A Fundamental Plane of Black Hole Activity: Pushing Forward the Unification Scheme

We examine the disc-jet connection in stellar mass and supermassive black holes by investigating the properties of their compact emission in the hard X-ray and radio bands. We compile a sample of ∼100 active galactic nuclei with measured mass, 5 GHz core emission, and 2–10 keV luminosity, together with eight galactic black holes with a total of ∼50 simultaneous observations in the radio and X-ray bands. Using this sample, we study the correlations between the radio (L_R) and the X-ray (L_X) luminosity and the black hole mass (M). We find that the radio luminosity is correlated with both M and L_X, at a highly significant level. We show how this result can be used to extend the standard unification by orientation scheme to encompass unification by mass and accretion rate.     

Symmetries and Rank Deficiency in the Orbit Determination Around Another Planet

We study the possible degeneracies for the normal matrix of the observations from the Earth of the motion of a satellite around a planet, and give the possible solutions to the loss of precision in the orbit determination caused by the rank deficiency. Finally we discuss the methods available to control the instability in the orbit determination resulting from the degeneracy.     

Instruments, Detectors and the Future of Astronomy with Large Ground Based Telescopes

Results of a survey of instrumentation and detector systems, either currently deployed or planned for use at telescopes larger than 3.5 m, in ground based observatories world-wide, are presented. This survey revealed a number of instrumentation design trends at optical, near, and mid-infrared wavelengths. Some of the most prominent trends include the development of vastly larger optical detector systems (> 10⁹ pixels) than anything built to date, and the frequent use of mosaics of near-infrared detectors – something that was quite rare only a decade ago in astronomy. Some future science applications for detectors are then explored, in an attempt to build a bridge between current detectors and what will be needed to support the research ambitions of astronomers in the future.     

Astrophysical Jet Simulations: Comparing Different Numerical Methods

High resolution Godunov-type methods have gained increasing popularity in the last decade due to their ability in modelling highly supersonic flows. Most of these shock-capturing schemes are based on the solution of the Riemann problem between discontinuous data at each cell's interface. The purpose of this work is to investigate the role played by different Riemann solvers in the evolution of a supersonic jet. Morphology, dynamics, conservation properties and cocoon characteristics are examined for the four different cases presented.     

Annual trace element cycles in calcite–aragonite speleothems: evidence of drought in the western Mediterranean 1200–1100 yr BP

Each of two calcitic stalagmites from Grotte de Clamouse, Herault, southern France, displays a discrete aragonite layer dated at around 1100 yr BP. The layer of fanning aragonite ray crystals is immediately preceded by calcite with Mg and Sr compositions that are uniquely high for the past 3 kyr. Trace element compositions close to the boundary between original aragonite and calcite are consistent with quasi‐equilibrium partitioning of trace elements between the phases. Study of modern dripwaters demonstrates that pronounced covariation of Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios in dripwater occurs owing to large amounts of calcite precipitation upflow of the drips that fed the stalagmites. Trace element to Ca ratios are enhanced during seasonally dry periods. Ion microprobe data demonstrate a pronounced covariation of trace elements, including Mg and Sr in calcite, and Sr, U and Ba in aragonite. The mean peak spacing is close to the long‐term mean of annual growth rates determined by differences in U‐series ages and so the trace element peaks are interpreted as annual. The trace element chemistry of the stalagmites on annual to inter‐annual scales thus directly reflects the amounts of prior calcite precipitation, interpreted as an index of aridity. The longer‐term context is a multi‐decadal period of aridity (1200–1100 yr BP) possibly correlated with an analogous episode in Central America. The arid period culminated in the nucleation of aragonite, but within a decade was followed by a return to precursor conditions. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.