SOUSA: the Swift Optical/Ultraviolet Supernova Archive

This paper studies the motion of an infinitesimal mass in the framework of Robe’s circular restricted three-body problem in two cases; the first case is when the hydrostatic equilibrium figure of the first primary is an oblate spheroid, the shape of the second primary is considered as an oblate spheroid with oblateness coefficients up to the second zonal harmonic, while the first primary is a Roche ellipsoid in the second case and the full buoyancy of the fluid is taken into account. In case one; it is observed that there are two axial libration points on the line joining the centres of the primaries, points on the circle within the first primary are also libration points under certain conditions. It is further found that the first axial point is stable, while the second one is conditionally stable, and the circular points are unstable. It is found in case two that there is exist only one libration point (0,0,0) this point is stable.     

Radar detection of Asteroid 2002 AA29

Radar echoes from Earth co-orbital Asteroid 2002 AA29 yield a total-power radar cross section of 2.9×10⁻⁵ km² ±25%, a circular polarization ratio of SC/OC=0.26±0.07, and an echo bandwidth of at least 1.5 Hz. Combining these results with the estimate of its visual absolute magnitude, H_V=25.23±0.24, from reported Spacewatch photometry indicates an effective diameter of 25±5 m, a rotation period no longer than 33 min, and an average surface bulk density no larger than 2.0 g cm⁻³; the asteroid is radar dark and optically bright, and its statistically most likely spectral class is S. The H_V estimate from LINEAR photometry (23.58±0.38) is not compatible with either Spacewatch's H_V or our radar results. If a bias this large were generally present in LINEAR's estimates of H_V for asteroids it has discovered or observed, then estimates of the current completeness of the Spaceguard Survey would have to be revised downward.     

MS 1512–cB58: A case study of star formation, metal enrichment and superwinds in Lyman break galaxies

Recent advances in instrumentation and observing techniques have made it possible to begin to study in detail the stellar populations and the interstellar media of galaxies at redshift z = 3, when the universe was still in its ‘teen years’. I illustrate recent progress in this field with the latest observations of the gravitationally lensed galaxy MS 1512- cB58. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Lava bubble-wall fragments formed by submarine hydrovolcanic explosions on Lō'ihi Seamount and Kīlauea Volcano

 Glassy bubble-wall fragments, morphologically similar to littoral limu o Pele, have been found in volcanic sands erupted on Lō'ihi Seamount and along the submarine east rift zone of Kīlauea Volcano. The limu o Pele fragments are undegassed with respect to H₂O and S and formed by mild steam explosions. Angular glass sand fragments apparently form at similar, and greater, depths by cooling-contraction granulation. The limu o Pele fragments from Lō'ihi Seamount are dominantly tholeiitic basalt containing 6.25–7.25% MgO. None of the limu o Pele samples from Lō'ihi Seamount contains less than 5.57% MgO, suggesting that higher viscosity magmas do not form lava bubbles. The dissolved CO₂ and H₂O contents of 7 of the limu o Pele fragments indicate eruption at 1200±300 m depth (120±30 bar). These pressures exceed that generally thought to limit steam explosions. We conclude that hydrovolcanic eruptions are possible, with appropriate pre-mixing conditions, at pressures as great as 120 bar. Received: 22 December 1998 / Accepted: 16 July 1999     

All adrift: aviation,shipping, and climate change policy

All sectors face decarbonization for a 2 °C temperature increase to be avoided. Nevertheless, meaningful policy measures that address rising CO₂ from international aviation and shipping remain woefully inadequate. Treated with a similar approach within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), they are often debated as if facing comparable challenges, and even influence each others’ mitigation policies. Yet their strengths and weaknesses have important distinctions. This article sheds light on these differences so that they can be built upon to improve the quality of debate and ensuing policy development. The article quantifies ‘2 °C’ pathways for these sectors, highlighting the need for mitigation measures to be urgently accelerated. It reviews recent developments, drawing attention to one example where a change in aviation mitigation policy had a direct impact on measures to cut CO₂ from shipping. Finally, the article contrasts opportunities and barriers towards mitigation. The article concludes that there is a portfolio of opportunities for short- to medium-term decarbonization for shipping, but its complexity is its greatest barrier to change. In contrast, the more simply structured aviation sector is pinning too much hope on emissions trading to deliver CO₂ cuts in line with 2 °C. Instead, the solution remains controversial and unpopular – avoiding 2 °C requires demand management.

Policy relevance

The governance arrangements around the CO₂ produced by international aviation and shipping are different from other sectors because their emissions are released in international airspace and waters. Instead, through the Kyoto Protocol, the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) were charged with developing policies towards mitigating their emissions. Slow progress to date, coupled with strong connections with rapidly growing economies, has led to the CO₂ from international transport growing at a higher rate than the average rate from all other sectors. This article considers this rapid growth, and the potential for future CO₂ growth in the context of avoiding a 2 °C temperature rise above pre-industrial levels. It explores similarities and differences between these two sectors, highlighting that a reliance on global market-based measures to deliver required CO₂ cuts will likely leave both at odds with the overarching climate goal.     

GPR identification of an early monument at Los Morteros in the Peruvian coastal desert

Los Morteros (8?39′54″S, 78?42 ′00″W) is located in coastal, northern Peru, one of the six original centers of world civilization. The site consists of a large, sand-covered, isolated prominence situated on a Mid-Holocene shoreline, ～ 5 km from the present coast. Preceramic archaeological deposits (4040 ± 75 to 4656 ± 60 ¹⁴C yr BP or ～ 3600–5500 cal yr BP) cap this feature, which has been identified by prior researchers as a sand-draped, bedrock-cored landform or a relict dune deposit. Because neither explanation is geomorphologically probable, we used ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and high-resolution mapping to assess the mound's interior structure. Our results indicate an anthropogenic origin for Los Morteros, potentially placing it among the earliest monumental structures in prehistoric South America. The extremely arid setting raises new questions about the purpose and the logistics of early mound construction in this region. This work demonstrates the value of an integrated Quaternary sciences approach to assess long-term landscape change and to understand the interaction between humans and the environment.     

Mapping family connectedness across space and time

Understanding the structure and evolution of family networks embedded in space and time is crucial for various fields such as disaster evacuation planning and provision of care to the elderly. Computation and visualization can potentially play a key role in analyzing and understanding such networks. Graph visualization methods are effective in discovering network patterns; however, they have inadequate capability in discovering spatial and temporal patterns of connections in a network especially when the network exists and changes across space and time. We introduce a measure of family connectedness that summarizes the dynamic relationships in a family network by taking into account the distance (how far individuals live apart), time (the duration of individuals’ coexistence within a neighborhood), and the relationship (kinship or kin proximity) between each pair of individuals. By mapping the family connectedness over a series of time intervals, the method facilitates the discovery of hot spots (hubs) where family connectedness is strong and the changing patterns of such spots across space and time. We demonstrate our approach using a data set of nine families from the US North. Our results highlight that family connectedness reflects changing demographic processes such as migration and population growth.     

Topographic locations and size of earthquake‐ and typhoon‐generated landslides,Tachia River,Taiwan

Analysis of mapped landslide locations using a high‐resolution (5‐m grid) digital elevation model (DEM) in the Tachia River basin, Taiwan, finds distinct differences in the topographic locations and size of landslides during the 1999 Chi‐Chi earthquake and the 2001 Toraji typhoon. Our analysis supports Densmore and Hovius' hypothesis that earthquake‐induced landslides cluster near ridgetops due to topographic amplification of ground shaking, and that typhoon‐induced landslides occur with greater frequency lower on slopes. In addition, the differing topographic locations of seismically‐induced and subsequent typhoon‐induced landslides shows no evidence of residual post‐earthquake influences on landslides during typhoon Toraji previously hypothesized for drainage basins closer to the earthquake epicenter. Our results support the interpretation that in this tectonically active landscape, seismically‐induced landslides help shatter and erode ridgetops but typhoon‐triggered landslides concentrate erosion farther downslope, with the combination acting to more uniformly lower upland terrain than either process does individually. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.