On the elliptic restricted three-body problem

The main goal of this paper is to show that the elliptic restricted three-body problem has ejection-collision orbits when the mass parameter µ is small enough. We make use of the blow up techniques. Moreover, we describe the global flow of the elliptic problem when µ = 0 taking into account the singularities due to collision and to infinity.     

Celestite formation, bacterial sulphate reduction and carbonate cementation of Eocene reefs and basinal sediments (Igualada, NE Spain)

Petrographic and geochemical studies of an Upper Eocene reef and associated basinal sediments from the mixed carbonate–siliciclastic fill of the south‐eastern Pyrenean foreland basin near Igualada (NE Spain) provide new insights into the evolution of subsurface hydrology during the restriction of a marine basin. The reef deposits are located on delta‐lobe sandstones and prodelta marls, which are overlain by hypersaline carbonates and Upper Eocene evaporites. Authigenic celestite (SrSO₄) is an important component in the observed diagenetic sequences. Celestite is a significant palaeohydrological indicator because its low solubility constrains transportation of Sr²⁺ and SO₄^2? in the same diagenetic fluid. Stable isotopic analyses of carbonates in the reef indicate that meteoric recharge was responsible for aragonite stabilization and calcite cementation. Sulphur and oxygen isotope geochemistry of the celestite demonstrates that it formed from residual sulphate after bacterial sulphate reduction, but also requires that there was a prior episode of sulphate recycling. Meteoric water reaching the reef and basinal areas was most probably charged with SO₄^2? from the dissolution of younger Upper Eocene marine evaporites. This sulphate, combined with organic matter present in the sediments, fuelled bacterial sulphate reduction in the meteoric palaeoaquifer. Strontium for celestite precipitation was partly derived in situ from dissolution of aragonite corals in the reef and basinal counterparts. However, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr data also suggest that Sr²⁺ was partly derived from dissolution of overlying evaporites. Mixing of these two fluids promoted celestite formation. The carbonate stable isotopic data suggest that the local meteoric water was enriched in ¹⁸O compared with that responsible for stabilization of other reefs along the basin margin. Furthermore, meteoric recharge at Igualada post‐dated evaporite deposition in the basin, whereas other parts of the same reef complex were stabilized before evaporite formation. This discrepancy resulted from the spatial distribution of continental siliciclastic units that acted as groundwater conduits.     

Life after death: shallow‐water Mediterranean invertebrate communities associated with mammal bones

Invertebrate and microbial marine communities associated with mammal bones are interesting and poorly understood habitats, mainly known from studies on deep‐water whale remains. In order to characterize these communities in the shallow‐water Mediterranean, we present here the results of a pioneering experiment using mammal bones. Minke whale, pig and cow bones were experimentally deployed on three different background communities: rocky substrate, soft‐bottom and a Posidonia oceanica meadow. Bones were deployed for a year at about 20 m depth and collected every 3 months, and the invertebrate fauna colonizing the bones was identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level. As expected, mammal bones showed remarkable differences when compared with background communities. Within bones, four different clusters could be identified, primarily on the basis of the polychaete fauna, the most abundant and diverse group in the survey. Clusters A1–A3 corresponded to high to moderately altered successional stages composed by a fauna closer to that of anthropogenically enriched shallow‐water environments. These clusters were characterized by the occurrence of the opportunist polychaetes Ophryotrocha puerilis, Neanthes caudata (Cluster A1), Protodorvillea kefersteini (Cluster A2) and Ophryotrocha alborana (Cluster A3). Cluster B was characterized by the presence of the polychaete Oxydromus pallidus together with typical invertebrate background fauna, which suggests that this community, after a year of deployment, was closer to that found in natural conditions. As opposed to similar shallow‐water studies in other geographic areas, no occurrence of the polychaete Osedax (commonly known as bone‐eating worms) was reported from our experiments. Apart from the study on the invertebrate communities, insights about the population dynamics of three of the most abundant species (O. puerilis, O. alborana, N. caudata) are given as well as remarks on a hypothetical trophic network based on fecal pellet analysis.     

FIES: The high‐resolution Fiber‐fed Echelle Spectrograph at the Nordic Optical Telescope

FIES is a cross‐dispersed high‐resolution echelle spectrograph at the 2.56 m Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT), and was optimised for throughput and stability in 2006. The major 2006 upgrade involved the relocation of FIES to a stable environment and development of a fiber bundle that offers 3 different resolution modes, and made FIES an attractive tool for the user community of the NOT. Radial‐velocity stability is achieved through double‐chamber active temperature control. A dedicated data reduction tool, FIEStool, was developed. As a result of these upgrades, FIES is now one of the work‐horse instruments at the NOT. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Cosmic dynamics in the era of Extremely Large Telescopes

The redshifts of all cosmologically distant sources are expected to experience a small, systematic drift as a function of time due to the evolution of the Universe's expansion rate. A measurement of this effect would represent a direct and entirely model-independent determination of the expansion history of the Universe over a redshift range that is inaccessible to other methods. Here we investigate the impact of the next generation of Extremely Large Telescopes on the feasibility of detecting and characterizing the cosmological redshift drift. We consider the Lyα forest in the redshift range  2 < z < 5  and other absorption lines in the spectra of high-redshift QSOs as the most suitable targets for a redshift drift experiment. Assuming photon-noise-limited observations and using extensive Monte Carlo simulations we determine the accuracy to which the redshift drift can be measured from the Lyα forest as a function of signal-to-noise ratio and redshift. Based on this relation and using the brightness and redshift distributions of known QSOs we find that a 42-m telescope is capable of unambiguously detecting the redshift drift over a period of ∼20 yr using 4000 h of observing time. Such an experiment would provide independent evidence for the existence of dark energy without assuming spatial flatness, using any other cosmological constraints or making any other astrophysical assumption.     

LOLAS: an optical turbulence profiler in the atmospheric boundary layer with extreme altitude resolution

We report the development and first results of an instrument called Low Layer SCIDAR (Scintillation Detection and Ranging) (LOLAS) which is aimed at the measurement of optical-turbulence profiles in the atmospheric boundary layer with high altitude resolution. The method is based on the Generalized SCIDAR (GS) concept, but unlike the GS instruments which need a 1-m or larger telescope, LOLAS is implemented on a dedicated 40-cm telescope, making it an independent instrument. The system is designed for widely separated double-star targets, which enables the high altitude resolution. Using a 200-arcsec-separation double star, we have obtained turbulence profiles with unprecedented 12-m resolution. The system incorporates necessary novel algorithms for autoguiding, autofocus and image stabilization. The results presented here were obtained at Mauna Kea Observatory. They show LOLAS capabilities but cannot be considered as representative of the site. A forthcoming paper will be devoted to the site characterization. The instrument was built as part of the Ground Layer Turbulence Monitoring Campaign on Mauna Kea for Gemini Observatory.     

Experimental investigation on the seismic performance of masonry buildings using shaking table testing

Masonry buildings worldwide exhibited severe damage and collapse in recent strong earthquake events. It is known that their brittle behavior, which is mainly due to the combination of low tensile strength, large mass and insufficient connection between structural elements, is the main limitation for their structural implementation in residential buildings. A new construction system for masonry buildings using concrete blocks units and trussed reinforcement is presented here and its seismic behavior is validated through shaking table tests. Dynamic tests of two geometrically identical two-story reduced scale (1:2) models have been carried out, considering artificial accelerograms compatible with the elastic response spectrum defined by the Eurocode 8. The first model was reinforced with the new proposed system while the second model was built with unreinforced masonry. The experimental analysis encompasses local and global parameters such as cracking patterns, failure mechanisms, and in-plane and out-of-plane behavior in terms of displacements and lateral drifts from where the global dynamic behavior of the two buildings is analyzed comparatively. Finally, behavior factors for the design recommendations in case of unreinforced masonry are also evaluated.     

Ejection-collision orbits with the more massive primary in the planar elliptic restricted three body problem

The main goal of this paper is to give an approximation to initial conditions for ejection-collision orbits with the more massive primary, in the planar elliptic restricted three body problem when the mass parameter µ and the eccentricity e are small enough. The proof is based on a regularization of variables and a perturbation of the two body problem.This work was partially supported by DGICYT grant number PB90-0695.     

FLECHAS – A new échelle spectrograph at the University Observatory Jena

The new échelle spectrograph FLECHAS (Fibre Linked ECHelle Astronomical Spectrograph) is in operation at the Nasmyth‐focus of the 0.9 m telescope of the University Observatory Jena. FLECHAS is equipped with a sensitive back‐illuminated and midband coated CCD‐detector, as well as with a calibration unit for flatfield and wavelength‐calibration. The spectrograph covers the spectral range between about 3900 and 8100 Å and exhibits a resolving power of R ∼ 9300. In this article all technical characteristics of FLECHAS are described and examples of the first astronomical observations obtained with the new instrument in July 2013 at the University Observatory Jena are presented, among them the first light spectra taken with FLECHAS, simultaneous imaging and spectroscopic observations, the determination of the detection limit of the instrument, the spectroscopy of stars of different spectral types and of faint extended objects, as well as the Li‐line detection in the spectra of young solar‐like stars. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)