Weak gravitational shear and flexion with polar shapelets

We derive expressions, in terms of 'polar shapelets', for the image distortion operations associated with weak gravitational lensing. Shear causes galaxy shapes to become elongated, and is sensitive to the second derivative of the projected gravitational potential along their line of sight; flexion bends galaxy shapes into arcs, and is sensitive to the third derivative. Polar shapelets provide a natural representation, in which both shear and flexion transformations are compact. Through this tool, we understand progress in several weak lensing methods. We then exploit various symmetries of shapelets to construct a range of shear estimators with useful properties. Through an analogous investigation, we also explore several flexion estimators. In particular, some of the estimators can be measured simultaneously and independently for every galaxy, and will provide unique checks for systematics in future weak lensing analyses. Using simulated images from the Shear TEsting Programme, we show that we can recover input shears with no significant bias. A complete software package to parametrize astronomical images in terms of polar shapelets, and to perform a full weak lensing analysis, is available on the Internet.     

Distribution and ecology of the crabs Cyclograpsus lavauxi and C. insularum in Northern New Zealand

The differences between the crabs Cyclograpsus lavauxi (Milne Edwards, 1853) and C. insularum (Campbell and Griffin, 1966) are outlined. Cyclograpsus lavauxi has long been known to be very common in New Zealand, but C insularum was considered very rare and had been collected only six times since 1929.

In 1970, 60 spot surveys in the northern part of the North Island of New Zealand revealed 14 new populations of Cyclograpsus insularum.

Both species are found under boulders high on the beach. Cyclograpsus lavauxi occurs at maximum density higher on the shore than the maximum numbers of C. insularum, but the zones overlap widely. Cyclograpsus insularum occurs on substrates of smaller sand and silt content than those on which C. lavauxi is found.     

Morphology and kinematics of the ionised gas in early-type galaxies

We present results of our ongoing study of the morphology and kinematics of the ionised gas in 48 representative nearby elliptical and lenticular galaxies using the SAURON integral-field spectrograph on the 4.2m William Herschel Telescope. Making use of a recently developed technique, emission is detected in 75% of the galaxies. The ionised-gas distributions display varied morphologies, ranging from regular gas disks to filamentary structures. Additionally, the emission-line kinematic maps show, in general, regular motions with smooth variations in kinematic position angle. In most of the galaxies, the ionised-gas kinematics is decoupled from the stellar counterpart, but only some of them present signatures of recent accretion of gaseous material. The presence of dust is very common in our sample and is usually accompanied by gas emission. Our analysis of the [Oiii]/Hβ emission-line ratios, both across the whole sample as well as within the individual galaxies, suggests that there is no unique mechanism triggering the ionisation of the gas.     

Reinterpretation of an archaeological pebble culture from the Middle Mekong River valley,Cambodia

In 1963, E. Saurin and J.‐P. Carbonnel discovered the Sre Sbov site on an alluvial terrace of the Mekong River in central Cambodia. Saurin described a lithic typology dating to the Lower/Middle Pleistocene from this site. Although the original lithic assemblage has been lost, this typology has been used continuously as a reference by Southeast Asian prehistorians. In 2007, a Khmer–French team conducted excavations at Sre Sbov that yielded numerous pebbles and cobbles showing apparently convincing handmade removals, as Saurin had previously described. However, an in‐depth study of this assemblage, combined with a geological survey of the area, led to the conclusion that the stones were, in fact, of natural origin, and that for this reason their typology should be disregarded. Using satellite imagery and geological surveys, we explain how such a misinterpretation may have occurred and define a “buffer zone,” corresponding to the maximal extent of the proto‐Mekong River, where fluvially reworked pebbles and cobbles resembling artifacts may be recovered. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Heavy metals deposited from the atmosphere on upland Scottish soils: Chemical and lead isotope studies of the association of metals with soil components

Three soil profiles taken from the Hartwood Research Station in Central Scotland have been analyzed using chemical digestion and extraction techniques to investigate the chemical association of heavy metals deposited from the atmosphere. Total digestion, EDTA extraction and the BCR (Bureau Communitaire de Reference) sequential extraction procedure were used. In addition, lead isotope ratios in the whole soils and in the fractions from the sequential extraction procedure were measured using thermal ionisation mass spectrometry. All the digestion and extraction procedures gave clear indication of enhanced concentrations of heavy metals in surface soils, in particular for lead and zinc. Whereas total digestion gave a good indication of the heavy metal status of the soils, the extraction procedures were necessary to provide information on chemical association of the metals with soil components, information needed to understand the soil processes involved in mobilization of metals. Lead isotope analysis of the whole soils revealed a consistent picture of lower ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratios in surface soils (1.140-1.147) than in soils at 20-30 cm depth (1.182-1.190). The steady progression from the lower to higher ratios down the profile was clear indication that anthropogenic lead had penetrated to some degree into the deeper soils. The combination of sequential extraction and lead isotope analysis proved to be a powerful approach to studying this effect in more detail and showed that the fractions extractable from 20 to 30 cm soils contained lead with much lower ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratios (1.174-1.178) than the residual fraction (1.196-1.200). As the extractable fractions contained ≥85% of the lead in the soil, a substantial portion of lead at 20-30 cm depth was of anthropogenic origin. The ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratios of 1.174-1.178 found in the extractable fractions suggested that the mobile component of the anthropogenic lead was that deposited before the introduction of leaded petrol.     

Ion microprobe measurement of strontium isotopes in calcium carbonate with application to salmon otoliths

The ion microprobe has the capability to generate high resolution, high precision isotopic measurements, but analysis of the isotopic composition of strontium, as measured by the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio, has been hindered by isobaric interferences. Here we report the first high precision measurements of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr by ion microprobe in calcium carbonate samples with moderate Sr concentrations. We use the high mass resolving power (7000 to 9000 M.R.P.) of the SHRIMP-RG ion microprobe in combination with its high transmission to reduce the number of interfering species while maintaining sufficiently high count rates for precise isotopic measurements. The isobaric interferences are characterized by peak modeling and repeated analyses of standards. We demonstrate that by sample-standard bracketing, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios can be measured in inorganic and biogenic carbonates with Sr concentrations between 400 and 1500 ppm with ∼2‰ external precision (2σ) for a single analysis, and subpermil external precision with repeated analyses. Explicit correction for isobaric interferences (peak-stripping) is found to be less accurate and precise than sample-standard bracketing. Spatial resolution is ∼25 μm laterally and 2 μm deep for a single analysis, consuming on the order of 2 ng of material. The method is tested on otoliths from salmon to demonstrate its accuracy and utility. In these growth-banded aragonitic structures, one-week temporal resolution can be achieved. The analytical method should be applicable to other calcium carbonate samples with similar Sr concentrations.     

Targeted GOES Satellite Observations to Improve Hurricane Track Forecast: A Case Study of Hurricane Floyd

This study performs a set of Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) using Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) soundings. The primary objective of the OSSEs is to demonstrate that targeted observations can improve forecast accuracy by enhancing the initial conditions and mitigating their uncertainties. Hurricane Floyd (1999) is chosen as a study case. The main reason for choosing hurricane Floyd as a test case is that the movement of the storm was dictated by a mid-level complex polar jet steering flow region. This well-defined feature allowed us to examine the inaccuracy of analysis over the steering flow area using GOES soundings as targeted observations and its impact on the forecast track error. The set of experiments starts from a baseline forecast of hurricane Floyd using the Operational Multiscale Environment model with Grid Adaptivity (OMEGA). From GOES satellite soundings, atmospheric vertical profiles were extracted to simulate targeted observations. These data extracts were assimilated in the initial conditions to simulate new forecasts of hurricane Floyd which were then compared against both the baseline track and observed track. It was found that targeted observations in a forecast sensitive area can help to reduce hurricane forecast track error. Assimilation of only the subset of data (about 50 soundings) from the subjectively chosen fully sampled target region produced a considerable reduction of the track forecast errors (about 30%) within the first critical three days of the forecast.     

Recent seismicity of southeastern Ghana

Recent studies of DSDP samples from layer 2A of oceanic basement have found complex magnetic stratigraphies that seem incompatible with the frequent existence of linear short-wavelength anomalies caused by palaeomagnetic field behavior. Statistical models are developed for the lateral variation of the average magnetization of layer 2A: a Poisson series for reversals of the earth's field and a stairstep random series for discrete magnetic units. It is shown with the power-density spectra of these statistical models that lateral inhomogeneities must average out over distances of less than a few hundred meters. Specifically, individual magnetic units of the type seen at DSDP Site 332 cannot extend uniformly for distances greater than a few hundred meters.