735 research outputs found
Land resource survey of Rottnest Island - an aid to land use planning
This report provides a description of the landforms, soils and vegetation of Rottnest Island. In addition, it provides a discussion of the relative capability of each of the landforms of the island to sustain various forms of development. The primary objective of this work is to direct development into areas of high capability (low risk of land degradation) in preference to areas of lower capability (higher risk of land degradation).
Rottnest Island is located approximately 30 km west of Perth. The proximity of the island to the capital city of Western Australia, its warm Mediterranean climate and the subsequent likelihood of further development, mean that there will be increasing pressure on the natural resources of the island. This report details the nature and inherent stability of those natural resources, and provides a guide for their management.https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/bulletins/1062/thumbnail.jp
The Heavy Element Enrichment of Lyman alpha Clouds in the Virgo Supercluster
Using high S/N STIS echelle spectra (FWHM=7 km/s) of 3C 273, we constrain the
metallicities of two Lya clouds in the vicinity of the Virgo cluster. We detect
C II, Si II, and Si III absorption lines in the Lya absorber at z = 0.00530.
Previous observations with FUSE have revealed Ly beta - Ly theta lines at this
redshift, thereby accurately constraining N(H I). We model the ionization of
the gas and derive [C/H] = -1.2^{+0.3}_{-0.2}, [Si/C] = 0.2+/-0.1, and log
n_{H} = -2.8+/-0.3. The model implies a small absorber thickness, ~70 pc, and
thermal pressure p/k ~ 40 cm^{-3} K. It is most likely that the absorber is
pressure confined by an external medium because gravitational confinement would
require a very high ratio of dark matter to baryonic matter. Based on Milky Way
sight lines in which carbon and silicon abundances have been reliably measured
in the same interstellar cloud (including new measurements presented herein),
we argue that the overabundance of Si relative to C is not due to dust
depletion. Instead, this probably indicates that the gas has been predominately
enriched by Type II supernovae. Such enrichment is most plausibly provided by
an unbound galactic wind, given the absence of galaxies within a projected
distance of 100 kpc and the presence of galaxies capable of driving a wind at
larger distances. We also constrain the metallicity and physical conditions of
the Virgo absorber at z = 0.00337 based on detections of O VI and H I and an
upper limit on C IV. If this absorber is collisionally ionized, the O VI/C IV
limit requires T > 10^{5.3} K. For either collisional ionization or
photoionization, we find that [O/H] > -2.0 at z = 0.00337.Comment: Final Ap.J. versio
A Candidate Substellar Companion to HR 7329
We present the discovery of a candidate substellar companion from a survey of
nearby, young stars with the NICMOS coronagraph on the Hubble Space Telescope.
The H ~ 12 mag object was discovered approximately 4" from the young A0V star
HR 7329. Using follow-up spectroscopy from STIS, we derive a spectral type
between M7V and M8V with an effective temperature of ~ 2600 K. We estimate that
the probability of a chance alignment with a foreground dwarf star of this
nature is ~ 10^(-8) and therefore suggest the object (HR 7329B) is physically
associated with HR 7329 with a projected separation of 200 AU. Current brown
dwarf cooling models indicate a mass of less than 50 Jupiter masses for HR
7329B based on age estimates of < 30 Myr for HR7329A.Comment: 8 pages LATEX, 5 ps figures, accepted for Ap
Paraphrases and summaries: A means of clarification or a vehicle for articulating a preferred version of student accounts?
The use of group discussions as a means to facilitate learning from experiences is well documented in adventure education literature. Priest and Naismith (1993) assert that the use of the circular discussion method, where the leader poses questions to the participants, is the most common form of facilitation in adventure education. This paper draws on transcripts of facilitation sessions to argue that the widely advocated practice of leader summaries or paraphrases of student responses in these sessions functions as a potential mechanism to control and sponsor particular knowledge(s). Using transcripts from recorded facilitation sessions the analysis focuses on how the leader paraphrases the studentsâ responses and how these paraphrases or âformulationsâ function to modify or exclude particular aspects of the studentsâ responses. I assert that paraphrasing is not simply a neutral activity that merely functions to clarify a student response, it is a subtle means by which the leader of the session can, often inadvertently or unknowingly, alter the studentâs reply with the consequence of favouring particular knowledge(s). Revealing the subtle work that leader paraphrases perform is of importance for educators who claim to provide genuine opportunities for students to learn from their experience
Isolating Clusters with Wolf-Rayet Stars in I Zw 18
We present UV images and spectra of the starburst galaxy I Zw 18, taken with
the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph. The high spatial resolution of these
data allows us to isolate clusters containing Wolf-Rayet stars of the subtype
WC. Our far-UV spectra clearly show CIV 1548,1551 and HeII 1640 emission of WC
stars in two clusters: one within the bright (NW) half of I Zw 18, and one on
the outskirts of this region. The latter spectrum is unusual, because the CIV
is seen only in emission, indicating a spectrum dominated by WC stars. These
data also demonstrate that the HI column in I Zw 18 is strongly peaked in the
fainter (SE) half of I Zw 18, with a column depth far larger than that reported
in previous analyses.Comment: 4 pages, Latex. 2 figures (1 color). Uses corrected version of
emulateapj.sty and apjfonts.sty (included). Accepted for publication in ApJ
Letters. Revised for typos and reversed labels in Fig 2 captio
A Pair of Compact Red Galaxies at Redshift 2.38, Immersed in a 100 kpc Scale Ly-alpha Nebula
We present Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and ground-based observations of a
pair of galaxies at redshift 2.38, which are collectively known as 2142-4420 B1
(Francis et al. 1996). The two galaxies are both luminous extremely red objects
(EROs), separated by 0.8 arcsec. They are embedded within a 100 kpc scale
diffuse Ly-alpha nebula (or blob) of luminosity ~10^44 erg/s.
The radial profiles and colors of both red objects are most naturally
explained if they are young elliptical galaxies: the most distant yet found. It
is not, however, possible to rule out a model in which they are abnormally
compact, extremely dusty starbursting disk galaxies. If they are elliptical
galaxies, their stellar populations have inferred masses of ~10^11 solar masses
and ages of ~7x10^8 years. Both galaxies have color gradients: their centers
are significantly bluer than their outer regions. The surface brightness of
both galaxies is roughly an order of magnitude greater than would be predicted
by the Kormendy relation. A chain of diffuse star formation extending 1 arcsec
from the galaxies may be evidence that they are interacting or merging.
The Ly-alpha nebula surrounding the galaxies shows apparent velocity
substructure of amplitude ~ 700 km/s. We propose that the Ly-alpha emission
from this nebula may be produced by fast shocks, powered either by a galactic
superwind or by the release of gravitational potential energy.Comment: 33 pages, 9 figures, ApJ in press (to appear in Jun 10 issue
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