ALBERT

Description: Predicting future thaw slump activity requires a sound understanding of the atmospheric drivers and geomorphic controls on mass wasting across a range of time scales. On sub-seasonal time scales, sparse measurements indicate that mass wasting at active slumps is often limited by the energy available for melting ground ice, but other factors such as rainfall or the formation of an insulating veneer may also be relevant. To study the sub-seasonal drivers, we derive topographic changes from single-pass radar interferometric data acquired by the TanDEM-X satellite (12 m resolution). The high vertical precision (around 30 cm), frequent observations (11 days) and large coverage (5000 km2) allow us to track volume losses as drivers such as the available energy change during summer in two study regions. We find that thaw slumps in the Tuktoyaktuk coastlands, Canada, are not energy limited in June, as they undergo limited mass wasting (height loss of around 0 cm/day) despite the ample available energy, indicating the widespread presence of an insulating snow or debris veneer. Later in summer, height losses generally increase (around 3 cm/day), but they do so in distinct ways. For many slumps, mass wasting tracks the available energy, a temporal pattern that is also observed at coastal yedoma cliffs on the Bykovsky Peninsula, Russia. However, the other two common temporal trajectories are asynchronous with the available energy, as they track strong precipitation events or show a sudden speed-up in late August, respectively. The observed temporal patterns are poorly related to slump characteristics like the slump area. The contrasting temporal behaviour of nearby thaw slumps highlights the importance of complex local and temporally varying controls on mass wasting.

Description: A suite of oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs – acetaldehyde, acetone, propanal, butanal and butanone) were measured concurrently in the surface water and atmosphere of the South China Sea and Sulu Sea in November 2011. A strong correlation was observed between all OVOC concentrations in the surface seawater along the entire cruise track, except for acetaldehyde, suggesting similar sources and sinks in the surface ocean. Additionally, several phytoplankton groups, such as haptophytes or pelagophytes, were also correlated to all OVOCs indicating that phytoplankton may be an important source for marine OVOCs in the South China and Sulu Seas. Humic and protein like fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) components seemed to be additional precursors for butanone and acetaldehyde. The atmospheric OVOC mixing ratios were relative high compared with literature values, suggesting the coastal region of North Borneo as a local hot spot for atmospheric OVOCs. The flux of atmospheric OVOCs was largely into the ocean for all 5 gases, with a few important exceptions near the coast of Borneo. The calculated amount of OVOCs entrained into the ocean seemed to be an important source of OVOCs to the surface ocean. When the fluxes were out of the ocean, marine OVOCs were found to be enough to control the local measured OVOC distribution in the atmosphere. Based on our model calculations, at least 0.4 ppb of marine derived acetone and butanone can reach the upper troposphere, where they may have an important influence on hydrogen oxide radical formation over the western Pacific Ocean.

Description: The Extrapolar SWIFT model is a fast ozone chemistry scheme for interactive calculation of the extrapolar stratospheric ozone layer in coupled general circulation models (GCMs). In contrast to the widely used prescribed ozone, the SWIFT ozone layer interacts with the model dynamics and can respond to atmospheric variability or climatological trends. The Extrapolar SWIFT model employs a repro-modelling approach, where algebraic functions are used to approximate the numerical output of a full stratospheric chemistry and transport model (ATLAS). The full model solves a coupled chemical differential equations system with 55 initial and boundary conditions (mixing ratio of various chemical species and atmospheric parameters). Hence the rate of change of ozone over 24  h is a function of 55 variables. Using covariances between these variables, we can find linear combinations in order to reduce the parameter space to the following nine basic variables: latitude, pressure altitude, temperature, local ozone column, mixing ratio of ozone and of the ozone depleting families (Cly, Bry, NOy and HOy). We will show that these 9 variables are sufficient to characterize the rate of change of ozone. An automated procedure fits a polynomial function of fourth degree to the rate of change of ozone obtained from several simulations with the ATLAS model. One polynomial function is determined per month which yields the rate of change of ozone over 24 h. A key aspect for the robustness of the Extrapolar SWIFT model is to include a wide range of stratospheric variability in the numerical output of the ATLAS model, also covering atmospheric states that will occur in a future climate (e.g. temperature and meridional circulation changes or reduction of stratospheric chlorine loading). For validation purposes, the Extrapolar SWIFT model has been integrated into the ATLAS model replacing the full stratospheric chemistry scheme. Simulations with SWIFT in ATLAS have proven that the systematic error is small and does not accumulate during the course of a simulation. In the context of a 10 year simulation, the ozone layer, simulated by SWIFT, shows a stable annual cycle, with inter-annual variations comparable to the ATLAS model. The application of Extrapolar SWIFT requires the evaluation of polynomial functions with 30–100 terms. Nowadays, computers can calculate such polynomial functions at thousands of model grid points in seconds. SWIFT provides the desired numerical efficiency and computes the ozone layer 104 times faster than the chemistry scheme in the ATLAS CTM.

Description: Ice retreat in the eastern Eurasian Arctic is a consequence of atmospheric and oceanic processes and regional feedback mechanisms acting on the ice cover, both in winter and summer. A correct representation of these processes in numerical models is important, since it will improve predictions of sea ice anomalies along the Northeast Passage and beyond. In this study, we highlight the importance of winter ice dynamics for local summer sea ice anomalies in thickness, volume and extent. By means of airborne sea ice thickness surveys made over pack ice areas in the south-eastern Laptev Sea, we show that years of offshore-directed sea ice transport have a thinning effect on the late-winter sea ice cover. To confirm the preconditioning effect of enhanced offshore advection in late winter on the summer sea ice cover, we perform a sensitivity study using a numerical model. Results verify that the preconditioning effect plays a bigger role for the regional ice extent. Furthermore, they indicate an increase in volume export from the Laptev Sea as a consequence of enhanced offshore advection, which has far-reaching consequences for the entire Arctic sea ice mass balance. Moreover we show that ice dynamics in winter not only preconditions local summer ice extent, but also accelerate fast-ice decay.

Description: Climate trends in the Antarctic region remain poorly characterized, owing to the brevity and scarcity of direct climate observations and the large magnitude of interannual to decadal-scale climate variability. Here, within the framework of the PAGES Antarctica2k working group, we build an enlarged database of ice core water stable isotope records from Antarctica, consisting of 112 records. We produce both unweighted and weighted isotopic (δ18O) composites and temperature reconstructions since 0 CE, binned at 5- and 10-year resolution, for seven climatically distinct regions covering the Antarctic continent. Following earlier work of the Antarctica2k working group, we also produce composites and reconstructions for the broader regions of East Antarctica, West Antarctica and the whole continent. We use three methods for our temperature reconstructions: (i) a temperature scaling based on the δ18O–temperature relationship output from an ECHAM5-wiso model simulation nudged to ERA-Interim atmospheric reanalyses from 1979 to 2013, and adjusted for the West Antarctic Ice Sheet region to borehole temperature data, (ii) a temperature scaling of the isotopic normalized anomalies to the variance of the regional reanalysis temperature and (iii) a composite-plus-scaling approach used in a previous continent-scale reconstruction of Antarctic temperature since 1 CE but applied to the new Antarctic ice core database. Our new reconstructions confirm a significant cooling trend from 0 to 1900 CE across all Antarctic regions where records extend back into the 1st millennium, with the exception of the Wilkes Land coast and Weddell Sea coast regions. Within this long-term cooling trend from 0 to 1900 CE, we find that the warmest period occurs between 300 and 1000 CE, and the coldest interval occurs from 1200 to 1900 CE. Since 1900 CE, significant warming trends are identified for the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, the Dronning Maud Land coast and the Antarctic Peninsula regions, and these trends are robust across the distribution of records that contribute to the unweighted isotopic composites and also significant in the weighted temperature reconstructions. Only for the Antarctic Peninsula is this most recent century-scale trend unusual in the context of natural variability over the last 2000 years. However, projected warming of the Antarctic continent during the 21st century may soon see significant and unusual warming develop across other parts of the Antarctic continent. The extended Antarctica2k ice core isotope database developed by this working group opens up many avenues for developing a deeper understanding of the response of Antarctic climate to natural and anthropogenic climate forcings. The first long-term quantification of regional climate in Antarctica presented herein is a basis for data–model comparison and assessments of past, present and future driving factors of Antarctic climate.

Description: © The Author(s), 2017. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in PLoS One 12 (2017): e0173350, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0173350.

Description: Scleractinian coral are experiencing unprecedented rates of mortality due to increases in sea surface temperatures in response to global climate change. Some coral species however, survive high temperature events due to a reduced susceptibility to bleaching. We investigated the relationship between bleaching susceptibility and expression of five metabolically related genes of Symbiodinium spp. from the coral Porites astreoides originating from an inshore and offshore reef in the Florida Keys. The acclimatization potential of Symbiodinium spp. to changing temperature regimes was also measured via a two-year reciprocal transplant between the sites. Offshore coral fragments displayed significantly higher expression in Symbiodinium spp. genes PCNA, SCP2, G3PDH, PCP and psaE than their inshore counterparts (p〈0.05), a pattern consistent with increased bleaching susceptibility in offshore corals. Additionally, gene expression patterns in Symbiodinium spp. from site of origin were conserved throughout the two-year reciprocal transplant, indicating acclimatization did not occur within this multi-season time frame. Further, laboratory experiments were used to investigate the influence of acute high temperature (32°C for eight hours) and disease (lipopolysaccharide of Serratia marcescens) on the five metabolically related symbiont genes from the same offshore and inshore P. astreoides fragments. Gene expression did not differ between reef fragments, or as a consequence of acute exposure to heat or heat and disease, contrasting to results found in the field. Gene expression reported here indicates functional variation in populations of Symbiodinium spp. associated with P. astreoides in the Florida Keys, and is likely a result of localized adaptation. However, gene expression patterns observed in the lab imply that functional variation in zooxanthellae observed under conditions of chronic moderate stress is lost under the acute extreme conditions studied here.

Description: Funding for this research was provided by Coastal Preservation network (KBS, BHS).

Description: © The Author(s), 2017. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in PLoS One 12 (2017): e0179318, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179318.

Description: Trace metals are essential for health but toxic when present in excess. The maintenance of trace metals at physiologic levels reflects both import and export by cells and absorption and excretion by organs. The mechanism by which this maintenance is achieved in vertebrate organisms is incompletely understood. To explore this, we chose zebrafish as our model organism, as they are amenable to both pharmacologic and genetic manipulation and comprise an ideal system for genetic screens and toxicological studies. To characterize trace metal content in developing zebrafish, we measured levels of three trace elements, copper, zinc, and manganese, from the oocyte stage to 30 days post-fertilization using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Our results indicate that metal levels are stable until zebrafish can acquire metals from the environment and imply that the early embryo relies on maternal contribution of metals to the oocyte. We also measured metal levels in bodies and yolks of embryos reared in presence and absence of the copper chelator neocuproine. All three metals exhibited different relative abundances between yolks and bodies of embryos. While neocuproine treatment led to an expected phenotype of copper deficiency, total copper levels were unaffected, indicating that measurement of total metal levels does not equate with measurement of biologically active metal levels. Overall, our data not only can be used in the design and execution of genetic, physiologic, and toxicologic studies but also has implications for the understanding of vertebrate metal homeostasis.

Description: This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health, R00 DK84122.

Description: © The Author(s), 2017. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in PLoS ONE 12 (2017): e0184849, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0184849.

Description: Diatoms are important components of marine ecosystems and contribute greatly to the world's primary production. Despite their important roles in ecosystems, the molecular basis of how diatoms cope with oxidative stress caused by nutrient fluctuations remains largely unknown. Here, an isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) proteomic method was coupled with a series of physiological and biochemical techniques to explore oxidative stress- and cell fate decision-related cellular and metabolic responses of the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana to nitrate (N) and inorganic phosphate (P) stresses. A total of 1151 proteins were detected; 122 and 56 were significantly differentially expressed from control under N- and P-limited conditions, respectively. In N-limited cells, responsive proteins were related to reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, oxidative stress responses and cell death, corresponding to a significant decrease in photosynthetic efficiency, marked intracellular ROS accumulation, and caspase-mediated programmed cell death activation. None of these responses were identified in P-limited cells; however, a significant up-regulation of alkaline phosphatase proteins was observed, which could be the major contributor for P-limited cells to cope with ambient P deficiency. These findings demonstrate that fundamentally different metabolic responses and cellular regulations are employed by the diatom in response to different nutrient stresses and to keep the cells viable.

Description: This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41576138, 41076080, 41576138) to Dr. Jun-Rong Liang; the Woods Hole Center for Oceans and Human Health, National Science Foundation (OCE-1314642) to Dr. DonaldM Anderson; the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (1-P01-ES021923- 01) to Dr. DonaldM Anderson; and the ERC Advanced Award Diatomite and ANR project DiaDomOil to Dr. Chris Bowler.

Description: © The Author(s), 2016. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in PLoS ONE 11 (2016): e0155049, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0155049.

Description: Many reefs have shifted from coral and fish dominated habitats to less productive macroalgal dominated habitats, and current research is investigating means of reversing this phase shift. In the tropical Pacific, overfished reefs with inadequate herbivory can become dominated by the brown alga Sargassum polycystum. This alga suppresses recruitment and survival of corals and fishes, thus limiting the potential for reef recovery. Here we investigate the mechanisms that reinforce S. polycystum dominance and show that in addition to negatively affecting other species, this species acts in a self-reinforcing manner, positively promoting survival and growth of conspecifics. We found that survival and growth of both recruit-sized and mature S. polycystum fronds were higher within Sargassum beds than outside the beds and these results were found in both protected and fished reefs. Much of this benefit resulted from reduced herbivory within the Sargassum beds, but adult fronds also grew ~50% more within the beds even when herbivory did not appear to be occurring, suggesting some physiological advantage despite the intraspecific crowding. Thus via positive feedbacks, S. polycystum enhances its own growth and resistance to herbivores, facilitating its dominance (perhaps also expansion) and thus its resilience on degraded reefs. This may be a key feedback mechanism suppressing the recovery of coral communities in reefs dominated by macroalgal beds.

Description: Financial support came to MEH from the National Science Foundation (OCE 0929119), the National Institutes of Health (2 U19 TW007401-10), and the Teasley Endowment to the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Description: © The Author(s), 2017. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in PLoS One 12 (2017): e0188257, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0188257.

Description: Preservation of three-dimensional structure in the gut is necessary in order to analyze the spatial organization of the gut microbiota and gut luminal contents. In this study, we evaluated preparation methods for mouse gut with the goal of preserving micron-scale spatial structure while performing fluorescence imaging assays. Our evaluation of embedding methods showed that commonly used media such as Tissue-Tek Optimal Cutting Temperature (OCT) compound, paraffin, and polyester waxes resulted in redistribution of luminal contents. By contrast, a hydrophilic methacrylate resin, Technovit H8100, preserved three-dimensional organization. Our mouse intestinal preparation protocol optimized using the Technovit H8100 embedding method was compatible with microbial fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and other labeling techniques, including immunostaining and staining with both wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) and 4', 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI). Mucus could be visualized whether the sample was fixed with paraformaldehyde (PFA) or with Carnoy’s fixative. The protocol optimized in this study enabled simultaneous visualization of micron-scale spatial patterns formed by microbial cells in the mouse intestines along with biogeographical landmarks such as host-derived mucus and food particles.

Description: Funding provided by National Science Foundation (www.nsf.gov) grant 1650141 to J.L.M.W. and National Institutes of Health National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (www.nidcr.nih.gov) grant DE022586 to G.G.B.

Description: This is an open access article, free of all copyright. The definitive version was published in PLoS ONE 12 (2017): e0172839, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0172839.

Description: Marine animals, such as turtles, seabirds and pelagic fishes, are observed to travel and congregate around eddies in the open ocean. Mesoscale eddies, large swirling ocean vortices with radius scales of approximately 50–100 km, provide environmental variability that can structure these populations. In this study, we investigate the use of mesoscale eddies by 24 individual juvenile loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence region. The influence of eddies on turtles is assessed by collocating the turtle trajectories to the tracks of mesoscale eddies identified in maps of sea level anomaly. Juvenile loggerhead sea turtles are significantly more likely to be located in the interiors of anticyclones in this region. The distribution of surface drifters in eddy interiors reveals no significant association with the interiors of cyclones or anticyclones, suggesting higher prevalence of turtles in anticyclones is a result of their behavior. In the southern portion of the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence region, turtle swimming speed is significantly slower in the interiors of anticyclones, when compared to the periphery, suggesting that these turtles are possibly feeding on prey items associated with anomalously low near-surface chlorophyll concentrations observed in those features.

Description: A Woods Hole Postdoctoral Fellowship awarded to PG and NASA grant NNX13AE47G funded this work. CB is grateful for support from NOAA and the NSF-GRFP (Grant No. 1314109). DJM gratefully acknowledges support from NASA and NSF.

Description: This is an open access article, free of all copyright. The definitive version was published in PLoS ONE 12 (2017): e0170962, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0170962.

Description: Bio-logging tags are an important tool for the study of cetaceans, but superficial tags inevitably increase hydrodynamic loading. Substantial forces can be generated by tags on fast-swimming animals, potentially affecting behavior and energetics or promoting early tag removal. Streamlined forms have been used to reduce loading, but these designs can accelerate flow over the top of the tag. This non-axisymmetric flow results in large lift forces (normal to the animal) that become the dominant force component at high speeds. In order to reduce lift and minimize total hydrodynamic loading this work presents a new tag design (Model A) that incorporates a hydrodynamic body, a channel to reduce fluid speed differences above and below the housing and wing to redirect flow to counter lift. Additionally, three derivatives of the Model A design were used to examine the contribution of individual flow control features to overall performance. Hydrodynamic loadings of four models were compared using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The Model A design eliminated all lift force and generated up to ~30 N of downward force in simulated 6 m/s aligned flow. The simulations were validated using particle image velocimetry (PIV) to experimentally characterize the flow around the tag design. The results of these experiments confirm the trends predicted by the simulations and demonstrate the potential benefit of flow control elements for the reduction of tag induced forces on the animal.

Description: This project was funded by the National Oceanographic Partnership Program [National Science Foundation via the Office of Naval Research N00014-11-1-0113]. C. Spencer Garborg was supported by a Grove City College Swezey Student Fellowship to Erik Anderson. Mark Johnson was funded by a Marie Curie-Sklodowska grant from the European Union.

Description: © The Author(s), 2017. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Annual Review of Marine Science 9 (2017): 173-203, doi:10.1146/annurev-marine-010816-060733.

Description: The events that followed the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, included the loss of power and overheating at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants, which led to extensive releases of radioactive gases, volatiles, and liquids, particularly to the coastal ocean. The fate of these radionuclides depends in large part on their oceanic geochemistry, physical processes, and biological uptake. Whereas radioactivity on land can be resampled and its distribution mapped, releases to the marine environment are harder to characterize owing to variability in ocean currents and the general challenges of sampling at sea. Five years later, it is appropriate to review what happened in terms of the sources, transport, and fate of these radionuclides in the ocean. In addition to the oceanic behavior of these contaminants, this review considers the potential health effects and societal impacts.

Description: K.B. was supported in part by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Deerbrook Charitable Trust. P.M. was supported in part by the Generalitat de Catalunya through MERS (grant 2014 SGR 1356), the European Commission 7th Framework COMET-FRAME project (grant agreement 604974), and the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain (project CTM2011-15152-E). S.C. was supported in part by the French program Investissement d'Avenir run by the National Research Agency (AMORAD project, grant ANR-11-RSNR-0002). D.O. was supported in part by the Center for Environmental Radioactivity (NFR Centers of Excellence grant 223268/F50). J.N.S. was supported in part by the Marine Environmental Observation, Prediction, and Response Network.

Description: © The Author(s), 2017. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in PLoS ONE 12 (2017): e0186156, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0186156.

Description: Bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) have a nearly circumpolar distribution, and occasionally occupy warmer shallow coastal areas during summertime that may facilitate molting. However, relatively little is known about the occurrence of molting and associated behaviors in bowhead whales. We opportunistically observed whales in Cumberland Sound, Nunavut, Canada with skin irregularities consistent with molting during August 2014, and collected a skin sample from a biopsied whale that revealed loose epidermis and sloughing. During August 2016, we flew a small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) over whales to take video and still images to: 1) determine unique individuals; 2) estimate the proportion of the body of unique individuals that exhibited sloughing skin; 3) determine the presence or absence of superficial lines representative of rock-rubbing behavior; and 4) measure body lengths to infer age-class. The still images revealed that all individuals (n = 81 whales) were sloughing skin, and that nearly 40% of them had mottled skin over more than two-thirds of their bodies. The video images captured bowhead whales rubbing on large rocks in shallow, coastal areas—likely to facilitate molting. Molting and rock rubbing appears to be pervasive during late summer for whales in the eastern Canadian Arctic.

Description: Fieldwork was funded by: Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Emerging Fisheries 41436-810-120-4D875), Nunavut Wildlife Research Trust Fund (project 3-13-29 Bowhead Whale Movement's and Ecology), Molson Foundation (318366), Ocean Tracking Network (NSERC NETGP 375118-08), and ArcticNet Centre of Excellence (317588) awarded to S.H. Ferguson and World Wildlife Fund Canada (Arctic Species Conservation Fund) awarded to W.R. Koski and S.M.E. Fortune. Additional field work support was provided by: U.S. Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service (MMS; now Bureau of Ocean Energy Management), through Inter-agency Agreement No. M08PG20021 with the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as part of the MMS Alaska Environmental Studies Program awarded to M.F. Baumgartner. Personnel support was provided by: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Canadian Graduate Scholarship, the W. Garfield Weston Award for Northern Research, University of British Columbia Affiliated Fellowship and Northern Scientific Training Program (Canadian Polar Commission) awarded to S.M.E. Fortune

Description: Author(s): E. Yakaboylu, A. Deuchert, and M. Lemeshko Recently, it was shown that molecules rotating in superfluid helium can be described in terms of the angulon quasiparticles [ Phys. Rev. Lett. 118 , 095301 (2017) ]. Here, we demonstrate that in the experimentally realized regime the angulon can be seen as a point charge on a two-sphere interacting wit... [Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 235301] Published Wed Dec 06, 2017

Description: Author(s): P. Lampen-Kelley, A. Banerjee, A. A. Aczel, H. B. Cao, M. B. Stone, C. A. Bridges, J.-Q. Yan, S. E. Nagler, and D. Mandrus The insulating honeycomb magnet α − RuCl 3 exhibits fractionalized excitations that signal its proximity to a Kitaev quantum spin liquid state; however, at T = 0 , fragile long-range magnetic order arises from non-Kitaev terms in the Hamiltonian. Spin vacancies in the form of Ir 3 + substituted for Ru are f... [Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 237203] Published Wed Dec 06, 2017

Description: Author(s): Dimitri R. Dounas-Frazer, Jacob T. Stanley, and H. J. Lewandowski Frustration and struggle are necessary features of learning environments that promote student ownership of projects, as opposed to obstacles that hinder ownership. [Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 13, 020136] Published Wed Dec 06, 2017

Description: Author(s): Hairun Guo, Erwan Lucas, Martin H. P. Pfeiffer, Maxim Karpov, Miles Anderson, Junqiu Liu, Michael Geiselmann, John D. Jost, and Tobias J. Kippenberg Optical frequency combs, which constitute equally spaced frequency lines, can be generated using temporal dissipative Kerr solitons—stable laser pulses generated in a laser-driven nonlinear microresonator—but these solitons can destabilize and oscillate. A new analysis reveals a novel mechanism that can trigger “soliton breathing,” highlighting the rich nonlinear dynamics of dissipative temporal structures in microresonators and identifying a regime that has to be avoided in applications. [Phys. Rev. X 7, 041055] Published Wed Dec 06, 2017

Description: Author(s): Seyedeh Mahsa Kamali, Ehsan Arbabi, Amir Arbabi, Yu Horie, MohammadSadegh Faraji-Dana, and Andrei Faraon Researchers have demonstrated a device that can project two distinct holographic images when illuminated at different angles. [Phys. Rev. X 7, 041056] Published Wed Dec 06, 2017

Description: Author(s): Mathieu Taillefumier, Owen Benton, Han Yan, L. D. C. Jaubert, and Nic Shannon Spin ice is an exotic phase of low-temperature magnetic material in which the atoms behave like a liquid no matter how cold it becomes. New computer simulations look at how spin ice behaves near absolute zero and find surprisingly rich behavior. [Phys. Rev. X 7, 041057] Published Wed Dec 06, 2017

Description: Author(s): Stephan Rosswog New calculations show that the accretion flows that form after a neutron star collision can eject large amounts of matter that is rich in gold and other heavy elements. [Physics 10, 131] Published Wed Dec 06, 2017

Description: Author(s): Darren Crowdy We find expressions for the change in hydrodynamic slip length when a weakly shear-thinning fluid flows longitudinally, or transversely, over a periodic array of flat, unidirectional no-shear slots from a modified reciprocal theorem of Stokes flow and exact solutions for a Newtonian fluid. [Phys. Rev. Fluids 2, 124201] Published Wed Dec 06, 2017

Description: Author(s): Avishek Chowdhury, Sylvain Barbay, Marcel G. Clerc, Isabelle Robert-Philip, and Rémy Braive Stochastic resonance is a general phenomenon usually observed in one-dimensional, amplitude modulated, bistable systems. We show experimentally the emergence of phase stochastic resonance in the bidimensional response of a forced nanoelectromechanical membrane by evidencing the enhancement of a weak... [Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 234101] Published Wed Dec 06, 2017

Description: Author(s): S. Kreuzahler, Y. Ponty, N. Plihon, H. Homann, and R. Grauer We present results from consistent dynamo simulations, where the electrically conducting and incompressible flow inside a cylinder vessel is forced by moving impellers numerically implemented by a penalization method. The numerical scheme models jumps of magnetic permeability for the solid impellers... [Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 234501] Published Wed Dec 06, 2017

Description: 〈b〉Friedrich Robert Helmert, founder of modern geodesy, on the occasion of the centenary of his death〈/b〉〈br〉 Johannes Ihde and Andreas Reinhold〈br〉 Hist. Geo Space. Sci., 8, 79-95, https://doi.org/10.5194/hgss-8-79-2017, 2017〈br〉 Friedrich Robert Helmert died in Potsdam in 1917. He was, for over 30 years, director of the Royal Prussian Geodetic Institute and of the Central Bureau of the Internationale Erdmessung, today's IAG. He dedicated his life and his scientific career to the field of geodesy. His teachings on theoretical and physical geodesy were incorporated into university curricula around the world and hence into international endeavours to measure planet Earth.

Description: 〈b〉Scientific Drilling at Lake Tanganyika, Africa: A Transformative Record for Understanding Evolution in Isolation and the Biological History of the African Continent, University of Basel, 6–8 June 2016〈/b〉〈br〉 Andrew S. Cohen and Walter Salzburger〈br〉 Sci. Dril., 22, 43-48, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-22-43-2017, 2017〈br〉 A workshop was held in Basel, Switzerland, to discuss the scientific opportunities for evolutionary biology, paleobiology and paleoecology of a drilling project at Lake Tanganyika, one of the oldest and most biodiverse lakes on Earth. A record of the numerous endemic organisms collected from the lake coupling body fossils, environmental history and potentially aDNA or ancient protein records would be transformative for understanding evolution in isolation and the biogeographic history of Africa.

Description: 〈b〉Flow intake control using dry-weather forecast〈/b〉〈br〉 Otto Icke, Kim van Schagen, Christian Huising, Jasper Wuister, Edward van Dijk, and Arjan Budding〈br〉 Drink. Water Eng. Sci., 10, 69-74, https://doi.org/10.5194/dwes-10-69-2017, 2017〈br〉 Flow intake based on predictive control using dry-weather flow and rainfall predictions offers reduced peak discharges on the waste water treatment plants. This results in a better performance of the waste water treatment plant and particularly the utilisation of the post-treatment phase. Results at waste water treatment plant Bennekom show that about 50 % of bypass volume of the post-treatment phase can be prevented with operational predictive control. This improves the surface water quality.

Description: 〈b〉Online total organic carbon (TOC) monitoring for water and wastewater treatment plants processes and operations optimization〈/b〉〈br〉 Céline Assmann, Amanda Scott, and Dondra Biller〈br〉 Drink. Water Eng. Sci., 10, 61-68, https://doi.org/10.5194/dwes-10-61-2017, 2017〈br〉 TOC (total organics carbon) analysis, as a laboratory and online technology, offers new perspectives to organic measurements in waters and waste water, supplementing regulatory oxygen demand tests. TOC monitoring, implemented as a tool to make informative and rapid treatment decisions, becomes a useful process control parameter. This paper discusses the various technologies available and details how three municipal plants gained insights into their processes and saved on their spending with TOC.

Description: 〈b〉Fifteen years of the Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling Program〈/b〉〈br〉 Zhiqin Xu, Jingsui Yang, Chengshan Wang, Zhisheng An, Haibing Li, Qin Wang, and Dechen Su〈br〉 Sci. Dril., 22, 1-18, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-22-1-2017, 2017〈br〉 The 5158 m deep borehole of the Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling (CCSD) Project in the Sulu ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic terrain marked the starting point of the CCSD Program. Since then, several continental scientific drilling projects were conducted with funding of the Chinese government and partially with support of ICDP, resulting in a total drilling depth of more than 35 000 m. This paper reviews the history and major progress of the CCSD Program in the past 15 years.

Description: 〈b〉GONAF – the borehole Geophysical Observatory at the North Anatolian Fault in the eastern Sea of Marmara〈/b〉〈br〉 Marco Bohnhoff, Georg Dresen, Ulubey Ceken, Filiz Tuba Kadirioglu, Recai Feyiz Kartal, Tugbay Kilic, Murat Nurlu, Kenan Yanik, Digdem Acarel, Fatih Bulut, Hisao Ito, Wade Johnson, Peter Eric Malin, and Dave Mencin〈br〉 Sci. Dril., 22, 19-28, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-22-19-2017, 2017〈br〉 GONAF (Geophysical Observatory at the North Anatolian Fault) has been installed around the eastern Sea of Marmara section where a 〈i〉M〈/i〉〈i〉〉〈/i〉7 earthquake is pending to capture the seismic and strain activity preceding, during, and after such an anticipated event. GONAF is currently comprised of seven 300 m deep vertical seismic profiling stations and four collocated 100 m deep borehole strain meters. GONAF is the first ICDP-driven project with a primary focus on long-term fault-zone monitoring.

Description: 〈b〉Regional estimation of Curie-point depths and succeeding geothermal parameters from recently acquired high-resolution aeromagnetic data of the entire Bida Basin, north-central Nigeria〈/b〉〈br〉 Levi I. Nwankwo and Abayomi J. Sunday〈br〉 Geoth. Energ. Sci., 5, 1-9, https://doi.org/10.5194/gtes-5-1-2017, 2017〈br〉 The recent aeromagnetic data over the Bida Basin, Nigeria, have been used to estimate the Curie-point depths (CPDs), geothermal gradients (GGs), and near-surface crustal heat flow (HF) of the basin. The result shows that the CPD varies between 15.57 and 29.62 km, GG varies between 19.58 and 37.25 °C km〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉, and HF varies between 48.41 and 93.12 mW m〈sup〉−2〈/sup〉. Regions are observed in the basin with shallow CPDs and corresponding high HFs, thus suggesting anomalous geothermal conditions.

Description: 〈b〉Ecology Day〈/b〉〈br〉 Maria Amélia Martins Loução〈br〉 Web Ecol., 17, 65-67, https://doi.org/10.5194/we-17-65-2017, 2017〈br〉 Following the 150th anniversary of the science of ecology, the Portuguese Ecological Society (SPECO) proposes 14 September as Ecology Day. This day should be promoted by ecological societies to host different kinds of public and media events closely related to ecology, in a broad sense. The date, 14 September, was chosen because it was on that day Haeckel had published his 〈q〉Ökologie und Chorologie〈/q〉.

Description: 〈b〉The ecology of subindividual variability in plants: patterns, processes, and prospects〈/b〉〈br〉 Carlos M. Herrera〈br〉 Web Ecol., 17, 51-64, https://doi.org/10.5194/we-17-51-2017, 2017〈br〉 Plants produce a considerable number of structures of one kind, like leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds, which are not identical. This paper provides an overview of current knowledge on traits that vary subindividually, the magnitude of subindividual variation, and its spatial patterning. Examples are presented on the consequences of subindividual variation for plants and consumers. Emerging links between genetics, epigenetics, subindividual variation, and population ecology are also considered.

Description: 〈b〉A statistical approach to latitude measurements: Ptolemy's and Riccioli's geographical works as case studies〈/b〉〈br〉 Luca Santoro〈br〉 Hist. Geo Space. Sci., 8, 69-77, https://doi.org/10.5194/hgss-8-69-2017, 2017〈br〉 Historical geographical works typically contain many latitude measurements of locations: all show measurement errors and some of these refer to lost cities. How can we estimate errors? How can we know the right position of lost cities? This work shows a general approach to give a scientific answer to these questions in two particular case studies: Ptolemy's Geography and Riccioli's work on geography.

Description: 〈b〉Steponas Kolupaila's contribution to hydrological science development〈/b〉〈br〉 Gintaras Valiuškevičius〈br〉 Hist. Geo Space. Sci., 8, 57-67, https://doi.org/10.5194/hgss-8-57-2017, 2017〈br〉 This article presents the most important facts on the life and scientific achievements of Steponas Kolupaila (1892–1964) – one of the most famous hydrologists of the 20th century. This Lithuanian scientist is especially well known for his book 〈i〉Bibliography of Hydrometry〈/i〉.

Description: 〈b〉Ball lightning: a Renaissance account from Zafra (Spain)〈/b〉〈br〉 José M. Vaquero〈br〉 Hist. Geo Space. Sci., 8, 53-56, https://doi.org/10.5194/hgss-8-53-2017, 2017〈br〉 An analysis is given of the account of a 〈q〉globe of fire〈/q〉 observed in Zafra (Spain) in the middle of the 16th century. During a strong storm, Conde Don Pedro observed what he described as a 〈q〉globe of fire〈/q〉 that was directed against the city and abruptly changed course. He attributed the change in course to a miracle. He described neither any damage nor sound.

Description: 〈b〉Franz Kossmat – 〈i〉Subdivision of the Variscan Mountains〈/i〉 – a translation of the German text with supplementary notes〈/b〉〈br〉 Guido Meinhold〈br〉 Hist. Geo Space. Sci., 8, 29-51, https://doi.org/10.5194/hgss-8-29-2017, 2017〈br〉 This work is in honour of Franz Kossmat (1871–1938) and his esteemed paper the 〈i〉Gliederung des varistischen Gebirgsbaues〈/i〉 published 1927 in 〈i〉Abhandlungen des Sächsischen Geologischen Landesamts〈/i〉, Volume 1, pages 1 to 39. It constitutes the foundation of the general subdivision of the Central European Variscides into several geotectonic zones and the idea of large-scale nappe transport of individual units. In the English translation presented here an attempt is made to provide a readable text, which should still reflect Kossmat's style but would also be readable for a non-German speaking community either working in the Variscan Mountains or having specific interests in historical aspects of geosciences. Supplementary notes provide information about Kossmat's life and the content of the text. Kossmat's work is a superb example of how important geological fieldwork and mapping are for progress in geoscientific research.

Description: 〈b〉Report on the ICDP workshop DIVE (Drilling the Ivrea–Verbano zonE)〈/b〉〈br〉 Mattia Pistone, Othmar Müntener, Luca Ziberna, György Hetényi, and Alberto Zanetti〈br〉 Sci. Dril., 23, 47-56, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-23-47-2017, 2017〈br〉 The Ivrea–Verbano Zone is the most complete, time-integrated crust–upper mantle archive in the world. It is a unique target for assembling data on the deep crust and Moho transition zone to unravel the formation, evolution, and modification of the continental crust through space and time across the Earth. Four drilling operations in the Ivrea-Verbano Zone crustal section represent the scientifically most promising solution to achieve the major goals of DIVE Project.

Description: 〈b〉Photocatalytic degradation of dyes in water by analytical reagent grades ZnO, TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 and SnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉: a comparative study〈/b〉〈br〉 Dnyaneshwar R. Shinde, Popat S. Tambade, Manohar G. Chaskar, and Kisan M. Gadave〈br〉 Drink. Water Eng. Sci., 10, 109-117, https://doi.org/10.5194/dwes-10-109-2017, 2017〈br〉 With photocatalytic activity of commercially available photocatalysts, viz. ZnO, TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 and SnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉, a set of photocatalytic experiments was performed under similar conditions using crystal violet, basic blue and methyl red dyes in water. The comparison of photocatalytic activity of ZnO with the benchmark Degussa P-25 (TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉) catalyst as well as with AR grade TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 and SnO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 showed that despite low specific surface areas and larger grain sizes, ZnO displayed higher activity in the degradation of dyes.

Description: 〈b〉Modeling particle transport and discoloration risk in drinking water distribution networks〈/b〉〈br〉 Joost van Summeren and Mirjam Blokker〈br〉 Drink. Water Eng. Sci., 10, 99-107, https://doi.org/10.5194/dwes-10-99-2017, 2017〈br〉 The build-up and subsequent remobilization of microscopic particles can cause discoloration of drinking water during distribution. We theoretically investigated the relevant transport processes and dependencies on flow conditions and particle properties. The presented theoretical framework is intended as a starting point for a numerical tool to help water utilities determine regions of high discoloration risk and reduce these risks, e.g., by designing more efficient pipe cleaning programs.

Description: 〈b〉Scientific Exploration of Induced SeisMicity and Stress (SEISMS)〈/b〉〈br〉 Heather M. Savage, James D. Kirkpatrick, James J. Mori, Emily E. Brodsky, William L. Ellsworth, Brett M. Carpenter, Xiaowei Chen, Frédéric Cappa, and Yasuyuki Kano〈br〉 Sci. Dril., 23, 57-63, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-23-57-2017, 2017〈br〉 The Scientific Exploration of Induced SeisMicity and Stress (SEISMS) meeting brought together earthquake scientists from around the world. Discussion focused on field-scale experiments for understanding earthquake nucleation, propagation, and arrest.

Description: 〈b〉Limitations of demand- and pressure-driven modeling for large deficient networks〈/b〉〈br〉 Mathias Braun, Olivier Piller, Jochen Deuerlein, and Iraj Mortazavi〈br〉 Drink. Water Eng. Sci., 10, 93-98, https://doi.org/10.5194/dwes-10-93-2017, 2017〈br〉 The article introduces a stable formulation of the model for water distribution systems that guarantees the existence of a unique solution. This is done regarding two modeling paradigms. First for models with customer demand as a fixed boundary condition and second for models that add a boundary condition on the minimum network pressure. The following discussion concludes that pressure-driven models are superior in modeling deficient networks, but still have to be improved.

Description: 〈b〉Limitations of demand- and pressure-driven modeling for large deficient networks〈/b〉〈br〉 Mathias Braun, Olivier Piller, Jochen Deuerlein, and Iraj Mortazavi〈br〉 Drink. Water Eng. Sci., 10, 93-98, https://doi.org/10.5194/dwes-10-93-2017, 2017〈br〉 The article introduces a stable formulation of the model for water distribution systems that guarantees the existence of a unique solution. This is done regarding two modeling paradigms. First for models with customer demand as a fixed boundary condition and second for models that add a boundary condition on the minimum network pressure. The following discussion concludes that pressure-driven models are superior in modeling deficient networks, but still have to be improved.

Description: 〈b〉Identifying (subsurface) anthropogenic heat sources that influence temperature in the drinking water distribution system〈/b〉〈br〉 Claudia M. Agudelo-Vera, Mirjam Blokker, Henk de Kater, and Rob Lafort〈br〉 Drink. Water Eng. Sci., 10, 83-91, https://doi.org/10.5194/dwes-10-83-2017, 2017〈br〉 Water temperature in the drinking water distribution system (DWDS) and at the customers' taps approaches the surrounding soil temperature at 1 m in depth. In the Netherlands drinking water is distributed without additional residual disinfectant and drinking water temperature at the customers' tap should not exceed 25 ºC. Some urban infrastructures are heat sources and generate hot-spots. This article describes a method to find anthropogenic heat sources that influence temperature in the DWDS.

Description: 〈b〉Modeling and clustering water demand patterns from real-world smart meter data〈/b〉〈br〉 Nicolas Cheifetz, Zineb Noumir, Allou Samé, Anne-Claire Sandraz, Cédric Féliers, and Véronique Heim〈br〉 Drink. Water Eng. Sci., 10, 75-82, https://doi.org/10.5194/dwes-10-75-2017, 2017〈br〉 This paper aims at a better understanding of water consumption usage.

Description: 〈b〉Flow intake control using dry-weather forecast〈/b〉〈br〉 Otto Icke, Kim van Schagen, Christian Huising, Jasper Wuister, Edward van Dijk, and Arjan Budding〈br〉 Drink. Water Eng. Sci., 10, 69-74, https://doi.org/10.5194/dwes-10-69-2017, 2017〈br〉 Flow intake based on predictive control using dry-weather flow and rainfall predictions offers reduced peak discharges on the waste water treatment plants. This results in a better performance of the waste water treatment plant and particularly the utilisation of the post-treatment phase. Results at waste water treatment plant Bennekom show that about 50 % of bypass volume of the post-treatment phase can be prevented with operational predictive control. This improves the surface water quality.

Description: 〈b〉Modeling particle transport and discoloration risk in drinking water distribution networks〈/b〉〈br〉 Joost van Summeren and Mirjam Blokker〈br〉 Drink. Water Eng. Sci., 10, 99-107, https://doi.org/10.5194/dwes-10-99-2017, 2017〈br〉 The build-up and subsequent remobilization of microscopic particles can cause discoloration of drinking water during distribution. We theoretically investigated the relevant transport processes and dependencies on flow conditions and particle properties. The presented theoretical framework is intended as a starting point for a numerical tool to help water utilities determine regions of high discoloration risk and reduce these risks, e.g., by designing more efficient pipe cleaning programs.

Description: 〈b〉Online total organic carbon (TOC) monitoring for water and wastewater treatment plants processes and operations optimization〈/b〉〈br〉 Céline Assmann, Amanda Scott, and Dondra Biller〈br〉 Drink. Water Eng. Sci., 10, 61-68, https://doi.org/10.5194/dwes-10-61-2017, 2017〈br〉 TOC (total organics carbon) analysis, as a laboratory and online technology, offers new perspectives to organic measurements in waters and waste water, supplementing regulatory oxygen demand tests. TOC monitoring, implemented as a tool to make informative and rapid treatment decisions, becomes a useful process control parameter. This paper discusses the various technologies available and details how three municipal plants gained insights into their processes and saved on their spending with TOC.

Description: 〈b〉Facility for testing ice drills〈/b〉〈br〉 Dennis L. Nielson, Chris Delahunty, John W. Goodge, and Jeffery P. Severinghaus〈br〉 Sci. Dril., 22, 29-33, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-22-29-2017, 2017〈br〉 The North American Testing (NAT) was designed to test critical functions of a Rapid Access Ice Drill (RAID) at a site in northern Utah. The RAID was designed to rapidly drill in Antarctica through over 2500 m of ice and then take a core sample of the bedrock. The system has many innovative features that required field testing before the system was shipped to Antarcitca. The NAT facility consisted of a borehole where we froze a column of ice to test drilling and fluid circulation functions.

Description: 〈b〉Modeling and clustering water demand patterns from real-world smart meter data〈/b〉〈br〉 Nicolas Cheifetz, Zineb Noumir, Allou Samé, Anne-Claire Sandraz, Cédric Féliers, and Véronique Heim〈br〉 Drink. Water Eng. Sci., 10, 75-82, https://doi.org/10.5194/dwes-10-75-2017, 2017〈br〉 This paper aims at a better understanding of water consumption usage.

Description: 〈b〉IODP workshop: developing scientific drilling proposals for the Argentina Passive Volcanic Continental Margin (APVCM) – basin evolution, deep biosphere, hydrates, sediment dynamics and ocean evolution〈/b〉〈br〉 Roger D. Flood, Roberto A. Violante, Thomas Gorgas, Ernesto Schwarz, Jens Grützner, Gabriele Uenzelmann-Neben, F. Javier Hernández-Molina, Jennifer Biddle, Guillaume St-Onge, and APVCM workshop participants〈br〉 Sci. Dril., 22, 49-61, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-22-49-2017, 2017〈br〉 The Argentine margin contains important sedimentological, paleontological and chemical records of regional and local tectonic evolution, sea level, climate evolution and ocean circulation since the opening of the South Atlantic in the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous as well as the present-day results of post-depositional chemical and biological alteration. Despite its important location, which underlies the exchange of southern- and northern-sourced water masses, the Argentine margin has not been investigated in detail using scientific drilling techniques, perhaps because the margin has the reputation of being erosional. However, a number of papers published since 2009 have reported new high-resolution and/or multichannel seismic surveys, often combined with multi-beam bathymetric data, which show the common occurrence of layered sediments and prominent sediment drifts on the Argentine and adjacent Uruguayan margins. There has also been significant progress in studying the climatic records in surficial and near-surface sediments recovered in sediment cores from the Argentine margin. Encouraged by these recent results, our 3.5-day IODP (International Ocean Discovery Program) workshop in Buenos Aires (8–11 September 2015) focused on opportunities for scientific drilling on the Atlantic margin of Argentina, which lies beneath a key portion of the global ocean conveyor belt of thermohaline circulation. Significant opportunities exist to study the tectonic evolution, paleoceanography and stratigraphy, sedimentology, and biosphere and geochemistry of this margin.

Description: 〈b〉A comparison of the use of X-ray and neutron tomographic core scanning techniques for drilling projects: insights from scanning core recovered during the Alpine Fault Deep Fault Drilling Project〈/b〉〈br〉 Jack N. Williams, Joseph J. Bevitt, and Virginia G. Toy〈br〉 Sci. Dril., 22, 35-42, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-22-35-2017, 2017〈br〉 We compare images of drillcore from the Alpine Fault in New Zealand that were collected using X-ray computed tomography (CT) and neutron tomography (NT). Both techniques provide 3-D images of the core's internal structure, which would not be possible through visual analysis alone. We find that CT scans are more beneficial, as they can image a wider range of rock types, and this scanning technique is more practical. Nevertheless, NT provides complementary scans over limited intervals of core.

Description: 〈b〉Identifying (subsurface) anthropogenic heat sources that influence temperature in the drinking water distribution system〈/b〉〈br〉 Claudia M. Agudelo-Vera, Mirjam Blokker, Henk de Kater, and Rob Lafort〈br〉 Drink. Water Eng. Sci., 10, 83-91, https://doi.org/10.5194/dwes-10-83-2017, 2017〈br〉 Water temperature in the drinking water distribution system (DWDS) and at the customers' taps approaches the surrounding soil temperature at 1 m in depth. In the Netherlands drinking water is distributed without additional residual disinfectant and drinking water temperature at the customers' tap should not exceed 25 ºC. Some urban infrastructures are heat sources and generate hot-spots. This article describes a method to find anthropogenic heat sources that influence temperature in the DWDS.

Description: 〈b〉Foramina in plesiosaur cervical centra indicate a specialized vascular system〈/b〉〈br〉 Tanja Wintrich, Martin Scaal, and P. Martin Sander〈br〉 Foss. Rec., 20, 279-290, https://doi.org/10.5194/fr-20-279-2017, 2017〈br〉 Plesiosaurians retain a very long neck but greatly reduce neck flexibility, and the cervicals have large, paired, and highly symmetrical foramina on the ventral side of the centrum, traditionally termed 〈q〉subcentral foramina〈/q〉, and on the floor of the neural canal. We found that these dorsal and the ventral foramina are connected by a canal. The foramen are not for nutrient transfer; they are the osteological correlates of a highly paedomorphic vascular system in the neck of plesiosaurs.

Description: 〈b〉Could disruptive technologies also reform academia?〈/b〉〈br〉 Casparus J. Crous〈br〉 Web Ecol., 17, 47-50, https://doi.org/10.5194/we-17-47-2017, 2017〈br〉 A thriving future science community could depend on disruptive technologies to shake up outmoded academic practices.

Description: Author(s): M. Oertel, M. Hempel, T. Klähn, and S. Typel What are the thermodynamic properties of matter at extreme densities, even exceeding nuclear matter density severely? How can we describe the composition of matter for such conditions, the resulting pressure, and the maximum mass of cold neutron stars? How is this affected by finite temperatures, as they occur in core collapse supernovae and in compact star mergers? This review addresses these points within the framework of constraints from experiments as well as astronomical observations. [Rev. Mod. Phys. 89, 015007] Published Wed Mar 15, 2017

Description: Long-term vegetation monitoring in Great Britain – the Countryside Survey 1978–2007 and beyond Claire M. Wood, Simon M. Smart, Robert G. H. Bunce, Lisa R. Norton, Lindsay C. Maskell, David C. Howard, W. Andrew Scott, and Peter A. Henrys Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., doi:10.5194/essd-2017-17,2017 Manuscript under review for ESSD (discussion: open, 0 comments) The Countryside Survey (CS) of Great Britain consists of an extensive set of repeated ecological measurements at a national scale, covering a time span of 29 years. CS was first undertaken in 1978 to monitor ecological and land use change in Britain using standardised procedures for recording ecological data from representative 1 km squares throughout the country. The vegetation component has subsequently been repeated in 1990, 1998 and 2007, and changes may be related to a range of drivers.

Description: Long-term vegetation monitoring in Great Britain – the Countryside Survey 1978–2007 and beyond Claire M. Wood, Simon M. Smart, Robert G. H. Bunce, Lisa R. Norton, Lindsay C. Maskell, David C. Howard, W. Andrew Scott, and Peter A. Henrys Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., doi:10.5194/essd-2017-17,2017 Manuscript under review for ESSD (discussion: open, 0 comments) The Countryside Survey (CS) of Great Britain consists of an extensive set of repeated ecological measurements at a national scale, covering a time span of 29 years. CS was first undertaken in 1978 to monitor ecological and land use change in Britain using standardised procedures for recording ecological data from representative 1 km squares throughout the country. The vegetation component has subsequently been repeated in 1990, 1998 and 2007, and changes may be related to a range of drivers.

Description: Measurement experiences with FluxSet digital D/I station László Hegymegi, János Szöllősy, Csaba Hegymegi, and Ádám Domján Geosci. Instrum. Method. Data Syst. Discuss., doi:10.5194/gi-2017-14,2017 Manuscript under review for GI (discussion: open, 0 comments) The authors developed and built a digital non-magnetic declination inclination magnetometer which gives all measurement data in digital form. Use of this instrument significantly decreases possibility of observation errors and minimizes handwork. We showed that this device is suitable for absolute magnetic control measurements, and its more convenient, user friendly and effective than the traditional ones.

Description: Possibilities of further improvement of 1-second fluxgate variometers Andriy Marusenkov Geosci. Instrum. Method. Data Syst. Discuss., doi:10.5194/gi-2017-12,2017 Manuscript under review for GI (discussion: open, 0 comments) The paper discusses the possibility to improve quality of geomagnetic variations monitoring at the ground observatories. The new fluxgate sensor as well as electronics with upgraded temperature and noise characteristics are described. It is supposed that the application of the discussed in the paper results and recommendations will allow creating an fluxgate magnetometer with outstanding level of parameters.

Description: Measurement experiences with FluxSet digital D/I station László Hegymegi, János Szöllősy, Csaba Hegymegi, and Ádám Domján Geosci. Instrum. Method. Data Syst. Discuss., doi:10.5194/gi-2017-14,2017 Manuscript under review for GI (discussion: open, 0 comments) The authors developed and built a digital non-magnetic declination inclination magnetometer which gives all measurement data in digital form. Use of this instrument significantly decreases possibility of observation errors and minimizes handwork. We showed that this device is suitable for absolute magnetic control measurements, and its more convenient, user friendly and effective than the traditional ones.

Description: Explicit and parametrised representation of under ice shelf seas in a z * coordinate ocean model Pierre Mathiot, Adrian Jenkins, Christopher Harris, and Gurvan Madec Geosci. Model Dev. Discuss., doi:10.5194/gmd-2017-37,2017 Manuscript under review for GMD (discussion: open, 0 comments) Ice shelf/ocean interactions are a major source of fresh water on the Antarctic continental shelf and have a strong impact on ocean properties, ocean circulation and sea ice. However, climate models based on the ocean/sea ice model NEMO currently do not include these interactions in any detail. The capability of explicitly simulating the circulation beneath ice shelves is introduced in the non-linear free surface model NEMO. Its implementation into the NEMO framework and its assessment in an idealised and realistic circum-Antarctic configuration is described in this study. Compared with the current prescription of ice shelf melting (i.e. at the surface) inclusion of open sub-ice-shelf leads to a decrease sea ice thickness along the coast, a weakening of the ocean stratification on the shelf, a decrease in salinity of HSSW on the Ross and Weddell Sea shelves and an increase in the strength of the gyres that circulate within the over-deepened basins on the West Antarctic continental shelf. Mimicking the under ice shelf seas overturning circulation by introducing the meltwater over the depth range of the ice shelf base, rather than at the surface is also tested. It yields similar improvements in the simulated ocean properties and circulation over the Antarctic continental shelf than the explicit ice shelf cavity representation. With the ice shelf cavities opened, the widely-used “3 equations” ice shelf melting formulation enables an interactive computation of melting that has been assessed. Comparison with observational estimates of ice shelf melting indicates realistic results for most ice shelves. However, melting rates for Amery, Getz and George VI ice shelves are considerably overestimated.

Description: Multiple domain evaluation of watershed hydrology models Karthik Kumarasamy and Patrick Belmont Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., doi:10.5194/hess-2017-121,2017 Manuscript under review for HESS (discussion: open, 0 comments) Watershed scale models simulating hydrology and water quality have advanced rapidly in sophistication. Given the importance of these models to support decision-making for a wide range of environmental issues, the hydrology community is compelled to improve the metrics used to evaluate model performance. We introduce a suite of new tools and metrics for model evaluation. We propose general guidelines for selecting parameters that should be included for matching predicted flow with measured flow.

Description: Moment-based Metrics for Global Sensitivity Analysis of Hydrological Systems Aronne Dell'Oca, Monica Riva, and Alberto Guadagnini Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., doi:10.5194/hess-2017-90,2017 Manuscript under review for HESS (discussion: open, 0 comments) We propose new metrics to assist global sensitivity analysis of Earth systems. Our approach allows assessing the impact of model parameters on the first four statistical moments of a target model output, allowing to ascertain which parameters can affect some moments of the model output pdf while being uninfluential to others. Our approach is fully compatible with analysis in the context of model complexity reduction, design of experiment, uncertainty quantification and risk assessment.

Description: Interannual variation, decadal trend, and future change in ozone outflow from East Asia Jia Zhu, Hong Liao, Yuhao Mao, Yang Yang, and Hui Jiang Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 3729-3747, doi:10.5194/acp-17-3729-2017, 2017 Asian O 3 outflow exhibited a small and statistically insignificant decadal trend with large interannual variations from 1986–2006. The latter were mainly caused by variations in the meteorological conditions. Future climate change will aggravate the effects of the increases in anthropogenic emissions on future changes in the Asian O 3 outflow. These findings help us to understand the variations in tropospheric O 3 in the regions downwind of East Asia on different timescales.

Description: Tracing changes in atmospheric moisture supply to the drying Southwest China Chi Zhang, Qiuhong Tang, Deliang Chen, Laifang Li, Xingcai Liu, and Huijuan Cui Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., doi:10.5194/acp-2017-147,2017 Manuscript under review for ACP (discussion: open, 0 comments) Precipitation over Southwest China (SWC) decreased significantly in recent years. By attributing precipitation to its sources, we found that the reduced precipitation is resulted from the reduced moisture supply from regions influenced by the South Asian Summer Monsoon and the westerlies. Further study revealed the dynamic variations in circulation dominate the interannual variations in precipitation over SWC. Changes in circulation systems may be related to the recent changes in SSTs.

Description: Potential impact of carbonaceous aerosols on the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere (UTLS) during Asian summer monsoon in a global model simulation Suvarna Fadnavis, Gayatry Kalita, K. Ravi Kumar, Blaz Gasparini, and Jui-Lin Frank Li Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., doi:10.5194/acp-2017-197,2017 Manuscript under review for ACP (discussion: open, 0 comments) In this study, the model simulations show that monsoon convection over the Bay of Bengal, the South China Sea and Southern flanks of the Himalayas transport Asian carbonaceous aerosol into the UTLS. Carbonaceous aerosol induces enhancement in heating rate, vertical velocity and water vapor transport in the UTLS.Doubling of BC + OC aerosols creates an anomalous warming over the TP. It elicits monsoon Hadley circulation and thus increases precipitation over India and northeast China.

Description: An improved parameterisation of ozone dry deposition to the ocean and its impact in a global climate–chemistry model Ashok K. Luhar, Ian E. Galbally, Matthew T. Woodhouse, and Marcus Thatcher Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 3749-3767, doi:10.5194/acp-17-3749-2017, 2017 Dry deposition of tropospheric ozone relates to its destruction at the Earth’s surface. An improved model scheme for such deposition to the ocean is formulated backed up by field data. It results in the oceanic dry deposition of ozone to be 12 % of the global total, which is much lower than the current model estimate of about 30 %. This result has implications for modelling global tropospheric ozone budget and its radiative forcing, and ozone mixing ratios, especially in the Southern Hemisphere.

Description: Potential impact of carbonaceous aerosols on the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere (UTLS) during Asian summer monsoon in a global model simulation Suvarna Fadnavis, Gayatry Kalita, K. Ravi Kumar, Blaz Gasparini, and Jui-Lin Frank Li Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., doi:10.5194/acp-2017-197,2017 Manuscript under review for ACP (discussion: open, 0 comments) In this study, the model simulations show that monsoon convection over the Bay of Bengal, the South China Sea and Southern flanks of the Himalayas transport Asian carbonaceous aerosol into the UTLS. Carbonaceous aerosol induces enhancement in heating rate, vertical velocity and water vapor transport in the UTLS.Doubling of BC + OC aerosols creates an anomalous warming over the TP. It elicits monsoon Hadley circulation and thus increases precipitation over India and northeast China.

Description: Ice Crystal Characterization in Cirrus Clouds: A Sun-tracking Camera System and Automated Detection Algorithm for Halo Displays Linda Forster, Meinhard Seefeldner, Matthias Wiegner, and Bernhard Mayer Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., doi:10.5194/amt-2017-17,2017 Manuscript under review for AMT (discussion: open, 0 comments) Halo displays are produced by scattering of sunlight by smooth, hexagonal ice crystals. Consequently, the presence of a halo should contain information on particle shape. This study presents HaloCam, a novel sun-tracking camera system, and an automated detection algorithm to collect and evaluate long-term halo observations. Two-year HaloCam observations revealed that about 25 % of the detected cirrus clouds occurred together with a 22° halo indicating the presence of smooth, hexagonal crystals.

Description: Risk assessment of liquefaction-induced hazards using Bayesian network based on standard penetration test data Xiao-Wei Tang, Jiang-Nan Qiu, and Ji-Lei Hu Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., doi:10.5194/nhess-2017-80,2017 Manuscript under review for NHESS (discussion: open, 0 comments) Liquefaction-induced hazards are responsible for considerable damages to engineering structures during major earthquakes. Presently, there is not any effective empirical approach that can assess different liquefaction-induced hazards in one model, such as sand boils, ground cracks, settlement, and lateral spreading, due to the uncertainties and complexity of multiple related factors of seismic liquefaction and liquefaction-induced hazards. This study used Bayesian network method to integrate multiple important factors of seismic liquefaction, sand boils, ground cracks, settlement and lateral spreading into a model based on standard penetration test historical data, so that the constructed Bayesian network model can assess the four different liquefaction-induced hazards together for free fields. In the study case, compared with the artificial neural network technology and the Ishihara and Yoshimine simplified method, the Bayesian network method performed a better classification ability, because its prediction probabilities of Accuracy , Brier score , Recall , Precision , and area under the curve of receiver operating characteristic ( AUC of ROC ) are better, which illustrated that the Bayesian network method is a good alternative tool for risk assessment of liquefaction-induced hazards. Furthermore, the performances of the application of the BN model in estimating liquefaction-induced hazards in the Japan's Northeast Pacific Offshore Earthquake also prove the correctness and reliability of it compared with the liquefaction potential index approach. Except for assessing the severity of hazards induced by soil liquefaction, the proposed Bayesian network model can also predict whether the soil is liquefied or not after an earthquake, and it can deduce the process of a chain reaction of the liquefaction-induced hazards and do backward reasoning, the assessment results from the proposed model could provide informative guidelines for decision-makers to detect damage state of a field induced by liquefaction.

Description: On the deep convection events and Antarctic Bottom Water formation in ocean reanalysis products Wilton Aguiar, Mauricio M. Mata, and Rodrigo Kerr Ocean Sci. Discuss., doi:10.5194/os-2017-9,2017 Manuscript under review for OS (discussion: open, 0 comments) In ocean models, Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) formation is frequently misrepresented. Hence, assessing the causes of spurious formation is important to assure accurate future simulations. Only one of the state-of-art reanalysis investigated showed AABW formation accurately. Spurious formation in the other two products resulted from opening of large ice-free areas. The relatively accurate AABW formation in one of the products is an important advance on the simulation of deep ocean circulation.

Description: Author(s): A. Di Piazza In a previous article [ Phys. Rev. Lett. 117 , 213201 (2016) ] we have determined the angular resolved and the total energy spectrum of a positron produced via nonlinear Breit-Wheeler pair production by a high-energy photon counterpropagating with respect to a tightly focused laser beam. Here, we first… [Phys. Rev. A 95, 032121] Published Fri Mar 17, 2017

Description: Author(s): Kunkun Wang, George C. Knee, Xiang Zhan, Zhihao Bian, Jian Li, and Peng Xue Testing quantum theory on macroscopic scales is a longstanding challenge whose solution could have a significant impact on physics. For example, laboratory tests (such as those anticipated in nanomechanical or biological systems) may look to rule out macroscopic realism: the idea that the properties… [Phys. Rev. A 95, 032122] Published Fri Mar 17, 2017

Description: Author(s): Chi-Ho Cheng and S.-K. Yip We consider the thermodynamic potential Ω of an N component Fermi gas with a short-range interaction obeying SU ( N ) symmetry. We analyze especially the nonanalytic part of Ω in the temperature T at low T . We examine the temperature range where one can observe this T 4 ln T contribution and discuss how i… [Phys. Rev. A 95, 033619] Published Thu Mar 16, 2017

Description: Author(s): Wei Xu and Marcos Rigol We develop an exact approach to study the quench dynamics of hard-core bosons initially in thermal equilibrium in one-dimensional lattices. This approach is used to study the sudden expansion of thermal states after confining potentials are switched off. We find that a dynamical fermionization of th… [Phys. Rev. A 95, 033617] Published Thu Mar 16, 2017

Description: Author(s): Mohamed A. K. Othman, Vincenzo Galdi, and Filippo Capolino We demonstrate the existence of exceptional points of degeneracy (EPDs) of periodic eigenstates in non-Hermitian coupled chains of dipolar scatterers. Guided modes supported by these structures can exhibit an EPD in their dispersion diagram at which two or more Bloch eigenstates coalesce, in both th… [Phys. Rev. B 95, 104305] Published Fri Mar 17, 2017

Description: Author(s): D. Vasilyev, F. O. Schumann, F. Giebels, H. Gollisch, J. Kirschner, and R. Feder Here, the authors make connection to the foundation of quantum mechanics. As stated by Schrquotodinger, entanglement is “the characteristic trait of quantum mechanics” and seemingly at odds with the description of nature. In this joint experimental and theoretical work, the authors discuss the possibility of spin entanglement of two freely propagating electrons. These have been created by a collision of a spin-polarized primary electron with the Shockley surface state of the Cu(111) surface. The contribution of this state can clearly be identified in the experiment and allows use of its particular features. The electron scattering study done here resembles the scenario envisioned by the seminal works of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen and Schrquotodinger to work out the peculiar nature of entanglement. [Phys. Rev. B 95, 115134] Published Fri Mar 17, 2017

Description: Author(s): Michael Niklas, Andreas Trottmann, Andrea Donarini, and Milena Grifoni The Fano factor stability diagram of a C 3 v symmetric triangular quantum dot is analyzed for increasing electron fillings N . At low filling, conventional Poissonian and sub-Poissonian behavior is found. At larger filling, N ≥ 2 , a breaking of the electron-hole symmetry is manifested in super-Poissonian… [Phys. Rev. B 95, 115133] Published Fri Mar 17, 2017

Description: Author(s): Mingwei Ma, Lichen Wang, Philippe Bourges, Yvan Sidis, Sergey Danilkin, and Yuan Li We report an inelastic neutron scattering study of single crystals of ( Li 0.8 Fe 0.2 )ODFeSe. Temperature-dependent low-energy spin excitations are observed near Q = ( 0.5 , 0.27 , 0.5 ) and equivalent wave vectors symmetrically surrounding Q = ( 0.5 , 0.5 , 0.5 ) in the 1-Fe Brillouin zone, consistent with a Fermi-sur… [Phys. Rev. B 95, 100504(R)] Published Fri Mar 17, 2017

Description: Author(s): Alwin M. W. Tam, Fan Fan, Tao Du, Wei Hu, Wanlong Zhang, Chenxiang Zhao, Xiaoqian Wang, Kwong-Lung Ching, Guijun Li, Hailu Luo, Vladimir G. Chigrinov, Shuangchun Wen, and Hoi-Sing Kwok In an optical vortex beam, each photon carries orbital angular momentum (OAM), a useful resource for applications in optical communication and quantum information processing. The authors demonstrate a diffractive bifocal vortex lens that generates and sorts light beams of different OAM, by means of polarization control. Placing the lens inside a cavity, a vortex-beam laser with a chosen OAM can be realized. Moreover, the lens’s OAM sorting can be used in a multifocal optical-trapping system that facilitates the manipulation of nanoparticles, molecules, and biological samples. [Phys. Rev. Applied 7, 034010] Published Fri Mar 17, 2017

Description: Author(s): Doru Sticlet, Bas Nijholt, and Anton Akhmerov We study the effects of strong coupling between a superconductor and a semiconductor nanowire on the creation of the Majorana bound states, when the quasiparticle dwell time in the normal part of the nanowire is much shorter than the inverse superconducting gap. This “short-junction” limit is releva… [Phys. Rev. B 95, 115421] Published Fri Mar 17, 2017

Description: Author(s): David C. Johnston The influence of uniaxial single-ion anisotropy − D S z 2 on the magnetic and thermal properties of Heisenberg antiferromagnets (AFMs) is investigated. The uniaxial anisotropy is treated exactly and the Heisenberg interactions are treated within unified molecular field theory (MFT) [ Phys. Rev. B 91 , 064… [Phys. Rev. B 95, 094421] Published Fri Mar 17, 2017

Description: Author(s): M. Rohrmüller, W. G. Schmidt, and U. Gerstmann Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signatures, more specifically the elements of the electronic g tensor, are calculated within density functional theory for hydrogenated Si(111), Si(001), Si(113), Si(114), Si ( 11 2 ¯ ) , and Si(110) surfaces. Thereby both perturbation theory and a more sophisticated … [Phys. Rev. B 95, 125310] Published Fri Mar 17, 2017

Description: Author(s): V. Pushkarev, T. Ostatnický, H. Němec, T. Chlouba, F. Trojánek, P. Malý, M. Zacharias, S. Gutsch, D. Hiller, and P. Kužel Quantum-size effects are essential for understanding the terahertz conductivity of semiconductor nanocrystals, particularly at low temperatures. We derived a quantum mechanical expression for the linear terahertz response of nanocrystals; its introduction into an appropriate effective medium model p… [Phys. Rev. B 95, 125424] Published Fri Mar 17, 2017

Description: Author(s): H. Novales-Sánchez, M. Salinas, J. J. Toscano, and O. Vázquez-Hernández Violation of C P invariance is a quite relevant phenomenon that is found in the Standard Model, though in small amounts. This has been an incentive to look for high-energy descriptions in which C P violation is increased, thus enhancing effects that are suppressed in the Standard Model, such as the el… [Phys. Rev. D 95, 055016] Published Fri Mar 17, 2017

Description: Author(s): H. M. Asatrian, C. Greub, and A. Kokulu The present study is devoted for an improved analysis of the self-interference contribution of the electromagnetic dipole operator O 7 to the double differential decay width d Γ / ( d s 1 d s 2 ) for the inclusive B ¯ → X s γ γ process, where the kinematical variables s 1 and s 2 are defined as s i = ( p b − q i ) 2 / m b 2 with p b … [Phys. Rev. D 95, 053006] Published Thu Mar 16, 2017

Description: Author(s): M. Gómez-Ramos and A. M. Moro Background: Reactions involving weakly bound nuclei require formalisms able to deal with continuum states. The majority of these formalisms struggle to treat collective excitations of the systems involved. For continuum-discretized coupled channels (CDCC), extensions to include target excitation hav… [Phys. Rev. C 95, 034609] Published Thu Mar 16, 2017

Description: Author(s): Mehdi Ahmadi, Krzysztof Lorek, Agata Chęcińska, Alexander R. H. Smith, Robert B. Mann, and Andrzej Dragan [Phys. Rev. D 95, 069903] Published Fri Mar 17, 2017

Description: Author(s): R. M. Woloshyn The Abelian Higgs model is studied on the lattice with charge conjugate boundary conditions. A locally gauge invariant operator for the charged scalar field is constructed, and the charged scalar particle mass is calculated in the Coulomb phase of the lattice model. Agreement is found with the mass … [Phys. Rev. D 95, 054507] Published Fri Mar 17, 2017

Description: Author(s): Alexander Rothkopf We present the generalization to nonpositive definite spectral functions of a recently proposed Bayesian deconvolution approach (BR method). The novel prior used here retains many of the beneficial analytic properties of the original method; in particular, it allows us to integrate out the hyperpara… [Phys. Rev. D 95, 056016] Published Fri Mar 17, 2017

Description: Author(s): Carlos E. Yaguna In scenarios where dark matter interacts differently with protons and neutrons (isospin-violating dark matter), the interpretation of the experimental limits on the dark matter spin-independent cross section may be significantly modified. On the one hand, the direct detection constraints are shifted… [Phys. Rev. D 95, 055015] Published Fri Mar 17, 2017

Description: Author(s): M. Belén Farias, César D. Fosco, Fernando C. Lombardo, and Francisco D. Mazzitelli We study the Casimir friction phenomenon in a system consisting of two flat, infinite, and parallel graphene sheets, which are coupled to the vacuum electromagnetic (EM) field. Those couplings are implemented, in the description we use, by means of specific terms in the effective action for the EM f… [Phys. Rev. D 95, 065012] Published Thu Mar 16, 2017

Description: Author(s): Luis P. Chimento and Martín G. Richarte [Phys. Rev. D 95, 069902] Published Thu Mar 16, 2017

Description: Author(s): Hayley J. Macpherson, Paul D. Lasky, and Daniel J. Price We perform three-dimensional numerical relativity simulations of homogeneous and inhomogeneous expanding spacetimes, with a view toward quantifying nonlinear effects from cosmological inhomogeneities. We demonstrate fourth-order convergence with errors less than one part in 1 0 6 in evolving a flat, d… [Phys. Rev. D 95, 064028] Published Fri Mar 17, 2017

Description: Author(s): M. S. Krivokorytov, A. Yu. Vinokhodov, Yu. V. Sidelnikov, V. M. Krivtsun, V. O. Kompanets, A. A. Lash, K. N. Koshelev, and V. V. Medvedev The deformation and fragmentation of liquid metal microdroplets by intense subpicosecond Ti:sapphire laser pulses is experimentally studied with stroboscopic shadow photography. The experiments are performed at a peak intensity of 10 14 W / c m 2 at the target's surface, which produces shock waves with pr… [Phys. Rev. E 95, 031101(R)] Published Fri Mar 17, 2017

Description: Author(s): Krishnakanta Bhattacharya and Bibhas Ranjan Majhi We study the scalar-tensor theory of gravity profoundly in the action level as well as in the thermodynamic level. Contrary to the usual description in the literature about the equivalence in the two conformally connected frames, this paper addresses several incomplete inferences regarding it and me… [Phys. Rev. D 95, 064026] Published Thu Mar 16, 2017

Description: Author(s): Xu Zhang, Ju-Jun Xie, and Xurong Chen We investigate the three-body system of π K ¯ K * by using the fixed-center approximation to the Faddeev equation, taking the interaction between π and K ¯ , π and K * , and K ¯ and K * from the chiral unitary approach. The study is made assuming scattering of a π on a K ¯ K * cluster, which is known to generate… [Phys. Rev. D 95, 056014] Published Thu Mar 16, 2017