The astrometric signal of microlensing events caused by free floating planets

Astrometric observations of microlensing events can be used to obtain important information about lenses. During these events, the shift of the position of the multiple image centroid with respect to the source star location can be measured. This effect, which is expected to occur on scales from micro-arcseconds to milli-arcseconds, depends on the lens-source-observer system physical parameters. Here, we consider the astrometric and photometric observations by space and ground-based telescopes of microlensing events towards the Galactic bulge caused by free floating planets (FFPs). We show that the efficiency of astrometric signal on photometrically detected microlensing events tends to increase for higher FFP masses in our Galaxy. In addition, we estimate that during five years of the Gaia observations, about a dozen of microlensing events caused by FFPs are expected to be detectable.     

The potassium abundance in the solar photosphere

High precision center-limb spectrograms of the K i resonance doublet line at λ 7699 Å were used to study the line formation and to determine the abundance of potassium in the solar atmosphere. The LTE assumption is not valid for these lines. Synthetic profiles computed in NLTE reproduce very well the observed center-limb line behaviour and yield log? _K = 5.14±0.10 for the solar abundance of potassium (on the scale of log? _H = 12 for Hydrogen).     

Criterion for propagation of magnetohydrodynamic waves: An equivalence

It is shown that the requirement that a magnetohydrodynamic wave propagate over a distance equal to a large number of wavelengths without substantial attenuation is equivalent to the requirement that the lateral velocity of displacement of the field lines far exceed a characteristic velocity. This latter velocity is the velocity of slippage of the field lines with respect to the medium.     

Physical investigation of the potentially hazardous Asteroid (144898) 2004 VD17

In this paper we present the observational campaign carried out at ESO NTT and VLT in April and May 2006 to investigate the nature and the structure of the near-Earth object (144898) 2004 VD17. In spite of a great quantity of dynamical information, according to which it will have a close approach with the Earth in the next century, the physical properties of this asteroid are largely unknown. We performed visible and near-infrared photometry and spectroscopy, as well as polarimetric observations. Polarimetric and spectroscopic data allowed us to classify 2004 VD17 as an E-type asteroid. A good agreement was also found with the spectrum of the aubrite meteorite Mayo Belwa. On the basis of the polarimetric albedo (pv=0.45) and of photometric data, we estimated a diameter of about 320 m and a rotational period of about 2 h. The analysis of the results obtained by our complete survey have shown that (144898) 2004 VD17 is a peculiar NEO, since it is close to the breakup limits for fast rotator asteroids, as defined by Pravec and Harris [Pravec, P., Harris, A.W., 2000. Icarus 148, 12-20]. These results suggest that a more robust structure must be expected, as a fractured monolith or a rubble pile in a “strength regime” [Holsapple, K.A., 2002. Speed limits of rubble pile asteroids: Even fast rotators can be rubble piles. In: Workshop on Scientific Requirements for Mitigation of Hazardous Comets and Asteroids, Washington, September, 2002].     

On the ratio between the mechanical fluxes in- and outside the solar chromospheric mottles

Available information about the relative areas on the quiet and active parts of the sun covered with magnetic elements, together with theoretical results on the relation between the photospheric mechanical flux and the consequent coronal electron density, allows one to conclude that the mechanical flux generated in the photospheric magnetic elements is about seven times as large as the flux generated in non-magnetic regions.     

Runoff-generated debris flows: Observation of initiation conditions and erosion–deposition dynamics along the channel at Cancia (eastern Italian Alps)

In the Dolomitic region, abundant coarse hillslope sediment is commonly found at the toe of rocky cliffs. Ephemeral channels originate where lower permeability bedrock surfaces concentrate surface runoff. Debris flows initiate along such channels following intense rainfall and determine the progressive erosion and deepening of the channels. Sediment recharge mechanisms include rock fall, dry ravel processes and channel-bank failures. Here we document debris flow activity that took place in an active debris flow basin during the year 2015. The Cancia basin is located on the southwestern slope of Mount Antelao (3264 m a.s.l.) in the dolomitic region of the eastern Italian Alps. The 2.5 km² basin is incised in dolomitic limestone rocks. The data consist of repeated topographic surveys, distributed rainfall measurements, time-lapse (2 s) videos of two events and pore pressure measurements in the channel bed. During July and August 2015, two debris flow events occurred, following similarly intense rainstorms. We compared rainfall data to existing rainfall triggering thresholds and simulated the hydrological response of the headwater catchment with a distributed model in order to estimate the total and peak water discharge. Our data clearly illustrate how debris entrainment along the channel is the main contributor to the overall mobilized volume and that erosion is dominant when the channel slope exceeds 16°. Further downstream, sediment accumulation and depletion occurred alternately for the two successive events, indicating that sediment availability along the channel also influences the flow behaviour along the prevailing-transport reach. The comparison between monitoring data, topographical analysis and hydrological simulation allows the estimation of the average solid concentration of the two events and suggests that debris availability has a significant influence on the debris flow volume. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Frictional Properties and Microstructure of Calcite-Rich Fault Gouges Sheared at Sub-Seismic Sliding Velocities

We report an experimental and microstructural study of the frictional properties of simulated fault gouges prepared from natural limestone (96 % CaCO₃) and pure calcite. Our experiments consisted of direct shear tests performed, under dry and wet conditions, at an effective normal stress of 50 MPa, at 18–150 °C and sliding velocities of 0.1–10 μm/s. Wet experiments used a pore water pressure of 10 MPa. Wet gouges typically showed a lower steady-state frictional strength (μ = 0.6) than dry gouges (μ = 0.7–0.8), particularly in the case of the pure calcite samples. All runs showed a transition from stable velocity strengthening to (potentially) unstable velocity weakening slip above 80–100 °C. All recovered samples showed patchy, mirror-like surfaces marking boundary shear planes. Optical study of sections cut normal to the shear plane and parallel to the shear direction showed both boundary and inclined shear bands, characterized by extreme grain comminution and a crystallographic preferred orientation. Cross-sections of boundary shears, cut normal to the shear direction using focused ion beam—SEM, from pure calcite gouges sheared at 18 and 150 °C, revealed dense arrays of rounded, ~0.3 μm-sized particles in the shear band core. Transmission electron microscopy showed that these particles consist of 5–20 nm sized calcite nanocrystals. All samples showed evidence for cataclasis and crystal plasticity. Comparing our results with previous models for gouge friction, we suggest that frictional behaviour was controlled by competition between crystal plastic and granular flow processes active in the shear bands, with water facilitating pressure solution, subcritical cracking and intergranular lubrication. Our data have important implications for the depth of the seismogenic zone in tectonically active limestone terrains. Contrary to recent claims, our data also demonstrate that nanocrystalline mirror-like slip surfaces in calcite(-rich) faults are not necessarily indicative of seismic slip rates.     

Gas-liquid phase transitions and critical point in hot white dwarf matter

We consider the gas-liquid first-order phase transitions and prove the existence of the critical point in white dwarf matter. The latent heat released in the liquefaction processes can be used in the interpretation of the spreading of the white dwarf sequence in H-R diagram. Some thermodynamic quantities, e.g., the saturation pressure, the latent heat, etc., are calculated along the gas-liquid coexistence curve, and their behaviour near critical point are studied.