B2114+022: a distant radio source gravitationally lensed by a starburst galaxy

We have discovered a radio source (B2114+022) with a unique structure during the course of the JVAS gravitational lens survey. VLA, MERLIN, VLBA and MERLIN+EVN radio maps reveal four compact components, in a configuration unlike that of any known lens system, or, for that matter, any of the ∼15 000 radio sources in the JVAS and CLASS surveys. Three of the components are within 0.3 arcsec of each other while the fourth is separated from the group by 2.4 arcsec. The widest separation pair of components have similar radio structures and spectra. The other pair also have similar properties. This latter pair have spectra which peak at ∼5 GHz. Their surface brightnesses are much lower than expected for synchrotron self-absorbed components.
Ground-based and Hubble Space Telescope optical observations show two galaxies ( z =0.3157 and 0.5883) separated by 1.25 arcsec. The lower redshift galaxy has a post-starburst spectrum and lies close to, but not coincident with, the compact group of three radio components. No optical or infrared emission is detected from any of the radio components down to I =25 and H =23 . We argue that the most likely explanation of the B2114+022 system is that the post-starburst galaxy, assisted by the second galaxy, lenses a distant radio source producing the two wide-separation images. The other two radio components are then associated with the post-starburst galaxy. The combination of the angular sizes of these components, their radio spectra and their location with respect to their host galaxy still remains puzzling.     

Probabilistic landslide risk assessment in water supply basins: La Liboriana River Basin (Salgar-Colombia)

Landslides are natural hazards that represent a huge economic burden and cause the loss of human life around the world. In countries such as Colombia, the mass movement events that cause the highest number of deaths and economic losses are often related to river or stream flooding caused by landslides in basins. Therefore, it is necessary to develop tools that estimate and assess landslide risk in such areas. This study presents a methodology to assess the risk associated with landslides in streams or river basins. The hazard posed by landslides is evaluated considering probabilistic methods that include the effects of rainfall and earthquakes. In addition, this study assesses the probability of a sliding mass reaching riverbeds and the probability of riverbed obstruction. Vulnerability is then estimated using impact curves based on the obstruction height. Finally, risk is estimated as the probability that economic losses occur along the riverbed. This methodology is based on probability methods, such as the first-order second-moment (FOSM) method, and the punctual estimates method (PEM). The methodology was applied in the La Liboriana River basin, in the municipality of Salgar in the northwestern Colombian Andes. On May 18, 2015, this mountainous and tropical area suffered a flash flood caused by landslides in the basin, which killed more than 100 inhabitants and caused infrastructure damage and significant economic losses. The results suggest that the proposed method coherently assesses the hazard posed by landslides and that the expected losses are comparable with the records from previous events.

     

Orbital structure of self-consistent cuspy triaxial stellar systems

We used a multipolar code to create, through dissipationless collapses of systems of 10⁶ particles, two cuspy self-consistent triaxial stellar systems with γ ≈ 1. One of the systems has an axial ratio similar to that of an E4 galaxy and it is only mildly triaxial (T = 0.914), while the other one is strongly triaxial (T = 0.593) and its axial ratio lies in between those of Hubble types E5 and E6. Both models rotate although their total angular momenta are zero, i.e., they exhibit figure rotation. The angular velocity is very small for the less triaxial model and, while it is larger for the more triaxial one, it is still comparable to that found by Muzzio (Celest Mech Dynam Astron 96(2):85–97, 2006) to affect only slightly the dynamics of a similar model. Except for minor evolution, probably caused by unavoidable relaxation effects of the N-body code, the systems are highly stable. The potential of each system was subsequently approximated with interpolating formulae yielding smooth potentials, stationary in frames that rotate with the models. The Lyapunov exponents could then be computed for randomly selected samples of the bodies that make up the two systems, allowing the recognition of regular and of partially and fully chaotic orbits. Finally, the regular orbits were Fourier analyzed and classified using their locations on the frequency map. Most of the orbits are chaotic, and by a wide margin: less than 30% of the orbits are regular in our most triaxial model. Regular orbits are dominated by tubes, long axis ones in the less triaxial model and short axis tubes in the more triaxial one. Most of the boxes are resonant (i.e., they are boxlets), as could be expected from cuspy systems.     

Formulation of a tropical town energy budget (t-TEB) scheme

This work describes the tropical town energy budget (t-TEB) scheme addressed to simulate the diurnal occurrence of the urban heat island (UHI) as observed in the Metropolitan Area of Rio de Janeiro (MARJ; ?22° S; ?44° W) in Brazil. Reasoning about the tropical urban climate have guided the scheme implementation, starting from the original equations from Masson (Bound-Lay Meteorol 94:357–397, 2000). The modifications include (a) local scaling approaches for obtaining flux–gradient relationships in the roughness sub-layer, (b) the Monin-Obukhov similarity framework in the inertial sub-layer, (c) increasing aerodynamic conductance toward more unstable conditions, and (d) a modified urban subsurface drainage system to transfer the intercepted rainwater by roofs to the roads. Simulations along 2007 for the MARJ are obtained and compared with the climatology. The t-TEB simulation is consistent with the observations, suggesting that the timing and dynamics of the UHI in tropical cities could vary significantly from the familiar patterns observed in mid-latitude cities—with the peak heat island intensity occurring in the morning than at night. The simulations are suggesting that the thermal phase shift of this tropical diurnal UHI is a response of the surface energy budget to the large amount of solar radiation, intense evapotranspiration, and thermal response of the vegetated surfaces over a very humid soil layer.     

Legami di data nell'andamento annuale del tempo

Riassunto L'A. illustra le caratteristiche e rileva l'importanza delle singolarità dell'andamento annuale dei fattori climatici, come rappresentatrici di determinati processi meteorici. Riferisce quindi su alcuni risultali nel relativo studio per il clima dell'Europa centrale, dando poi indicazioni per estendere analoghe indagini al clima della penisola italiana.

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Zusammenfassung Der Verf. erinnert zuerst einige Beispiele welche die Realifät der Existenz der Singularitäten oder «wiederckehrenden Wetterwendepunkte» in dem jährlichen Verlauf der klimatischen Faktoren beweisen. Daraus treten die Eigentümlichkeiten der Singularitäten klar hervor. Bezugsnehmend auf die Erfahrung und die Fruchtbarkeit solcher Untersuchungen für das mitteleuropäische Klima, regt zuletzt der Verf. an, ähnliche Arbeitsmethoden auf die Forschung des italienischen Klimas anzuwenden

     

Anchor deployment for deep water floating offshore equipments

In this work a planning methodology for deep water anchor deployment in offshore platforms and floating production systems aiming at operational resources optimization is explored, by minimizing a multi criteria objective function. As an additional advantage provided by the proposed methodology, planning automation is achieved. Planning automation overcomes the traditional way, using a trial error basis. With it, an engineer, using an anchoring software, decides how much work wire and anchoring line must be paid out from both the floating system and the tug boat. Additionally, he decides which horizontal force must be applied to the line, trying to settle the anchor on a previously defined target on the ocean floor.