We demonstrate the importance of radio selection in probing heavily obscured galaxy populations. We combine Evolutionary Map of the Universe (EMU) Early Science data in the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) G23 field with the GAMA data, providing optical photometry and spectral line measurements, together with Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) infrared (IR) photometry, providing IR luminosities and colours. We investigate the degree of obscuration in star-forming galaxies, based on the Balmer decrement (BD), and explore how this trend varies, over a redshift range of $0<z<0.345$. We demonstrate that the radio-detected population has on average higher levels of obscuration than the parent optical sample, arising through missing the lowest BD and lowest mass galaxies, which are also the lower star formation rate (SFR) and metallicity systems. We discuss possible explanations for this result, including speculation around whether it might arise from steeper stellar initial mass functions in low mass, low SFR galaxies.

We show that, contrary to simple predictions, most AGNs show at best only a small increase of lags with increasing wavelength in the J, H, K, and L bands. We suggest that a possible cause of this near simultaneity from the near-IR to the mid-IR is that the hot dust is in a hollow bi-conical outflow of which we preferentially see the near side. In the proposed model sublimation or re-creation of dust (with some delay relative luminosity variations) along our line of sight in the hollow cone as the flux varies could be a factor in explaining the AGN changing-look phenomenon (CL). Variations in the dust obscuration can help explain changes in relationship of Hβ time delay on Luv variability. The relative wavelength independence of IR lags simplifies the use of IR lags for estimating cosmological parameters.

We investigated a scenario where the presence of a broad absorption line (BAL) feature in quasars (QSOs) is contingent upon the line of sight being situated within an outflow cone emanating from the source. We examined the mechanism of dust-driven winds based on the failed radiatively accelerated dusty outflow (FRADO) model proposed by Czerny & Hryniewicz, letting it be responsible for the formation of massive outflow. We calculated the probability of observing the BAL effect from the geometry of outflow which is a function of global parameters of black hole mass (M•), Eddington ratio (αEdd), and metallicity (Z). We then compared the results with prevalence of BAL QSOs in a sample of observational data from SDSS. The consistency of our model with the data supports the interpretation of the BAL phenomenon as a result of source orientation, rather than a transitory stage in AGN evolution.

The mobility of lighter species on the surface of interstellar dust grains plays a crucial role in forming simple through complex molecules. Carbon monoxide is one of the most abundant molecules, its surface diffusion on the grain surface is essential to forming many molecules. Recent laboratory experiments found a diverse range of diffusion barriers for CO on the grain surface, their use can significantly impact the abundance of several molecules. The impact of different diffusion barriers of CO, in the astrochemical models, is studied to understand its effect on the abundance of solid CO and the species for which it is a reactant partner. A gas-grain network is used for three different physical conditions; cold core and warm-up models with slow and fast heating rates. Two different ratios (0.3 and 0.5) between diffusion and desorption barrier are utilised for all the species. For each physical condition and ratio, six different models are run by varying diffusion barriers of CO. Solid CO abundance for the models with the lowest diffusion barrier yields less than 0.1% of water ice for cold clouds and a maximum of 0.4% for slow and fast warm-up models. Also, solid $\textrm{CO}_2$ in dense clouds is significantly overproduced ( ${\sim}140\%$ of water). The abundance of H2CO and $\textrm{CH}_3\textrm{OH}$ showed an opposite trend, and HCOOH, $\textrm{CH}_3\textrm{CHO}$ , $\textrm{NH}_2\textrm{CO}$ , and $\textrm{CH}_3\textrm{COCH}_3$ are produced in lower quantities for models with low diffusion barriers for CO. Considerable variation in abundance is observed between models with the high and low diffusion barrier. Models with higher diffusion barriers provide a relatively better agreement with the observed abundances when compared with the models having lower diffusion barriers.

The ‘Theatre of the Absurd’, the popular label for Samuel Beckett’s theatre, has been challenged over the past decades before its implications were fully explored. This article reconsiders the ‘absurd’ with respect to Beckett and the human/nonhuman relations in the Anthropocene. It draws upon affect theory and posthumanism, arguing that the absurd in Beckett’s theatre takes root in the theatricalization of posthuman affects, which connect the human body and the non-human world. Posthuman affects subvert human sovereignty and disintegrate humans into nothingness. Yet they also give birth to a different cosmic ontology, which involves a call for change in the relationship between the human and the nonhuman. Revisited from the perspective of posthuman affect, the absurd in Beckett’s theatre acquires new complexities that bring glimmering possibilities of endurance and comfort in the face of catastrophe. Chen Chang is an assistant researcher of the English Department at Nanjing University, where she recently completed her PhD dissertation on Beckett and the posthuman body. She has published several articles on Beckett as well as in gender studies.

The Atacama Large Millimetre/Sub-millimetre Array (ALMA) is obtaining the deepest observations of early galaxies ever achieved at (sub-)millimetre wavelengths, and detecting the dust emission of young galaxies in the first billion years of cosmic history, well in the epoch of reionization. Here I review some of the latest results from these observations, with special focus on the REBELS large programme, which targets a sample of 40 star-forming galaxies at z ⋍ 7. ALMA detects significant amounts of dust in very young galaxies, and this dust might have different properties to dust in lower-redshift galaxies. I describe the evidence for this, and discuss theoretical/modelling efforts to explain the dust properties of these young galaxies. Finally, I describe two additional surprising results to come out of the REBELS survey: (i) a new population of completely dust-obscured galaxies at z ⋍ 7, and (ii) the prevalence of spatial offsets between the ultraviolet and infrared emission of UV-bright, high-redshift star-forming galaxies.

During the eighteenth century, chemists in the Kingdom of Naples (the South of Italy) were very busy analyzing the chemical composition of ash from Mount Vesuvius. Undoubtedly, after a huge eruption this dusty phenomenon was the most important scientific object of debate. In fact, it was crucial to determine if there were dangerous elements in the ash so that the population could be warned about the potential hazards, such as polluted drinking water. This was not at all a simple issue, as on the other hand there were scholars who realized that ash could be beneficial as a fertilizer, even as clouds of ash had obscured the sun. As chemical inquiries became more precise and the toxic concentration of many elements became known, this double life of Vesuvian ash as a scientific object gradually died.

The Las Vegas Formation (LVF) is a well-characterized sequence of groundwater discharge (GWD) deposits exposed in and around the Las Vegas Valley in southern Nevada. Nearly monolithologic bedrock surrounds the valley, which provides an excellent opportunity to test the hypothesis that GWD deposits include an aeolian component. Mineralogical data indicate that the LVF sediments are dominated by carbonate minerals, similar to the local bedrock, but silicate minerals are also present. The median particle size is ~35 μm, consistent with modern dust in the region, and magnetic properties contrast strongly with local bedrock, implying an extralocal origin. By combining geochemical data from the LVF sediments and modern dust, we found that an average of ~25% of the LVF deposits were introduced by aeolian processes. The remainder consists primarily of authigenic groundwater carbonate as well as minor amounts of alluvial material and soil carbonate. Our data also show that the aeolian sediments accumulated in spring ecosystems in the Las Vegas Valley in a manner that was independent of both time and the specific hydrologic environment. These results have broad implications for investigations of GWD deposits located elsewhere in the southwestern U.S. and worldwide.

Debate about the nature of climate and the magnitude of ecological change across Australia during the last glacial maximum (LGM; 26.5–19 ka) persists despite considerable research into the late Pleistocene. This is partly due to a lack of detailed paleoenvironmental records and reliable chronological frameworks. Geochemical and geochronological analyses of a 60 ka sedimentary record from Brown Lake, subtropical Queensland, are presented and considered in the context of climate-controlled environmental change. Optically stimulated luminescence dating of dune crests adjacent to prominent wetlands across North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah) returned a mean age of 119.9 ± 10.6 ka; indicating relative dune stability soon after formation in Marine Isotope Stage 5. Synthesis of wetland sediment geochemistry across the island was used to identify dust accumulation and applied as an aridification proxy over the last glacial-interglacial cycle. A positive trend of dust deposition from ca. 50 ka was found with highest influx occurring leading into the LGM. Complexities of comparing sedimentary records and the need for robust age models are highlighted with local variation influencing the accumulation of exogenic material. An inter-site comparison suggests enhanced moisture stress regionally during the last glaciation and throughout the LGM, returning to a more positive moisture balance ca. 8 ka.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including obesity, diabetes, and allergy are chronic, multi-factorial conditions that are affected by both genetic and environmental factors. Over the last decade, the microbiome has emerged as a possible contributor to the pathogenesis of NCDs. Microbiome profiles were altered in patients with NCDs, and shift in microbial communities was associated with improvement in these health conditions. Since the genetic component of these diseases cannot be altered, the ability to manipulate the microbiome holds great promise for design of novel therapies in the prevention and treatment of NCDs. Together, the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease concept and the microbial hypothesis propose that early life exposure to environmental stimuli will alter the development and composition of the human microbiome, resulting in health consequences. Recent studies indicated that the environment we are exposed to in early life is instrumental in shaping robust immune development, possibly through modulation of the human microbiome (skin, airway, and gut). Despite much research into human microbiome, the origin of their constituent microbiota remains unclear. Dust (also known as particulate matter) is a key determinant of poor air quality in the modern urban environment. It is ubiquitous and serves as a major source and reservoir of microbial communities that modulates the human microbiome, contributing to health and disease. There are evidence that reported significant associations between environmental dust and NCDs. In this review, we will focus on the impact of dust exposure in shaping the human microbiome and its possible contribution to the development of NCDs.

Sequences of quartz-rich coarse (20−63 μm) silt occur in many low- and midlatitude unglaciated arid and semiarid areas and have been termed “desert loess.” The processes by which these deposits are generated have been debated for decades. All hypotheses to explain their origin seek to provide mechanisms for the generation of silt-sized material without glacial grinding, which is the main process involved in the production of coarse silt at high latitudes. Possible mechanisms for the formation of coarse silt in arid regions include derivation from preexisting siltstones, mechanical weathering of silicate rocks, and abrasion of sand grains in active dune environments during intense transport events. Examination of the characteristics of desert loess and field and laboratory experiments to assess the role of dune areas as a source of coarse silt by abrasion and/or resuspension of residual fines suggests that many loess sequences are dominated by locally derived coarse silt. Improvements in the characterization of desert loess particle size, mineralogy, and geochemistry are needed, however, to identify sources and sinks of coarse silt, especially when combined with climatic back-trajectory analysis. Properly scaled experiments and modeling of particle collisions will also help to better quantify the effectiveness of abrasion in the generation of coarse silt in support of field observations.

The above article previously published with incorrect author information for Dr Binil Aryal. Dr Aryal’s affiliation should be listed as Central Department of Physics, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal. This error has since been rectified in the online PDF and HTML copies of the article.

Modelling and interpreting the SEDs of galaxies has become one of the key tools at the disposal of extragalactic astronomers. Ideally, we could hope that, through a detailed study of its SED, we can infer the correct physical properties and the evolutionary history of a galaxy. In the past decade, panchromatic SED fitting, i.e. modelling the SED over the entire UV–submm wavelength regime, has seen an enormous advance. Several advanced new codes have been developed, nearly all based on Bayesian inference modelling. In this review, we briefly touch upon the different ingredients necessary for panchromatic SED modelling, and discuss the methodology and some important aspects of Bayesian SED modelling. The current uncertainties and limitations of panchromatic SED modelling are discussed, and we explore some avenues how the models and techniques can potentially be improved in the near future.