Planetary transit observations at the University Observatory Jena: XO‐1b and TrES‐1

We report on observations of transit events of the transiting planets XO‐1b and TrES‐1 with a 25 cm telescope of the University Observatory Jena. With the transit timings for XO‐1b from all 50 available XO, SuperWASP, Transit Light Curve (TLC)‐Project‐ and Exoplanet Transit Database (ETD)‐data, including our own I ‐band photometry obtained in March 2007, we find that the orbital period is P = (3.941501 ± 0.000001) d, a slight change by ∼3 s compared to the previously published period. We present new ephemeris for this transiting planet. Furthermore, we present new R ‐band photometry of two transits of TrES‐1. With the help of all available transit times from literature this allows us to refine the estimate of the orbital period: P = (3.0300722 ± 0.0000002) d. Our observations will be useful for future investigations of timing variations caused by additional perturbing planets and/or stellar spots and/or moons (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The Impact of Canyon Geometry on Intra Urban and Urban: Suburban Night Temperature Differences Under Warm Weather Conditions

The present paper investigates the impact of canyon geometry on the temperature regime and nocturnal heat island development in the very dense urban area of Athens, Greece. Detailed measurements of air temperature have been carried out within three deep urban canyons of different aspect ratios (H/W = 3, 2.1 and 1.7) during the night period of the summer and autumn of 2007. An analysis was carried out to investigate the relative impact of the canyon geometry, the undisturbed wind velocity, ambient temperature, and cloud cover on the development of a nocturnal heat island. A clear increase of the median, maximum and minimum values of the cooling rates has been observed for decreasing aspect ratios. Under low ambient temperatures, high wind speeds correspond to a substantial rise of the cooling rate in the urban canyons mainly because of the increased convective losses. On the contrary, cooling rates decrease substantially under high-undisturbed wind speeds and ambient temperatures because of the important convective gains. The impact of cloud cover was found to be important as cloudy skies cause a substantial decrease of the cooling rates in the urban canyons. Comparisons were performed between the temperature data collected in the three studied urban canyons and temperatures recorded in an urban as well as a suburban open space station.     

Regional Considerations of Coastline Change,Tsunami Damage and Recovery along the Southern Coast of the Bay of Izmit (The Kocaeli (Turkey) Earthquake of 17 August 1999)

Co-seismic phenomena along the south coastline included liquefaction, subsidenceand tsunami. Construction on areas composed of fluvial and alluvial sediments aswell as unconsolidated fill increased the risk by creating potential for amplificationof seismic waves. Cyclic mobility liquefaction was common along the coastline, andlevel-ground liquefaction was observed. Flow liquefaction is held forth as a possibilityin the Deirmendere submarine landslide. Damage to structures was markedly more in areas of unconsolidated sediments. One or more tsunami struck immediately after the event; the uniformity of tsunami impact indicating a wave coming from 310° suggests that submarine faulting was the major source of tsunami. Over 800,000 m² of subsidence resulted from sediment slumping, fault controlled subsidence, and possibly post-liquefaction sediment compaction. After a brief period of post-event abandonment, reclamation and use of coastal areas is well underway. This creates a tension between human desires pushing for quick and inexpensive re-inhabitation of the coastal areas, and the needs for zoning and building codes for risk reduction. In this high-risk area suchcontrary cultural mandates cannot yield ideal results. It is suggested that an alternativemodel of immediate post-event creation of parks and natural areas that would yield benefit is preferable in coastal areas rather than the enforcement approach currently favored.     

Zircon and whole-rock Nd-Pb isotopic provenance of Middle and Upper Ordovician siliciclastic rocks, Argentine Precordillera

Graptolite‐bearing Middle and Upper Ordovician siliciclastic facies of the Argentine Precordillera fold‐thrust belt record the disintegration of a long‐lived Cambro‐Mid Ordovician carbonate platform into a series of tectonically partitioned basins. A combination of stratigraphic, petrographic, U‐Pb detrital zircon, and Nd‐Pb whole‐rock isotopic data provide evidence for a variety of clastic sediment sources. Four Upper Ordovician quartzo‐lithic sandstones collected in the eastern and central Precordillera yield complex U‐Pb zircon age spectra dominated by 1·05–1·10 Ga zircons, secondary populations of 1·22, 1·30, and 1·46 Ga, rare 2·2 and 1·8 Ga zircons, and a minor population (<2%) of concordant zircons in the 600–700 Ma range. Archaean‐age grains comprise <1% of all zircons analysed from these rocks. In contrast, a feldspathic arenite from the Middle Ordovician Estancia San Isidro Formation of the central Precordillera has two well‐defined peaks at 1·41 and 1·43 Ga, with no grains in the 600–1200 Ma range and none older than 1·70 Ga. The zircon age spectrum in this unit is similar to that of a Middle Cambrian quartz arenite from the La Laja Formation, suggesting that local basement rocks were a regional source of ca 1·4 Ga detrital zircons in the Precordillera Terrane from the Cambrian onwards. The lack of grains younger than 600 Ma in Upper Ordovician units reinforces petrographic data indicating that Ordovician volcanic arc sources did not supply significant material directly to these sedimentary basins. Nd isotopic data (n = 32) for Middle and Upper Ordovician graptolitic shales from six localities define a poorly mixed signal [ɛ_Nd(450 Ma) = −9·6 to −4·5] that becomes more regionally homogenized in Upper Ordovician rocks (−6·2 ± 1·0; T_DM = 1·51 ± 0·15 Ga; n = 17), a trend reinforced by the U‐Pb detrital zircon data. It is concluded that proximal, recycled orogenic sources dominated the siliciclastic sediment supply for these basins, consistent with rapid unroofing of the Precordillera Terrane platform succession and basement starting in Mid Ordovician time. Common Pb data for Middle and Upper Ordovician shales from the western and eastern Precordillera (n = 15) provide evidence for a minor (<30%) component that was likely derived from a high‐μ (U/Pb) terrane.     

Characterisation of water masses and phytoplankton nutrient limitation in the East Australian Current separation zone during spring 2008

This study focuses on the comparison of oceanic and coastal cold-core eddies with inner-shelf and East Australian Current (EAC) waters at the time of the spring bloom (October 2008). The surface water was biologically characterised by the phytoplankton biomass, composition, photo-physiology, carbon fixation and by nutrient-enrichment experiments. Marked differences in phytoplankton biomass and composition were observed. Contrasted biomarker composition suggests that biomarkers could be used to track water masses in this area. Divinyl chlorophyll a, a biomarker for tropical Prochlorophytes, was found only in the EAC. Zeaxanthin a biomarker for Cyanophytes, was found only within the oceanic eddy and in the EAC, whereas chlorophyll b (Chlorophytes) was only present in the coastal eddy and at the front between the inner-shelf and EAC waters.This study showed that cold-core eddies can affect phytoplankton, biomass, biodiversity and productivity. Inside the oceanic eddy, greater phytoplankton biomass and a more complex phytoplankton community were observed relative to adjacent water masses (including the EAC). In fact, phytoplankton communities inside the oceanic eddy more closely resembled the community observed in the inner-shelf waters. At a light level close to half-saturation, phytoplankton carbon fixation (gC d⁻¹) in the oceanic eddy was 13-times greater than at the frontal zone between the eddy and the EAC and 3-times greater than in the inner-shelf water. Nutrient-enrichment experiments demonstrated that nitrogen was the major macronutrient limiting phytoplankton growth in water masses associated with the oceanic eddy. Although the effective quantum yield values demonstrate healthy phytoplankton communities, the phytoplankton community bloomed and shifted in response to nitrogen enrichments inside the oceanic eddy and in the frontal zone between this eddy and the EAC. An effect of Si enrichment was only observed at the frontal zone between the eddy and the EAC. No response to nutrient enrichment was observed in the inner-shelf water where ambient NO_x, Si and PO₄ concentrations were up to 14, 4 and 3-times greater than in the EAC and oceanic eddy. Although results from the nutrient-enrichment experiments suggest that nutrients can affect biomass and the composition of the phytoplankton community, the comparison of all sites sampled showed no direct relationship between phytoplankton biomass, nutrients and the depth of the mixed layer. This is probably due to the different timeframe between the rapidly changing physical and chemical oceanography in the separation zone of the EAC.     

Control of high-order harmonic generation with two-colour laser field

We numerically investigate the high-order harmonic generation with two-colour optical field, taking into consideration the propagation effects. Some harmonics can be dramatically enhanced at a certain delay between the fundamental pulse and its second harmonics. Choice of the enhanced harmonics can be realised by changing the time delay between the two laser pulses.     

Numerical simulations of comet nuclei: II. The effect of the dust mantle

The insulating effect of an evolving dust mantle is examined. The role of this mantle in determining the surface temperature of the ice core is studied as a function of the mass fraction of the dust in the ice-dust mixture and the thermal conductivity of the nucleus. Using the so-called “looselattice” model of D.A. Mendis and G.D. Brin (1977, Moon17, 359–372) (which was also extended to include cracks and pores in the mantle), it was found that both high dust to ice ratios and high core conductivities inhibit mantle blowoff. Indeed, it is often possible to build an essentially permanent dust mantle around an ice nucleus, so that the nucleus will take on an asteroidal appearance.     

Dynamical and compositional assessment of near‐Earth object mission targets

Abstract— Using an H‐plot analysis, we identify 234 currently known near‐Earth objects that are accessible for rendezvous with a “best case” delta‐V of less than 7 km/s. We provide a preliminary compositional interpretation and assessment of these potential targets by summarizing the taxonomic properties for 44 objects. Results for one‐half (22) of this sample are based on new spectroscopic measurements presented here. Our approach provides an easy‐to‐update method for giving guidelines to both observers and mission analysts for focusing on objects for which actual mission opportunities are most likely to be found. Observing prospects are presented for categorizing the taxonomic properties of the most accessible targets that are not yet measured.     

Soil bentonite wall protects foundation from thrust faulting: analyses and experiment

When seismic thrust faults emerge on the ground surface,they are particularly damaging to buildings,bridges and lifelines that lie on the rupture path.To protect a structure founded on a rigid raft,a thick diaphragm-type soil bentonite wall(SBW) is installed in front of and near the foundation,at sufficient depth to intercept the propagating fault rupture.Extensive numerical analyses,verified against reduced–scale(1 g) split box physical model tests,reveal that such a wall,thanks to its high deformability and low shear resistance,"absorbs" the compressive thrust of the fault and forces the rupture to deviate upwards along its length.As a consequence,the foundation is left essentially intact.The effectiveness of SBW is demonstrated to depend on the exact location of the emerging fault and the magnitude of the fault offset.When the latter is large,the unprotected foundation experiences intolerable rigid-body rotation even if the foundation structural distress is not substantial.     

Experiments on scalar dispersion within a model plant canopy,part III: An elevated line source

An experiment is reported in which heat was released as a passive tracer from an elevated lateral line source within a model plant canopy, with h _s = 0.85 h _c (h _s and h _c being the source and canopy heights, respectively). A sensor assembly consisting of three coplanar hot wires and one cold wire was used to measure profiles of mean temperature % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafeart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaGaaiikamaana% aabaGaeqiUdehaaiaacMcaaaa!390C!\[(\overline \theta )\], temperature variance (Σ_θ ²), vertical and streamwise turbulent heat fluxes, and third moments of wind and temperature fluctuations. Conclusions were:

1. Despite the very heterogeneous flow within the canopy, the observed dispersive heat flux (due to spatial correlation between time-averaged temperature and vertical velocity) was small. However, there is evidence from the plume centroid (which was lower than h _s at the source) of systematic recirculating motions within the canopy.
2. The ratio % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafeart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaGaeq4Wdm3aaS% baaSqaaiabeI7aXjaab2gacaqGHbGaaeiEaaqabaGccaGGVaWaa0aa% aeaacqaH4oqCaaWaaSbaaSqaaiaab2gacaqGHbGaaeiEaaqabaaaaa!41DF!\[\sigma _{\theta {\text{max}}} /\overline \theta _{{\text{max}}} \] (of maximum values on vertical profiles) decreased from 1 near the source to an asymptotic value of 0.4 far downstream, in good agreement with previous experimental and theoretical work for concentration fluctuations in the surface layer well above the canopy.
3. The eddy diffusivity for heat from the line source (K _HL ) increased, downstream of the source, to a nearly constant ‘far-field’ vertical profile. Within the canopy, the far-field K _HL was an order of magnitude larger than K _HP , the equivalent diffusivity for a plane source; well above the canopy, the two were equal. The time scale defined by (far-field K _HL )/(vertical velocity variance) was independent of height within the canopy.
4. Budgets for temperature variance, vertical heat flux and streamwise heat flux are remarkably similar to the equivalent budgets for an elevated line source in the surface layer well above the canopy, except in the lower part of the canopy in the far field, where vertical transport is much more important than in the surface layer.
5. A random flight simulation of the mean height and depth of the temperature plume was generally in good agreement with experiment. However, details of the temperature and streamwise turbulent heat flux profiles were not correct, suggesting that the model formulation needs to be improved.