The role of AGN in the colour transformation of galaxies at redshifts z≈ 1

We explore the role of active galactic nuclei (AGN) in establishing and/or maintaining the bimodal colour distribution of galaxies by quenching their star formation and hence, causing their transition from the blue to the red cloud. Important tests for this scenario include (i) the X-ray properties of galaxies in the transition zone between the two clouds and (ii) the incidence of AGN in post-starbursts, i.e. systems observed shortly after (<1 Gyr) the termination of their star formation. We perform these tests by combining deep Chandra observations with multiwavelength data from the All-wavelength Extended Groth strip International Survey (AEGIS). Stacking the X-ray photons at the positions of galaxies  (0.4 < z < 0.9)  not individually detected at X-ray wavelengths suggests a population of obscured AGN among sources in the transition zone and in the red cloud. Their mean X-ray and mid-infrared (IR) properties are consistent with moderately obscured low-luminosity AGN, Compton thick sources or a mix of both. Morphologies show that major mergers are unlikely to drive the evolution of this population but minor interactions may play a role. The incidence of obscured AGN in the red cloud (both direct detections and stacking results) suggests that black hole (BH) accretion outlives the termination of the star formation. This is also supported by our finding that post-starburst galaxies at z ≈ 0.8 and AGN are associated, in agreement with recent results at low z . A large fraction of post-starbursts and red cloud galaxies show evidence for at least moderate levels of AGN obscuration. This implies that if AGN outflows cause the colour transformation of galaxies, then some nuclear gas and dust clouds either remain unaffected or relax to the central galaxy regions after quenching their star formation.     

Influence of acid mine drainage on microbial communities in stream and groundwater samples at Guryong Mine,South Korea

The effects of acid mine drainage (AMD) in a stream and groundwater near an abandoned copper mine were characterized by physicochemical properties, bacterial community structure using denaturing gel gradient electrophoresis (DGGE), and microbial activity/diversity using Ecoplate technique. Based on DGGE fingerprints, the eubacterial community structures grouped into the stream water (GRS1, GRS2 and GRS3) and groundwater samples (GW1 and GW2), apparently based on differences in water temperature and the concentrations of dissolved oxygen, nitrate and sulfate. The most highly AMD-contaminated sample (GRS1) had additional α-Proteobacteria whereas the groundwater samples included additional β-Proteobacteria, suggesting the development of populations resistant to AMD toxicity under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, respectively. Community level physiological activities on the 31 Ecoplate substrates suggested that the activities decreased with increasing concentrations of sulfate and heavy metals derived from AMD. The Shannon index showed that microbial diversity was greatest in GRS2, and lowest in GRS1, and was probably related to the level of AMD.     

Sediment reworking by a polychaete, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Perinereis aibuhitensis</Emphasis>, in the intertidal sediments of the Gomso Bay,Korea

Bioturbation, especially sediment reworking by the activities of macroinvertebrates, such as feeding and burrowing, is one of the major processes that affect the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of marine sediments. Given the importance of sediment reworking, this study was designed to evaluate the sediment reworking rate of a polychaete, Perinereis aibuhitensis, which is dominant in the upper tidal flats on the west coast of Korea, based on quantification of pellet production during spring and fall surveys. The density of individuals was higher in fall than in spring, whereas, due to a difference in the proportion of adults between the two seasons, the morphometric dimensions of the worm and its pellets were significantly longer and heavier in the spring. Hourly pellet production per inhabitant and density were closely related, with pellet production gradually decreasing as density increased. Daily pellet production was much higher in spring than in fall, mostly due to an increase in daytime production. The sediment reworking rate of Perinereis was similar in the two seasons in which observations were made and depended on its density and the sediment reworking rate per individual. The overall sediment reworking rate of Perinereis was 31 mm yr^?1 based on its density in the study area.     

Evaluation of ACCMIP simulated fine-mode AOD and its implication for aerosol direct forcing

This study examines and evaluates simulated aerosol optical depth (AOD) and fine-mode AOD (fAOD) from the ACCMIP and CMIP5 global model archives. Satellite data nudged to AERONET data are used to construct reliable global observations of AOD and fAOD for validating the simulations. The difference in simulated global average AOD among models is of the order of a factor of 2, and the difference is even larger (～factor of 3) for fAOD. Compared to the observations, the models tend to underestimate AOD and fAOD significantly over eastern China. Another important discrepancy is that the models show larger fAOD over the Indus-Ganga Plain in summer than in winter, whereas the observations display an opposite feature. The models also overestimate the fAOD over the biomass burning regions of central Africa in DJF and underestimate the fAOD over the biomass burning regions of southern Africa in JJA. To evaluate the effect of the discrepancy between modeled and observed fAOD on aerosol direct radiative forcing, an offline radiation model is utilized. Comparing the model-fAODderived fine-mode forcing with the fine-mode forcing derived from the fAOD observation, the models tend to give too large (negative) value. This result implies that the calculated anthropogenic aerosol forcing in ACCMIP and CMIP5 models has a negative bias.     

The simulation of aerosol transport over East Asia region

This study was carried out to understand the contribution of PM10 from China emission to Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA) during high concentration period in January, 2007. The hourly PM10 concentration in Seoul Metropolitan Area had reached up to over 150 μg/m³ on 17th and 23rd of January in 2007. The aerosol transports from China along the Northwestern wind becomes the background concentrations in Korea and the assessment of the amount of contribution from China is very important in managing the air quality improvement plan in SMA.The U.S. EPA's Models-3/CMAQ (Community Multiscale Air Quality) was used to simulate PM10 concentration. The CMAQ performance was evaluated by comparing with the measurements in SMA for the episode period. The predictions were relatively in a good agreement with the measurements.The results show that the PM10 transport from China to Korea is significant and its contribution reaches up to 80% in the episode period. In order to assess more extensively the aerosol transport in East Asia region, the study to run the model in full year with speciated PM component measurements in super site is underway.     

First record of three barracudina fishes (Aulopiformes: Teleostei) in Korean waters

Three barracudina fishes (Paralepididae) were newly recorded from the southern sea of Korea. Lestidium prolixum is characterized by a single band of luminous ducts on the midventral line and absence of a papilla anterior to the eye. Lestrolepis intermedia and L. japonica are similar in having a black papilla immediately in front of the eye and two bands of luminous ducts on the midventral line. However, the dorsal fin of L. intermedia is located more posterior along the body than that of L. japonica, and L. intermedia have larger number of anal fin rays 42 (vs. 36–40) and vertebrae 95 (vs. 86–87) than L. japonica.