GRB host galaxies studies with X‐shooter

Gamma‐ray bursts (GRBs) are the most powerful explosions since the formation of the Universe, associated with the death of massive stars or mergers of compact stellar objects. Several recent striking results strongly support the idea that host galaxies of GRBs are opening a new view on our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution, back to the very primordial universe at z ∼ 8. They form a unique sample of galaxies which cover a wide range of redshift, they are typically weak with low mass and unlike other methods they are not selected on luminosity. In recent years, thanks to the support of new generation instruments, multi‐band photometry and spectroscopy allow us to better investigate the properties of these host galaxies (e.g., stellar mass, age, SFR, metallicity), to study their possible evolution and to compare them with field galaxies and other classes of galaxies. GRB host spectroscopy is one of the main science drivers behind the X‐shooter spectrograph. In this paper, we present the first results of the program devoted to Italian‐French GTO multiband spectroscopy of GRB host galaxies with X‐shooter (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Acropora coral colonies as microhabitats for sponges in Tayrona National Natural Park,Colombian Caribbean

Sponges are sessile organisms capable of colonizing diverse substrata. In the Caribbean, coral reefs have suffered a drastic decline, and branching corals of the genus Acropora have been widely decimated. On dead coral skeletons and around surviving tissue the settling of sessile organisms can be observed, sponges being common. In order to investigate whether or not sponges have a preference for a particular species of coral, or for specific microhabitats of the colonies, we evaluated species composition, cover, richness and diversity of sponges colonizing the dead parts of still live colonies of the branching corals Acropora palmata and Acropora cervicornis in five locations of the Tayrona National Natural Park in the Colombian Caribbean. Ten colonies of Ac. palmata were quantified in each of the five locations, and eight Ac. cervicornis colonies in each of two locations. Quantification was carried out using video taken within 0.625‐m² photoquadrats. Seventeen sponge species were found, 13 of them associated with Ac. palmata and seven with Ac. cervicornis. Desmapsamma anchorata, Clathria venosa and Scopalina rutzleri were found to be common to all Ac. palmata locations, while De. anchorata occurred in the two Ac. cervicornis locations. On Ac. palmata, encrusting sponges dominated, while on Ac. cervicornis branched and lobed sponges predominated. Significant differences in sponge cover were not found among locations but were observed in the sponge species present. On Ac. palmata the species with highest cover were D. anchorata and Cla. venosa, while on Ac. cervicornis it was De. anchorata. The richness and diversity of sponges were low for both coral species, and their varying distribution can be attributed to the differences in available substrate for attachment, given coral colony morphology; for Ac. palmata, sponges predominated on the underside of the branches, semi‐cryptic areas and colony bases, whereas for Ac. cervicornis, they were located over the entire area of the cylindrical branches. Surviving colonies of Ac. palmata and Ac. cervicornis that are still erect offer additional microhabitats for reef sponges, some of which can be found directly interacting with live coral tissue, further threatening their recovery.     

Rotifer abundance, biomass, and secondary production after the recovery of hydrologic connectivity between a river and two marginal lakes (São Paulo, Brazil)

Rotifera density, biomass, and secondary production on two marginal lakes of Paranapanema River were compared after the recovery of hydrologic connectivity with the river (São Paulo State, Brazil). Daily samplings were performed in limnetic zone of both lakes during the rainy season immediately after lateral inflow of water and, in the dry period, six months after hydrologic connectivity recovery. In order to identify the factors that affect rotifer population dynamics, lake water level, volume, depth, temperature, transparency, dissolved oxygen, pH, alkalinity, conductivity, suspended solids, nutrients, and chlorophyll-a were determined. Variations of water physical and chemical factors that affect rotifer population were related to the lake-river degree of connection and to water level rising after drought. The water lateral inflow from the river resulted in an increase in lake water volume, depth, and transparency and a decrease in water pH, alkalinity, and suspended solids. The lake with the wider river connection, more frequent biota exchange, and larger amount of particulate and dissolved materials was richer and more diverse, while rotifer density, biomass, and productivity were lower in both periods studied. Density, biomass, and secondary production were higher in the lake with the smaller river connection and the higher physical and chemical stability. Our results show that the connectivity affects the limnological stability, associated to seasonality. Stable conditions, caused by low connectivity in dry periods, were related with high density, biomass and secondary production. Conversely, instability conditions in rainy periods were associated to elevated richness and diversity values, caused by exchange biota due to higher connectivity.     

Landslides and other surface effects induced by the 1997 Umbria–Marche seismic sequence

This paper both describes and discusses landslides and other ground effects induced by the September–October 1997 seismic sequence, which struck the Umbria and Marche regions (Central Italy). Three main events occurred on 26 September at 00:33 and 09:40 GMT, and 14 October with magnitude M_w equal to 5.8, 6.0 and 5.4, respectively; furthermore hundreds of minor but significant events were also recorded. The authors examined an area of some 700 km² around the epicentre (Colfiorito). Primary and secondary effects were observed, including surface faulting phenomena, landslides, ground fractures, compaction and various hydrological phenomena. Surface evidence of faulting reactivation was found along the well-known capable faults, to a total length of ca. 30 km. Landslides, which were the most recurrent among the phenomena induced, consisted mainly of rock falls and subordinately of rotational and translational slides, which were generally mobilised by the inertia forces during the seismic motion. The percentage of reactivated old landslides decreased as the distance from the epicentral zone increased; a similar decrease had been observed for the 1980 Irpinia earthquake (Southern Italy). The ground fracture distribution was consistent with the regional structural setting and the general pattern of macroseismic field. Numerous episodes of hydrological changes were observed within the most severely damaged area. All this evidence confirms the relevance of the study of ground surface effects for achieving a more complete evaluation of seismic hazard.     

Observing GRB host galaxies with the integral field unit of X‐shooter

Using the integral field unit of X‐shooter at VLT, we have recovered the first velocity fields of GRB host galaxies at redshift <0.6. This facility is able to recover not only the velocity fields from almost all emission lines thanks to an unrivaled wavelength coverage, but also to recover maps of physical properties. We present the preliminary analysis of X‐shooter/IFU observations dedicated to the study of GRB host galaxies undertaken in the frame of the Italian‐French GTO program. Our goal is to understand the physical processes at the origin of the GRB by analyzing in detail the spatial distributions of the kinematics, metallicities, extinction, star‐formation, and how they are inter‐related (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Population Dynamics of Pinnixa patagoniensis Rathbun, 1918 Brachyura: Pinnotheridae a Symbiotic Crab of Sergio mirim Thalassinidea: Callianassidae in Cassino Beach, Southern Brazil

Abstract. Pinnotherid crabs are typically found associated with many benthic invertebrates. On sandy beaches of southern Brazil, Pinnixa patagoniensis R athbun , 1918 inhabits burrows of the ghost shrimp Sergio mirim R odrigues , 1971. The population dynamics of this crab were studied from monthly samples taken between March 1989 and November 1991 near the Patos Lagoon outlet, southern Brazil ca. 32°13'S; 52°15'W. There was no correlation between the number and size of the crabs and the size of their respective hosts. Mean densities and incidence reached 3.1 indiv. opening^-1 range: 0 to 29 and 83.9%. respectively. Sex-ratios were not significantly different from 1:1 for the different size classes and sampling dates. Ovigerous females were found between October and March, showing an average fecundity of 1529 eggs per female. The annual recruitment pattern was bimodal, with a minor peak in summer and a fall peak that accounted for almost 70% of the population maintenance. Males and females both reached a maximum carapace width of 11.5 mm and had a life span of nearly two years as estimated from fitted von B ertalanffy growth curve parameters.     

U-Pb SHRIMP zircon dating of andesite from the Dolomite area (NE Italy): geochronological evidence for the early onset of Permian Volcanism in the eastern part of the southern Alps

The Athesian Volcanic District (AVD), a thick sequence of andesitic to rhyolitic lava and ignimbrite, overlies both the Variscan basement of the Dolomites and, where present, the continental basal conglomerate of Upper Carboniferous(?) to Early Permian age. This volcanic activity is known to mark the margin of the intra-Pangea megashear system between Gondwana and Laurasia, the onset age of which is determined in this study.SHRIMP U-Pb dating on zircon from Ponte Gardena/Waidbruck (Isarco/Eisack valley) basaltic andesite yields an age of 290.7 ± 3 Ma, providing the oldest record of andesite volcanic activity yet documented in the AVD. Two younger dates (279.9 ± 3.3 and 278.6 ± 3.1 Ma) obtained for the andesitic necks of M. dei Ginepri (Eores/Aferer valley) and Col Quaternà (western Comelico), respectively, probably represent a second pulse of andesite magmatic activity.Near Chiusa/Klausen, the volcanoclastic deposits at the bottom of the Funes/Villnöss valley volcano-sedimentary complex only contain detrital zircons, dated at 469 ± 6 Ma; these probably derive from erosion of Paleozoic porphyroids. Other zircons from the same sediments and inherited cores of magmatic andesite crystals give Paleoproterozoic (1953.6 ± 22.1, 1834.6 ± 69.3, 1773.6 ± 25.1 Ma), Early Neoproterozoic (1015 ± 14 Ma) and Late Neoproterozoic (728.4 ± 9.6, 687.6 ± 7.6 Ma) ages. These ancient detrital and inherited zircon ages fit the model that envisages the Dolomite region as being tectonically coherent with Africa, at least until the Lower Permian.