Rest‐frame UV to optical X‐shooter spectrum of the gravitationally lensed galaxy “the 8 o'clock arc”: Dissection of its physical properties

We present the rest‐frame UV to optical spectrum of the gravitationally lensed galaxy, the “8 o'clock arc” at z = 2.735, obtained with the X‐shooter spectrograph. This is one of the rare comprehensive study of a high‐redshift star‐forming galaxy, usually not feasible due to the faintness of these objects. The spectrum of the 8 o'clock arc is rich in stellar and interstellar absorption features and in nebular emission features. Their analysis allowed us to derive most of the physical properties characterizing the galaxy. From HST images, we reconstruct the morphology of the arc in the source plane and confirm that we resolve a clump in rotation around the main core of galaxy in our X‐shooter spectrum (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Predator-Prey Interaction between two Competing Sea Star Species of the Genus Astropecten

Abstract. The predator-prey interaction between two sea star species of the genus Astropecten known to be competitors was investigated at Costa Colostrai, Sardinia, Italy by means of SCUBA-Diving. It was estimated that predation of A. aranciacus would eliminate about 1 % of the prey population of A. bispinosus daily. Because densities of A. bispinosus were observed to be unaltered during the summer months, a considerable immigration of A. bispinosus into the area has to be postulated. A. bispinosus represents 40% of the dry organic matter consumed by A. aranciacus , and is one of the most important food items of this species.
A. aranciacus is not more efficient in preying upon A. bispinosus than in preying upon other food items; but efficiency is greater upon buried sea stars than upon walking ones.
Consequences for stability of the local ecosystem are discussed.     

Local Lyman α emitters and their relevance to high-redshift star-forming galaxies

The Lyα line is an important diagnostic of star formation and activity in galaxies. The analysis of Lyα is complicated due to the resonant nature of the line and radiative transfer effects. High spectral resolution studies of local starburst galaxies with the unprecedented UV capabilities of the HST have shown that this line is either seen in absorption or in emission and in the latter case with a P?Cygni profile indicative of a large scale outflow of neutral gas. Moreover, HST imaging obtained with HST-ACS of a sample of 6 star-forming galaxies has revealed that a substantial fraction of the Lyα photons are diffused far away from the emissive knots. Since the importance of Lyα for tracing large scale structure, correlation functions, and galaxy formation is recognized, Lyα will remain a very important probe of the distant universe for the foreseeable future, and it is therefore imperative to acquire a better understanding of what mechanisms regulate our ability to detect this line.     

Snow Avalanche Hazard in Canada – a Review

Snow avalanches affect recreation, transportation, resource industries and property. During the 1990s an average of 12.5 persons per year were killed in avalanches in Canada. The snow avalanche hazard has affected people and facilities in B.C, Alberta, Yukon, NWT, Nunavut, Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland. Avalanche risk may be voluntary, for example skiing and snowmobiling, or involuntary, for example public transportation corridors. A worst-case avalanche scenario is most likely to occur in the Western Cordillera, resulting from a single large-scale weather pattern, where a cold period resulting in the development of a weak layer in the snowpack is followed by a series of major mid-winter storms. Emergency preparedness for avalanches is most advanced in western Canada. New education and information initiatives in Quebec and Newfoundland are aimed at improving preparedness there. Current research is focused on avalanche forecasting, weather forecasting for avalanche prediction, avalanche failure characteristics, forestry and avalanches and geomorphology and avalanches. An important area of future research is the impact of climate change on avalanches, particularly in northern Canada.