We investigate the asymptotic behavior of peculiar velocities in certain physically significant time-dependent gravitational fields. Previous studies of the motion of free test particles have focused on the collapse scenario, according to which a double-jet pattern with Lorentz factor gamma -> infinity develops asymptotically along the direction of complete gravitational collapse. In the present work, we identify a second wave scenario, in which a single-jet pattern with Lorentz factor gamma -> infinity develops asymptotically along the direction of wave propagation.

The motion of a test particle in the gravitational field of a non-spherical source endowed with both mass and mass quadrupole moment is investigated when a test radiation field is also present. The background is described by the Erez-Rosen solution, which is a static spacetime belonging to the Weyl class of solutions to the vacuum Einstein's field equations, and reduces to the familiar Schwarzschild solution when the quadrupole parameter vanishes. The radiation flux has a fixed but arbitrary (non-zero) angular momentum.

Motivated by the picture of a thin accretion disc around a black hole, radiating mainly in the direction perpendicular to its plane, we study the motion of test particles interacting with a test geodesic radiation flux propagating perpendicular to the equatorial plane in a Schwarzschild space-time. We assume that the interaction (kind of Poynting-Robertson effect) is modelled by an effective term corresponding to a Thomson-type radiation drag.

The realization of innovative passengers transport services requires more and more often a greater flexibility and inexpensiveness of the service. To answer this request in many cases the physical solution is to realize a demand responsive transportation system (DRTS). A DRTS require the planning of travel paths (routing) and customers pick-up and drop-off times (scheduling) according to received requests, respecting the limited capacity of the fleet and time constraints (hard time windows) for each network's node, and the service time of the system.

One of the most important objectives of a manufacturing company is the optimization of the distribution of the produced goods considering the whole value chain. Unfortunately, in many companies the performance of the supply chain depends on many uncertain factors that are difficult to predict. The only way to face them is to adopt innovative solutions and tools that allow a swift response to the market changes.

We review the main factors driving the calculation of the tangent height of spaceborne limb measurements: the ray-tracing method, the refractive index model and the assumed atmosphere. We find that commonly used ray tracing and refraction models are very accurate, at least in the mid-infrared. The factor with largest effect in the tangent height calculation is the assumed atmosphere. Using a climatological model in place of the real atmosphere may cause tangent height errors up to ± 200 m.

The wind effect on river water quality was illustrated by means of thermohaline measurements carried out in the Tiber River in May 2012. The survey was carried out using a boat, in stations located in the two Tiber branches: Fiumara Grande and Traiano Canal. Thermohaline variables (salinity and temperature) were used to describe the water-type patterns and to define the salt-wedge position. Although the river flow rate was rather high, saltwater intrusion happened. Wind data suggested that the more probable cause of salt-wedge intrusion was the wind action.

In this paper the phase behavior and pattern formation in a sheared nonideal fluid under a periodic potential is studied. An isothermal two-dimensional formulation of a lattice Boltzmann scheme for a liquid-vapor system with the van der Waals equation of state is presented and validated. Shear is applied by moving walls and the periodic potential varies along the flow direction. A region of the parameter space, where in the absence of flow a striped phase with oscillating density is stable, will be considered.