First Results from Viper: Detection of Small-scale Anisotropy at 40 GHz

Using all available major samples of Seyfert galaxies and their corresponding closely matched control samples of nonactive galaxies, we find that the bar ellipticities (or axial ratios) in Seyfert galaxies are systematically different from those in nonactive galaxies. Overall, there is a deficiency of bars with large ellipticities (i.e., "thin" or "strong" bars) in Seyfert galaxies compared to nonactive galaxies. Accompanied with a large dispersion due to small number statistics, this effect is strictly speaking at the 2 sigma level. To obtain this result, the active galaxy samples of near-infrared surface photometry were matched to those of normal galaxies in type, host galaxy ellipticity, absolute magnitude, and, to some extent, redshift. We discuss possible theoretical explanations of this phenomenon within the framework of galactic evolution, and, in particular, of radial gas redistribution in barred galaxies. Our conclusions provide further evidence that Seyfert hosts differ systematically from their nonactive counterparts on scales of a few kiloparsecs.     

First results from the arcminute cosmology bolometer array receiver

We review the first science results from the Arcminute Cosmology Bolometer Array Receiver (ACBAR); a multi-frequency millimeter-wave receiver optimized for observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and the Sunyaev–Zel’dovich (SZ) effect in clusters of galaxies. ACBAR was installed on the 2 m Viper telescope at the South Pole in January 2001 and the results presented here incorporate data through July 2002. We present the power spectrum of the CMB at 150 GHz over the range ℓ=150–3000 measured by ACBAR as well as estimates for the values of the cosmological parameters within the context of ΛCDM models. We find that the inclusion of Ω_Λ greatly improves the fit to the power spectrum. We also observe a slight excess of small-scale anisotropy at 150 GHz; if interpreted as power from the SZ effect of unresolved clusters, the measured signal is consistent with CBI and BIMA within the context of the SZ power spectrum models tested.     

On the use of horizontal acoustic Doppler profilers for continuous bed shear stress monitoring

Continuous monitoring of bed shear stress in large river systems may serve to better estimate alluvial sediment transport to the coastal ocean.Here we explore the possibility of using a horizontally deployed acoustic Doppler current profiler(ADCP) to monitor bed shear stress,applying a prescribed boundary layer model,previously used for discharge estimation.The model parameters include the local roughness length and a dip correction factor to account for sidewall effects.Both these parameters depend on river stage and on the position in the cross-section, and were estimated from shipborne ADCP data.We applied the calibrated boundary layer model to obtain bed shear stress estimates over the measuring range of the HADCP.To validate the results,co-located coupled ADCPs were used to infer bed shear stress,both from Reynolds stress profiles and from mean velocity profiles. From HADCP data collected over a period of 1.5 years,a time series of width profiles of bed shear stress was obtained for a tidal reach of the Mahakam River,East Kalimantan,Indonesia.A smaller dataset covering 25 hours was used for comparison with results from the coupled ADCPs.The bed shear stress estimates derived from Reynolds stress profiles appeared to be strongly affected by local effects causing upflow and downflow,which are not included in the boundary layer model used to derive bed shear stress with the horizontal ADCP.Bed shear stresses from the coupled ADCP are representative of a much more localized flow,while those derived with the horizontal ADCP resemble the net effect of the flow over larger scales.Bed shear stresses obtained from mean velocity profiles from the coupled ADCPs show a good agreement between the two methods,and highlight the robustness of the method to uncertainty in the estimates of the roughness length.     

华北北部古生代大陆地壳增生过程中的岩浆作用与成矿效应

包括前寒武纪克拉通与显生宙造山带两大构造单元的华北北部,古生代时期板块构造体制下古亚洲洋的裂解-扩展-消亡与汇聚大陆边缘的俯冲-碰撞-伸展循环构成了其大陆地壳增生与再造演化的基本图景,并形成了一系列记录这些因果演变连续过程的岩浆侵入与喷发事件。这些物质记录无疑是研究汇聚大陆边缘壳-幔作用和物质交换、大陆地壳演化与大规模成矿作用耦合关系的绝佳窗口。本文在系统总结最近几年积累的年代学和岩石地球化学资料的基础上,以一些带有特定过程印记的标志性岩浆事件为纲领,表征这些古生代岩浆作用形成过程中的地球动力学演变,揭示其所记录的华北北部大陆地壳的多阶段增生与再造演化机制,并初步探讨了有利地球动力学过程制约下的岩浆行为引起的成矿物质聚集效应。     

内蒙古白云鄂博地区基底岩石锆石年代学及对构造背景的指示

白云鄂博地区的克拉通基底岩石主要由糜棱岩化花岗片麻岩(2588±15Ma),正长岩、花岗闪长岩(2018±15Ma)和黑云母花岗片麻岩、含石榴石蓝晶石花岗片麻岩(～1890Ma)等组成,白云鄂博超大型稀土矿床就位于华北克拉通太古代基底之上。太古代克拉通基底在早元古代中晚期(2.0Ga)又经历了一次强烈的碰撞造山运动,造成了闪长质与花岗质岩浆侵位,以及1.9Ga片麻岩相变质事件。     

Using GRASS GIS to Model Solar Irradiation on North Carolina Aquatic Habitats with Canopy Data

Sunlight can have a significant impact on freshwater aquatic communities. Using 64‐ bit GRASS, a previously generated 18.2 m resolution forest canopy height grid for the State of North Carolina was used as a base elevation layer for calculation of 18.2 m resolution total irradiance (Watt‐hours/square meter/day) grids for 365 days of the year. Daily calculations were aggregated annually and overlaid on rasterized 1:24,000‐scale USGS hydrology with canopy type and seasonal filters to quantify annual solar irradiation input to streams and rivers in North Carolina. Bare earth calculations of solar irradiation for the aquatic habitats were compared to the canopy filtered calculations. There was substantially less solar irradiation in aquatic habitats under the canopy filtered model. Total solar irradiation for subbasins created from point locations of occurrences of Dwarf wedgemussel (Alasmidonta heterodon) were compared with total solar irradiation for watersheds created from locations with no mussels for the full subbasin, 1 km, and 500 m upstream from the sampling point. There was no significant difference in the amount of total solar irradiation modeled for the subbasins with Dwarf wedgemussel and watersheds with no mussels.