32 research outputs found
Circling the Drain: Regulating Nutrient Pollution from Agricultural Sources
The 2014 Toledo, Ohio tap water ban has, at least temporarily, put a spotlight on United States water supplies. Consequently, many Americans have begun to take a closer look at the quality of the fresh water bodies being used to supply tap water to their homes. Therefore, this Note analyzes the problems currently threatening the lakes, rivers, and other surface waters that are the source of fresh drinking water for huge populations in the United States. Part II examines the problem of nutrient pollution and explains the harmful effects it has on human health. Part III provides an overview of the current laws governing nutrient pollution and tap water quality. Part IV analyzes the source of the problem and demonstrates that agriculture is largely responsible. Lastly, Part V suggests that the problem of nutrient pollution can be resolved through a reinterpretation of the Clean Water Act’s definition of a point source
Circling the Drain: Regulating Nutrient Pollution from Agricultural Sources
The 2014 Toledo, Ohio tap water ban has, at least temporarily, put a spotlight on United States water supplies. Consequently, many Americans have begun to take a closer look at the quality of the fresh water bodies being used to supply tap water to their homes. Therefore, this Note analyzes the problems currently threatening the lakes, rivers, and other surface waters that are the source of fresh drinking water for huge populations in the United States. Part II examines the problem of nutrient pollution and explains the harmful effects it has on human health. Part III provides an overview of the current laws governing nutrient pollution and tap water quality. Part IV analyzes the source of the problem and demonstrates that agriculture is largely responsible. Lastly, Part V suggests that the problem of nutrient pollution can be resolved through a reinterpretation of the Clean Water Act’s definition of a point source
The Highly Dynamic Behavior of the Innermost Dust and Gas in the Transition Disk Variable LRLL 31
We describe extensive synoptic multi-wavelength observations of the
transition disk LRLL 31 in the young cluster IC 348. We combined four epochs of
IRS spectra, nine epochs of MIPS photometry, seven epochs of cold-mission IRAC
photometry and 36 epochs of warm mission IRAC photometry along with multi-epoch
near-infrared spectra, optical spectra and polarimetry to explore the nature of
the rapid variability of this object. We find that the inner disk, as traced by
the 2-5micron excess stays at the dust sublimation radius while the strength of
the excess changes by a factor of 8 on weekly timescales, and the 3.6 and
4.5micron photometry shows a drop of 0.35 magnitudes in one week followed by a
slow 0.5 magnitude increase over the next three weeks. The accretion rate, as
measured by PaBeta and BrGamma emission lines, varies by a factor of five with
evidence for a correlation between the accretion rate and the infrared excess.
While the gas and dust in the inner disk are fluctuating the central star stays
relatively static. Our observations allow us to put constraints on the physical
mechanism responsible for the variability. The variabile accretion, and wind,
are unlikely to be causes of the variability, but both are effects of the same
physical process that disturbs the disk. The lack of periodicity in our
infrared monitoring indicates that it is unlikely that there is a companion
within ~0.4 AU that is perturbing the disk. The most likely explanation is
either a companion beyond ~0.4 AU or a dynamic interface between the stellar
magnetic field and the disk leading to a variable scale height and/or warping
of the inner disk.Comment: Accepted to ApJ. 10 pages of text, plus 11 tables and 13 figures at
the en
Evidence for Dynamical Changes in a Transitional Protoplanetary Disk with Mid-infrared Variability
We present multi-epoch Spitzer Space Telescope observations of the
transitional disk LRLL 31 in the 2-3 Myr-old star forming region IC 348. Our
measurements show remarkable mid-infrared variability on timescales as short as
one week. The infrared continuum emission exhibits systematic
wavelength-dependent changes that suggest corresponding dynamical changes in
the inner disk structure and variable shadowing of outer disk material. We
propose several possible sources for the structural changes, including a
variable accretion rate or a stellar or planetary companion embedded in the
disk. Our results indicate that variability studies in the infrared can provide
important new constraints on protoplanetary disk behavior.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, accepted to ApJ Letter
Spitzer Observations of Long-term Infrared Variability among Young Stellar Objects in Chamaeleon I
Infrared variability is common among young stellar objects, with surveys finding daily to weekly fluctuations of a few tenths of a magnitude. Space-based observations can produce highly sampled infrared light curves, but are often limited to total baselines of about 1 month due to the orientation of the spacecraft. Here we present observations of the Chameleon I cluster, whose low declination makes it observable by the Spitzer Space Telescope over a 200-day period. We observe 30 young stellar objects with a daily cadence to better sample variability on timescales of months. We find that such variability is common, occurring in ~80% of the detected cluster members. The change in [3.6]–[4.5] color over 200 days for many of the sources falls between that expected for extinction and fluctuations in disk emission. With our high cadence and long baseline we can derive power spectral density curves covering two orders of magnitude in frequency and find significant power at low frequencies, up to the boundaries of our 200-day survey. Such long timescales are difficult to explain with variations driven by the interaction between the disk and stellar magnetic field, which has a dynamical timescale of days to weeks. The most likely explanation is either structural or temperature fluctuations spread throughout the inner ~0.5 au of the disk, suggesting that the intrinsic dust structure is highly dynamic
CSI 2264: Characterizing Accretion-Burst Dominated Light Curves for Young Stars in NGC 2264
Based on more than four weeks of continuous high cadence photometric
monitoring of several hundred members of the young cluster NGC 2264 with two
space telescopes, NASA's Spitzer and the CNES CoRoT (Convection, Rotation, and
planetary Transits), we provide high quality, multi-wavelength light curves for
young stellar objects (YSOs) whose optical variability is dominated by short
duration flux bursts, which we infer are due to enhanced mass accretion rates.
These light curves show many brief -- several hour to one day -- brightenings
at optical and near-infrared (IR) wavelengths with amplitudes generally in the
range 5-50% of the quiescent value. Typically, a dozen or more of these bursts
occur in a thirty day period. We demonstrate that stars exhibiting this type of
variability have large ultraviolet (UV) excesses and dominate the portion of
the u-g vs. g-r color-color diagram with the largest UV excesses. These stars
also have large Halpha equivalent widths, and either centrally peaked, lumpy
Halpha emission profiles or profiles with blue-shifted absorption dips
associated with disk or stellar winds. Light curves of this type have been
predicted for stars whose accretion is dominated by Rayleigh-Taylor
instabilities at the boundary between their magnetosphere and inner
circumstellar disk, or where magneto-rotational instabilities modulate the
accretion rate from the inner disk. Amongst the stars with the largest UV
excesses or largest Halpha equivalent widths, light curves with this type of
variability greatly outnumber light curves with relatively smooth sinusoidal
variations associated with long-lived hot spots. We provide quantitative
statistics for the average duration and strength of the accretion bursts and
for the fraction of the accretion luminosity associated with these bursts.Comment: Accepted for publication in AJ. 39 pages; 6 tables; 25 figures, many
of which are highly degraded to meet size limits. Please download the regular
resolution version at
http://web.ipac.caltech.edu/staff/amc/staufferetal2014.pd
Spitzer Observations of Long-term Infrared Variability among Young Stellar Objects in Chamaeleon I
Infrared variability is common among young stellar objects, with surveys finding daily to weekly fluctuations of a few tenths of a magnitude. Space-based observations can produce highly sampled infrared light curves, but are often limited to total baselines of about 1 month due to the orientation of the spacecraft. Here we present observations of the Chameleon I cluster, whose low declination makes it observable by the Spitzer Space Telescope over a 200-day period. We observe 30 young stellar objects with a daily cadence to better sample variability on timescales of months. We find that such variability is common, occurring in ~80% of the detected cluster members. The change in [3.6]–[4.5] color over 200 days for many of the sources falls between that expected for extinction and fluctuations in disk emission. With our high cadence and long baseline we can derive power spectral density curves covering two orders of magnitude in frequency and find significant power at low frequencies, up to the boundaries of our 200-day survey. Such long timescales are difficult to explain with variations driven by the interaction between the disk and stellar magnetic field, which has a dynamical timescale of days to weeks. The most likely explanation is either structural or temperature fluctuations spread throughout the inner ~0.5 au of the disk, suggesting that the intrinsic dust structure is highly dynamic