"TNOs are Cool": A survey of the trans-Neptunian region VI. Herschel/PACS observations and thermal modeling of 19 classical Kuiper belt objects

Trans-Neptunian objects (TNO) represent the leftovers of the formation of the Solar System. Their physical properties provide constraints to the models of formation and evolution of the various dynamical classes of objects in the outer Solar System. Based on a sample of 19 classical TNOs we determine radiometric sizes, geometric albedos and beaming parameters. Our sample is composed of both dynamically hot and cold classicals. We study the correlations of diameter and albedo of these two subsamples with each other and with orbital parameters, spectral slopes and colors. We have done three-band photometric observations with Herschel/PACS and we use a consistent method for data reduction and aperture photometry of this sample to obtain monochromatic flux densities at 70.0, 100.0 and 160.0 \mu m. Additionally, we use Spitzer/MIPS flux densities at 23.68 and 71.42 \mu m when available, and we present new Spitzer flux densities of eight targets. We derive diameters and albedos with the near-Earth asteroid thermal model (NEATM). As auxiliary data we use reexamined absolute visual magnitudes from the literature and data bases, part of which have been obtained by ground based programs in support of our Herschel key program. We have determined for the first time radiometric sizes and albedos of eight classical TNOs, and refined previous size and albedo estimates or limits of 11 other classicals. The new size estimates of 2002 MS4 and 120347 Salacia indicate that they are among the 10 largest TNOs known. Our new results confirm the recent findings that there are very diverse albedos among the classical TNOs and that cold classicals possess a high average albedo (0.17 +/- 0.04). Diameters of classical TNOs strongly correlate with orbital inclination in our sample. We also determine the bulk densities of six binary TNOs.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Biochars from animal wastes as alternative materials to treat colored effluents containing Basic Red 9

Bovine bones (BB) and fish scales (FS) were used as alternative precursors to produce biochars, which in turn, were applied for the removal of Basic Red 9 (BR9) from aqueous solutions. BB and FS were pyrolyzed generating a solid (biochars), a liquid (pyrolytic oils) and a gas fraction. All fractions were characterized to evaluate the pyrolysis process. The biochars presented different functional groups and a mesoporous structure with surface areas around 90 m2 g–1. Both biochars demonstrated potential to adsorb BR9, with maximum adsorption capacities of 49.5 (BB–biochar) and 52.3 mg g–1 (FS–biochar). Pyrolytic oils were composed mainly by palmitic acid (BB) and imidazolidinedione (FS), which are compounds with biological and antioxidant activity. Pyrolysis of BB generated CO2 while pyrolysis of FS generated H2. In summary, bovine bones and fish scales are promising precursors to concomitantly produce biochars with great adsorbent potential and oils with interesting characteristics

Origin and Dynamical Evolution of Neptune Trojans - I: Formation and Planetary Migration

We present the results of detailed dynamical simulations of the effect of the migration of the four giant planets on both the transport of pre-formed Neptune Trojans, and the capture of new Trojans from a trans-Neptunian disk. We find that scenarios involving the slow migration of Neptune over a large distance (50Myr to migrate from 18.1AU to its current location) provide the best match to the properties of the known Trojans. Scenarios with faster migration (5Myr), and those in which Neptune migrates from 23.1AU to its current location, fail to adequately reproduce the current day Trojan population. Scenarios which avoid disruptive perturbation events between Uranus and Neptune fail to yield any significant excitation of pre-formed Trojans (transported with efficiencies between 30 and 98% whilst maintaining the dynamically cold nature of these objects). Conversely, scenarios with periods of strong Uranus-Neptune perturbation lead to the almost complete loss of such pre-formed objects. In these cases, a small fraction (~0.15%) of these escaped objects are later recaptured as Trojans prior to the end of migration, with a wide range of eccentricities (<0.35) and inclinations (<40 deg). In all scenarios (including those with such disruptive interaction between Uranus and Neptune) the capture of objects from the trans-Neptunian disk (through which Neptune migrates) is achieved with efficiencies between ~0.1 and ~1%. The captured Trojans display a wide range of inclinations (<40 deg for slow migration, and <20 deg for rapid migration) and eccentricities (<0.35), and we conclude that, given the vast amount of material which undoubtedly formed beyond the orbit of Neptune, such captured objects may be sufficient to explain the entire Neptune Trojan population. (Shortened version)Comment: 25 pages, 6 figure

Pierce the ear and stab the spleen

Splenic abscess is a rare but extremely dangerous condition generally spreading from a local, or systemic, focus of infection. We present the case of a young immunocompetent female admitted with sepsis and multiple splenic abscesses. The patient had a recent left ear piercing on the tragus complicated by an ear infection. The presence of a solitary parotid abscess, the absence of other infectious foci on computed tomography scan, the negativity of blood cultures and the absence of endocarditis vegetations led us to think that the most likely culprit was a hematogenous dissemination from the left tragus. The patient was successfully treated with intravenous antibiotics. There had been no need of splenectomy or any other procedure. This rather unique case underscores that splenic abscess should be suspected when a long-lasting fever and pain in the left hypochondrium are present, even when an apparently innocuous invasive procedure, such as a body piercing, is performed

Thermal infrared observations of the Hayabusa spacecraft target asteroid 25143 Itokawa

We obtained N- and Q-band observations of the Apollo-type asteroid 25143 Itokawa during its close Earth approach in July 2004 with TIMMI2 at the ESO 3.6 m telescope. Our photometric measurement, in combination with already published data, allowed us to derive a radiometric effective diameter of 0.32+/-0.03 km and an albedo of 0.19 +0.11/-0.03 through a thermophysical model. This effective diameter corresponds to a slightly asymmetrical and flattened ellipsoid of the approximate size of 520(+/-50) x 270(+/-30) x 230(+/-20) m, based on the Kaasalainen et al. (2005) shape model. Our studies show that the thermal observations lead to size estimates which are about 15% smaller than the radar results (Ostro et al. 2005), slightly outside the stated radar uncertainties of +/-10%. We determined a rather high thermal inertia of 750 Jm-2s-0.5K-1. This is an indication for a bare rock dominated surface, a thick dust regolith can be excluded as well as a metallic surface. From our data we constructed a 10.0 micrometer thermal lightcurve which is nicely matched in amplitude and phase by the shape and spin vector solution in combination with our TPM description. The assumed S-type bulk density in combination with radiometric size lead to a total mass estimate of 4.5 +2.0/-1.8 x 10^10 kg.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication by A&A 29/Aug/200

Resultados de unidades de observação de linhagens de soja da Embrapa Trigo, safra 2007/08.

bitstream/item/128676/1/ID2832-LVdocumentos86-p64-69.pd

Substituição do milho moído pela glicerina como aditivo em silagem de capim elefante

Objetivou-se com este estudo testar o aumento linear da inclusão de glicerina bruta (86% de  pureza) em  substituição ao milho moído, como aditivo, na forragem de capim-elefante destinada a ensilagem, avaliando-se a qualidade nutricional do alimento e a viabilidade da ensilagem do material. Foram testados cinco níveis de substituição do milho pela glicerina em taxas que variaram de 3,12 a 12,5% sobre a matéria natural da forragem, além de um tratamento controle (apenas forragem). Realizaram-se análises bromatológicas e de digestibilidade para avaliar o valor nutricional da mistura durante a ensilagem e após o processo fermentativo, na silagem. Para avaliar a qualidade fermentativa foram feitas avaliações de pH, nitrogênio amoniacal, recuperação de matéria seca e densidade. A inclusão do milho moído incrementou (P<0,05) o teor de matéria seca em até 28%, tanto na forragem fresca, bem como na silagem. Tanto a inclusão do milho, bem como a substituição deste pela glicerina resultou (P<0,05) em um incremento médio de 25% e 32 % na digestibilidade in situ e valor energético da silagem, respectivamente quando comparado ao capim puro.  Isto, devido ao decréscimo (P<0,05) dos teores de fibra em detergente neutro e fibra em detergente ácido na silagem. A inclusão de glicerina aumentou (P<0,05) as perdas de proteína bruta durante a fermentação e diminuiu a recuperação da matéria seca. O teor de matéria seca da forragem parece ser fator chave para o sucesso de inclusão da glicerina como aditivo na ensilagem do capim-elefante, no intuito de evitar perdas expressivas de qualidade nutricional durante a fermentação