Faculty of Science

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Faculty of Science Faculty of Science DEAN’S REPORT received an NRF A-rating, while three young researchers, Dr Amanda Weltman (Department of Mathematics and Applied The Faculty of Science enjoyed Mathematics), and Dr David Braun and considerable success in its Dr Shadreck Chirikure from the Department of Archaeology, received NRF P-ratings research endeavours in a in 2011. number of areas during 2011. At the university level, three of our more senior scientists, professors George To meet the continuing rise in cost of Janelidze (Department of Mathematics internationally competitive research, staff and Applied Mathematics), Hans-Peter were successful in raising approximately Kunzi (Department of Mathematics and R141 million in research income to cover Applied Mathematics), and Ed Rybicki a range of projects, including salaries were honoured by being elected as for soft-funded staff, postdoctoral fellows of the University of Cape Town in fellows and master’s and PhD bursaries. This is a recognition of their international research standing and particularly noteworthy achievement, given the dwindling the impact of their research. Professor Janelidze was NRF resources for the pure sciences. Of this funding, recognised for his work in categorical algebra, including R58 million was received from the NRF and some abstract Galois theory, with applications in classical R78 million from research contracts with industry, algebra, geometry and topology; Professor Kunzi for his government, public entities and statutory bodies, and work in analytic and categorical topology, focusing on science councils; with about R28 million being raised frame theory and asymmetric topology; and Professor from foreign sources. Of importance to the training of Rybicki for his work on the use of plants and cell cultures postgraduate students in our faculty, staff were able to to make pharmaceutically-important proteins, and in raise R32 million for bursaries in support of honours, elucidating the virus-host interactions of grass- and cereal- master’s and PhD students in the faculty. infecting geminiviruses. The number of PhD and postdoctoral researchers remained At a junior level, the faculty was privileged to have high, with 118 postdoctoral fellows spread among the the UCT College of Fellows name two of our younger departments, and 350 PhD students registered in the staff, Dr Rob Ingle (Department of Molecular and Cell faculty. A measure of the success of our postgraduate Biology) and Dr Deena Pillay (Department of Zoology), training programmes is reflected in the number of master’s as recipients of its 2011 College of Fellows’ Young and doctoral graduates produced in the Science faculty Researcher Awards that recognise outstanding scholarly in 2011, with 48 PhDs and 122 master’s degrees being work by young academics. Dr Ingle’s research area lies awarded, 22 percent of the latter with distinction. Two in the interactions between plants and their environment, students who excelled in their postgraduate studies were particularly in the molecular mechanisms that help them Fhumulani Nemulodi (Department of Physics), who was cope with stresses imposed either by other organisms or awarded the prestigious S2A3 Medal for the best master’s by chemical/physical factors. Dr Pillay’s research interests dissertation titled Third Order Relativistic Fluid Dynamics for focus on inter-tidal and estuarine ecology, with a view Heavy-Ion Collisions, and Dr Jasper Slingsby (Department to understanding the role of biological interactions in of Botany), who received the faculty PhD medal for 2011 structuring marine ecosystems. for his thesis, titled Ecological Differentiation and the Evolution and Maintenance of Fynbos Diversity. Research An important milestone in the faculty that was reached in publication output from staff and postgraduate students 2011 was the 100th anniversary of the Bolus Herbarium remained high, with about 900 articles being published in (Department of Botany). A series of lectures by world- ISI journals during 2011. renowned botanists, two exhibitions, and a commemorative collecting trip were arranged to celebrate the event. As we continue to strive for excellence and international Professor Peter Linder (University of Zurich) gave the competitiveness in the research arena, the faculty is proud keynote address. Another development of importance to of the latest additions to its current 13 NRF A-rated, 56 the faculty was the establishment and URC accreditation B-rated, 45 C-rated, 24 Y-rated, and five P-rated scientists. of the H-3D Centre for Drug Discovery & Development, The latter, in particular, reflects the growing research with Professor Kelly Chibale, Department of Chemistry, strength of our younger academic staff. Professor Ed as Director, and the URC accreditation of the Scientific Rybicki of the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology Computing Research Unit, with Professor Kevin Naidoo, 482 UCT RESEARCH REPORT '11 DEPARTMENTS Department of Archaeology Department of Astronomy Department of Botany Department of Chemistry Department of Computer Science Department of Environmental and Geographical Science also of the Department of Chemistry, as Director. These add to the 12 previously established URC research Department of Geological units and centres in the Faculty of Science. The faculty was privileged to be awarded another SARChI Chair, in Sciences Extra-galactic Multi-wavelength Astronomy, with Professor Claude Carignan taking up the position to bolster the Department of Mathematics rapidly expanding Department of Astronomy. and Applied Mathematics Staff of the faculty continued to garner national and Department of Molecular and international awards for their research contributions. Cell Biology Professor Jill Farrant of the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology became the third UCT woman scientist to win the L’Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science Award in Life Department of Oceanography Sciences (region: Africa and Arab States), announced in November 2011. Another notable achievement was that Department of Physics of Dr Amanda Weltman, who received the 2011/12 NSTF – BHP Billiton TW Kambule Award for “an outstanding Department of Statistical contribution to science, engineering, technology and Sciences innovation (SETI) through research and its outputs” by an emerging researcher. The faculty was privileged to have Department of Zoology three other deserving finalists at the award ceremony FACULTY OF SCIENCE 483 in Professor Kevin Naidoo, Professor Ed Rybicki, and DOCTORAL GRADUATIONS Dr Will Horowitz. Another notable accolade went to Professor Kelly Chibale who received the prestigious Alan Pifer Award from the University of Cape Town for socially A.W. ANDAYI (CHEMISTRY) responsive research; and Dr Jeff Murugan (Department of Synthesis, antimalarial evaluation, B-Hematin Mathematics and Applied Mathematics) and Dr Shadreck inhibition, and in-silico and in-vitro ADMET profiling of Chirikure who were privileged to be elected as founding 4-Aminoquinoline – Hydroxypyridinone Hybrids. members of the new South African Young Academy of Supervised by Professor K. Chibale and Professor Science (SAYAS). T.J. Egan The recent announcement and associated excitement M.A. ALTARAWNEH (GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES) that South Africa was awarded the lion’s share of the Structural setting of the Jordan Northern Highlands: SKA bid not only reflects positively on South African An integrated study using surface and sub-surface science and technology in general, but also on the geological data by utilising GIS technology. major contributions to the bid made by members of the Supervised by Professor A. le Roex, Professor Department of Astronomy. As the project rolls out in the Z. Ben-Avraham and Dr G. Viola coming years, staff and students of the department, with two SARChI Chairs in radio astronomy, will be actively C.G.M. ARCHIBALD (BOTANY) engaged in contributing to the success of the initiative. The use of contemporary and historic diatom This engagement will take place in tandem with getting the assemblages in the derivation of reference state precursor international MEERKAT project on line. communities for rivers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Supervised by Professor J. Bolton In mid-2011, the first UCT Pro Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mark New, was appointed to head up the African Climate Y. BARSHEP (ZOOLOGY) and Development Initiative (ACDI). A significant number Migration and moult strategy of the Curlew Sandpiper. of staff from the Faculty of Science are actively involved Supervised by Professor L. Underhill, Dr P. Tomkovich in this exciting university-wide initiative, with Professor and Dr C. Minton New holding, in addition, an academic position in the Department of Environmental and Geographical Science. J. BRABY (ZOOLOGY) The biology and conservation of the Damara Tern in A number of new initiatives were set in place in the faculty Namibia. during 2011 to further develop our research impact. A Supervised by Professor L. Underhill, Dr J.P. Roux and new launching grant system was put into place, to allow Dr R.E. Simmons new (and particularly young) appointments to receive sufficient funding for a three-year period to get their K.S. BROWN (ARCHAEOLOGY) research careers off to a strong and competitive start. To The Sword in the Stone: Lithic raw material exploitation strengthen the competitive equity pool of applicants for in the Middle Stone Age at Pinnacle Point Site 5–6, future academic positions in the faculty, a number of equity Southern Cape, South Africa. PhD and postdoctoral
Recommended publications
  • South African Palaeo-Scientists the Names Listed Below Are Just Some of South Africa’S Excellent Researchers Who Are Working Towards Understanding Our African Origins
    2010 African Origins Research MAP_Layout 1 2010/04/15 11:02 AM Page 1 South African Palaeo-scientists The names listed below are just some of South Africa’s excellent researchers who are working towards understanding our African origins. UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN (UCT) Dr Thalassa Matthews analyses the Dr Job Kibii focuses PALAEOBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH thousands of tiny teeth and bones of fossil on how fossil hominid Professor Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan is one microfauna to reconstruct palaeoenviron- and non-hominid of only a few specialists in the world who mental and climatic changes on the west faunal communities coast over the last 5 million years. changed over time and African Origins Research studies the microscopic structure of bones of dinosaurs, pterosaurs and mammal-like uses this to reconstruct reptiles in order to interpret various aspects ALBANY MUSEUM, past palaeoenviron- of the biology of extinct animals. GRAHAMSTOWN ments and palaeo- A summary of current research into fossils of animals, plants and early hominids from the beginning of life on Earth to the Middle Stone Age PERMIAN AGE PLANTS ecology. THE HOFMEYR SKULL Dr Rose Prevec studies the “No other country in the world can boast the oldest evidence of life on Earth extending back more than 3 billion years, the oldest multi-cellular animals, the oldest land-living plants, Professor Alan Morris described the Glossopteris flora of South Africa (the PAST HUMAN BEHAVIOUR Hofmeyer skull, a prehistoric, fossilized ancient forests that formed our coal Professor Chris Henshilwood directs the most distant ancestors of dinosaurs, the most complete record of the more than 80 million year ancestry of mammals, and, together with several other African countries, a most remarkable human skull about 36 000 years old deposits) and their end-Permian excavations at Blombos Cave where that corroborates genetic evidence that extinction.
    [Show full text]
  • The Interaction Between Vegetation and Groundwater: Research Priorities for South Africa
    THE INTERACTION BETWEEN VEGETATION AND GROUNDWATER: RESEARCH PRIORITIES FOR SOUTH AFRICA by D.F. Scott and D.C. Le Maitre CSIR Division of Water, Environment and Forestry Technology Stellenbosch Water, Environment and Forestry CSIR CSIR Report No. ENV/S-C 97161 Report to the Water Research Commission on the project K5 730 entitled 'Development of a research strategy on the interaction between vegetation and groundwater" WRC Report No. 730/1/98 May 1998 ISBN 1 86845 398 7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Background and Motivation There is a growing appreciation in South Africa that the conceptual separation of surface and groundwater is artificial, and that these systems are but expressions of the same precious resource. As the limits of water resources in South Africa become more obvious, and with the current revision of South African water law aiming to providing all water with a consistent status in law, there is an ever more pressing need to understand the complete cycle of water in the environment. The new approach requires a much greater understanding of the role of vegetation in the hydrological cycle, specifically the neglected area of interactions between vegetation and groundwater. This project aimed to review and organise the available information on this subject, and to prepare an initial strategy to guide research decision making on this topic. Several recent developments have focussed attention on our lack of information on, and the importance of, vegetation and groundwater interactions in South Africa in the recent past. Measurement and modelling of the recharge on the Atlantis and Zululand coastal aquifers have highlighted the role of vegetation cover on recharge, and even abstraction from shallow groundwater.
    [Show full text]
  • Mid-Band Gravitational Wave Detection with Precision Atomic Sensors
    Mid-band gravitational wave detection with precision atomic sensors Peter W. Graham Stanford Institute for Theoretical Physics, Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 Jason M. Hogan Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 E-mail: [email protected] Mark A. Kasevich Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 Surjeet Rajendran Berkeley Center for Theoretical Physics, Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 Roger W. Romani Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305. For the MAGIS collaboration Abstract. We assess the science reach and technical feasibility of a satellite mission based on precision atomic sensors configured to detect gravitational radiation. Conceptual advances in the past three years indicate that a two-satellite constellation with science payloads consisting of atomic sensors based on laser cooled atomic Sr can achieve scientifically interesting gravitational wave strain sensitivities in a frequency band between the LISA and LIGO detectors, roughly 30 mHz to 10 Hz. The discovery arXiv:1711.02225v1 [astro-ph.IM] 6 Nov 2017 potential of the proposed instrument ranges from from observation of new astrophysical sources (e.g. black hole and neutron star binaries) to searches for cosmological sources of stochastic gravitational radiation and searches for dark matter. Mid-band gravitational wave detection with precision atomic sensors 2 1. Overview The recent first direct detections of gravitational waves by LIGO represent the beginning of a new era in astronomy [1, 2, 3]. Gravitational wave astronomy can provide information about astrophysical systems and cosmology that is difficult or impossible to acquire by other methods.
    [Show full text]
  • A Hot Subdwarf-White Dwarf Super-Chandrasekhar Candidate
    A hot subdwarf–white dwarf super-Chandrasekhar candidate supernova Ia progenitor Ingrid Pelisoli1,2*, P. Neunteufel3, S. Geier1, T. Kupfer4,5, U. Heber6, A. Irrgang6, D. Schneider6, A. Bastian1, J. van Roestel7, V. Schaffenroth1, and B. N. Barlow8 1Institut fur¨ Physik und Astronomie, Universitat¨ Potsdam, Haus 28, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24/25, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany 2Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK 3Max Planck Institut fur¨ Astrophysik, Karl-Schwarzschild-Straße 1, 85748 Garching bei Munchen¨ 4Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA 5Texas Tech University, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Box 41051, 79409, Lubbock, TX, USA 6Dr. Karl Remeis-Observatory & ECAP, Astronomical Institute, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), Sternwartstr. 7, 96049 Bamberg, Germany 7Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA 8Department of Physics and Astronomy, High Point University, High Point, NC 27268, USA *[email protected] ABSTRACT Supernova Ia are bright explosive events that can be used to estimate cosmological distances, allowing us to study the expansion of the Universe. They are understood to result from a thermonuclear detonation in a white dwarf that formed from the exhausted core of a star more massive than the Sun. However, the possible progenitor channels leading to an explosion are a long-standing debate, limiting the precision and accuracy of supernova Ia as distance indicators. Here we present HD 265435, a binary system with an orbital period of less than a hundred minutes, consisting of a white dwarf and a hot subdwarf — a stripped core-helium burning star.
    [Show full text]
  • Desktop Palaeontological Heritage Impact
    DESKTOP PALAEONTOLOGICAL HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSEMENT REPORT ON THE SITES OF SEVEN PROPOSED SITES OF WIDENING OF THE N4 HIGHWAY (NAMED WB1, WB3, WB4, WB5, WB7, EB1 AND EB3) TO BE LOCATED BETWEEN WATERVAL BOVEN AND NELSPRUIT, MPUMALANGA PROVINCE 7 February 2016 Prepared for: Prism Environmental Management Services (Pty) Ltd On behalf of: Postal address: SANRAL P.O. Box 13755 Hatfield 0028 South Africa Cell: +27 (0) 79 626 9976 Faxs:+27 (0) 86 678 5358 E-mail: [email protected] DESKTOP PALAEONTOLOGICAL HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSEMENT REPORT ON THE SITES OF SEVEN PROPOSED SITES OF WIDENING OF THE N4 HIGHWAY (NAMED WB1, WB3, WB4, WB5, WB7, EB1 AND EB3) TO BE LOCATED BETWEEN WATERVAL BOVEN AND NELSPRUIT, MPUMALANGA PROVINCE Prepared for: Prism Environmental Management Service (Pty) Ltd On Behalf of: SANRAL Prepared By: Prof B.D. Millsteed 2 Desktop Palaeontological Impact Assessment Report – on seven sites of proposed widening of the N4 Highway between Waterval Boven and Nelspruit, Mpumalanga Province. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (SANRAL) is proposing upgrades by widening certain sections of the existing National N4 Toll Route between eMgwenya (Waterval Boven) and Mbombela (Nelspruit), Mpumalanga. As part of continual upgrading of this road corridor between Pretoria in the west and Maputo, Mozambique in the east; a need has arisen to introduce extensions to existing passing lanes whilst new passing lanes are also required. SANRAL has an implementing agent and concessionaire for the National N4 Toll Route existing between Pretoria and Maputo known as “Trans African Concessions” (TracN4) – a concessionaire established during the mid-90’s specifically for the management of the N4 corridor between South Africa and Mozambique.
    [Show full text]
  • The X-Ray Universe 2017
    The X-ray Universe 2017 6−9 June 2017 Centro Congressi Frentani Rome, Italy A conference organised by the European Space Agency XMM-Newton Science Operations Centre National Institute for Astrophysics, Italian Space Agency University Roma Tre, La Sapienza University ABSTRACT BOOK Oral Communications and Posters Edited by Simone Migliari, Jan-Uwe Ness Organising Committees Scientific Organising Committee M. Arnaud Commissariat ´al’´energie atomique Saclay, Gif sur Yvette, France D. Barret (chair) Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Plan´etologie, France G. Branduardi-Raymont Mullard Space Science Laboratory, Dorking, Surrey, United Kingdom L. Brenneman Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, USA M. Brusa Universit`adi Bologna, Italy M. Cappi Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Bologna, Italy E. Churazov Max-Planck-Institut f¨urAstrophysik, Garching, Germany A. Decourchelle Commissariat ´al’´energie atomique Saclay, Gif sur Yvette, France N. Degenaar University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands A. Fabian University of Cambridge, United Kingdom F. Fiore Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Monteporzio Catone, Italy F. Harrison California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA M. Hernanz Institute of Space Sciences (CSIC-IEEC), Barcelona, Spain A. Hornschemeier Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, USA V. Karas Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic C. Kouveliotou George Washington University, Washington DC, USA G. Matt Universit`adegli Studi Roma Tre, Roma, Italy Y. Naz´e Universit´ede Li`ege, Belgium T. Ohashi Tokyo Metropolitan University, Japan I. Papadakis University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece J. Hjorth University of Copenhagen, Denmark K. Poppenhaeger Queen’s University Belfast, United Kingdom N. Rea Instituto de Ciencias del Espacio (CSIC-IEEC), Spain T. Reiprich Bonn University, Germany M. Salvato Max-Planck-Institut f¨urextraterrestrische Physik, Garching, Germany N.
    [Show full text]
  • New X-Ray Observations of the Hot Subdwarf Binary HD49798
    MNRAS 000, 000–000 (2021) Preprint 9 April 2021 Compiled using MNRAS LATEX style file v3.0 New X-ray observations of the hot subdwarf binary HD 49798/RX J0648.0–4418 S. Mereghetti1?, F. Pintore2, T. Rauch3, N. La Palombara1, P. Esposito4, S. Geier5, I. Pelisoli5;6, M. Rigoselli1, V. Schaffenroth5, A. Tiengo4 1 INAF – IASF Milano, Via E. Bassini 15, 20133 Milano, Italy 2 INAF – IASF Palermo, Via U. La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy 3 Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Kepler Center for Astro and Particle Physics, Eberhard Karls University, Sand 1, 72076 Tubingen,¨ Germany 4 Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS Pavia, Piazza della Vittoria 15, 27100 Pavia, Italy 5 Institut fur¨ Physik und Astronomie, Universitat¨ Potsdam, Haus 28, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24/25, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany 6 Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK Accepted 2021 April 07. Received 2021 April 07; in original form 2021 February 23 ABSTRACT HD 49798/RX J0648.0–4418 is the only confirmed X-ray binary in which the mass donor is a hot subdwarf star of O spectral type and, most likely, it contains a massive white dwarf (1.28±0.05 M ) with a very fast spin period of 13.2 s. Here we report the results of new XMM-Newton pointings of this peculiar binary, carried out in 2018 and in 2020, together with a reanalysis of all the previous observations. The new data indicate that the compact object is still spinning-up at a steady rate of (−2:17 ± 0:01) × 10−15 s s−1, consistent with its interpretation in terms of a young contracting white dwarf.
    [Show full text]
  • The Systematic Position of the Enigmatic Thyreophoran Dinosaur Paranthodon Africanus, and the Use of Basal Exemplifiers in Phyl
    1 The systematic position of the enigmatic thyreophoran dinosaur Paranthodon africanus, 2 and the use of basal exemplifiers in phylogenetic analysis 3 4 Thomas J. Raven1,2 ,3 and Susannah C. R. Maidment2 ,3 5 61Department of Earth Science & Engineering, Imperial College London, UK 72School of Environment & Technology, University of Brighton, UK 8 3Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK 9 10Corresponding author: Thomas J. Raven 11 12Email address: [email protected] 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21ABSTRACT 22 23The first African dinosaur to be discovered, Paranthodon africanus was found in 1845 in the 24Lower Cretaceous of South Africa. Taxonomically assigned to numerous groups since discovery, 25in 1981 it was described as a stegosaur, a group of armoured ornithischian dinosaurs 26characterised by bizarre plates and spines extending from the neck to the tail. This assignment 27that has been subsequently accepted. The type material consists of a premaxilla, maxilla, a nasal, 28and a vertebra, and contains no synapomorphies of Stegosauria. Several features of the maxilla 29and dentition are reminiscent of Ankylosauria, the sister-taxon to Stegosauria, and the premaxilla 30appears superficially similar to that of some ornithopods. The vertebral material has never been 31described, and since the last description of the specimen, there have been numerous discoveries 32of thyreophoran material potentially pertinent to establishing the taxonomic assignment of the 33specimen. An investigation of the taxonomic and systematic position of Paranthodon is therefore 34warranted. This study provides a detailed re-description, including the first description of the 35vertebra. Numerous phylogenetic analyses demonstrate that the systematic position of 36Paranthodon is highly labile and subject to change depending on which exemplifier for the clade 37Stegosauria is used.
    [Show full text]
  • Open Kosei.Pdf
    The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School Department of Geosciences GEOCHEMISTRY OF ARCHEAN–PALEOPROTEROZOIC BLACK SHALES: THE EARLY EVOLUTION OF THE ATMOSPHERE, OCEANS, AND BIOSPHERE A Thesis in Geosciences by Kosei Yamaguchi Copyright 2002 Kosei Yamaguchi Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 2002 We approve the thesis of Kosei Yamaguchi Date of Signature ____________________________________ _______________________ Hiroshi Ohmoto Professor of Geochemistry Thesis Advisor Chair of Committee ____________________________________ _______________________ Michael A. Arthur Professor of Geosciences ____________________________________ _______________________ Lee R. Kump Professor of Geosciences ____________________________________ _______________________ Raymond G. Najjar Associate Professor of Meteorology ____________________________________ _______________________ Peter Deines Professor of Geochemistry Associate Head for Graduate Program and Research in Geosciences iii ABSTRACT When did the Earth's surface environment become oxic? The timing and mechanism of the rise of atmospheric pO2 level in the early Precambrian have been long debated but no consensus has been reached. The oxygenation of the atmosphere and oceans has significant impacts on the evolution of the biosphere and the geochemical cycles of redox-sensitive elements. In order to constrain the evolution of the atmosphere, oceans, biosphere, and geochemical cycles of elements, a systematic and multidisciplinary
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Morokweng Filling Station and Mall Kagisana-Molopo Local Municipality, North West Province Farm
    Morokweng Filling Station and Mall Kagisana-Molopo Local Municipality, North West Province Farm: Morokweng 246 IM Fourie, H. Dr [email protected] 012 322 7632/012 993 3110 Palaeontological Impact Assessment: Phase 1: Field Study Facilitated by: LEAP P.O. Box 13185, Hatfield, 0028 Tel: 012 344 3582 2017/09/30 Ref: Pending 1 B. Executive summary Outline of the development project: LEAP has facilitated the appointment of Dr H. Fourie, a palaeontologist, to undertake a Paleontological Impact Assessment (PIA), Phase 1: Field Study of the suitability of the proposed filling station and mall development, with related infrastructure on the Farm Morokweng 246 IM in the Kagisana- Molopo Local Municipality, North West Province. The applicant, The Vildev Group Pty (Ltd) proposes to develop the property in to a filling station and mall development with related infrastructure in Morokweng. The Project includes one Option (see google.earth image): Option 1: A rectangular block outlined in red with the R379 to the southwest. The town of Morokweng is to the south. The site is approximately 2,446 hectares. Legal requirements:- The National Heritage Resources Act (Act No. 25 of 1999) (NHRA) requires that all heritage resources, that is, all places or objects of aesthetic, architectural, historical, scientific, social, spiritual, linguistic or technological value or significance are protected. The Republic of South Africa (RSA) has a remarkably rich fossil record that stretches back in time for some 3.5 billion years and must be protected for its scientific value. Fossil heritage of national and international significance is found within all provinces of the RSA.
    [Show full text]
  • Stellar Winds from Hot Low-Mass Stars
    Astrophysics and Space Science DOI 10.1007/s•••••-•••-••••-• Stellar winds from hot low-mass stars W.-R. Hamann1 c Springer-Verlag •••• Abstract Stellar winds appear as a persistent fea- on the track from the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) ture of hot stars, irrespective of their wide range to the white dwarf cooling sequence. Extreme helium of different luminosities, masses, and chemical com- (EHe) stars and subdwarf-O (sdO) stars are further position. Among the massive stars, the Wolf-Rayet types of low-mass stars which are found to display signs types show considerably stronger mass loss than the of mass-loss. Their evolutionary origin is attributed to O stars. Among hot low-mass stars, stellar winds are binarity (Saio and Jeffery 2002; Heber 2009). seen at central stars of planetary nebulae, where again Prototype for an O-type star with mass loss is the O5 the hydrogen-deficient stars show much stronger winds supergiant ζ Puppis. Striking evidence for the stellar than those central stars with “normal” composition. wind comes from the P-Cygni profiles of resonance lines We also studied mass-loss from a few extreme helium in the UV (cf. Fig. 2, left panel). However, these pro- stars and sdOs. Their mass-loss rate roughly follows the files are often saturated and therefore not sensitive for same proportionality with luminosity to the power 1.5 a precise determination of the mass-loss rates. The op- as the massive O stars. This relation roughly marks tical spectrum shows mostly “normal” absorption lines, a lower limit for the mass loss from hot stars of all while Hα is in emission (cf.
    [Show full text]
  • Palaeontological Field Assessment for The
    PALAEONTOLOGICAL FIELD ASSESSMENT FOR THE PROPOSED UPGRADE OF THE KOLOMELA MINING OPERATIONS, TSANTSABANE LOCAL MUNICIPALITY, SIYANDA DISTRICT MUNICIPALITTY, NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCE, NORTHERN CAPE Issue Date: 13 September 2019 Revision No.: v0.1 Client: PGS Project No: + 27 (0) 12 332 5305 +27 (0) 86 675 8077 [email protected] PO Box 32542, Totiusdal, 0134 Offices in South Africa, Kingdom of Lesotho and Mozambique Head Office: 906 Bergarend Streets Waverley, Pretoria, South Africa Directors: HS Steyn, PD Birkholtz, W Fourie Declaration of Independence I, Elize Butler, declare that – General declaration: • I act as the independent palaeontological specialist in this application • I will perform the work relating to the application in an objective manner, even if this results in views and findings that are not favorable to the applicant • I declare that there are no circumstances that may compromise my objectivity in performing such work; • I have expertise in conducting palaeontological impact assessments, including knowledge of the Act, Regulations and any guidelines that have relevance to the proposed activity; • I will comply with the Act, Regulations and all other applicable legislation; • I will take into account, to the extent possible, the matters listed in section 38 of the NHRA when preparing the application and any report relating to the application; • I have no, and will not engage in, conflicting interests in the undertaking of the activity; • I undertake to disclose to the applicant and the competent authority all material
    [Show full text]