A First Comparison of the Surface Brightness Fluctuation Survey Distances with the Galaxy Density Field: Implications for H0 and Omega

We compare the peculiar velocities measured in the surface brightness fluctuation survey of galaxy distances with the predictions from the density fields of the IRAS 1.2 Jy flux-limited redshift survey and the optical redshift survey (ORS) to derive simultaneous constraints on the Hubble constant H0 and the density parameter beta=Omega0.6&solm0;b, where b is the linear bias. We find that betaI=0.42+0.10-0.06 and betaO=0.26+/-0.08 for the IRAS and ORS comparisons, respectively, and that H0=74+/-4 km s-1 Mpc (with an additional 9% uncertainty due to the Cepheids themselves). The match between predicted and observed peculiar velocities is good for these values of H0 and beta, and although there is covariance between the two parameters, our results clearly point toward low-density cosmologies. Thus, the unresolved discrepancy between the "velocity-velocity" and "density-density" measurements of beta continues.     

Spectral index determination between 408 MHz and 5 GHz in the northern sky

We present the joint analysis of two 5-GHz interferometric surveys of the northern sky, taken with different baselines. The two surveys were carried out on the Jodrell Bank 5-GHz interferometer based at Manchester. The Maximum Entropy Method is used to check the consistency of the two surveys and the final two-dimensional maps are used, together with low-frequency full sky surveys, to put constraints on the Galactic spectral index. It is found that synchrotron emission is the dominant process at high Galactic latitudes below 5 GHz.     

An algorithm for finding the position of a point relative to a fixed polygonal boundary

This article describes a method that determines the position of a point relative to a fixed boundary. Its advantage over the other existing algorithms described below is that in most cases it is necessary that only part of the algorithm be executed to determine the position of the point. A possible inconvenience of using this algorithm is that the contour boundary has to be entered as data. For problems where the boundary often changes the algorithm is not suitable in its present form. The applications envisaged here are to cases where the position of a very large number of points have to be determined relative to one fixed polygonal boundary whose shape is known in advance, for example, blanking out of contours in automatic contouring, or selecting drill holes which lie in the particular part of a mineral deposit.     

A rate-type constitutive model for soil with a critical state

A continuum representation for soil which incorporates the concepts of hypoelasticity and critical state theory is proposed. General, three-dimensional constitutive equations are formulated to relate specific volume, stress, rate of deformation and rate of change of stress, resulting in a mathematical material model which exhibits phenomenological features typical of soil response. The general constitutive equations are specialized to represent the particular cases of isotropic compression, constant, volume deformation, uniaxial compression and biaxial deformation. Methods are suggested for determining the model parameters to represent a specific soil using conventional triaxial test data. Comparisons of stress-strain response with published experimental data are shown.     

Planetary brightness temperature measurements at 8.6 mm and 3.1 mm wavelengths

New measurements of the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn at 3.1 and 8.6 mm wavelengths are given. The temperatures reported for the planets at 3.1 mm wavelength are higher than previous measurements in this wavelength range and change the interpretation of some planetary spectra. For Mercury, it is found that the mean brightness temperature is independent of wavelength and that a temperature dependent thermal conductivity is not required to match the observations. In the case of Mars, the spectrum is shown to rise in the millimeter region as simple models predict. For Jupiter, the need to recalculate the spectrum with recent models is demonstrated. The flux density scale proposed by Dent (1972) has been revised according to a more accurate determination of the millimeter brightness temperature of Jupiter.     

Surveillance for previously unmonitored organic contaminants in the San Francisco Estuary

The San Francisco Estuary Regional Monitoring Program initiated surveillance monitoring to identify previously unmonitored synthetic organic contaminants in the San Francisco Estuary. Organic extracts of water samples were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in full scan mode. The major contaminant classes identified in the samples were fire retardants, pesticides, personal care product ingredients, and plasticizers. Evidence from the literature suggests that some of these contaminants can persist in the environment, induce toxicity, and accumulate in marine biota and in higher food chain consumers. The major sources of these contaminants into the marine environment are the discharge of municipal and industrial wastewater effluents, urban stormwater, and agricultural runoff. As a proactive effort, it is suggested that surveillance studies be used routinely in monitoring programs to identify and prevent potential problem contaminants from harming the marine environment.     

Weathering of sulfidic shale and copper mine waste: secondary minerals and metal cycling in Great Smoky Mountains National Park,Tennessee, and North Carolina,USA

Metal cycling via physical and chemical weathering of discrete sources (copper mines) and regional (non-point) sources (sulfide-rich shale) is evaluated by examining the mineralogy and chemistry of weathering products in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, and North Carolina, USA. The elements in copper mine waste, secondary minerals, stream sediments, and waters that are most likely to have negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems are aluminum, copper, zinc, and arsenic because these elements locally exceed toxicity guidelines for surface waters or for stream sediments. Acid-mine drainage has not developed in streams draining inactive copper mines. Acid-rock drainage and chemical weathering processes that accompany debris flows or human disturbances of sulfidic rocks are comparable to processes that develop acid-mine drainage elsewhere. Despite the high rainfall in the mountain range, sheltered areas and intermittent dry spells provide local venues for development of secondary weathering products that can impact aquatic ecosystems.Electronic Supplementary Material  Supplementary material is available for this article if you access the article at . A link in the frame on the left on that page takes you directly to the supplementary material.