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Item Influence of Climate and Solar Variability on Growth Rings of Araucaria angustifolia in Três Barras National Forest (Brazil)(MDPI) Muraja, Daniela Oliveira Silva; Klausner, Virginia; Prestes, Alan; Silva, Aline Conceicao da; Lemes, Cecilia LeiteThis research applies continuous wavelet analysis and seasonal correlation anal- ysis to tree-ring data from Três Barras National Forest (FLONA Três Barras), revealing diverse influences on growth, including climate, solar activity, and external factors. The methodology involved tree-ring collection and subsequent wavelet and seasonal analy- ses to unveil the non-stationary characteristics of and multifaceted influences on growth. Key findings include the subtle effects of El Niño events on tree-ring development, the sensitivity of Araucaria angustifolia to temperature changes, the significant influence of precipitation during drought periods, and the intricate relationship between tree growth and solar cycles. The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) emerges as a primary climatic driver during specific intervals, with external factors (precipitation, temperature, and solar cycle–solar irradiance) influencing tree response between 1936 and 1989. Additionally, the seasonal correlation analysis highlighted the importance of sub-annual climate variability, capturing specific intervals, such as a 3-month season ending in March of the previous year, that significantly impacted tree-ring growth. The study underscores the importance of protecting the endangered Araucaria angustifolia for climatic studies and local commu- nities. Historically, in Brazil, Araucaria angustifolia seeds played a vital role in sustaining indigenous populations, which in turn helped to disperse and propagate forests, creating anthropogenic landscapes that highlight the interconnected relationship between humans and the preservation of these forests.Item Global ionospheric response to a G2 and a G3 geomagnetic storms of November 4 and 5 2023(Elsevier) Agyei-Yeboah, Ebenezer; Fagundes, Paulo Roberto; Tardelli, Alexandre; Pillat, Valdir Gil; Vieira, Francisco; Bolzan, Mauricio José AlvezTwo successive geomagnetic storms of G2 and G3 intensities were observed on November 4, 2023, and November 5, 2023. The results presented in this study investigated the impacts of two geomagnetic storms during the main phases at equatorial, low-latitude, and EIA and beyond over west/east American, west/east African/European, and west/east Asian longitudinal sectors. This study was carried out using 30 GPS receivers, 30 magnetometers, and three ionosondes (East Brazilian sector). Positive storm effects were observed during the main phases of both the G2 (storm1) and G3 (storm2) storms, however the magnitude of the positive storm effects was greater during the G3 main phase than during the G2 main phase. The American sectors recorded the highest VTEC variations. Negative storm effects were mostly observed over the Asian sectors. Minimal changes in VTEC were observed in the Asian sectors during both main phases, except over DAEJ. The American sectors exhibited the strongest positive storm responses, followed by the African and Asian sectors, with VTEC enhancements being more pronounced during the G3 storm’s main phase compared G2 storm. Positive ionospheric effects extended to higher latitudes during the main phase of G3 storm especially in the American sectors, likely due to eastward prompt pen- etration electric fields (PPEF) uplifting the F-region to altitudes where lower recombination rates lead to VTEC enhancement. This PPEF effect varied with longitude and storm intensity, resulting in significant positive ionospheric responses in the American sector, par- ticularly during the G3 storm. Variations in the thermospheric O/N2 ratio further influenced the VTEC changes across all sectors. The EIA exhibited notable disturbances, particularly in the American sector. By contrast, EIA crest features were less distinct in the African sector, highlighting the longitudinal dependencies of PPEF effects on the EIA structure. The EIA features were more pronounced during the main phase of the first storm, whereas during the second, the crests appeared to merge into one structure extending beyond the typical crest regions. The foF2 obtained from ionogram also increased during the main phases in the American sector with no significant h’F variations. The DH showed marked depressions, particularly in the American and African sectors, with the G3 storm producing stronger DH depressions than the G2 storm. Similar longitudinal and latitudinal DH variations were observed across both events, with substantial decreases in DH over specific stations, such as ABG and JAI, in the West Asian sector.Item Evidence of Unusually Strong Equatorial Ionization Anomaly at Three Local Time Sectors During the Mother's Day Geomagnetic Storm On 10-11 May 2024(Advancing Earth and Space Sciences) Rout, Diptiranjan; Kumar, Ankit; Singh, Ram; Patra, Swadesh; Karan, Deepak K.; Chakraborty, Shibaji; Scipion, Danny; Chakrabarty, Dibyendu; Riccobono, JuanitaThis study uses multiple ground and satellite‐based measurements to investigate the extreme ionospheric response to the Mother's Day storm on May 10–11, 2024. Prompt penetration electric field caused a significant enhancement in the ionospheric vertical drift (∼ 95 m/s) and the equatorial electrojet strength (∼275 nT) over Jicamarca. These extreme eastward electric field perturbations, along with the large meridional wind, significantly altered the F‐region plasma fountain at different local times. The afternoon equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) not only sustained for an exceptionally long duration (∼ 12 hr) but also expanded spatially over time. The separation between the two peaks of EIA crests exceeded ∼48° and ∼70° in the morning and evening sectors, respectively. This study shows, for the first time, that unusually strong EIA can not only develop at different local times but can also sustain for long duration under favorable conditions, which has implications for space weather applications.Item Effects of planetary wave oscillation on E-sporadic (Es) layers during the rare Antarctic sudden stratospheric warming of 2019(Elsevier) Fontes, Pedro Alves; Muella, Marcio Tadeu de Assis Honorato; Resende, Laysa Cristina Araújo; Jesus, Rodolfo de; Fagundes, Paulo Roberto; Mitra, Gourav; Pillat, Valdir Gil; Batista, Paulo Prado; Buriti, Ricardo Arlen; Correia, Emília; Muka, Peter TaiwoThis study investigates the impact of the rare 2019 Antarctic Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) event on the top frequency parameter (ftEs) of the sporadic E (Es) layers, using data from several ionosondes located at low and mid-latitudes across the Southern and Northern Hemispheres, including stations in the American, Oceanian, and Asian regions. The ionosonde data were also used to identify frequency anomalies in the Es layers during the event. Additionally, data from three meteor radars in South America were used to further analyze the impact of the SSW, focusing on key parameters such as tidal winds and Planetary Wave (PW) oscillations. The study found significant ftEs peaks exceeding 10 MHz, particularly at low-latitude stations, with values reaching up to 20 MHz. The presence of these atypical peaks in ftEs was related to PW activity, which intensified the electron densities in the Es layers. A wavelet analysis of the ftEs and neutral wind data revealed oscillations associated with PW and tidal interactions, with dominant periods of ∼2–8-days. These patterns were more pronounced in the Southern Hemisphere, indicating stronger PW-tide coupling compared to the Northern Hemisphere. In addition, this study shows that the non-linear interaction between the PW and the tides occurred globally, generating secondary oscillations of ∼2–8-days on the Es layer development for the three continents. These oscillations were observed in the zonal (U) and meridional (V) winds of the diurnal and semidiurnal tides (DT and ST) during the SSW event, demonstrating a coupling in the troposphere-stratosphere-lower atmosphere dynamics. The coupling between the stratosphere and lower thermosphere contributed to the observed anomalies, revealing the broader impacts of SSW events on Es layer behavior. This study provides an understanding of the impact of SSW on Es layers, using ionosonde data and wave oscillation analysis that could enhance data assimilation models for more accurate ionospheric prediction.Item Equatorial Ionization anomaly disturbances (EIA) triggered by the May 2024 solar Coronal Mass Ejection (CME): The strongest geomagnetic superstorm in the last two decades(Elsevier) Fagundes, Paulo Roberto; Pillat, Valdir Gil; Habarulema, John Bosco; Muella, Marcio Tadeu de Assis Honorato; Venkatesh, Kavutarapu; Abreu, Alessandro José de; Anoruo, Chukwuma Moses; Vieira, Francisco; Welyargis, Kibrom Hadush; Agyei-Yeboah, Ebenezer; Tardelli, Alexandre; Felix, Gabriela de Sousa; Picanço, Giorgio Arlan da SilvaBetween May 10–15, 2024, a geomagnetic superstorm, the most intense in the past two decades, was recorded. This G5-level super- storm exhibited a Disturbance Storm Time (Dst) index of −412 nT and a Kp index of 9. The sudden storm commencement (SSC) occurred on May 10 at 17:05 UT, followed by the main phase from 18:00 UT on May 10 to 03:00 UT on May 11. The recovery phase lasted from 03:00 UT on May 11 until May 15. During this period, nine X-class solar flares were observed, indicating intense solar activ- ity. The superstorm led to significant ionospheric disturbances, which were analyzed using data from two ionosonde stations and GPS- TEC data from a network across the American sector, covering equatorial to low-mid latitude regions. A negative storm effect was observed in the equatorial region, while a positive ionospheric effect was observed in the low-mid latitudes during the main phase, accom- panied by the uplift of the F-layer to altitudes exceeding 1024 km, driven by storm induced prompt penetration electric fields. Addition- ally, a strong negative storm effect was recorded during the recovery phase on May 11 in daytime, probably due to O/N2 ratio changes.Item Detection of the White Dwarf Spin of the Long-orbital Period Magnetic Cataclysmic Variable V1082 Sgr(American Astronomical Society) Lima, Isabel de Jesus; Tovmassian, Gagik; Rodrigues, Claudia Vilega; Oliveira, Alexandre Soares de; Luna, Gerardo Juan Manuel; Buckley, David A. H.; Silva, Karleyne Medeiros Gomes da; Figueiredo, Ana Carolina Mattiuci; Souza, Diego Carvalho de; Schlindwein, Wagner; Marques, Fernando Falkenberg; Palhares, Matheus SoaresWe report on the discovery of circular polarization modulated with a period of 1.943 ± 0.002hr in the cataclysmic variable V1082 Sgr. These findings unambiguously reveal the rotation of a magnetic white dwarf and establish its intermediate polar nature. Along with its extraordinary long orbital period (Porb) of 20.8 hr, the spin period (Pspin) places this system in an extreme position of the Pspin versus Porb distribution. The circular polarization phase diagram has a single peak and an amplitude smaller than 1%. These data were used to model the postshock region of the accretion flow on the white dwarf surface using the CYCLOPS code. We obtained a magnetic field in the white dwarf pole of 11 MG and a magnetospheric radius consistent with the coupling region at around 2–3 white dwarf radii. The Pspin/Porb value and the estimated magnetic field momentum suggest that V1082 Sgr could be out of spin equilibrium or in a spin-up state, possibly in a stream accretion mode.Item CIR-Driven Geomagnetic Storm and High-Intensity Long-Duration Continuous AE Activity (HILDCAA) Event: Effects on Brazilian Equatorial and Low-Latitude Ionosphere-Observations and Modeling(MDPI) Abaidoo, Samuel; Klausner, Virginia; Candido, Claudia Maria Nicoli; Pillat, Valdir Gil; Godoy, Stella Pires de Moraes Santos Ribeiro; Guedes, Fabio Becker; Toledo, Josiely Aparecida do Espirito Santo; Trigo, Laura LuizThis paper investigates the effects of a Corotating Interaction Region (CIR)/High-Speed Stream (HSS)-driven geomagnetic storm from 13 to 23 October 2003, preceding the well-known Halloween storm. This moderate storm exhibited a prolonged recovery phase and persistent activity due to a High-Intensity Long-Duration Continuous AE Activity (HILDCAA) event. We focus on low-latitude ionospheric responses induced by Prompt Penetration Electric Fields (PPEFs) and Disturbance Dynamo Electric Fields (DDEFs). To assess these effects, we employed ground-based GNSS receivers, Digisonde data, and satellite observations from ACE, TIMED, and SOHO. An empirical model by Scherliess and Fejer (1999) was used to estimate equatorial plasma drifts and assess disturbed electric fields. Results show a ∼120 km uplift in hmF2 due to PPEF, expanding the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) crest beyond 20° dip latitude. DDEF effects during HILDCAA induced sustained F-region oscillations (∼100 km). The storm also altered thermospheric composition, with [[O]/[N2] enhancements coinciding with TEC increases. Plasma irregularities, inferred from the Rate of TEC Index (ROTI 0.5–1 TECU/min), extended from equatorial to South Atlantic Magnetic Anomaly (SAMA) latitudes. These results demonstrate prolonged ionospheric disturbances under CIR/HSS forcing and highlight the relevance of such events for understanding extended storm-time electrodynamics at low latitudes.Item Characterization of H2O:N2 ice under bombardment by cosmic rays: I. Reaction rates and chemical equilibrium(Royal Astronomical Society) Queiroz, Lucas Marcos da Silva; Silva, Josiane Ribeiro Campos; Ferrao, Luiz Fernando de Araújo; Pilling, SergioIn space, nitrogen-rich ice is constantly exposed to ionizing radiation, which triggers chemical reactions and desorption processes allowing a chemical enhancement of interstellar medium (ISM). Here, we present the first part of a series of studies on the effect of cosmic ray bombardment (40 MeV Ni11+ ions) on H2O:N2 (1:5) ice at 15 K, employing the PROCODA code as the modelling tool including 28 chemical species and 930 chemical coupled equations (also including desorption). This first part focuses on the reaction rates and chemical equilibrium stage due to radiation processing. Among the results, we characterize the molecular abundances at chemical equilibrium, including experimentally observed and non-observed species (predicted) suggesting some candidates as a target for astronomical observation. The best-fitting models provided the effective rate coefficients, which can be employed in astrochemical models to understand the chemistry of cold space environments. The findings also help to clarify the chemical processes of N-bearing species in the ISM and frozen surfaces of the Solar system, including the moon of giant planets, outer solar system objects, and ices in the interstellar and protostellar medium.Item Can Implicit Solvation Methods Capture Temperature Effects on the Infrared Features of Astrophysical Ices?(MDPI) Bonfim, Victor de Souza A.; Oliveira, Daniel Augusto Barra de; Fantuzzi, Felipe; Pilling, SergioAstrophysical ices play a crucial role in the chemistry of cold interstellar environments. However, their diverse compositions, temperatures, and grain morphologies pose significant challenges for molecular identification and quantification through infrared observations. We investigate the ability of implicit solvation approaches to capture temperature-dependent infrared spectral features of CO2 molecules embedded in astrophysical ice analogues, comparing their performance to that of explicit ice models and experimental data. Using DFT calculations and vibrational frequency scaling, we model CO2 trapped in both amorphous (cold) and crystalline (warm) H2O ice clusters. The implicit model qualitatively identifies certain trends but fails to reliably capture the magnitude of frequency shifts and band strengths. Explicit models correctly reproduce the gas-to-solid redshifts for both the asymmetric stretch and bending modes; however, neither approach successfully replicates the experimentally observed temperature-dependent trend in the bending mode. While continuum-like methods may be useful as first-order approximations, explicit modelling of the molecular environment is essential for accurately simulating the infrared spectral behaviour of CO2 in astrophysical ices and for interpreting observational data on ice composition and evolution.Item Análise do comportamento eletromiográfico e da força durante a fadiga do musculo bíceps braquial(Universidade do Vale do Paraíba) Souza, Gabriela Aparecida da Silveira; Macedo, Humberto Gimenes; Klausner, Virginia; Cezarini, Marina Vedelago; Lemos, Sergio Luiz; Nascimento Filho, Alexandre Alves do; Corrêa, Marina; Spinelli, Bruna Moreira de Oliveira; Barbaroto, Douglas; Pinto, Ana Paula; Lima, Mario; Lopes-Martins, Rodrigo; Lima, Fernanda Púpio SilvaA fadiga muscular é definida como a incapacidade de manter a contração muscular e é ocasionada por alterações bioquímicas que modificam a mecânica da contração muscular, resultando em redução da performance atlética. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o comportamento mioelétrico e a força de indivíduos hígidos durante a fadiga do músculo bíceps braquial. O estudo foi composto por 13 voluntários do sexo masculino com idade entre 20 e 30 anos (25±3,7). Para a indução da fadiga muscular foram realizadas três Contrações Isométricas Voluntárias Máximas (CIVM) com duração de 50 segundos e intervalo de 50 segundos, utilizando um dinamômetro computadorizado acoplado ao eletromiógrafo de superfície. Durante a CIVM foi avaliado o sinal eletromiográfico e a força. Foi possível observar nos resultados uma queda da força muscular e dos parâmetros avaliados por meio da eletromiografia durante a fadiga muscular. A partir da regressão linear dos dados obtidos por meio da eletromiografia e dinamometria foi possível obter o coeficiente angular da reta para cada teste (Teste 1, Teste 2 e Teste 3), nota-se que houve queda de todos os parâmetros avaliados por meio da eletromiografia de superfície e da força muscular, entretanto não houve diferença estatística entre os testes, demonstrando similaridade do comportamento do sinal entre os testes. Conclui-se, portanto, que os parâmetros eletromiográficos analisados (frequência média, frequência mediana e RMS) e a força apresentam um decréscimo durante a fadiga muscular induzida por meio da CIVM.Item Morphological Features of Ionospheric Scintillations During High Solar Activity Using GPS Observations Over the South American Sector(Advancing Earth and Space Sciences) Jesus, Rodolfo de; Batista, Inez Staciarini; Takahashi, Hisao; Barros, Diego; Figueiredo, Cosme Alexandre Oliveira Barros; Abreu, Alessandro José de; Jonah, Olusegun Folarin; Fagundes, Paulo Roberto; Venkatesh, KarnamThe main objective of this study is to investigate the ionospheric irregularities observed by Global Positioning System‐total electron content (GPS‐TEC) receivers during the high solar activity years of 2013 and 2014 at different stations in the equatorial and low‐latitude regions in the South American sector. The ionospheric parameters used in this investigation are the TEC, the rate of change of the TEC index (ROTI), and the amplitude scintillation index (S4). In the South American sector, the ROTI and S4 indices showed that the ionospheric irregularities have an annual variation with maximum occurrence from September to April, between 20:00 LT and 02:00 LT, and no occurrence from May to August. Also, strong phase fluctuations (ROTI >1) are observed over South America at 19 LT in October and November. Morlet wavelet analysis of ROTI and S4 showed that planetary wave‐scale periods ranging from 2 to 8 days are predominant during September–March at 20–02 LT in South America. In addition, using a keogram it was possible to evaluate the distance between adjacent ionospheric plasma depletions, and this result is presented and discussed. The longitudinal distances between adjacent bubbles vary around ~600–1000 km, which is larger than values reported in most previous studies.Item Methylenimine and cyanomethanimine synthesis from ion irradiation of N2-CH4 ice: Implication on the formation of prebiotic molecules in outer solar system bodies(Elsevier) Vasconcelos, Fredson de Araujo; Pilling, Sergio; Agnihotri, Aditya Narain; Rothard, Hermann; Boduch, PhilippeThe synthesis of methylenimine and cyanomethanimine from ion irradiation of N2-CH4 ice was studied, in an attempt to simulate the role of medium mass cosmic rays and energetic solar particles in the processing of nitrogen-rich ices on cold astrophysical environments, such as those in the outer region of the solar system (e.g. Pluto, Charon, Triton, Makemake and Titan). The N2-CH4 (90:10) ice mixture was irradiated at 9 K by 38.4 MeV 40Ca9+ (0.96 MeV/u) at the GANIL facility (Caen/Fance). The evolution of the samples was monitored using in-situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results indicate the formation of CH2NH and CH2NCN, which are considered species of interest in prebiotic chemistry. Other species produced by radiolysis were HCN, HNC, hydrocarbons and nitriles. Direct comparison of the laboratory spectrum from the mixture of reaction products provides an efficient way to focus on the identification of chemical synthesis routes for the production of molecules important in the development of life that are consistent with the chemical inventory and physical conditions on frozen moons and cold objects in the outer solar system.Item Laboratory investigation of x-ray photolysis of methanol ice and its implication on astrophysical environments(Sociedade Brasileira de Química) Freitas, Fabricio Moreira; Pilling, SergioMethanol (CH3OH) is one of the most abundant organic molecules in astrophysical environments. It has been found in cold regions such as surfaces of comets, ices near young stellar objects and protoplanetary disks, as well as in the gas phase in different regions in space. In this work, we experimentally simulate the methanol ice and its behavior when irradiated by broadband soft X-rays. The experiments were performed at the Brazilian Synchrotron Facility LNLS/CNPEM, employing a broadband photon beam (6 to 2000 eV). The frozen sample was analyzed in situ by infrared spectroscopy (IR) in simulated astrophysical at different radiation fluences. The results show the formation of several new species such as CO2, CO, H2O and CH4 during the photolysis CH3OH ice by soft X-rays. We determined effective destruction and formation cross-section, as well as the chemical equilibrium fluence (FE) and desorption yields. The timescale to reach chemical equilibrium in some astrophysical environments with soft X-rays were estimated. The result helps us to understand the photolysis induced by X-rays in organic-rich ices in space environments.Item Ionospheric disturbances in a large area of the terrestrial globe by two strong solar flares of September 6, 2017, the strongest space weather events in the last decade(Elsevier) Fagundes, Paulo Roberto; Pezzopane, Michael; Habarulema, John Bosco; Venkatesh, Karnam; Dias, Maukers Alem Lima; Tardelli, Alexandre; Abreu, Alessandro José de; Pillat, Valdir Gil; Pignalberi, Alessio; Bolzan, Maurício José Alves; Ribeiro, Brunno Augusto Gomes; Vieira, Francisco; Raulin, Jean-Pierre; Denardini, Clezio Marcos; Seemala, Gopi K.; Arcanjo, Mateus de OliveiraOn September 6, 2017, the solar active region AR 2673 emitted two solar flares: the first at 08:57 UT (X2.2) and the second at 11:53 UT (X9.3); both were powerful enough to black-out high and low frequency radio waves (where UT is universal time). The X9.3 was the strongest solar flare event in the past decade. In this study, we took the advantage of these two extreme flare events to investigate cor- responding effects on the ionosphere using multi-instrument observations from magnetometers, Global Positioning System – Total Elec- tron content (GPS-TEC) receivers, ionosondes and Swarm satellites over a large geographical extent covering South American, African and European sectors. During the X2.2 flare, European and African sectors were sunlit and during X9.3 European, African, and South American sectors were sunlit and exposed to the solar flare radiation. During the X2.2 flare, there was an ionosonde blackout for a dura- tion of about 45 min, while during the X9.3 flare this blackout lasted for 1 h and 30 min. The blackout are seen over a large global extent which demonstrates the severity of solar flare events in disrupting the radio communication. The horizontal component of Earth’s geo- magnetic field has shown ripples and enhancements during these flare events. The ionospheric Vertical Total Electron Content (VTEC) showed a positive phase along with an intensification of the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) over the South American and African sectors. The dynamical and physical processes associated with the TEC and EIA variabilities due to solar flare are discussed.Item Identificação e análise de eventos HILDCAA/HILDCAA* para o ano de 1998 usando Python(Universidade do Vale do Paraíba) Lamin, Isabelle Cristine Pellegrini; Klausner, Virginia; Ojeda González, Arian; Prestes, Alan; Pillat, Valdir Gil; Cezarini, MarinaO artigo visa o desenvolvimento de um novo algoritmo via Python para estudar eventos de Atividade Auroral Contínua do Índice AE (Eletrojato Auroral), de Grande Intensidade e Longa Duração, HILDCAAs e HILDCAAs* (no qual * corresponde ao fenômeno HILDCAA flexibilizado). Este algoritmo é baseado e validado por meio do algoritmo previamente desenvolvido por Prestes et al. (2017a) em MATLAB. O intuito deste novo algoritmo proposto aqui é tornar o fluxograma deste acessível a todos os usuários, além de complementar e atualizar o algoritmo em MATLAB já existente. Um importante aspecto é o fato da linguagem de programação de alto nível Python ser uma ferramenta gratuita. Ademais, o artigo também objetiva a comparação dos eventos encontrados no ano de 1998 neste trabalho com aqueles obtidos por Prestes et al. (2017a) e Guarnieri (2006). A nova flexibilização adotada aqui não tem a intensão de suprimir ou modificar a concepção original das HILDCAAs, mostra que os eventos encontrados aqui continuam associados aos fenômenos HSSs/CIRs (Feixes Rápidos do Vento Solar/Regiões de Interações Corrotantes).Item Daily and Monthly Variations of the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) Over the Brazilian Sector During the Descending Phase of the Solar Cycle 24(Advancing Earth and Space Sciences) Dias, Maukers Alem Lima; Fagundes, Paulo Roberto; Venkatesh, Karnam; Pillat, Valdir Gil; Ribeiro, Brunno Augusto Gomes; Seemala, Gopi K.; Arcanjo, Mateus de OliveiraIt has been noticed recently that the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) in the Brazilian eastern, middle, and western sectors present significant longitudinal variability within a short separation due to the presence of typical magnetic field structure over South America. Therefore, the main motivation of this study is to investigate day‐to‐day and month‐to‐month characteristics of the EIA in three closely spaced longitudinal sectors over the Brazilian region during the year 2016 in the descending phase of the solar activity. These three longitudinal sectors are perpendicular to the magnetic equator at its largest declination over the globe. The EIA showed a semiannual variation in all sectors with a major maximum during the summer, a minimum during the winter, and secondary maximum during spring. In addition, the EIA shows its classical behavior with a trough around the magnetic equator and crests at low latitudes (from ±15° to ±20°). When the EIA is not developed, the maximum ionization is located around the dip equatorial latitudes and the anomaly crest is absent. The number of days within 1 year that showed clear EIA development in the west, middle, and east sectors is 248 (78.2%), 236 (74.4%), and 265 (83.6%), respectively. The undeveloped/absence of EIA is also found often during the months of winter, and the numbers of such days during 2016 in the west, middle, and east are 69 (21.8%), 81 (25.6%), and 52 (16.4%), respectively. Also, the shape, strength, extent, and lifetimes of EIA crest have shown significant variabilities between the three sectors during different seasons. Further, a comparative analysis is carried out on the variations of EIA crest and lifetime between GPS observations and IRI‐2016 model, and the results are discussed.Item Application of wavelet for seismic wave analysis in Kathmandu Valley after the 2015 Gorkha earthquake, Nepal(Springer Open) Adhikari, Binod; Dahal, Subodh; Karki, Monika; Mishra, Roshan Kumar; Dahal, Ranjan Kumar; Sasmal, Sudipta; Klausner, VirginiaIn this paper, we estimate the seismogenic energy during the Nepal Earthquake (25 April 2015) and studied the ground motion time-frequency characteristics in Kathmandu valley. The idea to analyze time-frequency characteristic of seismogenic energy signal is based on wavelet transform which we employed here. Wavelet transform has been used as a powerful signal analysis tools in various fields like compression, time-frequency analysis, earthquake parameter determination, climate studies, etc. This technique is particularly suitable for non-stationary signal. It is well recognized that the earthquake ground motion is a non-stationary random process. In order to characterize a non-stationary random process, it is required immeasurable samples in the mathematical sense. The wavelet transformation procedures that we follow here helps in random analyses of linear and non-linear structural systems, which are subjected to earthquake ground motion. The manners of seismic ground motion are characterized through wavelet coefficients associated to these signals. Both continuous wavelet transform (CWT) and discrete wavelet transform (DWT) techniques are applied to study ground motion in Kathmandu Valley in horizontal and vertical directions. These techniques help to point out the long-period ground motion with site response. We found that the long-period ground motions have enough power for structural damage. Comparing both the horizontal and the vertical motion, we observed that the most of the high amplitude signals are associated with the vertical motion: the high energy is released in that direction. It is found that the seismic energy is damped soon after the main event; however the period of damping is different. This can be seen on DWT curve where square wavelet coefficient is high at the time of aftershock and the value decrease with time. In other words, it is mostly associated with the arrival of Rayleigh waves. We concluded that long-period ground motions should be studied by earthquake engineers in order to avoid structural damage during the earthquake. Hence, by using wavelet technique we can specify the vulnerability of seismically active region and local topological features out there.Item Time-scales to reach chemical equilibrium in ices at snowline distance around compact objects: the influence of accretion mass in the central object(Royal Astronomical Society) Carvalho, Geanderson Araújo; Pilling, SergioIn this work, we analyse soft X-ray emission due to mass accretion on to compact stars and its effects on the time-scale to reach chemical equilibrium of eventual surrounding astrophysical ices exposed to that radiation. Reaction time-scales due to soft X-ray in water-rich and pure ices of methanol, acetone, acetonitrile, formic acid, and acetic acid were determined. For accretion rates in the range m˙ = 10−12–10−8 M yr−1 and distances in the range 1–3 LY from the central compact objects, the time-scales lie in the range 10–108 yr, with shorter time-scales corresponding to higher accretion rates. Obtained time-scales for ices at snow-line distances can be small when compared to the lifetime (or age) of the compact stars, showing that chemical equilibrium could have been achieved. Time-scales for ices to reach chemical equilibrium depend on X-ray flux and, hence, on accretion rate, which indicates that systems with low accretion rates may not have reached chemical equilibrium.Item The physical properties and evolution of the interacting system AM 1204−292(Royal Astronomical Society) Rosa, Deise Aparecida; Oliveira Filho, Irapuan Rodrigues de; Krabbe, Angela Cristina; Milone, Andre de Castro; Carvalho, Sarita Pereira deWe investigate interaction effects in the stellar and gas kinematics, stellar population, and ionized gas properties of the interacting galaxy pair AM 1204−292,composed of NGC 4105 and NGC 4106. The data consist of long-slit spectra in the range 3000–7050 Å. The massive E3 galaxy NGC 4105 presents a flat stellar velocity profile, while the ionized gas is in strong rotation, suggesting an external origin. Its companion, NGC 4106, shows asymmetries in the radial velocity field, likely due to the interaction. The dynamics of the interacting pair were modelled using the P-Gadget3 treepm/sph code, from which we show that the system has just passed the first perigalacticum, which triggered an outbreak of star formation, currently at full maximum. We characterized the stellar population properties using the stellar population synthesis code starlight and, on average, both galaxies are predominantly composed of old stellar populations. NGC 4105 has a slightly negative age gradient, comparable with that of the most massive elliptical galaxies, but a steeper metallicity gradient. The SB0 galaxy NGC 4106 presents smaller radial variations in both age and metallicity in comparison with intermediate-mass early-type galaxies. These gradients have not been disturbed by interaction, since the star formation happened very recently and was not extensive in mass. Electron density estimates for the pair are systematically higher than those obtained in isolated galaxies. The central O/H abundances were obtained from photoionization models in combination with emission-line ratios, which resulted in 12 + log(O/H) = 9.03 ± 0.02 and 12 + log(O/H) = 8.69 ± 0.05 for NGC 4105 and NGC 4106, respectively.Item The Influence of Heavy Cosmic Rays in Energy Deposition in Molecular Clouds Employing the GEANT4 Code and Voyager I Data(IOP science) Pilling, Sergio; Pazianotto, Maurício Tizziani; Souza, Lucas Alves deGalactic and extragalactic cosmic rays fully illuminate and trigger several physical and physicochemical changes in molecular clouds (MCs), including gas and grain heating, molecular destruction and formation, and molecular and atomic desorption (sputtering) from dust/ices to gas phase. Besides the major component in cosmic ray inventory (in flux) being electrons, protons, and alphas, particles with larger atomic numbers have a higher rate of energy delivery (due to richer cosmic ray showers) than the lighter particles, and this may add extra energy input into MCs. To understand this issue, we perform complementary calculations to the previous work on MCs, now adding the heavy ions (12 ≤ Z ≤ 29) in the cosmic ray incoming inventory. Once more, the calculations were performed employing the Monte Carlo toolkit GEANT4 code (considering nuclear and hadron physics). We observe that most projectiles in the heavy ion group have lower deposited energies (roughly 10 times less) than iron with the exception of magnesium (Z = 12) and silicon (Z = 14) which are about double. Cobalt presents the lowest deposited energies with respect to iron (only 0.5%). The total energy deposition in the current model was only roughly 10% higher (outer layers) and virtually the same at the center of the cloud when compared with the previous model (with only protons + alphas + electrons sources). The results show that energy deposition by heavy ions is small compared with the values from light particles, and also suggest a very low temperature enhancement due to heavy ions within the MC, being the protons the dominant agent in the energy delivery and also in the cloud's heating.