observed systems 24 Sex, HD 37124, HD 73526, HD 82943, HD 128311, HD 160691, Kepler 9, NN Ser, which are moving in the 2: 1 resonance, could have been captured into this resonance due to both the Type I and II migration with a wide range of parameters. The migration conditions are defined for the formation of HD 45364 and HD 200964 that are in the 3: 2 and 4: 3 first-order resonances, correspondingly. The results obtained for HD 200964 show that planets can be captured in the first-order resonances, when the outer-to-inner orbital period ratios for the planets are less than 3: 2, only if Type I migration rates are large, and the mass of at least one planet is substantially less than the modern masses of the observed giant planets. The formation of the HD 102272, HD 108874, HD 181433 and HD 202206 systems with planets in high-order resonances is considered. The capture into these resonances can be realized with very slow Type II migration. Possible bounds for migration parameters are considered. In particular, it has been found that the capture of HD 108874 into the 4: 1 resonance is possible only if the angle between the plane of planetary orbits and the plane of sky is appreciably less than 90°, i.e., the planetary masses are a few times larger than the minimum values. The capture of HD 202206 into the 5: 1 resonance is possible at low migration rates; however, another mechanism is required to explain the high observed eccentricity of the inner planet (for example, strong gravitational interaction between the planets). Resonant configurations can be disrupted due to the interaction between planets and remaining fragments of the planetesimal disk as, for example, may occur in the three-planet system 47 UMa. The specific orbital features observed for this system are explained.     

Minor elements in carbonaceous sediments of the Baltic Sea

According to the geochemical analysis, the carbonaceous sediments of the Baltic Sea??s deep basins containing 3?C5% C_org are enriched with some metals such as Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, Zn, V, and U as compared with the shallow-water facies of the Bay of Finland. These metals are also concentrated (against the background values in the clayey rocks) in ancient carbonaceous shales, where the average Cu and V contents are slightly higher and that of Mo, Pb, and Zn lower than in the deepwater carbonaceous sediments of the Baltic Sea. In addition, the carbonaceous sediments of the last basin are enriched, although less notably than the ancient shales, with Ag, As, Bi, and Cd. These data confirm the previous assumptions that the carbonaceous sediments accumulating now in seas and oceans may be considered as recent analogs of ancient metalliferous shales.     

Near-Sun asteroids

As follows from dynamical studies, in the course of evolution, most near-Earth objects reach orbits with small perihelion distances. Changes of the asteroids in the vicinity of the Sun should play a key role in forming the physical properties, size distribution, and dynamical features of the near-Earth objects. Only seven of the discovered asteroids are currently moving along orbits with perihelion distances q < 0.1 AU. However, due to the Kozai–Lidov secular perturbations, the asteroids, having recently passed near the Sun, could by now have moved to orbits farther from the Sun. In this study, we found asteroids that have been recently orbiting with perihelion distances q < 0.1 AU. Asteroids may be on such orbits for hundreds to tens of thousands of years. To carry out astrophysical observations of such objects is a high priority.     

Assessment of pollution in the West Black Sea Coast of Turkey using biomarker responses in fish

Aim of this study was to determine the extent of pollution in the West Black Sea Coast of Turkey by measuring CYP1A associated EROD activity, phase II enzyme, glutathione S-transferase and antioxidant enzymes, catalase and glutathione reductase activities and immunochemical detection of CYP1A protein level in the liver of mullet. The fish samples were caught from six locations having a varying degree of pollution in the West Black Sea Region of Turkey in August 2005, 2006 and 2007. Mullets caught from Zonguldak Harbour, Ere?li Harbour and Gülüç Stream’s Mouth displayed 6–9-fold higher EROD, 2–4-fold higher glutathione S-transferase and 2–3-fold higher catalase activities than the reference site, Amasra. Total polyaromatic hydrocarbon levels in mullets caught from these locations were also significantly higher (2–4-fold) than Amasra. The results of this study indicate that Zonguldak Harbour, Ere?li Harbour and Gülüç Stream are highly polluted by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and related contaminants.     

Coastal forest effects on tsunami run-up heights

An experimental study was carried out to determine the effects of a coastal forest on tsunami run-up heights. The beach was built as a natural sandy beach at laboratory scale. The coastal forest model was constructed using artificial trees (FM–I) and cylindrical timber sticks (FM–II). Artificial trees were placed on a 1:5 slope in three different layouts: rectilinear, staggered, and dense rectilinear. It was shown that in the case when the trees were placed in the dense rectilinear pattern and close to the still water level (SWL), the run-up height was reduced by approximately 45% compared with the case without trees. After evaluation of the experimental results, the parameters that affect the run-up height were determined. These parameters were written as a dimensionless group using Buckingham's Pi theorem. An extensive regression analysis was carried out and equations proposed. Furthermore, all experiments were repeated with a slope of 1:3.5 to verify the proposed equations. The experimental results were compared with the results of the proposed equations, and it was shown a good agreement between the results.     

Estimates of the physical parameters of remote planetary satellites

Since 1998, 97 new remote satellites of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune have been discovered. Since their brightness is rather weak, it is difficult to perform their photometry and determine their physical parameters. For 27 satellites from this group, different authors carried out special photometric investigations. For the other 70 satellites, the magnitudes accompanying the results of astrometric observations published in Minor Planet Circulars (MPC) are the only photometric data. In the present study, the photometric model parameters for all of the 97 remote satellites have been determined. From the hypothetic values of albedo and material density of the satellites, their sizes and gravitation parameters have been estimated. The whole volume of the obtained results is available in the database of the natural planetary satellites (NSDB) (Arlot and Emelyanov, 2009) published on the Internet ().     

A study on dynamic processes at late stages in the formation of planetary systems in gas and dust disks

The discovered exoplanetary systems have highly diverse dynamic properties, which differ from those of the Solar System. A single model including planet migration effects and their gravitational interaction is used to investigate the features of dynamic processes that lead to the formation of giant-planet systems with different orbital characteristics. It is shown for a system of four giant planets similar to the Solar System how Type I migration could lead to all the planets being captured into resonant configurations. The resonant motion can continue for a long period of time after the transition to Type II migration and after the dissipation of the gas-and-dust disk. The three-planet system of GJ 876 is used to investigate the migration of the planets inward the orbit of the most massive planet and their capture into low-order resonant configurations under the conditions of Type II migration. A system similar to the exoplanetary system of HD 102272 is used to study the capture into high-order resonances followed by an increase in the orbit’s eccentricity.