393 research outputs found
The Space Environment and Atmospheric Joule Heating of the Habitable Zone Exoplanet TOI700-d
We investigate the space environment conditions near the Earth-size planet
TOI~700~d using a set of numerical models for the stellar corona and wind, the
planetary magnetosphere, and the planetary ionosphere. We drive our simulations
using a scaled-down stellar input and a scaled-up solar input in order to
obtain two independent solutions. We find that for the particular parameters
used in our study, the stellar wind conditions near the planet are not very
extreme -- slightly stronger than that near the Earth in terms of the stellar
wind ram pressure and the intensity of the interplanetary magnetic field. Thus,
the space environment near TOI700-d may not be extremely harmful to the
planetary atmosphere, assuming the planet resembles the Earth. Nevertheless, we
stress that the stellar input parameters and the actual planetary parameters
are unconstrained, and different parameters may result in a much greater effect
on the atmosphere of TOI700-d. Finally, we compare our results to solar wind
measurements in the solar system and stress that modest stellar wind conditions
may not guarantee atmospheric retention of exoplanets.Comment: accepted to Ap
GRB 970228 Within the EMBH Model
We consider the gamma-ray burst of 1997 February 28 (GRB 970228) within the
ElectroMagnetic Black Hole (EMBH) model. We first determine the value of the
two free parameters that characterize energetically the GRB phenomenon in the
EMBH model, that is to say the dyadosphere energy,
ergs, and the baryonic remnant mass in units of ,
. Having in this way estimated the
energy emitted during the beam-target phase, we evaluate the role of the
InterStellar Medium (ISM) number density (n) and of the ratio between the effective emitting area and the total surface area of the GRB
source, in reproducing the observed profiles of the GRB 970228 prompt emission
and X-ray (2-10 keV energy band) afterglow. The importance of the ISM
distribution three-dimensional treatment around the central black hole is also
stressed in this analysis.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, to appear in the Proceedings of the Los Alamos
"Gamma Ray Burst Symposium" in Santa Fe, New Mexico, September 8-12 2003 (AIP
Conf. Ser.), CHAPTER: GRB Connection to Supernova
Last Bite: No Fish Oil No Footnotes
The exponential growth of off-shore mariculture that has occurred worldwide over the last 10 years has raised concern about the impact of the waste produced by this industry on the ecological integrity of the sea bottom. Investigations into this potential source of impact on the biochemistry of the sea floor have provided contrasting results, and no compelling explanations for these discrepancies have been provided to date. To quantify the impact of fish-farm activities on the biochemistry of sediments, we have investigated the quantity and biochemical composition of sediment organic matter in four different regions in the temperate-warm Mediterranean Sea: Akrotiri Bay (Cyprus), Sounion Bay (Greece), Pachino Bay (Italy), and the Gulf of Alicante (Spain). In these four study regions, the concentrations of phytopigments, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids in the sediments were measured, comparing locations receiving wastes from fish farms to control locations in two different habitats: seagrass beds and soft nonvegetated substrates. Downward fluxes were also measured in all of the regions, up to 200 m from the fish farms, to assess the potential spatial extent of the impact. In all four regions, with the exception of seagrass sediments in Spain, the biochemistry of the sediments showed significant differences between the control and fish-farm locations. However, the variables explaining the differences observed varied among the regions and between habitats, suggesting idiosyncratic effects of fish-farm waste on the biochemistry of sediments. These are possibly related to differences in the local physicochemical variables that could explain a significant proportion of the differences seen between the control and fish-farm locations. Biodeposition derived from the fish farms decreased with increasing distance from the fish-farm cages, but with different patterns in the four regions. Our results indicate that quantitative and qualitative changes in the organic loads of the sediments that arise from intensive aquaculture are dependent upon the ecological context and are not predictable only on the basis of fish-farm attributes and hydrodynamic regimes. Therefore, the siting of fish farms should only be allowed after a case-by-case assessment of the ecological context of the region, especially in terms of the organic matter load and its biochemical composition
3D simulations of supernova remnants evolution including non-linear particle acceleration
If a sizeable fraction of the energy of supernova remnant shocks is channeled into energetic particles (commonly identified with Galactic cosmic rays), then the morphological evolution of the remnants must be distinctly modified. Evidence of such modifications has been recently obtained with the Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray satellites. To investigate these effects, we coupled a semi-analytical kinetic model of shock acceleration with a 3D hydrodynamic code (by means of an effective adiabatic index). This enables us to study the time-dependent compression of the region between the forward and reverse shocks due to the back reaction of accelerated particles, concomitantly with the development of the Rayleigh-Taylor hydrodynamic instability at the contact discontinuity. Density profiles depend critically on the injection level η of particles: for η ≲ 10-4 modifications are weak and progressive, for η ˜ 10-3 modifications are strong and immediate. Nevertheless, the extension of the Rayleigh-Taylor unstable region does not depend on the injection rate. A first comparison of our simulations with observations of Tycho's remnant strengthens the case for efficient acceleration of protons at the forward shock
Looking for hotspots of marine metacommunity connectivity: a methodological framework
Seascape connectivity critically affects the spatiotemporal dynamics of marine metacommunities. Understanding how connectivity patterns emerge from physically and biologically-mediated interactions is therefore crucial to conserve marine ecosystem functions and biodiversity. Here, we develop a set of biophysical models to explore connectivity in assemblages of species belonging to a typical Mediterranean community (Posidonia oceanica meadows) and characterized by different dispersing traits. We propose a novel methodological framework to synthesize species-specific results into a set of community connectivity metrics and show that spatiotemporal variation in magnitude and direction of the connections, as well as interspecific differences in dispersing traits, are key factors structuring community connectivity. We eventually demonstrate how these metrics can be used to characterize the functional role of each marine area in determining patterns of community connectivity at the basin level and to support marine conservation planning
Chirality effects on the IRMPD spectra of basket resorcinarene/nucleoside complexes
The IRMPD spectra of the
ESI-formed proton-bound complexes
of the R,R,R,R- and S,S,S,S-enantiomers
of a bis(diamido)-bridged basket
resorcin[4]arene (R and S) with cytosine
(1), cytidine (2), and cytarabine
(3) were measured in the region 2800–
3600 cm1. Comparison of the IRMPD
spectra with the corresponding
ONIOM (B3LYP/6-31(d):UFF)-calculated
absorption frequencies allowed
the assessment of the vibrational
modes that are responsible for the observed
spectroscopic features. All of
the complexes investigated, apart from
[R·H·3]+, showed similar IRMPD spectra,
which points to similar structural
and conformational landscapes. Their
IRMPD spectra agree with the formation
of several isomeric structures in
the ESI source, wherein the N(3)-protonated
guest establishes noncovalent
interactions with the host amidocarbonyl
groups that are either oriented
inside the host cavity or outside it between
one of the bridged side-chains
and the upper aromatic nucleus. The
IRMPD spectrum of the [R·H·3]+ complex
was clearly different from the
others. This difference is attributed to the effect of intramolecular hydrogen bonding interactions between the
C(2’)-OH group and the aglycone oxygen atom of the nucleosidic guest upon repulsive interactions between
the same oxygen atom and the aromatic rings of the host
Alkali metal for ultraviolet band-pass filter
An alkali metal filter having a layer of metallic bismuth deposited onto the alkali metal is provided. The metallic bismuth acts to stabilize the surface of the alkali metal to prevent substantial surface migration from occurring on the alkali metal, which may degrade optical characteristics of the filter. To this end, a layer of metallic bismuth is deposited by vapor deposition over the alkali metal to a depth of approximately 5 to 10 A. A complete alkali metal filter is described along with a method for fabricating the alkali metal filter
The date mussel Lithophaga lithophaga: Biology, ecology and multiple impacts of its illegal fishery
The date mussel Lithophaga lithophaga is an edible endolithic bivalve, protected by the EU Habitats Directive and other international agreements, living inside carbonate rocks. Its illegal harvesting is carried by breaking the rocks where the bivalve grows. The impact has cascade consequences as it causes permanent changes in the substrate characteristics, the removal of benthic species, a shift from highly complex to structurally simplified habitats. As a result, the rich biodiversity of rocky reefs turns into a biological desert, named “barren”. Along with the over exploitation of fish, this practice leads to the increase of sea urchin density and grazing pressure on habitats, hampering the resilience of the associated biodiversity and functions. This paper summarizes the information on date mussel biology, ecology, ecotoxicology, fishery and the legal framework regulating its protection. Evidence indicates that illegal harvesting is still operated and widespread along the Mediterranean and has huge costs in terms of loss of natural capital and ecosystem services, and in terms of active ecological restoration. Two case study areas (the Sorrento and Salento peninsulas) were selected to assess the economic costs of this practice. Tangible economic costs in terms of ecosystems services' loss are huge (from ca. 35,000 to more than 400,000 euros/year in 6.6 km of Sorrento and ca. 1.8 million euros/year along the 69 km of Salento). These costs are, on average, ca. 30 times lower than those of ecosystem restoration. Data mining from websites indicates that date mussels are presently commercialized in hundreds of restaurants in Greece, Balkan countries, Spain and Italy, favoured also by the lack of appropriate consumer information. This practice should be controlled and contrasted at local scale, enforced by national legislations, and implemented by transnational initiatives. Social campaigns are needed to increase public awareness of the serious consequences of date-mussel fishery and consumption
The response of the algae Fucus virsoides (Fucales, Ochrophyta) to Roundup® solution exposure: A metabolomics approach
8noGlyphosate, as a broad-spectrum herbicide, is frequently detected in water and several studies have investigated its effects on several freshwater aquatic organisms. Yet, only few investigations have been performed on marine macroalgae. Here, we studied both the metabolomics responses and the effect on primary production in the endemic brown algae Fucus virsoides exposed to different concentration (0, 0.5, 1.5 and 2.5 mg L−1) of a commercial glyphosate-based herbicide, namely Roundup®. Our results show that Roundup® significantly reduced quantum yield of photosynthesis (Fv/Fm) and caused alteration in the metabolomic profiles of exposed thalli compared to controls. Together with the decrease in the aromatic amino acids (phenylalanine and tyrosine), an increase in shikimate content was detected. The branched-amino acids differently varied according to levels of herbicide exposure, as well as observed for the content of choline, formate, glucose, malonate and fumarate. Our results suggest that marine primary producers could be largely affected by the agricultural land use, this asking for further studies addressing the ecosystem-level effects of glyphosate-based herbicides in coastal waters.partially_openopenFelline, Serena; Del Coco, Laura; Kaleb, Sara; Guarnieri, Giuseppe; Fraschetti, Simonetta; Terlizzi, Antonio; Fanizzi, Francesco Paolo; Falace, AnnalisaFelline, Serena; Del Coco, Laura; Kaleb, Sara; Guarnieri, Giuseppe; Fraschetti, Simonetta; Terlizzi, Antonio; Fanizzi, Francesco Paolo; Falace, Annalis
Global environmental changes: setting priorities for Latin American coastal habitats.
The definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.comThe Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) reports that Global Environmental Changes (GEC) are occurring quicker than at any other time over the last 25 million years and impacting upon marine environments (Bellard et al., 2012). There is overwhelming evidence showing that GEC are affecting both the quality and quantity of the goods and services provided by a wide range of marine ecosystems. In order to discuss regional preparedness for global environmental changes, a workshop was held in Ilhabela, Brazil (22- 26 April 2012) entitled "Evaluating the Sensitivity of Central and South American Benthic Communities to Global Environmental Changes" that drew together scientists from ten Latin American and three European countries. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
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