A structure and energy dissipation efficiency of relativistic reconfinement shocks

We present a semi-analytical hydrodynamical model for the structure of reconfinement shocks formed in astrophysical relativistic jets interacting with external medium. We take into account exact conservation laws, both across the shock front and in the zone of the shocked matter, and exact angular relations. Our results confirm a good accuracy of the approximate formulae derived by Komissarov & Falle. However, including the transverse pressure gradient in the shocked jet, we predict an absolute size of the shock to be about twice larger. We calculate the efficiency of the kinetic energy dissipation in the shock and show a strong dependence on both the bulk Lorentz factor and opening angle of the jet.     

High-frequency X-ray variability as a mass estimator of stellar and supermassive black holes

There is increasing evidence that supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei (AGN) are scaled-up versions of Galactic black holes. We show that the amplitude of high-frequency X-ray variability in the hard spectral state is inversely proportional to the black hole mass over eight orders of magnitude. We have analysed all available hard-state data from RXTE of seven Galactic black holes. Their power density spectra change dramatically from observation to observation, except for the high-frequency (≳10 Hz) tail, which seems to have a universal shape, roughly represented by a power law of index −2. The amplitude of the tail,   C _M   (extrapolated to 1 Hz), remains approximately constant for a given source, regardless of the luminosity, unlike the break or quasi-periodic oscillation frequencies, which are usually strongly correlated with luminosity. Comparison with a moderate-luminosity sample of AGN shows that the amplitude of the tail is a simple function of black hole mass,   C _M = C / M   , where   C ≈ 1.25 M_⊙ Hz⁻¹  . This makes   C _M   a robust estimator of the black hole mass which is easy to apply to low- to moderate-luminosity supermassive black holes. The high-frequency tail with its universal shape is an invariant feature of a black hole and, possibly, an imprint of the last stable orbit.     

Spacetime is not just space and time

Our physical intuition usually separates space from time, ignoring the spacetime character of the physical reality. In strongly curved spacetimes this may lead to confusion and paradoxes. I present here two examples: (1) in the non-static cosmological spacetimes with flat space sections, the cosmological expansion of space is a true physical effect. Contrary to what the intuition imagines, it cannot be explained as a motion of matter in a non-expanding flat space. (2) Contrary to intuition, for static spacetimes the mathematically simplest 3+1 split is not given by the direct projection as in the standard ADM scheme. The simplest split is defined by a counter intuitive “optical geometry” that redshifts both space and time by the same conformal factor.     

The urban heat island in the city of Poznań as derived from Landsat 5 TM

Deforestation is expanding and accelerating into the remaining areas of undisturbed forest, and the quality of the remaining forests is declining today. Assessing the climatic impacts of deforestation can help to rectify this alarming situation. In this paper, how historical deforestation may affect global climate through interactive ocean and surface albedo is examined using an Earth system model of intermediate complexity (EMIC). Control and anomaly integrations are performed for 1000 years. In the anomaly case, cropland is significantly expanded since AD 1700. The response of climate in deforested areas is not uniform between the regions. In the background of a global cooling of 0.08 °C occurring with cooler surface air above 0.4 °C across 30° N to 75° N from March to September, the surface albedo increase has a global cooling effect in response to global-scale replacement of forests by cropland, especially over northern mid-high latitudes. The northern mid-latitude (30° N–60° N) suffers a prominent cooling in June, suggesting that this area is most sensitive to cropland expansion through surface albedo. Most regions show a consistent trend between the overall cooling in response to historical deforestation and its resulting cooling due to surface albedo anomaly. Furthermore, the effect of the interactive ocean on shaping the climate response to deforestation is greater than that of prescribed SSTs in most years with a maximum spread of 0.05 °C. This difference is more prominent after year 1800 than that before due to the more marked deforestation. These findings show the importance of the land cover change and the land surface albedo, stressing the necessity to analyze other biogeophysical processes of deforestation using interactive ocean.     

Petrology and microstructure of distal impact ejecta from the Flinders Ranges,Australia

Abstract— The Acraman impact ejecta from Bunyeroo Gorge in the central Flinders Ranges consist of clast-bearing and sandy sublayers set in a shale host rock. A calculated transient crater diameter for the Acraman impact of at least 34 km was obtained from average thicknesses and estimated distances of the ejecta from the impact in the Gawler Ranges. The ejecta contain numerous grains of quartz and zircon that display impact-produced features, including one or more sets of decorated planar deformation features. There is also much unshocked material incorporated in the ejecta layer. The coarse-grained ejecta layer embedded within fine-grained sediments allowed easy passage for diagenetic fluids that produced a porous honeycomb structure in the clays and enhanced the content of elements such as Cu, Pb, Zn, and U. The clay fraction of the ejecta layers consists of vermiculite and kaolinite, probably formed from alteration and weathering of glassy components. It appears that quartz and zircon grains are the only remnants unaltered by diagenetic processes.     

A METHOD TO CORRECT YIELD SURFACE DRIFT IN SOIL PLASTICITY UNDER MIXED CONTROL AND EXPLICIT INTEGRATION

When applying an explicit integration algorithm in e.g. soil plasticity, the predicted stress point at the end of an elastoplastic increment of loading might not be situated on the updated current yield surface. This so-called yield surface drift could generally be held under control by using small integration steps. Another possibility, when circumstances might demand larger steps, is to adopt a drift correction method. In this paper, a drift correction method for mixed control in soil plasticity, under drained as well as undrained conditions, is proposed. By simulating triaxial tests in a Constitutive Driver, the capability and efficiency of this correction method, under different choices of implementation, have been analysed. It was concluded that the proposed drift correction method, for quite marginal additional computational cost, was able to correct successfully for yield surface drift giving results in close agreement to those obtained with a very large number of integration steps. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ion Chromatography (IC) as a Method in Studies on the Odra River Pollution with F–, Cl–, NO3–, PO43–, SO42– Ions

The paper presents the ion chromatography (IC) – DIONEX DX-100 system – in the studies on the Odra River water pollution with some inorganic anions. The precision of analysis, detection and quantification limits of each anion have been presented in order to evaluate the method. Results obtained with IC are compared with those using other analytical methods: ICP-AES for SO42–, and the argentometric titration for Cl–. It has been found that the IC method can be applied in the investigation of the anion pollution of the Odra River water: concentrations of Cl–, NO3– and SO42– can be determined with sufficient accuracy, while F– concentration, on the account of common presence of carbonate anions, can only be roughly estimated. The results have been compared with maximum permitted levels (MPL) for Polish water quality classes.