Statistical study of optical galactic warps

A list of northern spiral NGC galaxies, with inclinations higher than 74°, and exhibiting warps have been obtained from the Palomar Sky Survey (POSS). Approximate position angles and warping angles are given for each galaxy, in order to have a first reference for statistical studies of the warping phenomenon. When we take into account that warps are not always observed (depending on their relative position with respect to the observer) the resulting frequency of warps was so high that a tentative conclusion is that all disks are warped.Paper presented at the 11th European Regional Astronomical Meetings of the IAU on New Windows to the Universe, held 3–8 July, 1989, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.     

The diagenetic production of α-keto acids in heated and fossil Chione shells

Both pyruvic and α-ketobutyric acids are formed during heating experiments with modern Chione shells. These α-keto acids are also present in fossil specimens. These findings provide additional evidence that the dehydration reaction of free serine and threonine or the β-elimination reaction of peptide bound serine and threonine occurred in fossil materials. These experiments suggest that the formation of α-keto acids occurs early in protein diagenesis. A large fraction of the α-keto acids which were formed have been lost either by subsequent reactions or by diffusion out of the shell matrix.     

A hypothesis of the Senoumi submarine megaslide in Suruga Bay in Japan—based on the undrained dynamic-loading ring shear tests and computer simulation

The distinctive bathymetric feature exists in the Suruga Bay, Japan. It has been called as Senoumi (Stone flower sea) from old times. Senoumi is a 30?km wide and 20?km long concave feature. Its origin has not been explained yet; however, the feature might be a combined consequence of intensive tectonic activity in the plate border, landslides, and a submarine flow coming from the Oi River. If the Senoumi was caused by a landslide, the latter would be larger than any on-land landslide in Japan. The downshelf “exit” from this feature is much narrower than its central part. This is not usual shape of landslides, but it is similar to the liquefied landslides such as those in quick clays which mobilize great strength reduction after failure. To study Senoumi as a landslide, the shear behaviors of the following three soil samples were investigated by the cyclic and seismic undrained stress control ring shear tests. One sample is volcanic ash taken from the base of landslide deposits (mass transport deposits), from 130 to 190?m deep layer below the submarine floor which was drilled and cored by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 333. Another two samples are the Neogene silty–sand and silt taken from the Omaezaki hill adjacent to the Senoumi, because the shear zone might have been formed in Neogene layers extending from on-land to the continental shelf. The largest strength reduction from peak to steady-state shear resistance in the undrained cyclic loading test was found in volcanic ash. The strength reduction in Neogene silty–sand was smaller than volcanic ash, while the Neogene silt mobilized the least post-failure strength reduction. An integrated model simulating the initiation and motion of earthquake-induced rapid landslides (landslide simulation (LS)-RAPID, Sassa et al. Landslides 7–3:219–236, 2010) was applied to this study. The steady-state shear resistance and other geotechnical parameters measured by the undrained ring shear tests and the greatest strong motion record in the 2011 off-the-Pacific Coast of Tohoku earthquake (M _w 9.0), also known as “2011 Tohoku Earthquake” at the observation point MYG004 (2,933?gal) were input to this model. As the result, it was found that landslides would be triggered by 0.30–1.0 times of MYG004 in volcanic ash, 0.4–1.0 times of MYG004 in Neogene silty–sand and Neogene silt, though the depth and area of triggered landslides were different in soils and intensity of shaking. Feature, created by LS-RAPID using the parameters of volcanic ash, was most similar to the Senoumi in depth and extent. The result obtained from this study includes a hypothesis to be proved, but presents the strong need to investigate the risk of the large-scale submarine landslides which could enhance tsunami wave and possibly enlarge the submarine landslide retrogressively into the adjacent coastal plain by the upcoming mega earthquake in the Nankai Trough.     

A new technique for timing the double pulsar system

In 2004, McLaughlin et al. discovered a phenomenon in the radio emission of PSR J0737−3039B (B) that resembles drifting subpulses. The repeat rate of the subpulses is equal to the spin frequency of PSR J0737−3039A (A); this led to the suggestion that they are caused by incidence upon B's magnetosphere of electromagnetic radiation from A. Here, we describe a geometrical model which predicts the delay of B's subpulses relative to A's radio pulses. We show that measuring these delays is equivalent to tracking A's rotation from the point of view of a hypothetical observer located near B. This has three main astrophysical applications: (i) to determine the sense of rotation of A relative to its orbital plane, (ii) to estimate where in B's magnetosphere the radio subpulses are modulated and (iii) to provide an independent estimate of the mass ratio of A and B. The latter might improve existing tests of gravitational theories using this system.     

Speckle observations with PISCO in Merate: VI. Astrometric measurements of visual binaries in 2006

We present relative astrometric measurements of visual binaries made during the second semester of 2006, with the speckle camera PISCO at the 102 cm Zeiss telescope of Brera Astronomical Observatory, in Merate. Our sample contains orbital couples as well as binaries whose motion is still uncertain. We obtained 175 new measurements of 169 objects, with angular separations in the range 0″.1–4″.2, and an average accuracy of 0″.01. The mean error on the position angles is 0°.6. Most of the position angles could be determined without the usual 180° ambiguity with the application of triplecorrelation techniques and/or by inspection of the long integration files.We also present the new orbits we have computed for ADS 11479, 11584 and 16538, for which our measurements lead to large residuals and/or for which the revision was justified by the significant number of observations made since the last orbit computation (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Detection of iodine monoxide radicals in the marine boundary layer using laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy

A Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) instrument has been developed to detect iodine monoxide (IO) radicals in the atmosphere. An all solid-state Nd:YAG pumped Ti:Sapphire laser operating at approximately 445 nm was used to excite the (2,0) band of the IO A²Π_3/2 ← X²Π_3/2 electronic transition, with off-resonance fluorescence in the (2,5) band detected at 521 nm. The sensitivity of the instrument was determined by calibration. IO (between 10 and 150 pptV) was generated following the 184.9 nm photolysis of N₂O/CF₃I/N₂ mixtures with O₃ actinometry used to determine the photolysis flux. The detection limit was determined to be 0.3 pptV for a 300 s integration period, with an uncertainty of 23% (1σ). The instrument was deployed in August/September 2006 during the RHaMBLe (Reactive Halogens in the Marine Boundary Layer) campaign in Roscoff, France. Located on a small jetty, a few metres from the water’s edge at high tide, the instrument measured significant levels of IO on 11 days, with a maximum of 27.6 ± 3.2 pptV observed on one day (averaged over 10 s) representing the highest IO mixing ratio recorded in the marine boundary layer to date. IO displayed a clear diurnal profile with a maximum at low tide during the daytime. These results represent the first point measurements of IO in the atmosphere by LIF.     

Spatial variation in river runoff into a coastal area — An ecological approach

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes were used to investigate spatial variation in terrestrial particulate organic matter (POM) input to a coastal area off the Tagus river estuary. Isotopic variation in higher trophic level organisms was also examined, along the coast. This study was carried out in late summer, after a period of 3 months of low river flow. The overall aim was to determine if under such conditions the coastal area is enriched by the river plume and, particularly, if lower secondary productivity should be expected in some areas. Spatial variation was detected as a gradient of decreasing terrestrial input with increasing distance from the river. It was concluded that terrestrial carbon input was also incorporated into higher trophic levels and that organisms with lower mobility are more sensitive to the gradient in terrestrial input. Even in low flow conditions the whole fishing area remained under the influence of the river plume, which still accounted for 24% of the total POM 30 km from the river mouth. Additionally, δ¹⁵N values indicated pollution input from the river Tagus.     

Relocation effects of dredged marine sediments on mercury geochemistry: Venice lagoon,Italy

Understanding the biogeochemical process of Hg is critical in the overall evaluation of the ecological impacts resulting from the reuse of Hg-contaminated dredged sediment. Sediment banks (V1 and V2) were constructed with freshly dredged sediments from a navigational channel in Venice Lagoon, Italy, with the goal of clarifying potential differences in the biogeochemistry of Hg between the reused dredged sediments and those from surrounding sites (SS1 and S2). Toward this purpose, Hg and monomethylmercury (MMHg) concentrations, and Hg methylation rates (MMRs) in the surface 2.5 cm sediments were monitored, along with ammonium, iron, sulfate and sulfide concentrations in the pore waters of banks and surrounding sites from November 2005 to February 2007. Pore water analyses indicate that the bank sediments are characterized by lower levels of sulfate and iron, and by higher levels of ammonium and sulfide compared to the surrounding sediments. With respect to Hg speciation, the fractions of MMHg in total Hg (%MMHg/Hg) and the MMRs were significantly lower in the bank V1 compared to those in the reference site SS1, whereas the %MMHg/Hg and the MMRs were similar between V2 and S2. A negative correlation is found between the logarithm of the particle-water partition coefficient of Hg and the MMR, indicating that the reduced MMRs in V1 are caused by the limited concentrations of dissolved Hg. Organic matter appears to play a key role in the control of MMR via the control of Hg solubility.