Scattered emission from a relativistic outflow and its application to gamma-ray bursts

We investigate a scenario of photon scattering by electrons within a relativistic outflow. The outflow is composed of discrete shells with different speeds. One shell emits radiation for a short duration. Some of this radiation is scattered by the shell(s) behind. We calculate in a simple two-shell model the observed scattered flux density as a function of the observed primary flux density, the normalized arrival time delay between the two emission components, the Lorentz factor ratio of the two shells and the scattering shell's optical depth. Thomson scattering in a cold shell and inverse Compton scattering in a hot shell are both considered. The results of our calculations are applied to the gamma-ray bursts and the afterglows. We find that the scattered flux from a cold slower shell is small and likely to be detected only for those bursts with very weak afterglows. A hot scattering shell could give rise to a scattered emission as bright as the X-ray shallow decay component detected in many bursts, on a condition that the isotropically equivalent total energy carried by the hot electrons is large, ∼10⁵²–10⁵⁶ erg. The scattered emission from a faster shell could appear as a late short γ-ray/MeV flash or become part of the prompt emission depending on the delay of the ejection of the shell.     

Selective Solid Phase Extraction for Separation and Preconcentration of Palladium from Gold Ore and Anode Slime after Complexation with a N4O2 Mixed Donor Ligand Derivative

A selective and sensitive method for the preconcentration, separation, and determination of palladium with flame atomic absorption spectrometry using 4,15‐bis[(4‐methylphenyl)sulfonyl]‐20,21‐dinitro‐2,3,4,5,6,7,9,10,12,13,14,15,16,17‐tetradecahydro‐8,11‐ethano‐1,18,4,8,11,15‐benzodioxa tetraaza cycloicosine (TNACIN) on XAD‐2010 was developed. TNACIN–Pd(II) complex formed acidic aqueous solution (0.075–0.100 M HNO₃) was accumulated on XAD‐2010 and then eluted with 1 M HCl in acetone. The effects of some analytical parameters including pH, TNACIN amount, sample volume, eluent type, and concentration, sample flow rate and matrix ions were studied for optimization of the method. Detection limit and precision were calculated for Pd(II). This method was also verified with CRM and internal standard, and satisfactory results were obtained.     

Decadal and seasonal changes in landcover at Padre Island: Implications for the role of the back-barrier in signaling island state change

Long-term and seasonal geomorphological changes at Padre Island, Texas are identified and linked with potential external drivers. Aerial and satellite images from 1950 to 2018, monthly images from 2019 to 2020, and a 2018 LiDAR data set are used to assess long-term and seasonal geomorphological changes within a 50 km² area of Padre Island near Port Mansfield, Texas. Trends in landcover are evaluated by mapping and comparing the relative areal coverage of each facies. Vegetated dunes, absent initially, emerged in the fore-island and expanded into the back-barrier to cover 14% of the study area. The active vegetation-free back-barrier dune field steadily decreased in areal extent from 12% to 6% as vegetation spread. Nebkha dune coverage fluctuated between 4% and 7%. Expansive microbial mats colonized the wind tidal and deflation flats surrounding the vegetated dunes and back-barrier dune field giving rise to a remarkably different landscape over the 50-year period studied. An assessment of external forcing factors identifies increased rates of relative sea level rise and decreased sediment influx as the most likely primary factors driving the geomorphological changes. These changes have induced a widespread shift toward stabilization of island sediments by vegetation and microbial mats, which in turn has starved the back-barrier of sediments resulting in low rates of accretion and increased flooding. These findings highlight the sensitivity of the back-barrier and, in particular, the dune facies to changes in sea level and sediment supply, and show that microbial mats are effective at stabilizing island sediments and may be harbingers to barrier island response to rising sea level. As shown in this study, long-term monitoring of geomorphic facies changes and topography can detect important shifts in the island state that can be used to inform decision making for these sensitive coastal landscapes.     

Field reconnaissance on seismic performance of RC buildings after the January 24, 2020 Elazığ-Sivrice earthquake

Natural Hazards - A moderate earthquake with a magnitude Mw of 6.8 occurred in the Sivrice district of Elaz?? Province in Eastern Turkey on January 24th, 2020. The mainshock and long-term...     

Source apportionment of trace metals in surface waters of a polluted stream using multivariate statistical analyses

Surface water samples were collected from ten previously selected sites of the polluted Dil Deresi stream, during two field surveys, December 2001 and April 2002. All samples were analyzed using ICP-AES, and the concentrations of trace metals (Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Sn and Zn) were determined. The results were compared with national and international water quality guidelines, as well as literature values reported for similar rivers. Factor analysis (FA) and a factor analysis-multiple regression (FA-MR) model were used for source apportionment and estimation of contributions from identified sources to the concentration of each parameter. By a varimax rotated factor analysis, four source types were identified as the paint industry; sewage, crustal and road traffic runoff for trace metals, explaining about 83% of the total variance. FA-MR results showed that predicted concentrations were calculated with uncertainties lower than 15%.     

Using Wavelet Coherence to Characterize Surface Water Infiltration into a Low-Lying Karst Aquifer

Karstified carbonate aquifers may receive significant recharge contributions from losing streams, hence, the knowledge about surface water-groundwater (SW-GW) interactions is crucial with regard to water management (e.g., source protection zone delineation). The dynamics of SW-GW interactions may depend on factors such as the relative water levels between streams and aquifers, resulting in a temporal variation of exchange, which imposes complexity to the understanding of such dynamics. This study highlights the use of high-resolution time series and multiresolution analysis to help to gain insights into such complex dynamics. Wavelet coherence is applied on hourly time series of rainfall, stream, and spring discharges of a low-lying karstified spring catchment to yield a correlation in the time-frequency domain. This analysis provides comprehensive information on the overall impact of the river on the spring, which is supported by the cross-correlation function, as well as by more detailed information, including time-variant influences such as a threshold level of influence. Field observations of turbidity sampling at the spring appear to support this interpretation. This innovative approach relies on basic hydrological parameters, water level, or discharge, and is therefore applicable to many other systems with such existing time series.