Numerical continuation of families of frozen orbits in the zonal problem of artificial satellite theory

In the zonal problem of a satellite around the Earth, we continue numerically natural families of periodic orbits with the polar component of the angular momentum as the parameter. We found three families; two of them are made of orbits with linear stability while the third one is made of unstable orbits. Except in a neighborhood of the critical inclination, the stable periodic (or frozen) orbits have very small eccentricities even for large inclinations.     

Measurements of Atmospheric Extinction at a Ground Level Observatory

In order to determine the atmospheric extinction at Physics Department Astronomical Observatory of the University of Extremadura, located at Badajoz (Spain), several stars were observed during some clear nights of atmospheric stability in the period 1998–2000, at optical wavelengths corresponding to the filters of the Kron-Cousins and Strömgren photometric systems. The determination of the extinction coefficients was made by assuming the Bouguer's law, which was shown to be a good approximation for this study. The results exhibited temporal variations and can be considered to be associated with clean atmospheres at locations of low altitude.     

Perturbed Gylden Systems and Time-Dependent Delaunay-Like Transformations

We study the possibilities and limitations of the application of generalized Delaunay-like transformations (in the 6-dimensional phase space) and TR-like mappings (in the 8-dimensional, extended phase space) to perturbed two-body problems with a time-varying Keplerian parameter μ(t), that is, to Gylden-type systems. For the sake of theoretical completeness, both negative- and positive-energy motion (with nonstationary coupling parameter) are, in principle, considered. Our developments are intended to introduce canonical variables parallelling the classical ones of Delaunay and the Delaunay-Similar variables of Scheifele. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Classical T Tauri Stars and Substellar Analogs

We propose a spectroscopic criterion based on Hα equivalent width and spectral type to classify classical T Tauri stars and substellar analogs. We argue that accreting objects can be identified from low-resolution optical spectroscopy, when their Hα flux is stronger than the saturation limit at Log {Lum(Hα)/Lum(bol)} = ?3.3. Additional criteria, such as the relation between HeI5876 or HeI6678 and Hα, or the ratios between the components of the CaII infrared triplet, are also discussed. We have tested the reliability of these criteria by applying them to several objects with masses in the range 0.11–0.025 M_⊙, which belong to nearby star forming regions and the TW Hya association.     

Instruments, Detectors and the Future of Astronomy with Large Ground Based Telescopes

Results of a survey of instrumentation and detector systems, either currently deployed or planned for use at telescopes larger than 3.5 m, in ground based observatories world-wide, are presented. This survey revealed a number of instrumentation design trends at optical, near, and mid-infrared wavelengths. Some of the most prominent trends include the development of vastly larger optical detector systems (> 10⁹ pixels) than anything built to date, and the frequent use of mosaics of near-infrared detectors – something that was quite rare only a decade ago in astronomy. Some future science applications for detectors are then explored, in an attempt to build a bridge between current detectors and what will be needed to support the research ambitions of astronomers in the future.     

Simulation of the damage to a simple RC structure in the Bhuj,India, earthquake to estimate the level of input‐motion

Analysis of a simple reinforced concrete (RC) structure damaged by the Bhuj, India, earthquake was carried out to estimate the level of shaking in the epicentral region. For this, an attempt was made to estimate the level of input motion to cause inelastic behavior to the extent observed during the field visit. To consider the inelastic effects, both yielding of steel bars as well as crushing of the concrete cover has been investigated employing the hysteretic model known as the Fiber model. The only available record at Ahmedabad of the Bhuj earthquake and four additional earthquake records from Japan and California were used in the analysis. Considering simple scaling of input motion, the level of input motion to cause crushing and spall‐off of the concrete cover as observed in the field was estimated to be of the order of 6 times the original instrumental record obtained at 240 km away from the epicenter. The methodology proposed was promising in providing a useful quantitative indication of the level of shaking when instrumental records are not available. It was also noted that the design response spectrum specified in Indian seismic code IS1893: 1984 appears inadequate compared to the extent of shaking estimated. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Behaviour of the SMF method for the numerical integration of satellite orbits

The SMF algorithms were recently developed by the authors as a multistep generalization of the ScheifeleG-functions one-step method. Like the last, the proposed codes integrate harmonic oscillations without truncation error and the perturbing parameter appears as a factor of that error when integrating perturbed oscillations. Therefore they seemed to be convenient for the accurate integration of orbital problems after the application of linearizing transformations, such as KS or BF. In this paper we present several numerical experiments concerning the propagation of Earth satellite orbits, that illustrate the performance of the the SMF method. In general, it provides greater accuracy than the usual standard algorithms for similar computational cost.     

Tectono-metamorphic evolution of the Karakorum Metamorphic complex (Dassu–Askole area, NE Pakistan): exhumation of mid-crustal HT–MP gneisses in a convergent context

The South Karakorum margin, east of the Himalayan syntaxis, consist of an E–W elongated zone of young (10–3 Ma) high‐grade metamorphic rocks (M2) and related migmatitic domes. This late tectono‐metamorphic event post‐dates the Palaeogene (55–37 Ma) phase of thickening of the belt featured by NW–SE structures and associated M1 amphibolite facies metamorphism (0.7 GPa, 700 °C). This M2 metamorphism is characterised by low‐pressure, high‐temperature conditions coeval with migmatite formation in response to a thermal increase of c. 150 °C compared to M1, culminating at a temperature of c. 770 °C and a pressure of 0.5–0.6 GPa. Rapid exhumation of migmatitic domes, at a rate of 5 mm yr^?1, was accommodated by vertical extrusion, in the core of E–W crustal‐scale folds. These crustal‐scale folds formed in response to N–S syn‐collisional shortening and were enhanced by thermal weakening of the migmatised continental crust. M2 metamorphism is spatially and temporarily associated with granitoids showing a mantle affinity, firmly suggesting that this could be the advective heat source for the granite and syenite generation and the subsequent migmatisation of the mid‐crustal level. Such relationships between a mantle‐related magmatism and a high‐temperature metamorphism in a convergent shortening context are suggestive of the breakoff of the subducted Indian slab since 20 Ma.     

Analytical derivation of the probability for the escape of stars from colliding galaxies

We use the impulse approximation to derive analytical formulae for the escape probability from a simple binary system that interacts with a third body. The binary system is made up of a mass-less body in circular orbit around a massive object, and we assume that the two massive bodies follow a Schuster (or Plummer) distribution. Within the ranges imposed by the impulsive approximation to the parameters of the encounter, we find good agreement between our results and those obtained from numerical experiments.