Crash-testing the cauldron code for joint lensing and dynamics analysis of early-type galaxies

We apply the joint lensing and dynamics code for the analysis of early-type galaxies, 'Combined Algorithm for Unified Lensing and Dynamics ReconstructiON ( cauldron )', to a rotating N -body stellar system with dark matter halo which significantly violates the two major assumptions of the method, i.e. axial symmetry supported by a two-integral distribution function. The goal is to study how cauldron performs in an extreme case, and to determine which galaxy properties can still be robustly recovered. Three data sets, corresponding to orthogonal lines of sight, are generated from the N -body system and analysed with the identical procedure followed in the study of real lens galaxies, adopting an axisymmetric power-law total density distribution. We find that several global properties of the N -body system are recovered with remarkable accuracy, despite the fact that the adopted power-law model is too simple to account for the lack of symmetry of the true density distribution. In particular, the logarithmic slope of the total density distribution is robustly recovered to within less than 10 per cent (with the exception of the ill-constrained very inner regions), the inferred angle-averaged radial profile of the total mass closely follows the true distribution, and the dark matter fraction of the system (inside the effective radius) is correctly determined within ∼10 per cent of the total mass. Unless the line-of-sight direction is almost parallel to the total angular momentum vector of the system, reliably recovered quantities also include the angular momentum, the   V /σ  ratio and the anisotropy parameter δ. We conclude that the cauldron code can be safely and effectively applied to real early-type lens galaxies, also providing reliable information for the systems that depart significantly from the method's assumptions.     

Do high-velocity clouds form by thermal instability?

We examine the proposal that the H  i 'high-velocity' clouds (HVCs) surrounding the Milky Way and other disc galaxies form by condensation of the hot galactic corona via thermal instability. Under the assumption that the galactic corona is well represented by a non-rotating, stratified atmosphere, we find that for this formation mechanism to work the corona must have an almost perfectly flat entropy profile. In all other cases, the growth of thermal perturbations is suppressed by a combination of buoyancy and thermal conduction. Even if the entropy profile were nearly flat, cold clouds with sizes smaller than  10 kpc  could form in the corona of the Milky Way only at radii larger than  100 kpc  , in contradiction with the determined distances of the largest HVC complexes. Clouds with sizes of a few kpc can form in the inner halo only in low-mass systems. We conclude that unless even slow rotation qualitatively changes the dynamics of a corona, thermal instability is unlikely to be a viable mechanism for formation of cold clouds around disc galaxies.     

On the Transits of Solar System Objects in the Forthcoming Planck Mission: Data Flagging and Coeval Multi-Frequency Observations

In the context of current and future microwave surveys mainly dedicated to the accurate mapping of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), mm and sub-mm emissions from Solar System will represent a potential source of contamination as well as an opportunity for new Solar System studies. In particular, the forthcoming ESA Planck mission will be able to observe the point-like thermal emission from planets and some large asteroids as well as the diffused Zodiacal Light Emission (ZLE). After a brief introduction to the field, we focus on the identification of Solar System discrete objects in the Planck time ordered data.     

Dynamical friction in modified Newtonian dynamics

We have tested a previous analytical estimate of the dynamical friction time-scale in modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) with fully non-linear N -body simulations. The simulations confirm that the dynamical friction time-scale is significantly shorter in MOND than in equivalent Newtonian systems, i.e. systems with the same phase-space distribution of baryons and additional dark matter. An apparent conflict between this result and the long time-scales determined for bars to slow and mergers to be completed in previous N -body simulations of MOND systems is explained. The confirmation of the short dynamical-friction time-scale in MOND underlines the challenge that the Fornax dwarf spheroidal poses to the viability of MOND.     

Geomagnetic paleosecular variation at Hawaii around 3 Ma from a sequence of 107 lava flows at Kaena Point (Oahu)

We have sampled a sequence of 107 lava flows in the Waianae series on Oahu, Hawaii, in two separate stretches. The first (51 flows) at Kaena Point extends from sea level to an altitude of 190 m, and the second (56 flows) follows the Satellite Tracking Station road from 218 m to 360 m above sea level. Thermal and af demagnetization yield very similar results, and reveal only normal polarities. K/Ar dating at five different horizons combined with the paleomagnetic results indicate that the sequence was emplaced entirely in the normal polarity interval between the Upper Mammoth and the Lower Kaena polarity transitions (3.22–3.11 Ma). Some of the flows are serially correlated. Filtering does not, however, drastically affect the final results. Inclinations are shallower than those expected from a centered dipole field. Although large (13°), the inclination anomaly is consistent with results from other sites at the same latitude. The scatter of the VGPs about the geographic pole is consistent with available data from other regions at similar latitudes. The scatter of the directions is also consistent with the predictions of recent statistical models of paleosecular variation. Therefore, these results do not support the hypothesis of a Pacific dipole window.     

基于分布式大流域径流模型的中国西北黑河流域水文模拟

水资源短缺是中国西北干旱地区长期的问题,区域人口增加、城市化扩张,加之气候变化的影响进一步加剧了西北地区水资源短缺,也使生活用水、灌溉用水、工业用水和维持生态系统稳定的用水危险加剧.采用分布式大流域径流模型(DLBRM)模拟黑河流域水文(中国第二大内陆河,流域面积128 000 km2)来理解区域的冰川和积雪融化水、地下水、地表水、蒸散发等方面的分布,评估气候变化对水文的影响和冰川退缩对中游和下游来水量的影响.模拟结果表明,黑河流域的大部分产流那源于黑河上游地区的祁连山.模拟1990-2000年黑河河流日流量变化结果认为,黑河中游正义峡给下游的供水为10×108m3,其中地表径流占51%,层间流占49%.中游地区沙土具有较高的蒸腾发能力,近一半的地表水被蒸发掉.模拟实践证明,分布式大流域径流模型可以结合气候变化、水资源管理方面的成果,改进流域水文模拟的精度.     

Rappresentazione di curve spaziali materializzate

Riassunto Per rappresentare una curva spaziale su un piano si può piegare un filo metallico secondo la curva e fotografarlo, operazione che però richiede molto tempo. Nel presente articolo l'A. illustra un dispositivo ottico che, sostituito alla matita della tavola di egresso della macchina diBush, è atto a descrivere su pellicola una curva simile all'immagine fotografica del filo. In questo studio si sono considerati soltanto i casi in cui la sorgente di luce che illumina la è all'infinito o nella origine delle coordinate, mentre il punto di vista à sempre all'infinito.

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Summary One may represent a spatial curve on a plane by bending a metal thread along the curve and then photographing it, but in this way much time is wasted. In the present paper the A. suggests an optical device which, replaced to the pencil of the out-put table ofBush's machine, traces on film a curve that should look like the photographic image of the thread. In this study were taken into account only the cases in which the light source lighting , is at the infinite or in the coordinate origin, while the point of view is always at the infinite.

     

The most extensive Holocene advance in the Stauning Alper, East Greenland, occurred in the Little Ice Age

We present glacial geologic and chronologic data concerning the Holocene ice extent in the Stauning Alper of East Greenland. The retreat of ice from the late-glacial position back into the mountains was accomplished by at least 11 000 cal years B.P. The only recorded advance after this time occurred during the past few centuries (the Little Ice Age). Therefore, we postulate that the Little Ice Age event represents the maximum Holocene ice extent in this part of East Greenland.     

Hollow bridge-pier properties for response spectrum analysis

The present paper proposes equivalent stiffness and energy dissipation properties of reinforced concrete hollow bridge piers to be used in the context of response spectrum performance based assessment and design. The work is carried out by performing parametric numerical analysis using a 2D fibre model calibrated against experimental results and by varying the longitudinal steel reinforcement ratio, height over width ratio, normalised axial force, level of confinement and concrete class of a rectangular hollow section reinforced with Tempcore B500C steel. The results of the analysis are given in the form of charts and closed form expressions for the yield curvature and moment, ultimate ductility, post yielding stiffness ratio and energy dissipated of the section, and are translated to the member level through the plastic hinge length approach. Likewise, the parameters of a Takeda model derived from the parametric analysis are given for use in nonlinear time history analysis.     

Models of interacting pairs of thin,quasi-geostrophic vortices: steady-state solutions and nonlinear stability

We study pairwise interactions of elliptical quasi-geostrophic (QG) vortices as the limiting case of vanishingly thin uniform potential vorticity ellipsoids. In this limit, the product of the vertical extent of the ellipsoid and the potential vorticity within it is held fixed to a finite non-zero constant. Such elliptical “lenses” inherit the property that, in isolation, they steadily rotate without changing shape. Here, we use this property to extend both standard moment models and Hamiltonian ellipsoidal models to approximate the dynamical interaction of such elliptical lenses. By neglecting non-elliptical deformations, the simplified models reduce the dynamics to just four degrees of freedom per vortex. For simplicity, we focus on pairwise interactions between identical elliptical vortices initially separated in both the horizontal and vertical directions. The dynamics of the simplified models are compared with the full QG dynamics of the system, and show good agreement as expected for sufficiently distant lenses. The results reveal the existence of families of steadily rotating equilibria in the initial horizontal and vertical separation parameter space. For sufficiently large vertical separations, equilibria with varying shape exist for all horizontal separations. Below a critical vertical separation (stretched by the constant ratio of buoyancy to Coriolis frequencies N / f), comparable to the mean radius of either vortex, a gap opens in horizontal separation where no equilibria are possible. Solutions near the edge of this gap are unstable. In the full QG system, equilibria at the edge of the gap exhibit corners (infinite curvature) along their boundaries. Comparisons of the model results with the full nonlinear QG evolution show that the early stages of the instability are captured by the Hamiltonian elliptical model but not by the moment model that inaccurately estimates shorter-range interactions.