Cosmic microwave background constraints on the epoch of reionization     

Louise M. Griffiths  Domingos Barbosa  Andrew R. Liddle 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》1999,308(3):854-862

We use a compilation of cosmic microwave anisotropy data to constrain the epoch of reionization in the Universe, as a function of cosmological parameters. We consider spatially flat cosmologies, varying the matter density Ω₀ (the flatness being restored by a cosmological constant), the Hubble parameter h and the spectral index n of the primordial power spectrum. Our results are quoted both in terms of the maximum permitted optical depth to the last-scattering surface, and in terms of the highest allowed reionization redshift assuming instantaneous reionization. For critical-density models, significantly tilted power spectra are excluded as they cannot fit the current data for any amount of reionization, and even scale-invariant models must have an optical depth to last scattering of below 0.3. For the currently favoured low-density model with Ω₀=0.3 and a cosmological constant, the earliest reionization permitted to occur is at around redshift 35, which roughly coincides with the highest estimate in the literature. We provide general fitting functions for the maximum permitted optical depth, as a function of cosmological parameters. We do not consider the inclusion of tensor perturbations, but if present they would strengthen the upper limits that we quote.  相似文献   

On the sensitivity of global warming experiments to the parametrisation of sub-grid scale ocean mixing     

E.C. Wiebe  A. J. Weaver 《Climate Dynamics》1999,15(12):875-893

An ocean general circulation model coupled to an energy-moisture balance atmosphere model is used to investigate the sensitivity of global warming experiments to the parametrisation of sub-grid scale ocean mixing. The climate sensitivity of the coupled model using three different parametrisations of sub-grid scale mixing is 3°C for a doubling of CO₂ (6°C for a quadrupling of CO₂). This suggests that the ocean has only a weak feedback on global mean surface air temperature although significant regional differences, notably at high latitudes, exist with different sub-grid scale parametrisations. In the experiment using the Gent and McWilliams parametrisation for mixing associated with mesoscale eddies, an enhancement of the surface response in the Southern Ocean is found. This enhancement is largely due to the existence of more realistic sea-ice in the climatological control integration and the subsequent enhanced ice-albedo feedback upon warming. In accordance with earlier analyses, the Gent and McWilliams scheme decreases the global efficiency of ocean heat uptake. During the transient phase of all experiments, the North Atlantic overturning initially weakened but ultimately recovered, surpassing its former strength. This suggests that in the region around the North Atlantic the ocean acts as a negative feedback on local warming during the transient phase but a positive feedback at equilibrium. During the transient phase of the experiments with a more sophisticated and realistic parametrisation of sub-grid scale mixing, warmed Atlantic water was found to penetrate at depth into the Arctic, consistent with recent observations in the region. Received: 14 October 1998 / Accepted: 27 April 1999  相似文献   

The mixed-bed glacial landform imprint of the North Sea Lobe in the western North Sea     

David H. Roberts  Elena Grimoldi  Louise Callard  David J.A. Evans  Chris D. Clark  Heather A. Stewart  Dayton Dove  Margot Saher  Colm Ó Cofaigh  Richard C. Chiverrell  Mark D. Bateman  Steven G. Moreton  Tom Bradwell  Derek Fabel  Alicia Medialdea 《地球表面变化过程与地形》2019,44(6):1233-1258

During the last glacial cycle an intriguing feature of the British-Irish Ice Sheet was the North Sea Lobe (NSL); fed from the Firth of Forth and which flowed south and parallel to the English east coast. The controls on the formation and behaviour of the NSL have long been debated, but in the southern North Sea recent work suggests the NSL formed a dynamic, oscillating terrestrial margin operating over a deforming bed. Further north, however, little is known of the behaviour of the NSL or under what conditions it operated. This paper analyses new acoustic, sedimentary and geomorphic data in order to evaluate the glacial landsystem imprint and deglacial history of the NSL offshore from NE England. Subglacial tills (AF2/3) form a discontinuous mosaic interspersed with bedrock outcrops across the seafloor, with the partial excavation and advection of subglacial sediment during both advance and retreat producing mega-scale glacial lineations and grounding zone wedges. The resultant ‘mixed-bed’ glacial landsystem is the product of a dynamic switch from a terrestrial piedmont-lobe margin with a net surplus of sediment to a partially erosive, quasi-stable, marine-terminating, ice stream lobe as the NSL withdrew northwards. Glaciomarine sediments (AF4) drape the underlying subglacial mixed-bed imprint and point to a switch to tidewater conditions between 19.9 and 16.5 ka cal BP as the North Sea became inundated. The dominant controls on NSL recession during this period were changing ice flux through the Firth of Forth ice stream onset zone and water depths at the grounding line; the development of the mixed-bed landsystem being a response to grounding line instability. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

Dark energy constraints on masses and sizes of large scale cosmic structures     

Louise Rebecca  Kenath Arun  C. Sivaram 《Astrophysics and Space Science》2018,363(7):149

The requirement that their gravitational binding self-energy density must at least equal the background repulsive dark energy density for large scale cosmic structures implies a mass-radius relation of \({M} / {R^{2}} \approx 1~\mbox{g}/{\mbox{cm}^{2}}\), as pointed out earlier. This relation seems to hold true for primeval galaxies as well as those at present epoch. This could set constraints on the nature and evolution of dark energy. Besides, we also set constraints on the size of galaxy clusters and superclusters due to the repulsive cosmological dark energy. This could indicate as to why large scale cosmic structures much larger than ～200 Mpc are not seen.  相似文献   

Determining spatial changes in the diet of nearshore suspension-feeders along the South African coastline: Stable isotope and fatty acid signatures     

E. Louise Allan  Shan T. AmbroseNicole B. Richoux  P. William Froneman 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2010

Mesoscale oceanographic features, such as upwellings, are known to play an important role in regulating the structure and productivity of nearshore marine communities. Stable isotope (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) and fatty acid analyses were employed to assess the influence of an upwelling cell along the south-eastern coastline of southern Africa on the diet of the mussel, Perna perna. Eight sites were sampled: two upstream, three in the vicinity and three downstream of the upwelling cell. Stable isotope and fatty acid signatures indicated that the mussels consumed a diet of detritus derived mainly from macroalgae, diatoms and dinoflagellates. One-way ANOVA on the δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N signatures and the principal component analysis of the fatty acid profiles of the mussels identified distinct groups corresponding to the above mentioned regions. The proportion of diatom biomarkers in the fatty acid profiles decreased downstream of the upwelling region while the proportion of dinoflagellate biomarkers increased. Upwelling regions are typically associated with elevated levels of productivity; however, these systems usually become silicon depleted and result in the replacement of diatoms with dinoflagellates. The highest proportions of the dinoflagellate markers were recorded in the two furthest sites downstream of the upwelling cell. The spatial variation in the diet of the mussels, therefore, appears to reflect the presence of the upwelling cell in the nearshore biology of the region.  相似文献   

Local and regional constraints on relative sea-level changes in southern Isle of Skye,Scotland, since the Last Glacial Maximum     

Louise Best  Alexander R. Simms  Martin Brader  Jerry Lloyd  Juliet Sefton  Ian Shennan 《第四纪科学杂志》2022,37(1):59-70

New relative sea-level (RSL) data constrain the timing and magnitude of RSL changes in the southern Isle of Skye following the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). We identify a marine limit at ~23 m OD, indicating RSL ~20 m above present c. 15.1 ka. Isolation basin data, supported by terrestrial and marine limiting dates, record an RSL fall to 11.59 m above present by c. 14.2 ka. This RSL fall occurs across the time of global Meltwater Pulse 1A, supporting recent research on the sources of ice melting. Our new data also help to resolve some of the chronological issues within the existing Isle of Skye RSL record and provide details of the sub-Arctic marine environment associated with the transition into Devensian Lateglacial climate at c. 14.5 k cal a bp , and the timing of changes in response to the Loch Lomond Stadial climate. Glacio-isostatic adjustment (GIA) model predictions of RSL deviate from the RSL constraints and reflect uncertainties in local and global ice models used within the GIA models. An empirical RSL curve provides a target for future research.  相似文献