154 research outputs found
Main-Belt Asteroids in the K2 Engineering Field of View
Unlike NASA's original Kepler Discovery Mission, the renewed K2 Mission will
stare at the plane of the Ecliptic, observing each field for approximately 75
days. This will bring new opportunities and challenges, in particular the
presence of a large number of main-belt asteroids that will contaminate the
photometry. The large pixel size makes K2 data susceptible to the effect of
apparent minor planet encounters. Here we investigate the effects of asteroid
encounters on photometric precision using a sub-sample of the K2 Engineering
data taken in February, 2014. We show examples of asteroid contamination to
facilitate their recognition and distinguish these events from other error
sources. We conclude that main-belt asteroids will have considerable effects on
K2 photometry of a large number of photometric targets during the Mission, that
will have to be taken into account. These results will be readily applicable
for future space photometric missions applying large-format CCDs, such as TESS
and PLATO.Comment: accepted for publication in AJ, 6 page
Geochemical investigation of olivines from alkali basalt and their xenolithes (Nógrád-Gömör region, Hungary)
TGF beta 1 and biglycan, decorin, and fibromodulin metabolism in canine cartilage
AbstractObjective: Small proteoglycans (PGs) may accumulate in late stage osteoarthritis even as aggrecan is lost. It is not clear what role transforming growth factor (TGF) beta has in this accumulation. Our goal was to investigate the ability of TGF beta 1 to modulate the synthesis and accumulation of decorin, biglycan, and fibromodulin in cartilage explants cultured under conditions in which aggrecan synthesis remains relatively constant.Design: Articular cartilage was cultured in the presence or absence of 4ng/ml TGF beta 1 for up to 16 days. Material extracted from cartilage was assayed for 35SO4-large and small PGs and for total endogenous decorin, biglycan and fibromodulin.Results: The synthesis of 35SO4-small PGs increased during the 16 days in culture in response to TGF beta 1, but declined in control cultures. The difference in 35SO4-decorin between TGF beta 1 and control samples reached nine-fold after 16 days, while the difference in total endogenous decorin was less than 1.5-fold. 35SO4-decorin, which was present in TGF beta 1-treated cultures had an identical core protein, but a longer glycosaminoglycan chain than that of decorin in control cultures. No significant differences in endogenous biglycan were detected, but accumulation of fibromodulin in TGF beta 1 explants exceeded fibromodulin in controls, on average, by 3.8-fold. Fibromodulin was present in cartilage in both keratan sulfate- and non-sulfated oligosaccharide-substituted forms.Conclusions: The accumulation of each of the three small PGs was affected to a different extent in response to TGF beta 1. Of the three, fibromodulin content was most rapidly augmented in response to TGF beta 1
Lead and stable lead isotopes as tracers of soil pollution and human health risk assessment in former industrial cities of Hungary
The future climate characteristics of the Carpathian Basin based on a regional climate model mini-ensemble
Four regional climate models (RCMs) were adapted in Hungary for the dynamical
downscaling of the global climate projections over the Carpathian Basin: (i) the ALADIN-Climate
model developed by Météo France on the basis of the ALADIN short-range
modelling system; (ii) the PRECIS model available from the UK Met Office Hadley Centre;
(iii) the RegCM model originally developed at the US National Center for Atmospheric
Research, is maintained at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste; and
(iv) the REMO model developed by the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg. The
RCMs are different in terms of dynamical model formulation, physical parameterisations;
moreover, in the completed simulations they use different spatial resolutions, integration
domains and lateral boundary conditions for the scenario experiments. Therefore, the results
of the four RCMs can be considered as a small ensemble providing information about various
kinds of uncertainties in the future projections over the target area, i.e., Hungary.
After the validation of the temperature and precipitation patterns against measurements, mean
changes and some extreme characteristics of these patterns (including their statistical
significance) have been assessed focusing on the periods of 2021–2050 and 2071–2100
relative to the 1961–1990 model reference period. The ensemble evaluation indicates that the
temperature-related changes of the different RCMs are in good agreement over the Carpathian
Basin and these tendencies manifest in the general warming conditions. The precipitation
changes cannot be identified so clearly: seasonally large differences can be recognised among
the projections and between the two periods. An overview is given about the results of the
mini-ensemble and special emphasis is put on estimating the uncertainties in the simulations
for Hungary
Asteroid Confusions with Extremely Large Telescopes
Asteroids can be considered as sources of contamination of point sources and
also sources of confusion noise, depending whether their presence is detected
in the image or their flux is under the detection limit. We estimate that at
low ecliptic latitudes, ~10,000--20,000 asteroids/sq. degree will be detected
with an E-ELT like telescope, while by the end of Spitzer and Herschel
missions, infrared space observatories will provide ~100,000 serendipitous
asteroid detections. The detection and identification of asteroids is therefore
an important step in survey astronomy.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, accepted by Earth, Moon and Planets, ELT
Conference (Elba, 2009 Sept.) S
Properties of the Irregular Satellite System around Uranus Inferred from K2, Herschel, and Spitzer Observations
In this paper, we present visible-range light curves of the irregular Uranian satellites Sycorax, Caliban, Prospero, Ferdinand, and Setebos taken with the Kepler Space Telescope over the course of the K2 mission. Thermal emission measurements obtained with the Herschel/PACS and Spitzer/MIPS instruments of Sycorax and Caliban were also analyzed and used to determine size, albedo, and surface characteristics of these bodies. We compare these properties with the rotational and surface characteristics of irregular satellites in other giant planet systems and also with those of main belt and Trojan asteroids and trans-Neptunian objects. Our results indicate that the Uranian irregular satellite system likely went through a more intense collisional evolution than the irregular satellites of Jupiter and Saturn. Surface characteristics of Uranian irregular satellites seem to resemble the Centaurs and trans-Neptunian objects more than irregular satellites around other giant planets, suggesting the existence of a compositional discontinuity in the young solar system inside the orbit of Uranus
New sweet cherry cultivars in intensive plantings
The study took place in the largest sweet cherry plantation in West Hungary. The purpose has been the identification of those varieties, which will be suitable for intense cultivation, early fruiting and excellent fruit quality, moreover, the selection of the optimal phytotechnical procedures. At the same time, scion-rootstock combinations have been tested also from the point of view of growing intensity and fruiting in high-density plantation. The dense planting is induced to start fruiting early and yield regularly by special methods.Yielding was stimulated by maintaining the balance of vegetative-generative growth by binding the shoots, by summer pruning, by cuts on the trunk and root pruning. Best experiences have been found in yield and quality in the following varieties: Canada Giant, Carmen, Firm Red, Giant Red, Katalin, Kordia, Regina. Dense planting has been feasible also on vigorous rootstock, like P. mahaleb. Dwarfing rootstocks like P-HL-A, Gisela 6, accelerate the formation of flower buds and yielding earlier with fruits of adequate size. ‘Firm Red’ and ‘Giant Red’ excelled with their large fruit (>27 mm diameter) in all combinations, thus being promising under Hungarian conditions
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