2,562 research outputs found
Suppression of the water ice and snow albedo feedback on planets orbiting red dwarf stars and the subsequent widening of the habitable zone
M-stars comprise 80% of main-sequence stars, and so their planetary systems
provide the best chance for finding habitable planets, i.e.: those with surface
liquid water. We have modelled the broadband albedo or reflectivity of water
ice and snow for simulated planetary surfaces orbiting two observed red dwarf
stars (or M-stars) using spectrally resolved data of the Earth's cryosphere.
The gradual reduction of the albedos of snow and ice at wavelengths greater
than 1 ?m, combined with M-stars emitting a significant fraction of their
radiation at these same longer wavelengths, mean that the albedos of ice and
snow on planets orbiting M-stars are much lower than their values on Earth. Our
results imply that the ice/snow albedo climate feedback is significantly weaker
for planets orbiting M-stars than for planets orbiting G-type stars such as the
Sun. In addition, planets with significant ice and snow cover will have
significantly higher surface temperatures for a given stellar flux if the
spectral variation of cryospheric albedo is considered, which in turn implies
that the outer edge of the habitable zone around M-stars may be 10-30% further
away from the parent star than previously thought.Comment: Final accepted by Astrobiology, 20 pages (double spaced), 3 figures
include
Field theoretic calculation of the surface tension for a model electrolyte system
We carry out the calculation of the surface tension for a model electrolyte
to first order in a cumulant expansion about a free field theory equivalent to
the Debye-H\"uckel approximation. In contrast with previous calculations, the
surface tension is calculated directly without recourse to integrating
thermodynamic relations. The system considered is a monovalent electrolyte with
a region at the interface, of width h, from which the ionic species are
excluded. In the case where the external dielectric constant epsilon_0 is
smaller than the electrolyte solution's dielectric constant epsilon we show
that the calculation at this order can be fully regularized. In the case where
h is taken to be zero the Onsager-Samaras limiting law for the excess surface
tension of dilute electrolyte solutions is recovered, with corrections coming
from a non-zero value of epsilon_0/epsilon.Comment: LaTeX, 14 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl
Characterization of macroinvertebrate communities in the hyporheic zone of river ecosystems reflects the pump-sampling technique used
The hyporheic zone of river ecosystems provides a habitat for a diverse macroinvertebrate community that makes a vital contribution to ecosystem functioning and biodiversity. However, effective methods for sampling this community have proved difficult to establish, due to the inaccessibility of subsurface sediments. The aim of this study was to compare the two most common semi-quantitative macroinvertebrate pump-sampling techniques: BouRouch and vacuum-pump sampling. We used both techniques to collect replicate samples in three contrasting temperate-zone streams, in each of two biogeographical regions (Atlantic region, central England, UK; Continental region, southeast France). Results were typically consistent across streams in both regions: Bou-Rouch samples provided significantly higher estimates of taxa richness, macroinvertebrate abundance, and the abundance of all UK and eight of 10 French common taxa. Seven and nine taxa which were rare in Bou-Rouch samples were absent from vacuum-pump samples in the UK and France, respectively; no taxon was repeatedly sampled exclusively by the vacuum pump. Rarefaction curves (rescaled to the number of incidences) and non-parametric richness estimators indicated no significant difference in richness between techniques, highlighting the capture of more individuals as crucial to Bou-Rouch sampling performance. Compared to assemblages in replicate vacuum-pump samples, multivariate analyses indicated greater distinction among Bou-Rouch assemblages from different streams, as well as significantly greater consistency in assemblage composition among replicate Bou-Rouch samples collected in one stream. We recommend Bou-Rouch sampling for most study types, including rapid biomonitoring surveys and studies requiring acquisition of comprehensive tax on lists that include rare taxa. Despite collecting fewer macroinvertebrates, vacuum-pump sampling remains an important option for inexpensive and rapid sample collection
Spitzer and Hubble Constraints on the Physical Properties of the z~7 Galaxy Strongly Lensed by Abell 2218
We report the detection of a z~7 galaxy strongly lensed by the massive galaxy
cluster Abell 2218 (z=0.175) at 3.6 and 4.5 um using the Spitzer Observatory
and at 1.1 um using the Hubble Space Telescope. The new data indicate a refined
photometric redshift in the range of 6.6-6.8 depending on the presence of
Ly-alpha emission. The spectral energy distribution is consistent with having a
significant Balmer break, suggesting that the galaxy is in the poststarburst
stage with an age of at least ~50 Myr and quite possibly a few hundred Myr.
This suggests the possibility that a mature stellar population is already in
place at such a high redshift. Compared with typical Lyman break galaxies at
z~3-4, the stellar mass is an order of magnitude smaller (~10^{9} Msun), but
the specific star formation rate (star formation rate/M_{star}) is similarly
large (> 10^{-9} yr^{-1}), indicating equally vigorous star-forming activity.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables; Accepted for publication in ApJ
Correlated Anisotropies in the Cosmic Far-Infrared Background Detected by MIPS/Spitzer: Constraint on the Bias
We report the detection of correlated anisotropies in the Cosmic Far-Infrared
Background at 160 microns. We measure the power spectrum in the Spitzer/SWIRE
Lockman Hole field. It reveals unambiguously a strong excess above cirrus and
Poisson contributions, at spatial scales between 5 and 30 arcminutes,
interpreted as the signature of infrared galaxy clustering. Using our model of
infrared galaxy evolution we derive a linear bias b=1.74 \pm 0.16. It is a
factor 2 higher than the bias measured for the local IRAS galaxies. Our model
indicates that galaxies dominating the 160 microns correlated anisotropies are
at z~1. This implies that infrared galaxies at high redshifts are biased
tracers of mass, unlike in the local Universe.Comment: ApJ Letters, in pres
325-MHz observations of the ELAIS-N1 field using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope
We present observations of the European Large-Area {\it ISO} Survey-North 1
(ELAIS-N1) at 325 MHz using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT), with
the ultimate objective of identifying active galactic nuclei and starburst
galaxies and examining their evolution with cosmic epoch. After combining the
data from two different days we have achieved a median rms noise of Jy beam, which is the lowest that has been achieved at this
frequency. We detect 1286 sources with a total flux density above Jy. In this paper, we use our deep radio image to examine the spectral
indices of these sources by comparing our flux density estimates with those of
Garn et al. at 610 MHz with the GMRT, and surveys with the Very Large Array at
1400 MHz. We attempt to identify very steep spectrum sources which are likely
to be either relic sources or high-redshift objects as well as inverted-spectra
objects which could be Giga-Hertz Peaked Spectrum objects. We present the
source counts, and report the possibility of a flattening in the normalized
differential counts at low flux densities which has so far been reported at
higher radio frequencies.Comment: The paper contains 15 figures and 5 tables. Accepted for publication
in MNRA
PIXE micro-PIXE and RBS analysis of thermal aged rubber material : on the additive behaviour versus aging time
BIA
Toward a script theory of guidance in computer-supported collaborative learning
This article presents an outline of a script theory of guidance for computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL). With its four types of components of internal and external scripts (play, scene, role, and scriptlet) and seven principles, this theory addresses the question how CSCL practices are shaped by dynamically re-configured internal collaboration scripts of the participating learners. Furthermore, it explains how internal collaboration scripts develop through participation in CSCL practices. It emphasizes the importance of active application of subject matter knowledge in CSCL practices, and it prioritizes transactive over non-transactive forms of knowledge application in order to facilitate learning. Further, the theory explains how external collaboration scripts modify CSCL practices and how they influence the development of internal collaboration scripts. The principles specify an optimal scaffolding level for external collaboration scripts and allow for the formulation of hypotheses about the fading of external collaboration scripts. Finally, the article points towards conceptual challenges and future research questions
The Cosmic Far-Infrared Background Buildup Since Redshift 2 at 70 and 160 microns in the COSMOS and GOODS fields
The Cosmic Far-Infrared Background (CIB) at wavelengths around 160 {\mu}m
corresponds to the peak intensity of the whole Extragalactic Background Light,
which is being measured with increasing accuracy. However, the build up of the
CIB emission as a function of redshift, is still not well known. Our goal is to
measure the CIB history at 70 {\mu}m and 160 {\mu}m at different redshifts, and
provide constraints for infrared galaxy evolution models. We use complete deep
Spitzer 24 {\mu}m catalogs down to about 80 {\mu}Jy, with spectroscopic and
photometric redshifts identifications, from the GOODS and COSMOS deep infrared
surveys covering 2 square degrees total. After cleaning the Spitzer/MIPS 70
{\mu}m and 160 {\mu}m maps from detected sources, we stacked the far-IR images
at the positions of the 24 {\mu}m sources in different redshift bins. We
measured the contribution of each stacked source to the total 70 and 160 {\mu}m
light, and compare with model predictions and recent far-IR measurements made
with Herschel/PACS on smaller fields. We have detected components of the 70 and
160 {\mu}m backgrounds in different redshift bins up to z ~ 2. The contribution
to the CIB is maximum at 0.3 <= z <= 0.9 at 160{\mu}m (and z <= 0.5 at 70
{\mu}m). A total of 81% (74%) of the 70 (160) {\mu}m background was emitted at
z < 1. We estimate that the AGN relative contribution to the far-IR CIB is less
than about 10% at z < 1.5. We provide a comprehensive view of the CIB buildup
at 24, 70, 100, 160 {\mu}m. IR galaxy models predicting a major contribution to
the CIB at z < 1 are in agreement with our measurements, while our results
discard other models that predict a peak of the background at higher redshifts.
Our results are available online http://www.ias.u-psud.fr/irgalaxies/ .Comment: Accepted in Astronomy & Astrophysic
Spitzer 70 and 160-micron Observations of the COSMOS Field
We present Spitzer 70 and 160 micron observations of the COSMOS Spitzer
survey (S-COSMOS). The data processing techniques are discussed for the
publicly released products consisting of images and source catalogs. We present
accurate 70 and 160 micron source counts of the COSMOS field and find
reasonable agreement with measurements in other fields and with model
predictions. The previously reported counts for GOODS-North and the
extragalactic First Look Survey are updated with the latest calibration, and
counts are measured based on the large area SWIRE survey to constrain the
bright source counts. We measure an extragalactic confusion noise level of
sigma_c = 9.4+/-3.3 mJy (q=5) for the MIPS 160-micron band based on the deep
S-COSMOS data and report an updated confusion noise level of sigma_c =
0.35+/-0.15 mJy (q=5) for the MIPS 70-micron band.Comment: Accepted AJ, 15 Aug. 2009. Data available at
http://spider.ipac.caltech.edu/staff/frayer/mycosmos/ until released by IRS
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