Outgassing Behavior of C/2012 S1 (ISON) From September 2011 to June 2013

We report photometric observations for comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) obtained during the time period immediately after discovery (r=6.28 AU) until it moved into solar conjunction in mid-2013 June using the UH2.2m, and Gemini North 8-m telescopes on Mauna Kea, the Lowell 1.8m in Flagstaff, the Calar Alto 1.2m telescope in Spain, the VYSOS-5 telescopes on Mauna Loa Hawaii and data from the CARA network. Additional pre-discovery data from the Pan STARRS1 survey extends the light curve back to 2011 September 30 (r=9.4 AU). The images showed a similar tail morphology due to small micron sized particles throughout 2013. Observations at sub-mm wavelengths using the JCMT on 15 nights between 2013 March 9 (r=4.52 AU) and June 16 (r=3.35 AU) were used to search for CO and HCN rotation lines. No gas was detected, with upper limits for CO ranging between (3.5-4.5)E27 molec/s. Combined with published water production rate estimates we have generated ice sublimation models consistent with the photometric light curve. The inbound light curve is likely controlled by sublimation of CO2. At these distances water is not a strong contributor to the outgassing. We also infer that there was a long slow outburst of activity beginning in late 2011 peaking in mid-2013 January (r~5 AU) at which point the activity decreased again through 2013 June. We suggest that this outburst was driven by CO injecting large water ice grains into the coma. Observations as the comet came out of solar conjunction seem to confirm our models.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, 3 table

Modified Gravity and Cosmology

In this review we present a thoroughly comprehensive survey of recent work on modified theories of gravity and their cosmological consequences. Amongst other things, we cover General Relativity, Scalar-Tensor, Einstein-Aether, and Bimetric theories, as well as TeVeS, f(R), general higher-order theories, Horava-Lifschitz gravity, Galileons, Ghost Condensates, and models of extra dimensions including Kaluza-Klein, Randall-Sundrum, DGP, and higher co-dimension braneworlds. We also review attempts to construct a Parameterised Post-Friedmannian formalism, that can be used to constrain deviations from General Relativity in cosmology, and that is suitable for comparison with data on the largest scales. These subjects have been intensively studied over the past decade, largely motivated by rapid progress in the field of observational cosmology that now allows, for the first time, precision tests of fundamental physics on the scale of the observable Universe. The purpose of this review is to provide a reference tool for researchers and students in cosmology and gravitational physics, as well as a self-contained, comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to the subject as a whole.Comment: 312 pages, 15 figure

Dust Environment Model of the Interstellar Comet 2I/Borisov

2I/Borisov is the first interstellar comet discovered on 2019 August 30, and it soon showed a coma and a dust tail. This study reports the results of images obtained at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo telescope, on La Palma - Canary Islands, in 2019 November and December. The images have been obtained with the R filter in order to apply our dust tail model. The model has been applied to the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and compared to the Rosetta dust measurements showing a very good agreement. It has been applied to the comet 2I/Borisov, using almost the same parameters, obtaining a dust environment similar to that of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, suggesting that the activity may be very similar. The dust tail analysis provided a dust-loss rate Qd ≍ 35 kg s-1 in 2019 November and Qd ≍ 30 kg s-1 in 2019 December

Il diritto alla sepoltura nel Mediterraneo antico

Il profondo rinnovamento dell’archeologia funeraria, a seguito dello sviluppo dell’archeotanatologia nel corso degli ultimi trenta anni, ci spinge, oggi, a riconsiderare la nozione di “sepoltura” con particolare riguardo alle pratiche funerarie ma anche a quelle giuridiche e rituali relative alla cura dei morti nel Mediterraneo antico. Quali erano i defunti che avevano diritto alla sepoltura, ossia coloro che godevano di un luogo a loro dedicato, nel corso di una cerimonia più o meno sviluppata? Secondo quali criteri (età, sesso, statussociale, stato di salute…) erano selezionati, raggruppati, onorati? Quali autorità si prendevano carico della gestione delle salme e degli spazi funerari? Quali leggi regolavano la protezione delle sepolture e, al tempo stesso, condannavano la loro violazione? Infine, cosa avveniva del corpo di coloro che si vedevano rifiutare l’accesso allo spazio funerario? Questo volume collettivo, basato sulle testimonianze della storia, della storia del diritto, dell’archeologia, dell’antropologia biologica e dell’epigrafia, cerca di dare delle risposte a queste domande attraverso una serie di studiprincipalmente incentrati sul mondo greco-romano dal primo millennio a.C. fino alla fine dell’Antichità. Frutto delle tre giornate di studio internazionali tenutesi a Roma tra il 2015 e il 2017, il volume presenta un approccio pluridisciplinare a questi temi, un bilancio delle recenti acquisizioni e una messa in prospettiva di queste tematiche, problematiche e metodologiche, per la riflessione sull’archeologia funeraria del Mediteerraneo antico