Unresolved Components Research Articles

Level of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Water and Sediments of Ikoli Creek Bayelsa State Nigeria

This study investigated the level Petroleum hydrocarbon in Ikoli creek, Bayelsa state Nigeria with focus on water and sediments. Water and sediments were assessed using standard analytical procedures. Water from surface levels and sediment samples were collected from five locations in the creek. Soxhlet extraction method and liquid-liquid techniques were used in extraction of the petroleum hydrocarbons (Total Hydrocarbon Content and Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon) from the water and sediment samples collected respectively followed by column clean up. Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID) was use to analyzed the Target compounds and quantified by integrating the areas of both the resolved and unresolved components. Results of analysis of THC and TPH in water ranges between 0.010 to 0.254 mg/L and Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) values ranges between 0.001 to 0.437 mg/L in water respectively. While in sediments the Total Hydrocarbon Content (THC) values ranges between 0.01 to 1.43 mg/kg and Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) ranges between 0.001 to 0.44 mg/kg. The THC and TPH value of sediments increases across each sampling station in the study area and these hydrocarbons are repository in nature. The results showed that some sampling station in Ikoli creek were slightly polluted with petroleum hydrocarbons and does not conform to acceptable international guideline, which can cause adverse effects to humans and aquatic life over time.

A Stochastic Representation of Subgrid Uncertainty for Dynamical Core Development

AbstractNumerical weather prediction and climate models comprise a) a dynamical core describing resolved parts of the climate system and b) parameterizations describing unresolved components. Development of new subgrid-scale parameterizations is particularly uncertain compared to representing resolved scales in the dynamical core. This uncertainty is currently represented by stochastic approaches in several operational weather models, which will inevitably percolate into the dynamical core. Hence, implementing dynamical cores with excessive numerical accuracy will not bring forecast gains, may even hinder them since valuable computer resources will be tied up doing insignificant computation, and therefore cannot be deployed for more useful gains, such as increasing model resolution or ensemble sizes. Here we describe a low-cost stochastic scheme that can be implemented in any existing deterministic dynamical core as an additive noise term. This scheme could be used to adjust accuracy in future dynamical core development work. We propose that such an additive stochastic noise test case should become a part of the routine testing and development of dynamical cores in a stochastic framework. The overall key point of the study is that we should not develop dynamical cores that are more precise than the level of uncertainty provided by our stochastic scheme. In this way, we present a new paradigm for dynamical core development work, ensuring that weather and climate models become more computationally efficient. We show some results based on tests done with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Integrated Forecasting System (IFS) dynamical core.

Seasonal Effect on Biomarkers of Exposure to Petroleum Hydrocarbons in the Coasts of North Western Suez Gulf, Egypt

Petroleum hydrocarbons of surface water were collected from eight locations of from the coasts of north western Suez Gulf, Egypt. The extracted petroleum hydrocarbons were determined by gas chromatography–flame ionization detector and quantified by integrating the areas of both the resolved and unresolved components. The results confirm that the concentration is relatively higher than the recommended in the regulations of the Egyptian low of Environment of No.4/1994 of petroleum products. At various locations, The dissolved petroleum hydrocarbons ranged from 5.639 to 74.8 and 1.868 to 65.698 mg/ml for summer and winter seasons, respectively. This indicates that chronic oil pollution, in addition to hydrocarbon concentrations, the diagnostic indices used shows that the hydrocarbons in the area were comes from biogenic, petrogenic and anthropogenic sources. FT-IR spectrometric analysis confirms the petrogenic nature of pollutants.

Optical clock based on a sympathetically-cooled indium ion

We report on the progress of an optical clock based on an indium ion (115In+) sympathetically cooled with a calcium ion (40Ca+) in a linear trap. In our previous work, we have measured the clock transition frequency with an uncertainty of 5× 10− 15, prompting an update of the Comite International des Poids et Mesures (CIPM) recommended value. The uncertainty was mainly limited by the evaluation of the Zeeman shift which was complicated by unresolved sublevel components. In contrast to the previous measurement, Zeeman sublevels are now separated by application of a magnetic field. Combined with optical pumping to specific Zeeman substates, the magnetic field application method successfully reduces the observed linewidth of the clock transition spectrum down to about 80 Hz full width at half maximum (FWHM). Frequency locking of the clock laser to the transition is demonstrated for the first time. The clock reaches a relative instability of 1.5× 10− 15 for an integration time of 4000 seconds.

NOEMA maps the CO J = 2 − 1 environment of the red supergiant $\mu$ Cep★

Red supergiant stars are surrounded by a gaseous and dusty circumstellar environment created by their mass loss which spreads heavy elements into the interstellar medium. The structure and the dynamics of this envelope are crucial to understand the processes driving the red supergiant mass loss and the shaping of the pre-supernova ejecta. We have observed the emission from the CO $J = 2-1$ line from the red supergiant star $\mu$~Cep with the NOEMA interferometer. In the line the synthesized beam was $0.92 \times 0.72$~arcsec ($590 \times 462$~au at 641~pc). The continuum map shows only the unresolved contribution of the free-free emission of the star chromosphere. The continuum-subtracted channel maps reveal a very inhomogeneous and clumpy circumstellar environment. In particular, we detected a bright CO clump, as bright as the central source in the line, at 1.80~arcsec south-west from the star, in the blue channel maps. After a deprojection of the radial velocity assuming two different constant wind velocities, the observations were modelled using the 3D radiative transfer code \textsc{lime} to derive the characteristics of the different structures. We determine that the gaseous clumps observed around $\mu$~Cep are responsible for a mass loss rate of $(4.9 \pm 1.0) \times 10^{-7}~{\rm M}_\odot\,{\rm yr}^{-1}$, in addition to a spatially unresolved wind component with an estimated mass-loss rate of $2.0 \times 10^{-6}~{\rm M}_\odot\,{\rm yr}^{-1}$. Therefore, the clumps have a significant role in $\mu$~Cep's mass loss ($\ge 25 \%$). We cannot exclude that the unresolved central outflow may be made of smaller unresolved clumps.

Discovery of a strong ionized-gas outflow in an AKARI-selected ultra-luminous infrared galaxy at $z$ = 0.5

Abstract In order to construct a sample of ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs; with infrared luminosity LIR > 1012 L${_{\odot} }$) at 0.5 < $z$ < 1, we are conducting an optical follow-up program for bright 90 μm far-infrared sources with a faint optical (i < 20 mag) counterpart selected in the AKARI Far-Infrared Surveyor (FIS) Bright Source catalog (Ver.2). AKARI-FIS-V2 J0916248+073034, identified as a ULIRG at $z$ = 0.49 in the spectroscopic follow-up observation, indicates signatures of an extremely strong outflow in its emission line profiles. Its [O iii] 5007 Å emission line shows a full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 1830 km s−1 and velocity shift of −770 km s−1 relative to the stellar absorption lines. Furthermore, the low-ionization [O ii] 3726 Å 3729 Å doublet also shows a large FWHM of 910 km s−1 and velocity shift of −380 km s−1. After the removal of an unresolved nuclear component, the long-slit spectroscopy 2D image possibly shows that the outflow extends to a radius of 4 kpc. The mass outflow and energy ejection rates are estimated to be 500 M${_{\odot} }$ yr−1 and 4 × 1044 erg s−1, respectively, which imply that the outflow is among the most powerful ones observed in ULIRGs and quasi-stellar objects at 0.3 < $z$ < 1.6. The co-existence of the strong outflow and intense star formation (star formation rate of 990 M${_{\odot} }$ yr−1) indicates that the feedback of the strong outflow has not severely affected the star-forming region of the galaxy.

Treating the "E" in "G × E": Trauma-Informed Approaches and Psychological Therapy Interventions in Psychosis.

Despite advances in genetic research, causal variants affecting risk for schizophrenia remain poorly characterized, and the top 108 loci identified through genome-wide association studies (GWAS) explain only 3.4% of variance in risk profiles. Such work is defining the highly complex nature of this condition, with omnigenic models of schizophrenia suggesting that gene regulatory networks are sufficiently interconnected such that altered expression of any “peripheral” gene in a relevant cell type has the capacity to indirectly modulate the expression of “core” schizophrenia-associated genes. This wealth of associated genes with small effect sizes makes identifying new druggable targets difficult, and current pharmacological treatments for schizophrenia can involve serious side effects. However, the fact that the majority of schizophrenia genome-wide associated variants fall within non-coding DNA is suggestive of their potential to modulate gene regulation. This would be consistent with risks that can be mediated in a “gene × environment” (G × E) manner. Stress and trauma can alter the regulation of key brain-related pathways over the lifetime of an individual, including modulation of brain development, and neurochemistry in the adult. Recent studies demonstrate a significant overlap between psychotic symptoms and trauma, ranging from prior trauma contributing to psychosis, as well as trauma in response to the experience of psychosis itself or in response to treatment. Given the known effects of trauma on both CNS gene expression and severity of psychosis symptoms, it may be that pharmacological treatment alone risks leaving individuals with a highly stressful and unresolved environmental component that continues to act in a “G × E” manner, with the likelihood that this would negatively impact recovery and relapse risk. This review aims to cover the recent advances elucidating the complex genetic architecture of schizophrenia, as well as the long-term effects of early life trauma on brain function and future mental health risk. Further, the evidence demonstrating the role of ongoing responses to trauma or heightened stress sensitivity, and their impact on the course of illness and recovery, is presented. Finally, the need for trauma-informed approaches and psychological therapy-based interventions is discussed, and a brief overview of the evidence to determine their utility is presented.

High-resolution ALMA Observations of HD 100546: Asymmetric Circumstellar Ring and Circumplanetary Disk Upper Limits

Abstract We present long-baseline Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations of the 870 μm dust continuum emission and CO (3–2) from the protoplanetary disk around the Herbig Ae/Be star HD 100546, which is one of the few systems claimed to have two young embedded planets. These observations achieve a resolution of 4 au (3.8 mas), an rms noise of 66 μJy beam−1, and reveal an asymmetric ring between ∼20 and 40 au with largely optically thin dust continuum emission. This ring is well fit by two concentric and overlapping Gaussian rings of different widths and a Vortex. In addition, an unresolved component is detected at a position consistent with the central star, which may trace the central inner disk (<2 au in radius). We report a lack of compact continuum emission at the positions of both claimed protoplanets. We use this result to constrain the circumplanetary disk (CPD) mass and size of 1.44 M ⊕ and 0.44 au in the optically thin and thick regimes, respectively, for the case of the previously directly imaged protoplanet candidate at ∼55 au (HD 100546 b). We compare these empirical CPD constraints to previous numerical simulations. This suggests that HD 100546 b is inconsistent with several planet accretion models, while gas-starved models are also still compatible. We estimate the planetary mass as 1.65 M J using the relation between planet, circumstellar, and circumplanetary masses derived from numerical simulations. Finally, the CO-integrated intensity map shows a possible spiral arm feature that could match the spiral features identified in near-infrared scattered light polarized emission, which suggests a real spiral feature in the disk surface that needs to be confirmed with further observations.

НОВА ПАРАДИГМА ТЕХНОЛОГІЇ

UDC 330.101.542; JEL Classification: B 410 In modern literature, further progress is noted in solving the already urgent problem of changing paradigms of the most important activities: economics, management, entrepreneurship, and higher education. Engineering plays an equally important role among them. Therefore, a problem of developing its new paradigm is relevant. Analysis of recent research and publications indicates that a presence of special attention is doing to the problem of determining the relationship of engineering with mechanics and technology. At the same time, it was established that an engineering and mechanics are not identical concepts and phenomena: engineering is the result of Man’s activities, and mechanics is the result of only Nature’s activities. Engineering had been created by the man. An engineering was appeared later than mechanics, which created by nature itself; the laws of engineering are organized by man, with taking into account their connection with the laws of mechanics and with the most diverse laws of human life. The organization of technique is the basic law of engineering and of science of technology. But the basic law of mechanics is Mechanics is the organization of forces by Nature, it is the self-organization of any natural forces and their sources. The difference between the basic laws of engineering and mechanics is the most important conclusion, which leads to an equally important conclusion. It is a conclusion about a difference between engineering and mechanics paradigms. The development of engineering and mechanics paradigms is one of the unresolved components of the problem of the upcoming change of all paradigms. The purpose of this study was to formulate only a past, present, and especially new (future) paradigm of engineering. The formulation of mechanics paradigms is the problem of a separate study. To achieve the aim the following tasks were set: to refine the communications of the engineering with technology; to justify the application of the basic law of engineering for the development of its paradigms; to select a methodology for approbation the basic law of engineering; to develop past, present and new (future) engineering paradigm; to explores the relationship of paradigms of engineering with the paradigms of other major areas of activity; to analyze and evaluate the results. Methodology of research of research had been used in this work: a review of literary sources; historical-logical; analogies; 2C70; BEO; BVK model; theory of Babailova method. Findings are that a past, present and new (future) engineering (technology) paradigm had been developed. Originality is the justification of the nature of the past, present and new (future) engineering (technology) paradigms as global strategies in a sphere of organizing innovative techniques. Practical value is the introduction of the present and new (future) engineering (technology) paradigm into the strategic planning of an enterprise will lead to the improvement of its methodology; and this, in turn, will increase the efficiency of management and production.

Bias Correction for Forecasting PM2.5 Concentrations Using Measurement Data from Monitoring Stations by Region

The model and forecasting performances were evaluated to investigate the effectiveness of bias correction for forecasting PM2.5 concentrations for the period May 2012 to December 2014. Measured concentrations of PM2.5 and major components were obtained from five monitoring stations by region in the Korean Peninsula, and predicted concentrations were obtained from PM2.5 simulations using WRF model v3.4.1 and the CMAQ modeling system v4.7.1. Underestimation was prevalent at all stations for all components except NO3−. The effect of bias correction was pronounced at the Gangwon station, where the difference in PM2.5 between measured and predicted concentrations was largest. The performances for SO42− and the unresolved other component were primarily improved, whereas the performance for NO3−, which was originally overestimated, was degraded. The accuracy of the four-level forecast was moderate at 58% overall, but the probability of detection(POD) of high-concentration events was low at 23%. Bias correction improved the accuracy and POD to 68% and 52%, respectively; however, the rate of false detection of high-concentration events increased as well.

Auditory Brainstem Representation of the Voice Pitch Contours in the Resolved and Unresolved Components of Mandarin Tones.

Accurate perception of voice pitch plays a vital role in speech understanding, especially for tonal languages such as Mandarin. Lexical tones are primarily distinguished by the fundamental frequency (F0) contour of the acoustic waveform. It has been shown that the auditory system could extract the F0 from the resolved and unresolved harmonics, and the tone identification performance of resolved harmonics was better than unresolved harmonics. To evaluate the neural response to the resolved and unresolved components of Mandarin tones in quiet and in speech-shaped noise, we recorded the frequency-following response. In this study, four types of stimuli were used: speech with either only-resolved harmonics or only-unresolved harmonics, both in quiet and in speech-shaped noise. Frequency-following responses (FFRs) were recorded to alternating-polarity stimuli and were added or subtracted to enhance the neural response to the envelope (FFRENV) or fine structure (FFRTFS), respectively. The neural representation of the F0 strength reflected by the FFRENV was evaluated by the peak autocorrelation value in the temporal domain and the peak phase-locking value (PLV) at F0 in the spectral domain. Both evaluation methods showed that the FFRENV F0 strength in quiet was significantly stronger than in noise for speech including unresolved harmonics, but not for speech including resolved harmonics. The neural representation of the temporal fine structure reflected by the FFRTFS was assessed by the PLV at the harmonic near to F1 (4th of F0). The PLV at harmonic near to F1 (4th of F0) of FFRTFS to resolved harmonics was significantly larger than to unresolved harmonics. Spearman's correlation showed that the FFRENV F0 strength to unresolved harmonics was correlated with tone identification performance in noise (0 dB SNR). These results showed that the FFRENV F0 strength to speech sounds with resolved harmonics was not affected by noise. In contrast, the response to speech sounds with unresolved harmonics, which were significantly smaller in noise compared to quiet. Our results suggest that coding resolved harmonics was more important than coding envelope for tone identification performance in noise.

Constraining Galactic dark matter with gamma-ray pixel counts statistics

Gamma-ray searches for new physics such as dark matter are often driven by investigating the composition of the extragalactic gamma-ray background (EGB). Classic approaches to EGB decomposition manifest in resolving individual point sources and dissecting the intensity spectrum of the remaining unresolved component. Furthermore, statistical methods have recently been proven to outperform the sensitivity of classic source detection algorithms in finding point-source populations in the unresolved flux regime. In this article, we employ the 1-point photon count statistics of eight years of Fermi-LAT data to resolve the population of extragalactic point sources and to decompose the diffuse isotropic background contribution for Galactic latitudes |b|>30 deg. We use three adjacent energy bins between 1 and 10 GeV. For the first time, we extend the analysis to incorporate a potential contribution from annihilating dark matter smoothly distributed in the Galaxy. We investigate the sensitivity reach of 1-point statistics for constraining the thermally-averaged self-annihilation cross section <\sigma v> of dark matter, using different template models for the Galactic foreground emission. Given the official Fermi-LAT interstellar emission model, we set upper bounds on the DM self-annihilation cross section <\sigma v> that are comparable with the constraints obtained by other indirect detection methods, in particular by the stacking analysis of several dwarf spheroidal galaxies.

Dust Production Rates in the Fomalhaut Debris Disk from SOFIA/FORCAST Mid-infrared Imaging

Abstract We present the first spatially resolved mid-infrared (37.1 μm) image of the Fomalhaut debris disk. We use point spread function fitting and subtraction to distinctly measure the flux from the unresolved component and the debris disk. We measure an infrared excess in the point source of 0.9 ± 0.2 Jy, consistent with emission from warm dust in an inner disk structure, and inconsistent with a stellar wind origin. We cannot confirm or rule out the presence of a pileup ring near the star. In the cold region, the 37 μm imaging is sensitive to emission from small, blowout grains, which is an excellent probe of the dust production rate from planetesimal collisions. Under the assumptions that the dust grains are icy aggregates and the debris disk is in steady state, this result is consistent with the dust production rates predicted by Kenyon &amp; Bromley from theoretical models of icy planet formation. We find a dust luminosity of (7.9 ± 0.8) × 10−4 L ⊙ and a dust mass of 8–16 lunar masses, depending on grain porosity, with ∼1 lunar mass in grains with radius 1 μm–1 mm. If the grains are icy and highly porous, meter-sized objects must be invoked to explain the far-infrared, submm, and mm emission. If the grains are composed of astronomical silicates, there is a dearth of blowout grains and the mass loss rate is well below the predicted dust production values.

Sun-sized Water Vapor Masers in Cepheus A

Abstract We present the first VLBI observations of a Galactic water maser (in Cepheus A) made with a very long baseline interferometric array involving the RadioAstron Earth-orbiting satellite station as one of its elements. We detected two distinct components at −16.9 and 0.6 km s−1 with a fringe spacing of 66 μas. In total power, the 0.6 km s−1 component appears to be a single Gaussian component of strength 580 Jy and width of 0.7 km s−1. Single-telescope monitoring showed that its lifetime was only eight months. The absence of a Zeeman pattern implies the longitudinal magnetic field component is weaker than 120 mG. The space–Earth cross power spectrum shows two unresolved components smaller than 15 μas, corresponding to a linear scale of 1.6 × 1011 cm, about the diameter of the Sun, for a distance of 700 pc, separated by 0.54 km s−1 in velocity and by 160 ± 35 μas in angle. This is the smallest angular structure ever observed in a Galactic maser. The brightness temperatures are greater than 2 × 1014 K, and the line widths are 0.5 km s−1. Most of the flux (about 87%) is contained in a halo of angular size of 400 ± 150 μas. This structure is associated with the compact H ii region HW3diii. We have probably picked up the most prominent peaks in the angular size range of our interferometer. We discuss three dynamical models: (1) Keplerian motion around a central object, (2) two chance overlapping clouds, and (3) vortices caused by flow around an obstacle (i.e., von Kármán vortex street) with a Strouhal number of about 0.3.

Embedded AGN and star formation in the central 80 pc of IC 3639

Aims. Our goal is to probe the inner structure and the nature of the mid-IR emission in the active galaxy IC 3639, which hosts a Seyfert 2 nucleus and shows signatures of strong star-forming activity. Methods. We used interferometric observations in the N-band with VLTI/MIDI to resolve the mid-IR emission of this nucleus. The origin of the nuclear infrared emission is determined from: (1) the comparison of the correlated fluxes from VLTI/MIDI with the fluxes measured at subarcsecond resolution (VLT/VISIR, VLT/ISAAC); (2) diagnostics based on IR fine-structure line ratios, the IR continuum emission, IR bands produced by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and silicates; and (3) the high-angular resolution spectral energy distribution. Results. A large fraction of the total mid-IR emission of IC 3639 is produced in the innermost ≲80 pc with only ~1% of the total luminosity released in the UV/optical range. The unresolved flux of IC 3639 is 90 ± 20 mJy at 10.5 μm, measured with three different baselines in VLTI (UT1–UT2, UT3–UT4, and UT2–UT3; 46–58 m), making this the faintest measurement so far achieved with mid-IR interferometry. The correlated flux is a factor of 3–4 times fainter than the VLT/VISIR total flux measurement. The observations suggest that most of the mid-IR emission has its origin on spatial scales between 10 and 80 pc (40–340 mas). The emission confined within the inner 80 pc is either dominated by a starburst component or by the AGN core. The brightness distribution could be reproduced by a single component associated with the AGN, although this scenario would imply a very extended dust distribution when compared to other nearby Seyfert galaxies detected with MIDI. The extended component could also be associated with polar dust emission, that is, with a dusty wind blown by the AGN. However, a mixed contribution dominated by the star formation component over the AGN is favoured by the diagnostics based on ratios of IR fine-structure emission lines, the shape of the IR continuum, and the PAH and silicate bands. Conclusions. A composite AGN-starburst scenario is able to explain both the mid-IR brightness distribution and the IR spectral properties observed in the nucleus of IC 3639. The nuclear starburst would dominate the mid-IR emission and the ionisation of low-excitation lines (e.g. [Ne II]12.8 μm) with a net contribution of ~70%. The AGN accounts for the remaining ~30% of the mid-IR flux, ascribed to the unresolved component in the MIDI observations, and the ionisation of high-excitation lines (e.g. [Ne V]14.3 μm and [O Iv]25.9 μm).

Point Downscaling of Surface Wind Speed for Forecast Applications

AbstractA statistical downscaling algorithm is introduced to forecast surface wind speed at a location. The downscaling algorithm consists of resolved and unresolved components to yield a time series of synthetic wind speeds at high time resolution. The resolved component is a bias-corrected numerical weather prediction model forecast of the 10-m wind speed at the location. The unresolved component is a simulated time series of the high-frequency component of the wind speed that is trained to match the variance and power spectral density of wind observations at the location. Because of the stochastic nature of the unresolved wind speed, the downscaling algorithm may be repeated to yield an ensemble of synthetic wind speeds. The ensemble may be used to generate probabilistic predictions of the sustained wind speed or wind gusts. Verification of the synthetic winds produced by the downscaling algorithm indicates that it can accurately predict various features of the observed wind, such as the probability distribution function of wind speeds, the power spectral density, daily maximum wind gust, and daily maximum sustained wind speed. Thus, the downscaling algorithm may be broadly applicable to any application that requires a computationally efficient, accurate way of generating probabilistic forecasts of wind speed at various time averages or forecast horizons.

Silicon Nanocrystals on the Surface of Standard Si Wafers: A Micro-Raman Investigation

The presence of silicon nanocrystals on the surface of standard wafer samples of Si, conserved under “usual” laboratory conditions, has been investigated by micro-Raman analysis, performed for increasing intensity of laser irradiation. The poor thermal connection of such small crystals to the Si wafer bulk allows for the appearance of two well distinct Raman bands in the spectra, with a different evolution for increasing irradiance levels: the first, expected, due to bulk silicon response, the other one assignable to the silicon nanocrystals. A careful analysis of peak position and linewidth has been carried out, both for the Raman contribution from the nanocrystals, reaching high temperatures under irradiation (up to 1400 K), and for the one from the “bulk” Si, which remains practically at room temperature. The analysis of the spectra and the comparison with previous studies on nc-Si suggest that such nanocrystals do not have a very small size, so that the observed changes of spectral parameters are mainly due to laser heating, rather than quantum confinement effects. In any case, we performed also an independent size deter-mination by AFM mapping, confirming a size distribution well peaked be-tween 50 and 100 nm. As a corollary from this analysis, we get the indication that apparent linewidths and positions, at low laser irradiation levels, can be slightly changed in the presence of nc-Si on the surface. It is due to the differ-ent thermal responses of bulk and nanocrystalline components, inducing un-resolved separate components; this hypothesis suggests reanalysing some previous experimental data, in particular for many Raman spectra of Si col-lected at “room temperature”.

Petroleum Hydrocarbon Profiles of Water and Sediment of Algoa Bay, Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Petroleum hydrocarbon profiles of water and sediment samples of Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa were assessed using standard analytical procedures. Water (from surface and bottom levels) and sediment samples were collected from five locations in the bay from February to June 2016. Extraction of the petroleum hydrocarbons from the water and sediment samples collected was achieved using liquid-liquid and Soxhlet extraction techniques, respectively, followed by column clean up. Target compounds were analytically determined with gas chromatography–flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and quantified by integrating the areas of both the resolved and unresolved components. Physicochemical properties of the water samples were also determined on site using a SeaBird 19plusV2 CTD SBE 55 device. Estimated limit of detection, limit of quantitation and relative standard deviation for the 35 n-alkane standards ranged from 0.06 to 0.13 μg/L, 0.30 to 0.69 μg/L and 3.61 to 8.32%, respectively. Results showed that total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) varied from 45.07 to 307 μg/L in the water and 0.72 to 27.03 mg/kg in the sediments. The mean concentrations of TPH in both the water and sediment samples from Algoa Bay revealed a slight level of pollution. The diagnostic indices used showed that the hydrocarbons in the area were from both biogenic and anthropogenic sources. Hence, there is need for adequate regulation and control of all activities contributing to the levels of petroleum hydrocarbon in the marine environment for the safety of human, aquatic and wild lives in the area.

Improved mass constraints for two nearby strong-lensing elliptical galaxies from Hubble Space Telescope imaging

We analyse newly obtained Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging for two nearby strong lensing elliptical galaxies, SNL-1 (z = 0.03) and SNL-2 (z = 0.05), in order to improve the lensing mass constraints. The imaging reveals previously unseen structure in both the lens galaxies and lensed images. For SNL-1 which has a well resolved source, we break the mass-vs-shear degeneracy using the relative magnification information, and measure a lensing mass of 9.49 $\pm$ 0.15 $\times$ 10$^{10}$ M$_{\odot}$, a 7 per cent increase on the previous estimate. For SNL-2 the imaging reveals a bright unresolved component to the source and this presents additional complexity due to possible AGN microlensing or variability. We tentatively use the relative magnification information to constrain the contribution from SNL-2's nearby companion galaxy, measuring a lensing mass of 12.59 $\pm$ 0.30 $\times$ 10$^{10}$ M$_{\odot}$, a 9 per cent increase in mass. Our improved lens modelling reduces the mass uncertainty from 5 and 10 per cent to 2 and 3 per cent respectively. Our results support the conclusions of the previous analysis, with newly measured mass excess parameters of 1.17 $\pm$ 0.09 and 0.96 $\pm$ 0.10 for SNL-1 and SNL-2, relative to a Milky-Way like (Kroupa) initial mass function.

Stochastic modelling and diffusion modes for proper orthogonal decomposition models and small-scale flow analysis

We present here a new stochastic modelling approach in the constitution of fluid flow reduced-order models. This framework introduces a spatially inhomogeneous random field to represent the unresolved small-scale velocity component. Such a decomposition of the velocity in terms of a smooth large-scale velocity component and a rough, highly oscillating component gives rise, without any supplementary assumption, to a large-scale flow dynamics that includes a modified advection term together with an inhomogeneous diffusion term. Both of those terms, related respectively to turbophoresis and mixing effects, depend on the variance of the unresolved small-scale velocity component. They bring an explicit subgrid term to the reduced system which enables us to take into account the action of the truncated modes. Besides, a decomposition of the variance tensor in terms of diffusion modes provides a meaningful statistical representation of the stationary or non-stationary structuration of the small-scale velocity and of its action on the resolved modes. This supplies a useful tool for turbulent fluid flow data analysis. We apply this methodology to circular cylinder wake flow at Reynolds numbers $Re=100$ and $Re=3900$. The finite-dimensional models of the wake flows reveal the energy and the anisotropy distributions of the small-scale diffusion modes. These distributions identify critical regions where corrective advection effects, as well as structured energy dissipation effects, take place. In providing rigorously derived subgrid terms, the proposed approach yields accurate and robust temporal reconstruction of the low-dimensional models.