Kinetic theory in curved spacetimes: Applications to black holes

The equilibrium statistical moments of the J¨uttner distribution function for a massive and a photon gas in an arbitrary spacetime are evaluated using a covariant approach and applications are considered to the case of a Schwarzschild black hole background spacetime. The motion of a massive test particle inside a photon gas is then studied to investigate drag effects on the particle motion due to radiation scattering, similarly to what happens for the so-called Poynting-Robertson effect

Dark energy from cosmological fluids obeying a Shan-Chen nonideal equation of state

We consider a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe with a fluid source obeying a nonideal equation of state with ‘‘asymptotic freedom,’’ namely ideal gas behavior (pressure changes directly proportional to density changes) both at low and high density regimes, following a fluid dynamical model due to Shan and Chen. It is shown that, starting from an ordinary energy density component, such fluids naturally evolve towards a universe with a substantial ‘‘dark energy’’ component at the present time, with no need of invoking any cosmological constant. Moreover, we introduce a quantitative indicator of darkness abundance, which provides a consistent picture of the actual matter-energy content of the Universe

Exact Evolution of Discrete Relativistic Cosmological Models

22 pages, 16 figures22 pages, 16 figuresWe study the effects of inhomogeneities on the evolution of the Universe, by considering a range of cosmological models with discretized matter content. This is done using exact and fully relativistic methods that exploit the symmetries in and about submanifolds of spacetimes that themselves possess no continuous global symmetries. These methods allow us to follow the evolution of our models throughout their entire history, far beyond what has previously been possible. We find that while some space-like curves collapse to anisotropic singularities in finite time, others remain non-singular forever. The resulting picture is of a cosmological spacetime in which some behaviour remains close to Friedmann-like, while other behaviours deviate radically. In particular, we find that large-scale acceleration is possible without any violation of the energy conditions

SARS-CoV-2 concentrations and virus-laden aerosol size distributions in outdoor air in north and south of Italy

The COVID-19 disease spread at different rates in the different countries and in different regions of the same country, as happened in Italy. Transmission by contact or at close range due to large respiratory droplets is widely accepted, however, the role of airborne transmission due to small respiratory droplets emitted by infected individuals (also asymptomatic) is controversial. It was suggested that outdoor airborne transmission could play a role in determining the differences observed in the spread rate. Concentrations of virus-laden aerosol are still poorly known and contrasting results are reported, especially for outdoor environments. Here we investigated outdoor concentrations and size distributions of virus-laden aerosol simultaneously collected during the pandemic, in May 2020, in northern (Veneto) and southern (Apulia) regions of Italy. The two regions exhibited significantly different prevalence of COVID-19. Genetic material of SARS-CoV-2 (RNA) was determined, using both real time RT-PCR and ddPCR, in air samples collected using PM10 samplers and cascade impactors able to separate 12 size ranges from nanoparticles (diameter D < 0.056 µm) up to coarse particles (D > 18 µm). Air samples tested negative for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 at both sites, viral particles concentrations were <0.8 copies m−3 in PM10 and <0.4 copies m−3 in each size range investigated. Outdoor air in residential and urban areas was generally not infectious and safe for the public in both northern and southern Italy, with the possible exclusion of very crowded sites. Therefore, it is likely that outdoor airborne transmission does not explain the difference in the spread of COVID-19 observed in the two Italian regions

A new method for the evaluation of the direct effect of the ship traffic on PAHs

Emissions of exhaust gases and particles from ships can affect significantly the chemical composition of the atmosphere, local and regional air quality and climate. These emissions might have harmful effects on human health, since Mediterranean harbors are often located near or within the cities. Moreover ships and harbours emissions are currently increasing, due to the grow of tourism and trade, further amplifying this issue. International legislation and local agreements are mainly based on the use of low-sulphur fuel content, but also other chemicals, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), play an important role. Because of their low reactivity PAHs can persist in the environment for a long time; moreover they bioaccumulate, causing adverse effect on human health, such as reproductive and immune effects, developmental anomalies and cancer. This work is linked to the POSEIDON project (POllution monitoring of Ship Emission: an IntegrateD approach fOr harbor of the Adriatic basiN), that aims to quantify the atmospheric pollution generated by ship traffic and harbor activities in four port-cities of the Adriatic Sea (Brindisi, Venice, Rijeka, Patras). Here, a new method for the evaluation of the direct effect of ship traffic and harbour activities on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is presented. In this method two high-volume samplers are operating: one of them collecting air from all directions; the other one is programmed to activate only when the wind is blowing from a specific sector (the harbour area). From the compared results, information about the effect of the harbour on the global PAHs concentration can be obtained. The method was applied in Venice in two summer sampling campaigns, in 2009 and 2012

The impact of ship traffic and harbor activities on the atmospheric pollution in two northern adriatic ports: Venice and Rijeka

The aim of the POSEIDON project is to quantify the relative contribution of maritime traffic and harbor activities to atmospheric pollutants concentration in four port-cities of the Adriatic Sea. This study focuses on the harbors of Venice and Rijeka. In order to investigate the main pollution sources, emission inventories were used as input for receptor models: PMF (positive matrix factorization) and PCA (principal components analysis); moreover source identification was also conducted using PAHs diagnostic ratios. The ship traffic impact was quantified: i) on gaseous and particulate PAHs, collected using a new method which consisted in a double simultaneous sampling, in different wind sectors; ii) applying PMF to data of metals, PAHs and ions in PM10; iii) using the vanadium concentration according to the Agrawal methodology

The magnetic part of the Weyl tensor, and the expansion of discrete universes

42 pages, 27 figures42 pages, 27 figures42 pages, 27 figures42 pages, 27 figures42 pages, 27 figures42 pages, 27 figuresTC is supported by the STFC and DG by an AARMS postdoctoral fellowship

Impact of maritime traffic on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, metals and particulate matter in Venice air

Harbours are important hubs for economic growth in both tourism and commercial activities. They are also an environmental burden being a source of atmospheric pollution often localized near cities and industrial complexes. The aim of this study is to quantify the relative contribution of maritime traffic and harbour activities to atmospheric pollutant concentration in the Venice lagoon. The impact of ship traffic was quantified on various pollutants that are not directly included in the current European legislation for shipping emission reduction: (i) gaseous and particulate PAHs; (ii) metals in PM10; and (iii) PM10 and PM2.5. All contributions were correlated with the tonnage of ships during the sampling periods and results were used to evaluate the impact of the European Directive 2005/33/EC on air quality in Venice comparing measurements taken before and after the application of the Directive (year 2010). The outcomes suggest that legislation on ship traffic, which focused on the issue of the emissions of sulphur oxides, could be an efficient method also to reduce the impact of shipping on primary particulate matter concentration; on the other hand, we did not observe a significant reduction in the contribution of ship traffic and harbour activities to particulate PAHs and metals