Trait-mediated shifts and climate velocity decouple an endothermic marine predator and its ectothermic prey

Climate change is redistributing biodiversity globally and distributional shifts have been found to follow local climate velocities. It is largely assumed that marine endotherms such as cetaceans might shift more slowly than ectotherms in response to warming and would primarily follow changes in prey, but distributional shifts in cetaceans are difficult to quantify. Here we use data from fisheries bycatch and strandings to examine changes in the distribution of long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas), and assess shifts in pilot whales and their prey relative to climate velocity in a rapidly warming region of the Northwest Atlantic. We found a poleward shift in pilot whale distribution that exceeded climate velocity and occurred at more than three times the rate of fish and invertebrate prey species. Fish and invertebrates shifted at rates equal to or slower than expected based on climate velocity, with more slowly shifting species moving to deeper waters. We suggest that traits such as mobility, diet specialization, and thermoregulatory strategy are central to understanding and anticipating range shifts. Our findings highlight the potential for trait-mediated climate shifts to decouple relationships between endothermic cetaceans and their ectothermic prey, which has important implications for marine food web dynamics and ecosystem stability

Current-Carrying Cosmic Strings in Scalar-Tensor Gravities

We study the modifications on the metric of an isolated self-gravitating bosonic superconducting cosmic string in a scalar-tensor gravity in the weak-field approximation. These modifications are induced by an arbitrary coupling of a massless scalar field to the usual tensorial field in the gravitational Lagrangian. The metric is derived by means of a matching at the string radius with a most general static and cylindrically symmetric solution of the Einstein-Maxwell-scalar field equations. We show that this metric depends on five parameters which are related to the string's internal structure and to the solution of the scalar field. We compare our results with those obtained in the framework of General Relativity.Comment: 23 pages, no figures, LATEX fil

Sticky stuff : redefining bedform prediction in modern and ancient environments

This work was funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) under the COHBED project (NE/1027223/1). Paterson was funded by the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS).The dimensions and dynamics of subaqueous bedforms are well known for cohesionless sediments. However, the effect of physical cohesion imparted by cohesive clay within mixed sand-mud substrates has not been examined, despite its recognized influence on sediment stability. Here we present a series of controlled laboratory experiments to establish the influence of substrate clay content on subaqueous bedform dynamics within mixtures of sand and clay exposed to unidirectional flow. The results show that bedform dimensions and steepness decrease linearly with clay content, and comparison with existing predictors of bedform dimensions, established within cohesionless sediments, reveals significant over-prediction of bedform size for all but the lowermost clay contents examined. The profound effect substrate clay content has on bedform dimensions has a number of important implications for interpretation in a range of modern and ancient environments, including reduced roughness and bedform heights in estuarine systems and the often cited lack of large dune cross-sets in turbidites. The results therefore offer a step change in our understanding of bedform formation and dynamics in these, and many other, sedimentary environments.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Cold Plasma Dispersion Relations in the Vicinity of a Schwarzschild Black Hole Horizon

We apply the ADM 3+1 formalism to derive the general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic equations for cold plasma in spatially flat Schwarzschild metric. Respective perturbed equations are linearized for non-magnetized and magnetized plasmas both in non-rotating and rotating backgrounds. These are then Fourier analyzed and the corresponding dispersion relations are obtained. These relations are discussed for the existence of waves with positive angular frequency in the region near the horizon. Our results support the fact that no information can be extracted from the Schwarzschild black hole. It is concluded that negative phase velocity propagates in the rotating background whether the black hole is rotating or non-rotating.Comment: 27 pages, 11 figures accepted for publication in Gen. Relat. & Gravi

Ohm's Law for Plasma in General Relativity and Cowling's Theorem

The general-relativistic Ohm's law for a two-component plasma which includes the gravitomagnetic force terms even in the case of quasi-neutrality has been derived. The equations that describe the electromagnetic processes in a plasma surrounding a neutron star are obtained by using the general relativistic form of Maxwell equations in a geometry of slow rotating gravitational object. In addition to the general-relativistic effect first discussed by Khanna \& Camenzind (1996) we predict a mechanism of the generation of azimuthal current under the general relativistic effect of dragging of inertial frames on radial current in a plasma around neutron star. The azimuthal current being proportional to the angular velocity $\omega$ of the dragging of inertial frames can give valuable contribution on the evolution of the stellar magnetic field if $\omega$ exceeds $2.7\times 10^{17} (n/\sigma) \textrm{s}^{-1}$ ($n$ is the number density of the charged particles, $\sigma$ is the conductivity of plasma). Thus in general relativity a rotating neutron star, embedded in plasma, can in principle generate axial-symmetric magnetic fields even in axisymmetry. However, classical Cowling's antidynamo theorem, according to which a stationary axial-symmetric magnetic field can not be sustained against ohmic diffusion, has to be hold in the general-relativistic case for the typical plasma being responsible for the rotating neutron star.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Scienc

Marine ecosystem indicators are sensitive to ecosystem boundaries and spatial scale

Time series indicators are widely used in ecosystem-based management. A suite of indicators is typically calculated for a static region or multiple subregions and presented in an ecosystem assessment (EA). These are used to guide management decisions or determine environmental status. Yet, few studies have examined how the spatial scale of an EA influences indicator behavior. We explore this question using the Northwest Atlantic continental shelf ecosystem (USA). We systematically divided the ecosystem at six spatial scales (31 unique units), covering spatial extents from 250,000 km2 to 20,000 km2. The same 22 indicators were calculated for each unit, assessed for trends, and evaluated as 31 independent EAs. We found that the detected signals of indicator trends depended on the spatial scale at which the ecosystem was defined. A single EA for the whole region differed by 23% (in terms of the 22 indicator trend tests) relative to ones for spatially nested 120,000 km2 subunits, and by up to 36% for EAs at smaller scales. Indicator trend disagreement occurred because (most common) a localized trend was perceived as widespread, (common) a local trend was obscured by aggregating data over a large region, or (least common) a local trend switched direction when examined at a broader scale. Yet, there was variation among indicators in their scale sensitivity related to trophic level. Indicators of temperature, chlorophyll-a, and zooplankton were spatially coherent: trends portrayed were similar regardless of scale. Mid-trophic level indicators (fish and invertebrates) showed more spatial variation in trends. We also compared trend magnitude and indicator values to spatial extent and found relationships consistent with scaling theory. Indicators at broad scales produced subdued trends and values relative to indicators developed at smaller spatial scales, which often portrayed ‘hotspots’ of local abundance or strong trend. Our results imply that subsequent uses of indicators (e.g., determining environmental status, risk assessments, management decisions) are also sensitive to ecosystem delineation and scale. We suggest that indicators and EAs should be done at multiple spatial scales and complimented with spatially explicit analysis to reflect the hierarchical structure of ecosystems. One scale is not best, but rather we gain a new level of understanding at each scale examined that can contribute to management decisions in a multiscale governance framework characterized by goals and objectives with relevance at different scales

Plasma Wave Properties of the Schwarzschild Magnetosphere in a Veselago Medium

We re-formulate the 3+1 GRMHD equations for the Schwarzschild black hole in a Veselago medium. Linear perturbation in rotating (non-magnetized and magnetized) plasma is introduced and their Fourier analysis is considered. We discuss wave properties with the help of wave vector, refractive index and change in refractive index in the form of graphs. It is concluded that some waves move away from the event horizon in this unusual medium. We conclude that for the rotating non-magnetized plasma, our results confirm the presence of Veselago medium while the rotating magnetized plasma does not provide any evidence for this medium.Comment: 20 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophys. Space Sc

The detection of Gravitational Waves

This chapter is concerned with the question: how do gravitational waves (GWs) interact with their detectors? It is intended to be a theory review of the fundamental concepts involved in interferometric and acoustic (Weber bar) GW antennas. In particular, the type of signal the GW deposits in the detector in each case will be assessed, as well as its intensity and deconvolution. Brief reference will also be made to detector sensitivity characterisation, including very summary data on current state of the art GW detectors.Comment: 33 pages, 12 figures, LaTeX2e, Springer style files --included. For Proceedings of the ERE-2001 Conference (Madrid, September 2001

Isothermal Plasma Wave Properties of the Schwarzschild de-Sitter Black Hole in a Veselago Medium

In this paper, we study wave properties of isothermal plasma for the Schwarzschild de-Sitter black hole in a Veselago medium. We use ADM 3+1 formalism to formulate general relativistic magnetohydrodynamical (GRMHD) equations for the Schwarzschild de-Sitter spacetime in Rindler coordinates. Further, Fourier analysis of the linearly perturbed GRMHD equations for the rotating (non-magnetized and magnetized) background is taken whose determinant leads to a dispersion relation. We investigate wave properties by using graphical representation of the wave vector, the refractive index, change in refractive index, phase and group velocities. Also, the modes of wave dispersion are explored. The results indicate the existence of the Veselago medium.Comment: 24 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophys. Space Sci. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1101.0884 and arxiv:1007.285

Improving the sensitivity of future GW observatories in the 1-10 Hz band: Newtonian and seismic noise

The next generation gravitational wave interferometric detectors will likely be underground detectors to extend the GW detection frequency band to frequencies below the Newtonian noise limit. Newtonian noise originates from the continuous motion of the Earth’s crust driven by human activity, tidal stresses and seismic motion, and from mass density fluctuations in the atmosphere. It is calculated that on Earth’s surface, on a typical day, it will exceed the expected GW signals at frequencies below 10 Hz. The noise will decrease underground by an unknown amount. It is important to investigate and to quantify this expected reduction and its effect on the sensitivity of future detectors, to plan for further improvement strategies. We report about some of these aspects. Analytical models can be used in the simplest scenarios to get a better qualitative and semi-quantitative understanding. As more complete modeling can be done numerically, we will discuss also some results obtained with a finite-element-based modeling tool. The method is verified by comparing its results with the results of analytic calculations for surface detectors. A key point about noise models is their initial parameters and conditions, which require detailed information about seismic motion in a real scenario. We will describe an effort to characterize the seismic activity at the Homestake mine which is currently in progress. This activity is specifically aimed to provide informations and to explore the site as a possible candidate for an underground observatory. Although the only compelling reason to put the interferometer underground is to reduce the Newtonian noise, we expect that the more stable underground environment will have a more general positive impact on the sensitivity.We will end this report with some considerations about seismic and suspension noise