Do we understand rotating isothermal collapses yet?

The scalar virial equation can be used to elucidate many interesting properties of equilibrium gas clouds when the effects of surface pressure, rotation, self-gravity, and internal isothermal gas pressure are considered simultaneously. Details regarding the internal structure of rotating isothermal gas clouds are ignored in order to obtain an analytical expression describing global cloud properties. Excellent agreement is obtained between the simple analytical model and other previously published, more detailed models in physical regimes where other models have been constructed. For the first time, a physical connection is drawn between the surface-pressure-dominated equilibrium models of S. W. Stahler (1983, Astrophys. J.268, 155–184) and the rotation-dominated models of C. Hayashi, S. Narita, and S. M. Miyama (1982, Prog. Theor. Phys.68, 1949–1966). Stable axisymmetric models of any mass and angular momentum can be constructed. Using the analytic expression for virial equilibrium as a foundation, all rotating, isothermal collapse calculations can now be well understood. Limiting properties of isothermal clouds are outlined, and realistic “starting” models for cloud collapse are proposed.     

Delineation of regional arid karstic aquifers: an integrative data approach

This research integrates data procedures for the delineation of regional ground water flow systems in arid karstic basins with sparse hydrogeologic data using surface topography data, geologic mapping, permeability data, chloride concentrations of ground water and precipitation, and measured discharge data. This integrative data analysis framework can be applied to evaluate arid karstic aquifer systems globally. The accurate delineation of ground water recharge areas in developing aquifer systems with sparse hydrogeologic data is essential for their effective long-term development and management. We illustrate the use of this approach in the Cuatrociénegas Basin (CCB) of Mexico. Aquifers are characterized using geographic information systems for ground water catchment delineation, an analytical model for interbasin flow evaluation, a chloride balance approach for recharge estimation, and a water budget for mapping contributing catchments over a large region. The test study area includes the CCB of Coahuila, Mexico, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve containing more than 500 springs that support ground water-dependent ecosystems with more than 70 endemic organisms and irrigated agriculture. We define recharge areas that contribute local and regional ground water discharge to springs and the regional flow system. Results show that the regional aquifer system follows a topographic gradient that during past pluvial periods may have linked the Río Nazas and the Río Aguanaval of the Sierra Madre Occidental to the Río Grande via the CCB and other large, currently dry, upgradient lakes.     

Characterizing Non-Industrial Private Forest Landowners' Forest Management Engagement and Advice Sources

Non-industrial private forestland (NIPF) owners have options for engagement by following management strategies that reduce wildfire risk on their forestlands. Forest management engagement is a broad term with underlying categories and management implications. To better understand these categories, we examine interview data on the engagement of forest landowners from a case study of private forestland owner perspectives in northeast Oregon, USA. NIPF landowners outline two types of forest management engagement, one for property and one for community-focused forestland management. NIPF owners describe actions for engagement in public forestland management and how these actions differ from engagement in private management. Additionally, NIPF owners establish barriers to engagement in both public and private forestland management. Our findings can be used to better identify unengaged private forestland owners in the U.S. West, informing the design and implementation of extension and outreach for NIPF owners.     

Stability of Triangular Equilibrium Points in the Photogravitational Restricted Three-Body Problem with Oblateness and Potential from a Belt

We have examined the effects of oblateness up to J ₄ of the less massive primary and gravitational potential from a circum-binary belt on the linear stability of triangular equilibrium points in the circular restricted three-body problem, when the more massive primary emits electromagnetic radiation impinging on the other bodies of the system. Using analytical and numerical methods, we have found the triangular equilibrium points and examined their linear stability. The triangular equilibrium points move towards the line joining the primaries in the presence of any of these perturbations, except in the presence of oblateness up to J ₄ where the points move away from the line joining the primaries. It is observed that the triangular points are stable for 0 < μ < μ _c and unstable for \(\mu_{\mathrm{c}} \le \mu \le \frac {1}{2},\) where μ _c is the critical mass ratio affected by the oblateness up to J ₄ of the less massive primary, electromagnetic radiation of the more massive primary and potential from the belt, all of which have destabilizing tendencies, except the coefficient J₄ and the potential from the belt. A practical application of this model could be the study of motion of a dust particle near a radiating star and an oblate body surrounded by a belt.     

Semi-analytic modelling of galaxy formation: the local Universe

Using semi-analytic models of galaxy formation, we investigate galaxy properties such as the Tully–Fisher relation, the B - and K -band LFs, cold gas contents, sizes, metallicities and colours, and compare our results with observations of local galaxies. We investigate several different recipes for star formation and supernova feedback, including choices that are similar to the treatment by Kauffmann, White & Guiderdoni and Cole et al., as well as some new recipes. We obtain good agreement with all of the key local observations mentioned above. In particular, in our best models, we simultaneously produce good agreement with both the observed B - and K -band LFs and the I -band Tully–Fisher relation. Improved cooling and supernova feedback modelling, inclusion of dust extinction and an improved Press–Schechter model all contribute to this success. We present results for several variants of the CDM family of cosmologies, and find that models with values of Ω₀≃0.3–0.5 give the best agreement with observations.     

The Need for a Self-Consistent Model of the ISM

The interstellar medium of the Milky Way possesses a remarkable rangeof components, which have individual lifetimes considerably less than aHubble time. Consequently, there has been a major effort inunderstanding the properties of these components, their heating andcooling mechanisms, and the process by which one component istransformed into another. We review several of the issues in an effort tohighlight controversies that are under study presently. One of the centraldebates involves star formation, where there are two general andconflicting theoretical models. Another issue deals with the efforts tounderstand the fractional amounts of gas in the various phases, whichbrings together star formation with global gas dynamical reactions. Thisinteraction is responsible for heating of the gas by supernovae, causingsuperbubbles, and subsequently, either galactic winds or galacticfountains. The relative amounts of material in the hot and cold phasesnot only depends upon the supernova rate, it also depends upon details ofinterstellar models, such as whether thermal conduction is an importantprocess. We review the progress that people have made onself-consistent modeling of the ISM. The constraints on such models comefrom a wide variety of observations of molecular, neutral atomic, warmionized, and X-ray gas. Both observations and theory are represented atthis meeting and we highlight areas in which contributions are likely toresolve the existing controversies.     

Dark energy and the evolution of spherical overdensities

We use the non-linear spherical model in cold dark matter (CDM) cosmologies with dark energy to investigate the effects of dark energy on the growth of structure and the formation of virialized structures. We consider dark energy models with a constant equation-of-state parameter w . For  −1 < w < −1/3  , clusters form earlier and are more concentrated in quintessence than in ΛCDM models, but they form later and are less concentrated than in the corresponding open model with the same matter density and no dark energy. We point out some confusion in the literature around the expression of the collapse factor (ratio of the radius of the sphere at virialization to that at turnaround) derived from the virial theorem. We use the Sheth & Tormen extension of the Press–Schechter framework to calculate the evolution of the cluster abundance in different models and show the sensitivity of the cluster abundance to both the amplitude of the mass fluctuations, σ₈, and the σ₈– w normalization, selected to match either the cosmic microwave background observations or the abundance of X-ray clusters.     

The stable isotope composition of Dead Sea waters

Dead Sea waters are moderately enriched in¹⁸O; the degree of enrichment constitutes a balance between the dilution by freshwater influx and the isotope fractionation which accompanies evaporative water loss and vapour exchange with the atmospheric moisture. Modelling of the seasonal cycle and long-term trends of δ¹⁸O, in response to the changes in the environmental parameters, shows that the major control is exercised by the salinity of the surface waters, through its effect on the vapour pressure gradient between the lake's surface and the atmosphere; the (steady state) isotopic composition of the more saline brines tends towards less enriched¹⁸O values. This fact can explain the relatively high δ¹⁸O levels encountered in the Lisan formation, which was deposited from Lake Lisan, —the less saline Pleistocene precursor of the Dead Sea.