The UV-Optical Color Dependence of Galaxy Clustering in the Local Universe

We measure the UV-optical color dependence of galaxy clustering in the local universe. Using the clean separation of the red and blue sequences made possible by the NUV - r color-magnitude diagram, we segregate the galaxies into red, blue and intermediate "green" classes. We explore the clustering as a function of this segregation by removing the dependence on luminosity and by excluding edge-on galaxies as a means of a non-model dependent veto of highly extincted galaxies. We find that \xi (r_p, \pi) for both red and green galaxies shows strong redshift space distortion on small scales -- the "finger-of-God" effect, with green galaxies having a lower amplitude than is seen for the red sequence, and the blue sequence showing almost no distortion. On large scales, \xi (r_p, \pi) for all three samples show the effect of large-scale streaming from coherent infall. On scales 1 Mpc/h < r_p < 10 Mpc/h, the projected auto-correlation function w_p(r_p) for red and green galaxies fits a power-law with slope \gamma ~ 1.93 and amplitude r_0 ~ 7.5 and 5.3, compared with \gamma ~ 1.75 and r_0 ~ 3.9 Mpc/h for blue sequence galaxies. Compared to the clustering of a fiducial L* galaxy, the red, green, and blue have a relative bias of 1.5, 1.1, and 0.9 respectively. The w_p(r_p) for blue galaxies display an increase in convexity at ~ 1 Mpc/h, with an excess of large scale clustering. Our results suggest that the majority of blue galaxies are likely central galaxies in less massive halos, while red and green galaxies have larger satellite fractions, and preferentially reside in virialized structures. If blue sequence galaxies migrate to the red sequence via processes like mergers or quenching that take them through the green valley, such a transformation may be accompanied by a change in environment in addition to any change in luminosity and color.Comment: accepted by MNRA

LSST Science Book, Version 2.0

A survey that can cover the sky in optical bands over wide fields to faint magnitudes with a fast cadence will enable many of the exciting science opportunities of the next decade. The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) will have an effective aperture of 6.7 meters and an imaging camera with field of view of 9.6 deg^2, and will be devoted to a ten-year imaging survey over 20,000 deg^2 south of +15 deg. Each pointing will be imaged 2000 times with fifteen second exposures in six broad bands from 0.35 to 1.1 microns, to a total point-source depth of r~27.5. The LSST Science Book describes the basic parameters of the LSST hardware, software, and observing plans. The book discusses educational and outreach opportunities, then goes on to describe a broad range of science that LSST will revolutionize: mapping the inner and outer Solar System, stellar populations in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies, the structure of the Milky Way disk and halo and other objects in the Local Volume, transient and variable objects both at low and high redshift, and the properties of normal and active galaxies at low and high redshift. It then turns to far-field cosmological topics, exploring properties of supernovae to z~1, strong and weak lensing, the large-scale distribution of galaxies and baryon oscillations, and how these different probes may be combined to constrain cosmological models and the physics of dark energy.Comment: 596 pages. Also available at full resolution at http://www.lsst.org/lsst/sciboo

University of Montana Environmental Studies Alumni Panel: Public Interest Science

An alumni panel on Public Interest Science featuring Chris Brick, Joel Tickner, and Alex Scanton, alumni of the University of Montana Environmental Studies Program. Panelist Bios: Chris Brick recently retired from 16 years as science director for the Clark Fork Coalition, a river conservation group dedicated to protecting and restoring the Clark Fork watershed. She holds a B.A. in geology, an M.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana, and a Ph.D. in geosciences focusing on the chemistry and hydrology of the Clark Fork River. At various times in her life she’s been a mining geologist, a groundwater consultant, a post-doctoral fellow in science education, and an adjunct professor at the University of Montana. She’s also volunteered on a number of boards for conservation groups, most recently, Climate Smart Missoula. In 2013, Chris was honored with the Arnold Bolle Conservation Professional award. She was instrumental in the restoration plans for the confluence of the Blackfoot and Clark Fork rivers when Milltown Dam was removed, as well as work on water quality and ecological health throughout the Clark Fork drainage. Joel Tickner is a Professor of Public Health at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell where he directs the Chemicals Policy and Science Initiative of the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production. He also directs the Green Chemistry and Commerce Council, a network of more than 90 companies and other organizations dedicated to accelerating the adoption of green chemistry across supply chains and sectors. Joel is a leading expert on chemicals regulation, regulatory science, and application of alternatives assessment in science and policy. He has served as an advisor and researcher for several government agencies, international agencies, non-profit environmental groups, companies, and trade unions both in the U.S. and abroad. Joel served on the EPA’s National Pollution Prevention and Toxics Advisory Committee, as well as National Academy of Sciences panels around alternatives assessment and safer chemistry. He also directs the undergraduate environmental health program at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He holds a BA in Spanish with a concentration in Environmental Science, an MS in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana, and a Ph D in Work Environment, Cleaner Production and Pollution from UMass Lowell. Alexandra Scranton is the Director of Science and Research at Women’s Voices for the Earth. Alex authors WVE’s scientific reports on toxic chemicals found in products and their impact on our health. She works to establish and maintain the scientific credibility of the organization’s programs. Prior to working at WVE, she worked in the epidemiology and statistics unit at the American Lung Association headquarters in New York. She currently sits on the Research Advisory Committee for the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative and on the Institutional Biosafety Committee for Rocky Mountain Laboratories (a National Institutes of Health facility). She has an MS in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana and a B.A. from Amherst College. Alex lives and works from Woodland Park, CO, with her husband and two beautiful daughters. Use the following links to view the panelists\u27 theses: Chris Brick\u27s UM thesis Chris Brick\u27s UM dissertation Joel Tickner\u27s UM thesis Alex Scranton\u27s UM thesi

Unexpected earthquake hazard revealed by Holocene rupture on the Kenchreai Fault (central Greece): Implications for weak sub-fault shear zones

High-resolution elevation models, palaeoseismic trenching, and Quaternary dating demonstrate that the Kenchreai Fault in the eastern Gulf of Corinth (Greece) has ruptured in the Holocene. Along with the adjacent Pisia and Heraion Faults (which ruptured in 1981), our results indicate the presence of closely-spaced and parallel normal faults that are simultaneously active, but at different rates. Such a configuration allows us to address one of the major questions in understanding the earthquake cycle, specifically what controls the distribution of interseismic strain accumulation? Our results imply that the interseismic loading and subsequent earthquakes on these faults are governed by weak shear zones in the underlying ductile crust. In addition, the identification of significant earthquake slip on a fault that does not dominate the late Quaternary geomorphology or vertical coastal motions in the region provides an important lesson in earthquake hazard assessment.This work forms part of the NERCand ESRC-funded project ‘Earthquakes Without Frontiers’, and was partly funded by the NERC grant ‘Looking Inside the Continents from Space’

Dynamic capabilities in a sixth generation family firm: entrepreneurship and the Bibby Line

In this paper we draw on the theory of dynamic capabilities to examine development of the only surviving family-owned Liverpool shipping company. The Bibby Line was founded in 1807 to take advantage of the growing sea-trade based in Liverpool. The company remained in shipping until the mid-1960s, when a series of external crises led the owner, Derek Bibby, to begin a process of diversification. In the last 50 years, the Bibby Line has grown into a £1bn business with interests in retail, distribution and financial services as well as a continuing commitment to shipping. Our intention is to demonstrate how multigenerational ownership contributes to the creation of dynamic capabilities in family firms. The distinctive nature of Bibby as a long-standing family business is related to unique assets such as patient capital, flexible governance structures as well as the ability to mobilise social and human capital