Contrasting the chemical evolution of the Milky Way and Andromeda

The chemical evolution history of a galaxy hides clues about how it formed and has been changing through time. We have studied the chemical evolution history of the Milky Way (MW) and Andromeda (M31) to find which are common features in the chemical evolution of disc galaxies as well as which are galaxy-dependent. We use a semi-analytic multizone chemical evolution model. Such models have succeeded in explaining the mean trends of the observed chemical properties in these two Local Group spiral galaxies with similar mass and morphology. Our results suggest that while the evolution of the MW and M31 shares general similarities, differences in the formation history are required to explain the observations in detail. In particular, we found that the observed higher metallicity in the M31 halo can be explained by either (i) a higher halo star formation efficiency (SFE), or (ii) a larger reservoir of infalling halo gas with a longer halo formation phase. These two different pictures would lead to (i) a higher [O/Fe] at low metallicities, or (ii) younger stellar populations in the M31 halo, respectively. Both pictures result in a more massive stellar halo in M31, which suggests a possible correlation between the halo metallicity and its stellar mass.     

On the origin of high-eccentricity halo stars

The present-day chemical and dynamical properties of the Milky Way are signatures of the Galaxy's formation and evolution. Using a self consistent chemodynamical evolution code we examine these properties within the currently favoured paradigm for galaxy formation – hierarchical clustering within a CDM cosmology. Our Tree N-body/Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics code includes a self-consistent treatment of gravity, hydrodynamics, radiative cooling, star formation, supernova feedback and chemical enrichment. Two models are described which explore the role of small-scale density perturbations in driving the evolution of structure within the Milky Way. The relationship between metallicity and kinematics of halo stars are quantified and the implications for galaxy formation discussed. While high-eccentricity halo stars have previously been considered a signature of `rapid collapse', we suggest that many such stars may have come from recently accreted satellites. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Ce and Nd isotope geochemistry on island arc volcanic rocks with negative Ce anomaly: existence of sources with concave REE patterns in the mantle beneath the Solomon and Bonin island arcs

¹³⁸Ce/¹⁴²Ce isotope ratios in Cenozoic island arc volcanic rocks are reported for the first time, together with isotope ratios of Nd and Sr and abundances of REE, Ba and Sr. The island arc volcanics studies here are boninites from Chichijima, the Bonin Islands, and basalts and andesites from the Solomon Islands. REE patterns of the island arc volcanic rocks from the Solmon Islands and the Bonin Islands are confirmed to have negative Ce anomalies. It is also disclosed that the majority of these island arc volcanic rocks show mainly positive values for both _Ce and _Nd. It is shown that these _Ce and _Ce values can hardly be interpreted by simple mixing between MORB and oceanic or continental crustal rocks; the former have positive _Nd and negative _Ce and the latter have negative _Ce and positive or negative _Nd. Existence of sources having positive _Ce and _Nd values is strongly suggested. If the sources are assumed to have been fractionated from CHUR (chondritic uniform reservoir) at the early or middle Precambrian era, the sources from which the volcanics were derived are concluded to have kept concave REE patterns with larger (La/Ce)_N and smaller (Nd/Sm)_N ratios than chondritic values over a substantial period of time, until the time of Cenozoic magmatism forming island arc volcanic rocks in question. During the periods of the Cenozoic magmatic activities and their related events, Ce anomalies are considered to have been created. From Ce and Nd isotope ratios, however, it is difficult to determine which of the following processes was responsible for the Ce anomaly; the incorporation process of subducted oceanic crust into magma at the mantle or the slab dehydration and metasomatism process. Nevertheless, so far as Ce and Nd isotopic ratios are concerned, incorporation of oceanic sediments did not take place to any clearly detectable degree.     

Infrared brightness temperature of Saturn's rings based on the inhomogeneous multilayer assumption

Models of Saturn's rings based on the classical multilayer assumption have been studied in the infrared. Thermal energy balance of Saturn's rings is treated rigorously by solving the infrared radiative transfer equations. It was found that a homogeneous multilayer model is incompatible with the observed infrared brightness variation of the A and B rings, although it can fit that of the C ring. The alternative inhomogeneous multilayer model with dark particles within a bright haze of small icy particles is presented in order to satisfy the available infrared data of the A, B, and C rings. The results based on the inhomogeneous multilayer model may be summarized as follows: The observed infrared brightness data of the three rings are explained in terms of the different optical thickness without having significant differences in the ring-particle properties, such as albedo, spin rate, and sizes. But each ring contains a different amount of bright haze particles and their concentration within the rings depends on whether or not dark particles emit radiation mostly from one hemisphere (slow rotator and/or low thermal inertia). If a dark particle is an isothermal radiator, the possible ranges of A₁ and A₂ for all three rings are given by 0.9 ? A₁ ? 0.95 and 0.0 ? A₂ ? 0.15, where A₁ and A₂ are the bolometric bond albedos of a bright haze and a dark particle, respectively. The possible ranges of the optical thickness ratio X of the dark particle layer to the total ring layer for the rings A, B, and C are given by 0.65 ? X ? 0.75, 0.8 ? X ? 0.9, and 0.8 ? X ? 1.0, respectively. If a dark particle is a slow rotator, we obtain 0.9 ? A₁ ? 0.95 and 0.0 ? A₂ ? 0.4 for all three rings. The ranges of X for the rings A, B, and C are given by 0.35 ? X ? 0.7, 0.65 ? X ? 0.9, and 0.35 ? X ? 1.0, respectively. In this paper, for the first time, a consistent model is presented which is applicable to all three rings from the multilayer point of view.     

Cloning and sequencing of the allophycocyanin genes fromSpirulina maxima (Cyanophyta)

The genes coding for the α-and β-subunit of allophycocyanin (apcA andapcB) from the cyanophyteSpirulina maxima were cloned and sequenced. The results revealed 44.4% of nucleotide sequence similarity and 30.4% of similarity of deduced amino acid sequence between them. The amino acid sequence identities betweenS. maxima andS. platensis are 99.4% for α subunit and 100% for β subunit.

     

Transposable genetic elements inSpirulina and potential applications for genetic engineering

Transposable elements in cyanobacteria are briefly reviewed. Evidence is presented to show that transposable elements inSpirulina platensis is actually reflected on the phenotype change, i e., helical to straight filaments. Transposition intermediates of DNA were isolated from the extrachromosome and the transposition was related to helical variations inSpirulina. Uses of transposable elements for microalgal recombination are discussed based on the transposition mechanism.

     

Far-Field Tsunami Potential and a Real-Time Forecast System for the Pacific Using the Inversion Method

Estimating tsunami potential is anessential part of mitigating tsunami disasters. Weproposed a new method to estimate the far-fieldtsunami potential by assuming faultmodels on the Pacific Rim. We find thata tsunami that generates in the areas wherethere is no tsunami in the history can damagethe Japanese coast. This shows that it isimportant to estimate tsunami potential byassuming fault models other than the pastearthquake data.Another important activity to mitigate tsunamidisasters is to provide appropriatewarnings to coastal communities when dangerfrom a tsunami is imminent. We applied anew inversion method using wavelet transformto a part of the real-time tsunami forecastsystem for the Pacific. Because this inversionmethod does not require fault location, it ispossible to analyze a tsunami in real timewithout all seismic information. In order tocheck the usability of the system, anumerical simulation was executed assuming anearthquake at sea off Taiwan. The correlationcoefficient for the estimated initialwaveform to the assumed one was calculatedto be 0.78. It takes 90 min to capturetime-series waveform data from tsunamigauges and 5 sec to estimate the 2-D initialwaveform using the inversion method. After that,it takes 2 minutes to forecast thetsunami heights at the Japanese coast. Since thesum of these times is less than the 105minutes transit time of the tsunami fromTaiwan to Japan, it is possible to give a warningto the residents before the tsunami attacksthe Japanese coast. Comparing the tsunamiheights forecasted by this system with thosecalculated by the fault model, the averageerror was 0.39 m. The average error ofthe arrival time was 0.007 min.     

N-body simulations of the Magellanic stream

A suite of high-resolution N -body simulations of the Magellanic Clouds–Milky Way system are presented and compared directly with newly available data from the H  i Parkes All-Sky Survey (HIPASS). We show that the interaction between Small Magellanic Clouds (SMC) and Large Magellanic Clouds results in both a spatial and kinematical bifurcation of both the stream and the leading arm. The spatial bifurcation of the stream is readily apparent in the HIPASS data, and the kinematical bifurcation is also tentatively identified. This bifurcation provides strong support for the tidal disruption origin for the Magellanic stream. A fiducial model for the Magellanic Clouds (MCs) is presented upon completion of an extensive parameter survey of the potential orbital configurations of the MCs and the viable initial boundary conditions for the disc of the SMC. The impact of the choice of these critical parameters upon the final configurations of the stream and leading arm is detailed.