4,327 research outputs found
Non-thermal photons and direct photodissociation of H2, HD and HeH+ in the chemistry of the primordial Universe
Non-thermal photons deriving from radiative transitions among the internal
ladder of atoms and molecules are an important source of photons in addition to
thermal and stellar sources in many astrophysical environments. In the present
work the calculation of reaction rates for the direct photodissociation of some
molecules relevant in early Universe chemistry is presented; in particular, the
calculations include non-thermal photons deriving from the recombination of
primordial hydrogen and helium atoms for the cases of H2, HD and HeH+. New
effects on the fractional abundances of chemical species are investigated and
the fits for the HeH+ photodissociation rates by thermal photons are provided.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, 1 table; accepted for publication on MNRA
Tree-ringâbased summer mean temperature variations in the AdamelloâPresanella Group (Italian Central Alps), 1610â2008 AD
Abstract. Climate records from remote mountain sites and for century-long periods are usually lacking for most continents and also for the European Alps. However, detailed reconstructions of climate parameters for pre-instrumental periods in mountain areas, suffering of glacial retreat caused by recent global warming, are needed in the view of a better comprehension of the environmental dynamics. We present here the first annually-resolved reconstruction of summer (JJA) mean temperature for the AdamelloâPresanella Group (Central European Alps), one of the most glaciated mountain groups of the Italian Central Alps. The reconstruction has been based on four larch tree-ring width chronologies derived from living trees sampled in four valleys surrounding the Group. The reconstruction spans from 1610 to 2008 and the statistical verification of the reconstruction demonstrates the positive skill of the tree-ring dataset in tracking summer temperature variability also in the recent period
Dendroclimatic relevance of âBosco Anticoâ, the most ancient living European larch wood in the southern Rhaetian Alps (Italy).
The ongoing increase in the global mean temperature at an unprecedented recorded rate is well documented. Nevertheless, knowledge of past climate variations is fundamental for a better understanding of ongoing climate change. This need is crucial in high mountain areas, where the effects of global warming are amplified and induce an accelerated glacial retreat. Thus, the use of climatic proxies such as tree-ring width offers tools to better understand the environmental dynamics in remote, sensitive sites. Here, we present the âBosco Anticoâ site chronology, a six-century long dataset from the most ancient living stand in the Val di Sole area (southern Rhaetian Alps, Italy), and its relationship with summer mean temperatures. The analyses were performed on earlywood and latewood separately, as well as on tree-ring widths using static and moving correlations. The results showed that tree-rings and earlywood width are linked with June temperatures, whereas latewood width is mainly driven by July temperatures. All the analysed series were greatly influenced by June to July and June to August temperatures. Finally, a mean summer latewood-based temperature reconstruction since 1525 is proposed. It highlighted that during the last six hundred years, the summer temperatures span between -2.3 to +1.9 °C compared to the 1960â90 mean temperature (between 6.2 and 10.4 °C at the stand elevation). The coolest phase is recorded in the 1810s-20s underlining the strongest pulse of the Little Ice Age; other phases of negative anomalies are recorded in the first half of the 17th century, around 1700, and 1900 and during the 1970s. Our results add an important dataset for a specific climatic area, providing new information that will contribute to a better understanding of the climate dynamics for the study site as well as on a larger scale
School climate as predictor of teachersâ competences to recognize the educational needs of adopted children in Italy
The current study examines the association between different components of school climate (teacher-principal
and teacher-parent relationships, parentsâ involvement in school activities, connection between school and the
local services) and teachersâ competences and knowledge regarding the adoption experience. Participants were
573 teachers (95.7% women; mean age= 47.06, SD= 8.66, ranging between 25 and 65) residing in three Italian
regions characterized by rates of international adoptions that are higher than the national average. The
association between school climate and teachersâ knowledge and competences on adoption was evaluated via
independent multiple logistic regression analyses. Findings show that three of the components of school climate
under examination are associated to teachersâ knowledge and competences regarding the adoption experience.
Thus, interventions aimed at improving school climate hold promise for promoting teachersâ capacity to handle
the challenges of the adoption process
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