Ultrastructure of spermiogenesis in Vampyroteuthis infernalis Chun — a relict cephalopod mollusc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Healy, John M.

1990-03-01

Spermiogenesis in the relict deep-sea cephalopod Vampyroteuthis infernalis Chun is examined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the results compared with available data on other cephalopods. Early spermatids of Vampyroteuthis exhibit an ovoid nucleus (with dense irregular patches), numerous mitochondria and a pair of triplet substructure centrioles (arranged parallel to each other). Subsequently, the following morphological changes take place: (1) nuclear contents condense into a fibrous reticulum, then into thick fibres; (2) the acrosomal vesicle (presumably Golgi-derived) positions itself in a shallow depression at the nuclear apex; (3) the flagellum forms from one of the two centrioles; (4) mitochondria cluster around the flagellum at the base of the nucleus; (5) a dense, fibrous plug forms within the basal invagination of the nucleus. Microtubules surround the acrosome and condensing nucleus of spermatids. The dense plug is of special systematic importance since it also occurs in spermatids and spermatozoa of Octopus spp., but not in any investigated species of the Sepiida, Sepiolida or Teuthida. Late spermatids and mature spermatozoa of Vampyroteuthis strongly resemble developing spermatids of Octopus, suggesting a close phylogenetic relationship between Vampyroteuthis (and the Vampyromorpha) and octopods.

A strong diffusive ion mode in dense ionized matter predicted by Langevin dynamics

PubMed Central

Mabey, P.; Richardson, S.; White, T. G.; Fletcher, L. B.; Glenzer, S. H.; Hartley, N. J.; Vorberger, J.; Gericke, D. O.; Gregori, G.

2017-01-01

The state and evolution of planets, brown dwarfs and neutron star crusts is determined by the properties of dense and compressed matter. Due to the inherent difficulties in modelling strongly coupled plasmas, however, current predictions of transport coefficients differ by orders of magnitude. Collective modes are a prominent feature, whose spectra may serve as an important tool to validate theoretical predictions for dense matter. With recent advances in free electron laser technology, X-rays with small enough bandwidth have become available, allowing the investigation of the low-frequency ion modes in dense matter. Here, we present numerical predictions for these ion modes and demonstrate significant changes to their strength and dispersion if dissipative processes are included by Langevin dynamics. Notably, a strong diffusive mode around zero frequency arises, which is not present, or much weaker, in standard simulations. Our results have profound consequences in the interpretation of transport coefficients in dense plasmas. PMID:28134338

Modeling water mass formation in the Mertz Glacier Polynya and Adélie Depression, East Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marsland, S. J.; Bindoff, N. L.; Williams, G. D.; Budd, W. F.

2004-11-01

High rates of sea ice growth and brine rejection in the Mertz Glacier Polynya drive the production of dense continental shelf waters in the Adélie Depression. We consider the rate of outflow of waters having sufficient density to sink into the neighboring abyssal ocean and form Adélie Land Bottom Water (ALBW). Along with Weddell and Ross Sea Bottom Waters, the ALBW is an important source of Antarctic Bottom Water. The relevant processes are modeled using a variant of the Max Planck Institute Ocean Model (MPIOM) under daily NCEP-NCAR reanalysis forcing for the period 1991-2000. The orthogonal curvilinear horizontal grid allows for the construction of a global domain with high resolution in our region of interest. The modeled Mertz Glacier Polynya is realistic in location and extent, exhibiting low ice thickness (<0.4 m) and low ice fraction (<50%). The net surface ocean to atmosphere heat flux exceeds 200 W m2 and is dominated by sensible heat exchange. In wintertime (May through September inclusive), 7.5 m of sea ice forms over the Adélie Depression at a rate of 4.9 cm d-1: this results in annual average volumetric production of 99 km3 of sea ice. The associated brine release drives dense shelf water formation. The off-shelf flow of dense water exhibits strong interannual variability in response to variability in both atmospheric forcing and ocean preconditioning. Averaged over the period 1991-2000 the off shelf flow of dense water is 0.15 Sv: for a period of strong outflow (1993-1997), this increases to 0.24 Sv. Most of the outflow occurs during July through October, at a rate of 0.40 (0.63) Sv over the period 1991-2000 (1993-1997). The peak mean monthly outflow can exceed 1 Sv.

Po River plume and Northern Adriatic Dense Waters: a modeling and statistical approach.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marcello Falcieri, Francesco; Benetazzo, Alvise; Sclavo, Mauro; Carniel, Sandro; Bergamasco, Andrea; Bonaldo, Davide; Barbariol, Francesco; Russo, Aniello

2014-05-01

The semi enclosed Adriatic Sea, located in the North-Eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea, is a small regional sea strongly influenced by riverine inputs. In its northern shallow sub-basin both the physical and biogeochemical features are strongly influenced by the Po River (together with some other minor ones) through its freshwater plume, by buoyancy changes and nutrients and sediments loads. The major outcomes of this interaction are on primary production, on the rising of hypoxic and anoxic bottom water conditions, on the formation of strong salinity gradients (that influence the water column structure and both coastal and basinwide circulation) and on the formation processes of the Northern Adriatic Dense Water (NAdDW). The NAdDW is a dense water mass that is formed during winter in the shallow Northern Adriatic under buoyancy loss conditions; it then travels southwardly along the Italian coasts reaching the Southern Adriatic after a few months. The NAdDW formation process is mostly locally wind driven but it has been proved that freshwater discharges play an important preconditioning role, starting since the summer previous to the formation period. To investigate the relationship between the Po plume (as a preconditioning factor) and the subsequent dense water formation, the results obtained by a numerical simulation with the Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS) have been statistically analyzed. The model has been implemented over the whole basin with a 2 km regular grid, and surface fluxes computed through a bulk fluxes formulation using an high resolution meteorological model (COSMO I7). The only open boundary (the Otranto Strait) is imposed from an operational Mediterranean model (MFS) and main rivers discharges are introduced as a freshwater mass fluxes measured by river gauges closest to the rivers' mouths. The model was run for 8 years, from 2003 to 2010. The Po plume was analysed with a 2x3 Self-Organizing Map (SOM) and two major antithetic patterns were found: i) a wide plume that extends well into the basin; ii) a smaller one confined to the coastal area. We speculate that, beside the freshwater amount discharged, also the plume shape (i.e. its spreading) can play a role in preconditioning the wintertime NAdDW formation. To test this hypothesis, the probability distribution of the 6 SOM's Best Matching Units during the period of preconditoning are compared to the heat losses and the amount of dense water formed during the subsequent winter.

Programmed coherent coupling in a synthetic DNA-based excitonic circuit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boulais, Étienne; Sawaya, Nicolas P. D.; Veneziano, Rémi; Andreoni, Alessio; Banal, James L.; Kondo, Toru; Mandal, Sarthak; Lin, Su; Schlau-Cohen, Gabriela S.; Woodbury, Neal W.; Yan, Hao; Aspuru-Guzik, Alán; Bathe, Mark

2018-02-01

Natural light-harvesting systems spatially organize densely packed chromophore aggregates using rigid protein scaffolds to achieve highly efficient, directed energy transfer. Here, we report a synthetic strategy using rigid DNA scaffolds to similarly program the spatial organization of densely packed, discrete clusters of cyanine dye aggregates with tunable absorption spectra and strongly coupled exciton dynamics present in natural light-harvesting systems. We first characterize the range of dye-aggregate sizes that can be templated spatially by A-tracts of B-form DNA while retaining coherent energy transfer. We then use structure-based modelling and quantum dynamics to guide the rational design of higher-order synthetic circuits consisting of multiple discrete dye aggregates within a DX-tile. These programmed circuits exhibit excitonic transport properties with prominent circular dichroism, superradiance, and fast delocalized exciton transfer, consistent with our quantum dynamics predictions. This bottom-up strategy offers a versatile approach to the rational design of strongly coupled excitonic circuits using spatially organized dye aggregates for use in coherent nanoscale energy transport, artificial light-harvesting, and nanophotonics.

Dynamical theory of dense groups of galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mamon, Gary A.

1990-01-01

It is well known that galaxies associate in groups and clusters. Perhaps 40% of all galaxies are found in groups of 4 to 20 galaxies (e.g., Tully 1987). Although most groups appear to be so loose that the galaxy interactions within them ought to be insignificant, the apparently densest groups, known as compact groups appear so dense when seen in projection onto the plane of the sky that their members often overlap. These groups thus appear as dense as the cores of rich clusters. The most popular catalog of compact groups, compiled by Hickson (1982), includes isolation among its selection critera. Therefore, in comparison with the cores of rich clusters, Hickson's compact groups (HCGs) appear to be the densest isolated regions in the Universe (in galaxies per unit volume), and thus provide in principle a clean laboratory for studying the competition of very strong gravitational interactions. The $64,000 question here is then: Are compact groups really bound systems as dense as they appear? If dense groups indeed exist, then one expects that each of the dynamical processes leading to the interaction of their member galaxies should be greatly enhanced. This leads us to the questions: How stable are dense groups? How do they form? And the related question, fascinating to any theorist: What dynamical processes predominate in dense groups of galaxies? If HCGs are not bound dense systems, but instead 1D change alignments (Mamon 1986, 1987; Walke & Mamon 1989) or 3D transient cores (Rose 1979) within larger looser systems of galaxies, then the relevant question is: How frequent are chance configurations within loose groups? Here, the author answers these last four questions after comparing in some detail the methods used and the results obtained in the different studies of dense groups.

Time dependent chemistry in dense molecular clouds. I - Grain surface reactions, gas/grain interactions and infrared spectroscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dhendecourt, L. B.; Allamandola, L. J.; Greenberg, J. M.

1985-01-01

For the fist time, a time-dependent model is described which includes the role of grains in the production of molecules in dense clouds including ion-molecule gas phase chemistry. The approach provides information regarding the coupling between the two phases. Although the coupling between the two chemistries is extremely strong, the two domains maintain their own identities. While H2O, CH4, and NH3 are made efficiently, with a high production rate on grains and released back to the gas phase, the gas phase is essentially responsible for the formation of CO, a very stable molecule which may or may not react on grains with atomic oxygen and may or may not form CO2.

Pleistocene permafrost features in soils in the South-western Italian Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Amico, Michele; Catoni, Marcella; Bonifacio, Eleonora; Zanini, Ermanno

2015-04-01

Because of extensive Pleistocenic glaciations which erased most of the previously existing soils, slope steepness and climatic conditions favoring soil erosion, most soils observed on the Alps (and in other mid-latitude mountain ranges) developed only during the Holocene. However, in few sites, particularly in the outermost sections of the Alpine range, Pleistocene glaciers covered only small and scattered surfaces because of the low altitude reached in the basins, and ancient soils could be preserved for long periods of time on particularly stable surfaces. In some cases, these soils retain good memories of past periglacial activity. We described and sampled soils on stable surfaces in the Upper Tanaro valley, Ligurian Alps (Southwestern Piemonte, Italy). The sampling sites were between 600 to 1600 m of altitude, under present day lower montane Castanea sativa/Ostrya carpinifolia forests, montane Fagus sylvatica and Pinus uncinata forests or montane heath/grazed grassland, on different quartzitic substrata. The surface morphology often showed strongly developed, fossil periglacial patterned ground forms, such as coarse stone circles on flat surfaces, or stone stripes on steeper slopes. The stone circles could be up to 5 m wide, while the sorted stripes could be as wide as 12-15 m. A strong lateral cryogenic textural sorting characterized the fine fraction too, with sand dominating close to the stone rims of the patterned ground features and silt and clay the central parts. The surface 60-120 cm of the soils were podzolized during the Holocene; as a result of the textural lateral sorting, the thickness of the podzolic E and Bs horizons varied widely across the patterns. The lower boundary of the Holocene Podzols was abrupt, and corresponded with dense layers with thick coarse laminar structure and illuvial silt accumulation (Cjj horizons). Dense Cjj diapiric inclusions were sometimes preserved in the central parts of the patterns. Where cover beds were developed, more superimposed podzol cycles were observed: the deeper podzols, included in the dense layer, were strongly cryoturbated and showed convoluted horizons and buried organic horizons. The presence of the dense Cjj horizons also influenced surface soil hydrology, which in turn influenced the expression of E and Bs horizons, in addition to textural lateral variability. In conclusion, surface morphology and soil properties evidence the presence of permafrost during cold Pleistocene phases, with an active layer 60-120 cm thick, associated with a particularly strong cryoturbation. However, all the permafrost features were not necessarily formed during the same periods, and dating of different materials would be necessary in order to obtain precise paleoenvironmental reconstructions of cold Quaternary phases in the Alps.

A strong diffusive ion mode in dense ionized matter predicted by Langevin dynamics

DOE PAGES

Mabey, P.; Richardson, S.; White, T. G.; ...

2017-01-30

We determined the state and evolution of planets, brown dwarfs and neutron star crusts by the properties of dense and compressed matter. Furthermore, due to the inherent difficulties in modelling strongly coupled plasmas, however, current predictions of transport coefficients differ by orders of magnitude. Collective modes are a prominent feature, whose spectra may serve as an important tool to validate theoretical predictions for dense matter. With recent advances in free electron laser technology, X-rays with small enough bandwidth have become available, allowing the investigation of the low-frequency ion modes in dense matter. Here, we present numerical predictions for these ionmore » modes and demonstrate significant changes to their strength and dispersion if dissipative processes are included by Langevin dynamics. Notably, a strong diffusive mode around zero frequency arises, which is not present, or much weaker, in standard simulations. These results have profound consequences in the interpretation of transport coefficients in dense plasmas.« less

Anthropogenic habitat disturbance and ecological divergence between incipient species of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae.

PubMed

Kamdem, Colince; Tene Fossog, Billy; Simard, Frédéric; Etouna, Joachim; Ndo, Cyrille; Kengne, Pierre; Boussès, Philippe; Etoa, François-Xavier; Awono-Ambene, Parfait; Fontenille, Didier; Antonio-Nkondjio, Christophe; Besansky, Nora J; Costantini, Carlo

2012-01-01

Anthropogenic habitat disturbance is a prime cause in the current trend of the Earth's reduction in biodiversity. Here we show that the human footprint on the Central African rainforest, which is resulting in deforestation and growth of densely populated urban agglomerates, is associated to ecological divergence and cryptic speciation leading to adaptive radiation within the major malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae. In southern Cameroon, the frequency of two molecular forms--M and S--among which reproductive isolation is strong but still incomplete, was correlated to an index of urbanisation extracted from remotely sensed data, expressed as the proportion of built-up surface in each sampling unit. The two forms markedly segregated along an urbanisation gradient forming a bimodal cline of ∼6-km width: the S form was exclusive to the rural habitat, whereas only the M form was present in the core of densely urbanised settings, co-occurring at times in the same polluted larval habitats of the southern house mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus--a species association that was not historically recorded before. Our results indicate that when humans create novel habitats and ecological heterogeneities, they can provide evolutionary opportunities for rapid adaptive niche shifts associated with lineage divergence, whose consequences upon malaria transmission might be significant.

Dense plasma chemistry of hydrocarbons at conditions relevant to planetary interiors and inertial confinement fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraus, Dominik

2017-10-01

Carbon-hydrogen demixing and subsequent diamond precipitation has been predicted to strongly participate in shaping the internal structure and evolution of icy giant planets like Neptune and Uranus. The very same dense plasma chemistry is also a potential concern for CH plastic ablator materials in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments where similar conditions are present during the first compression stage of the imploding capsule. Here, carbon-hydrogen demixing may enhance the hydrodynamic instabilities occurring in the following compression stages. First experiments applying dynamic compression and ultrafast in situ X-ray diffraction at SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source demonstrated diamond formation from polystyrene (CH) at 150 GPa and 5000 K. Very recent experiments have now investigated the influence of oxygen, which is highly abundant in icy giant planets on the phase separation process. Compressing PET (C5H4O2) and PMMA(C5H8O2), we find again diamond formation at pressures above 150 GPa and temperatures of several thousand kelvins, showing no strong effect due to the presence of oxygen. Thus, diamond precipitation deep inside icy giant planets seems very likely. Moreover, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) was added to the platform, which determines an upper limit for the diamond particle size, while the width of the diffraction features provides a lower limit. We find that diamond particles of several nanometers in size are formed on a nanosecond timescale. Finally, spectrally resolved X-ray scattering is used to scale amorphous diffraction signals and allows for determining the amount of carbon-hydrogen demixing inside the compressed samples even if no crystalline diamond is formed. This whole set of diagnostics provides unprecedented insights into the nanosecond kinetics of dense plasma chemistry.

CSM interaction and dust formation in SN 2010jl .

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krafton, K.; Clayton, G. C.

The origin of dust in galaxies >1 Gyr old has remained an unsolved mystery for over a decade. One proposed solution is dust produced by core collapse supernovae (CCSNe). Theorists have shown that 0.1-1 M⊙ of dust must be produced per supernova for this to work as an explanation for the dust in young galaxies. SN 1987A has produced ˜1 M⊙ of dust since its detonation. However, most supernovae have been found to only produce 10-4 - 10-2 M⊙ of dust. The energetic type IIn SN 2010jl is located in UGC 5189, in a dense shell of CSM. As dust condenses in the SN ejecta, we see, (1) a sudden decrease in continuum brightness in the visible due to increased dust extinction, (2) the development of an infrared excess in the SN light curve arising from dust grains absorbing high-energy photons and re-emitting them in the infrared, and (3) the development of asymmetric, blue-shifted emission-line profiles, caused by dust forming in the ejecta, and preferentially extinguishing redshifted emission. A dense circumstellar material (CSM) may increase the dust production by supernovae. We observe signs of strong interaction between the SN ejecta and a dense CSM in SN 2010jl. SN 2010jl has been a source of much debate in the CCSN community, particularly over when and how much dust it formed. The light curve shows strong signs of dust formation after 260 days. Arguments over these subjects have been based on the evolution of the light curve and spectra. We present new optical and IR photometry, as well as optical spectroscopy, of SN 2010jl over 2000 days. We estimate dust masses using the DAMOCLES and MOCASSIN radiative transfer codes.

Dynamical models for the formation of elephant trunks in HII regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackey, Jonathan; Lim, Andrew J.

2010-04-01

The formation of pillars of dense gas at the boundaries of HII regions is investigated with hydrodynamical numerical simulations including ionizing radiation from a point source. We show that shadowing of ionizing radiation by an inhomogeneous density field is capable of forming so-called elephant trunks (pillars of dense gas as in e.g. M16) without the assistance of self-gravity or of ionization front and cooling instabilities. A large simulation of a density field containing randomly generated clumps of gas is shown to naturally generate elephant trunks with certain clump configurations. These configurations are simulated in isolation and analysed in detail to show the formation mechanism and determine possible observational signatures. Pillars formed by the shadowing mechanism are shown to have rather different velocity profiles depending on the initial gas configuration, but asymmetries mean that the profiles also vary significantly with perspective, limiting their ability to discriminate between formation scenarios. Neutral and molecular gas cooling are shown to have a strong effect on these results.

H2 Ortho-to-para Conversion on Grains: A Route to Fast Deuterium Fractionation in Dense Cloud Cores?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bovino, S.; Grassi, T.; Schleicher, D. R. G.; Caselli, P.

2017-11-01

Deuterium fractionation, I.e., the enhancement of deuterated species with respect to non-deuterated ones, is considered to be a reliable chemical clock of star-forming regions. This process is strongly affected by the ortho-to-para H2 ratio. In this Letter we explore the effect of the ortho-para (o-p) H2 conversion on grains on the deuteration timescale in fully-depleted dense cores, including the most relevant uncertainties that affect this complex process. We show that (I) the o-p H2 conversion on grains is not strongly influenced by the uncertainties on the conversion time and the sticking coefficient, and (II) that the process is controlled by the temperature and the residence time of ortho-H2 on the surface, I.e., by the binding energy. We find that for binding energies between 330 and 550 K, depending on the temperature, the o-p H2 conversion on grains can shorten the deuterium fractionation timescale by orders of magnitude, opening a new route for explaining the large observed deuteration fraction D frac in dense molecular cloud cores. Our results suggest that the star formation timescale, when estimated through the timescale to reach the observed deuteration fractions, might be shorter than previously proposed. However, more accurate measurements of the binding energy are needed in order to better assess the overall role of this process.

A STUDY OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE CORNIFIED EPITHELIUM OF HUMAN SKIN

PubMed Central

Matoltsy, A. Gedeon; Balsamo, Constance A.

1955-01-01

Pulverized cornified epithelium of human skin was divided into a "soluble fraction" and a "residue." About half of the "soluble fraction" proved to be soluble epidermal keratin (keratin A); the remainder, dialyzable substances of low molecular weight. The "residue" contained epidermal keratin and resistant cell membranes of cornified cells. Epidermal keratin was found to form an oriented and dense submicroscopic structure in the cornified cells. It showed high resistance toward strong acid and moderately strong alkali solutions as well as concentrated urea. In strong alkali, reducing substances, alkaline urea, and mixtures of reducing substance with alkali, epidermal keratin dissociated and yielded a non-dialyzable derivative of high molecular weight (keratin B) which resembled true proteins. The cell membranes of cornified cells showed higher resistance toward strong alkali and reducing substance than did epidermal keratin. PMID:13242598

A semi-Lagrangian transport method for kinetic problems with application to dense-to-dilute polydisperse reacting spray flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doisneau, François; Arienti, Marco; Oefelein, Joseph C.

2017-01-01

For sprays, as described by a kinetic disperse phase model strongly coupled to the Navier-Stokes equations, the resolution strategy is constrained by accuracy objectives, robustness needs, and the computing architecture. In order to leverage the good properties of the Eulerian formalism, we introduce a deterministic particle-based numerical method to solve transport in physical space, which is simple to adapt to the many types of closures and moment systems. The method is inspired by the semi-Lagrangian schemes, developed for Gas Dynamics. We show how semi-Lagrangian formulations are relevant for a disperse phase far from equilibrium and where the particle-particle coupling barely influences the transport; i.e., when particle pressure is negligible. The particle behavior is indeed close to free streaming. The new method uses the assumption of parcel transport and avoids to compute fluxes and their limiters, which makes it robust. It is a deterministic resolution method so that it does not require efforts on statistical convergence, noise control, or post-processing. All couplings are done among data under the form of Eulerian fields, which allows one to use efficient algorithms and to anticipate the computational load. This makes the method both accurate and efficient in the context of parallel computing. After a complete verification of the new transport method on various academic test cases, we demonstrate the overall strategy's ability to solve a strongly-coupled liquid jet with fine spatial resolution and we apply it to the case of high-fidelity Large Eddy Simulation of a dense spray flow. A fuel spray is simulated after atomization at Diesel engine combustion chamber conditions. The large, parallel, strongly coupled computation proves the efficiency of the method for dense, polydisperse, reacting spray flows.

A semi-Lagrangian transport method for kinetic problems with application to dense-to-dilute polydisperse reacting spray flows

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Doisneau, François, E-mail: fdoisne@sandia.gov; Arienti, Marco, E-mail: marient@sandia.gov; Oefelein, Joseph C., E-mail: oefelei@sandia.gov

For sprays, as described by a kinetic disperse phase model strongly coupled to the Navier–Stokes equations, the resolution strategy is constrained by accuracy objectives, robustness needs, and the computing architecture. In order to leverage the good properties of the Eulerian formalism, we introduce a deterministic particle-based numerical method to solve transport in physical space, which is simple to adapt to the many types of closures and moment systems. The method is inspired by the semi-Lagrangian schemes, developed for Gas Dynamics. We show how semi-Lagrangian formulations are relevant for a disperse phase far from equilibrium and where the particle–particle coupling barelymore » influences the transport; i.e., when particle pressure is negligible. The particle behavior is indeed close to free streaming. The new method uses the assumption of parcel transport and avoids to compute fluxes and their limiters, which makes it robust. It is a deterministic resolution method so that it does not require efforts on statistical convergence, noise control, or post-processing. All couplings are done among data under the form of Eulerian fields, which allows one to use efficient algorithms and to anticipate the computational load. This makes the method both accurate and efficient in the context of parallel computing. After a complete verification of the new transport method on various academic test cases, we demonstrate the overall strategy's ability to solve a strongly-coupled liquid jet with fine spatial resolution and we apply it to the case of high-fidelity Large Eddy Simulation of a dense spray flow. A fuel spray is simulated after atomization at Diesel engine combustion chamber conditions. The large, parallel, strongly coupled computation proves the efficiency of the method for dense, polydisperse, reacting spray flows.« less

Process for making dense thin films

DOEpatents

Jacobson, Craig P.; Visco, Steven J.; DeJonghe, Lutgard C.

2005-07-26

Provided are low-cost, mechanically strong, highly electronically conductive porous substrates and associated structures for solid-state electrochemical devices, techniques for forming these structures, and devices incorporating the structures. The invention provides solid state electrochemical device substrates of novel composition and techniques for forming thin electrode/membrane/electrolyte coatings on the novel or more conventional substrates. In particular, in one embodiment the invention provides techniques for firing of device substrate to form densified electrolyte/membrane films 5 to 20 microns thick. In another embodiment, densified electrolyte/membrane films 5 to 20 microns thick may be formed on a pre-sintered substrate by a constrained sintering process. In some cases, the substrate may be a porous metal, alloy, or non-nickel cermet incorporating one or more of the transition metals Cr, Fe, Cu and Ag, or alloys thereof.

DESTRUCTION OF NEUTRAL PARTICLES IN A DEVICE FOR PRODUCING A HIGH DENSITY PLASMA

DOEpatents

Simon, A.

1962-05-01

A method and apparatus are described for burning out neutral particles in an evacuated region and within a strong magnetic field. The method comprises injecting energetic molecular ions into the region perpendicular to the magnetic field and into the path of a dissociating, energetic arc discharge, the atomic ions formed in the dissociating process being trapped by the magnetic field, and then increasing the value of the trapped atomic ion current to such a value that the neutral particles are destroyed faster than they are formed, thereby causing a dense, energetic plasma to be built up and sustained by the magnetic field. (AEC)

Aircraft measurements of microwave emission from Arctic Sea ice

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilheit, T.; Nordberg, W.; Blinn, J.; Campbell, W.; Edgerton, A.

1971-01-01

Measurements of the microwave emission from Arctic Sea ice were made with aircraft at 8 wavelengths ranging from 0.510 to 2.81 cm. The expected contrast in emissivities between ice and water was observed at all wavelengths. Distributions of sea ice and open water were mapped from altitudes up to 11 km in the presence of dense cloud cover. Different forms of ice also exhibited strong contrasts in emissivity. Emissivity differences of up to 0.2 were observed between two types of ice at the 0.811-cm wavelength. The higher emissivity ice type is tentatively identified as having been formed more recently than the lower emissivity ice. ?? 1971.

Aircraft measurements of microwave emission from Arctic Sea Ice

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilheit, T. T.; Blinn, J.; Campbell, W. J.; Edgerton, A. T.; Nordberg, W.

1971-01-01

Measurements of the microwave emission from Arctic Sea ice were made with aircraft at 8 wavelengths ranging from 0.510 cm to 2.81 cm. The expected contrast in emissivities between ice and water was observed at all wavelengths. Distributions of sea ice and open water were mapped from altitudes up to 11 km in the presence of dense cloud cover. Different forms of ice also exhibited strong contrasts in emissivity. Emissivity differences of up to 0.2 were observed between two types of ice at 0.811 cm wavelength. The higher emissivity ice type is tentatively identified as having been formed more recently than the lower emissivity ice.

Self-Organization of Polymer Brush Layers in a Poor Solvent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karim, A.; Tsukruk, V. V.; Douglas, J. F.; Satija, S. K.; Fetters, L. J.; Reneker, D. H.; Foster, M. D.

1995-10-01

Synthesis of densely grafted polymer brushes from good solvent polymer solutions is difficult when the surface interaction is only weakly attractive because of the strong steric repulsion between the polymer chains. To circumvent this difficulty we graft polymer layers in a poor solvent to exploit attractive polymer-polymer interactions which largely nullify the repulsive steric interactions. This simple strategy gives rise to densely grafted and homogeneous polymer brush layers. Model end-grafted polystyrene chains (M_w = 105,000) are prepared in the poor solvent cyclohexane (9.5 °C) where the chains are chemically attached to the surface utilizing a trichlorosilane end-group. Polished silicon wafers were then exposed to the reactive polymer solutions for a series of “induction times” tau_I and the evolving layer was characterized by X-ray reflectivity and atomic force microscopy. Distinct morphologies were found depending on tau_I. For short tau_I, corresponding to a grafting density less than 5 mg/m^2, the grafted layer forms an inhomogeneous island-like structure. At intermediate tau_I, where the coverage becomes percolating, a surface pattern develops which appears similar to spinodal decomposition in bulk solution. Finally, after sufficiently long tau_I, a dense and nearly homogeneous layer with a sharp interface is formed which does not exhibit surface pattern formation. The stages of brush growth are discussed qualitatively in terms of a random deposition model.

Theory of nonlinear elasticity, stress-induced relaxation, and dynamic yielding in dense fluids of hard nonspherical colloids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Rui; Schweizer, Kenneth S.

2012-04-01

We generalize the microscopic naïve mode coupling and nonlinear Langevin equation theories of the coupled translation-rotation dynamics of dense suspensions of uniaxial colloids to treat the effect of applied stress on shear elasticity, cooperative cage escape, structural relaxation, and dynamic and static yielding. The key concept is a stress-dependent dynamic free energy surface that quantifies the center-of-mass force and torque on a moving colloid. The consequences of variable particle aspect ratio and volume fraction, and the role of plastic versus double glasses, are established in the context of dense, glass-forming suspensions of hard-core dicolloids. For low aspect ratios, the theory provides a microscopic basis for the recently observed phenomenon of double yielding as a consequence of stress-driven sequential unlocking of caging constraints via reduction of the distinct entropic barriers associated with the rotational and translational degrees of freedom. The existence, and breadth in volume fraction, of the double yielding phenomena is predicted to generally depend on both the degree of particle anisotropy and experimental probing frequency, and as a consequence typically occurs only over a window of (high) volume fractions where there is strong decoupling of rotational and translational activated relaxation. At high enough concentrations, a return to single yielding is predicted. For large aspect ratio dicolloids, rotation and translation are always strongly coupled in the activated barrier hopping event, and hence for all stresses only a single yielding process is predicted.

H{sub 2} Ortho-to-para Conversion on Grains: A Route to Fast Deuterium Fractionation in Dense Cloud Cores?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bovino, S.; Grassi, T.; Schleicher, D. R. G.

Deuterium fractionation, i.e., the enhancement of deuterated species with respect to non-deuterated ones, is considered to be a reliable chemical clock of star-forming regions. This process is strongly affected by the ortho-to-para H{sub 2} ratio. In this Letter we explore the effect of the ortho–para (o–p) H{sub 2} conversion on grains on the deuteration timescale in fully-depleted dense cores, including the most relevant uncertainties that affect this complex process. We show that (i) the o–p H{sub 2} conversion on grains is not strongly influenced by the uncertainties on the conversion time and the sticking coefficient, and (ii) that the processmore » is controlled by the temperature and the residence time of ortho-H{sub 2} on the surface, i.e., by the binding energy. We find that for binding energies between 330 and 550 K, depending on the temperature, the o–p H{sub 2} conversion on grains can shorten the deuterium fractionation timescale by orders of magnitude, opening a new route for explaining the large observed deuteration fraction D {sub frac} in dense molecular cloud cores. Our results suggest that the star formation timescale, when estimated through the timescale to reach the observed deuteration fractions, might be shorter than previously proposed. However, more accurate measurements of the binding energy are needed in order to better assess the overall role of this process.« less

The perfect ash-storm: large-scale Pyroclastic Density Current experiments reveal highly mobile, self-fluidising and air-cushioned flow transport regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lube, G.; Cronin, S. J.; Breard, E.; Valentine, G.; Bursik, M. I.; Hort, M. K.; Freundt, A.

2013-12-01

We report on the first systematic series of large-scale Pyroclastic Density Current (PDC) experiments using the New Zealand PDC Generator, a novel international research facility in Physical Volcanology recently commissioned at Massey University. Repeatable highly energetic and hot PDCs are synthesized by the controlled ';eruption column-collapse' of up to 3500 kg of homogenously aerated Taupo ignimbrite material from a 15 m-elevated hopper onto an instrumented inclined flume. At discharge rates between 250-1300 kg/s and low- to moderate gas injection rates (yielding initial solids concentration of 15-70 vol%) channelized gas-particle mixture flows life-scaled to dense PDCs can be generated. The flow fronts of the currents reach velocities of up to 9.5 m/s over their first 12 m of travel and rapidly develop strong vertical density stratification. The PDCs typically form a highly mobile, <60 cm-thick dense and channel-confined underflow, with an overriding dilute and turbulent ash cloud surge that also laterally escapes the flume boundaries. Depending on the PDC starting conditions underflows with 1-45 vol% solids concentration are formed, while the upper surge contains <<1 vol.% solids. A characteristic feature of the underflow is the occurrence of 'ignitive' front breakouts, producing jetted lobes that accelerate outward from the flow front, initially forming a lobe-cleft structure, followed by segregation downslope into multiple flow pulses. Depending on initial solids concentration and discharge rate, stratified, dune-bedded and inversely graded bedforms are created whose thicknesses are remarkably uniform along the medial to distal runout path characterising highly mobile flow runout. Along with high-speed video footage we present time-series data of basal arrays of load- and gas-pore pressure transducers to characterise the mobile dense underflows. Data shows that the PDCs are comprised of a turbulent coarse-grained and air-ingesting front with particle-solids concentrations of 1-5 vol%. The front shows a brief phase of negative pore pressure due to the entrainment and upward elutriation of ambient air inside this front. It is immediately followed by the fine-ash rich and highly impermeable main flow body. Passage of the flow body is accompanied by strongly increasing pore-pressures of 1-3 kPa that almost fully supports the weight of the entire underflow - depicting flow-induced fluidisation of the main flow part. The remainder of the flow body shows further increases in pore-pressure aside with strong reductions in flow mass. This suggests the occurrence of zones of air-cushions forming at the base of the underflow that largely aid its inviscid runout. This sequence is repeated during arrival and passage of up to three more flow pulses. The low-permeability deposits maintain high internal gas pore pressures for several minutes after emplacement, before sudden deaeration, settling and gas loss is caused by fracturing. Flow-induced fluidisation and basal air-cushioning provide key processes behind the enigmatic long runout behaviour of dense PDCs.

Cold gas in hot star clusters: the wind from the red supergiant W26 in Westerlund 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackey, Jonathan; Castro, Norberto; Fossati, Luca; Langer, Norbert

2015-10-01

The massive red supergiant W26 in Westerlund 1 is one of a growing number of red supergiants shown to have winds that are ionized from the outside in. The fate of this dense wind material is important for models of second generation star formation in massive star clusters. Mackey et al. (2014, Nature, 512, 282) showed that external photoionization can stall the wind of red supergiants and accumulate mass in a dense static shell. We use spherically symmetric radiation-hydrodynamic simulations of an externally photoionized wind to predict the brightness distribution of Hα and [N II] emission arising from photoionized winds both with and without a dense shell. We analyse spectra of the Hα and [N II] emission lines in the circumstellar environment around W26 and compare them with simulations to investigate whether W26 has a wind that is confined by external photoionization. Simulations of slow winds that are decelerated into a dense shell show strongly limb-brightened line emission, with line radial velocities that are independent of the wind speed. Faster winds (≳22 km s-1) do not form a dense shell, have less limb-brightening, and the line radial velocity is a good tracer of the wind speed. The brightness of the [N II] and Hα lines as a function of distance from W26 agrees reasonably well with observations when only the line flux is considered. The radial velocity of the simulated winds disagrees with observations, however: the brightest observed emission is blueshifted by ≈25 km s-1 relative to the radial velocity of the star, whereas a spherically symmetric wind has the brightest emission at zero radial velocity because of limb brightening. Our results show that the bright nebula surrounding W26 must be asymmetric, and we suggest that it is confined by external ram pressure from the extreme wind of the nearby supergiant W9. We obtain a lower limit on the nitrogen abundance within the nebula of 2.35 times solar. The line ratio strongly favours photoionization over shock ionization, and so even if the observed nebula is pressure confined there should still be an ionization front and a photoionization-confined shell closer to the star that is not resolved by the current observations, which could be tested with better spectral resolution and spatial coverage. Appendices are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Smooth muscle architecture within cell-dense vascular tissues influences functional contractility.

PubMed

Win, Zaw; Vrla, Geoffrey D; Steucke, Kerianne E; Sevcik, Emily N; Hald, Eric S; Alford, Patrick W

2014-12-01

The role of vascular smooth muscle architecture in the function of healthy and dysfunctional vessels is poorly understood. We aimed at determining the relationship between vascular smooth muscle architecture and contractile output using engineered vascular tissues. We utilized microcontact printing and a microfluidic cell seeding technique to provide three different initial seeding conditions, with the aim of influencing the cellular architecture within the tissue. Cells seeded in each condition formed confluent and aligned tissues but within the tissues, the cellular architecture varied. Tissues with a more elongated cellular architecture had significantly elevated basal stress and produced more contractile stress in response to endothelin-1 stimulation. We also found a correlation between the contractile phenotype marker expression and the cellular architecture, contrary to our previous findings in non-confluent tissues. Taken with previous results, these data suggest that within cell-dense vascular tissues, smooth muscle contractility is strongly influenced by cell and tissue architectures.

Dynamically generated patterns in dense suspensions of active filaments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prathyusha, K. R.; Henkes, Silke; Sknepnek, Rastko

2018-02-01

We use Langevin dynamics simulations to study dynamical behavior of a dense planar layer of active semiflexible filaments. Using the strength of active force and the thermal persistence length as parameters, we map a detailed phase diagram and identify several nonequilibrium phases in this system. In addition to a slowly flowing melt phase, we observe that, for sufficiently high activity, collective flow accompanied by signatures of local polar and nematic order appears in the system. This state is also characterized by strong density fluctuations. Furthermore, we identify an activity-driven crossover from this state of coherently flowing bundles of filaments to a phase with no global flow, formed by individual filaments coiled into rotating spirals. This suggests a mechanism where the system responds to activity by changing the shape of active agents, an effect with no analog in systems of active particles without internal degrees of freedom.

On the star-forming ability of Molecular Clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anathpindika, S.; Burkert, A.; Kuiper, R.

2018-02-01

The star-forming ability of a molecular cloud depends on the fraction of gas it can cycle into the dense-phase. Consequently, one of the crucial questions in reconciling star formation in clouds is to understand the factors that control this process. While it is widely accepted that the variation in ambient conditions can alter significantly the ability of a cloud to spawn stars, the observed variation in the star-formation rate in nearby clouds that experience similar ambient conditions, presents an interesting question. In this work, we attempted to reconcile this variation within the paradigm of colliding flows. To this end we develop self-gravitating, hydrodynamic realizations of identical flows, but allowed to collide off-centre. Typical observational diagnostics such as the gas-velocity dispersion, the fraction of dense-gas, the column density distribution (N-PDF), the distribution of gas mass as a function of K-band extinction and the strength of compressional/solenoidal modes in the post-collision cloud were deduced for different choices of the impact parameter of collision. We find that a strongly sheared cloud is terribly inefficient in cycling gas into the dense phase and that such a cloud can possibly reconcile the sluggish nature of star formation reported for some clouds. Within the paradigm of cloud formation via colliding flows this is possible in case of flows colliding with a relatively large impact parameter. We conclude that compressional modes - though probably essential - are insufficient to ensure a relatively higher star-formation efficiency in a cloud.

Method for joining carbon-carbon composites to metals

DOEpatents

Lauf, Robert J.; McMillan, April D.; Moorhead, Arthur J.

1997-01-01

A method for joining carbon-carbon composites to metals by brazing. Conventional brazing of recently developed carbon-bonded carbon fiber (CBCF) material to a metal substrate is limited by the tendency of the braze alloy to "wick" into the CBCF composite rather than to form a strong bond. The surface of the CBCF composite that is to be bonded is first sealed with a fairly dense carbonaceous layer achieved by any of several methods. The sealed surface is then brazed to the metal substrate by vacuum brazing with a Ti-Cu-Be alloy.

Method for joining carbon-carbon composites to metals

DOEpatents

Lauf, R.J.; McMillan, A.D.; Moorhead, A.J.

1997-07-15

A method for joining carbon-carbon composites to metals by brazing. Conventional brazing of recently developed carbon-bonded carbon fiber (CBCF) material to a metal substrate is limited by the tendency of the braze alloy to ``wick`` into the CBCF composite rather than to form a strong bond. The surface of the CBCF composite that is to be bonded is first sealed with a fairly dense carbonaceous layer achieved by any of several methods. The sealed surface is then brazed to the metal substrate by vacuum brazing with a Ti-Cu-Be alloy. 1 fig.

Dense matter in strong gravitational field of neutron star

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhat, Sajad A.; Bandyopadhyay, Debades

2018-02-01

Mass, radius and moment of inertia are direct probes of compositions and Equation of State (EoS) of dense matter in neutron star interior. These are computed for novel phases of dense matter involving hyperons and antikaon condensate and their observable consequences are discussed in this article. Furthermore, the relationship between moment of inertia and quadrupole moment is also explored.

Electronic structure of dense Pb overlayers on Si(111) investigated using angle-resolved photoemission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, W. H.; Koh, H.; Rotenberg, E.; Yeom, H. W.

2007-02-01

Dense Pb overlayers on Si(111) are important as the wetting layer for anomalous Pb island growth as well as for their own complex “devil’s-staircase” phases. The electronic structures of dense Pb overlayers on Si(111) were investigated in detail by angle-resolved photoemission. Among the series of ordered phases found recently above one monolayer, the low-coverage 7×3 and the high-coverage 14×3 phases are studied; they are well ordered and form reproducibly in large areas. The band dispersions and Fermi surfaces of the two-dimensional (2D) electronic states of these overlayers are mapped out. A number of metallic surface-state bands are identified for both phases with complex Fermi contours. The basic features of the observed Fermi contours can be explained by overlapping 2D free-electron-like Fermi circles. This analysis reveals that the 2D electrons near the Fermi level of the 7×3 and 14×3 phases are mainly governed by strong 1×1 and 3×3 potentials, respectively. The origins of the 2D electronic states and their apparent Fermi surface shapes are discussed based on recent structure models.

Toward Gas Chemistry in Low Metallicity Starburst Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meier, David S.; Anderson, Crystal N.; Turner, Jean; Ott, Juergen; Beck, Sara C.

2017-01-01

Dense gas, which is intimately connected with star formation, is key to understanding star formation. Though challenging to study, dense gas in low metallicity starbursts is important given these system's often extreme star formation and their potential implications for high redshift analogs. High spatial resolution (~50 pc) ALMA observations of several key probes of gas chemistry, including HCN(1-0), HCO+(1-0), CS(2-1), CCH(1-0;3/2-1/2) and SiO(2-1), towards the nearby super star-cluster (SSC) forming, sub-solar metallicity galaxy NGC 5253 are discussed. Dense gas is observed to be extended well beyond the current compact starburst, reaching into the apparently infalling molecular streamer. The faintness of HCN, the standard dense gas tracer, is extreme both in an absolute sense relative to high metallicity starbursts of a similar intensity and in a relative sense, with the HCO+/HCN ratio being one of the most elevated observed. UV-irradiated molecular gas, traced by CCH, is also extended over the mapped region, not being strongly correlated with the SSC. Despite the accretion of molecular gas from the halo and the intense burst of star formation, chemical signatures of shocked gas, traced by SiO (and HNCO), are not obvious. By placing NGC 5253 in context with other local starbursts, like 30 Doradus in the Large Magellanic Clouds and the high metallicity proto-typical starburst NGC 253, it is suggested that a combination of gas excitation and abundance changes associated with the sub solar metallicity may explain these anomalous dense gas properties.

Processing and mechanical characterization of alumina laminates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montgomery, John K.

2002-08-01

Single-phase ceramics that combine property gradients or steps in monolithic bodies are sought as alternatives to ceramic composites made of dissimilar materials. This work describes novel processing methods to produce stepped-density (or laminated) alumina single-phase bodies that maintain their mechanical integrity. One arrangement consists of a stiff, dense bulk material with a thin, flaw tolerant, porous exterior layer. Another configuration consists of a lightweight, low-density bulk material with a thin, hard, wear resistant exterior layer. Alumina laminates with strong interfaces have been successfully produced in this work using two different direct-casting processes. Gelcasting is a useful near-net shape processing technique that has been combined with several techniques, such as reaction bonding of aluminum oxide and the use of starch as a fugative filler, to successfully produced stepped-density alumina laminates. The other direct casting process that has been developed in this work is thermoreversible gelcasting (TRG). This is a reversible gelation process that has been used to produce near-net shape dense ceramic bodies. Also, individual layers can be stacked together and heated to produce laminates. Bilayer laminate samples were produced with varied thickness of porous and dense layers. It was shown that due to the difference in modulus and hardness, transverse cracking is found upon Hertzian contact when the dense layer is on the exterior. In the opposite arrangement, compacted damage zones formed in the porous material and no damage occurred in the underlying dense layer. Flaw tolerant behavior of the porous exterior/dense underlayer was examined by measuring biaxial strength as a function of Vickers indentation load. It was found that the thinnest layer of porous material results in the greatest flaw tolerance. Also, higher strength was exhibited at large indentation loads when compared to dense monoliths. The calculated stresses on the surfaces and interface afforded an explanation of the behavior that failure initiates at the interface between the layers for the thinnest configuration, rather than the sample surface.

Controlling the degradation kinetics of porous iron by poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) infiltration for use as temporary medical implants

PubMed Central

Yusop, Abdul Hakim Md; Daud, Nurizzati Mohd; Nur, Hadi; Kadir, Mohammed Rafiq Abdul; Hermawan, Hendra

2015-01-01

Iron and its alloy have been proposed as biodegradable metals for temporary medical implants. However, the formation of iron oxide and iron phosphate on their surface slows down their degradation kinetics in both in vitro and in vivo scenarios. This work presents new approach to tailor degradation behavior of iron by incorporating biodegradable polymers into the metal. Porous pure iron (PPI) was vacuum infiltrated by poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) to form fully dense PLGA-infiltrated porous iron (PIPI) and dip coated into the PLGA to form partially dense PLGA-coated porous iron (PCPI). Results showed that compressive strength and toughness of the PIPI and PCPI were higher compared to PPI. A strong interfacial interaction was developed between the PLGA layer and the iron surface. Degradation rate of PIPI and PCPI was higher than that of PPI due to the effect of PLGA hydrolysis. The fast degradation of PIPI did not affect the viability of human fibroblast cells. Finally, this work discusses a degradation mechanism for PIPI and the effect of PLGA incorporation in accelerating the degradation of iron. PMID:26057073

Non-native seagrass Halophila stipulacea forms dense mats under eutrophic conditions in the Caribbean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Tussenbroek, B. I.; van Katwijk, M. M.; Bouma, T. J.; van der Heide, T.; Govers, L. L.; Leuven, R. S. E. W.

2016-09-01

Seagrasses comprise 78 species and are rarely invasive. But the seagrass Halophila stipulacea, firstly recorded in the Caribbean in the year 2002, has spread quickly throughout the region. Previous works have described this species as invasive in the Caribbean, forming dense mats that exclude native seagrass species. During a reconnaissance field survey of Caribbean seagrass meadows at the islands of Bonaire and Sint Maarten in 2013, we observed that this species was only extremely dense at 5 out of 10 studied meadows. Compared to areas with sparse growth of H. stipulacea, these dense meadows showed consistently higher nutrient concentrations, as indicated by higher leaf tissue N contents of the seagrass Thalassia testudinum (dense when C:N < 22.5) and sediments (dense when %N > 11.3). Thus, the potential invasiveness of this non-native seagrass most likely depends on the environmental conditions, especially the nutrient concentrations.

Measuring distance through dense weighted networks: The case of hospital-associated pathogens

PubMed Central

Smieszek, Timo; Henderson, Katherine L.; Johnson, Alan P.

2017-01-01

Hospital networks, formed by patients visiting multiple hospitals, affect the spread of hospital-associated infections, resulting in differences in risks for hospitals depending on their network position. These networks are increasingly used to inform strategies to prevent and control the spread of hospital-associated pathogens. However, many studies only consider patients that are received directly from the initial hospital, without considering the effect of indirect trajectories through the network. We determine the optimal way to measure the distance between hospitals within the network, by reconstructing the English hospital network based on shared patients in 2014–2015, and simulating the spread of a hospital-associated pathogen between hospitals, taking into consideration that each intermediate hospital conveys a delay in the further spread of the pathogen. While the risk of transferring a hospital-associated pathogen between directly neighbouring hospitals is a direct reflection of the number of shared patients, the distance between two hospitals far-away in the network is determined largely by the number of intermediate hospitals in the network. Because the network is dense, most long distance transmission chains in fact involve only few intermediate steps, spreading along the many weak links. The dense connectivity of hospital networks, together with a strong regional structure, causes hospital-associated pathogens to spread from the initial outbreak in a two-step process: first, the directly surrounding hospitals are affected through the strong connections, second all other hospitals receive introductions through the multitude of weaker links. Although the strong connections matter for local spread, weak links in the network can offer ideal routes for hospital-associated pathogens to travel further faster. This hold important implications for infection prevention and control efforts: if a local outbreak is not controlled in time, colonised patients will appear in other regions, irrespective of the distance to the initial outbreak, making import screening ever more difficult. PMID:28771581

Does Arctic sea ice reduction foster shelf-basin exchange?

PubMed

Ivanov, Vladimir; Watanabe, Eiji

2013-12-01

The recent shift in Arctic ice conditions from prevailing multi-year ice to first-year ice will presumably intensify fall-winter sea ice freezing and the associated salt flux to the underlying water column. Here, we conduct a dual modeling study whose results suggest that the predicted catastrophic consequences for the global thermohaline circulation (THC), as a result of the disappearance of Arctic sea ice, may not necessarily occur. In a warmer climate, the substantial fraction of dense water feeding the Greenland-Scotland overflow may form on Arctic shelves and cascade to the deep basin, thus replenishing dense water, which currently forms through open ocean convection in the sub-Arctic seas. We have used a simplified model for estimating how increased ice production influences shelf-basin exchange associated with dense water cascading. We have carried out case studies in two regions of the Arctic Ocean where cascading was observed in the past. The baseline range of buoyancy-forcing derived from the columnar ice formation was calculated as part of a 30-year experiment of the pan-Arctic coupled ice-ocean general circulation model (GCM). The GCM results indicate that mechanical sea ice divergence associated with lateral advection accounts for a significant part of the interannual variations in sea ice thermal production in the coastal polynya regions. This forcing was then rectified by taking into account sub-grid processes and used in a regional model with analytically prescribed bottom topography and vertical stratification in order to examine specific cascading conditions in the Pacific and Atlantic sectors of the Arctic Ocean. Our results demonstrate that the consequences of enhanced ice formation depend on geographical location and shelf-basin bathymetry. In the Pacific sector, strong density stratification in slope waters impedes noticeable deepening of shelf-origin water, even for the strongest forcing applied. In the Atlantic sector, a 1.5x increase of salt flux leads to a threefold increase of shelf-slope volume flux below the warm core of Atlantic water. This threefold increase would be a sufficient substitute for a similar amount of dense water that currently forms in the Greenland, Iceland, and Norwegian (GIN) seas but is expected to decrease in a warming climate.

Preparation Of Strong, Dense Potassium Beta''-Alumina Ceramic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Roger M.; Jeffries-Nakamura, Barbara; Ryan, Margaret A.; O'Connor, Dennis E.; Kisor, Adam; Kikkert, Stanley J.; Losey, Robert; Suitor, Jerry W.

1995-01-01

Improved process for making mechanically strong, dense, phase-pure potassium beta''-alumina solid electrolyte (K-BASE) results in material superior to all previous K-BASE preparations and similar to commercial Na-BASE in strength, phase purity and high-temperature ionic conductivity. Potassium-based alkali-metal thermal-to-electric conversion (AMTEC) cells expected to operate efficiently at lower heat-input temperatures and lower rejection temperatures than sodium-based AMTEC cells, making them appropriate for somewhat different applications.

Formation of buckminsterfullerene (C60) in interstellar space

PubMed Central

Berné, Olivier; Tielens, A. G. G. M.

2012-01-01

Buckminsterfullerene (C60) was recently confirmed as the largest molecule identified in space. However, it remains unclear how and where this molecule is formed. It is generally believed that C60 is formed from the buildup of small carbonaceous compounds in the hot and dense envelopes of evolved stars. Analyzing infrared observations, obtained by Spitzer and Herschel, we found that C60 is efficiently formed in the tenuous and cold environment of an interstellar cloud illuminated by strong ultraviolet (UV) radiation fields. This implies that another formation pathway, efficient at low densities, must exist. Based on recent laboratory and theoretical studies, we argue that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are converted into graphene, and subsequently C60, under UV irradiation from massive stars. This shows that alternative—top-down—routes are key to understanding the organic inventory in space. PMID:22198841

Formation of buckminsterfullerene (C60) in interstellar space.

PubMed

Berné, Olivier; Tielens, A G G M

2012-01-10

Buckminsterfullerene (C(60)) was recently confirmed as the largest molecule identified in space. However, it remains unclear how and where this molecule is formed. It is generally believed that C(60) is formed from the buildup of small carbonaceous compounds in the hot and dense envelopes of evolved stars. Analyzing infrared observations, obtained by Spitzer and Herschel, we found that C(60) is efficiently formed in the tenuous and cold environment of an interstellar cloud illuminated by strong ultraviolet (UV) radiation fields. This implies that another formation pathway, efficient at low densities, must exist. Based on recent laboratory and theoretical studies, we argue that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are converted into graphene, and subsequently C(60), under UV irradiation from massive stars. This shows that alternative--top-down--routes are key to understanding the organic inventory in space.

Improved toughness of silicon carbide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palm, J. A.

1975-01-01

Several techniques were employed to apply or otherwise form porous layers of various materials on the surface of hot-pressed silicon carbide ceramic. From mechanical properties measurements and studies, it was concluded that although porous layers could be applied to the silicon carbide ceramic, sufficient damage was done to the silicon carbide surface by the processing required so as to drastically reduce its mechanical strength. It was further concluded that there was little promise of success in forming an effective energy absorbing layer on the surface of already densified silicon carbide ceramic that would have the mechanical strength of the untreated or unsurfaced material. Using a process for the pressureless sintering of silicon carbide powders it was discovered that porous layers of silicon carbide could be formed on a dense, strong silicon carbide substrate in a single consolidation process.

Formation of buckminsterfullerene (C60) in interstellar space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berné, Olivier; Tielens, Alexander G. G. M.

2012-01-01

Buckminsterfullerene (C60) was recently confirmed to be the largest molecule identified in space. However, it remains unclear how, and where this molecule is formed. It is generally believed that C60 is formed from the build up of small carbonaceous compounds, in the hot and dense envelopes of evolved stars. Analyzing infrared observations, obtained by Spitzer and Herschel, we found that C60 is efficiently formed in the tenuous and cold environment of an interstellar cloud illuminated by strong ultraviolet (UV) radiation fields. This implies that another formation pathway, efficient at low densities, must exist. Based on recent laboratory and theoretical studies, we argue that Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons are converted into graphene, and subsequently C60, under UV irradiation from massive stars. This shows that alternative - top-down - routes are key to understanding the organic inventory in space.

Chemistry in protoplanetary disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semenov, D. A.

2012-01-01

In this lecture I discuss recent progress in the understanding of the chemical evolution of protoplanetary disks that resemble our Solar system during the first ten million years. At the verge of planet formation, strong variations of temperature, density, and radiation intensities in these disks lead to a layered chemical structure. In hot, dilute and heavily irradiated atmosphere only simple radicals, atoms, and atomic ions can survive, formed and destroyed by gas-phase processes. Beneath the atmosphere a partly UV-shielded, warm molecular layer is located, where high-energy radiation drives rich chemistry, both in the gas phase and on dust surfaces. In a cold, dense, dark disk midplane many molecules are frozen out, forming thick icy mantles where surface chemistry is active and where complex (organic) species are synthesized.

EFFECTS OF LASER RADIATION ON MATTER. LASER PLASMA: Formation of a plasma jet of multiply charged ions in the interaction of a laser plasma with an external pulsed magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dyakin, V. M.; Pikuz, T. A.; Skobelev, I. Yu; Faenov, A. Ya; Wolowski, J.; Karpinski, L.; Kasperczuk, A.; Pisarczyk, T.

1994-12-01

A dense jet of a plasma consisting of multiply charged ions was generated in the interaction of a laser plasma with a strong external axial magnetic field. Images were formed by spectral lines and the soft x-ray spectrum range of the plasma jet was obtained with a large-aperture spectrograph containing a mica crystal bent to form a spherical surface with a radius of R = 10 cm. A tenfold increase in the density of the He-like Mg XI plasma, compared with a freely expanding plasma, was observed at a distance of 5 mm from the target.

Towards the definition of AMS facies in the deposits of pyroclastic density currents

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ort, M.H.; Newkirk, T.T.; Vilas, J.F.; Vazquez, J.A.; Ort, M.H.; Porreca, Massimiliano; Geissman, J.W.

2014-01-01

Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) provides a statistically robust technique to characterize the fabrics of deposits of pyroclastic density currents (PDCs). AMS fabrics in two types of pyroclastic deposits (small-volume phreatomagmatic currents in the Hopi Buttes volcanic field, Arizona, USA, and large-volume caldera-forming currents, Caviahue Caldera, Neuquén, Argentina) show similar patterns. Near the vent and in areas of high topographical roughness, AMS depositional fabrics are poorly grouped, with weak lineations and foliations. In a densely welded proximal ignimbrite, this fabric is overprinted by a foliation formed as the rock compacted and deformed. Medial deposits have moderate–strong AMS lineations and foliations. The most distal deposits have strong foliations but weak lineations. Based on these facies and existing models for pyroclastic density currents, deposition in the medial areas occurs from the strongly sheared, high-particle-concentration base of a density-stratified current. In proximal areas and where topography mixes this denser base upwards into the current, deposition occurs rapidly from a current with little uniformity to the shear, in which particles fall and collide in a chaotic fashion. Distal deposits are emplaced by a slowing or stalled current so that the dominant particle motion is vertical, leading to weak lineation and strong foliation.

The Central Molecular Zone of the Milky Way: Lessons about Star Formation from an extreme Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kauffmann, Jens; Thushara Pillai, G. S.; Zhang, Qizhou; Lu, Xing; Immer, Katharina

2015-08-01

The Central Molecular Zone of the Milky Way (CMZ; innermost ~100pc) hosts a number of remarkably dense and massive clouds. These are subject to extreme environmental conditions, including very high cosmic ray fluxes and strong magnetic fields. Exploring star formation under such exceptional circumstances is essential for several of reasons. First, the CMZ permits to probe an extreme point in the star formation parameter space, which helps to test theoretical models. Second, CMZ clouds might help to understand the star formation under extreme conditions in more distant environments, such as in starbursts and the early universe.One particularly striking aspect is that — compared to the solar neighborhood — CMZ star formation in dense gas is suppressed by more than an order of magnitude (Longmore et al. 2012, Kauffmann et al. 2013). This questions current explanations for relations between the dense gas and the star formation rate (e.g., Gao & Solomon 2004, Lada et al. 2012). In other words, the unusually dense and massive CMZ molecular clouds form only very few stars, if any at all. Why is this so?Based on data from ALMA, CARMA, and SMA interferometers, we present results from the Galactic Center Molecular Cloud Survey (GCMS), the first study of a comprehensive sample of molecular clouds in the CMZ. This research yields a curious result: most of the major CMZ clouds are essentially devoid of significant substructure of the sort usually found in regions of high-mass star formation (Kauffmann et al. 2013). Preliminary analysis indicates that some clouds rather resemble homogeneous balls of gas. This suggests a highly dynamic picture of cloud evolution in the CMZ where clouds form, disperse, and re-assemble constantly. This concept is benchmarked against a new ALMA survey and first results from a legacy survey on the SMA.It is plausible that dense clouds in other galaxies have a similar internal structure. Instruments like ALMA and the JWST will soon permit to resolve such regions in nearby galaxies.

APPARATUS FOR CHARGING A RECEPTACLE WITH A DENSE SUBLIMATE FORM OF URANIUM CHLORIDE

DOEpatents

Davidson, P.H.

1959-08-18

An apparatus for filling a tubular storage receptacle with a dense massive form of uranium chloride is described. The apparatus includes an evacuated housing divided into a vaporizing chamber and a portion adapted to receive the receptacle. A nozzle conducts vaporized uranium chloride from the chamber to the interior of the receptacle. The nozzle is withdrawable to progressively deposit the uranium chloride under controlled conditions to produce a dense sublimate which fills the receptacle.

Evolution of Dust in Primordial Supernova Remnants and Its Influence on the Elemental Composition of Hyper-Metal-Poor Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nozawa, Takaya; Kozasa, Takashi; Habe, Asao; Dwek, Eli; Umeda, Hideyuki; Tominaga, Nozomu; Maeda, Keiichi; Nomoto, Ken'ichi

2008-05-01

The calculations for the evolution of dust within Population III supernova remnants (SNRs) are presented, based on the models of dust formed in the unmixed ejecta of Type II SNe. We show that once dust grains collide with the reverse shock penetrating into the ejecta, their fates strongly depend on the initial radius aini. For SNRs expanding into the interstellar medium (ISM) with nH,0 = 1 cm-3, grains of aini<0.05 μm are trapped in the hot gas to be completely destroyed; grains of aini = 0.05-0.2 μm are piled up in the dense shell formed behind the forward shock; grains of aini>0.2 μm are injected into the ISM without being eroded significantly. The total mass of surviving dust is 0.01 to 0.8 Msolar for nH,0 = 10 to 0.1 cm-3. We also investigate the influence of the piled-up dust on the elemental abundances of the second-generation stars formed in the dense shell of Population III SNRs. The comparison of the calculated elemental abundances with those observed in hyper-metal-poor (HMP) and ultra-metal-poor (UMP) stars indicates that the transport of dust separated from metal-rich gas can be an important process in determining the abundance patterns of Mg and Si in HMP and UMP stars.

Modelling deep-water formation in the north-west Mediterranean Sea with a new air-sea coupled model: sensitivity to turbulent flux parameterizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seyfried, Léo; Marsaleix, Patrick; Richard, Evelyne; Estournel, Claude

2017-12-01

In the north-western Mediterranean, the strong, dry, cold winds, the Tramontane and Mistral, produce intense heat and moisture exchange at the interface between the ocean and the atmosphere leading to the formation of deep dense waters, a process that occurs only in certain regions of the world. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the ability of a new coupled ocean-atmosphere modelling system based on MESONH-SURFEX-SYMPHONIE to simulate a deep-water formation event in real conditions. The study focuses on summer 2012 to spring 2013, a favourable period that is well documented by previous studies and for which many observations are available. Model results are assessed through detailed comparisons with different observation data sets, including measurements from buoys, moorings and floats. The good overall agreement between observations and model results shows that the new coupled system satisfactorily simulates the formation of deep dense water and can be used with confidence to study ocean-atmosphere coupling in the north-western Mediterranean. In addition, to evaluate the uncertainty associated with the representation of turbulent fluxes in strong wind conditions, several simulations were carried out based on different parameterizations of the flux bulk formulas. The results point out that the choice of turbulent flux parameterization strongly influences the simulation of the deep-water convection and can modify the volume of the newly formed deep water by a factor of 2.

Kinetic Simulations of Dense Plasma Focus Breakdown

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, A.; Higginson, D. P.; Jiang, S.; Link, A.; Povilus, A.; Sears, J.; Bennett, N.; Rose, D. V.; Welch, D. R.

2015-11-01

A dense plasma focus (DPF) device is a type of plasma gun that drives current through a set of coaxial electrodes to assemble gas inside the device and then implode that gas on axis to form a Z-pinch. This implosion drives hydrodynamic and kinetic instabilities that generate strong electric fields, which produces a short intense pulse of x-rays, high-energy (>100 keV) electrons and ions, and (in deuterium gas) neutrons. A strong factor in pinch performance is the initial breakdown and ionization of the gas along the insulator surface separating the two electrodes. The smoothness and isotropy of this ionized sheath are imprinted on the current sheath that travels along the electrodes, thus making it an important portion of the DPF to both understand and optimize. Here we use kinetic simulations in the Particle-in-cell code LSP to model the breakdown. Simulations are initiated with neutral gas and the breakdown modeled self-consistently as driven by a charged capacitor system. We also investigate novel geometries for the insulator and electrodes to attempt to control the electric field profile. The initial ionization fraction of gas is explored computationally to gauge possible advantages of pre-ionization which could be created experimentally via lasers or a glow-discharge. Prepared by LLNL under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

A dense and strong bonding collagen film for carbon/carbon composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Sheng; Li, Hejun; Li, Kezhi; Lu, Jinhua; Zhang, Leilei

2015-08-01

A strong bonding collagen film was successfully prepared on carbon/carbon (C/C) composites. The surface conditions of the modified C/C composites were detected by contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectra. The roughness, optical morphology, bonding strength and biocompatibility of collagen films at different pH values were detected by confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM), universal test machine and cytology tests in vitro. After a 4-h modification in 30% H2O2 solution at 100 °C, the contact angle on the surface of C/C composites was decreased from 92.3° to 65.3°. Large quantities of hydroxyl, carboxyl and carbonyl functional groups were formed on the surface of the modified C/C composites. Then a dense and continuous collagen film was prepared on the modified C/C substrate. Bonding strength between collagen film and C/C substrate was reached to 8 MPa level when the pH value of this collagen film was 2.5 after the preparing process. With 2-day dehydrathermal treatment (DHT) crosslinking at 105 °C, the bonding strength was increased to 12 MPa level. At last, the results of in vitro cytological test showed that this collagen film made a great improvement on the biocompatibility on C/C composites.

The application of selected radionuclides for monitoring of the D-D reactions produced by dense plasma-focus device.

PubMed

Jednorog, S; Szydlowski, A; Bienkowska, B; Prokopowicz, R

The dense plasma focus (DPF) device-DPF-1000U which is operated at the Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion is the largest that type plasma experiment in the world. The plasma that is formed in large plasma experiments is characterized by vast numbers of parameters. All of them need to be monitored. A neutron activation method occupies a high position among others plasma diagnostic methods. The above method is off-line, remote, and an integrated one. The plasma which has enough temperature to bring about nuclear fusion reactions is always a strong source of neutrons that leave the reactions area and take along energy and important information on plasma parameters and properties as well. Silver as activated material is used as an effective way of neutrons measurement, especially when they are emitted in the form of short pulses like as it happens from the plasma produced in Dense Plasma-Focus devices. Other elements such as beryllium and yttrium are newly introduced and currently tested at the Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion to use them in suitable activation neutron detectors. Some specially designed massive indium samples have been recently adopted for angular neutrons distribution measurements (vertical and horizontal) and have been used in the recent plasma experiment conducted on the DPF-1000U device. This choice was substantiated by relatively long half-lives of the neutron induced isotopes and the threshold character of the 115 In(n,n') 115m In nuclear reaction.

Engineered circuit QED with dense resonant modes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilhelm, Frank; Egger, Daniel

2013-03-01

In circuit quantum electrodynamics even in the ultrastrong coupling regime, strong quasi-resonant interaction typically involves only one mode of the resonator as the mode spacing is comparable to the frequency of the mode. We are going to present an engineered hybrid transmission line consisting of a left-handed and a right-handed portion that has a low-frequency van-Hove singularity hence showing a dense mode spectrum at an experimentally accessible point. This gives rise to strong multi-mode coupling and can be utilized in multiple ways to create strongly correlated microwave photons. Supported by DARPA through the QuEST program and by NSERC Discovery grants

Star-forming Filament Models

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Myers, Philip C., E-mail: pmyers@cfa.harvard.edu

2017-03-20

New models of star-forming filamentary clouds are presented in order to quantify their properties and to predict their evolution. These 2D axisymmetric models describe filaments that have no core, one low-mass core, and one cluster-forming core. They are based on Plummer-like cylinders and spheroids that are bounded by a constant-density surface of finite extent. In contrast to 1D Plummer-like models, they have specific values of length and mass, they approximate observed column density maps, and their distributions of column density ( N -pdfs) are pole-free. Each model can estimate the star-forming potential of a core-filament system by identifying the zonemore » of gas dense enough to form low-mass stars and by counting the number of enclosed thermal Jeans masses. This analysis suggests that the Musca central filament may be near the start of its star-forming life, with enough dense gas to make its first ∼3 protostars, while the Coronet filament is near the midpoint of its star formation, with enough dense gas to add ∼8 protostars to its ∼20 known stars. In contrast, L43 appears to be near the end of its star-forming life, since it lacks enough dense gas to add any new protostars to the two young stellar objectsalready known.« less

On the origin of the hypervelocity runaway star HD 271791

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gvaramadze, V. V.

2010-01-01

We discuss the origin of the early-B-type runaway star HD 271791 and show that its extremely high velocity (≃530 - 920km s-1) cannot be explained within the framework of the binary-supernova ejection scenario. Instead, we suggest that HD 271791 attained its peculiar velocity in the course of a strong dynamical encounter between two hard, massive binaries or through an exchange encounter between a hard, massive binary and a very massive star, formed through runaway mergers of ordinary massive stars in the dense core of a young massive star cluster.

Synthesis of densely substituted trans-configured 4-acylated piperidine-2,4-diones as 3:1 adducts of imines and ketenes.

PubMed

Cabrera, José; Hellmuth, Tina; Peters, René

2010-06-18

An operationally simple method is described to form densely substituted diastereomerically pure trans-configured and potentially biologically interesting 5,6-dihydropyridone derivatives as 3:1 adducts of ketenes formed in situ from acyl bromides and aromatic imines.

Biomimetic Deposition of Hydroxyapatite by Mixed Acid Treatment of Titanium Surfaces.

PubMed

Zhao, J M; Park, W U; Hwang, K H; Lee, J K; Yoon, S Y

2015-03-01

A simple chemical method was established for inducing bioactivity of Ti metal. In the present study, two kinds of mixed acid solutions were used to treat Ti specimens to induce Ca-P formation. Following a strong mixed acid activation process, Ca-P coatings successfully formed on the Ti surfaces in the simulated body fluid. Strong mixed acid etching was used to increase the roughness of the metal surface, because the porous and rough surfaces allow better adhesion between Ca-P coatings and substrate. Nano-scale modification of titanium surfaces can alter cellular and tissue responses, which may benefit osseointegration and dental implant therapy. Some specimens were treated with a 5 M NaOH aqueous solution, and then heat treated at 600 °C in order to form an amorphous sodium titanate layer on their surface. This treated titanium metal is believed to form a dense and uniform bone-like apatite layer on its surface in a simulated body fluid (SBF). This study proved that mixed acid treatment is not only important for surface passivation but is also another bioactive treatment for titanium surfaces, an alternative to alkali treatment. In addition, mixed acid treatment uses a lower temperature and shorter time period than alkali treatment.

Can a fractionally crystallized magma ocean explain the thermo-chemical evolution of Mars?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plesa, A.-C.; Tosi, N.; Breuer, D.

2014-10-01

The impact heat accumulated during the late stage of planetary accretion can melt a significant part or even the entire mantle of a terrestrial body, giving rise to a global magma ocean. The subsequent cooling of the interior causes the magma ocean to freeze from the core-mantle boundary (CMB) to the surface due to the steeper slope of the mantle adiabat compared to the slope of the solidus. Assuming fractional crystallization of the magma ocean, dense cumulates are produced close to the surface, largely due to iron enrichment in the evolving magma ocean liquid. A gravitationally unstable mantle thus forms, which is prone to overturn. We investigate the cumulate overturn and its influence on the thermal evolution of Mars using mantle convection simulations in 2D cylindrical geometry. We present a suite of simulations using different initial conditions and a strongly temperature-dependent viscosity. We assume that all radiogenic heat sources have been enriched during the freezing-phase of the magma ocean in the uppermost 50 km and that the initial steam-atmosphere created by the degassing of the freezing magma ocean was rapidly lost, implying that the surface temperature is set to present-day values. In this case, a stagnant lid quickly forms on top of the convective interior preventing the uppermost dense cumulates to sink, even when allowing for a plastic yielding mechanism. Below this dense stagnant lid, the mantle chemical gradient settles to a stable configuration. The convection pattern is dominated by small-scale structures, which are difficult to reconcile with the large-scale volcanic features observed over Mars' surface and partial melting ceases in less than 900 Ma. Assuming that the stagnant lid can break because of additional mechanisms and allowing the uppermost dense layer to overturn, a stable density gradient is obtained, with the densest material and the entire amount of heat sources lying above the CMB. This stratification leads to a strong overheating of the lowermost mantle, whose temperature increases to values that exceed the liquidus. The iron-rich melt would most likely remain trapped in the lower part of the mantle. The upper mantle in that scenario cools rapidly and only shows partial melting during the first billion year of evolution. Therefore a fractionated global and deep magma ocean is difficult to reconcile with observations. Different scenarios assuming, for instance, a hemispherical or shallow magma ocean, or a crystallization sequence resulting in a lower density gradient than that implied by pure fractional crystallization will have to be considered.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ishige, Ryohei; Williams, Gregory A.; Higaki, Yuji

A molded film of single-component polymer-grafted nanoparticles (SPNP), consisting of a spherical silica core and densely grafted polymer chains bearing hydrogen-bonding side groups capable of physical crosslinking, was investigated byin situultra-small-angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) measurement during a uniaxial stretching process. Static USAXS revealed that the molded SPNP formed a highly oriented twinned face-centered cubic (f.c.c.) lattice structure with the [11-1] plane aligned nearly parallel to the film surface in the initial state. Structural analysis ofin situUSAXS using a model of uniaxial deformation induced by rearrangement of the nanoparticles revealed that the f.c.c. lattice was distorted in the stretching direction inmore » proportion to the macroscopic strain until the strain reached 35%, and subsequently changed into other f.c.c. lattices with different orientations. The lattice distortion and structural transition behavior corresponded well to the elastic and plastic deformation regimes, respectively, observed in the stress–strain curve. The attractive interaction of the hydrogen bond is considered to form only at the top surface of the shell and then plays an effective role in cross-linking between nanoparticles. The rearrangement mechanism of the nanoparticles is well accounted for by a strong repulsive interaction between the densely grafted polymer shells of neighboring particles.« less

THE JCMT GOULD BELT SURVEY: DENSE CORE CLUSTERS IN ORION A

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lane, J.; Kirk, H.; Johnstone, D.

The Orion A molecular cloud is one of the most well-studied nearby star-forming regions, and includes regions of both highly clustered and more dispersed star formation across its full extent. Here, we analyze dense, star-forming cores identified in the 850 and 450 μ m SCUBA-2 maps from the JCMT Gould Belt Legacy Survey. We identify dense cores in a uniform manner across the Orion A cloud and analyze their clustering properties. Using two independent lines of analysis, we find evidence that clusters of dense cores tend to be mass segregated, suggesting that stellar clusters may have some amount of primordial mass segregationmore » already imprinted in them at an early stage. We also demonstrate that the dense core clusters have a tendency to be elongated, perhaps indicating a formation mechanism linked to the filamentary structure within molecular clouds.« less

Fast Molecular Cloud Destruction Requires Fast Cloud Formation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mac Low, Mordecai-Mark; Burkert, Andreas; Ibáñez-Mejía, Juan C., E-mail: mordecai@amnh.org, E-mail: burkert@usm.lmu.de, E-mail: ibanez@ph1.uni-koeln.de

A large fraction of the gas in the Galaxy is cold, dense, and molecular. If all this gas collapsed under the influence of gravity and formed stars in a local free-fall time, the star formation rate in the Galaxy would exceed that observed by more than an order of magnitude. Other star-forming galaxies behave similarly. Yet, observations and simulations both suggest that the molecular gas is indeed gravitationally collapsing, albeit hierarchically. Prompt stellar feedback offers a potential solution to the low observed star formation rate if it quickly disrupts star-forming clouds during gravitational collapse. However, this requires that molecular cloudsmore » must be short-lived objects, raising the question of how so much gas can be observed in the molecular phase. This can occur only if molecular clouds form as quickly as they are destroyed, maintaining a global equilibrium fraction of dense gas. We therefore examine cloud formation timescales. We first demonstrate that supernova and superbubble sweeping cannot produce dense gas at the rate required to match the cloud destruction rate. On the other hand, Toomre gravitational instability can reach the required production rate. We thus argue that, although dense, star-forming gas may last only around a single global free-fall time; the dense gas in star-forming galaxies can globally exist in a state of dynamic equilibrium between formation by gravitational instability and disruption by stellar feedback. At redshift z ≳ 2, the Toomre instability timescale decreases, resulting in a prediction of higher molecular gas fractions at early times, in agreement with the observations.« less

Examining the Acquisition of Phonological Word Forms with Computational Experiments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vitevitch, Michael S.; Storkel, Holly L.

2013-01-01

It has been hypothesized that known words in the lexicon strengthen newly formed representations of novel words, resulting in words with dense neighborhoods being learned more quickly than words with sparse neighborhoods. Tests of this hypothesis in a connectionist network showed that words with dense neighborhoods were learned better than words…

Super-resolving random-Gaussian apodized photon sieve.

PubMed

Sabatyan, Arash; Roshaninejad, Parisa

2012-09-10

A novel apodized photon sieve is presented in which random dense Gaussian distribution is implemented to modulate the pinhole density in each zone. The random distribution in dense Gaussian distribution causes intrazone discontinuities. Also, the dense Gaussian distribution generates a substantial number of pinholes in order to form a large degree of overlap between the holes in a few innermost zones of the photon sieve; thereby, clear zones are formed. The role of the discontinuities on the focusing properties of the photon sieve is examined as well. Analysis shows that secondary maxima have evidently been suppressed, transmission has increased enormously, and the central maxima width is approximately unchanged in comparison to the dense Gaussian distribution. Theoretical results have been completely verified by experiment.

Microporous polymer films and methods of their production

DOEpatents

Aubert, James H.

1995-01-01

A process for producing thin microporous polymeric films for a variety of uses. The process utilizes a dense gas (liquified gas or supercritical fluid) selected to combine with a solvent-containing polymeric film so that the solvent is dissolved in the dense gas, the polymer is substantially insoluble in the dense gas, and two phases are formed. A microporous film is obtained by removal of a dense gas-solvent phase.

Phase separation of a Lennard-Jones fluid interacting with a long, condensed polymer chain: implications for the nuclear body formation near chromosomes.

PubMed

Oh, Inrok; Choi, Saehyun; Jung, YounJoon; Kim, Jun Soo

2015-08-28

Phase separation in a biological cell nucleus occurs in a heterogeneous environment filled with a high density of chromatins and thus it is inevitably influenced by interactions with chromatins. As a model system of nuclear body formation in a cell nucleus filled with chromatins, we simulate the phase separation of a low-density Lennard-Jones (LJ) fluid interacting with a long, condensed polymer chain. The influence of the density variation of LJ particles above and below the phase boundary and the role of attractive interactions between LJ particles and polymer segments are investigated at a fixed value of strong self-interaction between LJ particles. For a density of LJ particles above the phase boundary, phase separation occurs and a dense domain of LJ particles forms irrespective of interactions with the condensed polymer chain whereas its localization relative to the polymer chain is determined by the LJ-polymer attraction strength. Especially, in the case of moderately weak attractions, the domain forms separately from the polymer chain and subsequently associates with the polymer chain. When the density is below the phase boundary, however, the formation of a dense domain is possible only when the LJ-polymer attraction is strong enough, for which the domain grows in direct contact with the interacting polymer chain. In this work, different growth behaviors of LJ particles result from the differences in the density of LJ particles and in the LJ-polymer interaction, and this work suggests that the distinct formation of activity-dependent and activity-independent nuclear bodies (NBs) in a cell nucleus may originate from the differences in the concentrations of body-specific NB components and in their interaction with chromatins.

ALMA observations of atomic carbon in z ˜ 4 dusty star-forming galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bothwell, M. S.; Aguirre, J. E.; Aravena, M.; Bethermin, M.; Bisbas, T. G.; Chapman, S. C.; De Breuck, C.; Gonzalez, A. H.; Greve, T. R.; Hezaveh, Y.; Ma, J.; Malkan, M.; Marrone, D. P.; Murphy, E. J.; Spilker, J. S.; Strandet, M.; Vieira, J. D.; Weiß, A.

2017-04-01

We present Atacama Large Millimeter Array [C I](1 - 0) (rest frequency 492 GHz) observations for a sample of 13 strongly lensed dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) originally discovered at 1.4 mm in a blank-field survey by the South Pole Telescope (SPT). We compare these new data with available [C I] observations from the literature, allowing a study of the interstellar medium (ISM) properties of ˜30 extreme DSFGs spanning a redshift range 2 < z < 5. Using the [C I] line as a tracer of the molecular ISM, we find a mean molecular gas mass for SPT-DSFGs of 6.6 × 1010 M⊙. This is in tension with gas masses derived via low-J 12CO and dust masses; bringing the estimates into accordance requires either (a) an elevated CO-to-H2 conversion factor for our sample of αCO ˜ 2.5 and a gas-to-dust ratio ˜200, or (b) an high carbon abundance X_{C I} ˜ 7× 10^{-5}. Using observations of a range of additional atomic and molecular lines (including [C I], [C II]and multiple transitions of CO), we use a modern photodissociation region code (3D-PDR) to assess the physical conditions (including the density, UV radiation field strength and gas temperature) within the ISM of the DSFGs in our sample. We find that the ISM within our DSFGs is characterized by dense gas permeated by strong UV fields. We note that previous efforts to characterize photodissociation region regions in DSFGs may have significantly under-estimated the density of the ISM. Combined, our analysis suggests that the ISM of extreme dusty starbursts at high redshift consists of dense, carbon-rich gas not directly comparable to the ISM of starbursts in the local Universe.

DOES MAGNETIC-FIELD-ROTATION MISALIGNMENT SOLVE THE MAGNETIC BRAKING CATASTROPHE IN PROTOSTELLAR DISK FORMATION?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li Zhiyun; Krasnopolsky, Ruben; Shang, Hsien

2013-09-01

Stars form in dense cores of molecular clouds that are observed to be significantly magnetized. In the simplest case of a laminar (non-turbulent) core with the magnetic field aligned with the rotation axis, both analytic considerations and numerical simulations have shown that the formation of a large, 10{sup 2} AU scale, rotationally supported protostellar disk is suppressed by magnetic braking in the ideal MHD limit for a realistic level of core magnetization. This theoretical difficulty in forming protostellar disks is termed the ''magnetic braking catastrophe''. A possible resolution to this problem, proposed by Hennebelle and Ciardi and Joos et al.,more » is that misalignment between the magnetic field and rotation axis may weaken the magnetic braking enough to enable disk formation. We evaluate this possibility quantitatively through numerical simulations. We confirm the basic result of Joos et al. that the misalignment is indeed conducive to disk formation. In relatively weakly magnetized cores with dimensionless mass-to-flux ratio {approx}> 4, it enabled the formation of rotationally supported disks that would otherwise be suppressed if the magnetic field and rotation axis are aligned. For more strongly magnetized cores, disk formation remains suppressed, however, even for the maximum tilt angle of 90 Degree-Sign . If dense cores are as strongly magnetized as indicated by OH Zeeman observations (with a mean dimensionless mass-to-flux ratio {approx}2), it would be difficult for the misalignment alone to enable disk formation in the majority of them. We conclude that, while beneficial to disk formation, especially for the relatively weak field case, misalignment does not completely solve the problem of catastrophic magnetic braking in general.« less

Photons in dense nuclear matter: Random-phase approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stetina, Stephan; Rrapaj, Ermal; Reddy, Sanjay

2018-04-01

We present a comprehensive and pedagogic discussion of the properties of photons in cold and dense nuclear matter based on the resummed one-loop photon self-energy. Correlations among electrons, muons, protons, and neutrons in β equilibrium that arise as a result of electromagnetic and strong interactions are consistently taken into account within the random phase approximation. Screening effects, damping, and collective excitations are systematically studied in a fully relativistic setup. Our study is relevant to the linear response theory of dense nuclear matter, calculations of transport properties of cold dense matter, and investigations of the production and propagation of hypothetical vector bosons such as the dark photons.

Dancing to CHANGA: a self-consistent prediction for close SMBH pair formation time-scales following galaxy mergers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tremmel, M.; Governato, F.; Volonteri, M.; Quinn, T. R.; Pontzen, A.

2018-04-01

We present the first self-consistent prediction for the distribution of formation time-scales for close supermassive black hole (SMBH) pairs following galaxy mergers. Using ROMULUS25, the first large-scale cosmological simulation to accurately track the orbital evolution of SMBHs within their host galaxies down to sub-kpc scales, we predict an average formation rate density of close SMBH pairs of 0.013 cMpc-3 Gyr-1. We find that it is relatively rare for galaxy mergers to result in the formation of close SMBH pairs with sub-kpc separation and those that do form are often the result of Gyr of orbital evolution following the galaxy merger. The likelihood and time-scale to form a close SMBH pair depends strongly on the mass ratio of the merging galaxies, as well as the presence of dense stellar cores. Low stellar mass ratio mergers with galaxies that lack a dense stellar core are more likely to become tidally disrupted and deposit their SMBH at large radii without any stellar core to aid in their orbital decay, resulting in a population of long-lived `wandering' SMBHs. Conversely, SMBHs in galaxies that remain embedded within a stellar core form close pairs in much shorter time-scales on average. This time-scale is a crucial, though often ignored or very simplified, ingredient to models predicting SMBH mergers rates and the connection between SMBH and star formation activity.

Microporous polymer films and methods of their production

DOEpatents

Aubert, J.H.

1995-06-06

A process is described for producing thin microporous polymeric films for a variety of uses. The process utilizes a dense gas (liquefied gas or supercritical fluid) selected to combine with a solvent-containing polymeric film so that the solvent is dissolved in the dense gas, the polymer is substantially insoluble in the dense gas, and two phases are formed. A microporous film is obtained by removal of a dense gas-solvent phase. 9 figs.

Biogeomorphic feedbacks within riparian corridors: the role of positive interactions between riparian plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corenblit, Dov; Steiger, Johannes; Till-Bottraud, Irène

2017-04-01

Riparian vegetation affects hydrogeomorphic processes and leads to the construction of wooded fluvial landforms within riparian corridors. Multiple plants form dense multi- and mono-specific stands that enhance plant resistance as grouped plants are less prone to be uprooted than free-standing individuals. Riparian plants which grow in dense stands also enhance their role as ecosystem engineers through the trapping of sediment, organic matter and nutrients. The wooded biogeomorphic landforms which originate from the effect of vegetation on geomorphology lead in return to an improved capacity of the plants to survive, exploit resources, and reach sexual maturity in the intervals between destructive floods. Thus, these vegetated biogeomorphic landforms likely represent a positive niche construction of riparian plants. The nature and intensity of biotic interactions between riparian plants of different species (inter-specific) or the same species (intra-specific) which form dense stands and construct together the niche remain unclear. We strongly suspect that indirect inter-specific positive interactions (facilitation) occur between plants but that more direct intra-specific interactions, such as cooperation and altruism, also operate during the niche construction process. Our aim is to propose an original theoretical framework of inter and intra-specific positive interactions between riparian plants. We suggest that positive interactions between riparian plants are maximized in river reaches with an intermediate level of hydrogeomorphic disturbance. During establishment, plants that grow within dense stands improve their survival and growth because individuals protect each other from shear stress. In addition to the improved capacity to trap mineral and organic matter, individuals which constitute the dense stand can cooperate to mutually support a mycorrhizal fungi network that will connect plants, soil and ground water and influence nutrient transfer, cycling and storage within the shared constructed niche. During post-establishment, the probability of finding functional natural root grafting between neighbour trees increases, which could represent a biomechanical and physiological advantage for anchorage and nutrient acquisition and exchange. These stands remain dense on alluvial bars until a threshold of landform construction and hydrogeomorphic disconnection is reached. We suggest that intra-specific competition for resources then increases and induces a density reduction in the stand (i.e. self-thinning), linked not only to competition but potentially also to altruism. This may be due to a grafted root system and the death of aboveground stems of some of the grafted individuals, resulting in more space for the development of the tall competitive individuals, whereas the initial riparian biogeomorphic landform turns more and more into a terrestrial biogeomorphic landform.

Geometrical optics of dense aerosols: forming dense plasma slabs.

PubMed

Hay, Michael J; Valeo, Ernest J; Fisch, Nathaniel J

2013-11-01

Assembling a freestanding, sharp-edged slab of homogeneous material that is much denser than gas, but much more rarefied than a solid, is an outstanding technological challenge. The solution may lie in focusing a dense aerosol to assume this geometry. However, whereas the geometrical optics of dilute aerosols is a well-developed field, the dense aerosol limit is mostly unexplored. Yet controlling the geometrical optics of dense aerosols is necessary in preparing such a material slab. Focusing dense aerosols is shown here to be possible, but the finite particle density reduces the effective Stokes number of the flow, a critical result for controlled focusing.

An assessment of fisher (Pekania pennanti) tolerance to forest management intensity on the landscape

Treesearch

William J. Zielinski; Craig M. Thompson; Kathryn L. Purcell; James D. Garner

2013-01-01

Forest restoration intended to reduce the overabundance of dense vegetation can be at odds with wildlife habitat conservation, particularly for species of wildlife that are strongly associated with structurally diverse forests with dense canopies. The fisher (Pekania pennanti), a mesopredator that occurs in mid-elevation forests of the southern...

On dense water formation in shelves of the Aegean Sea during the year 1987

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salusti, Ettore; Bellacicco, Marco; Anagnostou, Christos; Rinaldi, Eleonora; Tripsanas, Efthymios

2015-04-01

We here investigate the role of the rather virgin year 1987, when some modern data are available but before the main EMT event. A combination of field, satellite and numerical model temperature and salinity data from PROTHEUS, as well as a coupled ocean-atmosphere model, are used to implement theoretical models. After its formation over a sloping shelf of some important points in the Aegean Sea, due to the strong cold winter winds, a dense water patch can either have a dramatic downflow or can start a slow geostrophic descent along shelves and then following isobaths, best described by streamtube models. The most important, among these shelves characterized by a strong air sea interaction, have been identified from satellite data. The Northernmost shelves are those north of the island of Samothrace and in the Northern Thermaikos Gulf. In agreement with the field measuraments of Georgopoulos et al. (1987) also the shallow shelf between Limnos and Goceada was a source of very dense water, as well as thr shelf between Lesbos and the Turkish coast. Most probably also the shelves around the Cycladic Plateau were affected by strong winds and contributed to the Aegean Sea deep water formation. In addition, other theoretical models of wind-induced coastal upwelling allow to infer temperature and salinity information of dense water dynamics along the shallow coasts and shelves of the Aegean Sea. All this allows a heuristic application of classical T/S diagrams to estimate Northern Aegean dense water evolution and spreading, that nicely supports the early ideas of Zervakis et al. (2000). A complex situation about the Cycladic Plateau dynamics is also analyzed in correlation with sediment locations. Indeed seismic-reflection profiles confirm the presence of a contourite location along the northeast Cyclades Plateau shelves. All this interestingly opens novel prospective about the dense water coastal formation shelves. In synthesis such field, numerical and satellite data embedded in theoretical models allow a novel viewpoint on the Aegean dense water evolution just before the EMT, supported by existing data and also suggesting other possible contourite dynamics. Therefore all this can be seen as kind of challenge for investigating Aegean Sea dense water dynamics, and contourite locations as well.

HID-1 controls formation of large dense core vesicles by influencing cargo sorting and trans-Golgi network acidification

PubMed Central

Hummer, Blake H.; de Leeuw, Noah F.; Burns, Christian; Chen, Lan; Joens, Matthew S.; Hosford, Bethany; Fitzpatrick, James A. J.; Asensio, Cedric S.

2017-01-01

Large dense core vesicles (LDCVs) mediate the regulated release of neuropeptides and peptide hormones. They form at the trans-Golgi network (TGN), where their soluble content aggregates to form a dense core, but the mechanisms controlling biogenesis are still not completely understood. Recent studies have implicated the peripheral membrane protein HID-1 in neuropeptide sorting and insulin secretion. Using CRISPR/Cas9, we generated HID-1 KO rat neuroendocrine cells, and we show that the absence of HID-1 results in specific defects in peptide hormone and monoamine storage and regulated secretion. Loss of HID-1 causes a reduction in the number of LDCVs and affects their morphology and biochemical properties, due to impaired cargo sorting and dense core formation. HID-1 KO cells also exhibit defects in TGN acidification together with mislocalization of the Golgi-enriched vacuolar H+-ATPase subunit isoform a2. We propose that HID-1 influences early steps in LDCV formation by controlling dense core formation at the TGN. PMID:29074564

Spatiotemporal Self-Organization of Fluctuating Bacterial Colonies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grafke, Tobias; Cates, Michael E.; Vanden-Eijnden, Eric

2017-11-01

We model an enclosed system of bacteria, whose motility-induced phase separation is coupled to slow population dynamics. Without noise, the system shows both static phase separation and a limit cycle, in which a rising global population causes a dense bacterial colony to form, which then declines by local cell death, before dispersing to reinitiate the cycle. Adding fluctuations, we find that static colonies are now metastable, moving between spatial locations via rare and strongly nonequilibrium pathways, whereas the limit cycle becomes almost periodic such that after each redispersion event the next colony forms in a random location. These results, which hint at some aspects of the biofilm-planktonic life cycle, can be explained by combining tools from large deviation theory with a bifurcation analysis in which the global population density plays the role of control parameter.

Robust Small Target Co-Detection from Airborne Infrared Image Sequences.

PubMed

Gao, Jingli; Wen, Chenglin; Liu, Meiqin

2017-09-29

In this paper, a novel infrared target co-detection model combining the self-correlation features of backgrounds and the commonality features of targets in the spatio-temporal domain is proposed to detect small targets in a sequence of infrared images with complex backgrounds. Firstly, a dense target extraction model based on nonlinear weights is proposed, which can better suppress background of images and enhance small targets than weights of singular values. Secondly, a sparse target extraction model based on entry-wise weighted robust principal component analysis is proposed. The entry-wise weight adaptively incorporates structural prior in terms of local weighted entropy, thus, it can extract real targets accurately and suppress background clutters efficiently. Finally, the commonality of targets in the spatio-temporal domain are used to construct target refinement model for false alarms suppression and target confirmation. Since real targets could appear in both of the dense and sparse reconstruction maps of a single frame, and form trajectories after tracklet association of consecutive frames, the location correlation of the dense and sparse reconstruction maps for a single frame and tracklet association of the location correlation maps for successive frames have strong ability to discriminate between small targets and background clutters. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed small target co-detection method can not only suppress background clutters effectively, but also detect targets accurately even if with target-like interference.

Copernicus observations of distant unreddened stars. II - Line of sight to HD 50896

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shull, J. M.

1977-01-01

Copernicus UV data on interstellar lines toward HD 50896, a Wolf-Rayet star, are analyzed to study abundances and physical conditions in the line of sight. About 20% of the low-velocity neutral gas is contained in a dense cloud with 10% to 50% of its hydrogen in molecular form; the atomic abundances show typical interstellar depletions. The low-velocity H II gas may be associated with the high ionizing flux of the Wolf-Rayet star or with H II regions along the line of sight. Si III exhibits strong absorption shortward of the low-velocity H II gas, characteristic of a collisionally ionized component at 30,000 to 80,000 K; the possible connections with an unobserved supernova remnant or stellar mass loss are discussed. High-velocity features at 78 and -96 km/sec, in which Fe and Si are near their cosmic abundances, are also indicative of strong shocks.

To Float or Not to Float: How Interactions between Light and Dissolved Inorganic Carbon Species Determine the Buoyancy of Stratiotes aloides

PubMed Central

Harpenslager, Sarah F.; Smolders, Alfons J. P.; Kieskamp, Ariët A. M.; Roelofs, Jan G. M.; Lamers, Leon P. M.

2015-01-01

Structural diversity formed by dense, floating Stratiotes aloides stands, generates hotspots of biodiversity of flora and fauna in wetlands. However, only part of the populations become emergent and provide this important facilitation. Since it has been hypothesised that its buoyancy depends on the rates of underwater photosynthesis, we investigated the role of dissolved CO2 availability and PAR on photosynthesis, biomass production and buoyancy in a controlled greenhouse experiment. Photosynthesis and growth were strongly influenced by both PAR and CO2 availability. At low PAR, plants formed less biomass and produced no emergent leaves, even when CO2 was abundant. At low CO2 levels, S. aloides switched to HCO3 - use, resulting in a lower photosynthetic O2 production, decreased emergent leaf formation and increased CaCO3 precipitation on its leaves, all of which impaired buoyancy. At high PAR, low CO2 availability resulted in slower colonisation of the water layer, whereas CO2 availability did not influence PAR-limited plants. Our study shows that site conditions, rather than the sole abundance of potentially facilitating species, may strongly determine whether or not they form the structure necessary to act as a facilitator for biodiversity in aquatic environments. PMID:25909504

Dense Regions in Supersonic Isothermal Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robertson, Brant; Goldreich, Peter

2018-02-01

The properties of supersonic isothermal turbulence influence a variety of astrophysical phenomena, including the structure and evolution of star-forming clouds. This work presents a simple model for the structure of dense regions in turbulence in which the density distribution behind isothermal shocks originates from rough hydrostatic balance between the pressure gradient behind the shock and its deceleration from ram pressure applied by the background fluid. Using simulations of supersonic isothermal turbulence and idealized waves moving through a background medium, we show that the structural properties of dense, shocked regions broadly agree with our analytical model. Our work provides a new conceptual picture for describing the dense regions, which complements theoretical efforts to understand the bulk statistical properties of turbulence and attempts to model the more complex features of star-forming clouds like magnetic fields, self-gravity, or radiative properties.

INTRACELLULAR FORMS OF POX VIRUSES AS SHOWN BY THE ELECTRON MICROSCOPE (VACCINIA, ECTROMELIA, MOLLUSCUM CONTAGIOSUM)

PubMed Central

Gaylord, William H.; Melnick, Joseph L.

1953-01-01

The intracellular development of three pox viruses has been studied with the electron microscope using thin sections of infected tissue. Cells infected with vaccinia, ectromelia, and molluscum contagiosum viruses all form developmental bodies preliminary to the production of mature virus. Developmental bodies, believed to be virus precursors, are round to oval, slightly larger than mature virus particles, less dense to electrons, and have a more varied morphology. It is suggested as a working hypothesis that the process of maturation of a virus particle takes place as follows. In the earliest form the developmental bodies appear as hollow spheres, imbedded in a very dense cytoplasmic mass constituting an inclusion body, or in a less dense matrix near the nucleus in cells without typical inclusion bodies. The spheres become filled with a homogeneous material of low electron density. A small, dense granule appears in each developmental body and grows in size at the expense of the low density material. Following growth of the granule, particles are found with the dimensions of mature virus and having complex internal structure resembling bars or dumbells. Mature virus is ovoid and very dense to electrons. An "empty" interior may be found within its thick walls. PMID:13069658

Thermo-elasto-plastic simulations of femtosecond laser-induced structural modifications: Application to cavity formation in fused silica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beuton, Romain; Chimier, Benoît; Breil, Jérôme; Hébert, David; Maire, Pierre-Henri; Duchateau, Guillaume

2017-11-01

The absorbed laser energy of a femtosecond laser pulse in a transparent material induces a warm dense matter region relaxation of which may lead to structural modifications in the surrounding cold matter. The modeling of the thermo-elasto-plastic material response is addressed to predict such modifications. It has been developed in a 2D plane geometry and implemented in a hydrodynamic Lagrangian code. The particular case of a tightly focused laser beam in the bulk of fused silica is considered as a first application of the proposed general model. It is shown that the warm dense matter relaxation, influenced by the elasto-plastic behavior of the surrounding cold matter, generates both strong shock and rarefaction waves. Permanent deformations appear in the surrounding solid matter if the induced stress becomes larger than the yield strength. This interaction results in the formation of a sub-micrometric cavity surrounded by an overdense area. This approach also allows one to predict regions where cracks may form. The present modeling can be used to design nanostructures induced by short laser pulses.

Thermal method for fabricating a hydrogen separation membrane on a porous substrate

DOEpatents

Song, Sun-Ju [Orland Park, IL; Lee, Tae H [Naperville, IL; Chen, Ling [Woodridge, IL; Dorris, Stephen E [LaGrange Park, IL; Balachandran, Uthamalingam [Hinsdale, IL

2009-10-20

A thermal method of making a hydrogen permeable composition is disclosed. A mixture of metal oxide powder and ceramic oxide powder and optionally a pore former is formed and pressed to form an article. The article is dried at elevated temperatures and then sintered in a reducing atmosphere to provide a dense hydrogen permeable portion near the surface of the sintered mixture. The dense hydrogen permeable portion has a higher initial concentration of metal than the remainder of the sintered mixture and is present in the range of from about 20 to about 80 percent by volume of the dense hydrogen permeable portion.

In situ ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering study under uniaxial stretching of colloidal crystals prepared by silica nanoparticles bearing hydrogen-bonding polymer grafts

DOE PAGES

Ishige, Ryohei; Williams, Gregory A.; Higaki, Yuji; ...

2016-04-19

A molded film of single-component polymer-grafted nanoparticles (SPNP), consisting of a spherical silica core and densely grafted polymer chains bearing hydrogen-bonding side groups capable of physical crosslinking, was investigated byin situultra-small-angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) measurement during a uniaxial stretching process. Static USAXS revealed that the molded SPNP formed a highly oriented twinned face-centered cubic (f.c.c.) lattice structure with the [11-1] plane aligned nearly parallel to the film surface in the initial state. Structural analysis ofin situUSAXS using a model of uniaxial deformation induced by rearrangement of the nanoparticles revealed that the f.c.c. lattice was distorted in the stretching direction inmore » proportion to the macroscopic strain until the strain reached 35%, and subsequently changed into other f.c.c. lattices with different orientations. The lattice distortion and structural transition behavior corresponded well to the elastic and plastic deformation regimes, respectively, observed in the stress–strain curve. The attractive interaction of the hydrogen bond is considered to form only at the top surface of the shell and then plays an effective role in cross-linking between nanoparticles. The rearrangement mechanism of the nanoparticles is well accounted for by a strong repulsive interaction between the densely grafted polymer shells of neighboring particles.« less

Galactic Spiral Shocks with Thermal Instability in Vertically Stratified Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Chang-Goo; Kim, W.; Ostriker, E. C.

2010-01-01

Galactic spiral shocks are dominant morphological features and believed to be responsible for substructure formation of spiral arms in disk galaxies. They can also provide a large amount of kinetic energy for the interstellar gas by tapping the rotational energy. We use numerical hydrodynamic simulations to investigate dynamics and structure of spiral shocks with thermal instability in vertically stratified galactic disks. We initially consider an isothermal disk in vertical hydrostatic equilibrium and let it evolve under interstellar cooling and heating. Due to cooling and heating, the disk rapidly turns to a dense slab near the midplane surrounded by rarefied gas at high-altitude regions. The imposed stellar spiral potential develops a vertically curved shock that exhibits strong flapping motions along the direction perpendicular to the arm. The flows across the spiral shock are characterized by transitions from rarefied to dense phases at the shock and from dense to rarefied phases at the postshock expansion zone. The shock flapping motions stirs the disk, supplying the gas with random kinetic energy. For a model resembling the galactic disk near the solar neighborhood, the density-weighted vertical velocity dispersions are 2 km/s for the rarefied gas and 1 km/s for the dense gas. The shock compression in this model reduces an amount of the rarefied gas from 29% to 19% by mass. Despite the flapping motions, the time-averaged profiles of surface density are similar to those of the one-dimensional counterparts, and the vertical density distribution is overall consistent with effective hydrostatic equilibrium. When self-gravity is included, the shock compression forms large gravitationally bound condensations with virial ratio of about 2 and typical masses of 0.5 to one million solar masses, comparable to the Jeans mass.

Anthropogenic CO2 in a dense water formation area of the Mediterranean Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ingrosso, Gianmarco; Bensi, Manuel; Cardin, Vanessa; Giani, Michele

2017-05-01

There is growing evidence that the on-going ocean acidification of the Mediterranean Sea could be favoured by its active overturning circulation. The areas of dense water formation are, indeed, preferential sites for atmospheric carbon dioxide absorption and through them the ocean acidification process can quickly propagate into the deep layers. In this study we estimated the concentration of anthropogenic CO2 (Cant) in the dense water formation areas of the middle and southern Adriatic Sea. Using the composite tracer TrOCA (Tracer combining Oxygen, inorganic Carbon, and total Alkalinity) and carbonate chemistry data collected throughout March 2013, our results revealed that a massive amount of Cant has invaded all the identified water masses. High Cant concentration was detected at the bottom layer of the Pomo Pit (middle Adriatic, 96.8±9.7 μmol kg-1) and Southern Adriatic Pit (SAP, 85.2±9.4 μmol kg-1), associated respectively with the presence of North Adriatic Dense Water (NAdDW) and Adriatic Dense Water (AdDW). This anthropogenic contamination was clearly linked to the dense water formation events, which govern strong CO2 flux from the atmosphere to the sea and the sinking of dense, CO2-rich surface waters to the deep sea. However, a very high Cant level (94.5±12.5 μmol kg-1) was also estimated at the intermediate layer, as a consequence of a recent vertical mixing that determined the physical and biogeochemical modification of the water of Levantine origin (i.e. Modified Levantine Intermediate Water, MLIW) and favoured the atmospheric CO2 intrusion. The penetration of Cant in the Adriatic Sea determined a significant pH reduction since the pre-industrial era (- 0.139±0.019 pH units on average). This estimation was very similar to the global Mediterranean Sea acidification, but it was again more pronounced at the bottom of the Pomo Pit, within the layer occupied by NAdDW (- 0.157±0.018 pH units), and at the intermediate layer of the recently formed MLIW (- 0.143±0.020 pH units). Our results indicate that the Adriatic Sea could potentially be one of the Mediterranean regions most affected by the ocean acidification and also demonstrate its active role in sequestering and storing Cant.

The effect of a fictitious peer on young children's choice of familiar v. unfamiliar low- and high-energy-dense foods.

PubMed

Bevelander, Kirsten E; Anschütz, Doeschka J; Engels, Rutger C M E

2012-09-28

The present experimental study was the first to investigate the impact of a remote (non-existent) peer on children's food choice of familiar v. unfamiliar low- and high-energy-dense food products. In a computer task, children (n 316; 50·3 % boys; mean age 7·13 (SD 0·75) years) were asked to choose between pictures of familiar and unfamiliar foods in four different choice blocks using the following pairs: (1) familiar v. unfamiliar low-energy-dense foods (fruits and vegetables), (2) familiar v. unfamiliar high-energy-dense foods (high sugar, salt and/or fat content), (3) familiar low-energy-dense v. unfamiliar high-energy-dense foods and (4) unfamiliar low-energy-dense v. familiar high-energy-dense foods. Participants who were not in the control group were exposed to the food choices (either always the familiar or always the unfamiliar food product) of a same-sex and same-age fictitious peer who was supposedly completing the same task at another school. The present study provided insights into children's choices between (un)familiar low- and high-energy-dense foods in an everyday situation. The findings revealed that the use of fictitious peers increased children's willingness to try unfamiliar foods, although children tended to choose high-energy-dense foods over low-energy-dense foods. Intervention programmes that use peer influence to focus on improving children's choice of healthy foods should take into account children's strong aversion to unfamiliar low-energy-dense foods as well as their general preference for familiar and unfamiliar high-energy-dense foods.

Hugoniot measurements of double-shocked precompressed dense xenon plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, J.; Chen, Q. F.; Gu, Y. J.; Chen, Z. Y.

2012-12-01

The current partially ionized plasmas models for xenon show substantial differences since the description of pressure and thermal ionization region becomes a formidable task, prompting the need for an improved understanding of dense xenon plasmas behavior at above 100 GPa. We performed double-shock compression experiments on dense xenon to determine accurately the Hugoniot up to 172 GPa using a time-resolved optical radiation method. The planar strong shock wave was produced using a flyer plate impactor accelerated up to ˜6 km/s with a two-stage light-gas gun. The time-resolved optical radiation histories were acquired by using a multiwavelength channel optical transience radiance pyrometer. Shock velocity was measured and mass velocity was determined by the impedance-matching methods. The experimental equation of state of dense xenon plasmas are compared with the self-consistent fluid variational calculations of dense xenon in the region of partial ionization over a wide range of pressures and temperatures.

Chemistry and Evolution of Interstellar Clouds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wooden, D. H.; Charnley, S. B.; Ehrenfreund, P.

2003-01-01

In this chapter we describe how elements have been and are still being formed in the galaxy and how they are transformed into the reservoir of materials present at the time of formation of our protosolar nebula. We discuss the global cycle of matter, beginning at its formation site in stars, where it is ejected through winds and explosions into the diffuse interstellar medium. In the next stage of the global cycle occurs in cold, dense molecular clouds, where the complexity of molecules and ices increases relative to the diffuse ISM.. When a protostar forms in a dense core within a molecular cloud, it heats the surrounding infalling matter warms and releases molecules from the solid phase into the gas phase in a warm, dense core, sponsoring a rich gas-phase chemistry. Some material from the cold and warm regions within molecular clouds probably survives as interstellar matter in the protostellar disk. For the diffuse ISM, for cold, dense clouds, and for dense-warm cores, the physio-chemical processes that occur within the gas and solid phases are discussed in detail.

Thermohaline variability in the Adriatic and Northern Ionian Seas observed from the Argo floats during 2010-2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovačević, Vedrana; Ursella, Laura; Gačić, Miroslav; Notarstefano, Giulio; Menna, Milena; Bensi, Manuel; Civitarese, Giuseppe; Poulain, Pierre-Marie

2015-04-01

The Adriatic Sea is the northernmost basin of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea (EMed). At its southern end, the basin communicates with the adjacent Ionian Sea through the 80 km wide and 850 m deep Strait of Otranto. Due to the river discharge in the north and due to the strong winter cooling, the Adriatic is both a dilution basin and the dense water formation region. The basin-wide circulation is cyclonic. The circulation is however, energetic also at smaller spatial and temporal scales, and several circulation cells and mesoscale features are regularly observed equally along the littoral and in the open sea. The North Adriatic Dense Water (NAdDW) formed during winter is the densest water of the whole Mediterranean Sea (up to 1060 kg/m3). It flows as a density driven bottom current from the northern shelf toward south, filling the deep layers of the middle and southern Adriatic pits. The deep open-sea area of the South Adriatic Pit (SAP, 1200 m) feels the influence of a water mass exchange through the Strait of Otranto. Specifically, it receives salty and warm surface and Levantine Intermediate Waters from the Ionian Sea. Through the open-sea winter convection that homogenizes and ventilates 400-800 m thick upper water column, this salty water contributes to the formation of the Adriatic Deep Water (AdDW, 1029.17-1029.20 kg/m3), which is not as dense as the NAdDW. Both dense waters eventually mix and spill across the sill ventilating the deep and bottom layers of the Ionian Sea, and driving the deep thermohaline cell of the EMed. Thermohaline properties of the Adriatic Sea vary at wide spatial and temporal scales, and this in turn affects the properties of its dense waters. The long-term scales are of a particular interest, as they are often associated with the biogeochemical and biotic variability such as intrusion of alien species into the Adriatic Sea and interconnection with the adjacent Ionian basin. Due to the extremely variable meteo- and climatic conditions, the signal of the Adriatic dense waters can be fairly irregular and impulsive. Sporadic in-situ surveys by research vessels are not always sufficient to capture this irregularity and its consequences on the circulation. The Lagrangian platforms are disseminated within the whole Mediterranean through the international Argo program. They are a useful tool to assess some of the spatial and temporal variability in the two basins. Combining the information from the floats and in-situ CTD profiles from oceanographic campaigns, we picture the inter-annual variability of the thermohaline properties in general during 2010-2014. In addition, the peculiarities of the very dense water overflow that during 2012 spilled out form the Strait of Otranto into the Northern Ionian is evidenced. Also, by the remotely sensed sea surface topography, we depict the most prominent circulation features of the upper layer.

Shell-corona microgels from double interpenetrating networks.

PubMed

Rudyak, Vladimir Yu; Gavrilov, Alexey A; Kozhunova, Elena Yu; Chertovich, Alexander V

2018-04-18

Polymer microgels with a dense outer shell offer outstanding features as universal carriers for different guest molecules. In this paper, microgels formed by an interpenetrating network comprised of collapsed and swollen subnetworks are investigated using dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) computer simulations, and it is found that such systems can form classical core-corona structures, shell-corona structures, and core-shell-corona structures, depending on the subchain length and molecular mass of the system. The core-corona structures consisting of a dense core and soft corona are formed at small microgel sizes when the subnetworks are able to effectively separate in space. The most interesting shell-corona structures consist of a soft cavity in a dense shell surrounded with a loose corona, and are found at intermediate gel sizes; the area of their existence depends on the subchain length and the corresponding mesh size. At larger molecular masses the collapsing network forms additional cores inside the soft cavity, leading to the core-shell-corona structure.

New Class of Cargo Protein in Tetrahymena thermophila Dense Core Secretory Granules

PubMed Central

Haddad, Alex; Bowman, Grant R.; Turkewitz, Aaron P.

2002-01-01

Regulated exocytosis of dense core secretory granules releases biologically active proteins in a stimulus-dependent fashion. The packaging of the cargo within newly forming granules involves a transition: soluble polypeptides condense to form water-insoluble aggregates that constitute the granule cores. Following exocytosis, the cores generally disassemble to diffuse in the cell environment. The ciliates Tetrahymena thermophila and Paramecium tetraurelia have been advanced as genetically manipulatable systems for studying exocytosis via dense core granules. However, all of the known granule proteins in these organisms condense to form the architectural units of lattices that are insoluble both before and after exocytosis. Using an approach designed to detect new granule proteins, we have now identified Igr1p (induced during granule regeneration). By structural criteria, it is unrelated to the previously characterized lattice-forming proteins. It is distinct in that it is capable of dissociating from the insoluble lattice following secretion and therefore represents the first diffusible protein identified in ciliate granules. PMID:12456006

Energy transfer dynamics in strongly inhomogeneous hot-dense-matter systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stillman, C. R.; Nilson, P. M.; Sefkow, A. B.

Direct measurements of energy transfer across steep density and temperature gradients in a hot-dense-matter system are presented. Hot dense plasma conditions were generated by high-intensity laser irradiation of a thin-foil target containing a buried metal layer. Energy transfer to the layer was measured using picosecond time-resolved x-ray emission spectroscopy. Here, the data show two x-ray flashes in time. Fully explicit, coupled particle-in-cell and collisional-radiative atomic kinetics model predictions reproduce these observations, connecting the two x-ray flashes with staged radial energy transfer within the target.

Energy transfer dynamics in strongly inhomogeneous hot-dense-matter systems

DOE PAGES

Stillman, C. R.; Nilson, P. M.; Sefkow, A. B.; ...

2018-06-25

Direct measurements of energy transfer across steep density and temperature gradients in a hot-dense-matter system are presented. Hot dense plasma conditions were generated by high-intensity laser irradiation of a thin-foil target containing a buried metal layer. Energy transfer to the layer was measured using picosecond time-resolved x-ray emission spectroscopy. Here, the data show two x-ray flashes in time. Fully explicit, coupled particle-in-cell and collisional-radiative atomic kinetics model predictions reproduce these observations, connecting the two x-ray flashes with staged radial energy transfer within the target.

Chandra Observations of MS0440.5+0204 & MS0839.9+2938: Cooling Flow Clusters in Formation?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNamara, Brian

2000-09-01

We propose to observe two redshift z~0.2 clusters, MS0839.9+2938 and MS0440+0204, discovered as bright X-ray sources in the Einstein Medium Sensitivity Survey. The cluster cores are structured in the X-ray and optical bands, and they harbor large cooling flows. Their central cluster galaxies contain luminous nebular emission systems, active star formation, and strong radio sources. Using the Chandra data, we will determine whether the large discrepancies between the X-ray cooling rates and optical star formation rates can be reconciled, and we will test the hypothesis that cooling flows form as cool, dense groups accrete into massive clusters.

Interfacial Ordering and Accompanying Divergent Capacitance at Ionic Liquid-Metal Interfaces.

PubMed

Limmer, David T

2015-12-18

A theory is constructed for dense ionic solutions near charged planar walls that is valid for strong interionic correlations. This theory predicts a fluctuation-induced, first-order transition and spontaneous charge density ordering at the interface, in the presence of an otherwise disordered bulk solution. The surface ordering is driven by applied voltage and results in an anomalous differential capacitance, in agreement with recent simulation results and consistent with experimental observations of a wide array of systems. Explicit forms for the charge density profile and capacitance are given. The theory is compared with numerical results for the charge frustrated Ising model, which is also found to exhibit a voltage driven first-order transition.

Interfacial Ordering and Accompanying Divergent Capacitance at Ionic Liquid-Metal Interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Limmer, David T.

2015-12-01

A theory is constructed for dense ionic solutions near charged planar walls that is valid for strong interionic correlations. This theory predicts a fluctuation-induced, first-order transition and spontaneous charge density ordering at the interface, in the presence of an otherwise disordered bulk solution. The surface ordering is driven by applied voltage and results in an anomalous differential capacitance, in agreement with recent simulation results and consistent with experimental observations of a wide array of systems. Explicit forms for the charge density profile and capacitance are given. The theory is compared with numerical results for the charge frustrated Ising model, which is also found to exhibit a voltage driven first-order transition.

Exploring the Cloud Icy Early Mars Hypothesis Through Geochemistry and Mineralogy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Niles, P. B.; Michalski, J. R.

2015-01-01

While ancient fluvial channels have long been considered strong evidence for early surface water on Mars, many aspects of the fluvial morphology and occurrence suggest that they formed in relatively water limited conditions (com-pared to Earth) and that climatic excursions allowing for surface water might have been short-lived. Updated results mapping valley networks at higher resolution have changed this paradigm, showing that channels are much more abundant and wide-spread, and of higher order than was previously recognized, suggesting that Mars had a dense enough atmosphere and warm enough climate to allow channel formation up to 3.6-3.8 Ga. This revised view of the ancient martian climate might be broadly consistent with a climate history of Mars devised from infrared remote sensing of surface minerals, suggesting that widespread clay minerals formed in the Noachian, giving way to a sulfur-dominated surface weathering system by approx. 3.7 Ga.

Arbitrary amplitude electrostatic wave propagation in a magnetized dense plasma containing helium ions and degenerate electrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahmood, S.; Sadiq, Safeer; Haque, Q.; Ali, Munazza Z.

2016-06-01

The obliquely propagating arbitrary amplitude electrostatic wave is studied in a dense magnetized plasma having singly and doubly charged helium ions with nonrelativistic and ultrarelativistic degenerate electrons pressures. The Fermi temperature for ultrarelativistic degenerate electrons described by N. M. Vernet [(Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2007), p. 57] is used to define ion acoustic speed in ultra-dense plasmas. The pseudo-potential approach is used to solve the fully nonlinear set of dynamic equations for obliquely propagating electrostatic waves in a dense magnetized plasma containing helium ions. The upper and lower Mach number ranges for the existence of electrostatic solitons are found which depends on the obliqueness of the wave propagation with respect to applied magnetic field and charge number of the helium ions. It is found that only compressive (hump) soliton structures are formed in all the cases and only subsonic solitons are formed for a singly charged helium ions plasma case with nonrelativistic degenerate electrons. Both subsonic and supersonic soliton hump structures are formed for doubly charged helium ions with nonrelativistic degenerate electrons and ultrarelativistic degenerate electrons plasma case containing singly as well as doubly charged helium ions. The effect of propagation direction on the soliton amplitude and width of the electrostatic waves is also presented. The numerical plots are also shown for illustration using dense plasma parameters of a compact star (white dwarf) from literature.

Water: two liquids divided by a common hydrogen bond.

PubMed

Soper, Alan K

2011-12-08

The structure of water is the subject of a long and ongoing controversy. Unlike simpler liquids, where atomic interactions are dominated by strong repulsive forces at short distances and weaker attractive (van der Waals) forces at longer distances, giving rise to local atomic coordination numbers of order 12, water has pronounced and directional hydrogen bonds which cause the dense liquid close-packed structure to open out into a disordered and dynamic network, with coordination number 4-5. Here I show that water structure can be accurately represented as a mixture of two identical, interpenetrating, molecular species separated by common hydrogen bonds. Molecules of one type can form hydrogen bonds with molecules of the other type but cannot form hydrogen bonds with molecules of the same type. These hydrogen bonds are strong along the bond but weak with respect to changes in the angle between neighboring bonds. The observed pressure and temperature dependence of water structure and thermodynamic properties follow naturally from this choice of water model, and it also gives a simple explanation of the enduring claims based on spectroscopic evidence that water is a mixture of two components. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Dynamos in asymptotic-giant-branch stars as the origin of magnetic fields shaping planetary nebulae.

PubMed

Blackman, E G; Frank, A; Markiel, J A; Thomas, J H; Van Horn, H M

2001-01-25

Planetary nebulae are thought to be formed when a slow wind from the progenitor giant star is overtaken by a subsequent fast wind generated as the star enters its white dwarf stage. A shock forms near the boundary between the winds, creating the relatively dense shell characteristic of a planetary nebula. A spherically symmetric wind will produce a spherically symmetric shell, yet over half of known planetary nebulae are not spherical; rather, they are elliptical or bipolar in shape. A magnetic field could launch and collimate a bipolar outflow, but the origin of such a field has hitherto been unclear, and some previous work has even suggested that a field could not be generated. Here we show that an asymptotic-giant-branch (AGB) star can indeed generate a strong magnetic field, having as its origin a dynamo at the interface between the rapidly rotating core and the more slowly rotating envelope of the star. The fields are strong enough to shape the bipolar outflows that produce the observed bipolar planetary nebulae. Magnetic braking of the stellar core during this process may also explain the puzzlingly slow rotation of most white dwarf stars.

Two-dimensional modeling of density and thermal structure of dense circumstellar outflowing disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurfürst, P.; Feldmeier, A.; Krtička, J.

2018-06-01

Context. Evolution of massive stars is affected by a significant loss of mass either via (nearly) spherically symmetric stellar winds or by aspherical mass-loss mechanisms, namely the outflowing equatorial disks. However, the scenario that leads to the formation of a disk or rings of gas and dust around massive stars is still under debate. It is also unclear how various forming physical mechanisms of the circumstellar environment affect its shape and density, as well as its kinematic and thermal structure. Aims: We study the hydrodynamic and thermal structure of optically thick, dense parts of outflowing circumstellar disks that may be formed around various types of critically rotating massive stars, for example, Be stars, B[e] supergiant (sgB[e]) stars or Pop III stars. We calculate self-consistent time-dependent models of temperature and density structure in the disk's inner dense region that is strongly affected by irradiation from a rotationally oblate central star and by viscous heating. Methods: Using the method of short characteristics, we specify the optical depth of the disk along the line-of-sight from stellar poles. Within the optically thick dense region with an optical depth of τ > 2/3 we calculate the vertical disk thermal structure using the diffusion approximation while for the optically thin outer layers we assume a local thermodynamic equilibrium with the impinging stellar irradiation. For time-dependent hydrodynamic modeling, we use two of our own types of hydrodynamic codes: two-dimensional operator-split numerical code based on an explicit Eulerian finite volume scheme on a staggered grid, and unsplit code based on the Roe's method, both including full second-order Navier-Stokes shear viscosity. Results: Our models show the geometric distribution and contribution of viscous heating that begins to dominate in the central part of the disk for mass-loss rates higher than Ṁ ≳ 10-10 M⊙ yr-1. In the models of dense viscous disks with Ṁ > 10-8 M⊙ yr-1, the viscosity increases the central temperature up to several tens of thousands of Kelvins, however the temperature rapidly drops with radius and with distance from the disk midplane. The high mass-loss rates and high viscosity lead to instabilities with significant waves or bumps in density and temperature in the very inner disk region. Conclusions: The two-dimensional radial-vertical models of dense outflowing disks including the full Navier-Stokes viscosity terms show very high temperatures that are however limited to only the central disk cores inside the optically thick area, while near the edge of the optically thick region the temperature may be low enough for the existence of neutral hydrogen, for example.

Formation of Black Hole X-Ray Binaries with Non-degenerate Donors in Globular Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanova, Natalia; da Rocha, Cassio A.; Van, Kenny X.; Nandez, Jose L. A.

2017-07-01

In this Letter, we propose a formation channel for low-mass X-ray binaries with black hole accretors and non-degenerate donors via grazing tidal encounters with subgiants. We estimate that in a typically dense globular cluster with a core density of 105 stars pc-3, the formation rates are about one binary per Gyr per 50-100 retained black holes. The donors—stripped subgiants—will be strongly underluminous when compared to subgiant or giant branch stars of the same colors. The products of tidal stripping are underluminous by at least one magnitude for several hundred million years when compared to normal stars of the same color, and differ from underluminous red stars that could be produced by non-catastrophic mass transfer in an ordinary binary. The dynamically formed binaries become quiescent LMXBs, with lifetimes of about a Gyr. The expected number of X-ray binaries is one per 50-200 retained black holes, while the expected number of strongly underluminous subsubgiant is about half this. The presence of strongly underluminous stars in a GC may be indicative of the presence of black holes.

Dietary patterns in Canadian men and women ages 25 and older: relationship to demographics, body mass index, and bone mineral density

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Previous research has shown that underlying dietary patterns are related to the risk of many different adverse health outcomes, but the relationship of these underlying patterns to skeletal fragility is not well understood. The objective of the study was to determine whether dietary patterns in men (ages 25-49, 50+) and women (pre-menopause, post-menopause) are related to femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD) independently of other lifestyle variables, and whether this relationship is mediated by body mass index. Methods We performed an analysis of 1928 men and 4611 women participants in the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study, a randomly selected population-based longitudinal cohort. We determined dietary patterns based on the self-administered food frequency questionnaires in year 2 of the study (1997-99). Our primary outcome was BMD as measured by dual x-ray absorptiometry in year 5 of the study (2000-02). Results We identified two underlying dietary patterns using factor analysis and then derived factor scores. The first factor (nutrient dense) was most strongly associated with intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. The second factor (energy dense) was most strongly associated with intake of soft drinks, potato chips and French fries, certain meats (hamburger, hot dog, lunch meat, bacon, and sausage), and certain desserts (doughnuts, chocolate, ice cream). The energy dense factor was associated with higher body mass index independent of other demographic and lifestyle factors, and body mass index was a strong independent predictor of BMD. Surprisingly, we did not find a similar positive association between diet and BMD. In fact, when adjusted for body mass index, each standard deviation increase in the energy dense score was associated with a BMD decrease of 0.009 (95% CI: 0.002, 0.016) g/cm2 for men 50+ years old and 0.004 (95% CI: 0.000, 0.008) g/cm2 for postmenopausal women. In contrast, for men 25-49 years old, each standard deviation increase in the nutrient dense score, adjusted for body mass index, was associated with a BMD increase of 0.012 (95% CI: 0.002, 0.022) g/cm2. Conclusions In summary, we found no consistent relationship between diet and BMD despite finding a positive association between a diet high in energy dense foods and higher body mass index and a strong correlation between body mass index and BMD. Our data suggest that some factor related to the energy dense dietary pattern may partially offset the advantages of higher body mass index with regard to bone health. PMID:20109205

The Continued Reduction in Dense Fog in the Southern California Region: Possible Causes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LaDochy, S.; Witiw, M.

2012-05-01

Dense fog appears to be decreasing in many parts of the world, especially in western cities. Dense fog (visibility <400 m) is disappearing in the urban southern California area also. There the decrease in dense fog events can be explained mainly by declining particulate levels, Pacific sea surface temperatures (SST), and increased urban warming. Using hourly data from 1948 to the present, we looked at the relationship between fog events in the region and contributing factors and trends over time. Initially a strong relationship was suggested between the occurrence of dense fog and the phases of an atmosphere-ocean cycle: the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). However, closer analysis revealed the importance to fog variability of an increasing urban heat island and the amount of atmospheric suspended particulate matter. Results show a substantial decrease in the occurrence of very low visibilities (<400 m) at the two airport stations in close proximity to the Pacific Ocean, LAX (Los Angeles International) and LGB (Long Beach International). A downward trend in particulate concentrations, coupled with an upward trend in urban temperatures were associated with the decrease in dense fog occurrence at both LAX and LGB. LAX dense fog that reached over 300 h in 1950 dropped steadily, with 0 h recorded in 1997. Since 1997, there has been a slight recovery with both 2008 and 2009 recording over 30 h of dense fog at both locations. In this study we examine whether the upturn is a temporary reversal of the trend. To remove the urban effect, we also included fog data from Vandenberg Air Force Base (VBG), located in a relatively sparsely populated area approximately 200 km to the north of metropolitan Los Angeles. Particulates, urban heat island, and Pacific SSTs all seem to be contributing factors to the decrease in fog in southern California, along with large-scale atmosphere-ocean interaction cycles. Case studies of local and regional dense fog in southern California point to the importance of strong, low inversions and to a lesser contributor, Santa Ana winds. Both are associated with large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns, which have changed markedly over the period of studied. These changes point to continued decreases in dense fog in the region.

Cosmic Star–Forming Gas as seen from the Milky Way

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kauffmann, Jens

2018-01-01

We still struggle to understand the star formation properties of galaxies throughout the cosmos. Is star formation driven by the structure of galaxies? Or is it plainly controlled by the mass of dense gas that can be found in a galaxy?This poster presents results from several recent projects that deliver important insights on the global star formation activity of galaxies, based on detailed studies of star-forming regions in the Milky Way. First, the proberties of dense clouds in the Galactic Center are discussed, using data from interferometers likw ALMA. Second, the kinematics of Milky Way molecular clouds are discussed based on a variety of data sets. Third, the LEGO survey (Line Emission in Galaxy Observations) is discussed. This latter study challenges concepts of how dense gas in galaxies can be traced. In combination these studies deliver a fresh look at the various factors controlling how galaxies form stars.

Catalyst containing oxygen transport membrane

DOEpatents

Lane, Jonathan A.; Wilson, Jamie R.; Christie, Gervase Maxwell; Petigny, Nathalie; Sarantopoulos, Christos

2017-02-07

A composite oxygen transport membrane having a dense layer, a porous support layer and an intermediate porous layer located between the dense layer and the porous support layer. Both the dense layer and the intermediate porous layer are formed from an ionic conductive material to conduct oxygen ions and an electrically conductive material to conduct electrons. The porous support layer has a high permeability, high porosity, and a microstructure exhibiting substantially uniform pore size distribution as a result of using PMMA pore forming materials or a bi-modal particle size distribution of the porous support layer materials. Catalyst particles selected to promote oxidation of a combustible substance are located in the intermediate porous layer and in the porous support adjacent to the intermediate porous layer. The catalyst particles can be formed by wicking a solution of catalyst precursors through the porous support toward the intermediate porous layer.

Tight Junction Protein 1a regulates pigment cell organisation during zebrafish colour patterning.

PubMed

Fadeev, Andrey; Krauss, Jana; Frohnhöfer, Hans Georg; Irion, Uwe; Nüsslein-Volhard, Christiane

2015-04-27

Zebrafish display a prominent pattern of alternating dark and light stripes generated by the precise positioning of pigment cells in the skin. This arrangement is the result of coordinated cell movements, cell shape changes, and the organisation of pigment cells during metamorphosis. Iridophores play a crucial part in this process by switching between the dense form of the light stripes and the loose form of the dark stripes. Adult schachbrett (sbr) mutants exhibit delayed changes in iridophore shape and organisation caused by truncations in Tight Junction Protein 1a (ZO-1a). In sbr mutants, the dark stripes are interrupted by dense iridophores invading as coherent sheets. Immuno-labelling and chimeric analyses indicate that Tjp1a is expressed in dense iridophores but down-regulated in the loose form. Tjp1a is a novel regulator of cell shape changes during colour pattern formation and the first cytoplasmic protein implicated in this process.

Preionization Techniques in a kJ-Scale Dense Plasma Focus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Povilus, Alexander; Shaw, Brian; Chapman, Steve; Podpaly, Yuri; Cooper, Christopher; Falabella, Steve; Prasad, Rahul; Schmidt, Andrea

2016-10-01

A dense plasma focus (DPF) is a type of z-pinch device that uses a high current, coaxial plasma gun with an implosion phase to generate dense plasmas. These devices can accelerate a beam of ions to MeV-scale energies through strong electric fields generated by instabilities during the implosion of the plasma sheath. The formation of these instabilities, however, relies strongly on the history of the plasma sheath in the device, including the evolution of the gas breakdown in the device. In an effort to reduce variability in the performance of the device, we attempt to control the initial gas breakdown in the device by seeding the system with free charges before the main power pulse arrives. We report on the effectiveness of two techniques developed for a kJ-scale DPF at LLNL, a miniature primer spark gap and pulsed, 255nm LED illumination. Prepared by LLNL under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

Critical point in the phase diagram of primordial quark-gluon matter from black hole physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Critelli, Renato; Noronha, Jorge; Noronha-Hostler, Jacquelyn; Portillo, Israel; Ratti, Claudia; Rougemont, Romulo

2017-11-01

Strongly interacting matter undergoes a crossover phase transition at high temperatures T ˜1012 K and zero net-baryon density. A fundamental question in the theory of strong interactions, QCD, is whether a hot and dense system of quarks and gluons displays critical phenomena when doped with more quarks than antiquarks, where net-baryon number fluctuations diverge. Recent lattice QCD work indicates that such a critical point can only occur in the baryon dense regime of the theory, which defies a description from first principles calculations. Here we use the holographic gauge/gravity correspondence to map the fluctuations of baryon charge in the dense quark-gluon liquid onto a numerically tractable gravitational problem involving the charge fluctuations of holographic black holes. This approach quantitatively reproduces ab initio results for the lowest order moments of the baryon fluctuations and makes predictions for the higher-order baryon susceptibilities and also for the location of the critical point, which is found to be within the reach of heavy-ion collision experiments.

Diadema ascensionis (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) is not restricted to Oceanic Islands: evidence from morphological data.

PubMed

Gondim, A I; Dias, T L P; Christoffersen, M L

2013-05-01

The genus Diadema presently consists of seven species, two of which are known from the Brazilian coast: D. antillarum and D. ascensionis. The first is usually known for shallow coastal areas, while the second was apparently restricted to oceanic islands. In February 2011, a dense population of D. ascensionis was observed on the coastal reefs of Praia do Francês (Alagoas State, northeastern Brazil). Five specimens were collected and transported to the laboratory where morphological studies of the test and pedicellariae were conducted. Subsequently, visits were made to scientific collections in order to compare and confirm species identifications. Our observations confirm the presence of tridentate pedicellariae with narrow and strongly curved valves. The axial cavity in the tips of the spines is filled with dense nonreticular tissue. This taxonomic data confirms the occurrence of D. ascensionis in coastal areas. On the coastal reefs of Praia do Francês, animals were observed from the beach to the reef formations about 200 m offshore in areas with a sandy substrate and in reef cavities, usually in clear and well illuminated waters. Solitary individuals or groups of up to 15 individuals formed dense populations in the area. We stress the importance of pedicellariae for the specific identification of the Diadematidae, considering that they are quite constant and reliable at this taxonomic level. Our results demonstrate that D. ascensionis is not restricted to insular environments and that this species may be common in shallow coastal habitats.

Large turbulent reservoirs of cold molecular gas around high-redshift starburst galaxies.

PubMed

Falgarone, E; Zwaan, M A; Godard, B; Bergin, E; Ivison, R J; Andreani, P M; Bournaud, F; Bussmann, R S; Elbaz, D; Omont, A; Oteo, I; Walter, F

2017-08-24

Starburst galaxies at the peak of cosmic star formation are among the most extreme star-forming engines in the Universe, producing stars over about 100 million years (ref. 2). The star-formation rates of these galaxies, which exceed 100 solar masses per year, require large reservoirs of cold molecular gas to be delivered to their cores, despite strong feedback from stars or active galactic nuclei. Consequently, starburst galaxies are ideal for studying the interplay between this feedback and the growth of a galaxy. The methylidyne cation, CH + , is a most useful molecule for such studies because it cannot form in cold gas without suprathermal energy input, so its presence indicates dissipation of mechanical energy or strong ultraviolet irradiation. Here we report the detection of CH + (J = 1-0) emission and absorption lines in the spectra of six lensed starburst galaxies at redshifts near 2.5. This line has such a high critical density for excitation that it is emitted only in very dense gas, and is absorbed in low-density gas. We find that the CH + emission lines, which are broader than 1,000 kilometres per second, originate in dense shock waves powered by hot galactic winds. The CH + absorption lines reveal highly turbulent reservoirs of cool (about 100 kelvin), low-density gas, extending far (more than 10 kiloparsecs) outside the starburst galaxies (which have radii of less than 1 kiloparsec). We show that the galactic winds sustain turbulence in the 10-kiloparsec-scale environments of the galaxies, processing these environments into multiphase, gravitationally bound reservoirs. However, the mass outflow rates are found to be insufficient to balance the star-formation rates. Another mass input is therefore required for these reservoirs, which could be provided by ongoing mergers or cold-stream accretion. Our results suggest that galactic feedback, coupled jointly to turbulence and gravity, extends the starburst phase of a galaxy instead of quenching it.

Wintertime dynamics in the coastal northeastern Adriatic Sea: the NAdEx 2015 experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vilibić, Ivica; Mihanović, Hrvoje; Janeković, Ivica; Denamiel, Cléa; Poulain, Pierre-Marie; Orlić, Mirko; Dunić, Natalija; Dadić, Vlado; Pasarić, Mira; Muslim, Stipe; Gerin, Riccardo; Matić, Frano; Šepić, Jadranka; Mauri, Elena; Kokkini, Zoi; Tudor, Martina; Kovač, Žarko; Džoić, Tomislav

2018-03-01

The paper investigates the wintertime dynamics of the coastal northeastern Adriatic Sea and is based on numerical modelling and in situ data collected through field campaigns executed during the winter and spring of 2015. The data were collected with a variety of instruments and platforms (acoustic Doppler current profilers, conductivity-temperature-depth probes, glider, profiling float) and are accompanied by the atmosphere-ocean ALADIN/ROMS modelling system. The research focused on the dense-water formation (DWF), thermal changes, circulation, and water exchange between the coastal and open Adriatic. According to both observations and modelling results, dense waters are formed in the northeastern coastal Adriatic during cold bora outbreaks. However, the dense water formed in this coastal region has lower densities than the dense water formed in the open Adriatic due to lower salinities. Since the coastal area is deeper than the open Adriatic, the observations indicate (i) balanced inward-outward exchange at the deep connecting channels of denser waters coming from the open Adriatic DWF site and less-dense waters coming from the coastal region and (ii) outward flow of less-dense waters dominating in the intermediate and surface layers. The latter phenomenon was confirmed by the model, even if it significantly underestimates the currents and transports in the connecting channels. The median residence time of the coastal area is estimated to be approximately 20 days, indicating that the coastal area may be renewed relatively quickly by the open Adriatic waters. The data that were obtained represent a comprehensive marine dataset that can be used to calibrate atmospheric and oceanic numerical models and point to several interesting phenomena to be investigated in the future.

Arbitrary amplitude electrostatic wave propagation in a magnetized dense plasma containing helium ions and degenerate electrons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mahmood, S., E-mail: shahzadm100@gmail.com; Sadiq, Safeer; Haque, Q.

2016-06-15

The obliquely propagating arbitrary amplitude electrostatic wave is studied in a dense magnetized plasma having singly and doubly charged helium ions with nonrelativistic and ultrarelativistic degenerate electrons pressures. The Fermi temperature for ultrarelativistic degenerate electrons described by N. M. Vernet [(Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2007), p. 57] is used to define ion acoustic speed in ultra-dense plasmas. The pseudo-potential approach is used to solve the fully nonlinear set of dynamic equations for obliquely propagating electrostatic waves in a dense magnetized plasma containing helium ions. The upper and lower Mach number ranges for the existence of electrostatic solitons are found whichmore » depends on the obliqueness of the wave propagation with respect to applied magnetic field and charge number of the helium ions. It is found that only compressive (hump) soliton structures are formed in all the cases and only subsonic solitons are formed for a singly charged helium ions plasma case with nonrelativistic degenerate electrons. Both subsonic and supersonic soliton hump structures are formed for doubly charged helium ions with nonrelativistic degenerate electrons and ultrarelativistic degenerate electrons plasma case containing singly as well as doubly charged helium ions. The effect of propagation direction on the soliton amplitude and width of the electrostatic waves is also presented. The numerical plots are also shown for illustration using dense plasma parameters of a compact star (white dwarf) from literature.« less

The Secrets of the Nearest Starburst Cluster. I. Very Large Telescope/ISAAC Photometry of NGC 3603

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stolte, Andrea; Brandner, Wolfgang; Brandl, Bernhard; Zinnecker, Hans; Grebel, Eva K.

2004-08-01

VLT/ISAAC JHKL photometry with subarcsecond resolution of the dense, massive starburst cluster NGC 3603 YC forming the core of the NGC 3603 giant molecular cloud is analyzed to reveal characteristics of the stellar population in unprecedented detail. The color-magnitude plane features a strong pre-main-sequence/main-sequence (PMS/MS) transition region, including the PMS/MS transition point, and reveals a secondary sequence for the first time in a nearby young starburst cluster. Arguments for a possible binary nature of this sequence are given. The resolved PMS/MS transition region allows isochrone fitting below the hydrogen-burning turn-on in NGC 3603 YC, yielding an independent estimate of global cluster parameters. A distance modulus of 13.9 mag, equivalent to d=6.0+/-0.3 kpc, is derived, as well as a line-of-sight extinction of AV=4.5+/-0.6 toward PMS stars in the cluster center. The interpretation of a binary candidate sequence suggests a single age of 1 Myr for NGC 3603 YC, providing evidence for a single burst of star formation without the need to employ an age spread in the PMS population, as argued for in earlier studies. Disk fractions are derived from L-band excesses, indicating a radial increase in the disk frequency from 20% to 40% from the core to the cluster outskirts. The low disk fraction in the cluster core, as compared to the 42% L-band excess fraction found for massive stars in the Trapezium cluster of a comparably young age, indicates strong photoevaporation in the cluster center. The estimated binary fraction of 30%, as well as the low disk fraction, suggest strong impacts on low-mass star formation due to stellar interactions in the dense starburst. The significant differences between NGC 3603 YC and less dense and massive young star clusters in the Milky Way reveal the importance of using local starbursts as templates for massive extragalactic star formation. Based on observations obtained at the ESO VLT on Paranal, Chile, under programs 63.I-0015 and 65.I-0135, and data from the public VLT archive provided by ESO, as well as observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. under NASA contract NAS5-26555.

3D morphometry of valley networks on Mars from HRSC/MEX DEMs: Implications for climatic evolution through time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ansan, V.; Mangold, N.

2013-09-01

valley networks have been identified mainly in the Noachian heavily cratered uplands. Eight dense branching valley networks were studied in Noachian terrains of Huygens, Newcomb and Kepler craters, south Tyrrhena Terra, and Thaumasia, in Hesperian terrains of Echus Plateau and west Eberswalde craters, and in Amazonian terrains of Alba Patera, using images and digital elevation models from the Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera to determine 2D and 3D morphometric parameters. Extracted geomorphic parameters show similar geometry to terrestrial valleys: drainage densities, organization from bifurcation ratios and lengths ratios, Hack exponent consistent with terrestrial values of ~0.6, and progressive deepening of valleys with increasing Strahler order. In addition, statistics on valley depths indicate a deeper incision of Noachian valleys compared to younger post-Noachian valleys (<25 m for Amazonian ones compared to >100 m for Noachian ones), showing a strong difference in fluvial erosion. These characteristics show that dense Martian valley networks formed by overland flows in relation to a global atmospheric water cycle in Noachian epoch and confirm that the later stages of activity may be related to shorter duration of activity, distinct climatic conditions, and/or regional processes, or conditions.

The role of non-ionizing radiation pressure in star formation: the stability of cores and filaments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seo, Young Min; Youdin, Andrew N.

2016-09-01

Stars form when filaments and dense cores in molecular clouds fragment and collapse due to self-gravity. In the most basic analyses of gravitational stability, the competition between self-gravity and thermal pressure sets the critical (I.e. maximum stable) mass of spheres and the critical line density of cylinders. Previous work has considered additional support from magnetic fields and turbulence. Here, we consider the effects of non-ionizing radiation, specifically the inward radiation pressure force that acts on dense structures embedded in an isotropic radiation field. Using hydrostatic, isothermal models, we find that irradiation lowers the critical mass and line density for gravitational collapse, and can thus act as a trigger for star formation. For structures with moderate central densities, ˜103 cm-3, the interstellar radiation field in the Solar vicinity has an order unity effect on stability thresholds. For more evolved objects with higher central densities, a significant lowering of stability thresholds requires stronger irradiation, as can be found closer to the Galactic centre or near stellar associations. Even when strong sources of ionizing radiation are absent or extincted, our study shows that interstellar irradiation can significantly influence the star formation process.

Final Environmental Assessment for the Deactivation/Facility Disposition of Atlas Space Launch Complex (SLC-36) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-08-01

canopy, which is constantly pruned and shaped by windborne salt spray. Coastal strand forms a dense thicket of shrubs, usually dominated by live...oak (Quercus virginiana ), buckthorn (Bumelia [Sideroxylon] tenax), sea grape (Coccoloba uvifera), wax myrtle, and saw palmetto (Serenoa repens...Station #4. Coastal oak scrub consists of dense, salt- pruned thickets of live oak, sand live oak, myrtle oak, and buckthorn, sometimes densely

Tripolar vortex formation in dense quantum plasma with ion-temperature-gradients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qamar, Anisa; Ata-ur-Rahman, Mirza, Arshad M.

2012-05-01

We have derived system of nonlinear equations governing the dynamics of low-frequency electrostatic toroidal ion-temperature-gradient mode for dense quantum magnetoplasma. For some specific profiles of the equilibrium density, temperature, and ion velocity gradients, the nonlinear equations admit a stationary solution in the form of a tripolar vortex. These results are relevant to understand nonlinear structure formation in dense quantum plasmas in the presence of equilibrium ion-temperature and density gradients.

Interaction of Interstellar Shocks with Dense Obstacles: Formation of ``Bullets''

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gvaramadze, V. V.

The so-called cumulative effect take place in converging conical shock waves arising behind dense obstacles overtaken by incident interstellar shock. A significant part of energy of converging flow of matter swept-up by a radiative conical shock can be transferred to a dense jet-like ejection (``bullet'') directed along the cone axis. Possible applications of this effect for star-forming regions (e.g., OMC-1) and supernova remnants (e.g., Vela SNR) are discussed.

Diffuse colonies of human skin fibroblasts in relation to cellular senescence and proliferation.

PubMed

Zorin, Vadim; Zorina, Alla; Smetanina, Nadezhda; Kopnin, Pavel; Ozerov, Ivan V; Leonov, Sergey; Isaev, Artur; Klokov, Dmitry; Osipov, Andreyan N

2017-05-16

Development of personalized skin treatment in medicine and skin care may benefit from simple and accurate evaluation of the fraction of senescent skin fibroblasts that lost their proliferative capacity. We examined whether enriched analysis of colonies formed by primary human skin fibroblasts, a simple and widely available cellular assay, could reveal correlations with the fraction of senescent cells in heterogenic cell population. We measured fractions of senescence associated β-galactosidase (SA-βgal) positive cells in either mass cultures or colonies of various morphological types (dense, mixed and diffuse) formed by skin fibroblasts from 10 human donors. Although the donors were chosen to be within the same age group (33-54 years), the colony forming efficiency of their fibroblasts (ECO-f) and the percentage of dense, mixed and diffuse colonies varied greatly among the donors. We showed, for the first time, that the SA-βgal positive fraction was the largest in diffuse colonies, confirming that they originated from cells with the least proliferative capacity. The percentage of diffuse colonies was also found to correlate with the SA-βgal positive cells in mass culture. Using Ki67 as a cell proliferation marker, we further demonstrated a strong inverse correlation (r=-0.85, p=0.02) between the percentage of diffuse colonies and the fraction of Ki67+ cells. Moreover, a significant inverse correlation (r=-0.94, p=0.0001) between the percentage of diffuse colonies and ECO-f was found. Our data indicate that quantification of a fraction of diffuse colonies may provide a simple and useful method to evaluate the extent of cellular senescence in human skin fibroblasts.

Radiative Hydrodynamic Simulations of In Situ Star Formation in the Galactic Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frazer, Chris; Heitsch, Fabian

2018-01-01

Many stars observed in the Galactic Center (GC) orbit the supermassive black hole (SMBH), Sagittarius A*, in a region where the extreme gravitational field is expected to inhibit star formation. Yet, many of these stars are young which favors an in situ formation scenario. Previous numerical work on this topic has focused on two possible solutions. First, the tidal capture of a > 10^4 Msun infalling molecular cloud by an SMBH may result in the formation of a surrounding gas disk which then rapidly cools and forms stars. This process results in stellar populations that are consistent with the observed stellar disk in the GC. Second, dense gas clumps of approximately 100 Msun on highly eccentric orbits about an SMBH can experience sparks of star formation via orbital compressions occurring during pericenter passage. In my dissertation, I build upon these models using a series of grid-based radiative hydrodynamic simulations, including the effects of both ionizing ultraviolet light from existing stars as well as X-ray radiation emanating from the central black hole. Radiation is treated with an adaptive ray-tracing routine, including appropriate heating and cooling for both neutral and ionized gas. These models show that ultraviolet radiation is sufficiently strong to heat low mass gas clouds, thus suppressing star formation from clump compression. Gas disks that form from cloud capture become sufficiently dense to provide shielding from the radiation of existing central stars, thus allowing star formation to continue. Conversely, X-rays easily penetrate and heat the potentially star forming gas. For sufficiently high radiation fields, this provides a mechanism to disrupt star formation for both scenarios considered above.

The JCMT Gould Belt Survey: Dense Core Clusters in Orion B

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirk, H.; Johnstone, D.; Di Francesco, J.; Lane, J.; Buckle, J.; Berry, D. S.; Broekhoven-Fiene, H.; Currie, M. J.; Fich, M.; Hatchell, J.; Jenness, T.; Mottram, J. C.; Nutter, D.; Pattle, K.; Pineda, J. E.; Quinn, C.; Salji, C.; Tisi, S.; Hogerheijde, M. R.; Ward-Thompson, D.; The JCMT Gould Belt Survey Team

2016-04-01

The James Clerk Maxwell Telescope Gould Belt Legacy Survey obtained SCUBA-2 observations of dense cores within three sub-regions of Orion B: LDN 1622, NGC 2023/2024, and NGC 2068/2071, all of which contain clusters of cores. We present an analysis of the clustering properties of these cores, including the two-point correlation function and Cartwright’s Q parameter. We identify individual clusters of dense cores across all three regions using a minimal spanning tree technique, and find that in each cluster, the most massive cores tend to be centrally located. We also apply the independent M-Σ technique and find a strong correlation between core mass and the local surface density of cores. These two lines of evidence jointly suggest that some amount of mass segregation in clusters has happened already at the dense core stage.

Chaos of energetic positron orbits in a dipole magnetic field and its potential application to a new injection scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saitoh, H.; Yoshida, Z.; Yano, Y.; Nishiura, M.; Kawazura, Y.; Horn-Stanja, J.; Pedersen, T. Sunn

2016-10-01

We study the behavior of high-energy positrons emitted from a radioactive source in a magnetospheric dipole field configuration. Because the conservation of the first and second adiabatic invariants is easily destroyed in a strongly inhomogeneous dipole field for high-energy charged particles, the positron orbits are nonintegrable, resulting in chaotic motions. In the geometry of a typical magnetospheric levitated dipole experiment, it is shown that a considerable ratio of positrons from a 22Na source, located at the edge of the confinement region, has chaotic long orbit lengths before annihilation. These particles make multiple toroidal circulations and form a hollow toroidal positron cloud. Experiments with a small 22Na source in the Ring Trap 1 (RT-1) device demonstrated the existence of such long-lived positrons in a dipole field. Such a chaotic behavior of high-energy particles is potentially applicable to the formation of a dense toroidal positron cloud in the strong-field region of the dipole field in future studies.

Hybrid glasses from strong and fragile metal-organic framework liquids

PubMed Central

Bennett, Thomas D.; Tan, Jin-Chong; Yue, Yuanzheng; Baxter, Emma; Ducati, Caterina; Terrill, Nick J.; Yeung, Hamish H. -M.; Zhou, Zhongfu; Chen, Wenlin; Henke, Sebastian; Cheetham, Anthony K.; Greaves, G. Neville

2015-01-01

Hybrid glasses connect the emerging field of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with the glass formation, amorphization and melting processes of these chemically versatile systems. Though inorganic zeolites collapse around the glass transition and melt at higher temperatures, the relationship between amorphization and melting has so far not been investigated. Here we show how heating MOFs of zeolitic topology first results in a low density ‘perfect' glass, similar to those formed in ice, silicon and disaccharides. This order–order transition leads to a super-strong liquid of low fragility that dynamically controls collapse, before a subsequent order–disorder transition, which creates a more fragile high-density liquid. After crystallization to a dense phase, which can be remelted, subsequent quenching results in a bulk glass, virtually identical to the high-density phase. We provide evidence that the wide-ranging melting temperatures of zeolitic MOFs are related to their network topologies and opens up the possibility of ‘melt-casting' MOF glasses. PMID:26314784

Hybrid glasses from strong and fragile metal-organic framework liquids.

PubMed

Bennett, Thomas D; Tan, Jin-Chong; Yue, Yuanzheng; Baxter, Emma; Ducati, Caterina; Terrill, Nick J; Yeung, Hamish H-M; Zhou, Zhongfu; Chen, Wenlin; Henke, Sebastian; Cheetham, Anthony K; Greaves, G Neville

2015-08-28

Hybrid glasses connect the emerging field of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with the glass formation, amorphization and melting processes of these chemically versatile systems. Though inorganic zeolites collapse around the glass transition and melt at higher temperatures, the relationship between amorphization and melting has so far not been investigated. Here we show how heating MOFs of zeolitic topology first results in a low density 'perfect' glass, similar to those formed in ice, silicon and disaccharides. This order-order transition leads to a super-strong liquid of low fragility that dynamically controls collapse, before a subsequent order-disorder transition, which creates a more fragile high-density liquid. After crystallization to a dense phase, which can be remelted, subsequent quenching results in a bulk glass, virtually identical to the high-density phase. We provide evidence that the wide-ranging melting temperatures of zeolitic MOFs are related to their network topologies and opens up the possibility of 'melt-casting' MOF glasses.

How to form planetesimals from mm-sized chondrules and chondrule aggregates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrera, Daniel; Johansen, Anders; Davies, Melvyn B.

2015-07-01

The size distribution of asteroids and Kuiper belt objects in the solar system is difficult to reconcile with a bottom-up formation scenario due to the observed scarcity of objects smaller than ~100 km in size. Instead, planetesimals appear to form top-down, with large 100-1000 km bodies forming from the rapid gravitational collapse of dense clumps of small solid particles. In this paper we investigate the conditions under which solid particles can form dense clumps in a protoplanetary disk. We used a hydrodynamic code to model the interaction between solid particles and the gas inside a shearing box inside the disk, considering particle sizes from submillimeter-sized chondrules to meter-sized rocks. We found that particles down to millimeter sizes can form dense particle clouds through the run-away convergence of radial drift known as the streaming instability. We made a map of the range of conditions (strength of turbulence, particle mass-loading, disk mass, and distance to the star) that are prone to producing dense particle clumps. Finally, we estimate the distribution of collision speeds between mm-sized particles. We calculated the rate of sticking collisions and obtain a robust upper limit on the particle growth timescale of ~105 years. This means that mm-sized chondrule aggregates can grow on a timescale much smaller than the disk accretion timescale (~106-107 years). Our results suggest a pathway from the mm-sized grains found in primitive meteorites to fully formed asteroids. We speculate that asteroids may form from a positive feedback loop in which coagualation leads to particle clumping driven by the streaming instability. This clumping, in turn, reduces collision speeds and enhances coagulation. Future simulations should model coagulation and the streaming instability together to explore this feedback loop further. Appendices are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

The carbon budget in the outer solar nebula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simonelli, Damon P.; Pollack, James B.; Mckay, Christopher P.; Reynolds, Ray T.; Summers, Audrey L.

1989-01-01

The compositional contrast between the giant-planet satellites and the significantly rockier Pluto/Charon system is indicative of different formation mechanisms; cosmic abundance calculations, in conjunction with an assumption of the Pluto/Charon system's direct formation from solar nebula condensates, strongly suggest that most of the carbon in the outer solar nebula was in CO form, in keeping with both the inheritance from the dense molecular clouds in the interstellar medium, and/or the Lewis and Prinn (1980) kinetic-inhibition model of solar nebula chemistry. Laboratory studies of carbonaceous chondrites and Comet Halley flyby studies suggest that condensed organic material, rather than elemental carbon, is the most likely candidate for the small percentage of the carbon-bearing solid in the outer solar nebula.

Fast fluidized bed steam generator

DOEpatents

Bryers, Richard W.; Taylor, Thomas E.

1980-01-01

A steam generator in which a high-velocity, combustion-supporting gas is passed through a bed of particulate material to provide a fluidized bed having a dense-phase portion and an entrained-phase portion for the combustion of fuel material. A first set of heat transfer elements connected to a steam drum is vertically disposed above the dense-phase fluidized bed to form a first flow circuit for heat transfer fluid which is heated primarily by the entrained-phase fluidized bed. A second set of heat transfer elements connected to the steam drum and forming the wall structure of the furnace provides a second flow circuit for the heat transfer fluid, the lower portion of which is heated by the dense-phase fluidized bed and the upper portion by the entrained-phase fluidized bed.

Galactic Spiral Shocks with Thermal Instability in Vertically Stratified Galactic Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Chang-Goo; Kim, Woong-Tae; Ostriker, Eve C.

2010-09-01

Galactic spiral shocks are dominant morphological features and believed to be responsible for substructure formation within spiral arms in disk galaxies. They can also contribute a substantial amount of kinetic energy to the interstellar gas by tapping the (differential) rotational motion. We use numerical hydrodynamic simulations to investigate dynamics and structure of spiral shocks with thermal instability (TI) in vertically stratified galactic disks, focusing on environmental conditions (of heating and the galactic potential) similar to the Solar neighborhood. We initially consider an isothermal disk in vertical hydrostatic equilibrium and let it evolve subject to interstellar cooling and heating as well as a stellar spiral potential. Due to TI, a disk with surface density Σ0 >= 6.7 M sun pc-2 rapidly turns to a thin dense slab near the midplane sandwiched between layers of rarefied gas. The imposed spiral potential leads to a vertically curved shock that exhibits strong flapping motions in the plane perpendicular to the arm. The overall flow structure at saturation is comprised of the arm, postshock expansion zone, and interarm regions that occupy typically 10%, 20%, and 70% of the arm-to-arm distance, in which the gas resides for 15%, 30%, and 55% of the arm-to-arm crossing time, respectively. The flows are characterized by transitions from rarefied to dense phases at the shock and from dense to rarefied phases in the postshock expansion zone, although gas with too-large postshock-density does not undergo this return phase transition, instead forming dense condensations. If self-gravity is omitted, the shock flapping drives random motions in the gas, but only up to ~2-3 km s-1 in the in-plane direction and less than 2 km s-1 in the vertical direction. Time-averaged shock profiles show that the spiral arms in stratified disks are broader and less dense compared to those in unstratified models, and that the vertical density distribution is overall consistent with local effective hydrostatic equilibrium. Inclusion of self-gravity increases the dense gas fraction by a factor of ~2 and raises the in-plane velocity dispersion to ~5-7 km s-1. When the disks are massive enough, with Σ0 >= 5 M sun pc-2, self-gravity promotes formation of bound clouds that repeatedly collide with each other in the arm and break up in the postshock expansion zone.

Two distinct pathways mediate the formation of intermediate density cells and hyperdense cells from normal density sickle red blood cells.

PubMed

Schwartz, R S; Musto, S; Fabry, M E; Nagel, R L

1998-12-15

In sickle cell anemia (SS), some red blood cells dehydrate, forming a hyperdense (HD) cell fraction (>1.114 g/mL; mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration [MCHC], >46 g/dL) that contains many irreversibly sickled cells (ISCs), whereas other SS red blood cells dehydrate to an intermediate density (ID; 1.090 to 1.114 g/mL; MCHC, 36 to 46 g/dL). This study asks if the potassium-chloride cotransporter (K:Cl) and the calcium-dependent potassium channel [K(Ca2+)] are participants in the formation of one or both types of dense SS red blood cells. We induced sickling by exposing normal density (ND; 1.080 to 1.090 g/mL; MCHC, 32 to 36 g/dL) SS discocytes to repetitive oxygenation-deoxygenation (O-D) cycles in vitro. At physiologic Na+, K+, and Cl-, and 0.5 to 2 mmol/L Ca2+, the appearance of dense cells was time- and pH-dependent. O-D cycling at pH 7.4 in 5% CO2-equilibrated buffer generated only ID cells, whereas O-D cycling at pH 6.8 in 5% CO2-equilibrated buffer generated both ID and HD cells, the latter taking more than 8 hours to form. At 22 hours, 35% +/- 17% of the parent ND cells were recovered in the ID fraction and 18% +/- 11% in the HD fraction. Continuous deoxygenation (N2/5% CO2) at pH 6.8 generated both ID and HD cells, but many of these cells had multiple projections, clearly different from the morphology of endogenous dense cells and ISCs. Continuous oxygenation (air/5% CO2) at pH 6.8 resulted in less than 10% dense cell (ID + HD) formation. ATP depletion substantially increased HD cell formation and moderately decreased ID cell formation. HD cells formed after 22 hours of O-D cycling at pH 6.8 contained fewer F cells than did ID cells, suggesting that HD cell formation is particularly dependent on HbS polymerization. EGTA chelation of buffer Ca2+ inhibited HD but not ID cell formation, and increasing buffer Ca2+ from 0.5 to 2 mmol/L promoted HD but not ID cell formation in some SS patients. Substitution of nitrate for Cl- inhibited ID cell formation, as did inhibitors of the K:Cl cotransporter, okadaic acid, and [(dihydroindenyl) oxy]alkanoic acid (DIOA). Conversely, inhibitors of K(Ca2+), charybdotoxin and clotrimazole, inhibited HD cell formation. The combined use of K(Ca2+) and K:Cl inhibitors nearly eliminated dense cell (ID + HD cell) formation. In summary, dense cells formed by O-D cycling for 22 hours at pH 7.4 cycling are predominately the ID type, whereas dense cells formed by O-D cycling for 22 hours at pH 6.8 are both the ID and HD type, with the latter low in HbF, suggesting that HD cell formation has a greater dependency on HbS polymerization. A combination of K:Cl cotransport and the K(Ca2+) activities account for the majority of dense cells formed, and these pathways can be driven independently. We propose a model in which reversible sickling-induced K+ loss by K:Cl primarily generates ID cells and K+ loss by the K(Ca2+) channel primarily generates HD cells. These results imply that both pathways must be inhibited to completely prevent dense SS cell formation and have potential therapeutic implications.

Nonlinear microrheology of dense colloidal suspensions: A mode-coupling theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gazuz, I.; Fuchs, M.

2013-03-01

A mode-coupling theory for the motion of a strongly forced probe particle in a dense colloidal suspension is presented. Starting point is the Smoluchowski equation for N bath and a single probe particle. The probe performs Brownian motion under the influence of a strong constant and uniform external force Fex. It is immersed in a dense homogeneous bath of (different) particles also performing Brownian motion. Fluid and glass states are considered; solvent flow effects are neglected. Based on a formally exact generalized Green-Kubo relation, mode coupling approximations are performed and an integration through transients approach applied. A microscopic theory for the nonlinear velocity-force relations of the probe particle in a dense fluid and for the (de-) localized probe in a glass is obtained. It extends the mode coupling theory of the glass transition to strongly forced tracer motion and describes active microrheology experiments. A force threshold is identified which needs to be overcome to pull the probe particle free in a glass. For the model of hard sphere particles, the microscopic equations for the threshold force and the probability density of the localized probe are solved numerically. Neglecting the spatial structure of the theory, a schematic model is derived which contains two types of bifurcation, the glass transition and the force-induced delocalization, and which allows for analytical and numerical solutions. We discuss its phase diagram, forcing effects on the time-dependent correlation functions, and the friction increment. The model was successfully applied to simulations and experiments on colloidal hard sphere systems [Gazuz , Phys. Rev. Lett.PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.102.248302 102, 248302 (2009)], while we provide detailed information on its derivation and general properties.

Structural Investigation of Cesium Lead Halide Perovskites for High-Efficiency Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diodes.

PubMed

Le, Quyet Van; Kim, Jong Beom; Kim, Soo Young; Lee, Byeongdu; Lee, Dong Ryeol

2017-09-07

We have investigated the effect of reaction temperature of hot-injection method on the structural properties of CsPbX 3 (X: Br, I, Cl) perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) using small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering. It is confirmed that the size of the NCs decreased as the reaction temperature decreased, resulting in stronger quantum confinement. The cubic-phase perovskite NCs formed despite the fact that the reaction temperatures increased from 140 to 180 °C; however, monodispersive NC cubes that are required for densely packing self-assembly film were formed only at lower temperatures. From the X-ray scattering measurements, the spin-coated film from more monodispersive perovskite nanocubes synthesized at lower temperatures resulted in more preferred orientation. This dense-packing perovskite film with preferred orientation yielded efficient light-emitting diode (LED) performance. Thus the dense-packing structure of NC assemblies formed after spin-coating should be considered for high-efficient LEDs based on perovskite quantum dots in addition to quantum confinement effect of the quantum dots.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Le, Quyet Van; Kim, Jong Beom; Kim, Soo Young

We have investigated the effect of reaction temperature of hot-injection method on the structural properties of CsPbX3 (X: Br, I, Cl) perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) using the small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering. It is confirmed that the size of the NCs decreased as the reaction temperature decreased, resulting stronger quantum confinement. The cubic-phase perovskite NCs were formed despite the reaction temperatures increased from 140 to 180 °C. However, monodispersive NC cubes which are required for densely packing self-assembly film were only formed at lower temperatures. From the X-ray scattering measurements, the spin-coated film from more monodispersive perovskite nanocubes synthesized at lowermore » temperatures resulted in more preferred orientation. This dense-packing perovskite film with preferred orientation yielded efficient light-emitting diode (LED) performance. Thus, the dense-packing structure of NC assemblies formed after spin-coating should be considered for high-efficient LEDs based on perovskite quantum dots in addition to quantum confinement effect of the quantum dots.« less

Compositions for, solutions for, and methods of use of siloxane based aromatic trisureas as viscosifiers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Doherty, Mark Daniel; O'Brien, Michael Joseph; Lee, Jason

A compound represented by the following formula is provided: ##STR00001## Also provided is a solution including a compound disclosed herein, a volume of dense carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2), and a co-solvent, where the solution has an increased viscosity greater than the viscosity of dense CO.sub.2. Methods of increasing the viscosity of dense CO.sub.2 and natural gas liquids (NGLs) by, for example, dissolving a compound disclosed herein to form a solution, are also provided.

Explosive desorption of icy grain mantles in dense clouds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schutte, W. A.; Greenberg, J. M.

1991-01-01

The cycling of the condensible material in dense clouds between the gas phase and the icy grain mantles is investigated. In the model studied, desorption of the ice occurs due to grain mantle explosions when photochemically stored energy is released after transient heating by a cosmic ray particle. It is shown that, depending on the grain size distribution in dense clouds, explosive desorption can maintain up to about eight percent of the carbon in the form of CO in the gas phase at typical cloud densities.

Physics and chemistry of the solar nebula.

PubMed

Lunine, J I

1997-06-01

The solar system is thought to have begun in a flattened disk of gas and dust referred to traditionally as the solar nebula. Such a construct seems to be a natural product of the collapse of dense parts of giant molecular clouds, the vast star-forming regions that pepper the Milky Way and other galaxies. Gravitational, magnetic and thermal forces within the solar nebula forced a gradual evolution of mass toward the center (where the sun formed) and angular momentum (borne by a small fraction of the mass) toward the outer more distant regions of the disk. This evolution was accompanied by heating and a strong temperature contrast from the hot, inner regions to the cold, more remote parts of the disk. The resulting chemistry in the disk determined the initial distribution of organic matter in the planets; most of the reduced carbon species, in condensed form, were located beyond the asteroid belt (the 'outer' solar system). The Earth could have received much of its inventory of pre-biological material from comets and other icy fragments of the process of planetary formation in the outer solar system.

Synthesis, structural characterization and high pressure phase transitions of monolithium hydronium sulfate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerjee, Debasis; Plonka, Anna M.; Kim, Sun Jin; Xu, Wenqian; Parise, John B.

2013-01-01

A three dimensional lithium hydronium sulfate LiSO4·H3O [1], [space group Pna21a=8.7785(12) Å, b=9.1297(12) Å, c=5.2799(7) Å, V=423.16(10) Å3] was synthesized via solvothermal methods using 1,5-naphthalenedisulfonic acid (1,5-NSA) as the source of sulfate ions. The structure of [1], determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction techniques, consists of corner sharing LiO4 and SO4 tetrahedra, forming an anionic 3-D open framework that is charge balanced by hydronium ions positioned within channels running along [001] and forming strong H-bonding with the framework oxygen atoms. Compound [1] undergoes two reversible phase transitions, involving reorientation of SO42- ions at pressures of approximately 2.5 and 5 GPa at room temperature, as evident from characteristic discontinuous frequency drops in the ν1 mode of the Raman spectra. Additionally, compound [1] forms dense β-lithium sulfate at 300 °C, as evident from temperature dependent powder XRD and combined reversible TGA-DSC experiments.

Infrared spectroscopy of dense clouds in the C-H stretch region - Methanol and 'diamonds'

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allamandola, L. J.; Sandford, S. A.; Tielens, A. G. G. M.; Herbst, T. M.

1992-01-01

The paper presents high spectral resolution studies in the 3100-2600/cm range of the protostars NGC 7538 IRS9, W33A, W3 IRS 5, and S140 IRS 1. Well-resolved absorption bands at about 2825/cm and 2880/cm were found superposed on the LF wing of the strong O-H stretch feature. The 2880/cm band, previously detected toward W33A, is also in the spectrum of NGC 7538 IRS 9. The relative strength of these two bands varies, showing that they are associated with two different carriers. The new band at about 2880/cm falls near the position of C-H stretching vibrations in tertiary carbon atoms. The strength of this feature, in combination with the lack of strong features associated with primary and secondary carbon atoms, suggests that the carrier of the new feature has a diamondlike structure. This new feature is tentatively attributed to interstellar 'diamonds'. The detection of this band in the spectra of all four dense molecular clouds suggests that the carrier is ubiquitous in dense clouds.

Dramatically enhanced self-assembly of GeSi quantum dots with superior photoluminescence induced by the substrate misorientation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Tong; Zhong, Zhenyang

2014-02-01

A dramatically enhanced self-assembly of GeSi quantum dots (QDs) is disclosed on slightly miscut Si (001) substrates, leading to extremely dense QDs and even a growth mode transition. The inherent mechanism is addressed in combination of the thermodynamics and the growth kinetics both affected by steps on the vicinal surface. Moreover, temperature-dependent photoluminescence spectra from dense GeSi QDs on the miscut substrate demonstrate a rather strong peak persistent up to 300 K, which is attributed to the well confinement of excitons in the dense GeSi QDs due to the absence of the wetting layer on the miscut substrate.

Observations of non-linear plasmon damping in dense plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Witte, B. B. L.; Sperling, P.; French, M.; Recoules, V.; Glenzer, S. H.; Redmer, R.

2018-05-01

We present simulations using finite-temperature density-functional-theory molecular-dynamics to calculate dynamic dielectric properties in warm dense aluminum. The comparison between exchange-correlation functionals in the Perdew, Burke, Ernzerhof approximation, Strongly Constrained and Appropriately Normed Semilocal Density Functional, and Heyd, Scuseria, Ernzerhof (HSE) approximation indicates evident differences in the electron transition energies, dc conductivity, and Lorenz number. The HSE calculations show excellent agreement with x-ray scattering data [Witte et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 225001 (2017)] as well as dc conductivity and absorption measurements. These findings demonstrate non-Drude behavior of the dynamic conductivity above the Cooper minimum that needs to be taken into account to determine optical properties in the warm dense matter regime.

Impact of typical rather than nutrient-dense food choices in the US Department of Agriculture Food Patterns.

PubMed

Britten, Patricia; Cleveland, Linda E; Koegel, Kristin L; Kuczynski, Kevin J; Nickols-Richardson, Sharon M

2012-10-01

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Patterns, released as part of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, are designed to meet nutrient needs without exceeding energy requirements. They identify amounts to consume from each food group and recommend that nutrient-dense forms-lean or low-fat, without added sugars or salt-be consumed. Americans fall short of most food group intake targets and do not consume foods in nutrient-dense forms. Intake of calories from solid fats and added sugars exceed maximum limits by large margins. Our aim was to determine the potential effect on meeting USDA Food Pattern nutrient adequacy and moderation goals if Americans consumed the recommended quantities from each food group, but did not implement the advice to select nutrient-dense forms of food and instead made more typical food choices. Food-pattern modeling analysis using the USDA Food Patterns, which are structured to allow modifications in one or more aspects of the patterns, was used. Nutrient profiles for each food group were modified by replacing each nutrient-dense representative food with a similar but typical choice. Typical nutrient profiles were used to determine the energy and nutrient content of the food patterns. Moderation goals are not met when amounts of food in the USDA Food Patterns are followed and typical rather than nutrient-dense food choices are made. Energy, total fat, saturated fat, and sodium exceed limits in all patterns, often by substantial margins. With typical choices, calories were 15% to 30% (ie, 350 to 450 kcal) above the target calorie level for each pattern. Adequacy goals were not substantially affected by the use of typical food choices. If consumers consume the recommended quantities from each food group and subgroup, but fail to choose foods in low-fat, no-added-sugars, and low-sodium forms, they will not meet the USDA Food Patterns moderation goals or the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Copyright © 2012 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Disorder-derived, strong tunneling attenuation in bis-phosphonate monolayers.

PubMed

Pathak, Anshuma; Bora, Achyut; Liao, Kung-Ching; Schmolke, Hannah; Jung, Antje; Klages, Claus-Peter; Schwartz, Jeffrey; Tornow, Marc

2016-03-09

Monolayers of alkyl bisphosphonic acids (bisPAs) of various carbon chain lengths (C4, C8, C10, C12) were grown on aluminum oxide (AlO(x)) surfaces from solution. The structural and electrical properties of these self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) were compared with those of alkyl monophosphonic acids (monoPAs). Through contact angle (CA) and Kelvin-probe (KP) measurements, ellipsometry, and infrared (IR) and x-ray photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopies, it was found that bisPAs form monolayers that are relatively disordered compared to their monoPA analogs. Current-voltage (J-V) measurements made with a hanging Hg drop top contact show tunneling to be the prevailing transport mechanism. However, while the monoPAs have an observed decay constant within the typical range for dense monolayers, β(mono)  =  0.85  ±  0.03 per carbon atom, a surprisingly high value, β(bis) =  1.40  ±  0.05 per carbon atom, was measured for the bisPAs. We attribute this to a strong contribution of 'through-space' tunneling, which derives from conformational disorder in the monolayer due to strong interactions of the distal phosphonic acid groups; they likely form a hydrogen-bonding network that largely determines the molecular layer structure. Since bisPA SAMs attenuate tunnel currents more effectively than do the corresponding monoPA SAMs, they may find future application as gate dielectric modification in organic thin film devices.

Disorder-derived, strong tunneling attenuation in bis-phosphonate monolayers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pathak, Anshuma; Bora, Achyut; Liao, Kung-Ching; Schmolke, Hannah; Jung, Antje; Klages, Claus-Peter; Schwartz, Jeffrey; Tornow, Marc

2016-03-01

Monolayers of alkyl bisphosphonic acids (bisPAs) of various carbon chain lengths (C4, C8, C10, C12) were grown on aluminum oxide (AlO x ) surfaces from solution. The structural and electrical properties of these self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) were compared with those of alkyl monophosphonic acids (monoPAs). Through contact angle (CA) and Kelvin-probe (KP) measurements, ellipsometry, and infrared (IR) and x-ray photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopies, it was found that bisPAs form monolayers that are relatively disordered compared to their monoPA analogs. Current-voltage (J-V) measurements made with a hanging Hg drop top contact show tunneling to be the prevailing transport mechanism. However, while the monoPAs have an observed decay constant within the typical range for dense monolayers, β mono  =  0.85  ±  0.03 per carbon atom, a surprisingly high value, β bis  =  1.40  ±  0.05 per carbon atom, was measured for the bisPAs. We attribute this to a strong contribution of ‘through-space’ tunneling, which derives from conformational disorder in the monolayer due to strong interactions of the distal phosphonic acid groups; they likely form a hydrogen-bonding network that largely determines the molecular layer structure. Since bisPA SAMs attenuate tunnel currents more effectively than do the corresponding monoPA SAMs, they may find future application as gate dielectric modification in organic thin film devices.

Integration of prior knowledge into dense image matching for video surveillance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menze, M.; Heipke, C.

2014-08-01

Three-dimensional information from dense image matching is a valuable input for a broad range of vision applications. While reliable approaches exist for dedicated stereo setups they do not easily generalize to more challenging camera configurations. In the context of video surveillance the typically large spatial extent of the region of interest and repetitive structures in the scene render the application of dense image matching a challenging task. In this paper we present an approach that derives strong prior knowledge from a planar approximation of the scene. This information is integrated into a graph-cut based image matching framework that treats the assignment of optimal disparity values as a labelling task. Introducing the planar prior heavily reduces ambiguities together with the search space and increases computational efficiency. The results provide a proof of concept of the proposed approach. It allows the reconstruction of dense point clouds in more general surveillance camera setups with wider stereo baselines.

Examination of the relevance of hydrodynamics for data measured at the BNL relativistic heavy ion collider

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trainor, Thomas A.

2010-08-01

Hydrodynamic (hydro) models applied to heavy ion data from the relativistic heavy ion collider (RHIC) suggest that a dense QCD medium nearly opaque to partons—a strongly coupled quark-gluon plasma—is formed in more-central Au-Au collisions and may have a small viscosity ('perfect liquid'). Claimed evidence for radial and elliptic flows and possible coalescence of 'constituent quarks' seems to support the conclusion. But other measurements provide contradictory evidence. Unbiased angular correlations indicate that most back-to-back jets from initial-state scattered partons with energies as low as 3 GeV survive as 'minijet' hadron correlations even in central Au-Au collisions, suggesting near transparency. Two-component analysis of single-particle spectra reveals a spectrum hard component (parton fragment distribution) which can be mistaken for 'radial flow' in some forms of analysis. Based on recent results, reinterpretation of 'elliptic flow' as a QCD quadrupole scattering process including fragmentation may be possible. In this paper we review conventional analysis methods in the context of two paradigms: a hydrodynamics/hard-probes paradigm and a quadrupole/minijets paradigm. Re-examination of fiducial data suggests that hydrodynamics may not be relevant to RHIC collisions. Collision evolution may be dominated by QCD scattering and fragmentation, albeit strongly modified in more-central A-A collisions.

Three-dimensional Organization of pKi-67: A Comparative Fluorescence and Electron Tomography Study Using Fluoronanogold

PubMed Central

Cheutin, Thierry; O'Donohue, Marie-Françoise; Beorchia, Adrien; Klein, Christophe; Kaplan, Hervé; Ploton, Dominique

2003-01-01

The monoclonal antibody (MAb) Ki-67 is routinely used in clinical studies to estimate the growth fraction of tumors. However, the role of pKi-67, the protein detected by the Ki-67 MAb, remains elusive, although some biochemical data strongly suggest that it might organize chromatin. To better understand the functional organization of pKi-67, we studied its three-dimensional distribution in interphase cells by confocal microscopy and electron tomography. FluoroNanogold, a single probe combining a dense marker with a fluorescent dye, was used to investigate pKi-67 organization at the optical and ultrastructural levels. Observation by confocal microscopy followed by 3D reconstruction showed that pKi-67 forms a shell around the nucleoli. Double labeling experiments revealed that pKi-67 co-localizes with perinucleolar heterochromatin. Electron microscopy studies confirmed this close association and demonstrated that pKi-67 is located neither in the fibrillar nor in the granular components of the nucleolus. Finally, spatial analyses by electron tomography showed that pKi-67 forms cords 250–300 nm in diameter, which are themselves composed of 30–50-nm-thick fibers. These detailed comparative in situ analyses strongly suggest the involvement of pKi-67 in the higher-order organization of perinucleolar chromatin. PMID:14566014

Three-dimensional organization of pKi-67: a comparative fluorescence and electron tomography study using FluoroNanogold.

PubMed

Cheutin, Thierry; O'Donohue, Marie-Françoise; Beorchia, Adrien; Klein, Christophe; Kaplan, Hervé; Ploton, Dominique

2003-11-01

The monoclonal antibody (MAb) Ki-67 is routinely used in clinical studies to estimate the growth fraction of tumors. However, the role of pKi-67, the protein detected by the Ki-67 MAb, remains elusive, although some biochemical data strongly suggest that it might organize chromatin. To better understand the functional organization of pKi-67, we studied its three-dimensional distribution in interphase cells by confocal microscopy and electron tomography. FluoroNanogold, a single probe combining a dense marker with a fluorescent dye, was used to investigate pKi-67 organization at the optical and ultrastructural levels. Observation by confocal microscopy followed by 3D reconstruction showed that pKi-67 forms a shell around the nucleoli. Double labeling experiments revealed that pKi-67 co-localizes with perinucleolar heterochromatin. Electron microscopy studies confirmed this close association and demonstrated that pKi-67 is located neither in the fibrillar nor in the granular components of the nucleolus. Finally, spatial analyses by electron tomography showed that pKi-67 forms cords 250-300 nm in diameter, which are themselves composed of 30-50-nm-thick fibers. These detailed comparative in situ analyses strongly suggest the involvement of pKi-67 in the higher-order organization of perinucleolar chromatin.

Fantastic Striations and Where to Find Them: The Origin of Magnetically Aligned Striations in Interstellar Clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Che-Yu; Li, Zhi-Yun; King, Patrick K.; Fissel, Laura M.

2017-10-01

Thin, magnetically aligned striations of relatively moderate contrast with the background are commonly observed in both atomic and molecular clouds. They are also prominent in MHD simulations with turbulent converging shocks. The simulated striations develop within a dense, stagnated sheet in the midplane of the post-shock region where magnetically induced converging flows collide. We show analytically that the secondary flows are an inevitable consequence of the jump conditions of oblique MHD shocks. They produce the stagnated, sheet-like sub-layer through a secondary shock when, roughly speaking, the Alfvénic speed in the primary converging flows is supersonic, a condition that is relatively easy to satisfy in interstellar clouds. The dense sub-layer is naturally threaded by a strong magnetic field that lies close to the plane of the sub-layer. The substantial magnetic field makes the sheet highly anisotropic, which is the key to the striation formation. Specifically, perturbations of the primary inflow that vary spatially perpendicular to the magnetic field can easily roll up the sheet around the field lines without bending them, creating corrugations that appear as magnetically aligned striations in column density maps. On the other hand, perturbations that vary spatially along the field lines curve the sub-layer and alter its orientation relative to the magnetic field locally, seeding special locations that become slanted overdense filaments and prestellar cores through enhanced mass accumulation along field lines. In our scenario, the dense sub-layer, which is unique to magnetized oblique shocks, is the birthplace for both magnetically aligned diffuse striations and massive star-forming structures.

Quantum simulation of the spin-boson model with a microwave circuit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leppäkangas, Juha; Braumüller, Jochen; Hauck, Melanie; Reiner, Jan-Michael; Schwenk, Iris; Zanker, Sebastian; Fritz, Lukas; Ustinov, Alexey V.; Weides, Martin; Marthaler, Michael

2018-05-01

We consider superconducting circuits for the purpose of simulating the spin-boson model. The spin-boson model consists of a single two-level system coupled to bosonic modes. In most cases, the model is considered in a limit where the bosonic modes are sufficiently dense to form a continuous spectral bath. A very well known case is the Ohmic bath, where the density of states grows linearly with the frequency. In the limit of weak coupling or large temperature, this problem can be solved numerically. If the coupling is strong, the bosonic modes can become sufficiently excited to make a classical simulation impossible. Here we discuss how a quantum simulation of this problem can be performed by coupling a superconducting qubit to a set of microwave resonators. We demonstrate a possible implementation of a continuous spectral bath with individual bath resonators coupling strongly to the qubit. Applying a microwave drive scheme potentially allows us to access the strong-coupling regime of the spin-boson model. We discuss how the resulting spin relaxation dynamics with different initialization conditions can be probed by standard qubit-readout techniques from circuit quantum electrodynamics.

Formation of Black Hole X-Ray Binaries with Non-degenerate Donors in Globular Clusters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ivanova, Natalia; Rocha, Cassio A. da; Van, Kenny X.

In this Letter, we propose a formation channel for low-mass X-ray binaries with black hole accretors and non-degenerate donors via grazing tidal encounters with subgiants. We estimate that in a typically dense globular cluster with a core density of 10{sup 5} stars pc{sup −3}, the formation rates are about one binary per Gyr per 50–100 retained black holes. The donors—stripped subgiants—will be strongly underluminous when compared to subgiant or giant branch stars of the same colors. The products of tidal stripping are underluminous by at least one magnitude for several hundred million years when compared to normal stars of themore » same color, and differ from underluminous red stars that could be produced by non-catastrophic mass transfer in an ordinary binary. The dynamically formed binaries become quiescent LMXBs, with lifetimes of about a Gyr. The expected number of X-ray binaries is one per 50–200 retained black holes, while the expected number of strongly underluminous subsubgiant is about half this. The presence of strongly underluminous stars in a GC may be indicative of the presence of black holes.« less

The Supernova that Destroyed a Protogalaxy: Prompt Chemical Enrichment and Supermassive Black Hole Growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whalen, Daniel J.; Johnson, Jarrett L.; Smidt, Joseph; Meiksin, Avery; Heger, Alexander; Even, Wesley; Fryer, Chris L.

2013-09-01

The first primitive galaxies formed from accretion and mergers by z ~ 15, and were primarily responsible for cosmological reionization and the chemical enrichment of the early cosmos. But a few of these galaxies may have formed in the presence of strong Lyman-Werner UV fluxes that sterilized them of H2, preventing them from forming stars or expelling heavy elements into the intergalactic medium prior to assembly. At masses of 108 M ⊙ and virial temperatures of 104 K, these halos began to rapidly cool by atomic lines, perhaps forming 104-106 M ⊙ Pop III stars and, later, the seeds of supermassive black holes. We have modeled the explosion of a supermassive Pop III star in the dense core of a line-cooled protogalaxy with the ZEUS-MP code. We find that the supernova (SN) expands to a radius of ~1 kpc, briefly engulfing the entire galaxy, but then collapses back into the potential well of the dark matter. Fallback fully mixes the interior of the protogalaxy with metals, igniting a violent starburst and fueling the rapid growth of a massive black hole at its center. The starburst would populate the protogalaxy with stars in greater numbers and at higher metallicities than in more slowly evolving, nearby halos. The SN remnant becomes a strong synchrotron source that can be observed with eVLA and eMERLIN and has a unique signature that easily distinguishes it from less energetic SN remnants. Such explosions, and their attendant starbursts, may well have marked the birthplaces of supermassive black holes on the sky.

Mini-CME eruptions in a flux emergence event in a coronal hole environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galsgaard, K.; Moreno-Insertis, F.

2016-10-01

Small scale jets are observed to take place at the interface between the open magnetic field in coronal holes and bipolar magnetic field concentrations. A fraction of these shows an eruptive behavior, where a combination of cold dense and hot light plasma has been observed to propagate out along the jet region, combining traditional jets with what looks like the eruption of mini-CMEs. Here we discuss a simple model scenario for the explosive energy release process that leads to a mixture of hot and cold plasma being accelerated upwards simultaneously. The model explains both the typical steady state inverted-Y jet and the subsequent mini-CME eruptions found in blowout jets. The numerical experiment consists of a buoyant unstable flux rope that emerges into an overlying slanted coronal field, thereby creating a bipolar magnetic field distribution in the photosphere with coronal loops linking the polarities. Reconnection between the emerged and preexisting magnetic systems including the launching of a classical inverted-Y jet. The experiment shows that this simple model provides for a very complicated dynamical behavior in its late phases. Five independent mini-CME eruptions follow the initial near steady-state jet phase. The first one is a direct consequence of the reconnection of the emerged magnetic flux, is mediated by the formation of a strongly sheared arcade followed by a tether-cutting reconnection process, and leads to the eruption of a twisted flux rope. The final four explosive eruptions, instead, are preceded by the formation of a twisted torus-like flux rope near the strong magnetic concentrations at the photosphere. As the tube center starts emerging an internal current sheet is formed below it. This sheet experiences a tether cutting process that provides the important upwards kick of the newly formed mini-CME structure. As the fast rising cold and dense tube interacts with the overlying magnetic field, it reconnects at different spatial locations, either through a null region or through a local strong shear region without nulls. The restructuring of the magnetic field lines generate magneto-acoustic waves that transport twist and cold plasma out along the less stressed parts of the newly reconnected field lines. The emphasis of the talk will be on the physical forces responsible for the initial flux tube rising and the effects and reasons for the following destruction of the mini-CMEs.

Nuclear physics from lattice QCD at strong coupling.

PubMed

de Forcrand, Ph; Fromm, M

2010-03-19

We study numerically the strong coupling limit of lattice QCD with one flavor of massless staggered quarks. We determine the complete phase diagram as a function of temperature and chemical potential, including a tricritical point. We clarify the nature of the low temperature dense phase, which is strongly bound "nuclear" matter. This strong binding is explained by the nuclear potential, which we measure. Finally, we determine, from this first-principles limiting case of QCD, the masses of "atomic nuclei" up to A=12 "carbon".

Catalyst containing oxygen transport membrane

DOEpatents

Christie, Gervase Maxwell; Wilson, Jamie Robyn; van Hassel, Bart Antonie

2012-12-04

A composite oxygen transport membrane having a dense layer, a porous support layer and an intermediate porous layer located between the dense layer and the porous support layer. Both the dense layer and the intermediate porous layer are formed from an ionic conductive material to conduct oxygen ions and an electrically conductive material to conduct electrons. The porous support layer has a high permeability, high porosity, and a high average pore diameter and the intermediate porous layer has a lower permeability and lower pore diameter than the porous support layer. Catalyst particles selected to promote oxidation of a combustible substance are located in the intermediate porous layer and in the porous support adjacent to the intermediate porous layer. The catalyst particles can be formed by wicking a solution of catalyst precursors through the porous support toward the intermediate porous layer.

Dense Deposit Disease and C3 Glomerulopathy

PubMed Central

Barbour, Thomas D.; Pickering, Matthew C.; Terence Cook, H.

2013-01-01

Summary C3 glomerulopathy refers to those renal lesions characterized histologically by predominant C3 accumulation within the glomerulus, and pathogenetically by aberrant regulation of the alternative pathway of complement. Dense deposit disease is distinguished from other forms of C3 glomerulopathy by its characteristic appearance on electron microscopy. The extent to which dense deposit disease also differs from other forms of C3 glomerulopathy in terms of clinical features, natural history, and outcomes of treatment including renal transplantation is less clear. We discuss the pathophysiology of C3 glomerulopathy, with evidence for alternative pathway dysregulation obtained from affected individuals and complement factor H (Cfh)-deficient animal models. Recent linkage studies in familial C3 glomerulopathy have shown genomic rearrangements in the Cfh-related genes, for which the novel pathophysiologic concept of Cfh deregulation has been proposed. PMID:24161036

From gas to stars in energetic environments: dense gas clumps in the 30 Doradus region within the Large Magellanic Cloud

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson, Crystal N.; Meier, David S.; Ott, Jürgen

2014-09-20

We present parsec-scale interferometric maps of HCN(1-0) and HCO{sup +}(1-0) emission from dense gas in the star-forming region 30 Doradus, obtained using the Australia Telescope Compact Array. This extreme star-forming region, located in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), is characterized by a very intense ultraviolet ionizing radiation field and sub-solar metallicity, both of which are expected to impact molecular cloud structure. We detect 13 bright, dense clumps within the 30 Doradus-10 giant molecular cloud. Some of the clumps are aligned along a filamentary structure with a characteristic spacing that is consistent with formation via varicose fluid instability. Our analysis showsmore » that the filament is gravitationally unstable and collapsing to form stars. There is a good correlation between HCO{sup +} emission in the filament and signatures of recent star formation activity including H{sub 2}O masers and young stellar objects (YSOs). YSOs seem to continue along the same direction of the filament toward the massive compact star cluster R136 in the southwest. We present detailed comparisons of clump properties (masses, linewidths, and sizes) in 30Dor-10 to those in other star forming regions of the LMC (N159, N113, N105, and N44). Our analysis shows that the 30Dor-10 clumps have similar masses but wider linewidths and similar HCN/HCO{sup +} (1-0) line ratios as clumps detected in other LMC star-forming regions. Our results suggest that the dense molecular gas clumps in the interior of 30Dor-10 are well shielded against the intense ionizing field that is present in the 30 Doradus region.« less

THE JCMT GOULD BELT SURVEY: A FIRST LOOK AT DENSE CORES IN ORION B

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kirk, H.; Francesco, J. Di; Johnstone, D.

2016-02-01

We present a first look at the SCUBA-2 observations of three sub-regions of the Orion B molecular cloud: LDN 1622, NGC 2023/2024, and NGC 2068/2071, from the JCMT Gould Belt Legacy Survey. We identify 29, 564, and 322 dense cores in L1622, NGC 2023/2024, and NGC 2068/2071 respectively, using the SCUBA-2 850 μm map, and present their basic properties, including their peak fluxes, total fluxes, and sizes, and an estimate of the corresponding 450 μm peak fluxes and total fluxes, using the FellWalker source extraction algorithm. Assuming a constant temperature of 20 K, the starless dense cores have a mass function similar to that found inmore » previous dense core analyses, with a Salpeter-like slope at the high-mass end. The majority of cores appear stable to gravitational collapse when considering only thermal pressure; indeed, most of the cores which have masses above the thermal Jeans mass are already associated with at least one protostar. At higher cloud column densities, above 1–2 × 10{sup 23} cm{sup −2}, most of the mass is found within dense cores, while at lower cloud column densities, below 1 × 10{sup 23} cm{sup −2}, this fraction drops to 10% or lower. Overall, the fraction of dense cores associated with a protostar is quite small (<8%), but becomes larger for the densest and most centrally concentrated cores. NGC 2023/2024 and NGC 2068/2071 appear to be on the path to forming a significant number of stars in the future, while L1622 has little additional mass in dense cores to form many new stars.« less

The JCMT Gould Belt Survey: A First Look at Dense Cores in Orion B

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirk, H.; Di Francesco, J.; Johnstone, D.; Duarte-Cabral, A.; Sadavoy, S.; Hatchell, J.; Mottram, J. C.; Buckle, J.; Berry, D. S.; Broekhoven-Fiene, H.; Currie, M. J.; Fich, M.; Jenness, T.; Nutter, D.; Pattle, K.; Pineda, J. E.; Quinn, C.; Salji, C.; Tisi, S.; Hogerheijde, M. R.; Ward-Thompson, D.; Bastien, P.; Bresnahan, D.; Butner, H.; Chen, M.; Chrysostomou, A.; Coude, S.; Davis, C. J.; Drabek-Maunder, E.; Fiege, J.; Friberg, P.; Friesen, R.; Fuller, G. A.; Graves, S.; Greaves, J.; Gregson, J.; Holland, W.; Joncas, G.; Kirk, J. M.; Knee, L. B. G.; Mairs, S.; Marsh, K.; Matthews, B. C.; Moriarty-Schieven, G.; Mowat, C.; Rawlings, J.; Richer, J.; Robertson, D.; Rosolowsky, E.; Rumble, D.; Thomas, H.; Tothill, N.; Viti, S.; White, G. J.; Wouterloot, J.; Yates, J.; Zhu, M.

2016-02-01

We present a first look at the SCUBA-2 observations of three sub-regions of the Orion B molecular cloud: LDN 1622, NGC 2023/2024, and NGC 2068/2071, from the JCMT Gould Belt Legacy Survey. We identify 29, 564, and 322 dense cores in L1622, NGC 2023/2024, and NGC 2068/2071 respectively, using the SCUBA-2 850 μm map, and present their basic properties, including their peak fluxes, total fluxes, and sizes, and an estimate of the corresponding 450 μm peak fluxes and total fluxes, using the FellWalker source extraction algorithm. Assuming a constant temperature of 20 K, the starless dense cores have a mass function similar to that found in previous dense core analyses, with a Salpeter-like slope at the high-mass end. The majority of cores appear stable to gravitational collapse when considering only thermal pressure; indeed, most of the cores which have masses above the thermal Jeans mass are already associated with at least one protostar. At higher cloud column densities, above 1-2 × 1023 cm-2, most of the mass is found within dense cores, while at lower cloud column densities, below 1 × 1023 cm-2, this fraction drops to 10% or lower. Overall, the fraction of dense cores associated with a protostar is quite small (<8%), but becomes larger for the densest and most centrally concentrated cores. NGC 2023/2024 and NGC 2068/2071 appear to be on the path to forming a significant number of stars in the future, while L1622 has little additional mass in dense cores to form many new stars.

Experimental observation of attosecond control over relativistic electron bunches with two-colour fields

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yeung, M.; Rykovanov, S.; Bierbach, J.

2016-12-05

Energy coupling during relativistically intense laser–matter interactions is encoded in the attosecond motion of strongly driven electrons at the pre-formed plasma–vacuum boundary. Studying and controlling this motion can reveal details about the microscopic processes that govern a vast array of light–matter interaction phenomena, including those at the forefront of extreme laser–plasma science such as laser-driven ion acceleration, bright attosecond pulse generation and efficient energy coupling for the generation and study of warm dense matter. Here in this paper, we experimentally demonstrate that by precisely adjusting the relative phase of an additional laser beam operating at the second harmonic of themore » driving laser it is possible to control the trajectories of relativistic electron bunches formed during the interaction with a solid target at the attosecond scale. Finally, we observe significant enhancements in the resulting high-harmonic yield, suggesting potential applications for sources of ultra-bright, extreme ultraviolet attosecond radiation to be used in atomic and molecular pump–probe experiments« less

Effect of Sulfur and Chlorine on Fireside Corrosion Behavior of Inconel 740 H Superalloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin-tao, Lu; Yan, Li; Zhen, Yang; Jin-yang, Huang; Ming, Zhu; Gu, Y.

2018-03-01

Fireside corrosion behavior of Inconel 740H superalloy was studied at 750 °C in simulated coal ash/flue gas environments by means of XRD, SEM and EDS. The results indicated that the corrosion behavior was strongly related to the SO2 levels and was significantly affected by NaCl additions. In presence of the atmospheres with 0.1 % SO2, the alloy exhibited the highest corrosion resistance due to formation of a stable and dense Cr2O3 film. In presence of the atmosphere with 1.5 % SO2, however, a non-coherent and porous Cr2O3 film was formed. The thickness of film and internal sulfides were substantially increased. The NaCl additions significantly accelerated the corrosion process. A non-protective outer oxide film was formed, composed by multiple layers with serious inner sulfide and spallation. The depths of internal oxidizing and sulfuration zones were significantly increased. The mechanism of ash corrosion formation was also discussed.

Chemical Evolution of a Protoplanetary Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semenov, Dmitry A.

2011-12-01

In this paper we review recent progress in our understanding of the chemical evolution of protoplanetary disks. Current observational constraints and theoretical modeling on the chemical composition of gas and dust in these systems are presented. Strong variations of temperature, density, high-energy radiation intensities in these disks, both radially and vertically, result in a peculiar disk chemical structure, where a variety of processes are active. In hot, dilute and heavily irradiated atmosphere only the most photostable simple radicals and atoms and atomic ions exist, formed by gas-phase processes. Beneath the atmosphere a partly UV-shielded, warm molecular layer is located, where high-energy radiation drives rich ion-molecule and radical-radical chemistry, both in the gas phase and on dust surfaces. In a cold, dense, dark disk midplane many molecules are frozen out, forming thick icy mantles where surface chemistry is active and where complex polyatomic (organic) species are synthesized. Dynamical processes affect disk chemical composition by enriching it in abundances of complex species produced via slow surface processes, which will become detectable with ALMA.

Oxygen and carbon isotopic growth record in a reef coral from the florida keys and a deep-sea coral from blake plateau

USGS Publications Warehouse

Emiliani, C.; Harold, Hudson J.; Shinn, E.A.; George, R.Y.

1978-01-01

Carbon and oxygen isotope analysis through a 30-year (1944 to 1974) growth of Montastrea annularis from Hen and Chickens Reef (Florida Keys) shows a strong yearly variation in the abundances of both carbon-13 and oxygen-18 and a broad inverse relationship between the two isotopes. Normal annual dense bands are formed during the summer and are characterized by heavy carbon and light oxygen. "Stress bands" are formed during particularly severe winters and are characterized by heavy carbon and heavy oxygen. The isotopic effect of Zooxanthellae metabolism dominates the temperature effect on the oxygen-18/oxygen-16 ratio. The isotopic results on the deep-sea solitary coral Bathypsammia tintinnabulum, where Zooxanthellae are nonexistent, indicates that the abundance of the heavy isotopes carbon-13 and oxygen-18 is inversely related to the growth rate, with both carbon and oxygen approaching equilibrium values with increasing skeletal age.

Chemical speciation of heavy metals by surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy: identification and quantification of inorganic- and methyl-mercury in water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guerrini, Luca; Rodriguez-Loureiro, Ignacio; Correa-Duarte, Miguel A.; Lee, Yih Hong; Ling, Xing Yi; García de Abajo, F. Javier; Alvarez-Puebla, Ramon A.

2014-06-01

Chemical speciation of heavy metals has become extremely important in environmental and analytical research because of the strong dependence that toxicity, environmental mobility, persistence and bioavailability of these pollutants have on their specific chemical forms. Novel nano-optical-based detection strategies, capable of overcoming the intrinsic limitations of well-established analytic methods for the quantification of total metal ion content, have been reported, but the speciation of different chemical forms has not yet been achieved. Here, we report the first example of a SERS-based sensor for chemical speciation of toxic metal ions in water at trace levels. Specifically, the inorganic Hg2+ and the more toxicologically relevant methylmercury (CH3Hg+) are selected as analytical targets. The sensing platform consists of a self-assembled monolayer of 4-mercaptopyridine (MPY) on highly SERS-active and robust hybrid plasmonic materials formed by a dense layer of interacting gold nanoparticles anchored onto polystyrene microbeads. The co-ordination of Hg2+ and CH3Hg+ to the nitrogen atom of the MPY ring yields characteristic changes in the vibrational SERS spectra of the organic chemoreceptor that can be qualitatively and quantitatively correlated to the presence of the two different mercury forms.Chemical speciation of heavy metals has become extremely important in environmental and analytical research because of the strong dependence that toxicity, environmental mobility, persistence and bioavailability of these pollutants have on their specific chemical forms. Novel nano-optical-based detection strategies, capable of overcoming the intrinsic limitations of well-established analytic methods for the quantification of total metal ion content, have been reported, but the speciation of different chemical forms has not yet been achieved. Here, we report the first example of a SERS-based sensor for chemical speciation of toxic metal ions in water at trace levels. Specifically, the inorganic Hg2+ and the more toxicologically relevant methylmercury (CH3Hg+) are selected as analytical targets. The sensing platform consists of a self-assembled monolayer of 4-mercaptopyridine (MPY) on highly SERS-active and robust hybrid plasmonic materials formed by a dense layer of interacting gold nanoparticles anchored onto polystyrene microbeads. The co-ordination of Hg2+ and CH3Hg+ to the nitrogen atom of the MPY ring yields characteristic changes in the vibrational SERS spectra of the organic chemoreceptor that can be qualitatively and quantitatively correlated to the presence of the two different mercury forms. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Representative TEM and ESEM images of AuNPs and PS@Au particles. Optical extinction spectra of AuNPs and PS@Au suspensions. SERS spectra of unmodified PS@Au suspension before and after the addition of CH3Hg+. SERS spectra of PS@Au-MPY upon addition of several metal solutions. Detailed SERS study of the MPY response to high concentration of CH3Hg+. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr01464b

Stable solitary waves in super dense plasmas at external magnetic fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghaani, Azam; Javidan, Kurosh; Sarbishaei, Mohsen

2015-07-01

Propagation of localized waves in a Fermi-Dirac distributed super dense matter at the presence of strong external magnetic fields is studied using the reductive perturbation method. We have shown that stable solitons can be created in such non-relativistic fluids in the presence of an external magnetic field. Such solitary waves are governed by the Zakharov-Kuznetsov (ZK) equation. Properties of solitonic solutions are studied in media with different values of background mass density and strength of magnetic field.

Observations of strong ion-ion correlations in dense plasmas

DOE PAGES

Ma, T.; Fletcher, L.; Pak, A.; ...

2014-04-24

Using simultaneous spectrally, angularly, and temporally resolved x-ray scattering, we measure the pronounced ion-ion correlation peak in a strongly coupled plasma. Laser-driven shock-compressed aluminum at ~3× solid density is probed with high-energy photons at 17.9 keV created by molybdenum He-α emission in a laser-driven plasma source. The measured elastic scattering feature shows a well-pronounced correlation peak at a wave vector of k=4Å –1. The magnitude of this correlation peak cannot be described by standard plasma theories employing a linear screened Coulomb potential. Advanced models, including a strong short-range repulsion due to the inner structure of the aluminum ions are howevermore » in good agreement with the scattering data. These studies have demonstrated a new highly accurate diagnostic technique to directly measure the state of compression and the ion-ion correlations. Furthermore, we have since applied this new method in single-shot wave-number resolved S(k) measurements to characterize the physical properties of dense plasmas.« less

Submesoscale Rossby waves on the Antarctic circumpolar current.

PubMed

Taylor, John R; Bachman, Scott; Stamper, Megan; Hosegood, Phil; Adams, Katherine; Sallee, Jean-Baptiste; Torres, Ricardo

2018-03-01

The eastward-flowing Antarctic circumpolar current (ACC) plays a central role in the global ocean overturning circulation and facilitates the exchange of water between the ocean surface and interior. Submesoscale eddies and fronts with scales between 1 and 10 km are regularly observed in the upper ocean and are associated with strong vertical circulations and enhanced stratification. Despite their importance in other locations, comparatively little is known about submesoscales in the Southern Ocean. We present results from new observations, models, and theories showing that submesoscales are qualitatively changed by the strong jet associated with the ACC in the Scotia Sea, east of Drake Passage. Growing submesoscale disturbances develop along a dense filament and are transformed into submesoscale Rossby waves, which propagate upstream relative to the eastward jet. Unlike their counterparts in slower currents, the submesoscale Rossby waves do not destroy the underlying frontal structure. The development of submesoscale instabilities leads to strong net subduction of water associated with a dense outcropping filament, and later, the submesoscale Rossby waves are associated with intense vertical circulations.

Interchange Reconnection Associated with a Confined Filament Eruption: Implications for the Source of Transient Cold-dense Plasma in Solar Winds

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zheng, Ruisheng; Chen, Yao; Wang, Bing

The cold-dense plasma is occasionally detected in the solar wind with in situ data, but the source of the cold-dense plasma remains illusive. Interchange reconnections (IRs) between closed fields and nearby open fields are known to contribute to the formation of solar winds. We present a confined filament eruption associated with a puff-like coronal mass ejection (CME) on 2014 December 24. The filament underwent successive activations and finally erupted, due to continuous magnetic flux cancelations and emergences. The confined erupting filament showed a clear untwist motion, and most of the filament material fell back. During the eruption, some tiny blobsmore » escaped from the confined filament body, along newly formed open field lines rooted around the south end of the filament, and some bright plasma flowed from the north end of the filament to remote sites at nearby open fields. The newly formed open field lines shifted southward with multiple branches. The puff-like CME also showed multiple bright fronts and a clear southward shift. All the results indicate an intermittent IR existed between closed fields of the confined erupting filament and nearby open fields, which released a portion of filament material (blobs) to form the puff-like CME. We suggest that the IR provides a possible source of cold-dense plasma in the solar wind.« less

The formation of high-mass stars and stellar clusters in the extreme environment of the Central Molecular Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, Daniel Lewis

2017-08-01

The process of converting gas into stars underpins much of astrophysics, yet many fundamental questions surrounding this process remain unanswered. For example - how sensitive is star formation to the local environmental conditions? How do massive and dense stellar clusters form, and how does this crowded environment influence the stars that form within it? How do the most massive stars form and is there an upper limit to the stellar initial mass function (IMF)? Answering questions such as these is crucial if we are to construct an end-to-end model of how stars form across the full range of conditions found throughout the Universe. The research described in this thesis presents a study that utilises a multi-scale approach to identifying and characterising the early precursors to young massive clusters and high-mass proto-stars, with a specific focus on the extreme environment in the inner few hundred parsecs of the Milky Way - the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ). The primary sources of interest that are studied in detail belong to the Galactic centre dust ridge - a group of six high-mass (M 10^(4-5) Msun), dense (R 1-3 pc, n > 10^(4) cm^(-3)), and quiescent molecular clouds. These properties make these clouds ideal candidates for representing the earliest stages of high-mass star and cluster formation. The research presented makes use of single-dish and interferometric far-infrared and (sub-)millimetre observations to study their global and small-scale properties. A comparison of the known young massive clusters (YMCs) and their likely progenitors (the dust ridge clouds) in the CMZ shows that the stellar content of YMCs is much more dense and centrally concentrated than the gas in the clouds. If these clouds are truly precursors to massive clusters, the resultant stellar population would have to undergo significant dynamical evolution to reach central densities that are typical of YMCs. This suggests that YMCs in the CMZ are unlikely to form monolithically. Extending this study to include YMCs in the Galactic disc again shows that the known population of YMC precursor clouds throughout the Galaxy are not sufficiently dense or central concentrated that they could form a cluster that then expands due to gas expulsion. The data also reveal an evolutionary trend, in which clouds contract and accrete gas towards their central regions along with concurrent star formation. This is argued to favour a conveyor-belt mode of YMC formation and is again not consistent with a monolithic formation event. High angular resolution observations of the dust ridge clouds with the Submillimeter Array are presented. They reveal an embedded population of compact and massive cores, ranging from 50 - 2150 Msun within radii of 0.1 - 0.25 pc. These are likely formation sites of high-mass stars and clusters, and are strong candidates for representing the initial conditions of extremely massive stars. Two of these cores are found to be young, high-mass proto-stars, while the remaining 13 are quiescent. Comparing these cores with high-mass proto-stars in the Galactic disc, along with models in which star formation is regulated by turbulence, shows that these cores are consistent with the idea that the critical density threshold for star formation is greater in the turbulent environment at the Galactic centre.

Multiwavelength Characterization of an ACT-selected, Lensed Dusty Star-forming Galaxy at z = 2.64

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts-Borsani, G. W.; Jiménez-Donaire, M. J.; Daprà, M.; Alatalo, K.; Aretxaga, I.; Álvarez-Márquez, J.; Baker, A. J.; Fujimoto, S.; Gallardo, P. A.; Gralla, M.; Hilton, M.; Hughes, J. P.; Jiménez, C.; Laporte, N.; Marriage, T. A.; Nati, F.; Rivera, J.; Sievers, A.; Weiß, A.; Wilson, G. W.; Wollack, E. J.; Yun, M. S.

2017-08-01

We present C I(2-1) and multi-transition 12CO observations of a dusty star-forming galaxy, ACT J2029+0120, which we spectroscopically confirm to lie at z = 2.64. We detect CO(3-2), CO(5-4), CO(7-6), CO(8-7), and C I(2-1) at high significance, tentatively detect HCO+(4-3), and place strong upper limits on the integrated strength of dense gas tracers (HCN(4-3) and CS(7-6)). Multi-transition CO observations and dense gas tracers can provide valuable constraints on the molecular gas content and excitation conditions in high-redshift galaxies. We therefore use this unique data set to construct a CO spectral line energy distribution (SLED) of the source, which is most consistent with that of a ULIRG/Seyfert or QSO host object in the taxonomy of the Herschel Comprehensive ULIRG Emission Survey. We employ RADEX models to fit the peak of the CO SLED, inferring a temperature of T ˜ 117 K and {n}{{{H}}2}˜ {10}5 cm-3, most consistent with a ULIRG/QSO object and the presence of high-density tracers. We also find that the velocity width of the C I line is potentially larger than seen in all CO transitions for this object, and that the {L}{{C} {{I}}(2-1)}\\prime /{L}{CO(3-2)}\\prime ratio is also larger than seen in other lensed and unlensed submillimeter galaxies and QSO hosts; if confirmed, this anomaly could be an effect of differential lensing of a shocked molecular outflow.

Multiwavelength Characterization of an ACT-Selected, Lensed Dusty Star-Forming Galaxy at zeta 2.64

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts-Borsani, G. W.; Jimenez-Donaire, M. J.; Dapra, M.; Alatalo, K.; Aretxaga, I.; Alvarez-Marquez, J.; Baker, A. J.; Fujimoto, S.; Gallardo, P. A.; Gralla, M.;

Strangeness production in heavy ion collisions -Constraining the KN - potential in medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leifels, Yvonne; FOPI Collaboration

2013-03-01

We review the strangeness production in heavy ion collisions at energies around the NN production threshold and discuss recent measurements of the FOPI collaboration on charged kaon flow over a wide impact parameter range. The data are compared to comprehensive state-of-the-art transport models. The dense nuclear matter environment produced in those collisions may provide unique opportunities to form strange few body systems. The FOPI detector is especially suited to reconstruct such states by their charged particle decays. Apart from strongly decaying states special emphasis will be put on the search for long living weakly decaying states, i.e. Hyper-Nuclei. Light hyper nuclei are reconstructed by their two body decay channels and the production of Hyper-Tritons is studied with respect to Λ and t(3He).

Iron Low-ionization Broad Absorption Line quasars - the missing link in galaxy evolution?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawther, Daniel Peter; Vestergaard, Marianne; Fan, Xiaohui

2015-08-01

A peculiar and rare type of quasar with strong low-ionization iron absorption lines - known as FeLoBAL quasars - may be the missing link between star forming (or starbursting) galaxies and quasars. They are hypothesized to be quasars breaking out of their dense birth blanket of gas and dust. In that case they are expected to have high rates of star formation in their galaxies. With the aim of addressing and settling this issue we have studied deep Hubble Space Telescope restframe UV and optical imaging of a subset of such quasars in order to characterize the host galaxy properties of these quasars. We present the results of this study along with simulations to characterize the uncertainties and robustness of our results.

Ultraviolet photometry from the orbiting astronomical observatory. XXX - The Orion reflection nebulosity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Witt, A. N.; Lillie, C. F.

1978-01-01

Surface-brightness measurements are presented that cover the region of Orion in nine intermediate-width bandpasses ranging from 4250 to 1550 A. The existence of an extended ultraviolet reflection nebulosity in this area is confirmed, and the characteristics of its spectrum and spatial distribution are derived. The observations are consistent with a model in which the dense molecular cloud complex in Orion is illuminated by the foreground Orion aggregate of early-type stars. The interpretation is complicated by the fact that foreground dust may contribute to the observed scattered light. The scattering particles in the cloud appear to exhibit a wavelength-dependent albedo similar to that found for interstellar grains in general, with a strong indication that the phase function changes to a less forward-scattering form in the ultraviolet.

One step process for producing dense aluminum nitride and composites thereof

DOEpatents

Holt, J.B.; Kingman, D.D.; Bianchini, G.M.

1989-10-31

A one step combustion process for the synthesis of dense aluminum nitride compositions is disclosed. The process comprises igniting pure aluminum powder in a nitrogen atmosphere at a pressure of about 1,000 atmospheres or higher. The process enables the production of aluminum nitride bodies to be formed directly in a mold of any desired shape.

One step process for producing dense aluminum nitride and composites thereof

DOEpatents

Holt, J. Birch; Kingman, Donald D.; Bianchini, Gregory M.

1989-01-01

A one step combustion process for the synthesis of dense aluminum nitride compositions is disclosed. The process comprises igniting pure aluminum powder in a nitrogen atmosphere at a pressure of about 1000 atmospheres or higher. The process enables the production of aluminum nitride bodies to be formed directly in a mold of any desired shape.

Dense nanocrystalline yttrium iron garnet films formed at room temperature by aerosol deposition

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, Scooter D., E-mail: scooter.johnson@nrl.navy.mil; Glaser, Evan R.; Cheng, Shu-Fan

Highlights: • We deposit yttrium iron garnet films at room temperature using aerosol deposition. • Films are 96% of theoretical density for yttrium iron garnet. • We report magnetic and structural properties post-deposition and post-annealing. • Low-temperature annealing decreases the FMR linewidth. • We discuss features of the FMR spectra at each anneal temperature. - Abstract: We have employed aerosol deposition to form polycrystalline yttrium iron garnet (YIG) films on sapphire at room temperature that are 90–96% dense. We characterize the structural and dynamic magnetic properties of the dense films using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and ferromagnetic resonance techniques.more » We find that the as-deposited films are pure single-phase YIG formed of compact polycrystallites ∼20 nm in size. The ferromagnetic resonance mode occurs at 2829 G with a linewidth of 308 G. We perform a series of successive anneals up to 1000 °C on a film to explore heat treatment on the ferromagnetic resonance linewidth. We find the narrowest linewidth of 98 G occurs after a 750 °C anneal.« less

Formation of structures around HII regions: ionization feedback from massive stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tremblin, P.; Audit, E.; Minier, V.; Schmidt, W.; Schneider, N.

2015-03-01

We present a new model for the formation of dense clumps and pillars around HII regions based on shocks curvature at the interface between a HII region and a molecular cloud. UV radiation leads to the formation of an ionization front and of a shock ahead. The gas is compressed between them forming a dense shell at the interface. This shell may be curved due to initial interface or density modulation caused by the turbulence of the molecular cloud. Low curvature leads to instabilities in the shell that form dense clumps while sufficiently curved shells collapse on itself to form pillars. When turbulence is high compared to the ionized-gas pressure, bubbles of cold gas have sufficient kinetic energy to penetrate into the HII region and detach themselves from the parent cloud, forming cometary globules. Using computational simulations, we show that these new models are extremely efficient to form dense clumps and stable and growing elongated structures, pillars, in which star formation might occur (see Tremblin et al. 2012a). The inclusion of turbulence in the model shows its importance in the formation of cometary globules (see Tremblin et al. 2012b). Globally, the density enhancement in the simulations is of one or two orders of magnitude higher than the density enhancement of the classical ``collect and collapse`` scenario. The code used for the simulation is the HERACLES code, that comprises hydrodynamics with various equation of state, radiative transfer, gravity, cooling and heating. Our recent observations with Herschel (see Schneider et al. 2012a) and SOFIA (see Schneider et al. 2012b) and additional Spitzer data archives revealed many more of these structures in regions where OB stars have already formed such as the Rosette Nebula, Cygnus X, M16 and Vela, suggesting that the UV radiation from massive stars plays an important role in their formation. We present a first comparison between the simulations described above and recent observations of these regions.

A Spectroscopic Study On Two Glasses With Different Vesicularity From The Astroni Tephra (phlegraean Fields, Italy): Implications On Bubble Expansion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slejko, F. F.; Petrini, R.

Bubble growth in ascending viscous magmas by volatile exsolution from the melt structure is important in causing the magma fragmentation which determines the trans- form from a lava flow to a pyroclastic explosion. Volatile solubility and speciation in the melt vary during pressure and temperature changes. The pressure drop which oc- curs as a magma rises towards the surface in a volcanic conduit, causes the release of the volatiles dissolved in the melt and the progressive growth in the size of bubbles against the retarding forces to expansion generated by the polymeric interconnections in the silicate melt structure. At some critical growth rate with respect to the relax- ation time of the melt structure, the disruption of the interbubbles walls in the melt marks the fragmentation threshold, with the transition from a viscous bubbly liquid to a fast-uprising gas carrying on fragments of vesiculated magma. Highly polymer- ized, silica-rich melts are characterised by relaxation times which may be long com- pared to the quick growth and deformation of bubbles during rapid magma decom- pression and cooling, and the glassy pumices which form may retain informations on the vesiculation and degassing processes which occurred close to the fragmentation depth. Furthermore, the formation of vesicles during the cooling and decompression of an ascending volatile-supersaturated high-silica magma is strongly favoured by the occurrence of bubble nucleating sites in the melt. In order to investigate the influ- ence of the structure and iron speciation on bubble growth during explosive volcan- ism, a dense glass and a vesiculated pumice glass coexisting in the same pyroclastic unit of the Astroni volcano tephra in the Phlegraean Fields Caldera (4.1-3.8 ka BP) were investigated by 29Si 2D phase adjusted spinning sidebands (PASS) NMR, 1H MAS NMR, electron spin resonance (ESR) and Mössbauer spectroscopy. 29Si 2D PASS spectra show that silicon copolymerizes in the structure dominantly by Q3 and Q4 groups, with partly overlapping chemical shift. Spectrum fittings indicate that the dense glass is characterised by a larger abundance of Q3 species compared to the vesiculated pumice, suggesting a less polymerized structure. 1H MAS spectra reveal a larger amount of hydrogen concentration in the dense glass, partly attributable to structural hydroxyl groups possibly in Q3-OH terminations depolymerizing the glass structure. The less polymerized structure of the dense glass could have allowed an easier volatile exsolution, preventing the bubble formation. The EPR spectra indicate that the Fe3+ has similar surroundings in both samples, suggesting that Fe3+ is likely to occur in both network forming and modifying sites. Nevertheless, the vesiculated glass is characterised by a significantly higher amount of magnetite particles, which could have enhanced the bubble nucleation. Mössbauer spectra show four doublets attributable to ferric iron in both tetrahedral and octahedral sites and ferrous iron only in octahedral coordination. The oxidation of Fe2+ to Fe3+ observed in the vesicu- lated glass with respect to the dense glass could be an evidence of pressure drop with consequent bubble expansion.

Fabrication, Properties and Applications of Dense Hydroxyapatite: A Review

PubMed Central

Prakasam, Mythili; Locs, Janis; Salma-Ancane, Kristine; Loca, Dagnija; Largeteau, Alain; Berzina-Cimdina, Liga

2015-01-01

In the last five decades, there have been vast advances in the field of biomaterials, including ceramics, glasses, glass-ceramics and metal alloys. Dense and porous ceramics have been widely used for various biomedical applications. Current applications of bioceramics include bone grafts, spinal fusion, bone repairs, bone fillers, maxillofacial reconstruction, etc. Amongst the various calcium phosphate compositions, hydroxyapatite, which has a composition similar to human bone, has attracted wide interest. Much emphasis is given to tissue engineering, both in porous and dense ceramic forms. The current review focusses on the various applications of dense hydroxyapatite and other dense biomaterials on the aspects of transparency and the mechanical and electrical behavior. Prospective future applications, established along the aforesaid applications of hydroxyapatite, appear to be promising regarding bone bonding, advanced medical treatment methods, improvement of the mechanical strength of artificial bone grafts and better in vitro/in vivo methodologies to afford more particular outcomes. PMID:26703750

Ultra-high-aspect-orthogonal and tunable three dimensional polymeric nanochannel stack array for BioMEMS applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heo, Joonseong; Kwon, Hyukjin J.; Jeon, Hyungkook; Kim, Bumjoo; Kim, Sung Jae; Lim, Geunbae

2014-07-01

Nanofabrication technologies have been a strong advocator for new scientific fundamentals that have never been described by traditional theory, and have played a seed role in ground-breaking nano-engineering applications. In this study, we fabricated ultra-high-aspect (~106 with O(100) nm nanochannel opening and O(100) mm length) orthogonal nanochannel array using only polymeric materials. Vertically aligned nanochannel arrays in parallel can be stacked to form a dense nano-structure. Due to the flexibility and stretchability of the material, one can tune the size and shape of the nanochannel using elongation and even roll the stack array to form a radial-uniformly distributed nanochannel array. The roll can be cut at discretionary lengths for incorporation with a micro/nanofluidic device. As examples, we demonstrated ion concentration polarization with the device for Ohmic-limiting/overlimiting current-voltage characteristics and preconcentrated charged species. The density of the nanochannel array was lower than conventional nanoporous membranes, such as anodic aluminum oxide membranes (AAO). However, accurate controllability over the nanochannel array dimensions enabled multiplexed one microstructure-on-one nanostructure interfacing for valuable biological/biomedical microelectromechanical system (BioMEMS) platforms, such as nano-electroporation.Nanofabrication technologies have been a strong advocator for new scientific fundamentals that have never been described by traditional theory, and have played a seed role in ground-breaking nano-engineering applications. In this study, we fabricated ultra-high-aspect (~106 with O(100) nm nanochannel opening and O(100) mm length) orthogonal nanochannel array using only polymeric materials. Vertically aligned nanochannel arrays in parallel can be stacked to form a dense nano-structure. Due to the flexibility and stretchability of the material, one can tune the size and shape of the nanochannel using elongation and even roll the stack array to form a radial-uniformly distributed nanochannel array. The roll can be cut at discretionary lengths for incorporation with a micro/nanofluidic device. As examples, we demonstrated ion concentration polarization with the device for Ohmic-limiting/overlimiting current-voltage characteristics and preconcentrated charged species. The density of the nanochannel array was lower than conventional nanoporous membranes, such as anodic aluminum oxide membranes (AAO). However, accurate controllability over the nanochannel array dimensions enabled multiplexed one microstructure-on-one nanostructure interfacing for valuable biological/biomedical microelectromechanical system (BioMEMS) platforms, such as nano-electroporation. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr00350k

Food-resources and the influence of spatial pattern on feeding in the phoronid Phoronopsis viridis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ronan, T.E. Jr.

1978-06-01

In the intertidal zone of Bodega Harbor, California, the phoronid, Phoronopsis viridis, aggregates in clusters often composed of thousands of tightly aggregated individuals (up to 150,000/m/sup 2/). Within a dense cluster, there is a spacing problem for expansion of the lophophores. When nearest-neighbor distances are small, a stratification of feeding appendages is a workable solution to the spacing problem, allowing simultaneous expansion of clustered feeding appendages. Suspension-feeding specimens of Phoronopsis expand their lophophores and collect food items from the turbid near-bottom layers of water. Comparison of ingested items with material collected where the phoronids feed indicates a preference for smallmore » (<100 ..mu..m) organic encrusted mineral grains, floc aggregates, and fecal material, all resuspended from the depositional interface. Also taken to a lesser extent are plankton bloom species, such as diatoms and dinoflagellates. The fact that Phoronopsis forms dense assemblages in the intertidal zone has consequences when the community structure of sandflat areas is considered. Although it is probable that no single factor can explain aggregation in Phoronopsis, two possible factors, constituting strong selection pressures for cluster formation, are relative immunity from disturbance by large burrowing infauna and protection from predation by crawling predators.« less

Invasive Australian Acacia seed banks: Size and relationship with stem diameter in the presence of gall-forming biological control agents.

PubMed

Strydom, Matthys; Veldtman, Ruan; Ngwenya, Mzabalazo Z; Esler, Karen J

2017-01-01

Australian Acacia are invasive in many parts of the world. Despite significant mechanical and biological efforts to control their invasion and spread, soil-stored seed banks prevent their effective and sustained removal. In response South Africa has had a strong focus on employing seed reducing biological control agents to deal with Australian Acacia invasion, a programme that is considered as being successful. To provide a predictive understanding for their management, seed banks of four invasive Australian acacia species (Acacia longifolia, A. mearnsii, A. pycnantha and A. saligna) were studied in the Western Cape of South Africa. Across six to seven sites for each species, seed bank sizes were estimated from dense, monospecific stands by collecting 30 litter and soil samples. Average estimated seed bank size was large (1017 to 17261 seed m-2) as was annual input into the seed bank, suggesting that these seed banks are not residual but are replenished in size annually. A clear relationship between seed bank size and stem diameter was established indicating that mechanical clearing should be conducted shortly after fire-stimulated recruitment events or within old populations when seed banks are small. In dense, monospecific stands seed-feeding biological control agents are not effective in reducing seed bank size.

Receptosecretory nature of type III cells in the taste bud.

PubMed

Yoshie, Sumio

2009-01-01

Type III cells in taste buds form chemical synapses with intragemmal afferent nerve fibers and are characterized by the presence of membrane-bound vesicles in the cytoplasm. Although the vesicles differ in shape and size among species, they are primarily categorized into small clear (40 nm in diameter) and large dense-cored (90-200 nm) types. As such vesicles tend to be closely juxtaposed to the synaptic membrane of the cells, it is reasonable to consider that the vesicles include transmitter(s) towards the gustatory nerve. In the guinea-pig taste bud, stimulation with various taste substances (sucrose, sodium chloride, quinine hydrochloride, or monosodium L-glutamate) causes ultrastructural alterations of the type III cells. At the synapse, the presynaptic plasma membrane often displays invaginations of 90 nm in a mean diameter towards the cytoplasm, which indicates the dense-cored vesicles opening into the synaptic cleft by means of exocytosis. The vesicles are also exocytosed at the non-synaptic region into the intercellular space. These findings strongly suggest that the transmitters presumably contained in the vesicles are released to conduct the excitement of the type III cells to the nerves and also to exert their paracrine effects upon the surroundings, such as the Ebner's salivary gland, acting as local hormones.

Drosophila Kette coordinates myoblast junction dissolution and the ratio of Scar-to-WASp during myoblast fusion

PubMed Central

Hamp, Julia; Löwer, Andreas; Dottermusch-Heidel, Christine; Beck, Lothar; Moussian, Bernard; Flötenmeyer, Matthias

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT The fusion of founder cells and fusion-competent myoblasts (FCMs) is crucial for muscle formation in Drosophila. Characteristic events of myoblast fusion include the recognition and adhesion of myoblasts, and the formation of branched F-actin by the Arp2/3 complex at the site of cell–cell contact. At the ultrastructural level, these events are reflected by the appearance of finger-like protrusions and electron-dense plaques that appear prior to fusion. Severe defects in myoblast fusion are caused by the loss of Kette (a homolog of Nap1 and Hem-2, also known as NCKAP1 and NCKAP1L, respectively), a member of the regulatory complex formed by Scar or WAVE proteins (represented by the single protein, Scar, in flies). kette mutants form finger-like protrusions, but the electron-dense plaques are extended. Here, we show that the electron-dense plaques in wild-type and kette mutant myoblasts resemble other electron-dense structures that are known to function as cellular junctions. Furthermore, analysis of double mutants and attempts to rescue the kette mutant phenotype with N-cadherin, wasp and genes of members of the regulatory Scar complex revealed that Kette has two functions during myoblast fusion. First, Kette controls the dissolution of electron-dense plaques. Second, Kette controls the ratio of the Arp2/3 activators Scar and WASp in FCMs. PMID:27521427

On the Contribution of Large-Scale Structure to Strong Gravitational Lensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faure, C.; Kneib, J.-P.; Hilbert, S.; Massey, R.; Covone, G.; Finoguenov, A.; Leauthaud, A.; Taylor, J. E.; Pires, S.; Scoville, N.; Koekemoer, Anton M.

2009-04-01

We study the correlation between the locations of galaxy-galaxy strong-lensing candidates and tracers of large-scale structure from both weak lensing (WL) or X-ray emission. The Cosmological Evolution Survey (COSMOS) is a unique data set, combining deep, high resolution and contiguous imaging in which strong lenses have been discovered, plus unparalleled multiwavelength coverage. To help interpret the COSMOS data, we have also produced mock COSMOS strong- and WL observations, based on ray-tracing through the Millennium Simulation. In agreement with the simulations, we find that strongly lensed images with the largest angular separations are found in the densest regions of the COSMOS field. This is explained by a prevalence among the lens population in dense environments of elliptical galaxies with high total-to-stellar mass ratios, which can deflect light through larger angles. However, we also find that the overall fraction of elliptical galaxies with strong gravitational lensing is independent of the local mass density; this observation is not true of the simulations, which predict an increasing fraction of strong lenses in dense environments. The discrepancy may be a real effect, but could also be explained by various limitations of our analysis. For example, our visual search of strong lens systems could be incomplete and suffer from selection bias; the luminosity function of elliptical galaxies may differ between our real and simulated data; or the simplifying assumptions and approximations used in our lensing simulations may be inadequate. Work is therefore ongoing. Automated searches for strong lens systems will be particularly important in better constraining the selection function.

The EARP Complex and Its Interactor EIPR-1 Are Required for Cargo Sorting to Dense-Core Vesicles

PubMed Central

Topalidou, Irini; Cattin-Ortolá, Jérôme; MacCoss, Michael J.

2016-01-01

The dense-core vesicle is a secretory organelle that mediates the regulated release of peptide hormones, growth factors, and biogenic amines. Dense-core vesicles originate from the trans-Golgi of neurons and neuroendocrine cells, but it is unclear how this specialized organelle is formed and acquires its specific cargos. To identify proteins that act in dense-core vesicle biogenesis, we performed a forward genetic screen in Caenorhabditis elegans for mutants defective in dense-core vesicle function. We previously reported the identification of two conserved proteins that interact with the small GTPase RAB-2 to control normal dense-core vesicle cargo-sorting. Here we identify several additional conserved factors important for dense-core vesicle cargo sorting: the WD40 domain protein EIPR-1 and the endosome-associated recycling protein (EARP) complex. By assaying behavior and the trafficking of dense-core vesicle cargos, we show that mutants that lack EIPR-1 or EARP have defects in dense-core vesicle cargo-sorting similar to those of mutants in the RAB-2 pathway. Genetic epistasis data indicate that RAB-2, EIPR-1 and EARP function in a common pathway. In addition, using a proteomic approach in rat insulinoma cells, we show that EIPR-1 physically interacts with the EARP complex. Our data suggest that EIPR-1 is a new interactor of the EARP complex and that dense-core vesicle cargo sorting depends on the EARP-dependent trafficking of cargo through an endosomal sorting compartment. PMID:27191843

The CHESS survey of the L1157-B1 bow-shock: Dissecting the water content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Busquet, Gemma; Lefloch, Bertrand; Benedettini, Milena; Ceccarelli, Cecilia; Codella, Claudio; Cabrit, Sylvie; Nisini, Brunella; Viti, Serena; Gómez-Ruiz, Arturo; Gusdorf, Antoine; Di Giorgio, Anna Maria; Wiesenfeld, Laurent

2013-07-01

Molecular outflows powered by young protostars strongly affect the kinematics and chemistry of the natal molecular cloud through strong shocks, resulting in an increase of the abundance of several species. In particular, water is a powerful tracer of shocked material due to its sensitivity to both physical conditions and chemical processes. The observations of the "Chemical Herschel Survey of Star forming regions" (CHESS) key program towards the shock region L1157-B1 offered a unique and comprehensive view of the water emission in a typical protostellar bow shock across the submillimeter and far-infrared window. A grand total of 13 water lines have been detected with the PACS and HIFI instruments, probing a wide range of excitation conditions and providing us with a detailed picture on both the kinematics and the spatial distribution of water emission. Several gas components have been identified coexisting in the L1157-B1 shock region. Large Velocity Gradient (LVG) analysis reveals that these components have different excitation conditions: i) a warm (T~250 K) and dense (n(H2)~10^6 cm-3) gas component seen also with the CO lines and associated with the partly dissociative shock produced by the impact of the protostellar jet against the bow shock; ii) a compact (size~5''), hot (T~700 K), and less dense (n(H2)~10^4 cm-3) gas component, and iii) an extended component associated with the B1 outflow cavity. These three components present clear differences in terms of water enrichment. Finally, we confront the physical and chemical properties of the H2O emission to the predictions of current shock models.

Glimpsing the imprint of local environment on the galaxy stellar mass function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomczak, Adam R.; Lemaux, Brian C.; Lubin, Lori M.; Gal, Roy R.; Wu, Po-Feng; Holden, Bradford; Kocevski, Dale D.; Mei, Simona; Pelliccia, Debora; Rumbaugh, Nicholas; Shen, Lu

2017-12-01

We investigate the impact of local environment on the galaxy stellar mass function (SMF) spanning a wide range of galaxy densities from the field up to dense cores of massive galaxy clusters. Data are drawn from a sample of eight fields from the Observations of Redshift Evolution in Large-Scale Environments (ORELSE) survey. Deep photometry allow us to select mass-complete samples of galaxies down to 109 M⊙. Taking advantage of >4000 secure spectroscopic redshifts from ORELSE and precise photometric redshifts, we construct three-dimensional density maps between 0.55 < z < 1.3 using a Voronoi tessellation approach. We find that the shape of the SMF depends strongly on local environment exhibited by a smooth, continual increase in the relative numbers of high- to low-mass galaxies towards denser environments. A straightforward implication is that local environment proportionally increases the efficiency of (a) destroying lower mass galaxies and/or (b) growth of higher mass galaxies. We also find a presence of this environmental dependence in the SMFs of star-forming and quiescent galaxies, although not quite as strongly for the quiescent subsample. To characterize the connection between the SMF of field galaxies and that of denser environments, we devise a simple semi-empirical model. The model begins with a sample of ≈106 galaxies at zstart = 5 with stellar masses distributed according to the field. Simulated galaxies then evolve down to zfinal = 0.8 following empirical prescriptions for star-formation, quenching and galaxy-galaxy merging. We run the simulation multiple times, testing a variety of scenarios with differing overall amounts of merging. Our model suggests that a large number of mergers are required to reproduce the SMF in dense environments. Additionally, a large majority of these mergers would have to occur in intermediate density environments (e.g. galaxy groups).

Modeling interannual dense shelf water export in the region of the Mertz Glacier Tongue (1992-2007)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cougnon, E. A.; Galton-Fenzi, B. K.; Meijers, A. J. S.; Legrésy, B.

2013-10-01

Ocean observations around the Australian-Antarctic basin show the importance of coastal latent heat polynyas near the Mertz Glacier Tongue (MGT) to the formation of Dense Shelf Water (DSW) and associated Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW). Here, we use a regional ocean/ice shelf model to investigate the interannual variability of the export of DSW from the Adélie (west of the MGT) and the Mertz (east of the MGT) depressions from 1992 to 2007. The variability in the model is driven by changes in observed surface heat and salt fluxes. The model simulates an annual mean export of DSW through the Adélie sill of about 0.07 ± 0.06 Sv. From 1992 to 1998, the export of DSW through the Adélie (Mertz) sills peaked at 0.14 Sv (0.29 Sv) during July to November. During periods of mean to strong polynya activity (defined by the surface ocean heat loss), DSW formed in the Adélie depression can spread into the Mertz depression via the cavity under the MGT. An additional simulation, where ocean/ice shelf thermodynamics have been disabled, highlights the fact that models without ocean/ice shelf interaction processes will significantly overestimate rates of DSW export. The melt rates of the MGT are 1.2 ± 0.4 m yr-1 during periods of average to strong polynya activity and can increase to 3.8 ± 1.5 m/yr during periods of sustained weak polynya activity, due to the increased presence of relatively warmer water interacting with the base of the ice shelf. The increased melting of the MGT during a weak polynya state can cause further freshening of the DSW and ultimately limits the production of AABW.

Novel Associations between Common Breast Cancer Susceptibility Variants and Risk-Predicting Mammographic Density Measures

PubMed Central

Stone, Jennifer; Thompson, Deborah J.; dos-Santos-Silva, Isabel; Scott, Christopher; Tamimi, Rulla M.; Lindstrom, Sara; Kraft, Peter; Hazra, Aditi; Li, Jingmei; Eriksson, Louise; Czene, Kamila; Hall, Per; Jensen, Matt; Cunningham, Julie; Olson, Janet E.; Purrington, Kristen; Couch, Fergus J.; Brown, Judith; Leyland, Jean; Warren, Ruth M. L.; Luben, Robert N.; Khaw, Kay-Tee; Smith, Paula; Wareham, Nicholas J.; Jud, Sebastian M.; Heusinger, Katharina; Beckmann, Matthias W.; Douglas, Julie A.; Shah, Kaanan P.; Chan, Heang-Ping; Helvie, Mark A.; Le Marchand, Loic; Kolonel, Laurence N.; Woolcott, Christy; Maskarinec, Gertraud; Haiman, Christopher; Giles, Graham G.; Baglietto, Laura; Krishnan, Kavitha; Southey, Melissa C.; Apicella, Carmel; Andrulis, Irene L.; Knight, Julia A.; Ursin, Giske; Grenaker Alnaes, Grethe I.; Kristensen, Vessela N.; Borresen-Dale, Anne-Lise; Gram, Inger Torhild; Bolla, Manjeet K.; Wang, Qin; Michailidou, Kyriaki; Dennis, Joe; Simard, Jacques; Paroah, Paul; Dunning, Alison M.; Easton, Douglas F.; Fasching, Peter A.; Pankratz, V. Shane; Hopper, John; Vachon, Celine M.

2015-01-01

Mammographic density measures adjusted for age and body mass index (BMI) are heritable predictors of breast cancer risk but few mammographic density-associated genetic variants have been identified. Using data for 10,727 women from two international consortia, we estimated associations between 77 common breast cancer susceptibility variants and absolute dense area, percent dense area and absolute non-dense area adjusted for study, age and BMI using mixed linear modeling. We found strong support for established associations between rs10995190 (in the region of ZNF365), rs2046210 (ESR1) and rs3817198 (LSP1) and adjusted absolute and percent dense areas (all p <10−5). Of 41 recently discovered breast cancer susceptibility variants, associations were found between rs1432679 (EBF1), rs17817449 (MIR1972-2: FTO), rs12710696 (2p24.1), and rs3757318 (ESR1) and adjusted absolute and percent dense areas, respectively. There were associations between rs6001930 (MKL1) and both adjusted absolute dense and non-dense areas, and between rs17356907 (NTN4) and adjusted absolute non-dense area. Trends in all but two associations were consistent with those for breast cancer risk. Results suggested that 18% of breast cancer susceptibility variants were associated with at least one mammographic density measure. Genetic variants at multiple loci were associated with both breast cancer risk and the mammographic density measures. Further understanding of the underlying mechanisms at these loci could help identify etiological pathways implicated in how mammographic density predicts breast cancer risk. PMID:25862352

Giant molecular cloud collisions as triggers of star formation. VI. Collision-induced turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Benjamin; Tan, Jonathan C.; Nakamura, Fumitaka; Christie, Duncan; Li, Qi

2018-05-01

We investigate collisions between giant molecular clouds (GMCs) as potential generators of their internal turbulence. Using magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of self-gravitating, magnetized, turbulent GMCs, we compare kinematic and dynamic properties of dense gas structures formed when such clouds collide compared to those that form in non-colliding clouds as self-gravity overwhelms decaying turbulence. We explore the nature of turbulence in these structures via distribution functions of density, velocity dispersions, virial parameters, and momentum injection. We find that the dense clumps formed from GMC collisions have higher effective Mach number, greater overall velocity dispersions, sustain near-virial equilibrium states for longer times, and are the conduit for the injection of turbulent momentum into high density gas at high rates.

Giant molecular cloud collisions as triggers of star formation. VI. Collision-induced turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Benjamin; Tan, Jonathan C.; Nakamura, Fumitaka; Christie, Duncan; Li, Qi

2018-01-01

We investigate collisions between giant molecular clouds (GMCs) as potential generators of their internal turbulence. Using magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of self-gravitating, magnetized, turbulent GMCs, we compare kinematic and dynamic properties of dense gas structures formed when such clouds collide compared to those that form in non-colliding clouds as self-gravity overwhelms decaying turbulence. We explore the nature of turbulence in these structures via distribution functions of density, velocity dispersions, virial parameters, and momentum injection. We find that the dense clumps formed from GMC collisions have higher effective Mach number, greater overall velocity dispersions, sustain near-virial equilibrium states for longer times, and are the conduit for the injection of turbulent momentum into high density gas at high rates.

Binary Black Hole Mergers from Globular Clusters: Implications for Advanced LIGO.

PubMed

Rodriguez, Carl L; Morscher, Meagan; Pattabiraman, Bharath; Chatterjee, Sourav; Haster, Carl-Johan; Rasio, Frederic A

2015-07-31

The predicted rate of binary black hole mergers from galactic fields can vary over several orders of magnitude and is extremely sensitive to the assumptions of stellar evolution. But in dense stellar environments such as globular clusters, binary black holes form by well-understood gravitational interactions. In this Letter, we study the formation of black hole binaries in an extensive collection of realistic globular cluster models. By comparing these models to observed Milky Way and extragalactic globular clusters, we find that the mergers of dynamically formed binaries could be detected at a rate of ∼100 per year, potentially dominating the binary black hole merger rate. We also find that a majority of cluster-formed binaries are more massive than their field-formed counterparts, suggesting that Advanced LIGO could identify certain binaries as originating from dense stellar environments.

Nuclear Stability and Nucleon-Nucleon Interactions in Introductory and General Chemistry Textbooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Millevolte, Anthony

2010-01-01

The nucleus is a highly dense and highly charged substructure of atoms. In the nuclei of all atoms beyond hydrogen, multiple protons are in close proximity to each other in spite of strong electrostatic repulsions between them. The attractive internucleon strong force is described and its origin explained by using a simple quark model for the…

Vibratory roller study.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1984-01-01

Recently, much criticism has been directed toward the use of vibratory rollers to compact bituminous concrete. The results of the study reported here indicate that when these rollers are operated properly they can produce dense, strong, smooth riding...

Density functional theory calculations of continuum lowering in strongly coupled plasmas.

PubMed

Vinko, S M; Ciricosta, O; Wark, J S

2014-03-24

An accurate description of the ionization potential depression of ions in plasmas due to their interaction with the environment is a fundamental problem in plasma physics, playing a key role in determining the ionization balance, charge state distribution, opacity and plasma equation of state. Here we present a method to study the structure and position of the continuum of highly ionized dense plasmas using finite-temperature density functional theory in combination with excited-state projector augmented-wave potentials. The method is applied to aluminium plasmas created by intense X-ray irradiation, and shows excellent agreement with recently obtained experimental results. We find that the continuum lowering for ions in dense plasmas at intermediate temperatures is larger than predicted by standard plasma models and explain this effect through the electronic structure of the valence states in these strong-coupling conditions.

Fabrication of dense yttrium oxyfluoride ceramics by hot pressing and their mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tahara, Ryuki; Tsunoura, Toru; Yoshida, Katsumi; Yano, Toyohiko; Kishi, Yukio

2018-06-01

Excellent corrosion-resistant materials have been strongly required to reduce particle contamination during the plasma process in semiconductor production. Yttrium oxyfluoride can be a candidate as highly corrosion-resistant material. In this study, three types of dense yttrium oxyfluoride ceramics with different oxygen contents, namely, YOF, Y5O4F7 and Y5O4F7 + YF3, were fabricated by hot pressing, and their mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties were evaluated. Y5O4F7 ceramics showed an excellent thermal stability up to 800 °C, a low loss factor, and volume resistivity comparable to conventional plasma-resistant oxides, such as Y2O3. From these results, yttrium oxyfluoride ceramics are strongly suggested to be used as electrostatic chucks in semiconductor production.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ozaki, N.; Nellis, W. J.; Mashimo, T.

Materials at high pressures and temperatures are of great current interest for warm dense matter physics, planetary sciences, and inertial fusion energy research. Shock-compression equation-of-state data and optical reflectivities of the fluid dense oxide, Gd 3Ga 5O 12 (GGG), were measured at extremely high pressures up to 2.6 TPa (26 Mbar) generated by high-power laser irradiation and magnetically-driven hypervelocity impacts. Above 0.75 TPa, the GGG Hugoniot data approach/reach a universal linear line of fluid metals, and the optical reflectivity most likely reaches a constant value indicating that GGG undergoes a crossover from fluid semiconductor to poor metal with minimum metallicmore » conductivity (MMC). These results suggest that most fluid compounds, e.g., strong planetary oxides, reach a common state on the universal Hugoniot of fluid metals (UHFM) with MMC at sufficiently extreme pressures and temperatures. Lastly, the systematic behaviors of warm dense fluid would be useful benchmarks for developing theoretical equation-of-state and transport models in the warm dense matter regime in determining computational predictions.« less

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids.

PubMed

Dahlberg, Jerry; Tkacik, Peter T; Mullany, Brigid; Fleischhauer, Eric; Shahinian, Hossein; Azimi, Farzad; Navare, Jayesh; Owen, Spencer; Bisel, Tucker; Martin, Tony; Sholar, Jodie; Keanini, Russell G

2017-12-04

An analog, macroscopic method for studying molecular-scale hydrodynamic processes in dense gases and liquids is described. The technique applies a standard fluid dynamic diagnostic, particle image velocimetry (PIV), to measure: i) velocities of individual particles (grains), extant on short, grain-collision time-scales, ii) velocities of systems of particles, on both short collision-time- and long, continuum-flow-time-scales, iii) collective hydrodynamic modes known to exist in dense molecular fluids, and iv) short- and long-time-scale velocity autocorrelation functions, central to understanding particle-scale dynamics in strongly interacting, dense fluid systems. The basic system is composed of an imaging system, light source, vibrational sensors, vibrational system with a known media, and PIV and analysis software. Required experimental measurements and an outline of the theoretical tools needed when using the analog technique to study molecular-scale hydrodynamic processes are highlighted. The proposed technique provides a relatively straightforward alternative to photonic and neutron beam scattering methods traditionally used in molecular hydrodynamic studies.

Hydrogen separation membrane on a porous substrate

DOEpatents

Song, Sun-Ju [Orland Park, IL; Lee, Tae H [Naperville, IL; Chen, Ling [Woodridge, IL; Dorris, Stephen E [LaGrange Park, IL; Balachandran, Uthamalingam [Hinsdale, IL

2011-06-14

A hydrogen permeable membrane is disclosed. The membrane is prepared by forming a mixture of metal oxide powder and ceramic oxide powder and a pore former into an article. The article is dried at elevated temperatures and then sintered in a reducing atmosphere to provide a dense hydrogen permeable portion near the surface of the sintered mixture. The dense hydrogen permeable portion has a higher initial concentration of metal than the remainder of the sintered mixture and is present in the range of from about 20 to about 80 percent by volume of the dense hydrogen permeable portion.

Dark Globule in IC 1396 (IRAC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site] Click on image for larger view of inset

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope image of a glowing stellar nursery provides a spectacular contrast to the opaque cloud seen in visible light (inset). The Elephant's Trunk Nebula is an elongated dark globule within the emission nebula IC 1396 in the constellation of Cepheus. Located at a distance of 2,450 light-years, the globule is a condensation of dense gas that is barely surviving the strong ionizing radiation from a nearby massive star. The globule is being compressed by the surrounding ionized gas. The dark globule is seen in silhouette at visible-light wavelengths, backlit by the illumination of a bright star located to the left of the field of view.

The Spitzer Space Telescope pierces through the obscuration to reveal the birth of new protostars, or embryonic stars, and previously unseen young stars. The infrared image was obtained by Spitzer's infrared array camera. The image is a four-color composite of invisible light, showing emissions from wavelengths of 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange) and 8.0 microns (red). The filamentary appearance of the globule results from the sculpting effects of competing physical processes. The winds from a massive star, located to the left of the image, produce a dense circular rim comprising the 'head' of the globule and a swept-back tail of gas.

A pair of young stars (LkHa 349 and LkHa 349c) that formed from the dense gas has cleared a spherical cavity within the globule head. While one of these stars is significantly fainter than the other in the visible-light image, they are of comparable brightness in the infrared Spitzer image. This implies the presence of a thick and dusty disc around LkHa 349c. Such circumstellar discs are the precursors of planetary systems. They are much thicker in the early stages of stellar formation when the placental planet-forming material (gas and dust) is still present.

Shocked Clouds in the Vela Supernova Remnant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nichols, Joy S.; Slavin, Jonathan D.

2004-01-01

Unusually strong high-excitation C I has been detected in eleven lines of sight through the Vela supernova remnant by means of UV absorption-line studies of IUE data. Most of these lines of sight lie near the western edge of the X-ray bright region of the supernova remnant in a spatially distinct band approximately 1deg by 4deg oriented approximately north/south. The high-excitation C I (denoted C I*) is interpreted as evidence of a complex of shocked dense clouds inside the supernova remnant, due to the high pressures indicated in this region. To further analyze the properties of this region of C I*, we present new HIRES-processed IRAS data of the entire Vela SNR. A temperature map calculated from the HIRES IRAS data, based on a two-component dust model, reveals the signature of hot dust at several locations in the SNR. The hot dust is anti-correlated spatially with X-ray emission as revealed by ROSAT, as would be expected for a dusty medium interacting with a shock wave. The regions of hot dust are strongly correlated with optical filaments, supporting a scenario of dense clouds interior to the SNR that have been shocked and are now cooling behind the supernova blast wave. With few exceptions, the lines of sight to the strong C I* pass through regions of hot dust and optical filaments. Possible mechanisms for the production of the anomalously large columns of C I and C I* are discussed. Dense clouds on the back western hemisphere of the remnant may explain the relatively low X-ray emission in the western portion of the Vela supernova remnant due to the slower forward shock velocity in regions where the shock has encountered the dense clouds. An alternate explanation for the presence of neutral, excited state, and ionized species along the same line of sight may be a magnetic precusor that heats and compresses the gas ahead of the shock.

Molecular Gas Heating Mechanisms, and Star Formation Feedback in Merger/Starbursts: NGC 6240 and Arp 193 as Case Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papadopoulos, Padelis P.; Zhang, Zhi-Yu; Xilouris, E. M.; Weiss, Axel; van der Werf, Paul; Israel, F. P.; Greve, T. R.; Isaak, Kate G.; Gao, Y.

2014-06-01

We used the SPIRE/FTS instrument aboard the Herschel Space Observatory to obtain the Spectral Line Energy Distributions (SLEDs) of CO from J = 4-3 to J = 13-12 of Arp 193 and NGC 6240, two classical merger/starbursts selected from our molecular line survey of local Luminous Infrared Galaxies (L IR >= 1011 L ⊙). The high-J CO SLEDs are then combined with ground-based low-J CO, 13CO, HCN, HCO+, CS line data and used to probe the thermal and dynamical states of their large molecular gas reservoirs. We find the two CO SLEDs strongly diverging from J = 4-3 onward, with NGC 6240 having a much higher CO line excitation than Arp 193, despite their similar low-J CO SLEDs and L FIR/L CO, 1 - 0, L HCN/L CO (J = 1-0) ratios (proxies of star formation efficiency and dense gas mass fraction). In Arp 193, one of the three most extreme starbursts in the local universe, the molecular SLEDs indicate a small amount (~5%-15%) of dense gas (n >= 104 cm-3) unlike NGC 6240 where most of the molecular gas (~60%-70%) is dense (n ~ (104-105) cm-3). Strong star-formation feedback can drive this disparity in their dense gas mass fractions, and also induce extreme thermal and dynamical states for the molecular gas. In NGC 6240, and to a lesser degree in Arp 193, we find large molecular gas masses whose thermal states cannot be maintained by FUV photons from Photon-Dominated Regions. We argue that this may happen often in metal-rich merger/starbursts, strongly altering the initial conditions of star formation. ALMA can now directly probe these conditions across cosmic epoch, and even probe their deeply dust-enshrouded outcome, the stellar initial mass function averaged over galactic evolution.

Diagnosis of warm dense conditions in foil targets heated by intense femtosecond laser pulses using Kα imaging spectroscopy

DOE PAGES

Bae, L. J.; Zastrau, U.; Chung, H. -K.; ...

2018-03-01

Warm dense conditions in titanium foils irradiated with intense femtosecond laser pulses are diagnosed using an x-ray imaging spectroscopy technique. The line shapes of radially resolved titanium Kα spectra are measured with a toroidally bent GaAs crystal and an x-ray charge-coupled device. Measured spectra are compared with the K-shell emissions modeled using an atomic kinetics – spectroscopy simulation code. Kα line shapes are strongly affected by warm (5-40 eV) bulk electron temperatures and imply multiple temperature distributions in the targets. Finally, the spatial distribution of temperature is dependent on the target thickness, and a thin target shows an advantage tomore » generate uniform warm dense conditions in a large area.« less

A reanalysis of the HCO(+)/HOC(+) abundance ratio in dense interstellar clouds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jarrold, M. F.; Bowers, M. T.; Defrees, D. J.; Mclean, A. D.; Herbst, E.

1986-01-01

New theoretical and experimental results have prompted a reinvestigation of the HCO(+)/HOC(+) abundance ratio in dense interstellar clouds. These results pertain principally but not exclusively to the reaction between HOC(+) and H2, which was previously calculated by DeFrees et al. (1984) to possess a large activation energy barrier. New calculations, reported here, indicate that this activation energy barrier is quite small and may well be zero. In addition, experimental results at higher energy and temperature indicate strongly that the reaction proceeds efficiently at interstellar temperatures. If HOC(+) does indeed react efficiently with H2 in interstellar clouds, the calculated HCO(+)/HOC(+) abundance ratio rises to a substantially greater value under standard dense cloud conditions than is deduced via the tentative observation of HOC(+) in Sgr B2.

Dynamic conductivity and partial ionization in dense fluid hydrogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaghoo, Mohamed

2018-04-01

A theoretical description for optical conduction experiments in dense fluid hydrogen is presented. Different quantum statistical approaches are used to describe the mechanism of electronic transport in hydrogen's high-temperature dense phase. We show that at the onset of the metallic transition, optical conduction could be described by a strong rise in atomic polarizability, due to increased ionization, whereas in the highly degenerate limit, the Ziman weak scattering model better accounts for the observed saturation of reflectance. The inclusion of effects of partial ionization in the highly degenerate region provides great agreement with experimental results. Hydrogen's fluid metallic state is revealed to be a partially ionized free-electron plasma. Our results provide some of the first theoretical transport models that are experimentally benchmarked, as well as an important guide for future studies.

Diagnosis of warm dense conditions in foil targets heated by intense femtosecond laser pulses using Kα imaging spectroscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bae, L. J.; Zastrau, U.; Chung, H. -K.

Warm dense conditions in titanium foils irradiated with intense femtosecond laser pulses are diagnosed using an x-ray imaging spectroscopy technique. The line shapes of radially resolved titanium Kα spectra are measured with a toroidally bent GaAs crystal and an x-ray charge-coupled device. Measured spectra are compared with the K-shell emissions modeled using an atomic kinetics – spectroscopy simulation code. Kα line shapes are strongly affected by warm (5-40 eV) bulk electron temperatures and imply multiple temperature distributions in the targets. Finally, the spatial distribution of temperature is dependent on the target thickness, and a thin target shows an advantage tomore » generate uniform warm dense conditions in a large area.« less

THE JAMES CLERK MAXWELL TELESCOPE NEARBY GALAXIES LEGACY SURVEY. II. WARM MOLECULAR GAS AND STAR FORMATION IN THREE FIELD SPIRAL GALAXIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Warren, B. E.; Wilson, C. D.; Sinukoff, E.

2010-05-01

We present the results of large-area {sup 12}CO J = 3-2 emission mapping of three nearby field galaxies, NGC 628, NGC 3521, and NGC 3627, completed at the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope as part of the Nearby Galaxies Legacy Survey. These galaxies all have moderate to strong {sup 12}CO J = 3-2 detections over large areas of the fields observed by the survey, showing resolved structure and dynamics in their warm/dense molecular gas disks. All three galaxies were part of the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey sample, and as such have excellent published multiwavelength ancillary data. These data sets allowmore » us to examine the star formation properties, gas content, and dynamics of these galaxies on sub-kiloparsec scales. We find that the global gas depletion time for dense/warm molecular gas in these galaxies is consistent with other results for nearby spiral galaxies, indicating this may be independent of galaxy properties such as structures, gas compositions, and environments. Similar to the results from The H I Nearby Galaxy Survey, we do not see a correlation of the star formation efficiency with the gas surface density consistent with the Schmidt-Kennicutt law. Finally, we find that the star formation efficiency of the dense molecular gas traced by {sup 12}CO J = 3-2 is potentially flat or slightly declining as a function of molecular gas density, the {sup 12}CO J = 3-2/J = 1-0 ratio (in contrast to the correlation found in a previous study into the starburst galaxy M83), and the fraction of total gas in molecular form.« less

Fantastic Striations and Where to Find Them: The Origin of Magnetically Aligned Striations in Interstellar Clouds

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Che-Yu; Li, Zhi-Yun; King, Patrick K.

2017-10-01

Thin, magnetically aligned striations of relatively moderate contrast with the background are commonly observed in both atomic and molecular clouds. They are also prominent in MHD simulations with turbulent converging shocks. The simulated striations develop within a dense, stagnated sheet in the midplane of the post-shock region where magnetically induced converging flows collide. We show analytically that the secondary flows are an inevitable consequence of the jump conditions of oblique MHD shocks. They produce the stagnated, sheet-like sub-layer through a secondary shock when, roughly speaking, the Alfvénic speed in the primary converging flows is supersonic, a condition that is relativelymore » easy to satisfy in interstellar clouds. The dense sub-layer is naturally threaded by a strong magnetic field that lies close to the plane of the sub-layer. The substantial magnetic field makes the sheet highly anisotropic, which is the key to the striation formation. Specifically, perturbations of the primary inflow that vary spatially perpendicular to the magnetic field can easily roll up the sheet around the field lines without bending them, creating corrugations that appear as magnetically aligned striations in column density maps. On the other hand, perturbations that vary spatially along the field lines curve the sub-layer and alter its orientation relative to the magnetic field locally, seeding special locations that become slanted overdense filaments and prestellar cores through enhanced mass accumulation along field lines. In our scenario, the dense sub-layer, which is unique to magnetized oblique shocks, is the birthplace for both magnetically aligned diffuse striations and massive star-forming structures.« less

THE SUPERNOVA THAT DESTROYED A PROTOGALAXY: PROMPT CHEMICAL ENRICHMENT AND SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE GROWTH

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Whalen, Daniel J.; Johnson, Jarrett L.; Smidt, Joseph

2013-09-01

The first primitive galaxies formed from accretion and mergers by z {approx} 15, and were primarily responsible for cosmological reionization and the chemical enrichment of the early cosmos. But a few of these galaxies may have formed in the presence of strong Lyman-Werner UV fluxes that sterilized them of H{sub 2}, preventing them from forming stars or expelling heavy elements into the intergalactic medium prior to assembly. At masses of 10{sup 8} M{sub Sun} and virial temperatures of 10{sup 4} K, these halos began to rapidly cool by atomic lines, perhaps forming 10{sup 4}-10{sup 6} M{sub Sun} Pop III starsmore » and, later, the seeds of supermassive black holes. We have modeled the explosion of a supermassive Pop III star in the dense core of a line-cooled protogalaxy with the ZEUS-MP code. We find that the supernova (SN) expands to a radius of {approx}1 kpc, briefly engulfing the entire galaxy, but then collapses back into the potential well of the dark matter. Fallback fully mixes the interior of the protogalaxy with metals, igniting a violent starburst and fueling the rapid growth of a massive black hole at its center. The starburst would populate the protogalaxy with stars in greater numbers and at higher metallicities than in more slowly evolving, nearby halos. The SN remnant becomes a strong synchrotron source that can be observed with eVLA and eMERLIN and has a unique signature that easily distinguishes it from less energetic SN remnants. Such explosions, and their attendant starbursts, may well have marked the birthplaces of supermassive black holes on the sky.« less

The rate and latency of star formation in dense, massive clumps in the Milky Way

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heyer, M.; Gutermuth, R.; Urquhart, J. S.; Csengeri, T.; Wienen, M.; Leurini, S.; Menten, K.; Wyrowski, F.

2016-04-01

Context. Newborn stars form within the localized, high density regions of molecular clouds. The sequence and rate at which stars form in dense clumps and the dependence on local and global environments are key factors in developing descriptions of stellar production in galaxies. Aims: We seek to observationally constrain the rate and latency of star formation in dense massive clumps that are distributed throughout the Galaxy and to compare these results to proposed prescriptions for stellar production. Methods: A sample of 24 μm-based Class I protostars are linked to dust clumps that are embedded within molecular clouds selected from the APEX Telescope Large Area Survey of the Galaxy. We determine the fraction of star-forming clumps, f∗, that imposes a constraint on the latency of star formation in units of a clump's lifetime. Protostellar masses are estimated from models of circumstellar environments of young stellar objects from which star formation rates are derived. Physical properties of the clumps are calculated from 870 μm dust continuum emission and NH3 line emission. Results: Linear correlations are identified between the star formation rate surface density, ΣSFR, and the quantities ΣH2/τff and ΣH2/τcross, suggesting that star formation is regulated at the local scales of molecular clouds. The measured fraction of star forming clumps is 23%. Accounting for star formation within clumps that are excluded from our sample due to 24 μm saturation, this fraction can be as high as 31%, which is similar to previous results. Dense, massive clumps form primarily low mass (<1-2 M⊙) stars with emergent 24 μm fluxes below our sensitivity limit or are incapable of forming any stars for the initial 70% of their lifetimes. The low fraction of star forming clumps in the Galactic center relative to those located in the disk of the Milky Way is verified. Full Tables 2-4 are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/588/A29

Electronic transport coefficients from ab initio simulations and application to dense liquid hydrogen

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holst, Bastian; French, Martin; Redmer, Ronald

2011-06-15

Using Kubo's linear response theory, we derive expressions for the frequency-dependent electrical conductivity (Kubo-Greenwood formula), thermopower, and thermal conductivity in a strongly correlated electron system. These are evaluated within ab initio molecular dynamics simulations in order to study the thermoelectric transport coefficients in dense liquid hydrogen, especially near the nonmetal-to-metal transition region. We also observe significant deviations from the widely used Wiedemann-Franz law, which is strictly valid only for degenerate systems, and give an estimate for its valid scope of application toward lower densities.

Dynamic compression of dense oxide (Gd3Ga5O12) from 0.4 to 2.6 TPa: Universal Hugoniot of fluid metals

PubMed Central

Ozaki, N.; Nellis, W. J.; Mashimo, T.; Ramzan, M.; Ahuja, R.; Kaewmaraya, T.; Kimura, T.; Knudson, M.; Miyanishi, K.; Sakawa, Y.; Sano, T.; Kodama, R.

2016-01-01

Materials at high pressures and temperatures are of great current interest for warm dense matter physics, planetary sciences, and inertial fusion energy research. Shock-compression equation-of-state data and optical reflectivities of the fluid dense oxide, Gd3Ga5O12 (GGG), were measured at extremely high pressures up to 2.6 TPa (26 Mbar) generated by high-power laser irradiation and magnetically-driven hypervelocity impacts. Above 0.75 TPa, the GGG Hugoniot data approach/reach a universal linear line of fluid metals, and the optical reflectivity most likely reaches a constant value indicating that GGG undergoes a crossover from fluid semiconductor to poor metal with minimum metallic conductivity (MMC). These results suggest that most fluid compounds, e.g., strong planetary oxides, reach a common state on the universal Hugoniot of fluid metals (UHFM) with MMC at sufficiently extreme pressures and temperatures. The systematic behaviors of warm dense fluid would be useful benchmarks for developing theoretical equation-of-state and transport models in the warm dense matter regime in determining computational predictions. PMID:27193942

Dynamic compression of dense oxide (Gd 3Ga 5O 12) from 0.4 to 2.6 TPa: Universal Hugoniot of fluid metals

DOE PAGES

Ozaki, N.; Nellis, W. J.; Mashimo, T.; ...

2016-05-19

Materials at high pressures and temperatures are of great current interest for warm dense matter physics, planetary sciences, and inertial fusion energy research. Shock-compression equation-of-state data and optical reflectivities of the fluid dense oxide, Gd 3Ga 5O 12 (GGG), were measured at extremely high pressures up to 2.6 TPa (26 Mbar) generated by high-power laser irradiation and magnetically-driven hypervelocity impacts. Above 0.75 TPa, the GGG Hugoniot data approach/reach a universal linear line of fluid metals, and the optical reflectivity most likely reaches a constant value indicating that GGG undergoes a crossover from fluid semiconductor to poor metal with minimum metallicmore » conductivity (MMC). These results suggest that most fluid compounds, e.g., strong planetary oxides, reach a common state on the universal Hugoniot of fluid metals (UHFM) with MMC at sufficiently extreme pressures and temperatures. Lastly, the systematic behaviors of warm dense fluid would be useful benchmarks for developing theoretical equation-of-state and transport models in the warm dense matter regime in determining computational predictions.« less

Dynamic compression of dense oxide (Gd3Ga5O12) from 0.4 to 2.6 TPa: Universal Hugoniot of fluid metals.

PubMed

Ozaki, N; Nellis, W J; Mashimo, T; Ramzan, M; Ahuja, R; Kaewmaraya, T; Kimura, T; Knudson, M; Miyanishi, K; Sakawa, Y; Sano, T; Kodama, R

2016-05-19

Materials at high pressures and temperatures are of great current interest for warm dense matter physics, planetary sciences, and inertial fusion energy research. Shock-compression equation-of-state data and optical reflectivities of the fluid dense oxide, Gd3Ga5O12 (GGG), were measured at extremely high pressures up to 2.6 TPa (26 Mbar) generated by high-power laser irradiation and magnetically-driven hypervelocity impacts. Above 0.75 TPa, the GGG Hugoniot data approach/reach a universal linear line of fluid metals, and the optical reflectivity most likely reaches a constant value indicating that GGG undergoes a crossover from fluid semiconductor to poor metal with minimum metallic conductivity (MMC). These results suggest that most fluid compounds, e.g., strong planetary oxides, reach a common state on the universal Hugoniot of fluid metals (UHFM) with MMC at sufficiently extreme pressures and temperatures. The systematic behaviors of warm dense fluid would be useful benchmarks for developing theoretical equation-of-state and transport models in the warm dense matter regime in determining computational predictions.

Method for improving the performance of oxidizable ceramic materials in oxidizing environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nagaraj, Bangalore A. (Inventor)

2002-01-01

Improved adhesion of thermal barrier coatings to nonmetallic substrates using a dense layer of ceramic on an underlying nonmetallic substrate that includes at least one oxidizable component. The improved adhesion occurs because the application of the dense ceramic layer forms a diffusion barrier for oxygen. This diffusion barrier prevents the oxidizable component of the substrate from decomposing. The present invention applies ceramic by a process that deposits a relatively thick and dense ceramic layer on the underlying substrate. The formation of the dense layer of ceramic avoids the problem of void formation associated with ceramic formation by most prior art thermal decomposition processes. The formation of voids has been associated with premature spalling of thermal barrier layers and other protective layers applied to substrates.

Calcium, vitamin D, and your bones

MedlinePlus

Osteoporosis - calcium; Osteoporosis - low bone density ... Your body needs calcium to keep your bones dense and strong. Low bone density can cause your bones to become brittle and fragile. These weak bones can break easily, even without ...

Ultrastructure of the embryonic snake skin and putative role of histidine in the differentiation of the shedding complex.

PubMed

Alibardi, Lorenzo

2002-02-01

The morphogenesis and ultrastructure of the epidermis of snake embryos were studied at progressive stages of development through hatching to determine the time and modality of differentiation of the shedding complex. Scales form as symmetric epidermal bumps that become slanted and eventually very overlapped. During the asymmetrization of the bumps, the basal cells of the forming outer surface of the scale become columnar, as in an epidermal placode, and accumulate glycogen. Small dermal condensations are sometimes seen and probably represent primordia of the axial dense dermis of the growing tip of scales. Deep, dense, and superficial loose dermal regions are formed when the epidermis is bilayered (periderm and basal epidermis) and undifferentiated. Glycogen and lipids decrease from basal cells to differentiating suprabasal cells. On the outer scale surface, beneath the peridermis, a layer containing dense granules and sparse 25-30-nm thick coarse filaments is formed. The underlying clear layer does not contain keratohyalin-like granules but has a rich cytoskeleton of intermediate filaments. Small denticles are formed and they interdigitate with the oberhautchen spinulae formed underneath. On the inner scale surface the clear layer contains dense granules, coarse filaments, and does not form denticles with the aspinulated oberhautchen. On the inner side surface the oberhautchen only forms occasional spinulae. The sloughing of the periderm and embryonic epidermis takes place in ovo 5-6 days before hatching. There follow beta-, mesos-, and alpha-layers, not yet mature before hatching. No resting period is present but a new generation is immediately produced so that at 6-10 h posthatching an inner generation and a new shedding complex are forming beneath the outer generation. The first shedding complex differentiates 10-11 days before hatching. In hatchlings 6-10 h old, tritiated histidine is taken up in the epidermis 4 h after injection and is found mainly in the shedding complex, especially in the apposed membranes of the clear layer and oberhautchen cells. This indicates that a histidine-rich protein is produced in preparation for shedding, as previously seen in lizard epidermis. The second shedding (first posthatching) takes place at 7-9 days posthatching. It is suggested that the shedding complex in lepidosaurian reptiles has evolved after the production of a histidine-rich protein and of a beta-keratin layer beneath the former alpha-layer. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Carbonate system parameters and anthropogenic CO2 in the North Aegean Sea during October 2013

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krasakopoulou, E.; Souvermezoglou, E.; Giannoudi, L.; Goyet, C.

2017-10-01

Data of AT (total alkalinity) and CT (total inorganic carbon) collected during October 2013, on a N-S transect crossing the North of Lemnos basin allowed to identify the peculiarities of the CO2 system in the North Aegean Sea and estimate the anthropogenic CO2 (CANT) concentrations. Extremely high concentrations of AT and CT were recorded in the upper layer of the North Aegean reflecting the high loads of AT and CT by the brackish BSW (Black Sea Water) outflowing through the Dardanelles strait and by the rivers runoff. Both AT and CT exhibit strong negative linear correlation with salinity in the upper layer (0-20 m). Investigation of the AT-S relationship along with the salinity adjustment of AT revealed excess alkalinity throughout the water column in relation to the surface waters implying a possible occurrence of non-carbonate alkalinity inputs as well as of other processes that take place probably over the extended shelves and contribute to the alkalinity surplus. The intermediate layer occupied by the Modified Levantine Intermediate Water (MLIW) mass exhibits the lowest CT and AT concentrations, while rather elevated AT and CT concentrations characterize the North Aegean Deep Water (NAgDW) mass filling the deep layer of the North of Lemnos basin linked to previous dense water formation episodes. High anthropogenic CO2 content was detected at intermediate and deep layers of the North Aegean reflecting the effective transportation of the absorbed atmospheric CO2 from the surface to the deeper waters via the dense water formation episodes. The MLIW layer is more affected by the penetration of CANT than the NAgDW that fills the deep part of the basin. The observed variability of CANT distribution reflects the influence of the intensity of dense water formation events, of the different θ/S properties of the newly formed dense waters as well as of the diverse submarine pathways followed by the cascading dense waters. The invasion of CANT has lead to more acidic conditions and to lower saturation degree of calcium carbonate in relation to the preindustrial era. The findings of this study provide baseline information about the carbonate system properties of the North Aegean and highlight its active role in sequestering and storing anthropogenic CO2.

Oxygen ion-conducting dense ceramic

DOEpatents

Balachandran, Uthamalingam; Kleefisch, Mark S.; Kobylinski, Thaddeus P.; Morissette, Sherry L.; Pei, Shiyou

1998-01-01

Preparation, structure, and properties of mixed metal oxide compositions and their uses are described. Mixed metal oxide compositions of the invention have stratified crystalline structure identifiable by means of powder X-ray diffraction patterns. In the form of dense ceramic membranes, the present compositions demonstrate an ability to separate oxygen selectively from a gaseous mixture containing oxygen and one or more other volatile components by means of ionic conductivities.

Influence of galactic arm scale dynamics on the molecular composition of the cold and dense ISM. I. Observed abundance gradients in dense clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruaud, M.; Wakelam, V.; Gratier, P.; Bonnell, I. A.

2018-04-01

Aim. We study the effect of large scale dynamics on the molecular composition of the dense interstellar medium during the transition between diffuse to dense clouds. Methods: We followed the formation of dense clouds (on sub-parsec scales) through the dynamics of the interstellar medium at galactic scales. We used results from smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations from which we extracted physical parameters that are used as inputs for our full gas-grain chemical model. In these simulations, the evolution of the interstellar matter is followed for 50 Myr. The warm low-density interstellar medium gas flows into spiral arms where orbit crowding produces the shock formation of dense clouds, which are held together temporarily by the external pressure. Results: We show that depending on the physical history of each SPH particle, the molecular composition of the modeled dense clouds presents a high dispersion in the computed abundances even if the local physical properties are similar. We find that carbon chains are the most affected species and show that these differences are directly connected to differences in (1) the electronic fraction, (2) the C/O ratio, and (3) the local physical conditions. We argue that differences in the dynamical evolution of the gas that formed dense clouds could account for the molecular diversity observed between and within these clouds. Conclusions: This study shows the importance of past physical conditions in establishing the chemical composition of the dense medium.

Life and Death in a Star-Forming Cloud

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-11-14

W44 is located around 10,000 light-years away, within a forest of dense star-forming clouds in the constellation of Aquila, the Eagle. This image combines data from ESA Herschel and XXM-Newton space observatories.

Submesoscale Rossby waves on the Antarctic circumpolar current

PubMed Central

Bachman, Scott; Sallee, Jean-Baptiste

2018-01-01

The eastward-flowing Antarctic circumpolar current (ACC) plays a central role in the global ocean overturning circulation and facilitates the exchange of water between the ocean surface and interior. Submesoscale eddies and fronts with scales between 1 and 10 km are regularly observed in the upper ocean and are associated with strong vertical circulations and enhanced stratification. Despite their importance in other locations, comparatively little is known about submesoscales in the Southern Ocean. We present results from new observations, models, and theories showing that submesoscales are qualitatively changed by the strong jet associated with the ACC in the Scotia Sea, east of Drake Passage. Growing submesoscale disturbances develop along a dense filament and are transformed into submesoscale Rossby waves, which propagate upstream relative to the eastward jet. Unlike their counterparts in slower currents, the submesoscale Rossby waves do not destroy the underlying frontal structure. The development of submesoscale instabilities leads to strong net subduction of water associated with a dense outcropping filament, and later, the submesoscale Rossby waves are associated with intense vertical circulations. PMID:29670936

The MALATANG Survey: The L GAS–L IR Correlation on Sub-kiloparsec Scale in Six Nearby Star-forming Galaxies as Traced by HCN J = 4 → 3 and HCO+ J = 4 → 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Qing-Hua; Gao, Yu; Zhang, Zhi-Yu; Greve, Thomas R.; Jiang, Xue-Jian; Wilson, Christine D.; Yang, Chen-Tao; Bemis, Ashley; Chung, Aeree; Matsushita, Satoki; Shi, Yong; Ao, Yi-Ping; Brinks, Elias; Currie, Malcolm J.; Davis, Timothy A.; de Grijs, Richard; Ho, Luis C.; Imanishi, Masatoshi; Kohno, Kotaro; Lee, Bumhyun; Parsons, Harriet; Rawlings, Mark G.; Rigopoulou, Dimitra; Rosolowsky, Erik; Bulger, Joanna; Chen, Hao; Chapman, Scott C.; Eden, David; Gear, Walter K.; Gu, Qiu-Sheng; He, Jin-Hua; Jiao, Qian; Liu, Dai-Zhong; Liu, Li-Jie; Li, Xiao-Hu; Michałowski, Michał J.; Nguyen-Luong, Quang; Qiu, Jian-Jie; Smith, Matthew W. L.; Violino, Giulio; Wang, Jian-Fa; Wang, Jun-Feng; Wang, Jun-Zhi; Yeh, Sherry; Zhao, Ying-He; Zhu, Ming

2018-06-01

We present {HCN} J=4\\to 3 and {HCO}}+ J=4\\to 3 maps of six nearby star-forming galaxies, NGC 253, NGC 1068, IC 342, M82, M83, and NGC 6946, obtained with the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope as part of the MALATANG survey. All galaxies were mapped in the central 2‧ × 2‧ region at 14″ (FWHM) resolution (corresponding to linear scales of ∼0.2–1.0 kpc). The L IR–L‧dense relation, where the dense gas is traced by the {HCN} J=4\\to 3 and the {HCO}}+ J=4\\to 3 emission, measured in our sample of spatially resolved galaxies is found to follow the linear correlation established globally in galaxies within the scatter. We find that the luminosity ratio, L IR/L‧dense, shows systematic variations with L IR within individual spatially resolved galaxies, whereas the galaxy-integrated ratios vary little. A rising trend is also found between L IR/L‧dense ratio and the warm-dust temperature gauged by the 70 μm/100 μm flux ratio. We find that the luminosity ratios of IR/HCN (4–3) and IR/HCO+ (4–3), which can be taken as a proxy for the star formation efficiency (SFE) in the dense molecular gas (SFEdense), appear to be nearly independent of the dense gas fraction (f dense) for our sample of galaxies. The SFE of the total molecular gas (SFEmol) is found to increase substantially with f dense when combining our data with those on local (ultra)luminous infrared galaxies and high-z quasars. The mean L{{\\prime} }HCN(4{--}3)}/L{{\\prime} }HCO}+(4{--}3)} line ratio measured for the six targeted galaxies is 0.9 ± 0.6. No significant correlation is found for the L{{\\prime} }HCN(4{--}3)}/L{{\\prime} }HCO}+(4{--}3)} ratio with the star formation rate as traced by L IR, nor with the warm-dust temperature, for the different populations of galaxies.

THE PHYSICS OF THE FAR-INFRARED-RADIO CORRELATION. I. CALORIMETRY, CONSPIRACY, AND IMPLICATIONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lacki, Brian C.; Thompson, Todd A.; Quataert, Eliot, E-mail: lacki@astronomy.ohio-state.ed

2010-07-01

The far-infrared (FIR) and radio luminosities of star-forming galaxies are linearly correlated over a very wide range in star formation rate, from normal spirals like the Milky Way to the most intense starbursts. Using one-zone models of cosmic ray (CR) injection, cooling, and escape in star-forming galaxies, we attempt to reproduce the observed FIR-radio correlation (FRC) over its entire span. The normalization and linearity of the FRC, together with constraints on the CR population in the Milky Way, have strong implications for the CR and magnetic energy densities in star-forming galaxies. We show that for consistency with the FRC, {approx}2%more » of the kinetic energy from supernova explosions must go into high-energy primary CR electrons and that {approx}10%-20% must go into high-energy primary CR protons. Secondary electrons and positrons are likely comparable to or dominate primary electrons in dense starburst galaxies. We discuss the implications of our models for the magnetic field strengths of starbursts, the detectability of starbursts by Fermi, and CR feedback. Overall, our models indicate that both CR protons and electrons escape from low surface density galaxies, but lose most of their energy before escaping dense starbursts. The FRC is caused by a combination of the efficient cooling of CR electrons (calorimetry) in starbursts and a conspiracy of several factors. For lower surface density galaxies, the decreasing radio emission caused by CR escape is balanced by the decreasing FIR emission caused by the low effective UV dust opacity. In starbursts, bremsstrahlung, ionization, and inverse Compton cooling decrease the radio emission, but they are countered by secondary electrons/positrons and the dependence of synchrotron frequency on energy, both of which increase the radio emission. Our conclusions hold for a broad range of variations in our fiducial model, such as those including winds, different magnetic field strengths, and different diffusive escape times.« less

Parallel and perpendicular velocity sheared flows driven tripolar vortices in an inhomogeneous electron-ion quantum magnetoplasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirza, Arshad M.; Masood, W.

2011-12-01

Nonlinear equations governing the dynamics of finite amplitude drift-ion acoustic-waves are derived by taking into account sheared ion flows parallel and perpendicular to the ambient magnetic field in a quantum magnetoplasma comprised of electrons and ions. It is shown that stationary solution of the nonlinear equations can be represented in the form of a tripolar vortex for specific profiles of the equilibrium sheared flows. The tripolar vortices are, however, observed to form on very short scales in dense quantum plasmas. The relevance of the present investigation with regard to dense astrophysical environments is also pointed out.

Herschel Observations of C+ in the Vicinity of Star Forming Complexes in the Galactic Plane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pineda, Jorge; Velusamy, T.; Langer, W.; Goldsmith, P.; Li, D.; Yorke, H.

2010-05-01

The CII fine-structure line at 158 um, is an excellent tracer of the warm diffuse gas and the hot, dense Photon Dominated Regions (PDRs). We can, therefore, use the CII emission as a probe to understand the effects of star formation on their interstellar environment. Here we present the first results from the Galactic Observations of Terahertz C+ (GOT C+), a Herschel Key Project study of CII fine structure emission in the vicinity of star forming complexes. In the Priority Science Phase of HIFI observations, the GOT C+ project collects data along a dozen lines of sight passing near star forming regions in the inner Galaxy from longitude 310 degrees to 25 degrees. We discuss our first results on the transition between dense and hot gas (traced by CII) and dense and cold gas (traced by 12CO and 13CO). This research was conducted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. JLP was supported under the NASA Postdoctoral Program at JPL, Caltech, administered by Oak Ridge Associated Universities through a contract with NASA, and is currently supported as a Caltech-JPL Postdoc.

Curli mediate bacterial adhesion to fibronectin via tensile multiple bonds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Yoo Jin; Hubauer-Brenner, Michael; Gruber, Hermann J.; Cui, Yidan; Traxler, Lukas; Siligan, Christine; Park, Sungsu; Hinterdorfer, Peter

2016-09-01

Many enteric bacteria including pathogenic Escherichia coli and Salmonella strains produce curli fibers that bind to host surfaces, leading to bacterial internalization into host cells. By using a nanomechanical force-sensing approach, we obtained real-time information about the distribution of molecular bonds involved in the adhesion of curliated bacteria to fibronectin. We found that curliated E. coli and fibronectin formed dense quantized and multiple specific bonds with high tensile strength, resulting in tight bacterial binding. Nanomechanical recognition measurements revealed that approximately 10 bonds were disrupted either sequentially or simultaneously under force load. Thus the curli formation of bacterial surfaces leads to multi-bond structural components of fibrous nature, which may explain the strong mechanical binding of curliated bacteria to host cells and unveil the functions of these proteins in bacterial internalization and invasion.

Following in Real Time the Two-Step Assembly of Nanoparticles into Mesocrystals in Levitating Drops.

PubMed

Agthe, Michael; Plivelic, Tomás S; Labrador, Ana; Bergström, Lennart; Salazar-Alvarez, German

2016-11-09

Mesocrystals composed of crystallographically aligned nanocrystals are present in biominerals and assembled materials which show strongly directional properties of importance for mechanical protection and functional devices. Mesocrystals are commonly formed by complex biomineralization processes and can also be generated by assembly of anisotropic nanocrystals. Here, we follow the evaporation-induced assembly of maghemite nanocubes into mesocrystals in real time in levitating drops. Analysis of time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering data and ex situ scanning electron microscopy together with interparticle potential calculations show that the substrate-free, particle-mediated crystallization process proceeds in two stages involving the formation and rapid transformation of a dense, structurally disordered phase into ordered mesocrystals. Controlling and tailoring the particle-mediated formation of mesocrystals could be utilized to assemble designed nanoparticles into new materials with unique functions.

Slip distribution and tectonic implication of the 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan, earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ji, C.; Helmberger, D.V.; Song, T.-R.A.; Ma, K.-F.; Wald, D.J.

2001-01-01

We report on the fault complexity of the large (Mw = 7.6) Chi-Chi earthquake obtained by inverting densely and well-distributed static measurements consisting of 119 GPS and 23 doubly integrated strong motion records. We show that the slip of the Chi-Chi earthquake was concentrated on the surface of a "wedge shaped" block. The inferred geometric complexity explains the difference between the strike of the fault plane determined by long period seismic data and surface break observations. When combined with other geophysical and geological observations, the result provides a unique snapshot of tectonic deformation taking place in the form of very large (>10m) displacements of a massive wedge-shaped crustal block which may relate to the changeover from over-thrusting to subducting motion between the Philippine Sea and the Eurasian plates.

Nanowire array and nanowire solar cells and methods for forming the same

DOEpatents

Yang, Peidong [Berkeley, CA; Greene, Lori [Berkeley, CA; Law, Matthew [Berkeley, CA

2007-09-04

Homogeneous and dense arrays of nanowires are described. The nanowires can be formed in solution and can have average diameters of 40-300 nm and lengths of 1-3 .mu.m. They can be formed on any suitable substrate. Photovoltaic devices are also described.

Nanowire array and nanowire solar cells and methods for forming the same

DOEpatents

Yang, Peidong; Greene, Lori E.; Law, Matthew

2009-06-09

Homogeneous and dense arrays of nanowires are described. The nanowires can be formed in solution and can have average diameters of 40-300 nm and lengths of 1-3 .mu.m. They can be formed on any suitable substrate. Photovoltaic devices are also described.

Queensland Seasons

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2016-05-27

... are in turn influenced by vegetation structure, terrain and soil type, and by the different solar illumination conditions on the two dates. ... wavelenths is strongly scattered between the leaf layers of the dense canopies, and the influence of shadows between the tree ...

X-ray scattering measurements of strong ion-ion correlations in shock-compressed aluminum.

PubMed

Ma, T; Döppner, T; Falcone, R W; Fletcher, L; Fortmann, C; Gericke, D O; Landen, O L; Lee, H J; Pak, A; Vorberger, J; Wünsch, K; Glenzer, S H

2013-02-08

The strong ion-ion correlation peak characteristic of warm dense matter (WDM) is observed for the first time using simultaneous angularly, temporally, and spectrally resolved x-ray scattering measurements in laser-driven shock-compressed aluminum. Laser-produced molybdenum x-ray line emission at an energy of 17.9 keV is employed to probe aluminum compressed to a density of ρ>8 g/cm(3). We observe a well pronounced peak in the static structure factor at a wave number of k=4.0 Å(-1). The measurements of the magnitude and position of this correlation peak are precise enough to test different theoretical models for the ion structure and show that only models taking the complex interaction in WDM into account agree with the data. This also demonstrates a new highly accurate diagnostic to directly measure the state of compression of warm dense matter.

Low-velocity ion stopping in a dense and low-temperature plasma target

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deutsch, Claude; Popoff, Romain

2007-07-01

We investigate the stopping specificities involved in the heating of thin foils irradiated by intense ion beams in the 0.3-3 MeV/amu energy range and in close vicinity of the Bragg peak. Considering a swiftly ionized target to eV temperatures before expansion while retaining solid-state density, a typical warm dense matter (WDM) situation thus arises. We stress low Vp stopping through ion diffusion in the given target plasma. This allows to include the case of a strongly magnetized target in a guiding center approximation. We also demonstrate that the ion projectile penetration depth in target is significantly affected by multiple scattering on target electrons. The given plasma target is taken weakly coupled with Maxwell electron either with no magnetic field ( B=0) or strongly magnetized ( B≠0). Dynamical coupling between ion projectiles energy losses and projectiles charge state will also be addressed.

Estimating seismic site response in Christchurch City (New Zealand) from dense low-cost aftershock arrays

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kaiser, Anna E.; Benites, Rafael A.; Chung, Angela I.; Haines, A. John; Cochran, Elizabeth S.; Fry, Bill

2011-01-01

The Mw 7.1 September 2010 Darfield earthquake, New Zealand, produced widespread damage and liquefaction ~40 km from the epicentre in Christchurch city. It was followed by the even more destructive Mw 6.2 February 2011 Christchurch aftershock directly beneath the city’s southern suburbs. Seismic data recorded during the two large events suggest that site effects contributed to the variations in ground motion observed throughout Christchurch city. We use densely-spaced aftershock recordings of the Darfield earthquake to investigate variations in local seismic site response within the Christchurch urban area. Following the Darfield main shock we deployed a temporary array of ~180 low-cost 14-bit MEMS accelerometers linked to the global Quake-Catcher Network (QCN). These instruments provided dense station coverage (spacing ~2 km) to complement existing New Zealand national network strong motion stations (GeoNet) within Christchurch city. Well-constrained standard spectral ratios were derived for GeoNet stations using a reference station on Miocene basalt rock in the south of the city. For noisier QCN stations, the method was adapted to find a maximum likelihood estimate of spectral ratio amplitude taking into account the variance of noise at the respective stations. Spectral ratios for QCN stations are similar to nearby GeoNet stations when the maximum likelihood method is used. Our study suggests dense low-cost accelerometer aftershock arrays can provide useful information on local-scale ground motion properties for use in microzonation. Preliminary results indicate higher amplifications north of the city centre and strong high-frequency amplification in the small, shallower basin of Heathcote Valley.

Sub-mm galaxies as progenitors of compact quiescent galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toft, Sune

2015-08-01

Three billion years after the big bang (at redshift z=2), half of the most massive galaxies were already old, quiescent systems with little to no residual star formation and extremely compact with stellar mass densities at least an order of magnitude larger than in low redshift ellipticals, their descendants. Little is known about how they formed, but their evolved, dense stellar populations suggest formation within intense, compact starbursts 1-2 Gyr earlier (at 3 < z < 6). Simulations show that gas-rich major mergers can give rise to such starbursts which produce dense remnants. Sub-millimetre selected galaxies (SMGs) are prime examples of intense, gas-rich, starbursts. With a new, mass-complete spectroscopic sample of compact quiescent galaxies at z=2 and a statistically well-understood sample of SMGs, we show that z = 3 -6 SMGs are consistent with being the progenitors of z = 2 quiescent galaxies, matching their formation redshifts and their distributions of sizes, stellar masses and internal velocities. Assuming an evolutionary connection, their space densities also match if the mean duty cycle of SMG starbursts is 42 (+40/-29) Myr (consistent with independent estimates), indicating that the bulk of stars in these massive galaxies were formed in a major, early surge of star-formation. These results suggests a coherent picture of the formation history of the most massive galaxies in the universe, from their initial burst of violent star-formation through their appearance as high stellardensity galaxy cores and to their ultimate fate as giant ellipticals.If time permits i will show novel, spatially resolved spectroscopic observations of the inner regions (r2, allowing for strong new constraints on their formation and evolutionary path

Modeling normal shock velocity curvature relations for heterogeneous explosives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoo, Choong-Shik; Tomasino, Dane; Smith, Jesse; Kim, Minseob

2017-01-01

Many simple molecules such as N2 and CO2 have the potential to form extended "polymeric" solids under extreme conditions, which can store a large sum of chemical energy in its three-dimensional network structures made of strong covalent bonds. Diatomic nitrogen is particularly of interest because of the uniquely large energy difference between the single (160 kJ/mol) and triple (950 kJ/mol) bonds. As such, the transformation of singly bonded polymeric nitrogen back to triply bonded diatomic nitrogen molecules can release large energy ( 33 kJ/cm3 - three times that of HMX) without any negative environmental impact. Therefore, the goal of the present study has been to investigate the transformation of nitrogen and nitrogen-rich compounds to new singly bonded nitrogen-rich solids at high pressures and temperatures, using heated diamond anvil cells, Raman spectroscopy, and third-generation synchrotron x-ray diffraction. Recently, we have found a new form of singly bonded layered polymeric nitrogen (LP-N), synthesized in the stability pressure-temperature field higher than that of cg-N. This new phase is characterized by a 2D layered structure similar to the predicted Pba2 and two colossal Raman bands, arising from two groups of highly polarized nitrogen atoms. This result also provides a new constraint for the nitrogen phase diagram, highlighting an unusual symmetry lowering 3D cg- to 2D LP-N transition and thereby the enhanced electrostatic contribution to the stabilization of this densely packed LP-N. In this paper, we will review this finding of LP-N, update the phase diagram of nitrogen, and offer a chemistry view of pressure-induced transformations in dense molecular solids.

Dense deconvolution net: Multi path fusion and dense deconvolution for high resolution skin lesion segmentation.

PubMed

He, Xinzi; Yu, Zhen; Wang, Tianfu; Lei, Baiying; Shi, Yiyan

2018-01-01

Dermoscopy imaging has been a routine examination approach for skin lesion diagnosis. Accurate segmentation is the first step for automatic dermoscopy image assessment. The main challenges for skin lesion segmentation are numerous variations in viewpoint and scale of skin lesion region. To handle these challenges, we propose a novel skin lesion segmentation network via a very deep dense deconvolution network based on dermoscopic images. Specifically, the deep dense layer and generic multi-path Deep RefineNet are combined to improve the segmentation performance. The deep representation of all available layers is aggregated to form the global feature maps using skip connection. Also, the dense deconvolution layer is leveraged to capture diverse appearance features via the contextual information. Finally, we apply the dense deconvolution layer to smooth segmentation maps and obtain final high-resolution output. Our proposed method shows the superiority over the state-of-the-art approaches based on the public available 2016 and 2017 skin lesion challenge dataset and achieves the accuracy of 96.0% and 93.9%, which obtained a 6.0% and 1.2% increase over the traditional method, respectively. By utilizing Dense Deconvolution Net, the average time for processing one testing images with our proposed framework was 0.253 s.

Dense home-based recordings reveal typical and atypical development of tense/aspect in a child with delayed language development.

PubMed

Chin, Iris; Goodwin, Matthew S; Vosoughi, Soroush; Roy, Deb; Naigles, Letitia R

2018-01-01

Studies investigating the development of tense/aspect in children with developmental disorders have focused on production frequency and/or relied on short spontaneous speech samples. How children with developmental disorders use future forms/constructions is also unknown. The current study expands this literature by examining frequency, consistency, and productivity of past, present, and future usage, using the Speechome Recorder, which enables collection of dense, longitudinal audio-video recordings of children's speech. Samples were collected longitudinally in a child who was previously diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, but at the time of the study exhibited only language delay [Audrey], and a typically developing child [Cleo]. While Audrey was comparable to Cleo in frequency and productivity of tense/aspect use, she was atypical in her consistency and production of an unattested future form. Examining additional measures of densely collected speech samples may reveal subtle atypicalities that are missed when relying on only few typical measures of acquisition.

Isothermal Oxidation of Magnetite to Hematite in Air and Cyclic Reduction/Oxidation Under Carbon Looping Combustion Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simmonds, Tegan; Hayes, Peter C.

2017-12-01

In the carbon looping combustion process the oxygen carrier is regenerated through oxidation in air; this process has been simulated by the oxidation of dense synthetic magnetite for selected temperatures and times. The oxidation of magnetite in air is shown to occur through the formation of dense hematite layers on the particle surface. This dense hematite forms through lath type shear transformations or solid-state diffusion through the product layer. Cyclic reduction in CO-CO2/oxidation in air of hematite single crystals has been carried out under controlled laboratory conditions at 1173 K (900 °C). It has been shown that the initial reduction step is critical to determining the product microstructure, which consists of gas pore dendrites in the magnetite matrix with blocky hematite formed on the pore surfaces. The progressive growth of the magnetite layer with the application of subsequent cycles appears to continue until no original hematite remains, after which physical disintegration of the particles takes place.

Theoretical model of x-ray scattering as a dense matter probe.

PubMed

Gregori, G; Glenzer, S H; Rozmus, W; Lee, R W; Landen, O L

2003-02-01

We present analytical expressions for the dynamic structure factor, or form factor S(k,omega), which is the quantity describing the x-ray cross section from a dense plasma or a simple liquid. Our results, based on the random phase approximation for the treatment on the charged particle coupling, can be applied to describe scattering from either weakly coupled classical plasmas or degenerate electron liquids. Our form factor correctly reproduces the Compton energy down-shift and the known Fermi-Dirac electron velocity distribution for S(k,omega) in the case of a cold degenerate plasma. The usual concept of scattering parameter is also reinterpreted for the degenerate case in order to include the effect of the Thomas-Fermi screening. The results shown in this work can be applied to interpreting x-ray scattering in warm dense plasmas occurring in inertial confinement fusion experiments or for the modeling of solid density matter found in the interior of planets.

Importance of intrinsic properties of dense caseinate dispersions for structure formation.

PubMed

Manski, Julita M; van Riemsdijk, Lieke E; van der Goot, Atze J; Boom, Remko M

2007-11-01

Rheological measurements of dense calcium caseinate and sodium caseinate dispersions (> or =15%) provided insight into the factors determining shear-induced structure formation in caseinates. Calcium caseinate at a sufficiently high concentration (30%) was shown to form highly anisotropic structures during shearing and concurrent enzymatic cross-linking. In contrast, sodium caseinate formed isotropic structures using similar processing conditions. The main difference between the two types of caseinates is the counterion present, and as a consequence, the size of structural elements and their interactions. The rheological behavior of calcium caseinate and sodium caseinate reflected these differences, yielding non-monotonic and shear thinning flow behavior for calcium caseinate whereas sodium caseinate behaved only slightly shear thinning. It appears that the intrinsic properties of the dense caseinate dispersions, which are reflected in their rheological behavior, affect the structure formation that was found after applying shear. Therefore, rheological measurements are useful to obtain an indication of the structure formation potential of caseinate dispersions.

Densely-tiled metal-insulator-metal metamaterial resonators with quasi- monochromatic thermal emission.

PubMed

Ito, Kota; Toshiyoshi, Hiroshi; Iizuka, Hideo

2016-06-13

Metal-insulator-metal metamaterial thermal emitters strongly radiate at multiple resonant wavelengths. The fundamental mode, whose wavelength is the longest among resonances, is generally utilized for selective emission. In this paper, we show that parasitic modes at shorter wavelengths are suppressed by newly employed densely-tiled resonators, and that the suppression enables quasi-monochromatic thermal emission. The second-order harmonics, which is excited at half the fundamental wavelength in conventional emitters, shifts toward shorter wavelength. The blue-shift reduces the amplitude of the second-order emission by taking a distance from the Wien wavelength. Other parasitic modes are eliminated by the small spacing between resonators. The densely-tiled resonators are fabricated, and the measured emission spectra agree well with numerical simulations. The methodology presented here for the suppression of parasitic modes adds flexibility to metamaterial thermal emitters.

Astrophysical Nuclear Reaction Rates in the Dense Metallic Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kilic, Ali Ihsan

2017-09-01

Nuclear reaction rates can be enhanced by many orders of magnitude in dense and relatively cold astrophysical plasmas such as in white dwarfs, brown dwarfs, and giant planets. Similar conditions are also present in supernova explosions where the ignition conditions are vital for cosmological models. White dwarfs are compact objects that have both extremely high interior densities and very strong local magnetic fields. For the first time, a new formula has been developed to explain cross section and reaction rate quantities for light elements that includes not only the nuclear component but also the material dependence, magnetic field, and crystal structure dependency in dense metallic environments. I will present the impact of the developed formula on the cross section and reaction rates for light elements. This could have possible technological applications in energy production using nuclear fusion reactions.

Single-shot mega-electronvolt ultrafast electron diffraction for structure dynamic studies of warm dense matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mo, M. Z.; Shen, X.; Chen, Z.; Li, R. K.; Dunning, M.; Sokolowski-Tinten, K.; Zheng, Q.; Weathersby, S. P.; Reid, A. H.; Coffee, R.; Makasyuk, I.; Edstrom, S.; McCormick, D.; Jobe, K.; Hast, C.; Glenzer, S. H.; Wang, X.

2016-11-01

We have developed a single-shot mega-electronvolt ultrafast-electron-diffraction system to measure the structural dynamics of warm dense matter. The electron probe in this system is featured by a kinetic energy of 3.2 MeV and a total charge of 20 fC, with the FWHM pulse duration and spot size at sample of 350 fs and 120 μm respectively. We demonstrate its unique capability by visualizing the atomic structural changes of warm dense gold formed from a laser-excited 35-nm freestanding single-crystal gold foil. The temporal evolution of the Bragg peak intensity and of the liquid signal during solid-liquid phase transition are quantitatively determined. This experimental capability opens up an exciting opportunity to unravel the atomic dynamics of structural phase transitions in warm dense matter regime.

Possible Climate Change Influences on Continued Reduction of Dense Fog in Southern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ladochy, S.; Witiw, M.

2010-07-01

Dense fog appears to be decreasing in many parts of the world, especially in cities. An earlier study showed that dense fog (visibility < 400 m) was disappearing in the urban southern California area as well. Using hourly data from 1948 to the present, we looked at the relationship between fog events and contributing factors in the region along with trends over time. We showed that the decrease in dense fog events could be explained mainly by declining particulate levels, Pacific SSTs, and increased urban warming. Dense fog is most prevalent along the coast and decreases rapidly inland, so the influence of the Pacific should be large. In particular, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the Southern Oscillation signals can be seen in fog frequencies as well as in the contributing factors. Results show a decrease in the occurrence of dense fog at two airports in close proximity to the Pacific Ocean, LAX and LGB. Occurrence of the frequency of low visibilities at these two locations was highly correlated with the phases of the PDO. While examining data from LAX, we saw a frequency of dense fog that reached over 300 hours in 1950, but occurrence was down to zero in 1997. Since 1997, there has been a bit of a recovery with both 2008 and 2009 recording over 30 hours of dense fog each. In the present study, we continue to examine the relationships that control the frequency of dense fog in coastal southern California. To remove urban influence, we also included Vandenberg Air Force Base, located in a relatively sparsely populated area. While particulates, urban heat island and Pacific SSTs are all contributing factors, we now speculate on the direct and indirect influences of climate change on continued decreases in dense fog. Case studies of local and regional dense fog in southern California point to the importance of strong, low inversions and to a lesser contributor, Santa Ana winds. Both are associated with large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns, which have changed markedly over the period of study.

A two-phase flow model for submarine granular flows: With an application to collapse of deeply-submerged granular columns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Cheng-Hsien; Huang, Zhenhua

2018-05-01

The collapse process of a submerged granular column is strongly affected by its initial packing. Previous models for particle response time, which is used to quantify the drag force between the solid and liquid phases in rheology-based two-phase flow models, have difficulty in simulating the collapse process of granular columns with different initial concentrations (initial packing conditions). This study introduces a new model for particle response time, which enables us to satisfactorily model the drag force between the two phases for a wide range of volume concentration. The present model can give satisfactory results for both loose and dense packing conditions. The numerical results have shown that (i) the initial packing affects the occurrence of contractancy/diltancy behavior during the collapse process, (ii) the general buoyancy and drag force are strongly affected by the initial packing through contractancy and diltancy, and (iii) the general buoyancy and drag force can destabilize the granular material in loose packing condition but stabilize the granular material in dense packing condition. The results have shown that the collapse process of a densely-packed granular column is more sensitive to particle response time than that of a loosely-packed granular column.

AN ELECTRON MICROSCOPE STUDY OF SPERMATID DIFFERENTIATION IN THE TOAD, BUFO ARENARUM HENSEL

PubMed Central

Burgos, Mario H.; Fawcett, Don W.

1956-01-01

The differentiation of the spermatids of Bufo arenarum has been described from a study of electron micrographs of thin sections of testis. The development of the acrosome from the Golgi complex takes place in much the same manner as in mammalian spermatogenesis but no acrosome granule is formed. A perforatorium is described for the first time in this species. It is formed by a convergence of dense filaments that arise between the nuclear membrane and the head cap. During maturation of the spermatid the chromatin undergoes striking physicochemical alterations. Fine chromatin granules uniformly dispersed in the karyoplasm are replaced by larger and larger aggregates and these ultimately coalesce to form a very dense sperm head. Two centrioles of cylindrical form are situated very near the base of the sperm head. The longitudinal fibrils of the tail flagellum take origin from one, and the dense fibrous substance of the undulating membrane is closely related to the other. Phase contrast cinematographic observations on the swimming movements of living toad sperm, when considered in relation to the fine structural components of the tail, suggest that there is a contractile component in the undulating membrane as well as in the axial fibrils. The differences in the structure of mammalian and amphibian sperm tails are discussed in relation to differences in the character of their movements. PMID:13331956

Mesons from Laser-Induced Processes in Ultra-Dense Hydrogen H(0)

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Large signals of charged light mesons are observed in the laser-induced particle flux from ultra-dense hydrogen H(0) layers. The mesons are formed in such layers on metal surfaces using < 200 mJ laser pulse-energy. The time variation of the signal to metal foil collectors and the magnetic deflection to a movable pin collector are now studied. Relativistic charged particles with velocity up to 500 MeV u-1 thus 0.75 c are observed. Characteristic decay time constants for meson decay are observed, for charged and neutral kaons and also for charged pions. Magnetic deflections agree with charged pions and kaons. Theoretical predictions of the decay chains from kaons to muons in the particle beam agree with the results. Muons are detected separately by standard scintillation detectors in laser-induced processes in ultra-dense hydrogen H(0) as published previously. The muons formed do not decay appreciably within the flight distances used here. Most of the laser-ejected particle flux with MeV energy is not deflected by the magnetic fields and is thus neutral, either being neutral kaons or the ultra-dense HN(0) precursor clusters. Photons give only a minor part of the detected signals. PACS: 67.63.Gh, 14.40.-n, 79.20.Ds, 52.57.-z. PMID:28081199

STAR FORMATION RELATIONS IN THE MILKY WAY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vutisalchavakul, Nalin; Evans II, Neal J.; Heyer, Mark, E-mail: nje@astro.as.utexas.edu

2016-11-01

The relations between star formation and properties of molecular clouds (MCs) are studied based on a sample of star-forming regions in the Galactic Plane. Sources were selected by having radio recombination lines to provide identification of associated MCs and dense clumps. Radio continuum emission and mid-infrared emission were used to determine star formation rates (SFRs), while {sup 13}CO and submillimeter dust continuum emission were used to obtain the masses of molecular and dense gas, respectively. We test whether total molecular gas or dense gas provides the best predictor of SFR. We also test two specific theoretical models, one relying onmore » the molecular mass divided by the free-fall time, the other using the free-fall time divided by the crossing time. Neither is supported by the data. The data are also compared to those from nearby star-forming regions and extragalactic data. The star formation “efficiency,” defined as SFR divided by mass, spreads over a large range when the mass refers to molecular gas; the standard deviation of the log of the efficiency decreases by a factor of three when the mass of relatively dense molecular gas is used rather than the mass of all of the molecular gas.« less

Ultrastructure of spermatogenesis in the sea star, Asterina minor.

PubMed

Yamagata, A

1988-02-01

The ultrastructural features of spermatogenesis were investigated in the hermaphroditic sea star Asterina minor. The primordial germ cells in the genital rachis contain small clusters of electron-dense material (nuage material) and a stack of annulate lamellae. They also have a flagellum and basal body complex situated close to the Golgi complex. After the development of the genital rachis into the ovotestis, spermatogenic cells increase in number and differentiation begins. Nuage material is observed in spermatogonia, but it gradually disappears in spermatocytes. The annulate lamellae do not exist beyond the early spermatogonial stage. By contrast, a flagellum and basal body complex are found throughout spermatogenesis. The Golgi-derived proacrosomal vesicles appear in the spermatocyte and coalesce to form an acrosomal vesicle in the early spermatid. The process of acrosome formation is as follows: (1) a lamella of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) continuous with the outer nuclear membrane encloses the posterior portion of the acrosomal vesicle; (2) the vesicle attaches to the cell membrane with its anterior portion; (3) periacrosomal material accumulates in the space between the acrosomal vesicle and the ER; (4) the nucleus proper changes its features to surround the acrosome; (5) amorphous, electron-dense material is deposited under the electron-dense disk; and (6) the nucleus forms a hollow opposite the electron-dense material.

Experimental evolution in biofilm populations

PubMed Central

Steenackers, Hans P.; Parijs, Ilse; Foster, Kevin R.; Vanderleyden, Jozef

2016-01-01

Biofilms are a major form of microbial life in which cells form dense surface associated communities that can persist for many generations. The long-life of biofilm communities means that they can be strongly shaped by evolutionary processes. Here, we review the experimental study of evolution in biofilm communities. We first provide an overview of the different experimental models used to study biofilm evolution and their associated advantages and disadvantages. We then illustrate the vast amount of diversification observed during biofilm evolution, and we discuss (i) potential ecological and evolutionary processes behind the observed diversification, (ii) recent insights into the genetics of adaptive diversification, (iii) the striking degree of parallelism between evolution experiments and real-life biofilms and (iv) potential consequences of diversification. In the second part, we discuss the insights provided by evolution experiments in how biofilm growth and structure can promote cooperative phenotypes. Overall, our analysis points to an important role of biofilm diversification and cooperation in bacterial survival and productivity. Deeper understanding of both processes is of key importance to design improved antimicrobial strategies and diagnostic techniques. PMID:26895713

Rheology of granular flows across the transition from soft to rigid particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Favier de Coulomb, Adeline; Bouzid, Mehdi; Claudin, Philippe; Clément, Eric; Andreotti, Bruno

2017-10-01

The rheology of dense granular flows is often seen as dependent on the nature of the energy landscape defining the modes of energy relaxation under shear. We investigate numerically the transition from soft to rigid particles, varying S , their stiffness compared to the confining pressure over three decades, and the inertial number I of the shear flow over five decades. We show that the rheological constitutive relation, characterized by a dynamical friction coefficient of the form μ (I ) =μc+a Iα , is marginally affected by the particle stiffness, with constitutive parameters being essentially dependent on the interparticle friction. Similarly, the distribution of local shear rate mostly depends on the inertial number I , which shows that the characteristic time scale of plastic events is primarily controlled by the confining pressure and is insensitive to S . By contrast, the form under which energy is stored between these events and also the contact network properties such as the coordination number and the distance to isostaticity are strongly affected by stiffness, allowing us to discuss the different regimes in the (S ,I ) phase space.

Experimental evolution in biofilm populations.

PubMed

Steenackers, Hans P; Parijs, Ilse; Dubey, Akanksha; Foster, Kevin R; Vanderleyden, Jozef

2016-05-01

Biofilms are a major form of microbial life in which cells form dense surface associated communities that can persist for many generations. The long-life of biofilm communities means that they can be strongly shaped by evolutionary processes. Here, we review the experimental study of evolution in biofilm communities. We first provide an overview of the different experimental models used to study biofilm evolution and their associated advantages and disadvantages. We then illustrate the vast amount of diversification observed during biofilm evolution, and we discuss (i) potential ecological and evolutionary processes behind the observed diversification, (ii) recent insights into the genetics of adaptive diversification, (iii) the striking degree of parallelism between evolution experiments and real-life biofilms and (iv) potential consequences of diversification. In the second part, we discuss the insights provided by evolution experiments in how biofilm growth and structure can promote cooperative phenotypes. Overall, our analysis points to an important role of biofilm diversification and cooperation in bacterial survival and productivity. Deeper understanding of both processes is of key importance to design improved antimicrobial strategies and diagnostic techniques. © FEMS 2016.

Neutrally Charged Gas/Liquid Interface by a Catanionic Langmuir Monolayer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vaknin, David; Bu, Wei

Surface-sensitive synchrotron X-ray scattering and spectroscopic experiments were performed to explore the characteristics of Langmuir monolayers of oppositely charged mixed amphiphiles. A premixed (molar 1:1 stearic acid/stearylamine) solution was spread as a monolayer at the gas/liquid interface on pure water and on mono- and divalent salt solutions, revealing that the negatively charged carboxyl groups and positively charged amine groups are miscible into one another and tend to bond together to form a nearly neutral surface. Similar control experiments on pure stearic acid (SA) and stearylamine (ST) were also conducted for comparison. Due to the strong bonding, hexagonal structures in smallmore » domains with acyl-chains normal to the liquid surface are formed at zero surface pressures, that is, at molecular areas much larger than those of the densely packed acyl chains. In-plane X-ray diffraction indicates that the catanionic surface is highly ordered and modifies the structure of the water surface and thus can serve as a model system for interactions of an amino acid template with solutes.« less

Directed collective motion of bacteria under channel confinement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wioland, H.; Lushi, E.; Goldstein, R. E.

2016-07-01

Dense suspensions of swimming bacteria are known to exhibit collective behaviour arising from the interplay of steric and hydrodynamic interactions. Unconfined suspensions exhibit transient, recurring vortices and jets, whereas those confined in circular domains may exhibit order in the form of a spiral vortex. Here we show that confinement into a long and narrow macroscopic ‘racetrack’ geometry stabilises bacterial motion to form a steady unidirectional circulation. This motion is reproduced in simulations of discrete swimmers that reveal the crucial role that bacteria-driven fluid flows play in the dynamics. In particular, cells close to the channel wall produce strong flows which advect cells in the bulk against their swimming direction. We examine in detail the transition from a disordered state to persistent directed motion as a function of the channel width, and show that the width at the crossover point is comparable to the typical correlation length of swirls seen in the unbounded system. Our results shed light on the mechanisms driving the collective behaviour of bacteria and other active matter systems, and stress the importance of the ubiquitous boundaries found in natural habitats.

Social class shapes the form and function of relationships and selves.

PubMed

Carey, Rebecca M; Markus, Hazel Rose

2017-12-01

Social class shapes relational realities, which in turn situate and structure different selves and their associated psychological tendencies. We first briefly review how higher class contexts tend to foster independent models of self and lower class contexts tend to foster interdependent models of self. We then consider how these independent and interdependent models of self are situated in and adapted to different social class-driven relational realities. We review research demonstrating that in lower social class contexts, social networks tend to be small, dense, homogenous and strongly connected. Ties in these networks provide the bonding capital that is key for survival and that promotes the interdependence between self and other(s). In higher social class contexts, social networks tend to be large, far-reaching, diverse and loosely connected. Ties in these networks provide the bridging capital that is key for achieving personal goals and that promotes an independence of self from other. We conclude that understanding and addressing issues tied to social class and inequality requires understanding the form and function of relationships across class contexts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Temperature maxima in stable two-dimensional shock waves

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kum, O.; Hoover, W.G.; Hoover, C.G.

1997-07-01

We use molecular dynamics to study the structure of moderately strong shock waves in dense two-dimensional fluids, using Lucy{close_quote}s pair potential. The stationary profiles show relatively broad temperature maxima, for both the longitudinal and the average kinetic temperatures, just as does Mott-Smith{close_quote}s model for strong shock waves in dilute three-dimensional gases. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}

Characterization of fast deuterons involved in the production of fusion neutrons in a dense plasma focus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kubes, P.; Paduch, M.; Sadowski, M. J.; Cikhardt, J.; Cikhardtova, B.; Klir, D.; Kravarik, J.; Munzar, V.; Rezac, K.; Zielinska, E.; Skladnik-Sadowska, E.; Szymaszek, A.; Tomaszewski, K.; Zaloga, D.

2018-01-01

This paper considers regions of a fast deuteron production in a correlation with an evolution of ordered structures inside a pinch column of a mega-ampere plasma focus discharge. Ion pinhole cameras equipped with plastic PM-355 track-detectors recorded fast deuterons escaping in the downstream and other directions (up to 60° to the z-axis). Time-integrated ion images made it possible to estimate sources of the deuteron acceleration at the known magnetic field and deuteron energy values. The images of the fast deuterons emitted in the solid angle ranging from 0° to 4° showed two forms: central spots and circular images. The spots of 1-2 cm in diameter were produced by deuterons from the central pinch regions. The circular-shaped images of a radius above 3 cm (or their parts) were formed by deuterons from the region surrounding the dense pinch column. The ion pinhole cameras placed at angles above 20° to the z-axis recorded the ion spots only, and the ring-images were missing. The central region of the deuteron acceleration could be associated mainly with plasmoids, and the circular images could be connected with ring-shaped regions of the radius corresponding to tops of the plasma lobules outside the dense pinch column. The deuteron tracks forming ring-shaped images of a smaller (0.5-1) cm radius could be produced by deflections of the fast deuterons, which were caused by a magnetic field inside the dense pinch column.

Electrical conductivity calculations in isochorically heated warm dense aluminum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sperling, P.; Rosmej, S.; Bredow, R.; Fletcher, L. B.; Galtier, E.; Gamboa, E. J.; Lee, H. J.; Reinholz, H.; Röpke, G.; Zastrau, U.; Glenzer, S. H.

2017-07-01

We present a theoretical approach to derive the dc conductivity of warm dense matter (WDM) from x-ray Thomson scattering data. Predictions for the conductivity of aluminum at condensed matter densities are given within a wide temperature range (0.08 {eV}< {k}{{B}}T< 80 eV). Strong correlation effects are taken into account by ionic structure factors. Screening and Pauli blocking are described via a pseudopotential. The results are compared with other theoretical models and simulations as well as with experimental measurements in the liquid metal regime and recent experiments in the WDM regime.

Mesoscopic Length Scale Controls the Rheology of Dense Suspensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonnoit, Claire; Lanuza, Jose; Lindner, Anke; Clement, Eric

2010-09-01

From the flow properties of dense granular suspensions on an inclined plane, we identify a mesoscopic length scale strongly increasing with volume fraction. When the flowing layer height is larger than this length scale, a diverging Newtonian viscosity is determined. However, when the flowing layer height drops below this scale, we evidence a nonlocal effective viscosity, decreasing as a power law of the flow height. We establish a scaling relation between this mesoscopic length scale and the suspension viscosity. These results support recent theoretical and numerical results implying collective and clustered granular motion when the jamming point is approached from below.

Mesoscopic length scale controls the rheology of dense suspensions.

PubMed

Bonnoit, Claire; Lanuza, Jose; Lindner, Anke; Clement, Eric

2010-09-03

From the flow properties of dense granular suspensions on an inclined plane, we identify a mesoscopic length scale strongly increasing with volume fraction. When the flowing layer height is larger than this length scale, a diverging Newtonian viscosity is determined. However, when the flowing layer height drops below this scale, we evidence a nonlocal effective viscosity, decreasing as a power law of the flow height. We establish a scaling relation between this mesoscopic length scale and the suspension viscosity. These results support recent theoretical and numerical results implying collective and clustered granular motion when the jamming point is approached from below.

Glassy dynamics of dense particle assemblies on a spherical substrate.

PubMed

Vest, Julien-Piera; Tarjus, Gilles; Viot, Pascal

2018-04-28

We study by molecular dynamics simulation a dense one-component system of particles confined on a spherical substrate. We more specifically investigate the evolution of the structural and dynamical properties of the system when changing the control parameters, the temperature and the curvature of the substrate. We find that the dynamics become glassy at low temperature, with a strong slowdown of the relaxation and the emergence of dynamical heterogeneity. The prevalent local 6-fold order is frustrated by curvature and we analyze in detail the role of the topological defects in the statics and the dynamics of the particle assembly.

Laser rapid forming technology of high-performance dense metal components with complex structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Weidong; Chen, Jing; Li, Yanming; Lin, Xin

2005-01-01

Laser rapid forming (LRF) is a new and advanced manufacturing technology that has been developed on the basis of combining high power laser cladding technology with rapid prototyping (RP) to realize net shape forming of high performance dense metal components without dies. Recently we have developed a set of LRF equipment. LRF experiments were carried out on the equipment to investigate the influences of processing parameters on forming characterizations systematically with the cladding powder materials as titanium alloys, superalloys, stainless steel, and copper alloys. The microstructure of laser formed components is made up of columnar grains or columnar dendrites which grow epitaxially from the substrate since the solid components were prepared layer by layer additionally. The result of mechanical testing proved that the mechanical properties of laser formed samples are similar to or even over that of forging and much better than that of casting. It is shown in this paper that LRF technology is providing a new solution for some difficult processing problems in the high tech field of aviation, spaceflight and automobile industries.

Quantum molecular dynamics study on the proton exchange, ionic structures, and transport properties of warm dense hydrogen-deuterium mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Lei; Li, Zhi-Guo; Dai, Jia-Yu; Chen, Qi-Feng; Chen, Xiang-Rong

2018-06-01

Comprehensive knowledge of physical properties such as equation of state (EOS), proton exchange, dynamic structures, diffusion coefficients, and viscosities of hydrogen-deuterium mixtures with densities from 0.1 to 5 g /cm3 and temperatures from 1 to 50 kK has been presented via quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) simulations. The existing multi-shock experimental EOS provides an important benchmark to evaluate exchange-correlation functionals. The comparison of simulations with experiments indicates that a nonlocal van der Waals density functional (vdW-DF1) produces excellent results. Fraction analysis of molecules using a weighted integral over pair distribution functions was performed. A dissociation diagram together with a boundary where the proton exchange (H2+D2⇌2 HD ) occurs was generated, which shows evidence that the HD molecules form as the H2 and D2 molecules are almost 50% dissociated. The mechanism of proton exchange can be interpreted as a process of dissociation followed by recombination. The ionic structures at extreme conditions were analyzed by the effective coordination number model. High-order cluster, circle, and chain structures can be founded in the strongly coupled warm dense regime. The present QMD diffusion coefficient and viscosity can be used to benchmark two analytical one-component plasma (OCP) models: the Coulomb and Yukawa OCP models.

Comparison of Reactive and Non-Reactive Spark Plasma Sintering Routes for the Fabrication of Monolithic and Composite Ultra High Temperature Ceramics (UHTC) Materials

PubMed Central

Orrù, Roberto; Cao, Giacomo

2013-01-01

A wider utilization of ultra high temperature ceramics (UHTC) materials strongly depends on the availability of efficient techniques for their fabrication as dense bodies. Based on recent results reported in the literature, it is possible to state that Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) technology offers a useful contribution in this direction. Along these lines, the use of two different SPS-based processing routes for the preparation of massive UHTCs is examined in this work. One method, the so-called reactive SPS (R-SPS), consists of the synthesis and densification of the material in a single step. Alternatively, the ceramic powders are first synthesized by Self-propagating High-temperature Synthesis (SHS) and then sintered by SPS. The obtained results evidenced that R-SPS method is preferable for the preparation of dense monolithic products, while the sintering of SHS powders requires relatively milder conditions when considering binary composites. The different kinetic mechanisms involved during R-SPS of the monolithic and composite systems, i.e., combustion-like or gradual solid-diffusion, respectively, provides a possible explanation. An important role is also played by the SHS process, particularly for the preparation of composite powders, since stronger interfaces are established between the ceramic constituents formed in situ, thus favoring diffusion processes during the subsequent SPS step. PMID:28809229

Outflow activities in the young high-mass stellar object G23.44-0.18

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Jeremy Zhiyuan; Liu, Tie; Wu, Yuefang; Li, Lixin

2011-07-01

We present an observational study towards the young high-mass star-forming region G23.44-0.18 using the Submillimeter Array. Two massive, radio-quiet dusty cores MM1 and MM2 are observed in 1.3-mm continuum emission and dense molecular gas tracers including thermal CH3OH, CH3CN, HNCO, SO, and OCS lines. The 12CO (2-1) line reveals a strong bipolar outflow originating from MM2. The outflow consists of a low-velocity component with wide-angle quasi-parabolic shape and a more compact and collimated high-velocity component. The overall geometry resembles the outflow system observed in the low-mass protostar which has a jet-driven fast flow and entrained gas shell. The outflow has a dynamical age of 6 × 103 yr and a mass loss rate ˜10-3 M ⊙ yr-1. A prominent shock emission in the outflow is observed in SO and OCS, and also detected in CH3OH and HNCO. We investigated the chemistry of MM1, MM2 and the shocked region. The dense core MM2 have molecular abundances of three to four times higher than those in MM1. The abundance excess, we suggest, can be a net effect of the stellar evolution and embedded shocks in MM2 that calls for further inspection.

Ab initio simulations of the dynamic ion structure factor of warm dense lithium

DOE PAGES

Witte, B. B. L.; Shihab, M.; Glenzer, S. H.; ...

2017-04-06

Here, we present molecular dynamics simulations based on finite-temperature density functional theory that determine self-consistently the dynamic ion structure factor and the electronic form factor in lithium. Our comprehensive data set allows for the calculation of the dispersion relation for collective excitations, the calculation of the sound velocity, and the determination of the ion feature from the total electronic form factor and the ion structure factor. The results are compared with available experimental x-ray and neutron scattering data. Good agreement is found for both the liquid metal and warm dense matter domain. Finally, we study the impact of possible targetmore » inhomogeneities on x-ray scattering spectra.« less

Ab initio simulations of the dynamic ion structure factor of warm dense lithium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Witte, B. B. L.; Shihab, M.; Glenzer, S. H.

Here, we present molecular dynamics simulations based on finite-temperature density functional theory that determine self-consistently the dynamic ion structure factor and the electronic form factor in lithium. Our comprehensive data set allows for the calculation of the dispersion relation for collective excitations, the calculation of the sound velocity, and the determination of the ion feature from the total electronic form factor and the ion structure factor. The results are compared with available experimental x-ray and neutron scattering data. Good agreement is found for both the liquid metal and warm dense matter domain. Finally, we study the impact of possible targetmore » inhomogeneities on x-ray scattering spectra.« less

Self-assembled monolayer structures of hexadecylamine on Cu surfaces: density-functional theory.

PubMed

Liu, Shih-Hsien; Balankura, Tonnam; Fichthorn, Kristen A

2016-12-07

We used dispersion-corrected density-functional theory to probe possible structures for adsorbed layers of hexadecylamine (HDA) on Cu(100) and Cu(111). HDA forms self-assembled layers on these surfaces, analogous to alkanethiols on various metal surfaces, and it binds by donating electrons in the amine group to the Cu surface atoms, consistent with experiment. van der Waals interactions between the alkyl tails of HDA molecules are stronger than the interaction between the amine group and the Cu surfaces. Strong HDA-tail interactions lead to coverage-dependent tilting of the HDA layers, such that the tilt angle is larger for lower coverages. At full monolayer coverage, the energetically preferred binding configuration for HDA on Cu(100) is a (5 × 3) pattern - although we cannot rule out incommensurate structures - while the pattern is preferred on Cu(111). A major motivation for this study is to understand the experimentally observed capability of HDA as a capping agent for producing {100}-faceted Cu nanocrystals. Consistent with experiment, we find that HDA binds more strongly to Cu(100) than to Cu(111). This strong binding stems from the capability of HDA to form more densely packed layers on Cu(100), which leads to stronger HDA-tail interactions, as well as the stronger binding of the amine group to Cu(100). We estimate the surface energies of HDA-covered Cu(100) and Cu(111) surfaces and find that these surfaces are nearly isoenergetic. By drawing analogies to previous theoretical work, it seems likely that HDA-covered Cu nanocrystals could have kinetic shapes that primarily express {100} facets, as is seen experimentally.

Single-shot mega-electronvolt ultrafast electron diffraction for structure dynamic studies of warm dense matter

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mo, M. Z., E-mail: mmo09@slac.stanford.edu; Shen, X.; Chen, Z.

We have developed a single-shot mega-electronvolt ultrafast-electron-diffraction system to measure the structural dynamics of warm dense matter. The electron probe in this system is featured by a kinetic energy of 3.2 MeV and a total charge of 20 fC, with the FWHM pulse duration and spot size at sample of 350 fs and 120 μm respectively. We demonstrate its unique capability by visualizing the atomic structural changes of warm dense gold formed from a laser-excited 35-nm freestanding single-crystal gold foil. The temporal evolution of the Bragg peak intensity and of the liquid signal during solid-liquid phase transition are quantitatively determined.more » This experimental capability opens up an exciting opportunity to unravel the atomic dynamics of structural phase transitions in warm dense matter regime.« less

Single-shot mega-electronvolt ultrafast electron diffraction for structure dynamic studies of warm dense matter

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mo, M. Z.; Shen, X.; Chen, Z.

We have developed a single-shot mega-electronvolt ultrafast-electron-diffraction system to measure the structural dynamics of warm dense matter. The electron probe in this system is featured by a kinetic energy of 3.2 MeV and a total charge of 20 fC, with the FWHM pulse duration and spot size at sample of 350 fs and 120 µm respectively. We demonstrate its unique capability by visualizing the atomic structural changes of warm dense gold formed from a laser-excited 35-nm freestanding single-crystal gold foil. The temporal evolution of the Bragg peak intensity and of the liquid signal during solid-liquid phase transition are quantitatively determined.more » This experimental capability opens up an exciting opportunity to unravel the atomic dynamics of structural phase transitions in warm dense matter regime« less

New way to produce dense double-antikaonic dibaryon system, 𝐾̄𝐾̄NN, through Λ(1405)-doorway sticking in p + p collisions

PubMed Central

YAMAZAKI, Toshimitsu; AKAISHI, Yoshinori; HASSANVAND, Maryam

2011-01-01

A recent successful observation of a dense and deeply bound 𝐾̄ nuclear system, K−pp, in the p + p → K+ + K−pp reaction in a DISTO experiment indicates that the double-𝐾̄ dibaryon, K−K−pp, which was predicted to be a dense nuclear system, can also be formed in p + p collisions. We find theoretically that the K−-K− repulsion plays no significant role in reducing the density and binding energy of K−K−pp and that, when two Λ(1405) resonances are produced simultaneously in a short-range p + p collision, they act as doorways to copious formation of K−K−pp, if and only if K−K−pp is a dense object, as predicted. PMID:21670568

Jammed Clusters and Non-locality in Dense Granular Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kharel, Prashidha; Rognon, Pierre

We investigate the micro-mechanisms underpinning dense granular flow behaviour from a series of DEM simulations of pure shear flows of dry grains. We observe the development of transient clusters of jammed particles within the flow. Typical size of such clusters is found to scale with the inertial number with a power law that is similar to the scaling of shear-rate profile relaxation lengths observed previously. Based on the simple argument that transient clusters of size l exist in the dense flow regime, the formulation of steady state condition for non-homogeneous shear flow results in a general non-local relation, which is similar in form to the non-local relation conjectured for soft glassy flows. These findings suggest the formation of jammed clusters to be the key micro-mechanism underpinning non-local behaviour in dense granular flows. Particles and Grains Laboratory, School of Civil Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.

Enhanced Mobility in Concentrated Pyroclastic Density Currents: An Examination of a Self-Fluidization Mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breard, Eric C. P.; Dufek, Josef; Lube, Gert

2018-01-01

Pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) are a significant volcanic hazard. However, their dominant transport mechanisms remain poorly understood, in part because of the large variability of PDC types and deposits. Here we combine field data with experimental and numerical simulations to illuminate the twofold fate of particles settling from an ash cloud to form the dense PDC basal flow. At solid fractions >1 vol %, heterogeneous drag leads to formation of mesoscale particle clusters that favor rapid particle settling and result in a mobile dense layer with significant bed weight support. Conversely, at lower concentrations the absence of particle clusters typically leads to formation of poorly mobile dense beds that deposit massive layers. Based on this transport dichotomy, we present a numerical dense-dilute parameter that allows a PDC's dominant transport mechanism to be determined directly from the deposit geometry and grainsize characteristics.

Single-shot mega-electronvolt ultrafast electron diffraction for structure dynamic studies of warm dense matter

DOE PAGES

Mo, M. Z.; Shen, X.; Chen, Z.; ...

2016-08-04

We have developed a single-shot mega-electronvolt ultrafast-electron-diffraction system to measure the structural dynamics of warm dense matter. The electron probe in this system is featured by a kinetic energy of 3.2 MeV and a total charge of 20 fC, with the FWHM pulse duration and spot size at sample of 350 fs and 120 µm respectively. We demonstrate its unique capability by visualizing the atomic structural changes of warm dense gold formed from a laser-excited 35-nm freestanding single-crystal gold foil. The temporal evolution of the Bragg peak intensity and of the liquid signal during solid-liquid phase transition are quantitatively determined.more » This experimental capability opens up an exciting opportunity to unravel the atomic dynamics of structural phase transitions in warm dense matter regime« less

Classical dense matter physics: some basic methods and results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Čelebonović, Vladan

2002-07-01

This is an introduction to the basic notions, some methods and open problems of dense matter physics and their applications in astrophysics. Experimental topics cover the range from the work of P. W. Bridgman to the discovery and basic results of use of the diamond anvil cell. On the theoretical side, the semiclassical method of P. Savić and R. Kašanin is described. The choice of these topics is conditioned by their applicability in astrophysics and the author's research experience. At the end of the paper is presented a list of some unsolved problems in dense matter physics and astrophysics, some (or all) of which could form a basis of future collaborations.

Measurement of Preheat Due to Nonlocal Electron Transport in Warm Dense Matter

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Falk, K.; Holec, M.; Fontes, C. J.

This work presents a novel approach to study electron transport in warm dense matter. It also includes the first x-ray Thomson scattering (XRTS) measurement from low-density CH foams compressed by a strong laser-driven shock at the OMEGA laser facility. The XRTS measurement is combined with velocity interferometry (VISAR) and optical pyrometry (SOP) providing a robust measurement of thermodynamic conditions in the shock. Evidence of significant preheat contributing to elevated temperatures reaching 17.5–35 eV in shocked CH foam is measured by XRTS. These measurements are complemented by abnormally high shock velocities observed by VISAR and early emission seen by SOP. Thesemore » results are compared to radiation hydrodynamics simulations that include first-principles treatment of nonlocal electron transport in warm dense matter with excellent agreement. Additional simulations confirm that the x-ray contribution to this preheat is negligible.« less

Measurement of Preheat Due to Nonlocal Electron Transport in Warm Dense Matter

DOE PAGES

Falk, K.; Holec, M.; Fontes, C. J.; ...

2018-01-10

This work presents a novel approach to study electron transport in warm dense matter. It also includes the first x-ray Thomson scattering (XRTS) measurement from low-density CH foams compressed by a strong laser-driven shock at the OMEGA laser facility. The XRTS measurement is combined with velocity interferometry (VISAR) and optical pyrometry (SOP) providing a robust measurement of thermodynamic conditions in the shock. Evidence of significant preheat contributing to elevated temperatures reaching 17.5–35 eV in shocked CH foam is measured by XRTS. These measurements are complemented by abnormally high shock velocities observed by VISAR and early emission seen by SOP. Thesemore » results are compared to radiation hydrodynamics simulations that include first-principles treatment of nonlocal electron transport in warm dense matter with excellent agreement. Additional simulations confirm that the x-ray contribution to this preheat is negligible.« less

Dynamic Conductivity and Partial Ionization in Warm, Dense Hydrogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaghoo, M.; Silvera, I. F.

2017-10-01

A theoretical description for optical conduction experiments in dense fluid hydrogen is presented. Different quantum statistical approaches are used to describe the mechanism of electron transport in hydrogen's high-temperature dense phase. We show that at the onset of the metallic transition, optical conduction could be described by a strong rise in the atomic polarizability, resulting from increased ionization; whereas in the highly degenerate limit, the Ziman weak-scattering model better describes the observed saturation of reflectance. In the highly degenerate region, the inclusion of partial ionization effects provides excellent agreement with experimental results. Hydrogen's fluid metallic state is revealed to be a partially ionized free-electron plasma. These results provide a crucial benchmark for ab initio calculations as well as an important guide for future experiments. Research supported by DOE Stockpile Stewardship Academic Alliance Program, Grant DE-FG52-10NA29656, and NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship Program, Award NNX14AP17H.

Measurement of Preheat Due to Nonlocal Electron Transport in Warm Dense Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falk, K.; Holec, M.; Fontes, C. J.; Fryer, C. L.; Greeff, C. W.; Johns, H. M.; Montgomery, D. S.; Schmidt, D. W.; Šmíd, M.

2018-01-01

This Letter presents a novel approach to study electron transport in warm dense matter. It also includes the first x-ray Thomson scattering (XRTS) measurement from low-density CH foams compressed by a strong laser-driven shock at the OMEGA laser facility. The XRTS measurement is combined with velocity interferometry (VISAR) and optical pyrometry (SOP) providing a robust measurement of thermodynamic conditions in the shock. Evidence of significant preheat contributing to elevated temperatures reaching 17.5-35 eV in shocked CH foam is measured by XRTS. These measurements are complemented by abnormally high shock velocities observed by VISAR and early emission seen by SOP. These results are compared to radiation hydrodynamics simulations that include first-principles treatment of nonlocal electron transport in warm dense matter with excellent agreement. Additional simulations confirm that the x-ray contribution to this preheat is negligible.

Composite oxygen transport membrane

DOEpatents

Christie, Gervase Maxwell; Lane, Jonathan A.

2014-08-05

A method of producing a composite oxygen ion membrane and a composite oxygen ion membrane in which a porous fuel oxidation layer and a dense separation layer and optionally, a porous surface exchange layer are formed on a porous support from mixtures of (Ln.sub.1-xA.sub.x).sub.wCr.sub.1-yB.sub.yO.sub.3-.delta. and a doped zirconia. In the porous fuel oxidation layer and the optional porous surface exchange layer, A is Calcium and in the dense separation layer A is not Calcium and, preferably is Strontium. Preferred materials are (La.sub.0.8Ca.sub.0.2).sub.0.95Cr.sub.0.5Mn.sub.0.5O.sub.3-.delta. for the porous fuel oxidation and optional porous surface exchange layers and (La.sub.0.8Sr.sub.0.2).sub.0.95Cr.sub.0.5Fe.sub.0.5O.sub.3-.delta. for the dense separation layer. The use of such materials allows the membrane to sintered in air and without the use of pore formers to reduce membrane manufacturing costs. The use of materials, as described herein, for forming the porous layers have application for forming any type of porous structure, such as a catalyst support.

The chemistry of planet-forming regions is not interstellar.

PubMed

Pontoppidan, Klaus M; Blevins, Sandra M

2014-01-01

Advances in infrared and submillimeter technology have allowed for detailed observations of the molecular content of the planet-forming regions of protoplanetary disks. In particular, disks around solar-type stars now have growing molecular inventories that can be directly compared with both prestellar chemistry and that inferred for the early solar nebula. The data directly address the old question of whether the chemistry of planet-forming matter is similar or different and unique relative to the chemistry of dense clouds and protostellar envelopes. The answer to this question may have profound consequences for the structure and composition of planetary systems. The practical challenge is that observations of emission lines from disks do not easily translate into chemical concentrations. Here, we present a two-dimensional radiative transfer model of RNO 90, a classical protoplanetary disk around a solar-mass star, and retrieve the concentrations of dominant molecular carriers of carbon, oxygen and nitrogen in the terrestrial region around 1 AU. We compare our results to the chemical inventory of dense clouds and protostellar envelopes, and argue that inner disk chemistry is, as expected, fundamentally different from prestellar chemistry. We find that the clearest discriminant may be the concentration of CO2, which is extremely low in disks, but one of the most abundant constituents of dense clouds and protostellar envelopes.

Composite oxygen transport membrane

DOEpatents

Christie, Gervase Maxwell; Lane, Jonathan A.

2016-11-15

A method of producing a composite oxygen ion membrane and a composite oxygen ion membrane in which a porous fuel oxidation layer and a dense separation layer and optionally, a porous surface exchange layer are formed on a porous support from mixtures of (Ln.sub.1-xA.sub.x).sub.wCr.sub.1-yB.sub.yO.sub.3-.delta. and a doped zirconia. In the porous fuel oxidation layer and the optional porous surface exchange layer, A is Calcium and in the dense separation layer A is not Calcium and, preferably is Strontium. Preferred materials are (La.sub.0.8Ca.sub.0.2).sub.0.95Cr.sub.0.5Mn.sub.0.5O.sub.3-.delta. for the porous fuel oxidation and optional porous surface exchange layers and (La.sub.0.8Sr.sub.0.2).sub.0.95Cr.sub.0.5Fe.sub.0.5O.sub.3-.delta. for the dense separation layer. The use of such materials allows the membrane to sintered in air and without the use of pore formers to reduce membrane manufacturing costs. The use of materials, as described herein, for forming the porous layers have application for forming any type of porous structure, such as a catalyst support.

The Molecular Gas Environment in the 20 km s{sup −1} Cloud in the Central Molecular Zone

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lu, Xing; Gu, Qiusheng; Zhang, Qizhou

We recently reported a population of protostellar candidates in the 20 km s{sup −1} cloud in the Central Molecular Zone of the Milky Way, traced by H{sub 2}O masers in gravitationally bound dense cores. In this paper, we report molecular line studies with high angular resolution (∼3″) of the environment of star formation in this cloud. Maps of various molecular line transitions as well as the continuum at 1.3 mm are obtained using the Submillimeter Array. Five NH{sub 3} inversion lines and the 1.3 cm continuum are observed with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array. The interferometric observations aremore » complemented with single-dish data. We find that the CH{sub 3}OH, SO, and HNCO lines, which are usually shock tracers, are better correlated spatially with the compact dust emission from dense cores among the detected lines. These lines also show enhancement in intensities with respect to SiO intensities toward the compact dust emission, suggesting the presence of slow shocks or hot cores in these regions. We find gas temperatures of ≳100 K at 0.1 pc scales based on RADEX modeling of the H{sub 2}CO and NH{sub 3} lines. Although no strong correlations between temperatures and linewidths/H{sub 2}O maser luminosities are found, in high-angular-resolution maps we note several candidate shock-heated regions offset from any dense cores, as well as signatures of localized heating by protostars in several dense cores. Our findings suggest that at 0.1 pc scales in this cloud star formation and strong turbulence may together affect the chemistry and temperature of the molecular gas.« less

Lattice thermal conductivity of silicate glasses at high pressures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Y. Y.; Hsieh, W. P.

2016-12-01

Knowledge of the thermodynamic and transport properties of magma holds the key to understanding the thermal evolution and chemical differentiation of Earth. The discovery of the remnant of a deep magma ocean above the core mantle boundary (CMB) from seismic observations suggest that the CMB heat flux would strongly depend on the thermal conductivity, including lattice (klat) and radiative (krad) components, of dense silicate melts and major constituent minerals around the region. Recent measurements on the krad of dense silicate glasses and lower-mantle minerals show that krad of dense silicate glasses could be significantly smaller than krad of the surrounding solid mantle phases, and therefore the dense silicate melts would act as a thermal insulator in deep lower mantle. This conclusion, however, remains uncertain due to the lack of direct measurements on the lattice thermal conductivity of silicate melts under relevant pressure-temperature conditions. Besides the CMB, magmas exist in different circumstances beneath the surface of the Earth. Chemical compositions of silicate melts vary with geological and geodynamic settings of the melts and have strong influences on their thermal properties. In order to have a better view of heat transport within the Earth, it is important to study compositional and pressure dependences of thermal properties of silicate melts. Here we report experimental results on lattice thermal conductivities of silicate glasses with basaltic and rhyolitic compositions up to Earth's lower mantle pressures using time-domain thermoreflectance coupled with diamond-anvil cell techniques. This study not only provides new data for the thermal conductivity of silicate melts in the Earth's deep interior, but is crucial for further understanding of the evolution of Earth's complex internal structure.

Hexadecylamine Adsorption at the Iron Oxide–Oil Interface

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

The adsorption behavior of a model additive, hexadecylamine, onto an iron surface from hexadecane oil has been characterized using polarized neutron reflectometry, sum-frequency generation spectroscopy, solution depletion isotherm, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The amine showed a strong affinity for the metal surface, forming a dense monolayer at relatively low concentrations; a layer thickness of 16 (±3) Å at low concentrations, increasing to 20 (±3) Å at greater amine concentrations, was determined from the neutron data. These thicknesses suggest that the molecules in the layer are tilted. Adsorption was also indicated by sum-frequency generation spectroscopy and XPS, the latter indicating that the most dominant amine–surface interaction was via electron donation from the nitrogen lone pair to the positively charged iron ions. Sum-frequency generation spectroscopy was used to determine the alkyl chain conformation order and orientation on the surface. PMID:24106786

High-density native-range species affects the invasive plant Chromolaena odorata more strongly than species from its invasive range.

PubMed

Zheng, Yulong; Liao, Zhiyong

2017-11-22

Invasive plant species often form dense mono-dominant stands in areas they have invaded, while having only sparse distribution in their native ranges, and the reasons behind this phenomenon are a key point of research in invasive species biology. Differences in species composition between native and invasive ranges may contribute to the difference in distribution status. In this study, we found that the high-density condition had a more negative effect on C. odorata than the low-density condition when co-grown with neighbor plants from its native range in Mexico, while this pattern was not in evidence when it was grown with neighbors from its invasive range in China. Different competitive ability and coevolutionary history with C. odorata between native-range neighbors and invasive-range neighbors may lead to the inconsistent patterns.

Time-sequential observation of spindle and phragmoplast orientation in BY-2 cells with altered cortical actin microfilament patterning.

PubMed

Kojo, Kei H; Yasuhara, Hiroki; Hasezawa, Seiichiro

2014-01-01

Precise division plane determination is essential for plant development. At metaphase, a dense actin microfilament meshwork appears on both sides of the cell center, forming a characteristic cortical actin microfilament twin peak pattern in BY-2 cells. We previously reported a strong correlation between altered cortical actin microfilament patterning and an oblique mitotic spindle orientation, implying that these actin microfilament twin peaks play a role in the regulation of mitotic spindle orientation. In the present study, time-sequential observation was used to reveal the progression from oblique phragmoplast to oblique cell plate orientation in cells with altered cortical actin microfilament patterning. In contrast to cells with normal actin microfilament twin peaks, oblique phragmoplast reorientation was rarely observed in cells with altered cortical actin microfilament patterning. These results support the important roles of cortical actin microfilament patterning in division plane orientation.

Time-sequential observation of spindle and phragmoplast orientation in BY-2 cells with altered cortical actin microfilament patterning.

PubMed

Kojo, Kei H; Yasuhara, Hiroki; Hasezawa, Seiichiro

2014-06-18

Precise division plane determination is essential for plant development. At metaphase, a dense actin microfilament meshwork appears on both sides of the cell center, forming a characteristic cortical actin microfilament twin peak pattern in BY-2 cells. We previously reported a strong correlation between altered cortical actin microfilament patterning and an oblique mitotic spindle orientation, implying that these actin microfilament twin peaks play a role in the regulation of mitotic spindle orientation. In the present study, time-sequential observation was used to reveal the progression from oblique phragmoplast to oblique cell plate orientation in cells with altered cortical actin microfilament patterning. In contrast to cells with normal actin microfilament twin peaks, oblique phragmoplast reorientation was rarely observed in cells with altered cortical actin microfilament patterning. These results support the important roles of cortical actin microfilament patterning in division plane orientation.

Towards an accurate description of perovskite ferroelectrics: exchange and correlation effects

DOE PAGES

Yuk, Simuck F.; Pitike, Krishna Chaitanya; Nakhmanson, Serge M.; ...

2017-03-03

Using the van der Waals density functional with C09 exchange (vdW-DF-C09), which has been applied to describing a wide range of dispersion-bound systems, we explore the physical properties of prototypical ABO 3 bulk ferroelectric oxides. Surprisingly, vdW-DF-C09 provides a superior description of experimental values for lattice constants, polarization and bulk moduli, exhibiting similar accuracy to the modified Perdew-Burke-Erzenhoff functional which was designed specifically for bulk solids (PBEsol). The relative performance of vdW-DF-C09 is strongly linked to the form of the exchange enhancement factor which, like PBEsol, tends to behave like the gradient expansion approximation for small reduced gradients. These resultsmore » suggest the general-purpose nature of the class of vdW-DF functionals, with particular consequences for predicting material functionality across dense and sparse matter regimes.« less

QED cascade saturation in extreme high fields.

PubMed

Luo, Wen; Liu, Wei-Yuan; Yuan, Tao; Chen, Min; Yu, Ji-Ye; Li, Fei-Yu; Del Sorbo, D; Ridgers, C P; Sheng, Zheng-Ming

2018-05-30

Upcoming ultrahigh power lasers at 10 PW level will make it possible to experimentally explore electron-positron (e - e + ) pair cascades and subsequent relativistic e - e + jets formation, which are supposed to occur in extreme astrophysical environments, such as black holes, pulsars, quasars and gamma-ray bursts. In the latter case it is a long-standing question as to how the relativistic jets are formed and what their temperatures and compositions are. Here we report simulation results of pair cascades in two counter-propagating QED-strong laser fields. A scaling of QED cascade growth with laser intensity is found, showing clear cascade saturation above threshold intensity of ~10 24 W/cm 2 . QED cascade saturation leads to pair plasma cooling and longitudinal compression along the laser axis, resulting in the subsequent formation of relativistic dense e - e + jets along transverse directions. Such laser-driven QED cascade saturation may open up the opportunity to study energetic astrophysical phenomena in laboratory.

Theory of multiexciton dynamics in molecular chains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Luxia; May, Volkhard

2016-11-01

Ultrafast and strong optical excitation of a molecular system is considered which is formed by a regular one-dimensional arrangement of identical molecules. As it is typical for zinc chlorine-type molecules the transition energy from the ground state to the first excited singlet state is assumed to be smaller than the energy difference between the first excited state and the following one. This enables the creation of many excitons without their immediate quenching due to exciton-exciton annihilation. As a first step into the field of dense Frenkel-exciton systems the present approach stays at a mean-field type of description and ignores vibrational contributions. The resulting nonlinear kinetic equations mix Rabi-type oscillations with those caused by energy transfer and suggest an excitation-dependent narrowing of the exciton band. The indication of this effect in the framework of a two-color pump-probe experiment and of the detection of photon emission is discussed.

Towards an accurate description of perovskite ferroelectrics: exchange and correlation effects

PubMed Central

Yuk, Simuck F.; Pitike, Krishna Chaitanya; Nakhmanson, Serge M.; Eisenbach, Markus; Li, Ying Wai; Cooper, Valentino R.

2017-01-01

Using the van der Waals density functional with C09 exchange (vdW-DF-C09), which has been applied to describing a wide range of dispersion-bound systems, we explore the physical properties of prototypical ABO3 bulk ferroelectric oxides. Surprisingly, vdW-DF-C09 provides a superior description of experimental values for lattice constants, polarization and bulk moduli, exhibiting similar accuracy to the modified Perdew-Burke-Erzenhoff functional which was designed specifically for bulk solids (PBEsol). The relative performance of vdW-DF-C09 is strongly linked to the form of the exchange enhancement factor which, like PBEsol, tends to behave like the gradient expansion approximation for small reduced gradients. These results suggest the general-purpose nature of the class of vdW-DF functionals, with particular consequences for predicting material functionality across dense and sparse matter regimes. PMID:28256544

Interfacial activity of acid functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) at the fluid-fluid interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Tao; Russell, Thomas; Hoagland, David

2013-03-01

Interfacial assembly of acid-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes at the oil/water interface is achieved by the addition of low molecular weight (MW) amino-terminated polystyrene in the oil phase. The surface activity of carboxylated SWCNTs is strongly influenced by the end-group chemistry and molecular weight of the polystyrene component, the concentrations of this component and the SWCNTs, along with the degree of functionalization of the SWCNTs. The prerequisites for interfacial trapping are amino termini on chains with MW less than 5K and 6 hours or longer incubation of pristine SWCNTs to achieve their carboxylation. Plummets in interfacial tension resembling those for surfactants were observed at critical bulk concentrations of both SWCNTs and PS-NH2. In dried droplets, SWCNTs densely packed with associated PS-NH2 form a bird nest-like interfacial structure, with the SWCNTs preferentially oriented perpendicular to the original interface. Advisor

Performance of μ-RWELL detector vs resistivity of the resistive stage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bencivenni, G.; De Oliveira, R.; Felici, G.; Gatta, M.; Morello, G.; Ochi, A.; Lener, M. Poli; Tskhadadze, E.

2018-04-01

The μ-RWELL is a compact spark-protected single amplification stage Micro-Pattern-Gaseous-Detector (MPGD). The detector amplification stage is realized with a polyimide structure, micro-patterned with a dense matrix of blind-holes, integrated into the readout structure. The anode is formed by a thin Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) resistive layer separated by an insulating glue layer from the readout strips. The introduction of the resistive layer strongly suppressing the transition from streamer to spark gives the possibility to achieve large gains (> 104), without significantly affecting the capability to be efficiently operated in high particle fluxes. In this work we present the results of a systematic study of the μ-RWELL performance as a function of the DLC resistivity. The tests have been performed either with collimated 5.9 keV X-rays or with pion and muon beams at the SPS Secondary Beamline H4 and H8 at CERN.

Magnetic Fields in the Massive Dense Cores of the DR21 Filament: Weakly Magnetized Cores in a Strongly Magnetized Filament

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ching, Tao-Chung; Lai, Shih-Ping; Zhang, Qizhou

We present Submillimeter Array 880 μ m dust polarization observations of six massive dense cores in the DR21 filament. The dust polarization shows complex magnetic field structures in the massive dense cores with sizes of 0.1 pc, in contrast to the ordered magnetic fields of the parsec-scale filament. The major axes of the massive dense cores appear to be aligned either parallel or perpendicular to the magnetic fields of the filament, indicating that the parsec-scale magnetic fields play an important role in the formation of the massive dense cores. However, the correlation between the major axes of the cores andmore » the magnetic fields of the cores is less significant, suggesting that during the core formation, the magnetic fields below 0.1 pc scales become less important than the magnetic fields above 0.1 pc scales in supporting a core against gravity. Our analysis of the angular dispersion functions of the observed polarization segments yields a plane-of-sky magnetic field strength of 0.4–1.7 mG for the massive dense cores. We estimate the kinematic, magnetic, and gravitational virial parameters of the filament and the cores. The virial parameters show that the gravitational energy in the filament dominates magnetic and kinematic energies, while the kinematic energy dominates in the cores. Our work suggests that although magnetic fields may play an important role in a collapsing filament, the kinematics arising from gravitational collapse must become more important than magnetic fields during the evolution from filaments to massive dense cores.« less

Collaborative Research: Neutrinos & Nucleosynthesis in Hot Dense Matter

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reddy, Sanjay

2013-09-06

It is now firmly established that neutrinos, which are copiously produced in the hot and dense core of the supernova, play a role in the supernova explosion mechanism and in the synthesis of heavy elements through a phenomena known as r-process nucleosynthesis. They are also detectable in terrestrial neutrino experiments, and serve as a probe of the extreme environment and complex dynamics encountered in the supernova. The major goal of the UW research activity relevant to this project was to calculate the neutrino interaction rates in hot and dense matter of relevance to core collapse supernova. These serve as keymore » input physics in large scale computer simulations of the supernova dynamics and nucleosynthesis being pursued at national laboratories here in the United States and by other groups in Europe and Japan. Our calculations show that neutrino production and scattering rate are altered by the nuclear interactions and that these modifications have important implications for nucleosynthesis and terrestrial neutrino detection. The calculation of neutrino rates in dense matter are difficult because nucleons in the dense matter are strongly coupled. A neutrino interacts with several nucleons and the quantum interference between scattering off different nucleons depends on the nature of correlations between them in dense matter. To describe these correlations we used analytic methods based on mean field theory and hydrodynamics, and computational methods such as Quantum Monte Carlo. We found that due to nuclear effects neutrino production rates at relevant temperatures are enhanced, and that electron neutrinos are more easily absorbed than anti-electron neutrinos in dense matter. The latter, was shown to favor synthesis of heavy neutron-rich elements in the supernova.« less

Cloud photogrammetry with dense stereo for fisheye cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beekmans, Christoph; Schneider, Johannes; Läbe, Thomas; Lennefer, Martin; Stachniss, Cyrill; Simmer, Clemens

2016-11-01

We present a novel approach for dense 3-D cloud reconstruction above an area of 10 × 10 km2 using two hemispheric sky imagers with fisheye lenses in a stereo setup. We examine an epipolar rectification model designed for fisheye cameras, which allows the use of efficient out-of-the-box dense matching algorithms designed for classical pinhole-type cameras to search for correspondence information at every pixel. The resulting dense point cloud allows to recover a detailed and more complete cloud morphology compared to previous approaches that employed sparse feature-based stereo or assumed geometric constraints on the cloud field. Our approach is very efficient and can be fully automated. From the obtained 3-D shapes, cloud dynamics, size, motion, type and spacing can be derived, and used for radiation closure under cloudy conditions, for example. Fisheye lenses follow a different projection function than classical pinhole-type cameras and provide a large field of view with a single image. However, the computation of dense 3-D information is more complicated and standard implementations for dense 3-D stereo reconstruction cannot be easily applied. Together with an appropriate camera calibration, which includes internal camera geometry, global position and orientation of the stereo camera pair, we use the correspondence information from the stereo matching for dense 3-D stereo reconstruction of clouds located around the cameras. We implement and evaluate the proposed approach using real world data and present two case studies. In the first case, we validate the quality and accuracy of the method by comparing the stereo reconstruction of a stratocumulus layer with reflectivity observations measured by a cloud radar and the cloud-base height estimated from a Lidar-ceilometer. The second case analyzes a rapid cumulus evolution in the presence of strong wind shear.

Molecular gas heating mechanisms, and star formation feedback in merger/starbursts: NGC 6240 and Arp 193 as case studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Papadopoulos, Padelis P.; Zhang, Zhi-Yu; Xilouris, E. M.

2014-06-20

We used the SPIRE/FTS instrument aboard the Herschel Space Observatory to obtain the Spectral Line Energy Distributions (SLEDs) of CO from J = 4-3 to J = 13-12 of Arp 193 and NGC 6240, two classical merger/starbursts selected from our molecular line survey of local Luminous Infrared Galaxies (L {sub IR} ≥ 10{sup 11} L {sub ☉}). The high-J CO SLEDs are then combined with ground-based low-J CO, {sup 13}CO, HCN, HCO{sup +}, CS line data and used to probe the thermal and dynamical states of their large molecular gas reservoirs. We find the two CO SLEDs strongly diverging frommore » J = 4-3 onward, with NGC 6240 having a much higher CO line excitation than Arp 193, despite their similar low-J CO SLEDs and L {sub FIR}/L {sub CO,} {sub 1} {sub –0}, L {sub HCN}/L {sub CO} (J = 1-0) ratios (proxies of star formation efficiency and dense gas mass fraction). In Arp 193, one of the three most extreme starbursts in the local universe, the molecular SLEDs indicate a small amount (∼5%-15%) of dense gas (n ≥ 10{sup 4} cm{sup –3}) unlike NGC 6240 where most of the molecular gas (∼60%-70%) is dense (n ∼ (10{sup 4}-10{sup 5}) cm{sup –3}). Strong star-formation feedback can drive this disparity in their dense gas mass fractions, and also induce extreme thermal and dynamical states for the molecular gas. In NGC 6240, and to a lesser degree in Arp 193, we find large molecular gas masses whose thermal states cannot be maintained by FUV photons from Photon-Dominated Regions. We argue that this may happen often in metal-rich merger/starbursts, strongly altering the initial conditions of star formation. ALMA can now directly probe these conditions across cosmic epoch, and even probe their deeply dust-enshrouded outcome, the stellar initial mass function averaged over galactic evolution.« less

ORIGIN OF MOLECULAR OXYGEN IN COMET 67P/CHURYUMOV–GERASIMENKO

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mousis, O.; Ronnet, T.; Brugger, B.

2016-06-01

Molecular oxygen has been detected in the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko with abundances in the 1%–10% range by the Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis-Double Focusing Mass Spectrometer instrument on board the Rosetta spacecraft. Here we find that the radiolysis of icy grains in low-density environments such as the presolar cloud may induce the production of large amounts of molecular oxygen. We also show that molecular oxygen can be efficiently trapped in clathrates formed in the protosolar nebula (PSN), and that its incorporation as crystalline ice is highly implausible, because this would imply much larger abundances of Armore » and N{sub 2} than those observed in the coma. Assuming that radiolysis has been the only O{sub 2} production mechanism at work, we conclude that the formation of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko is possible in a dense and early PSN in the framework of two extreme scenarios: (1) agglomeration from pristine amorphous icy grains/particles formed in ISM and (2) agglomeration from clathrates that formed during the disk’s cooling. The former scenario is found consistent with the strong correlation between O{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O observed in comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko’s coma while the latter scenario requires that clathrates formed from ISM icy grains that crystallized when entering the PSN.« less

Herschel Extreme Lensing Line Observations: Dynamics of Two Strongly Lensed Star-Forming Galaxies near Redshift z=2*

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rhoads, James E.; Rigby, Jane Rebecca; Malhotra, Sangeeta; Allam, Sahar; Carilli, Chris; Combes, Francoise; Finkelstein, Keely; Finkelstein, Steven; Frye, Brenda; Gerin, Maryvonne;

Systematic Observations of the Slip-pulse Properties of Large Earthquake Ruptures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melgar, D.; Hayes, G. P.

2017-12-01

In earthquake dynamics there are two end member models of rupture: propagating cracks and self-healing pulses. These arise due to different properties of ruptures and have implications for seismic hazard; rupture mode controls near-field strong ground motions. Past studies favor the pulse-like mode of rupture, however, due to a variety of limitations, it has proven difficult to systematically establish their kinematic properties. Here we synthesize observations from a database of >150 rupture models of earthquakes spanning M7-M9 processed in a uniform manner and show the magnitude scaling properties (rise time, pulse width, and peak slip rate) of these slip pulses indicates self-similarity. Self similarity suggests a weak form of rupture determinism, where early on in the source process broader, higher amplitude slip pulses will distinguish between events of icnreasing magnitude. Indeed, we find by analyzing the moment rate functions that large and very large events are statistically distinguishable relatively early (at 15 seconds) in the rupture process. This suggests that with dense regional geophysical networks strong ground motions from a large rupture can be identified before their onset across the source region.

STXM/C 1s-NEXAFS study of Eu(III) and Uranyl humic acid aggregates at different pH

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plaschke, M.; Rothe, J.; Denecke, M. A.; Geckeis, H.

2010-04-01

Humic acids (HA) are chemically heterogeneous and structurally ill-defined biopolymers which are able to bind traces of actinides or lanthanides. Due to their dimensions in the colloidal size range they may affect transport of these elements in aquatic systems. Eu(III)- and UO22+-HA aggregates have been investigated by Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy (STXM) and C 1s-NEXAFS under systematic variation of pH. In the Eu(III)- and UO22+-HA systems aggregate morphologies at near neutral pH were similar to those observed in previous studies: optically dense zones (high absorption at the carbon K-edge) are embedded in a matrix of less dense material. C 1s-NEXAFS signatures observed in the different zones, i.e., the intensity of the characteristic complexation feature previously experimentally described and recently theoretically characterized, strongly depends on sample pH. In the alkaline regime (pH 9) with added carbonate, co-precipitation of Eu(III)-carbonate (or ternary carbonate/(oxo)hydroxide complexes) with the Eu(III)-HA majority fraction is observed but Eu(III) binding to HA over carbonate in the dense zones seems to be favoured. The UO22+-HA system exhibits in alkaline solution more compact morphologies combined with a strong metal ion complexation effect in the NEXAFS. Eu(III) and UO22+ polyacrylic acid (PAA) aggregates used as HA model systems show similar spectral trends; these aggregates exhibit highly branched morphologies without segregation into zones with different NEXAFS signatures. The chemical environment such as pH or the type of metal cation strongly influences both HA aggregate morphologies and NEXAFS spectral signatures. These can, in turn, be used as indicators of the strength of lanthanide or actinide ion bound HA interaction.

Self-diffusion in dense granular shear flows.

PubMed

Utter, Brian; Behringer, R P

2004-03-01

Diffusivity is a key quantity in describing velocity fluctuations in granular materials. These fluctuations are the basis of many thermodynamic and hydrodynamic models which aim to provide a statistical description of granular systems. We present experimental results on diffusivity in dense, granular shear flows in a two-dimensional Couette geometry. We find that self-diffusivities D are proportional to the local shear rate gamma; with diffusivities along the direction of the mean flow approximately twice as large as those in the perpendicular direction. The magnitude of the diffusivity is D approximately gamma;a(2), where a is the particle radius. However, the gradient in shear rate, coupling to the mean flow, and strong drag at the moving boundary lead to particle displacements that can appear subdiffusive or superdiffusive. In particular, diffusion appears to be superdiffusive along the mean flow direction due to Taylor dispersion effects and subdiffusive along the perpendicular direction due to the gradient in shear rate. The anisotropic force network leads to an additional anisotropy in the diffusivity that is a property of dense systems and has no obvious analog in rapid flows. Specifically, the diffusivity is suppressed along the direction of the strong force network. A simple random walk simulation reproduces the key features of the data, such as the apparent superdiffusive and subdiffusive behavior arising from the mean velocity field, confirming the underlying diffusive motion. The additional anisotropy is not observed in the simulation since the strong force network is not included. Examples of correlated motion, such as transient vortices, and Lévy flights are also observed. Although correlated motion creates velocity fields which are qualitatively different from collisional Brownian motion and can introduce nondiffusive effects, on average the system appears simply diffusive.

In situ Dynamics of O2, pH, Light, and Photosynthesis in Ikaite Tufa Columns (Ikka Fjord, Greenland)-A Unique Microbial Habitat.

PubMed

Trampe, Erik C L; Larsen, Jens E N; Glaring, Mikkel A; Stougaard, Peter; Kühl, Michael

2016-01-01

The Ikka Fjord (SW Greenland) harbors a unique microbial habitat in the form of several hundred submarine tufa columns composed of ikaite, a special hexahydrate form of calcium carbonate that precipitates when alkaline phosphate- and carbonate-enriched spring water seeping out of the sea floor meets cold seawater. While several unique heterotrophic microbes have been isolated from the tufa columns, the microbial activity, and the boundary conditions for microbial growth in ikaite have remained unexplored. We present the first detailed in situ characterization of the physico-chemical microenvironment and activity of oxygenic phototrophs thriving within the ikaite columns. In situ underwater microsensor measurements of pH, temperature, and irradiance in the porous ikaite crystal matrix, revealed an extreme microenvironment characterized by low temperatures, strong light attenuation, and gradients of pH changing from pH 9 at the outer column surface to above pH 10 over the first 1-2 cm of the ikaite. This outer layer of the freshly deposited ikaite matrix contained densely pigmented yellow and green zones harboring a diverse phototrophic community dominated by diatoms and cyanobacteria, respectively, as shown by amplicon sequencing. In situ O2 measurements, as well as underwater variable chlorophyll fluorescence measurements of photosynthetic activity, demonstrated high levels of oxygenic photosynthesis in this extreme gradient environment with strong irradiance-driven O2 dynamics ranging from anoxia to hyperoxic conditions in the ikaite matrix, albeit the local formation of gas bubbles buffered the day-night dynamics of O2 in the tufa columns. The microbial phototrophs in the ikaite matrix are embedded in exopolymers forming endolithic biofilms that may interact with mineral formation and cementing of ikaite crystals.

In situ Dynamics of O2, pH, Light, and Photosynthesis in Ikaite Tufa Columns (Ikka Fjord, Greenland)—A Unique Microbial Habitat

PubMed Central

Trampe, Erik C. L.; Larsen, Jens E. N.; Glaring, Mikkel A.; Stougaard, Peter; Kühl, Michael

2016-01-01

The Ikka Fjord (SW Greenland) harbors a unique microbial habitat in the form of several hundred submarine tufa columns composed of ikaite, a special hexahydrate form of calcium carbonate that precipitates when alkaline phosphate- and carbonate-enriched spring water seeping out of the sea floor meets cold seawater. While several unique heterotrophic microbes have been isolated from the tufa columns, the microbial activity, and the boundary conditions for microbial growth in ikaite have remained unexplored. We present the first detailed in situ characterization of the physico-chemical microenvironment and activity of oxygenic phototrophs thriving within the ikaite columns. In situ underwater microsensor measurements of pH, temperature, and irradiance in the porous ikaite crystal matrix, revealed an extreme microenvironment characterized by low temperatures, strong light attenuation, and gradients of pH changing from pH 9 at the outer column surface to above pH 10 over the first 1–2 cm of the ikaite. This outer layer of the freshly deposited ikaite matrix contained densely pigmented yellow and green zones harboring a diverse phototrophic community dominated by diatoms and cyanobacteria, respectively, as shown by amplicon sequencing. In situ O2 measurements, as well as underwater variable chlorophyll fluorescence measurements of photosynthetic activity, demonstrated high levels of oxygenic photosynthesis in this extreme gradient environment with strong irradiance-driven O2 dynamics ranging from anoxia to hyperoxic conditions in the ikaite matrix, albeit the local formation of gas bubbles buffered the day-night dynamics of O2 in the tufa columns. The microbial phototrophs in the ikaite matrix are embedded in exopolymers forming endolithic biofilms that may interact with mineral formation and cementing of ikaite crystals. PMID:27242741

Dense cloud cores revealed by CO in the low metallicity dwarf galaxy WLM.

PubMed

Rubio, Monica; Elmegreen, Bruce G; Hunter, Deidre A; Brinks, Elias; Cortés, Juan R; Cigan, Phil

2015-09-10

Understanding stellar birth requires observations of the clouds in which they form. These clouds are dense and self-gravitating, and in all existing observations they are molecular, with H2 the dominant species and carbon monoxide (CO) the best available tracer. When the abundances of carbon and oxygen are low compared with that of hydrogen, and the opacity from dust is also low, as in primeval galaxies and local dwarf irregular galaxies, CO forms slowly and is easily destroyed, so it is difficult for it to accumulate inside dense clouds. Here we report interferometric observations of CO clouds in the local group dwarf irregular galaxy Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte (WLM), which has a metallicity that is 13 per cent of the solar value and 50 per cent lower than the previous CO detection threshold. The clouds are tiny compared to the surrounding atomic and H2 envelopes, but they have typical densities and column densities for CO clouds in the Milky Way. The normal CO density explains why star clusters forming in dwarf irregulars have similar densities to star clusters in giant spiral galaxies. The low cloud masses suggest that these clusters will also be low mass, unless some galaxy-scale compression occurs, such as an impact from a cosmic cloud or other galaxy. If the massive metal-poor globular clusters in the halo of the Milky Way formed in dwarf galaxies, as is commonly believed, then they were probably triggered by such an impact.

Collapse scenarios in magnetized star-forming regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juarez, Carmen

2017-04-01

Turbulence, magnetic fields and gravity driven flows are important for the formation of new stars. Although magnetic fields have been proven to be important in the formation of stars, only a few works have been done combining magnetic field and kinematic information. Such studies are important to analyze both gravity and gas dynamics and be able to compare them with the magnetic field. In this thesis we will combine dust polarization studies with kinematic analysis towards different star-forming regions. We aim to study the physical properties at core scales (<0.1 pc) from molecular line and dust emission, and study the role of the magnetic field in their dynamic evolution. For this, we will use millimeter and submillimeter observational data taken towards low- and high- mass star-forming regions in different environments and evolutionary states. The first project is the study of the physical, chemical and magnetic properties of the pre-stellar core FeSt1-457 in the Pipe nebula. We studied the emission of the molecular line N2H+(1-0) which is a good tracer of dense gas and therefore describes well the structure of the core. In addition, we detected more than 15 molecular lines and found a clear chemical spatial differentiation for molecules with nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur. Using the ARTIST radiative transfer code (Brinch & Hogerheijde 2010, Padovani et al., 2011, 2012, Jørgensen et al., 2014), we simulated the emission of the different molecules detected and estimated their abundance. In addition, we estimated the magnetic field properties of the core (using the Chandrasekhar-Fermi approximation) from polarization data previously obtained by Alves et al., (2014). Finally, we found interesting correlations between the polarization properties and the chemistry in the region. The second project is the study of a high-mass star-forming region called NGC6334V. NGC6334V is in a more advanced evolutionary state and in an environment surrounded by other massive star-forming regions. During the project we studied the magnetic field from the polarized emission of the dust and also the kinematics of the gas from the molecular line emission of the different tracers of dense gas. From the molecular emission of the gas tracing the envelope of the dense core, we see two different velocity structures separated by 2 km/s and converging towards the potential well in the region. In addition, the magnetic field also presents a bimodal pattern following the distribution of the two velocity structures. Finally, we compared the observational results with 3D magnetohydrodynamic simulations of star-forming regions dominated by gravity. The last project is the study of a lower-mass star-forming region, L1287. From the data obtained with the SMA, the dust continuum structure shows six main dense cores with masses between 0.4 and 4 solar masses. The dense gas tracer DCN(3- 2) shows two velocity structures separated by 2-3 km/s, converging towards the highest-density region, the young stellar object IRAS 00338+6312, in a similar scenario to the one observed in the higher-mass case of NGC6334V. Finally, the studies of the pre-stellar core FeSt1-457 and the massive region NGC6334V, show how the magnetic field has been overcome by gravity and is not enough to avoid the gravitational collapse. In addition, NGC6334V and the lower- mass region L1287 present very similar scenarios with the material converging from large scales ( 0.1 pc) to the potential wells of both regions at smaller scales ( 0.02 pc) through two dense gas flows separated by 2-3 km/s. In a similar scenario, FeSt1-457 is located just in the region where two dense gas structures separated by 3 km/s appear to converge.

Massive Infrared-Quiet Dense Cores: Unveiling the Initial Conditions of High-Mass Star Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Motte, F.; Bontemps, S.; Schneider, N.; Schilke, P.; Menten, K. M.

2008-05-01

As Th. Henning said at the conference, cold precursors of high-mass stars are now ``hot topics''. We here propose some observational criteria to identify massive infrared-quiet dense cores which can host the high-mass analogs of Class~0 protostars and pre-stellar condensations. We also show how far-infrared to millimeter imaging surveys of entire complexes forming OB stars are starting to unveil the initial conditions of high-mass star formation.

The life cycle of platelet granules.

PubMed

Sharda, Anish; Flaumenhaft, Robert

2018-01-01

Platelet granules are unique among secretory vesicles in both their content and their life cycle. Platelets contain three major granule types-dense granules, α-granules, and lysosomes-although other granule types have been reported. Dense granules and α-granules are the most well-studied and the most physiologically important. Platelet granules are formed in large, multilobulated cells, termed megakaryocytes, prior to transport into platelets. The biogenesis of dense granules and α-granules involves common but also distinct pathways. Both are formed from the trans -Golgi network and early endosomes and mature in multivesicular bodies, but the formation of dense granules requires trafficking machinery different from that of α-granules. Following formation in the megakaryocyte body, both granule types are transported through and mature in long proplatelet extensions prior to the release of nascent platelets into the bloodstream. Granules remain stored in circulating platelets until platelet activation triggers the exocytosis of their contents. Soluble N -ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) proteins, located on both the granules and target membranes, provide the mechanical energy that enables membrane fusion during both granulogenesis and exocytosis. The function of these core fusion engines is controlled by SNARE regulators, which direct the site, timing, and extent to which these SNAREs interact and consequently the resulting membrane fusion. In this review, we assess new developments in the study of platelet granules, from their generation to their exocytosis.

Effects of copper ions on the characteristics of egg white gel induced by strong alkali.

PubMed

Shao, Yaoyao; Zhao, Yan; Xu, Mingsheng; Chen, Zhangyi; Wang, Shuzhen; Tu, Yonggang

2017-09-01

This study investigated the effects of copper ions on egg white (EW) gel induced by strong alkali. Changes in gel characteristics were examined through texture profile analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and chemical methods. The value of gel strength reached its maximum when 0.1% copper ions was added. However, the lowest cohesiveness values were observed at 0.1%. The springiness of gel without copper ions was significantly greater than the gel with copper ions added. SEM results illustrated that the low concentration of copper ions contributes to a dense and uniform gel network, and an open matrix was formed at 0.4%. The free and total sulphhydryl group content in the egg white protein gel significantly decreased with the increased copper. The increase of copper ions left the contents of ionic and hydrogen bonds basically unchanged, hydrophobic interaction presented an increasing trend, and the disulfide bond exhibited a completely opposite change. The change of surface hydrophobicity proved that the main binding force of copper induced gel was hydrophobic interaction. However, copper ions had no effect on the protein component of the gels. Generally, a low level of copper ions facilitates protein-protein association, which is involved in the characteristics of gels. Instead, high ionic strength had a negative effect on gels induced by strong alkali. © 2017 Poultry Science Association Inc.

The effect of playing advergames that promote energy-dense snacks or fruit on actual food intake among children.

PubMed

Folkvord, Frans; Anschütz, Doeschka J; Buijzen, Moniek; Valkenburg, Patti M

2013-02-01

Previous studies have focused on the effects of television advertising on the energy intake of children. However, the rapidly changing food-marketing landscape requires research to measure the effects of nontraditional forms of marketing on the health-related behaviors of children. The main aim of this study was to examine the effect of advergames that promote energy-dense snacks or fruit on children's ad libitum snack and fruit consumption and to examine whether this consumption differed according to brand and product type (energy-dense snacks and fruit). The second aim was to examine whether advergames can stimulate fruit intake. We used a randomized between-subject design with 270 children (age: 8-10 y) who played an advergame that promoted energy-dense snacks (n = 69), fruit (n = 67), or nonfood products (n = 65) or were in the control condition (n = 69). Subsequently, we measured the free intake of energy-dense snacks and fruit. The children then completed questionnaire measures, and we weighed and measured them. The main finding was that playing an advergame containing food cues increased general energy intake, regardless of the advertised brand or product type (energy-dense snacks or fruit), and this activity particularly increased the intake of energy-dense snack foods. Children who played the fruit version of the advergame did not eat significantly more fruit than did those in the other groups. The findings suggest that playing advergames that promote food, including either energy-dense snacks or fruit, increases energy intake in children.

THE GREEN BANK TELESCOPE MAPS THE DENSE, STAR-FORMING GAS IN THE NEARBY STARBURST GALAXY M82

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kepley, Amanda A.; Frayer, David; Leroy, Adam K.

Observations of the Milky Way and nearby galaxies show that dense molecular gas correlates with recent star formation, suggesting that the formation of this gas phase may help regulate star formation. A key test of this idea requires wide-area, high-resolution maps of dense molecular gas in galaxies to explore how local physical conditions drive dense gas formation, but these observations have been limited because of the faintness of dense gas tracers like HCN and HCO{sup +}. Here we demonstrate the power of the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT)—the largest single-dish millimeter radio telescope—for mapping dense gas in galaxiesmore » by presenting the most sensitive maps yet of HCN and HCO{sup +} in the starburst galaxy M82. The HCN and HCO{sup +} in the disk of this galaxy correlates with both recent star formation and more diffuse molecular gas and shows kinematics consistent with a rotating torus. The HCO{sup +} emission extending to the north and south of the disk is coincident with the outflow previously identified in CO and traces the eastern edge of the hot outflowing gas. The central starburst region has a higher ratio of star formation to dense gas than the outer regions, pointing to the starburst as a key driver of this relationship. These results establish that the GBT can efficiently map the dense molecular gas at 90 GHz in nearby galaxies, a capability that will increase further with the 16 element feed array under construction.« less

Mammographic Density Phenotypes and Risk of Breast Cancer: A Meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Graff, Rebecca E.; Ursin, Giske; dos Santos Silva, Isabel; McCormack, Valerie; Baglietto, Laura; Vachon, Celine; Bakker, Marije F.; Giles, Graham G.; Chia, Kee Seng; Czene, Kamila; Eriksson, Louise; Hall, Per; Hartman, Mikael; Warren, Ruth M. L.; Hislop, Greg; Chiarelli, Anna M.; Hopper, John L.; Krishnan, Kavitha; Li, Jingmei; Li, Qing; Pagano, Ian; Rosner, Bernard A.; Wong, Chia Siong; Scott, Christopher; Stone, Jennifer; Maskarinec, Gertraud; Boyd, Norman F.; van Gils, Carla H.

2014-01-01

Background Fibroglandular breast tissue appears dense on mammogram, whereas fat appears nondense. It is unclear whether absolute or percentage dense area more strongly predicts breast cancer risk and whether absolute nondense area is independently associated with risk. Methods We conducted a meta-analysis of 13 case–control studies providing results from logistic regressions for associations between one standard deviation (SD) increments in mammographic density phenotypes and breast cancer risk. We used random-effects models to calculate pooled odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). All tests were two-sided with P less than .05 considered to be statistically significant. Results Among premenopausal women (n = 1776 case patients; n = 2834 control subjects), summary odds ratios were 1.37 (95% CI = 1.29 to 1.47) for absolute dense area, 0.78 (95% CI = 0.71 to 0.86) for absolute nondense area, and 1.52 (95% CI = 1.39 to 1.66) for percentage dense area when pooling estimates adjusted for age, body mass index, and parity. Corresponding odds ratios among postmenopausal women (n = 6643 case patients; n = 11187 control subjects) were 1.38 (95% CI = 1.31 to 1.44), 0.79 (95% CI = 0.73 to 0.85), and 1.53 (95% CI = 1.44 to 1.64). After additional adjustment for absolute dense area, associations between absolute nondense area and breast cancer became attenuated or null in several studies and summary odds ratios became 0.82 (95% CI = 0.71 to 0.94; P heterogeneity = .02) for premenopausal and 0.85 (95% CI = 0.75 to 0.96; P heterogeneity < .01) for postmenopausal women. Conclusions The results suggest that percentage dense area is a stronger breast cancer risk factor than absolute dense area. Absolute nondense area was inversely associated with breast cancer risk, but it is unclear whether the association is independent of absolute dense area. PMID:24816206

Simultaneous Inference For The Mean Function Based on Dense Functional Data

PubMed Central

Cao, Guanqun; Yang, Lijian; Todem, David

2012-01-01

A polynomial spline estimator is proposed for the mean function of dense functional data together with a simultaneous confidence band which is asymptotically correct. In addition, the spline estimator and its accompanying confidence band enjoy oracle efficiency in the sense that they are asymptotically the same as if all random trajectories are observed entirely and without errors. The confidence band is also extended to the difference of mean functions of two populations of functional data. Simulation experiments provide strong evidence that corroborates the asymptotic theory while computing is efficient. The confidence band procedure is illustrated by analyzing the near infrared spectroscopy data. PMID:22665964

Single-photon nonlinearities in the propagation of focused beams through dense atomic clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yidan; Gorshkov, Alexey; Gullans, Michael

2017-04-01

We theoretically study single-photon nonlinearities realized when a highly focused Gaussian beam passes through a dense atomic cloud. In this system, strong dipole-dipole interactions arise between closely spaced atoms and significantly affect light propagation. We find that the highly focused Gaussian beam can be treated as an effective one-dimensional waveguide, which simplifies the calculation of photon transmission and correlation functions. The formalism we develop is also applicable to the case where additional atom-atom interactions, such as interactions between Rydberg atoms, are involved. This work was supported by the ARL, NSF PFC at the JQI, AFOSR, NSF PIF, ARO, and AFOSR MURI.

Assessment of the Barren Ground Caribou Die-off During Winter 2015-2016 Using Passive Microwave Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dolant, C.; Montpetit, B.; Langlois, A.; Brucker, L.; Zolina, O.; Johnson, C. A.; Royer, A.; Smith, P.

2018-05-01

In summer 2016, more than 50 Arctic Barren Ground caribous were found dead on Prince Charles Island (Nunavut, Canada), a species recently classified as threatened. Neither predator nor sign of diseases was observed and reported. The main hypothesis is that caribous were not able to access food due to a very dense snow surface, created by a strong storm system in spring. Using satellite microwave data, a significant increase in brightness temperature polarization ratio at 19 and 37 GHz was observed in spring 2016 (60% higher than previous two winter seasons). Based on microwave radiative transfer simulations, such anomaly can be explained with a very dense snow surface. This is consistent with the succession of storms and strong winds highlighted in ERA-Interim over Prince Charles Island in spring 2016. Using several sources of data, this study shows that changes in snow conditions explain the caribou die-off due to restricted foraging.

Test of a new heat-flow equation for dense-fluid shock waves.

PubMed

Holian, Brad Lee; Mareschal, Michel; Ravelo, Ramon

2010-09-21

Using a recently proposed equation for the heat-flux vector that goes beyond Fourier's Law of heat conduction, we model shockwave propagation in the dense Lennard-Jones fluid. Disequilibrium among the three components of temperature, namely, the difference between the kinetic temperature in the direction of a planar shock wave and those in the transverse directions, particularly in the region near the shock front, gives rise to a new transport (equilibration) mechanism not seen in usual one-dimensional heat-flow situations. The modification of the heat-flow equation was tested earlier for the case of strong shock waves in the ideal gas, which had been studied in the past and compared to Navier-Stokes-Fourier solutions. Now, the Lennard-Jones fluid, whose equation of state and transport properties have been determined from independent calculations, allows us to study the case where potential, as well as kinetic contributions are important. The new heat-flow treatment improves the agreement with nonequilibrium molecular-dynamics simulations under strong shock wave conditions, compared to Navier-Stokes.

IUE observations of circumstellar emission from the late-type variable R AQR (M6 + pec)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hobbs, R. W.; Michalitsianos, A. G.; Kafatos, M.

1981-01-01

The IUE observations of R Aqr (M7 + pec) obtained in low dispersion are discussed with particular reference to circumstellar emission. Strong permitted, semiforbidden, and forbidden emission lines are seen, superimposed on a bright ultraviolet continuum. It is deduced that the strong emission line spectrum that involves C III, C IV, Si III, (0 II) and (0 III) probably arises from a dense compact nebula the size of which is comparable to the orbital radius of the binary system of which R Aqr is the primary star. The low excitation emission lines of Fe II, Mg II, 0 I, and Si II probably a white dwarf, comparable to or somewhat brighter than the Sun, since such a star can produce enough ionizing photons to excite the continuum and emission line spectrum and yet be sufficiently faint as to escape detection by direct observation. The UV continuum is attributed to Balmer recombination from the dense nebula and not to blackbody emission from the hot companion.

Negative-mass mitigation of Coulomb repulsion for terahertz undulator radiation of electron bunches

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Balal, N.; Magory, E.; Bandurkin, I. V.

2015-10-19

It is proposed to utilize the effect of negative mass for stabilization of the effective axial size of very dense and short electron bunches produced by photo-injector guns by using combined undulator and strong uniform magnetic fields. It has been shown that in the “abnormal” regime, an increase in the electron energy leads to a decrease in the axial velocity of the electron; due to the negative-mass effect, the Coulomb repulsion of electrons leads to their attraction and formation of a fairly stable and compact bunch “nucleus.” An undulator with a strong uniform magnetic field providing the negative-mass effect ismore » designed for an experimental source of terahertz radiation. The use of the negative-mass regime in this experiment should result in a long-pulse coherent spontaneous undulator emission from a short dense moderately relativistic (5.5 MeV) photo-injector electron bunch with a high (up to 20%) efficiency and a narrow frequency spectrum.« less

Ionizing gas breakdown waves in strong electric fields.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klingbeil, R.; Tidman, D. A.; Fernsler, R. F.

1972-01-01

A previous analysis by Albright and Tidman (1972) of the structure of an ionizing potential wave driven through a dense gas by a strong electric field is extended to include atomic structure details of the background atoms and radiative effects, especially, photoionization. It is found that photoionization plays an important role in avalanche propagation. Velocities, electron densities, and temperatures are presented as a function of electric field for both negative and positive breakdown waves in nitrogen.

Are the Element Budget and the Occurrence of Polymetallic Nodules influenced by Fluids Circulating through the Oceanic Crust or/and Sediments?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heller, C.; Kuhn, T.

2016-12-01

Hydrothermal fluids can extract significant amounts of heat from oceanic lithosphere by lateral fluid flow through permeable basaltic crust of an age of up to 65 Ma. Fluid recharge and discharge occur at basement outcrops in between impermeable pelagic sediments. Recharge of oxic seawater causes upward oxygen diffusion into sediments overlying the permeable basalt in areas proximal to recharge sites. It is suggested that this oxygen have a strong impact on sediments and Mn nodules during fluid exposure time. The aim of this study is to investigate if and how fluid flow through oceanic crust influence the distribution and element budget of the Mn nodules. For that purpose, Mn nodules were examined which were collected during the research cruise SO240 in the equatorial NE Pacific at sites with and without faults in the upper basement and overlying sediments. Faults are thought to be preferred fluid pathways. Nodules were found on the sediment surface as well as in the sediment and consist of different nm- to µm-thick, dense and porous layers. The geochemical composition of bulk nodules and single nodule layers were determined by XRF, ICP-MS/OES and by high resolution analyses with EMPA and LA-ICP-MS. Dense layers have low Mn/Fe ratios (<4) and high concentrations of Co, Zr and REY, while porous layers are characterized by high Mn/Fe ratios (> 10) and high Ni+Cu and Li concentrations (Koschinsky et al., 2010; Kuhn et al., 2010). The different compositions depends on different formation processes of the layers. Dense layers are formed by element precipitation from oxygen rich seawater and/or pore water and are called hydrogenetic, while porous layers were formed by precipitation from almost oxygen-free (suboxic) pore water (Burns & Burns, 1978; Glasby, 2006) and are called diagenetic (Halbach et al., 1988). Preliminary results show that there are significant differences between the geochemical composition of nodules grown at sediment surface and those found within sediments. Compared to surface nodules, buried nodules are enriched in Co and W, but has lower concentration of Mo, Ba, Zn, Li. Distribution of Rare Earth Elements (REY) are also different. Especially, the element distribution in the bulk samples and the single layers of the buried nodules could be used to find a possible influence of circulating fluids on nodule formation.

Mechanical properties in crumple-formed paper derived materials subjected to compression.

PubMed

Hanaor, D A H; Flores Johnson, E A; Wang, S; Quach, S; Dela-Torre, K N; Gan, Y; Shen, L

2017-06-01

The crumpling of precursor materials to form dense three dimensional geometries offers an attractive route towards the utilisation of minor-value waste materials. Crumple-forming results in a mesostructured system in which mechanical properties of the material are governed by complex cross-scale deformation mechanisms. Here we investigate the physical and mechanical properties of dense compacted structures fabricated by the confined uniaxial compression of a cellulose tissue to yield crumpled mesostructuring. A total of 25 specimens of various densities were tested under compression. Crumple formed specimens exhibited densities in the range 0.8-1.3 g cm -3 , and showed high strength to weight characteristics, achieving ultimate compressive strength values of up to 200 MPa under both quasi-static and high strain rate loading conditions and deformation energy that compares well to engineering materials of similar density. The materials fabricated in this work and their mechanical attributes demonstrate the potential of crumple-forming approaches in the fabrication of novel energy-absorbing materials from low-cost precursors such as recycled paper. Stiffness and toughness of the materials exhibit density dependence suggesting this forming technique further allows controllable impact energy dissipation rates in dynamic applications.

Population-level consequences of herbivory, changing climate, and source-sink dynamics on a long-lived invasive shrub.

PubMed

van Klinken, R D; Pichancourt, J B

2015-12-01

Long-lived plant species are highly valued environmentally, economically, and socially, but can also cause substantial harm as invaders. Realistic demographic predictions can guide management decisions, and are particularly valuable for long-lived species where population response times can be long. Long-lived species are also challenging, given population dynamics can be affected by factors as diverse as herbivory, climate, and dispersal. We developed a matrix model to evaluate the effects of herbivory by a leaf-feeding biological control agent released in Australia against a long-lived invasive shrub (mesquite, Leguminoseae: Prosopis spp.). The stage-structured, density-dependent model used an annual time step and 10 climatically diverse years of field data. Mesquite population demography is sensitive to source-sink dynamics as most seeds are consumed and redistributed spatially by livestock. In addition, individual mesquite plants, because they are long lived, experience natural climate variation that cycles over decadal scales, as well as anthropogenic climate change. The model therefore explicitly considered the effects of both net dispersal and climate variation. Herbivory strongly regulated mesquite populations through reduced growth and fertility, but additional mortality of older plants will be required to reach management goals within a reasonable time frame. Growth and survival of seeds and seedlings were correlated with daily soil moisture. As a result, population dynamics were sensitive to rainfall scenario, but population response times were typically slow (20-800 years to reach equilibrium or extinction) due to adult longevity. Equilibrium population densities were expected to remain 5% higher, and be more dynamic, if historical multi-decadal climate patterns persist, the effect being dampened by herbivory suppressing seed production irrespective of preceding rainfall. Dense infestations were unlikely to form under a drier climate, and required net dispersal under the current climate. Seed input wasn't required to form dense infestations under a wetter climate. Each factor we considered (ongoing herbivory, changing climate, and source-sink dynamics) has a strong bearing on how this invasive species should be managed, highlighting the need for considering both ecological context (in this case, source-sink dynamics) and the effect of climate variability at relevant temporal scales (daily, multi-decadal, and anthropogenic) when deriving management recommendations for long-lived species.

Genome-wide association study identifies multiple loci associated with both mammographic density and breast cancer risk

PubMed Central

Lindström, Sara; Thompson, Deborah J.; Paterson, Andrew D.; Li, Jingmei; Gierach, Gretchen L.; Scott, Christopher; Stone, Jennifer; Douglas, Julie A.; dos-Santos-Silva, Isabel; Fernandez-Navarro, Pablo; Verghase, Jajini; Smith, Paula; Brown, Judith; Luben, Robert; Wareham, Nicholas J.; Loos, Ruth J.F.; Heit, John A.; Pankratz, V. Shane; Norman, Aaron; Goode, Ellen L.; Cunningham, Julie M.; deAndrade, Mariza; Vierkant, Robert A.; Czene, Kamila; Fasching, Peter A.; Baglietto, Laura; Southey, Melissa C.; Giles, Graham G.; Shah, Kaanan P.; Chan, Heang-Ping; Helvie, Mark A.; Beck, Andrew H.; Knoblauch, Nicholas W.; Hazra, Aditi; Hunter, David J.; Kraft, Peter; Pollan, Marina; Figueroa, Jonine D.; Couch, Fergus J.; Hopper, John L.; Hall, Per; Easton, Douglas F.; Boyd, Norman F.; Vachon, Celine M.; Tamimi, Rulla M.

2015-01-01

Mammographic density reflects the amount of stromal and epithelial tissues in relation to adipose tissue in the breast and is a strong risk factor for breast cancer. Here we report the results from meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of three mammographic density phenotypes: dense area, non-dense area and percent density in up to 7,916 women in stage 1 and an additional 10,379 women in stage 2. We identify genome-wide significant (P<5×10−8) loci for dense area (AREG, ESR1, ZNF365, LSP1/TNNT3, IGF1, TMEM184B, SGSM3/MKL1), non-dense area (8p11.23) and percent density (PRDM6, 8p11.23, TMEM184B). Four of these regions are known breast cancer susceptibility loci, and four additional regions were found to be associated with breast cancer (P<0.05) in a large meta-analysis. These results provide further evidence of a shared genetic basis between mammographic density and breast cancer and illustrate the power of studying intermediate quantitative phenotypes to identify putative disease susceptibility loci. PMID:25342443

Locating overlapping dense subgraphs in gene (protein) association networks and predicting novel protein functional groups among these subgraphs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palla, Gergely; Derenyi, Imre; Farkas, Illes J.; Vicsek, Tamas

2006-03-01

Most tasks in a cell are performed not by individual proteins, but by functional groups of proteins (either physically interacting with each other or associated in other ways). In gene (protein) association networks these groups show up as sets of densely connected nodes. In the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, known physically interacting groups of proteins (called protein complexes) strongly overlap: the total number of proteins contained by these complexes by far underestimates the sum of their sizes (2750 vs. 8932). Thus, most functional groups of proteins, both physically interacting and other, are likely to share many of their members with other groups. However, current algorithms searching for dense groups of nodes in networks usually exclude overlaps. With the aim to discover both novel functions of individual proteins and novel protein functional groups we combine in protein association networks (i) a search for overlapping dense subgraphs based on the Clique Percolation Method (CPM) (Palla, G., et.al. Nature 435, 814-818 (2005), http://angel.elte.hu/clustering), which explicitly allows for overlaps among the groups, and (ii) a verification and characterization of the identified groups of nodes (proteins) with the help of standard annotation databases listing known functions.

Time-resolved X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy for Electron Transport Study in Warm Dense Gold

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jong-Won; Bae, Leejin; Engelhorn, Kyle; Heimann, Philip; Ping, Yuan; Barbrel, Ben; Fernandez, Amalia; Beckwith, Martha Anne; Cho, Byoung-Ick; GIST Team; IBS Team; LBNL Collaboration; SLAC Collaboration; LLNL Collaboration

2015-11-01

The warm dense Matter represents states of which the temperature is comparable to Fermi energy and ions are strongly coupled. One of the experimental techniques to create such state in the laboratory condition is the isochoric heating of thin metal foil with femtosecond laser pulses. This concept largely relies on the ballistic transport of electrons near the Fermi-level, which were mainly studied for the metals in ambient conditions. However, they were barely investigated in warm dense conditions. We present a time-resolved x-ray absorption spectroscopy measured for the Au/Cu dual layered sample. The front Au layer was isochorically heated with a femtosecond laser pulse, and the x-ray absorption changes around L-edge of Cu, which was attached on the backside of Au, was measured with a picosecond resolution. Time delays between the heating of the `front surface' of Au layer and the alternation of x-ray spectrum of Cu attached on the `rear surface' of Au indicate the energetic electron transport mechanism through Au in the warm dense conditions. IBS (IBS-R012-D1) and the NRF (No. 2013R1A1A1007084) of Korea.

A long and winding road: Skeletonema sp transport by Northern Adriatic Dense Waters to the Southern Adriatic Pit.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marcello Falcieri, Francesco; Bernardy Aubry, Fabrizio; Barbariol, Francesco; Benetazzo, Alvise; Bergamasco, Andrea; Boldrin, Alfredo; Bonaldo, Davide; Carniel, Sandro; Finotto, Stefania; Sclavo, Mauro

2015-04-01

The semi enclosed Adriatic Sea is a sub basin of the Mediterranean Sea located in its northeastern part; it has a shallow northern part (average depth of 40 m) and a deep Southern Adriatic Pit (SAP) that reaches 1200m. The presence of a wide continental shelf exposed to strong heat and momentum fluxes during winter months makes the Northern Adriatic a formation site of dense waters, generally referred to as Northern Adriatic Dense Water (NAdDW). Once produced, it moves south as a quasi-geostrophically adjusted vein , flowing along the Italian coast and enters the SAP giving origin to descent and cascading dense shelf water bringing into the deep layers oxygen, nutrients and organic compound. In February 2012 a long and intense cold air outbreak, with strong Bora winds, interested the northern part of the Adriatic sea causing a drop in water temperature to less than 6 °C and an increase in density to values as high as 1030.2 kg/m3 (likely the maximum values since 1929). This resulted in a massive production of NAdDW. In order to study the behavior of the NAdDW vein, a rapid response 2 legs cruise (ODW2012) was organized in the southern Adriatic. During the cruise, along with physical and chemical measurements, water and phytoplankton samples were collected at different depths. Usual abundance and distribution with a general decrease in phytoplankton abundance from the surface to the bottom were found in all stations with one exception. The bottom sample of a station located roughly 40 km at 120 m depth in front of Gargano showed a significantly high dominance (40%) of the small diatom Skeletonema sp whose flowering is typical in the surface waters of the northern Adriatic in late winter. The physical parameters of the water column showed signs of the passage of the dense water vein (lower temperature and higher dissolved oxygen concentrations) hence it was hypothesized that those diatoms were actively transported by the NAdDW near-bottom stream. A further indication comes from satellite images that show a strong phytoplankton bloom in the northern Adriatic during the dense water formation period. To test this hypothesis the transport pathways of Skeletonema sp where numerically modeled with a Lagrangian particle model (a specifically modified version of Ichthyop) forced by a high resolution hydrodynamical model (namely COAWST) that simulated the 3D thermoaline dynamics of the entire Adriatic Sea. Numerical results show indeed that large amounts of Skeletonema sp right after the NAdDW formation leave the north Adriatic and is transported along the NAdDW vein for about 600 Km to the southern Adriatic, passing in front of the Gargano peninsula with high concentration near the sampled stations. This research recieved founding from the European Community's 7th Framework Programmes (FP7/2007-2013) project COCONET (Grant agreement No. 287844, http://www.coconet-fp7.eu/)

Properties and evolution of dense structures in the interstellar medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parikka, Anna

2015-09-01

In this thesis I present a study of two kinds of dense ISM structures: compact cold sources detected by Planck and dense condensations in a photodissociation region (PDR), namely the Orion Bar detected by ground-based and Herschel telescopes. Both kinds of structures are closely related to star formation. The cold sources are investigated as potentially gravitationally bound, prestellar, objects. The Orion Bar is a highly FUV-illuminated (G0=10^4) prototypical PDR, with several known protoplanetary disks, illuminated by the young Trapezium stars. First I introduce a paper published in A&A: The Physical state of selected cold clumps. In this paper we compared the Herschel dust continuum observations from the open time key program Galactic Cold Cores to ground based molecular line observations from the 20-m radio telescope of the Onsala Space Observatory in Sweden. The clumps were selected based on their brightness and low dust color temperatures (T=10-15 K). We calculated the virial and Bonnor-Ebert masses and compared them to the masses calculated from the observations. The results indicate that most of the observed cold clumps are not necessarily prestellar.Then I move on to the warm and dense condensations of the ISM. In my study of the Orion Bar, I use observations from PACS instrument on board Herschel from the open time program Unveiling the origin and excitation mechanisms of the warm CO, OH and CH+. I present maps of 110"x110" of the methylidyne cation (CH+ J=3-2), OH doublets at 84 μm, and high-J CO (J=19-18). This is the first time that these PDR tracers are presented in such a high spatial resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio. The CH+ and OH have critical densities (10^10 cm-3) and upper level energy temperatures (250 K). In addition the endothermicity of the CH+ + H2 reaction (4300 K) that forms CH+ is comparable to the activation barrier of the O + H2 reaction (4800 K) forming OH. Given these similarities it is interesting to compare their emission. The spatial distribution of CH+ and OH shows the same clumpy structure of the Bar that has been seen in other observations. The morphology of CH+ and H2 confirms that CH+ formation and excitation is strongly dependent on the vibrationally excited H2, while OH is not. The peak in the OH 84 μm emission corresponds to a bright young object, identified as the externally illuminated protoplanetary disk 244-440.Finally, I study the high-J CO in the Orion Bar. I also introduce low- and mid-J CO observations of the area. The high-J CO morphology shows a clumpy structure in the Bar and we establish a link between the dense core of the clumps, traced in CS J=2-1 by Lee et al. (2013) and in H13CN by Lis and Schilke (2003). We also show that the high-J CO is mainly excited by the UV heating.

The 2013 Crete (Hellenic Arc) Earthquake Sequence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karakostas, V. G.; Papadimitriou, E. E.; Vallianatos, F.

2014-12-01

The western Hellenic Arc is a well known place of active interplate deformation, where the convergence motion vector is perpendicular to the subduction front. On 12 October 2013 this area was hit by a strong (Mw=6.7) earthquake, occurred on a thrust fault onto the coupled part of the overriding and descending plates, with the compression axis being oriented in the direction of plate convergence. This was the first strong (M>6.0) event to have occurred onto this segment of the descending slab, which has accommodated the largest (M8.3) known earthquake in the Mediterranean area, and to be recorded by the Hellenic Unified Seismological Network (HUSN) that has been considerably improved in the last five years. The first 2-days relocated seismicity shows activation of the upper part of the descending slab, downdip of the plate interface and forming a relatively narrow aftershock area on map view. The less densely visited by aftershocks area, where the main shock is also encompassed, is considered as the high-slip area along the downdip portion of the subducting plane. Dense concentration of the intraslab aftershocks are probably due to the increase of static stress generated by the main shock. A spectacular feature of the aftershock activity concerns the lateral extension of the slipped area, which appears very sharply defined. This provides evidence on localized coupling and aseismically creeping areas, explaining the low coupling ratio in the Hellenic Arc, as it derives from comparison between relative plate motion and seismic energy release. Elucidating the issue of how far the associated large-slip zone might be extended along the plate interface during the main rupture is crucial in assessing future earthquake hazards from subduction events in the study area. This research has been co-funded by the European Union (European Social Fund) and Greek national resources under the framework of the "THALES Program: SEISMO FEAR HELLARC" project.

Eviction of linker histone H1 by NAP-family histone chaperones enhances activated transcription.

PubMed

Zhang, Qian; Giebler, Holli A; Isaacson, Marisa K; Nyborg, Jennifer K

2015-01-01

In the Metazoan nucleus, core histones assemble the genomic DNA to form nucleosome arrays, which are further compacted into dense chromatin structures by the linker histone H1. The extraordinary density of chromatin creates an obstacle for accessing the genetic information. Regulation of chromatin dynamics is therefore critical to cellular homeostasis, and histone chaperones serve as prominent players in these processes. In the current study, we examined the role of specific histone chaperones in negotiating the inherently repressive chromatin structure during transcriptional activation. Using a model promoter, we demonstrate that the human nucleosome assembly protein family members hNap1 and SET/Taf1β stimulate transcription in vitro during pre-initiation complex formation, prior to elongation. This stimulatory effect is dependent upon the presence of activators, p300, and Acetyl-CoA. We show that transcription from our chromatin template is strongly repressed by H1, and that both histone chaperones enhance RNA synthesis by overcoming H1-induced repression. Importantly, both hNap1 and SET/Taf1β directly bind H1, and function to enhance transcription by evicting the linker histone from chromatin reconstituted with H1. In vivo studies demonstrate that SET/Taf1β, but not hNap1, strongly stimulates activated transcription from the chromosomally-integrated model promoter, consistent with the observation that SET/Taf1β is nuclear, whereas hNap1 is primarily cytoplasmic. Together, these observations indicate that SET/Taf1β may serve as a critical regulator of H1 dynamics and gene activation in vivo. These studies uncover a novel function for SET that mechanistically couples transcriptional derepression with H1 dynamics. Furthermore, they underscore the significance of chaperone-dependent H1 displacement as an essential early step in the transition of a promoter from a dense chromatin state into one that is permissive to transcription factor binding and robust activation.

Supermassive black hole formation by cold accretion shocks in the first galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inayoshi, Kohei; Omukai, Kazuyuki

2012-05-01

We propose a new scenario for supermassive star (SMS: >rsim 105 M⊙) formation in shocked regions of colliding cold accretion flows near the centres of the first galaxies. Recent numerical simulations indicate that assembly of a typical first galaxy with virial temperature Tvir≳104 K proceeds via cold and dense flows penetrating deep to the centre, where supersonic streams collide with each other to develop a hot (˜104 K) and dense (˜103 cm-3) shocked gas. The post-shock layer first cools by efficient Lyα emission and contracts isobarically until ≃8000 K. Whether the layer continues its isobaric contraction depends on the density at this moment: if the density is high enough to excite H2 rovibrational levels collisionally (>rsim 104 cm-3), enhanced H2 collisional dissociation suppresses the gas from cooling further. In this case, the layer fragments into massive (>rsim 105 M⊙) clouds, which collapse isothermally (˜8000 K) by Lyα cooling without subsequent fragmentation. As an outcome, SMSs are expected to form and eventually evolve into the seeds of supermassive black holes (SMBHs). By calculating the thermal evolution of the post-shock gas, we delimit the range of post-shock conditions for SMS formation, which can be expressed as T≳6000 K (nH/104 cm-3)-1 for ? and T>rsim 5000 -6000 K for nH≳104 cm-3, depending somewhat on the initial ionization degree. We found that metal enrichment does not affect the above condition for metallicity below ≃10-3 Z⊙ if metals are in the gas phase, while condensation of several per cent of metals into dust decreases this critical value of metallicity by an order of magnitude. Unlike the previously proposed scenario for SMS formation, which postulates extremely strong ultraviolet radiation to quench H2 cooling, our scenario here naturally explains SMBH seed formation in the assembly process of the first galaxies, even without such strong radiation.

Gene Transfer Efficiency in Gonococcal Biofilms: Role of Biofilm Age, Architecture, and Pilin Antigenic Variation.

PubMed

Kouzel, Nadzeya; Oldewurtel, Enno R; Maier, Berenike

2015-07-01

Extracellular DNA is an important structural component of many bacterial biofilms. It is unknown, however, to which extent external DNA is used to transfer genes by means of transformation. Here, we quantified the acquisition of multidrug resistance and visualized its spread under selective and nonselective conditions in biofilms formed by Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The density and architecture of the biofilms were controlled by microstructuring the substratum for bacterial adhesion. Horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between cocultured strains, each carrying a single resistance, occurred efficiently in early biofilms. The efficiency of gene transfer was higher in early biofilms than between planktonic cells. It was strongly reduced after 24 h and independent of biofilm density. Pilin antigenic variation caused a high fraction of nonpiliated bacteria but was not responsible for the reduced gene transfer at later stages. When selective pressure was applied to dense biofilms using antibiotics at their MIC, the double-resistant bacteria did not show a significant growth advantage. In loosely connected biofilms, the spreading of double-resistant clones was prominent. We conclude that multidrug resistance readily develops in early gonococcal biofilms through horizontal gene transfer. However, selection and spreading of the multiresistant clones are heavily suppressed in dense biofilms. Biofilms are considered ideal reaction chambers for horizontal gene transfer and development of multidrug resistances. The rate at which genes are exchanged within biofilms is unknown. Here, we quantified the acquisition of double-drug resistance by gene transfer between gonococci with single resistances. At early biofilm stages, the transfer efficiency was higher than for planktonic cells but then decreased with biofilm age. The surface topography affected the architecture of the biofilm. While the efficiency of gene transfer was independent of the architecture, spreading of double-resistant bacteria under selective conditions was strongly enhanced in loose biofilms. We propose that while biofilms help generating multiresistant strains, selection takes place mostly after dispersal from the biofilm. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Inelastic X-ray Scattering Measurements of Ionization in Warm, Dense Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Paul F.

In this work we demonstrate spectrally resolved x-ray scattering from electron-plasma waves in shock-compressed deuterium and proton-heated matter. Because the spectral signature of inelastic x-ray scattering is strongly dependent on the free electron density of the system, it is used to infer ionization in dynamically heated samples. Using 2-6 ns, 500 J laser pulses from LLNL's Janus laser, we shocked liquid deuterium to pressures approaching 50 GPa, reaching compressions of 4 times liquid density. A second laser produced intense 2 keV x-rays. By collecting and spectrally dispersing forward scattered photons at 45°, the onset of ionization was detected at compressions of about 3 times in the form of plasmon oscillations. Backscattered x-rays bolstered this observation by measuring the free electron distribution through Compton scattering. Comparison with simulations shows very close agreement between the pressure dependence of ionization and molecular dissociation in dynamically compressed deuterium. In a second set of experiments, a 10 ps, 200 J Titan laser pulse was split into two beams. One created a stream of MeV protons to heat samples of boron and boron-nitride and the other pumped 4.5 keV K-alpha radiation in a titanium foil to probe the hot target. We observed scattered x-rays 300 ps after heating, noting a strong difference in average ionization between the two target materials at temperatures of 16 eV and very similar mass densities. Comparison with electron structure calculations suggests that this difference is due to a persistence of long-range ion structure in BN resulting in high-temperature band structure. These results underscore the importance of understanding the complex electron structure of materials even at electron-volt temperatures and gigapascal pressures. Our results provide new data to guide the theoretical modeling of warm, dense matter important to understanding giant planets and inertial fusion targets.

Molecular Association and Monolayer Formation of Soluble Phthalocyanine Compounds.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-04-20

stable Langmuir - Blodgett monolayer to film pressures of 20 mN/m ant force-area curves indicate a dense packing of phthalocyanine units with molecular areas...8217which is monomeric and Cu, Ni, Pd and PtpdX4 wMyi,chjform larger complexes ranging from 2.7 to 4.1 molecular units. EachU.MCx*4 forms a stable Langmuir ... Blodgett monolayer to film pressures of 20 mN/in and force-area curves indicate a dense packing of phthalocyanine urits with molecul-ar areas

Dealing with Bugs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matthews, Bruce

1994-01-01

Strategies for warding off insects during outdoor activities include wearing thick, densely woven clothing in light brown or green colors; wearing clothing with tight cuffs to restrict access; and avoiding soaps, lotions, and other products with strong odors that attract insects. Repellents should be considered when skin must be exposed. (LP)

H2D(+) observations give an age of at least one million years for a cloud core forming Sun-like stars.

PubMed

Brünken, Sandra; Sipilä, Olli; Chambers, Edward T; Harju, Jorma; Caselli, Paola; Asvany, Oskar; Honingh, Cornelia E; Kamiński, Tomasz; Menten, Karl M; Stutzki, Jürgen; Schlemmer, Stephan

2014-12-11

The age of dense interstellar cloud cores, where stars and planets form, is a crucial parameter in star formation and difficult to measure. Some models predict rapid collapse, whereas others predict timescales of more than one million years (ref. 3). One possible approach to determining the age is through chemical changes as cloud contraction occurs, in particular through indirect measurements of the ratio of the two spin isomers (ortho/para) of molecular hydrogen, H2, which decreases monotonically with age. This has been done for the dense cloud core L183, for which the deuterium fractionation of diazenylium (N2H(+)) was used as a chemical clock to infer that the core has contracted rapidly (on a timescale of less than 700,000 years). Among astronomically observable molecules, the spin isomers of the deuterated trihydrogen cation, ortho-H2D(+) and para-H2D(+), have the most direct chemical connections to H2 (refs 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) and their abundance ratio provides a chemical clock that is sensitive to greater cloud core ages. So far this ratio has not been determined because para-H2D(+) is very difficult to observe. The detection of its rotational ground-state line has only now become possible thanks to accurate measurements of its transition frequency in the laboratory, and recent progress in instrumentation technology. Here we report observations of ortho- and para-H2D(+) emission and absorption, respectively, from the dense cloud core hosting IRAS 16293-2422 A/B, a group of nascent solar-type stars (with ages of less than 100,000 years). Using the ortho/para ratio in conjunction with chemical models, we find that the dense core has been chemically processed for at least one million years. The apparent discrepancy with the earlier N2H(+) work arises because that chemical clock turns off sooner than the H2D(+) clock, but both results imply that star-forming dense cores have ages of about one million years, rather than 100,000 years.

Epithelial stem cells are formed by small-particles released from particle-producing cells

PubMed Central

Kong, Wuyi; Zhu, Xiao Ping; Han, Xiu Juan; Nuo, Mu; Wang, Hong

2017-01-01

Recent spatiotemporal report demonstrated that epidermal stem cells have equal potential to divide or differentiate, with no asymmetric cell division observed. Therefore, how epithelial stem cells maintain lifelong stem-cell support still needs to be elucidated. In mouse blood and bone marrow, we found a group of large cells stained strongly for eosin and containing coiled-tubing-like structures. Many were tightly attached to each other to form large cellular clumps. After sectioning, these large cell-clumps were composed of not cells but numerous small particles, however with few small “naked” nuclei. The small particles were about 2 to 3 μm in diameter and stained dense red for eosin, so they may be rich in proteins. Besides the clumps composed of small particles, we identified clumps formed by fusion of the small particles and clumps of newly formed nucleated cells. These observations suggest that these small particles further fused and underwent cellularization. E-cadherin was expressed in particle-fusion areas, some “naked” nuclei and the newly formed nucleated cells, which suggests that these particles can form epithelial cells via fusion and nuclear remodeling. In addition, we observed similar-particle fusion before epithelial cellularization in mouse kidney ducts after kidney ischemia, which suggests that these particles can be released in the blood and carried to the target tissues for epithelial-cell regeneration. Oct4 and E-cadherin expressed in the cytoplasmic areas in cells that were rich in protein and mainly located in the center of the cellular clumps, suggesting that these newly formed cells have become tissue-specific epithelial stem cells. Our data provide evidence that these large particle-producing cells are the origin of epithelial stem cells. The epithelial stem cells are newly formed by particle fusion. PMID:28253358

Stellar Interlopers Caught Speeding Through Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2009-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site] [figure removed for brevity, see original site] [figure removed for brevity, see original site] [figure removed for brevity, see original site] Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Click on individual image for larger view

Resembling comets streaking across the sky, these four speedy stars are plowing through regions of dense interstellar gas and creating brilliant arrowhead structures and trailing tails of glowing gas.

These bright arrowheads, or bow shocks, can be seen in these four images taken with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The bow shocks form when the stars' powerful stellar winds, streams of matter flowing from the stars, slam into surrounding dense gas. The phenomenon is similar to that seen when a speeding boat pushes through water on a lake.

The stars in these images are among 13 runaway stars spotted by Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys. The stars appear to be young, just millions of years old. Their ages are based on their colors and the presence of strong stellar winds, a signature of youthful stars.

Depending on their distance from Earth, the bullet-nosed bow shocks could be 100 billion to a trillion miles wide (the equivalent of 17 to 170 solar system diameters, measured out to Neptune's orbit). The bow shocks indicate that the stars are moving fast, more than 180,000 kilometers an hour (more than 112,000 miles an hour) with respect to the dense gas they are plowing through. They are traveling roughly five times faster than typical young stars, relative to their surroundings.

The high-speed stars have traveled far from their birth places. Assuming their youthful phase lasts only a million years and they are moving at roughly 180,000 kilometers an hour, the stars have journeyed 160 light-years.

The Hubble observations were taken between October 2005 and July 2006.

Dense CO2 as a Solute, Co-Solute or Co-Solvent in Particle Formation Processes: A Review

PubMed Central

Nunes, Ana V. M.; Duarte, Catarina M. M.

2011-01-01

The application of dense gases in particle formation processes has attracted great attention due to documented advantages over conventional technologies. In particular, the use of dense CO2 in the process has been subject of many works and explored in a variety of different techniques. This article presents a review of the current available techniques in use in particle formation processes, focusing exclusively on those employing dense CO2 as a solute, co-solute or co-solvent during the process, such as PGSS (Particles from gas-saturated solutions®), CPF (Concentrated Powder Form®), CPCSP (Continuous Powder Coating Spraying Process), CAN-BD (Carbon dioxide Assisted Nebulization with a Bubble Dryer®), SEA (Supercritical Enhanced Atomization), SAA (Supercritical Fluid-Assisted Atomization), PGSS-Drying and DELOS (Depressurization of an Expanded Liquid Organic Solution). Special emphasis is given to modifications introduced in the different techniques, as well as the limitations that have been overcome. PMID:28824121

Phase Locking of Multiple Single Neurons to the Local Field Potential in Cat V1.

PubMed

Martin, Kevan A C; Schröder, Sylvia

2016-02-24

The local field potential (LFP) is thought to reflect a temporal reference for neuronal spiking, which may facilitate information coding and orchestrate the communication between neural populations. To explore this proposed role, we recorded the LFP and simultaneously the spike activity of one to three nearby neurons in V1 of anesthetized cats during the presentation of drifting sinusoidal gratings, binary dense noise stimuli, and natural movies. In all stimulus conditions and during spontaneous activity, the average LFP power at frequencies >20 Hz was higher when neurons were spiking versus not spiking. The spikes were weakly but significantly phase locked to all frequencies of the LFP. The average spike phase of the LFP was stable across high and low levels of LFP power, but the strength of phase locking at low frequencies (≤10 Hz) increased with increasing LFP power. In a next step, we studied how strong stimulus responses of single neurons are reflected in the LFP and the LFP-spike relationship. We found that LFP power was slightly increased and phase locking was slightly stronger during strong compared with weak stimulus-locked responses. In summary, the coupling strength between high frequencies of the LFP and spikes was not strongly modulated by LFP power, which is thought to reflect spiking synchrony, nor was it strongly influenced by how strongly the neuron was driven by the stimulus. Furthermore, a comparison between neighboring neurons showed no clustering of preferred LFP phase. We argue that hypotheses on the relevance of phase locking in their current form are inconsistent with our findings. Copyright © 2016 the authors 0270-6474/16/362494-09$15.00/0.

The shear modulus of metastable amorphous solids with strong central and bond-bending interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaccone, Alessio

2009-07-01

We derive expressions for the shear modulus of deeply quenched, glassy solids, in terms of a Cauchy-Born free energy expansion around a rigid (quenched) reference state, following the approach due to Alexander (1998 Phys. Rep. 296 65). Continuum-limit explicit expressions of the shear modulus are derived starting from the microscopic Hamiltonians of central and bond-bending interactions. The applicability of the expressions to dense covalent glasses as well as colloidal glasses involving strongly attractive or adhesive bonds is discussed.

Consumption of low-nutrient, energy-dense foods and beverages at school, home, and other locations among school lunch participants and nonparticipants.

PubMed

Briefel, Ronette R; Wilson, Ander; Gleason, Philip M

2009-02-01

Access to foods and beverages on school campuses, at home, and other locations affects children's diet quality, energy intake, and risk of obesity. To describe patterns of consumption of "empty calories"--low-nutrient, energy-dense foods, including sugar-sweetened beverages--by eating location among National School Lunch Program (NSLP) participants and nonparticipants. Cross-sectional study using 24-hour dietary recall data from the 2004-2005 third School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study. A nationally representative sample of 2,314 children in grades one through 12, including 1,386 NSLP participants. Comparisons, using t tests, of the proportion of children consuming low-nutrient, energy-dense foods and beverages, mean daily energy and energy from low-nutrient, energy-dense foods, and energy density by NSLP participation status. On a typical school day, children consumed 527 "empty calories" during a 24-hour period. Eating at home provided the highest mean amount of energy from low-nutrient, energy-dense foods (276 kcal vs 174 kcal at school and 78 kcal at other locations). NSLP participants consumed less energy from sugar-sweetened beverages at school than nonparticipants (11 kcal vs 39 kcal in elementary schools and 45 kcal vs 61 kcal in secondary schools, P<0.01), but more energy from low-nutrient, energy-dense solid foods such as french fries and higher-fat baked goods in secondary schools (157 kcal vs 127 kcal, P<0.01). Participants were not more likely to consume sugar-sweetened beverages or low-nutrient, energy-dense foods at home or other locations. School lunch participants' consumption at school was less energy-dense than nonparticipants' consumption at school (P<0.01). Energy density was highest for consumption at locations away from home and school. Improving home eating behaviors, where the largest proportion of total daily and energy from low-nutrient, energy-dense foods are consumed (especially from sugar-sweetened beverages, chips, and baked goods) is warranted. At schools, consumption of energy from low-nutrient, energy-dense foods may be reduced by limiting access to competitive foods and beverages, enforcing strong school wellness policies, and minimizing the frequency of offering french fries and similar potato products and higher-fat baked goods in school meals or à la carte.

Two-dimensional plasmons in lateral carbon nanotube network structures and their effect on the terahertz radiation detection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ryzhii, V.; Institute of Ultra High Frequency Semiconductor Electronics of RAS, Moscow 117105; Center for Photonics and Infrared Engineering, Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Moscow 111005

2016-07-28

We consider the carrier transport and plasmonic phenomena in the lateral carbon nanotube (CNT) networks forming the device channel with asymmetric electrodes. One electrode is the Ohmic contact to the CNT network and the other contact is the Schottky contact. These structures can serve as detectors of the terahertz (THz) radiation. We develop the device model for collective response of the lateral CNT networks which comprise a mixture of randomly oriented semiconductor CNTs (s-CNTs) and quasi-metal CNTs (m-CNTs). The proposed model includes the concept of the collective two-dimensional (2D) plasmons in relatively dense networks of randomly oriented CNTs (CNT “felt”)more » and predicts the detector responsivity spectral characteristics exhibiting sharp resonant peaks at the signal frequencies corresponding to the 2D plasmonic resonances. The detection mechanism is the rectification of the ac current due the nonlinearity of the Schottky contact current-voltage characteristics under the conditions of a strong enhancement of the potential drop at this contact associated with the plasmon excitation. The detector responsivity depends on the fractions of the s- and m-CNTs. The burning of the near-contact regions of the m-CNTs or destruction of these CNTs leads to a marked increase in the responsivity in agreement with our experimental data. The resonant THz detectors with sufficiently dense lateral CNT networks can compete and surpass other THz detectors using plasmonic effects at room temperatures.« less

A Deuteration Survey of Starless Clumps in GemOB1 and the First Quadrant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henrici, Andrew; Shirley, Yancy L.; Svoboda, Brian

2018-01-01

One very strong chemical process in star-forming regions is the fractionation of deuterium in molecules, which results in an increase in the deuterium ratio many orders of magnitude over the ISM [D]/[H] ratio and provides a chemical probe of cold, dense regions. Recent maps of dust continuum emission at (sub)millimeter wavelengths have identified tens of thousands of dense clumps of gas and dust. By comparing these regions to infrared and radio surveys, we have identified starless clump candidates which have no evidence for embedded star formation. These objects represent the earliest phase of star formation throughout the Milky Way. One benefit of the Milky Way surveys is that it is also possible to study the chemistry of entire core and clump populations within a single cloud. We used the 10m Heinrich Hertz Submillimeter Telescope to survey starless clump candidates in the First Quadrant identified from the Bolocam Galactic Plane Survey 1.1 mm continuum in the deuterated molecular transitions of DCO+ 3-2 and N2D+ 3-2. We also survey the entire clump population of the Gemini OB1 molecular cloud. In both surveys, we compared detection statistics and compare deuteration fraction to physical properties of the clumps and their evolutionary stage. High resolution ALMA observations of 9 starless clump candidates of the same lines are used to analyze how the cold deuterated gas is spatially distributed in these clumps.

Structure of the Los Angeles Basin from Ambient Noise and Receiver Function Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clayton, R. W.; Ma, Y.; Cochran, E. S.

2015-12-01

We show the results from the LASSIE seismic experiment, which consists of a dense (1-km spacing) linear array of broadband stations deployed across the LA basin for approximately two months. Two common methods - ambient noise and receiver function (RF) - are applied to determine the velocity and structure of the basin. The basin RFs are complicated, however, the dense array enhances the lateral coherence of the signals and allows the structure to be imaged. The basement shape is clearly shown in the migrated image of the PpPs phase. The Ps conversion at the basement is the largest signal (including the direct wave) in the first 3 s. However, the Ps phase does not form as clear an image compared with the PpPs phase, possibly due to a requirement of more accurate velocity model. The surface wave signals from the ambient noise cross-correlations between LASSIE and surrounding SCSN stations are used for velocity inversion. A linear Dix-type inversion (Haney and Tsai, 2015, Geophysics) is applied to the extracted dispersion curves. The 1-10 s period Rayleigh wave and the 1-8 s period Love wave dispersion curves provide excellent constraints on top 5 km SV and top 3 km SH velocity structures respectively. Strong anisotropy (SV > SH) is observed for the top 1 km, and we plan to use this result to infer the fracture orientation and density of the shallow sedimentary rocks.

Interpreting the sub-linear Kennicutt-Schmidt relationship: the case for diffuse molecular gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shetty, Rahul; Clark, Paul C.; Klessen, Ralf S.

2014-08-01

Recent statistical analysis of two extragalactic observational surveys strongly indicate a sub-linear Kennicutt-Schmidt (KS) relationship between the star formation rate (ΣSFR) and molecular gas surface density (Σmol). Here, we consider the consequences of these results in the context of common assumptions, as well as observational support for a linear relationship between ΣSFR and the surface density of dense gas. If the CO traced gas depletion time (τ_dep^CO) is constant, and if CO only traces star-forming giant molecular clouds (GMCs), then the physical properties of each GMC must vary, such as the volume densities or star formation rates. Another possibility is that the conversion between CO luminosity and Σmol, the XCO factor, differs from cloud-to-cloud. A more straightforward explanation is that CO permeates the hierarchical interstellar medium, including the filaments and lower density regions within which GMCs are embedded. A number of independent observational results support this description, with the diffuse gas comprising at least 30 per cent of the total molecular content. The CO bright diffuse gas can explain the sub-linear KS relationship, and consequently leads to an increasing τ_dep^CO with Σmol. If ΣSFR linearly correlates with the dense gas surface density, a sub-linear KS relationship indicates that the fraction of diffuse gas fdiff grows with Σmol. In galaxies where Σmol falls towards the outer disc, this description suggests that fdiff also decreases radially.

Dense tissue-like collagen matrices formed in cell-free conditions.

PubMed

Mosser, Gervaise; Anglo, Anny; Helary, Christophe; Bouligand, Yves; Giraud-Guille, Marie-Madeleine

2006-01-01

A new protocol was developed to produce dense organized collagen matrices hierarchically ordered on a large scale. It consists of a two stage process: (1) the organization of a collagen solution and (2) the stabilization of the organizations by a sol-gel transition that leads to the formation of collagen fibrils. This new protocol relies on the continuous injection of an acid-soluble collagen solution into glass microchambers. It leads to extended concentration gradients of collagen, ranging from 5 to 1000 mg/ml. The self-organization of collagen solutions into a wide array of spatial organizations was investigated. The final matrices obtained by this procedure varied in concentration, structure and density. Changes in the liquid state of the samples were followed by polarized light microscopy, and the final stabilized gel states obtained after fibrillogenesis were analyzed by both light and electron microscopy. Typical organizations extended homogeneously by up to three centimetres in one direction and several hundreds of micrometers in other directions. Fibrillogenesis of collagen solutions of high and low concentrations led to fibrils spatially arranged as has been described in bone and derm, respectively. Moreover, a relationship was revealed between the collagen concentration and the aggregation of and rotational angles between lateral fibrils. These results constitute a strong base from which to further develop highly enriched collagen matrices that could lead to substitutes that mimic connective tissues. The matrices thus obtained may also be good candidates for the study of the three-dimensional migration of cells.

Strong population genetic structure and larval dispersal capability of the burrowing ghost shrimp (Neotrypaea californiensis)

EPA Science Inventory

The burrowing ghost shrimp, Neotrypaea californiensis, is a vital member of the estuarine benthic community. Dense populations of shrimp are found in the major estuaries of Washington and Oregon. Our study determines the genetic structure of shrimp populations in order to gain ...

Glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterases play an important role in phosphate recycling and phosphate sensing in white lupin

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

White lupin (Lupinus albus L.), a well adapted species to phosphate (Pi) impoverished soils, develops short, densely clustered lateral roots (cluster/proteoid roots) to increase Pi uptake. Here, we report two white lupin glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase (GPX-PDE) genes which share strong homo...

The Constellation-X Mission: Science Prospects and Technology Challenges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Petre, Robert

2007-01-01

This talk will describe the Constellation-X mission. It will present the key scientific goals, relating to strong gravity, dark energy, ultra-dense matter and cosmic structure. The mission configuration will be described. Emphasis will be placed on the design and anticipated implementation of the X-ray mirror system.

First Observations of the Magnetic Field inside the Pillars of Creation: Results from the BISTRO Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pattle, Kate; Ward-Thompson, Derek; Hasegawa, Tetsuo; Bastien, Pierre; Kwon, Woojin; Lai, Shih-Ping; Qiu, Keping; Furuya, Ray; Berry, David; JCMT BISTRO Survey Team

2018-06-01

We present the first high-resolution, submillimeter-wavelength polarimetric observations of—and thus direct observations of the magnetic field morphology within—the dense gas of the Pillars of Creation in M16. These 850 μm observations, taken as part of the B-Fields in Star-forming Region Observations Survey (BISTRO) using the POL-2 polarimeter on the Submillimeter Common-User Bolometer Array 2 (SCUBA-2) camera on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT), show that the magnetic field runs along the length of the Pillars, perpendicular to and decoupled from the field in the surrounding photoionized cloud. Using the Chandrasekhar–Fermi method we estimate a plane-of-sky magnetic field strength of 170–320 μG in the Pillars, consistent with their having been formed through the compression of gas with initially weak magnetization. The observed magnetic field strength and morphology suggests that the magnetic field may be slowing the Pillars’ evolution into cometary globules. We thus hypothesize that the evolution and lifetime of the Pillars may be strongly influenced by the strength of the coupling of their magnetic field to that of their parent photoionized cloud—i.e., that the Pillars’ longevity results from magnetic support.

Music-to-Color Associations of Single-Line Piano Melodies in Non-synesthetes.

PubMed

Palmer, Stephen E; Langlois, Thomas A; Schloss, Karen B

2016-01-01

Prior research has shown that non-synesthetes' color associations to classical orchestral music are strongly mediated by emotion. The present study examines similar cross-modal music-to-color associations for much better controlled musical stimuli: 64 single-line piano melodies that were generated from four basic melodies by Mozart, whose global musical parameters were manipulated in tempo(slow/fast), note-density (sparse/dense), mode (major/minor) and pitch-height (low/high). Participants first chose the three colors (from 37) that they judged to be most consistent with (and, later, the three that were most inconsistent with) the music they were hearing. They later rated each melody and each color for the strength of its association along four emotional dimensions: happy/sad, agitated/calm, angry/not-angry and strong/weak. The cross-modal choices showed that faster music in the major mode was associated with lighter, more saturated, yellower (warmer) colors than slower music in the minor mode. These results replicate and extend those of Palmer et al. (2013, Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. 110, 8836-8841) with more precisely controlled musical stimuli. Further results replicated strong evidence for emotional mediation of these cross-modal associations, in that the emotional ratings of the melodies were very highly correlated with the emotional associations of the colors chosen as going best/worst with the melodies (r = 0.92, 0.85, 0.82 and 0.70 for happy/sad, strong/weak,angry/not-angry and agitated/calm, respectively). The results are discussed in terms of common emotional associations forming a cross-modal bridge between highly disparate sensory inputs.

Combustion synthesis method and products

DOEpatents

Holt, J.B.; Kelly, M.

1993-03-30

Disclosed is a method of producing dense refractory products, comprising: (a) obtaining a quantity of exoergic material in powder form capable of sustaining a combustion synthesis reaction; (b) removing absorbed water vapor therefrom; (c) cold-pressing said material into a formed body; (d) plasma spraying said formed body with a molten exoergic material to form a coat thereon; and (e) igniting said exoergic coated formed body under an inert gas atmosphere and pressure to produce self-sustained combustion synthesis. Also disclosed are products produced by the method.

Combustion synthesis method and products

DOEpatents

Holt, J. Birch; Kelly, Michael

1993-01-01

Disclosed is a method of producing dense refractory products, comprising: (a) obtaining a quantity of exoergic material in powder form capable of sustaining a combustion synthesis reaction; (b) removing absorbed water vapor therefrom; (c) cold-pressing said material into a formed body; (d) plasma spraying said formed body with a molten exoergic material to form a coat thereon; and (e) igniting said exoergic coated formed body under an inert gas atmosphere and pressure to produce self-sustained combustion synthesis. Also disclosed are products produced by the method.

Composite oxygen ion transport element

DOEpatents

Chen, Jack C [Getzville, NY; Besecker, Charles J [Batavia, IL; Chen, Hancun [Williamsville, NY; Robinson, Earil T [Mentor, OH

2007-06-12

A composite oxygen ion transport element that has a layered structure formed by a dense layer to transport oxygen ions and electrons and a porous support layer to provide mechanical support. The dense layer can be formed of a mixture of a mixed conductor, an ionic conductor, and a metal. The porous support layer can be fabricated from an oxide dispersion strengthened metal, a metal-reinforced intermetallic alloy, a boron-doped Mo.sub.5Si.sub.3-based intermetallic alloy or combinations thereof. The support layer can be provided with a network of non-interconnected pores and each of said pores communicates between opposite surfaces of said support layer. Such a support layer can be advantageously employed to reduce diffusion resistance in any type of element, including those using a different material makeup than that outlined above.

Dissipative quantum hydrodynamics model of x-ray Thomson scattering in dense plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diaw, Abdourahmane; Murillo, Michael

2017-10-01

X-ray Thomson scattering (XRTS) provides detailed diagnostic information about dense plasma experiments. The inferences made rely on an accurate model for the form factor, which is typically expressed in terms of a well-known response function. Here, we develop an alternate approach based on quantum hydrodynamics using a viscous form of dynamical density functional theory. This approach is shown to include the equation of state self-consistently, including sum rules, as well as irreversibility arising from collisions. This framework is used to generate a model for the scattering spectrum, and it offers an avenue for measuring hydrodynamic properties, such as transport coefficients, using XRTS. This work was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (Grant No. FA9550-12-1-0344).

Microwave sintering of boron carbide

DOEpatents

Blake, R.D.; Katz, J.D.; Petrovic, J.J.; Sheinberg, H.

1988-06-10

A method for forming boron carbide into a particular shape and densifying the green boron carbide shape. Boron carbide in powder form is pressed into a green shape and then sintered, using a microwave oven, to obtain a dense boron carbide body. Densities of greater than 95% of theoretical density have been obtained. 1 tab.

Invasion of the exotic grasses: Mapping their progression via satellite

Treesearch

Eric B. Peterson

2008-01-01

Several exotic annual grass species are invading the Intermountain West. After disturbances including wildfire, these grasses can form dense stands with fine fuels that then shorten fire intervals. Thus invasive annual grasses and wildfire form a positive feedback mechanism that threatens native ecosystems. Chief among these within Nevada are Bromus tectorum...

Reduction of the ionization energy for 1s-electrons in dense aluminum plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, C.; Reinholz, H.; Röpke, G.

2017-02-01

The properties of a bound multi-electron system immersed in a plasma environment are strongly modified by the surrounding plasma. In particular, the modification of the ionization energy is described by the electronic self-energy within the framework of the quantum statistical theory. We present the energy shift of the eigenstates and the lowering of the continuum edge of free electrons in a plasma. The reduction of the ionization potential is determined by their difference. This ionization potential depression for the 1s-levels in dense aluminum plasmas is calculated. Comparisons with other theories and the experimental data are shown for aluminum plasma at solid density 2.7 g/cm3.

Equations of state for neutron stars and core-collapse supernovae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oertel, Micaela; Providência, Constança

2018-04-01

Modelling compact stars is a complex task which depends on many ingredients, among others the properties of dense matter. In this contribution models for the equation of state (EoS) of dense matter will be discussed, relevant for the description of core-collapse supernovae, compact stars and compact star mergers. Such EoS models have to cover large ranges in baryon number density, temperature and isospin asymmetry. The characteristics of matter change dramatically within these ranges, from a mixture of nucleons, nuclei, and electrons to uniform, strongly interacting matter containing nucleons, and possibly other particles such as hyperons or quarks. Some implications for compact star astrophysics will be highlighted, too.

Critical parameters, thermodynamic functions, and shock Hugoniot of aluminum fluid at high energy density

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaghloul, Mofreh R.

2018-03-01

We present estimates of the critical properties, thermodynamic functions, and principal shock Hugoniot of hot dense aluminum fluid as predicted from a chemical model for the equation-of-state of hot dense, partially ionized and partially degenerate plasma. The essential features of strongly coupled plasma of metal vapors, such as multiple ionization, Coulomb interactions among charged particles, partial degeneracy, and intensive short range hard core repulsion are taken into consideration. Internal partition functions of neutral, excited, and multiply ionized species are carefully evaluated in a statistical-mechanically consistent way. Results predicted from the present model are presented, analyzed and compared with available experimental measurements and other theoretical predictions in the literature.

Radiative corrections to the Coulomb law and model of dense quantum plasmas: Dispersion of longitudinal waves in magnetized quantum plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andreev, Pavel A.

2018-04-01

Two kinds of quantum electrodynamic radiative corrections to electromagnetic interactions and their influence on the properties of highly dense quantum plasmas are considered. Linear radiative correction to the Coulomb interaction is considered. Its contribution in the spectrum of the Langmuir waves is presented. The second kind of radiative corrections are related to the nonlinearity of the Maxwell equations for the strong electromagnetic field. Their contribution in the spectrum of transverse waves of magnetized plasmas is briefly discussed. At the consideration of the Langmuir wave spectrum, we included the effect of different distributions of the spin-up and spin-down electrons revealing in the Fermi pressure shift.

A pilot scale ultrasonic system to enhance extraction processes with dense gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riera, E.; Blasco, M.; Tornero, A.; Casas, E.; Roselló, C.; Simal, S.; Acosta, V. M.; Gallego-Juárez, J. A.

2012-05-01

The use of dense gases (supercritical fluids) as extracting agents has been attracting wide interest for years. In particular, supercritical carbon dioxide is considered nowadays as a green and very useful solvent. Nevertheless, the extraction process has a slow dynamics. Power ultrasound represents an efficient way for accelerating and enhancing the kinetics of the process by producing strong agitation and turbulence, compressions and decompressions, and heating in the media. For this purpose, a device prototype for using ultrasound in supercritical media was developed, tested and validated in extraction processes of oil from grounded almonds (55% oil content, wet basis and 3-4 mm particle size) in a 5 L extraction unit. An amount of 1500 g of grounded almonds was placed in a cylindrical basket during the trials inside the dense gas extractor (DGE) where solvent was introduced at different flow rates, pressures and temperatures. In all cases the ultrasonic energy confirmed the enhancement and acceleration of the almond oil extraction kinetics using supercritical CO2. Presently the power ultrasound effect in such a process is being deeply analyzed in a 5 L extraction unit before scaling-up a new ultrasonic system. This technology, still under development, has been designed for a bigger dense gas pilot-plant consisting of two extractors (20 L capacity), two separation units and has the possibility of operating at a pressure up to 50 MPa. The goal of this work is to study the effect of high-power ultrasound coupled to dense gas extraction inside the basket with the product, and to present a prototype for the use of power ultrasound in extraction processes with dense gases inside a new 20 L extractor unit.

The effects of sub-ice-shelf melting on dense shelf water formation and export in idealized simulations of Antarctic margins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marques, Gustavo; Stern, Alon; Harrison, Matthew; Sergienko, Olga; Hallberg, Robert

2017-04-01

Dense shelf water (DSW) is formed in coastal polynyas around Antarctica as a result of intense cooling and brine rejection. A fraction of this water reaches ice shelves cavities and is modified due to interactions with sub-ice-shelf melt water. This modified water mass contributes to the formation of Antarctic Bottom Water, and consequently, influences the large-scale ocean circulation. Here, we investigate the role of sub-ice-shelf melting in the formation and export of DSW using idealized simulations with an isopycnal ocean model (MOM6) coupled with a sea ice model (SIS2) and a thermodynamic active ice shelf. A set of experiments is conducted with variable horizontal grid resolutions (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 km), ice shelf geometries and atmospheric forcing. In all simulations DSW is spontaneously formed in coastal polynyas due to the combined effect of the imposed atmospheric forcing and the ocean state. Our results show that sub-ice-shelf melting can significantly change the rate of dense shelf water outflows, highlighting the importance of this process to correctly represent bottom water formation.

Process for producing silicon

DOEpatents

Olson, J.M.; Carleton, K.L.

1982-06-10

A process of producing silicon includes forming an alloy of copper and silicon and positioning the alloy in a dried, molten salt electrolyte to form a solid anode structure therein. An electrically conductive cathode is placed in the electrolyte for plating silicon thereon. The electrolyte is then purified to remove dissolved oxides. Finally, an electrical potential is applied between the anode and cathode in an amount sufficient to form substantially pure silicon on the cathode in the form of substantially dense, coherent deposits.

Exploiting Data Sparsity in Parallel Matrix Powers Computations

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-03

2013 Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour...matrices of the form A = D+USV H, where D is sparse and USV H has low rank but may be dense. Matrices of this form arise in many practical applications...methods numerical partial di erential equation solvers, and preconditioned iterative methods. If A has this form , our algorithm enables a communication

Process for producing silicon

DOEpatents

Olson, Jerry M.; Carleton, Karen L.

1984-01-01

A process for producing silicon includes forming an alloy of copper and silicon and positioning the alloy in a dried, molten salt electrolyte to form a solid anode structure therein. An electrically conductive cathode is placed in the electrolyte for plating silicon thereon. The electrolyte is then purified to remove dissolved oxides. Finally, an electrical potential is applied between the anode and cathode in an amount sufficient to form substantially pure silicon on the cathode in the form of substantially dense, coherent deposits.

Energy deposition of heavy ions in the regime of strong beam-plasma correlations.

PubMed

Gericke, D O; Schlanges, M

2003-03-01

The energy loss of highly charged ions in dense plasmas is investigated. The applied model includes strong beam-plasma correlation via a quantum T-matrix treatment of the cross sections. Dynamic screening effects are modeled by using a Debye-like potential with a velocity dependent screening length that guarantees the known low and high beam velocity limits. It is shown that this phenomenological model is in good agreement with simulation data up to very high beam-plasma coupling. An analysis of the stopping process shows considerably longer ranges and a less localized energy deposition if strong coupling is treated properly.

Common genetic variation and novel loci associated with volumetric mammographic density.

PubMed

Brand, Judith S; Humphreys, Keith; Li, Jingmei; Karlsson, Robert; Hall, Per; Czene, Kamila

2018-04-17

Mammographic density (MD) is a strong and heritable intermediate phenotype of breast cancer, but much of its genetic variation remains unexplained. We conducted a genetic association study of volumetric MD in a Swedish mammography screening cohort (n = 9498) to identify novel MD loci. Associations with volumetric MD phenotypes (percent dense volume, absolute dense volume, and absolute nondense volume) were estimated using linear regression adjusting for age, body mass index, menopausal status, and six principal components. We also estimated the proportion of MD variance explained by additive contributions from single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP-based heritability [h 2 SNP ]) in 4948 participants of the cohort. In total, three novel MD loci were identified (at P < 5 × 10 - 8 ): one for percent dense volume (HABP2) and two for the absolute dense volume (INHBB, LINC01483). INHBB is an established locus for ER-negative breast cancer, and HABP2 and LINC01483 represent putative new breast cancer susceptibility loci, because both loci were associated with breast cancer in available meta-analysis data including 122,977 breast cancer cases and 105,974 control subjects (P < 0.05). h 2 SNP (SE) estimates for percent dense, absolute dense, and nondense volume were 0.29 (0.07), 0.31 (0.07), and 0.25 (0.07), respectively. Corresponding ratios of h 2 SNP to previously observed narrow-sense h 2 estimates in the same cohort were 0.46, 0.72, and 0.41, respectively. These findings provide new insights into the genetic basis of MD and biological mechanisms linking MD to breast cancer risk. Apart from identifying three novel loci, we demonstrate that at least 25% of the MD variance is explained by common genetic variation with h 2 SNP /h 2 ratios varying between dense and nondense MD components.

The dense gas mass fraction of molecular clouds in the Milky Way

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Battisti, Andrew J.; Heyer, Mark H., E-mail: abattist@astro.umass.edu, E-mail: heyer@astro.umass.edu

2014-01-10

The mass fraction of dense gas within giant molecular clouds (GMCs) of the Milky Way is investigated using {sup 13}CO data from the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory Galactic Plane Surveys and the Bolocam Galactic Plane Survey (BGPS) of 1.1 mm dust continuum emission. A sample of 860 compact dust sources are selected from the BGPS catalog and kinematically linked to 344 clouds of extended (>3') {sup 13}CO J = 1-0 emission. Gas masses are tabulated for the full dust source and subregions within the dust sources with mass surface densities greater than 200 M {sub ☉} pc{sup –2}, whichmore » are assumed to be regions of enhanced volume density. Masses of the parent GMCs are calculated assuming optically thin {sup 13}CO J = 1-0 emission and local thermodynamic equilibrium conditions. The mean fractional mass of dust sources to host GMC mass is 0.11{sub −0.06}{sup +0.12}. The high column density subregions comprise 0.07{sub −0.05}{sup +0.13} of the mass of the cloud. Owing to our assumptions, these values are upper limits to the true mass fractions. The fractional mass of dense gas is independent of GMC mass and gas surface density. The low dense gas mass fraction suggests that the formation of dense structures within GMCs is the primary bottleneck for star formation. The distribution of velocity differences between the dense gas and the low density material along the line of sight is also examined. We find a strong, centrally peaked distribution centered on zero velocity displacement. This distribution of velocity differences is modeled with radially converging flows toward the dense gas position that are randomly oriented with respect to the observed line of sight. These models constrain the infall velocities to be 2-4 km s{sup –1} for various flow configurations.« less

Venogram - leg

MedlinePlus

... through the body to form an image on film. Structures that are dense (such as bone) will ... Guidelines Viewers & Players MedlinePlus Connect for EHRs For Developers U.S. National Library of Medicine 8600 Rockville Pike, ...

X-ray (image)

MedlinePlus

X-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation, just like visible light. Structures that are dense (such as bone) will block most of the x-ray particles, and will appear white. Metal and contrast media ( ...

Biphasic catalysis in water/carbon dioxide micellar systems

DOEpatents

Jacobson, Gunilla B.; Tumas, William; Johnston, Keith P.

2002-01-01

A process is provided for catalyzing an organic reaction to form a reaction product by placing reactants and a catalyst for the organic reaction, the catalyst of a metal complex and at least one ligand soluble within one of the phases of said aqueous biphasic system, within an aqueous biphasic system including a water phase, a dense phase fluid, and a surfactant adapted for forming an emulsion or microemulsion within the aqueous biphasic system, the reactants soluble within one of the phases of the aqueous biphasic system and convertible in the presence of the catalyst to a product having low solubility in the phase in which the catalyst is soluble; and, maintaining the aqueous biphasic system under pressures, at temperatures, and for a period of time sufficient for the organic reaction to occur and form the reaction product and to maintain sufficient density on the dense phase fluid, the reaction product characterized as having low solubility in the phase in which the catalyst is soluble.

Method of forming a plasma sprayed interconnection layer on an electrode of an electrochemical cell

DOEpatents

Spengler, Charles J.; Folser, George R.; Vora, Shailesh D.; Kuo, Lewis; Richards, Von L.

1995-01-01

A dense, substantially gas-tight, electrically conductive interconnection layer is formed on an air electrode structure of an electrochemical cell by (A) providing an electrode surface; (B) forming on a selected portion of the electrode surface, a layer of doped LaCrO.sub.3 particles doped with an element selected from Ca, Sr, Ba, Mg, Co, Ni, Al and mixtures thereof by plasma spraying doped LaCrO.sub.3 powder, preferably compensated with chromium as Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3 and/or dopant element, preferably by plasma arc spraying; and, (C) heating the doped and compensated LaCrO.sub.3 layer to about 1100.degree. C. to 1300.degree. C. to provide a dense, substantially gas-tight, substantially hydration-free, electrically conductive interconnection material bonded to the electrode surface. A solid electrolyte layer can be applied to the unselected portion of the air electrode, and a fuel electrode can be applied to the solid electrolyte, to provide an electrochemical cell.

Method of forming a plasma sprayed interconnection layer on an electrode of an electrochemical cell

DOEpatents

Spengler, C.J.; Folser, G.R.; Vora, S.D.; Kuo, L.; Richards, V.L.

1995-06-20

A dense, substantially gas-tight, electrically conductive interconnection layer is formed on an air electrode structure of an electrochemical cell by (A) providing an electrode surface; (B) forming on a selected portion of the electrode surface, a layer of doped LaCrO{sub 3} particles doped with an element selected from Ca, Sr, Ba, Mg, Co, Ni, Al and mixtures thereof by plasma spraying doped LaCrO{sub 3} powder, preferably compensated with chromium as Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} and/or dopant element, preferably by plasma arc spraying; and, (C) heating the doped and compensated LaCrO{sub 3} layer to about 1100 C to 1300 C to provide a dense, substantially gas-tight, substantially hydration-free, electrically conductive interconnection material bonded to the electrode surface. A solid electrolyte layer can be applied to the unselected portion of the air electrode, and a fuel electrode can be applied to the solid electrolyte, to provide an electrochemical cell. 6 figs.

The role of collective self-gravity in the nonlinear evolution of viscous overstability in Saturn's rings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehmann, M.; Schmidt, J.; Salo, H.

2017-09-01

Observational evidence for the presence of axisymmetric periodic micro-structure on length scales of 100m - 200m in Saturn's A and B rings was revealed by several instruments onboard the Cassini mission to Saturn. The structure was seen in radio occultations performed by the Radio Science Subsystem (RSS) (Thomson et al. (2007)) and stellar occultations carried out with the Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) (Colwell et al. (2007)), and the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) (Hedman et al. (2014)). Up to date, this micro-structure is best explained by the viscous overstability, which arises as a spontaneous oscillatory instability in a dense ring, if certain conditions are met, leading to the formation of axisymmetric density waves with wavelengths on the order of 100m. We investigate the influence of collective self-gravity forces on the nonlinear, large scale evolution of the viscous overstability in Saturn's rings. To this end we numerically solve the nonlinear hydrodynamic model equations for a dense ring, including radial self-gravity and employing values for the transport coefficients (such as the ring's viscosity and heat conductivity) derived by salo et al. (2001). We concentrate on ring optical depths of order unity, which are appropriate to model Saturn's dense rings. Furthermore, local N-body simulations, incorporating vertical and radial collective self-gravity forces are performed. Direct particle-particle forces are omitted, which prevents small scale gravitational instabilities (self-gravity wakes) from forming, an approximation that allows us to study long radial scales of some 10 kilometers and to compare directly the hydrodynamic model and the N-body simulations. Our hydrodynamic model results, in the limit of vanishing self-gravity, compare very well with the studies of Latter & Ogilvie (2010) and Rein & Latter (2013). In contrast, for rings with non-vanishing radial self-gravity we find that the wavelengths of saturated overstable wave trains tend to settle close to the frequency minimum of the nonlinear dispersion relation, i.e. the saturation wavelengths decrease with increasing surface mass density of the ring. Good agreement between hydrodynamics and N-body simulations is found for disks with strong radial self-gravity, while the largest deviations occur in the limit of weak self-gravity. The resulting saturation wavelengths of the viscous overstability for moderate and strong radial self-gravity (100m-300m) agree reasonably well with the length scale of the axisymmetric periodic micro structure in Saturn's inner A ring and the B ring, as found by Cassini.

Direct Simulation Monte Carlo for astrophysical flows - II. Ram-pressure dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weinberg, Martin D.

2014-03-01

We use the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo method combined with an N-body code to study the dynamics of the interaction between a gas-rich spiral galaxy and intracluster or intragroup medium, often known as the ram pressure scenario. The advantage of this gas kinetic approach over traditional hydrodynamics is explicit treatment of the interface between the hot and cold, dense and rarefied media typical of astrophysical flows and the explicit conservation of energy and momentum and the interface. This approach yields some new physical insight. Owing to the shock and backward wave that forms at the point intracluster medium (ICM)-interstellar medium (ISM) contact, ICM gas is compressed, heated and slowed. The shock morphology is Mach disc like. In the outer galaxy, the hot turbulent post-shock gas flows around the galaxy disc while heating and ablating the initially cool disc gas. The outer gas and angular momentum are lost to the flow. In the inner galaxy, the hot gas pressurizes the neutral ISM gas causing a strong two-phase instability. As a result, the momentum of the wind is no longer impulsively communicated to the cold gas as assumed in the Gunn-Gott formula, but oozes through the porous disc, transferring its linear momentum to the disc en masse. The escaping gas mixture has a net positive angular momentum and forms a slowly rotating sheath. The shear flow caused by the post-shock ICM flowing through the porous multiphase ISM creates a strong Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in the disc that results in Cartwheel-like ring and spoke morphology.

ATCA survey of ammonia in the galactic center: The temperatures of dense gas clumps between Sgr A* and Sgr B2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ott, Jürgen; Weiß, Axel; Henkel, Christian

We present a large-scale, interferometric survey of ammonia (1, 1) and (2, 2) toward the Galactic center observed with the Australia Telescope Compact Array. The survey covers Δℓ ∼ 1° (∼150 pc at an assumed distance of 8.5 kpc) and Δb ∼ 0.°2 (∼30 pc) which spans the region between the supermassive black hole Sgr A* and the massive star forming region Sgr B2. The resolution is ∼20'' (∼0.8 pc) and emission at scales ≳ 2' (≳ 3.2 pc) is filtered out due to missing interferometric short spacings. Consequently, the data represent the denser, compact clouds and disregards the large-scale,more » diffuse gas. Many of the clumps align with the 100 pc dust ring and mostly anti-correlate with 1.2 cm continuum emission. We present a kinetic temperature map of the dense gas. The temperature distribution peaks at ∼38 K with a width at half maximum between 18 K and 61 K (measurements sensitive within T {sub kin} ∼ 10-80 K). Larger clumps are on average warmer than smaller clumps which suggests internal heating sources. Our observations indicate that the circumnuclear disk ∼1.5 pc around Sgr A* is supplied with gas from the 20 km s{sup –1} molecular cloud. This gas is substantially cooler than gas ∼3-15 pc away from Sgr A*. We find a strong temperature gradient across Sgr B2. Ammonia column densities correlate well with SCUBA 850 μm fluxes, but the relation is shifted from the origin, which may indicate a requirement for a minimum amount of dust to form and shield ammonia. Around the Arches and Quintuplet clusters we find shell morphologies with UV-influenced gas in their centers, followed by ammonia and radio continuum layers.« less

Plasmapause Boundary Dynamics and the Interplanetary Magnetic Field Effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldstein, J.

2006-05-01

The plasmapause is the outer boundary of the plasmasphere, the roughly toroidal region of cold, dense, corotating plasma that encircles the Earth and can extend several Earth radii (RE) out into space. The source of plasma in this region is ionospheric outflow (or upflow), which fills plasmaspheric field lines with a mixture of protons, helium ions, and oxygen ions on a timescale of several days. A distinct outer plasmapause boundary forms when plasmaspheric plasma is removed, a process known as erosion. Plasmaspheric erosion occurs most strongly during times of southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), when magnetospheric convection is greatly enhanced. Decades of theory and observation support the idea that enhanced sunward convection (during southward IMF) forms large plumes of dense plasma that stretch sunward from the main plasmasphere during erosion. The plasmapause during erosion events is distorted: reduced on the nightside, elongated on the dayside, and in general, overlapping the boundaries of regions of warmer plasmas (such as the ring current and radiation belts) that experience increased loss rates from wave-particle interactions in the overlap regions. Thus, the plasmapause boundary is of critical importance to the global dynamics of these warmer particles. In recent years, the southward IMF (i.e., convection) effect on the plasmapause has been fairly well characterized, but what has received less attention is the northward IMF effect. What happens at the plasmapause boundary following disturbances, when convection is reduced but ionospheric outflow has not yet had enough time to refill the plasmaspheric flux tubes? Observations by CRRES, Polar, IMAGE, Cluster, and other spacecraft have shown a bewildering variety of fine-scale plasmapause density structure during recovery and deep quiet phases. Many plasmapause features have been classified, sorted and named, but nonetheless, remain unexplained. This paper will present our current understanding of IMF effects on the plasmapause, and present the many remaining challenges to a comprehensive model of this critical boundary layer.

Optical depth estimates and effective critical densities of dense gas tracers in the inner parts of nearby galaxy discs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiménez-Donaire, M. J.; Bigiel, F.; Leroy, A. K.; Cormier, D.; Gallagher, M.; Usero, A.; Bolatto, A.; Colombo, D.; García-Burillo, S.; Hughes, A.; Kramer, C.; Krumholz, M. R.; Meier, D. S.; Murphy, E.; Pety, J.; Rosolowsky, E.; Schinnerer, E.; Schruba, A.; Tomičić, N.; Zschaechner, L.

2017-04-01

High critical density molecular lines like HCN (1-0) or HCO+ (1-0) represent our best tool to study currently star-forming, dense molecular gas at extragalactic distances. The optical depth of these lines is a key ingredient to estimate the effective density required to excite emission. However, constraints on this quantity are even scarcer in the literature than measurements of the high-density tracers themselves. Here, we combine new observations of HCN, HCO+ and HNC (1-0) and their optically thin isotopologues H13CN, H13CO+ and HN13C (1-0) to measure isotopologue line ratios. We use IRAM 30-m observations from the large programme EMPIRE and new Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array observations, which together target six nearby star-forming galaxies. Using spectral stacking techniques, we calculate or place strong upper limits on the HCN/H13CN, HCO+/H13CO+ and HNC/HN13C line ratios in the inner parts of these galaxies. Under simple assumptions, we use these to estimate the optical depths of HCN (1-0) and HCO+ (1-0) to be τ ˜ 2-11 in the active, inner regions of our targets. The critical densities are consequently lowered to values between 5 and 20 × 105 cm-3, 1 and 3 × 105 cm-3 and 9 × 104 cm-3 for HCN, HCO+ and HNC, respectively. We study the impact of having different beam-filling factors, η, on these estimates and find that the effective critical densities decrease by a factor of η _{12}/η _{13} τ_{12}. A comparison to existing work in NGC 5194 and NGC 253 shows the HCN/H13CN and HCO+/H13CO+ ratios in agreement with our measurements within the uncertainties. The same is true for studies in other environments such as the Galactic Centre or nuclear regions of active galactic nucleus dominated nearby galaxies.

Fission-Fusion: A new reaction mechanism for nuclear astrophysics based on laser-ion acceleration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thirolf, P. G.; Gross, M.; Allinger, K.

We propose to produce neutron-rich nuclei in the range of the astrophysical r-process around the waiting point N = 126 by fissioning a dense laser-accelerated thorium ion bunch in a thorium target (covered by a CH{sub 2} layer), where the light fission fragments of the beam fuse with the light fission fragments of the target. Via the 'hole-boring' mode of laser Radiation Pressure Acceleration using a high-intensity, short pulse laser, very efficiently bunches of {sup 232}Th with solid-state density can be generated from a Th target and a deuterated CD{sub 2} foil, both forming the production target assembly. Laser-accelerated Thmore » ions with about 7 MeV/u will pass through a thin CH{sub 2} layer placed in front of a thicker second Th foil (both forming the reaction target) closely behind the production target and disintegrate into light and heavy fission fragments. In addition, light ions (d,C) from the CD{sub 2} layer of the production target will be accelerated as well, inducing the fission process of {sup 232}Th also in the second Th layer. The laser-accelerated ion bunches with solid-state density, which are about 10{sup 14} times more dense than classically accelerated ion bunches, allow for a high probability that generated fission products can fuse again. The high ion beam density may lead to a strong collective modification of the stopping power, leading to significant range and thus yield enhancement. Using a high-intensity laser as envisaged for the ELI-Nuclear Physics project in Bucharest (ELI-NP), order-of-magnitude estimates promise a fusion yield of about 10{sup 3} ions per laser pulse in the mass range of A = 180-190, thus enabling to approach the r-process waiting point at N = 126.« less

Latitudinal distribution of O2on ganymede: Observations with the hubble space telescope

USGS Publications Warehouse

Calvin, W.M.; Spencer, J.R.

1997-01-01

To help constrain the spatial variation of oxygen on Jupiter's satellite Ganymede, and hence have more clues to its mode of production and stability, we have obtained spectral data from the Faint Object Spectrograph (FOS) for a single pole-to-pole latitudinal strip, along with several Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) images in three narrow band visible filters. All observations were made of the trailing hemisphere. In the FOS data we observe both visible absorptions at 0.577 and 0.627 ??m, associated with dense-phase oxygen (compressed gases, liquids, or solids). Filter options limited the WFPC2 observations to wavelengths near the weaker oxygen absorption at 0.627 ??m. These observations suggest that the dense-phase or dimer oxygen form is predominantly found in equatorial and mid-latitudes. The spectroscopic absorption feature appears in both bright and dark terrains but may be somewhat weaker in dark regions, which is consistent with the smaller mean photon path length in the surface in darker areas. Therefore, the abundance of oxygen appears more dependent on latitude and longitude constraints than surface albedo. At the highest latitudes, where the ratio spectra have a strong upturn toward the blue, the oxygen bands do not appear. This relation suggests that dimer oxygen and ozone (as seen by Galileo) have opposite trends with latitude. Possible causes include competition or variation in the preferred stable form, which depends on temperature, solar ultraviolet flux, and/or surface age; enhancement of O3at the poles due to plasma interactions; or viewing geometry effects that reduce the oxygen features at the poles when observed from Earth. The predominantly equatorial feature supports the production of O2through plasma bombardment and favors defect trapping over physical adsorption of the dimer molecules in the surface. We briefly consider the implications of Ganymede's magnetosphere for our understanding of O2and O3distribution on Ganymede. ?? 1997 Academic Press.

The Effects of Stellar Dynamics on the Evolution of Young, Dense Stellar Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belkus, H.; van Bever, J.; Vanbeveren, D.

In this paper, we report on first results of a project in Brussels in which we study the effects of stellar dynamics on the evolution of young dense stellar systems using 3 decades of expertise in massive-star evolution and our population (number and spectral) synthesis code. We highlight an unconventionally formed object scenario (UFO-scenario) for Wolf Rayet binaries and study the effects of a luminous blue variable-type instability wind mass-loss formalism on the formation of intermediate-mass black holes.

Extremity x-ray

MedlinePlus

... through the body to form an image on film. Structures that are dense (such as bone) will ... Guidelines Viewers & Players MedlinePlus Connect for EHRs For Developers U.S. National Library of Medicine 8600 Rockville Pike, ...

First-principles opacity table of warm dense deuterium for inertial-confinement-fusion applications.

PubMed

Hu, S X; Collins, L A; Goncharov, V N; Boehly, T R; Epstein, R; McCrory, R L; Skupsky, S

2014-09-01

Accurate knowledge of the optical properties of a warm dense deuterium-tritium (DT) mixture is important for reliable design of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions using radiation-hydrodynamics simulations. The opacity of a warm dense DT shell essentially determines how much radiation from hot coronal plasmas can be deposited in the DT fuel of an imploding capsule. Even for the simplest species of hydrogen, the accurate calculation of their opacities remains a challenge in the warm-dense matter regime because strong-coupling and quantum effects play an important role in such plasmas. With quantum-molecular-dynamics (QMD) simulations, we have derived a first-principles opacity table (FPOT) of deuterium (and the DT mixture by mass scaling) for a wide range of densities from ρ(D)=0.5 to 673.518g/cm(3) and temperatures from T=5000K up to the Fermi temperature T(F) for each density. Compared with results from the astrophysics opacity table (AOT) currently used in our hydrocodes, the FPOT of deuterium from our QMD calculations has shown a significant increase in opacity for strongly coupled and degenerate plasma conditions by a factor of 3-100 in the ICF-relevant photon-energy range. As conditions approach those of classical plasma, the opacity from the FPOT converges to the corresponding values of the AOT. By implementing the FPOT of deuterium and the DT mixture into our hydrocodes, we have performed radiation-hydrodynamics simulations for low-adiabat cryogenic DT implosions on the OMEGA laser and for direct-drive-ignition designs for the National Ignition Facility. The simulation results using the FPOT show that the target performance (in terms of neutron yield and energy gain) could vary from ∼10% up to a factor of ∼2 depending on the adiabat of the imploding DT capsule; the lower the adiabat, the more variation is seen in the prediction of target performance when compared to the AOT modeling.

Models of the Cartwheel ring galaxy: Spokes and starbursts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Struck-Marcell, Curtis

1993-01-01

Recent observations of this famous ring galaxy, including optical and near-infrared CCD surface photometry, and VLA radio continuum and 21 cm line mapping (Higdon 1992b, in prep.), have inspired a renewed modeling effort. Toomre's (1978, in The Large-scale Structure of the Universe, eds. Longair and Einasto) series of restricted three-body simulations demonstrated how the multiple rings could be produced in a nearly head-on galaxy collision. New models with a halo-dominated potential based on the 21 cm rotation curve are able to reproduce such details as the spacing between rings, ring widths, offset of the nucleus, and several kinematical features, thus providing strong support for the collisional theory. The new observations have shown there are little or no old stars in Cartwheel; it may consist almost entirely of gas and stars produced as a result of compression in the ring wave. To model this process Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations of the Cartwheel disk have been performed. Fixed gravitational potentials were used to represent the Cartwheel and a roughly 30 percent mass collision partner. The interaction dynamics was treated as in the usual restricted three-body approximation, and the effects of local self-gravity between disk particles were calculated. We are particularly interested in testing the theory that enhanced star formation in waves is the result of gravitational instability in the compressed region (see e.g. Kennicutt 1989, ApJ 344, 685). The gas surface density in a number of simulations was initialized to a value slightly below the threshold for local gravitational instability throughout most of the disk. The first ring wave produces relatively modest compressions (a factor of order a few), triggering instability in a narrow range of wavelengths. Self-gravity in the disk is calculated over a comparable range of scales. Simulations were run with isothermal, adiabatic, and adiabatic with radiative cooling characterized by a relatively short timescale. The isothermal approximation is good except in the vicinity of the strong second (inner) ring, and several snapshots from one case are shown in the figure below. Flocculent spiral segments are present before the collision, and these are compressed into dense knots in the ring wave. These knots are likely to be sites of vigorous star formation. In the strong rarefaction behind the outer ring most of the knots are radially stretched and sheared, giving rise to spoke-like features. A few dense knots are evidently very tightly bound, because they retain their coherence and are stretched relatively little through the rarefaction. This is in accord with evidence for continuing star formation in some spokes (Marcum, Appleton and Higdon 1992). The number and spacing of spokes is a direct function of the scale of the gravitational instability in the disk. Thus, the gravitational instability theory, together with the hypothesis that massive stars are only formed in dense knots of gas, can account for most of the distinct morphology of the Cartwheel.

The accelerating pace of star formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caldwell, Spencer; Chang, Philip

2018-03-01

We study the temporal and spatial distribution of star formation rates in four well-studied star-forming regions in local molecular clouds (MCs): Taurus, Perseus, ρ Ophiuchi, and Orion A. Using published mass and age estimates for young stellar objects in each system, we show that the rate of star formation over the last 10 Myr has been accelerating and is (roughly) consistent with a t2 power law. This is in line with previous studies of the star formation history of MCs and with recent theoretical studies. We further study the clustering of star formation in the Orion nebula cluster. We examine the distribution of young stellar objects as a function of their age by computing an effective half-light radius for these young stars subdivided into age bins. We show that the distribution of young stellar objects is broadly consistent with the star formation being entirely localized within the central region. We also find a slow radial expansion of the newly formed stars at a velocity of v = 0.17 km s-1, which is roughly the sound speed of the cold molecular gas. This strongly suggests the dense structures that form stars persist much longer than the local dynamical time. We argue that this structure is quasi-static in nature and is likely the result of the density profile approaching an attractor solution as suggested by recent analytic and numerical analysis.

Interface Instabilities in the Interstellar Medium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, J. H., Jr.; Siopis, C.; Whitaker, R. W.; Lovelace, R. V. E.

1995-01-01

In the present communication, we reexamine two limiting cases of star-forming mechanisms involving self-gravity, thermodynamics, and velocity fields, that we believe must be ubiquitous in the ISM -- the generally oblique collision of supersonic gas streams or turbulent eddies. The general case of oblique collisions has not yet been examined. However, two limiting cases have been studied in detail: (1) The head-on collision of two identical gas streams that form dense, cool accretion shocks that become unstable and may form Jeans mass clouds, which subsequently undergo collapse. (2) Linearly unstable tangential velocity discontinuities, which result in Kelvin-Helmholtz (K-H) instabilities and related phenomena. The compressible K-H instabilities exhibit rich and unexpected behaviors. Moreover a new thermal-dynamic (T-D) mode was discovered that arises from the coupling of the perturbed thermal behavior and the unperturbed flow. The T-D mode has the curious characteristic that it may be strongly unstable to interface modes when the global modes in either medium are absolutely thermally stable. In the present communication additional models of case 1 are described and discussed, and self-gravity is added in the linear theory of tangential discontinuities, case 2. We prove that self-gravity fundamentally changes the behavior of interfacial modes -- density discontinuities (or steps) are inherently unstable on roughly the free-fall timescale of the denser medium to perturbations of all wavelengths.

Hairy and Slippery Polyoxazoline-Based Copolymers on Model and Cartilage Surfaces.

PubMed

Morgese, Giulia; Ramakrishna, Shivaprakash N; Simic, Rok; Zenobi-Wong, Marcy; Benetti, Edmondo M

2018-02-12

Comb-like polymers presenting a hydroxybenzaldehyde (HBA)-functionalized poly(glutamic acid) (PGA) backbone and poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) (PMOXA) side chains chemisorb on aminolized substrates, including cartilage surfaces, forming layers that reduce protein contamination and provide lubrication. The structure, physicochemical, biopassive, and tribological properties of PGA-PMOXA-HBA films are finely determined by the copolymer architecture, its reactivity toward the surface, i.e. PMOXA side-chain crowding and HBA density, and by the copolymer solution concentration during assembly. Highly reactive species with low PMOXA content form inhomogeneous layers due to the limited possibility of surface rearrangements by strongly anchored copolymers, just partially protecting the functionalized surface from protein contamination and providing a relatively weak lubrication on cartilage. Biopassivity and lubrication can be improved by increasing copolymer concentration during assembly, leading to a progressive saturation of surface defects across the films. In a different way, less reactive copolymers presenting high PMOXA side-chain densities form uniform, biopassive, and lubricious films, both on model aminolized silicon oxide surfaces, as well as on cartilage substrates. When assembled at low concentrations these copolymers adopt a "lying down" conformation, i.e. adhering via their backbones onto the substrates, while at high concentrations they undergo a conformational transition, assuming a more densely packed, "standing up" structure, where they stretch perpendicularly from the substrate. This specific arrangement reduces protein contamination and improves lubrication both on model as well as on cartilage surfaces.

Persistent X-Ray Emission from ASASSN-15lh: Massive Ejecta and Pre-SLSN Dense Wind?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yan; Li, Zhuo

2018-06-01

The persistent soft X-ray emission from the location of the most luminous supernova (SN) so far, ASASSN-15lh (or SN 2015L), with L∼ {10}42 {erg} {{{s}}}-1, is puzzling. We show that it can be explained by radiation from electrons accelerated by the SN shock inverse-Compton scattering the intense UV photons. The non-detection in radio requires strong free–free absorption in the dense medium. In these interpretations, the circumstellar medium is derived to be a wind (n ∝ R ‑2) with mass-loss rate of \\dot{{M}}≳ 3× {10}-3{{M}}ȯ ({{v}}{{w}}/{10}3 {{k}}{{m}} {{{s}}}-1) {{{y}}{{r}}}-1, and the initial velocity of the bulk SN ejecta is ≲ 0.02c. These constraints imply a massive ejecta mass of ≳ 60({E}0/2× {10}52 {erg}){M}ȯ in ASASSN-15lh, and a strong wind ejected by the progenitor star within ∼ 8{({v}{{w}}/{10}3{km}{{{s}}}-1)}-1 yr before explosion.

Reaction-in-flight neutrons as a test of stopping power in degenerate plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayes, A. C.; Jungman, Gerard; Schulz, A. E.; Boswell, M.; Fowler, M. M.; Grim, G.; Klein, A.; Rundberg, R. S.; Wilhelmy, J. B.; Wilson, D.; Cerjan, C.; Schneider, D.; Sepke, S. M.; Tonchev, A.; Yeamans, C.

2015-08-01

We present the first measurements of reaction-in-flight (RIF) neutrons in an inertial confinement fusion system. The experiments were carried out at the National Ignition Facility, using both Low Foot and High Foot drives and cryogenic plastic capsules. In both cases, the high-energy RIF ( En> 15 MeV) component of the neutron spectrum was found to be about 10-4 of the total. The majority of the RIF neutrons were produced in the dense cold fuel surrounding the burning hotspot of the capsule, and the data are consistent with a compressed cold fuel that is moderately to strongly coupled (Γ˜ 0.6) and electron degenerate (θFermi/θe˜ 4). The production of RIF neutrons is controlled by the stopping power in the plasma. Thus, the current RIF measurements provide a unique test of stopping power models in an experimentally unexplored plasma regime. We find that the measured RIF data strongly constrain stopping models in warm dense plasma conditions, and some models are ruled out by our analysis of these experiments.

Reaction-in-flight neutrons as a test of stopping power in degenerate plasmas

DOE PAGES

Hayes, A. C.; Jungman, Gerard; Schulz, A. E.; ...

2015-08-06

We present the first measurements of reaction-in-flight (RIF) neutrons in an inertial confinement fusion system. The experiments were carried out at the National Ignition Facility, using both Low Foot and High Foot drives and cryogenic plastic capsules. In both cases, the high-energy RIF (E n > 15 MeV) component of the neutron spectrum was found to be about 10 –4 of the total. The majority of the RIF neutrons were produced in the dense cold fuel surrounding the burning hotspot of the capsule, and the data are consistent with a compressed cold fuel that is moderately to strongly coupled (Γ~more » 0.6) and electron degenerate (θ Fermi/θ e~ 4). The production of RIF neutrons is controlled by the stopping power in the plasma. Thus, the current RIF measurements provide a unique test of stopping power models in an experimentally unexplored plasma regime. In conclusion, we find that the measured RIF data strongly constrain stopping models in warm dense plasma conditions, and some models are ruled out by our analysis of these experiments.« less

Fabrication of Aluminum Foam-Filled Thin-Wall Steel Tube by Friction Welding and Its Compression Properties.

PubMed

Hangai, Yoshihiko; Saito, Masaki; Utsunomiya, Takao; Kitahara, Soichiro; Kuwazuru, Osamu; Yoshikawa, Nobuhiro

2014-09-19

Aluminum foam has received considerable attention in various fields and is expected to be used as an engineering material owing to its high energy absorption properties and light weight. To improve the mechanical properties of aluminum foam, combining it with dense tubes, such as aluminum foam-filled tubes, was considered necessary. In this study, an aluminum foam-filled steel tube, which consisted of ADC12 aluminum foam and a thin-wall steel tube, was successfully fabricated by friction welding. It was shown that a diffusion bonding layer with a thickness of approximately 10 μm was formed, indicating that strong bonding between the aluminum foam and the steel tube was realized. By the X-ray computed tomography observation of pore structures, the fabrication of an aluminum foam-filled tube with almost uniform pore structures over the entire specimen was confirmed. In addition, it was confirmed that the aluminum foam-filled steel tube exhibited mechanical properties superior to those of the ADC12 aluminum foam and steel tube. This is considered to be attributed to the combination of the aluminum foam and steel tube, which particularly prevents the brittle fracture and collapse of the ADC12 foam by the steel tube, along with the strong metal bonding between the aluminum foam and the steel tube.

Evidence of current free double layer in high density helicon discharge

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ganguli, A.; Sahu, B. B.; Tarey, R. D.

2013-01-15

This paper investigates the formation of double layer (DL) in helicon plasmas. In the experiment, argon plasma production is using the excitation of m = -1 helicon mode with magnetic mirror field with high mirror ratio of {approx}1:1.7. We have specifically used the radio frequency compensated Langmuir probe (LP) to measure the relevant plasma parameters simultaneously so as to investigate the details about the plasma production. The DL, which consists of both warm and bulk populations towards higher potential region and only dense bulk plasmas towards the lower potential region downstream the antenna, is present in the transition region. LPmore » measurements also show an abrupt fall of density along with a potential drop of about 20 V and (e {Delta}V{sub p}/k T{sub e}) Almost-Equal-To 12 within a few cm. The potential drop is equal to the difference of the electron temperatures between the two plasma regions forming the DL, which is present in the plateau region of mirror, unlike in several prior studies on the DL formation in the region of strong gradients in the magnetic field. The DL is strong, current-free, electric double-layer with estimated thickness of about 10 Debye lengths.« less

External immunity in ant societies: sociality and colony size do not predict investment in antimicrobials

PubMed Central

Halawani, Omar; Pearson, Bria; Mathews, Stephanie; López-Uribe, Margarita M.; Dunn, Robert R.; Smith, Adrian A.

2018-01-01

Social insects live in dense groups with a high probability of disease transmission and have therefore faced strong pressures to develop defences against pathogens. For this reason, social insects have been hypothesized to invest in antimicrobial secretions as a mechanism of external immunity to prevent the spread of disease. However, empirical studies linking the evolution of sociality with increased investment in antimicrobials have been relatively few. Here we quantify the strength of antimicrobial secretions among 20 ant species that cover a broad spectrum of ant diversity and colony sizes. We extracted external compounds from ant workers to test whether they inhibited the growth of the bacterium Staphylococcus epidermidis. Because all ant species are highly social, we predicted that all species would exhibit some antimicrobial activity and that species that form the largest colonies would exhibit the strongest antimicrobial response. Our comparative approach revealed that strong surface antimicrobials are common to particular ant clades, but 40% of species exhibited no antimicrobial activity at all. We also found no correlation between antimicrobial activity and colony size. Rather than relying on antimicrobial secretions as external immunity to control pathogen spread, many ant species have probably developed alternative strategies to defend against disease pressure. PMID:29515850

Functionally Graded Metal-Metal Composite Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brice, Craig A. (Inventor)

2017-01-01

Methods and devices are disclosed for creating a multiple alloy composite structure by forming a three-dimensional arrangement of a first alloy composition in which the three-dimensional arrangement has a substantially open and continuous porosity. The three-dimensional arrangement of the first alloy composition is infused with at least a second alloy composition, where the second alloy composition comprises a shape memory alloy. The three-dimensional arrangement is consolidated into a fully dense solid structure, and the original shape of the second alloy composition is set for reversible transformation. Strain is applied to the fully dense solid structure, which is treated with heat so that the shape memory alloy composition becomes memory activated to recover the original shape. An interwoven composite of the first alloy composition and the memory-activated second alloy composition is thereby formed in the multiple alloy composite structure.

Gravity or turbulence? - III. Evidence of pure thermal Jeans fragmentation at ˜0.1 pc scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palau, Aina; Ballesteros-Paredes, Javier; Vázquez-Semadeni, Enrique; Sánchez-Monge, Álvaro; Estalella, Robert; Fall, S. Michael; Zapata, Luis A.; Camacho, Vianey; Gómez, Laura; Naranjo-Romero, Raúl; Busquet, Gemma; Fontani, Francesco

2015-11-01

We combine previously published interferometric and single-dish data of relatively nearby massive dense cores that are actively forming stars to test whether their `fragmentation level' is controlled by turbulent or thermal support. We find no clear correlation between the fragmentation level and velocity dispersion, nor between the observed number of fragments and the number of fragments expected when the gravitationally unstable mass is calculated including various prescriptions for `turbulent support'. On the other hand, the best correlation is found for the case of pure thermal Jeans fragmentation, for which we infer a core formation efficiency around 13 per cent, consistent with previous works. We conclude that the dominant factor determining the fragmentation level of star-forming massive dense cores at 0.1 pc scale seems to be thermal Jeans fragmentation.

Cell Selection Game for Densely-Deployed Sensor and Mobile Devices In 5G Networks Integrating Heterogeneous Cells and the Internet of Things.

PubMed

Wang, Lusheng; Wang, Yamei; Ding, Zhizhong; Wang, Xiumin

2015-09-18

With the rapid development of wireless networking technologies, the Internet of Things and heterogeneous cellular networks (HCNs) tend to be integrated to form a promising wireless network paradigm for 5G. Hyper-dense sensor and mobile devices will be deployed under the coverage of heterogeneous cells, so that each of them could freely select any available cell covering it and compete for resource with others selecting the same cell, forming a cell selection (CS) game between these devices. Since different types of cells usually share the same portion of the spectrum, devices selecting overlapped cells can experience severe inter-cell interference (ICI). In this article, we study the CS game among a large amount of densely-deployed sensor and mobile devices for their uplink transmissions in a two-tier HCN. ICI is embedded with the traditional congestion game (TCG), forming a congestion game with ICI (CGI) and a congestion game with capacity (CGC). For the three games above, we theoretically find the circular boundaries between the devices selecting the macrocell and those selecting the picocells, indicated by the pure strategy Nash equilibria (PSNE). Meanwhile, through a number of simulations with different picocell radii and different path loss exponents, the collapse of the PSNE impacted by severe ICI (i.e., a large number of picocell devices change their CS preferences to the macrocell) is profoundly revealed, and the collapse points are identified.

Cell Selection Game for Densely-Deployed Sensor and Mobile Devices In 5G Networks Integrating Heterogeneous Cells and the Internet of Things

PubMed Central

Wang, Lusheng; Wang, Yamei; Ding, Zhizhong; Wang, Xiumin

2015-01-01

With the rapid development of wireless networking technologies, the Internet of Things and heterogeneous cellular networks (HCNs) tend to be integrated to form a promising wireless network paradigm for 5G. Hyper-dense sensor and mobile devices will be deployed under the coverage of heterogeneous cells, so that each of them could freely select any available cell covering it and compete for resource with others selecting the same cell, forming a cell selection (CS) game between these devices. Since different types of cells usually share the same portion of the spectrum, devices selecting overlapped cells can experience severe inter-cell interference (ICI). In this article, we study the CS game among a large amount of densely-deployed sensor and mobile devices for their uplink transmissions in a two-tier HCN. ICI is embedded with the traditional congestion game (TCG), forming a congestion game with ICI (CGI) and a congestion game with capacity (CGC). For the three games above, we theoretically find the circular boundaries between the devices selecting the macrocell and those selecting the picocells, indicated by the pure strategy Nash equilibria (PSNE). Meanwhile, through a number of simulations with different picocell radii and different path loss exponents, the collapse of the PSNE impacted by severe ICI (i.e., a large number of picocell devices change their CS preferences to the macrocell) is profoundly revealed, and the collapse points are identified. PMID:26393617

The ubiquity of energy-dense snack foods: a national multicity study.

PubMed

Farley, Thomas A; Baker, Erin T; Futrell, Lauren; Rice, Janet C

2010-02-01

We assessed the availability and accessibility of energy-dense snacks in retail stores whose primary merchandise was not food and whether these varied by store type, region, or socioeconomic factors. We conducted systematic observations of 1082 retail stores in 19 US cities and determined the availability and accessibility of 6 categories of energy-dense snack foods. Snack food was available in 41% of the stores; the most common forms were candy (33%), sweetened beverages (20%), and salty snacks (17%). These foods were often within arm's reach of the cash register queue. We observed snack foods in 96% of pharmacies, 94% of gasoline stations, 22% of furniture stores, 16% of apparel stores, and 29% to 65% of other types of stores. Availability varied somewhat by region but not by the racial or socioeconomic characteristics of nearby census tracts. Energy-dense snack foods and beverages, implicated as contributors to the obesity epidemic, are widely available in retail stores whose primary business is not food. The ubiquity of these products may contribute to excess energy consumption in the United States.

Locating sources within a dense sensor array using graph clustering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerstoft, P.; Riahi, N.

2017-12-01

We develop a model-free technique to identify weak sources within dense sensor arrays using graph clustering. No knowledge about the propagation medium is needed except that signal strengths decay to insignificant levels within a scale that is shorter than the aperture. We then reinterpret the spatial coherence matrix of a wave field as a matrix whose support is a connectivity matrix of a graph with sensors as vertices. In a dense network, well-separated sources induce clusters in this graph. The geographic spread of these clusters can serve to localize the sources. The support of the covariance matrix is estimated from limited-time data using a hypothesis test with a robust phase-only coherence test statistic combined with a physical distance criterion. The latter criterion ensures graph sparsity and thus prevents clusters from forming by chance. We verify the approach and quantify its reliability on a simulated dataset. The method is then applied to data from a dense 5200 element geophone array that blanketed of the city of Long Beach (CA). The analysis exposes a helicopter traversing the array and oil production facilities.

Quantum molecular dynamics study on the structures and dc conductivity of warm dense silane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Huayang; Kang, Dongdong; Dai, Jiayu; Zeng, Jiaolong; Yuan, Jianmin

2014-02-01

The ionic and electronic structures of warm dense silane at the densities of 1.795, 2.260, 3.382, and 3.844 g/cm3 have been studied with temperatures from 1000 K to 3 eV using quantum molecular dynamics simulations. At all densities, the structures are melted above 1000 K. The matter states are characterized as polymeric from 1000 to 4000 K and become dense plasma states with further increasing temperature to 1 eV. At two lower densities of 1.795 and 2.260 g/cm3, silane first dissociates and then becomes the polymeric state via a chain state from the initial crystalline structure. At higher densities, however, no dissociation stage was found. These findings can help us understand how the warm dense matter forms. A rise is found for the direct current electric conductivity at T ˜1000 K, indicating the nonmetal-to-metal transition. The conductivity decreases slightly with the increase of temperature, which is due to the more disordered structures at higher temperatures.

The Ubiquity of Energy-Dense Snack Foods: A National Multicity Study

PubMed Central

Farley, Thomas A.; Baker, Erin T.; Rice, Janet C.

2010-01-01

Objectives. We assessed the availability and accessibility of energy-dense snacks in retail stores whose primary merchandise was not food and whether these varied by store type, region, or socioeconomic factors. Methods. We conducted systematic observations of 1082 retail stores in 19 US cities and determined the availability and accessibility of 6 categories of energy-dense snack foods. Results. Snack food was available in 41% of the stores; the most common forms were candy (33%), sweetened beverages (20%), and salty snacks (17%). These foods were often within arm's reach of the cash register queue. We observed snack foods in 96% of pharmacies, 94% of gasoline stations, 22% of furniture stores, 16% of apparel stores, and 29% to 65% of other types of stores. Availability varied somewhat by region but not by the racial or socioeconomic characteristics of nearby census tracts. Conclusions. Energy-dense snack foods and beverages, implicated as contributors to the obesity epidemic, are widely available in retail stores whose primary business is not food. The ubiquity of these products may contribute to excess energy consumption in the United States. PMID:20019297

Gas expulsion vs gas retention in young stellar clusters II: effects of cooling and mass segregation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silich, Sergiy; Tenorio-Tagle, Guillermo

2018-05-01

Gas expulsion or gas retention is a central issue in most of the models for multiple stellar populations and light element anti-correlations in globular clusters. The success of the residual matter expulsion or its retention within young stellar clusters has also a fundamental importance in order to understand how star formation proceeds in present-day and ancient star-forming galaxies and if proto-globular clusters with multiple stellar populations are formed in the present epoch. It is usually suggested that either the residual gas is rapidly ejected from star-forming clouds by stellar winds and supernova explosions, or that the enrichment of the residual gas and the formation of the second stellar generation occur so rapidly, that the negative stellar feedback is not significant. Here we continue our study of the early development of star clusters in the extreme environments and discuss the restrictions that strong radiative cooling and stellar mass segregation provide on the gas expulsion from dense star-forming clouds. A large range of physical initial conditions in star-forming clouds which include the star-forming cloud mass, compactness, gas metallicity, star formation efficiency and effects of massive stars segregation are discussed. It is shown that in sufficiently massive and compact clusters hot shocked winds around individual massive stars may cool before merging with their neighbors. This dramatically reduces the negative stellar feedback, prevents the development of the global star cluster wind and expulsion of the residual and the processed matter into the ambient interstellar medium. The critical lines which separate the gas expulsion and the gas retention regimes are obtained.

Tektite-like bodies at Lonar Crater, India - Implications for the origin of tektites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murali, A. V.; Zolensky, M. E.; Blanchard, D. P.

1987-01-01

Homogeneous dense glass bodies (both irregular and splash form) with high silica contents (about 67 pct SiO2) occur in the vicinity of Lonar Crater, India. Their lack of microlites and mineral remnants and their uniform chemical composition virtually preclude a volcanic origin. They are similar to tektites reported in the literature. While such a close association of tektite-like bodies with impact craters is already known (Aouelloul Crater, Mauritania; Zhamanshin Crater, U.S.S.R.), the tektite-like bodies at Lonar Crater are unique in that they occur in an essentially basaltic terrain. Present geochemical data are consistent with these high silica glass bodies being impact melt products of two-thirds basalt and one-third local intertrappean sediment (chert). The tektite-like bodies of the impact craters Lonar, Zhamanshin, and Aouelloul are generally similar. Strong terrestrial geochemical signatures reflect the target rock REE patterns and abundance ratios and demonstrate their terrestrial origin resulting from meteorite impact, as has been suggested by earlier workers.

Magnetic flux pile-up and ion heating in a current sheet formed by colliding magnetized plasma flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suttle, L.; Hare, J.; Lebedev, S.; Ciardi, A.; Loureiro, N.; Niasse, N.; Burdiak, G.; Clayson, T.; Lane, T.; Robinson, T.; Smith, R.; Stuart, N.; Suzuki-Vidal, F.

2017-10-01

We present data from experiments carried out at the Magpie pulsed power facility, which show the detailed structure of the interaction of counter-streaming magnetized plasma flows. In our quasi-2D setup, continuous supersonic flows are produced with strong embedded magnetic fields of opposing directions. Their interaction leads to the formation of a dense and long-lasting current sheet, where we observe the pile-up of the magnetic flux at the sheet boundary, as well as the annihilation of field inside, accompanied by an increase in plasma temperature. Spatially resolved measurements with Faraday rotation polarimetry, B-dot probes, XUV imaging, Thomson scattering and laser interferometry diagnostics show the detailed distribution of the magnetic field and other plasma parameters throughout the system. This work was supported in part by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Grant No. EP/G001324/1, and by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Awards No. DE-F03-02NA00057 and No. DE-SC-0001063.

Nuclear Rings in Galaxies - A Kinematic Perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazzuca, Lisa M.; Swaters, Robert A.; Knapen, Johan H.; Veilleux, Sylvain

2011-01-01

We combine DensePak integral field unit and TAURUS Fabry-Perot observations of 13 nuclear rings to show an interconnection between the kinematic properties of the rings and their resonant origin. The nuclear rings have regular and symmetric kinematics, and lack strong non-circular motions. This symmetry, coupled with a direct relationship between the position angles and ellipticities of the rings and those of their host galaxies, indicate the rings are in the same plane as the disc and are circular. From the rotation curves derived, we have estimated the compactness (v(sup 2)/r) up to the turnover radius, which is where the nuclear rings reside. We find that there is evidence of a correlation between compactness and ring width and size. Radially wide rings are less compact, and thus have lower mass concentration. The compactness increases as the ring width decreases. We also find that the nuclear ring size is dependent on the bar strength, with weaker bars allowing rings of any size to form.

Cellular and Muscular Growth Patterns During Sipunculan Development

PubMed Central

KRISTOF, ALEN; WOLLESEN, TIM; MAIOROVA, ANASTASSYA S.; WANNINGER, ANDREAS

2015-01-01

Sipuncula is a lophotrochozoan taxon with annelid affinities, albeit lacking segmentation of the adult body. Here, we present data on cell proliferation and myogenesis during development of three sipunculan species, Phascolosoma agassizii, Thysanocardia nigra, and Themiste pyroides. The first anlagen of the circular body wall muscles appear simultaneously and not subsequently as in the annelids. At the same time, the rudiments of four longitudinal retractor muscles appear. This supports the notion that four introvert retractors were part of the ancestral sipunculan bodyplan. The longitudinal muscle fibers form a pattern of densely arranged fibers around the retractor muscles, indicating that the latter evolved from modified longitudinal body wall muscles. For a short time interval, the distribution of S-phase mitotic cells shows a metameric pattern in the developing ventral nerve cord during the pelagosphera stage. This pattern disappears close to metamorphic competence. Our findings are congruent with data on sipunculan neurogenesis, as well as with recent molecular analyses that place Sipuncula within Annelida, and thus strongly support a segmental ancestry of Sipuncula. PMID:21246707

Structure of cellulose microfibrils in mature cotton fibres.

PubMed

Martínez-Sanz, Marta; Pettolino, Filomena; Flanagan, Bernadine; Gidley, Michael J; Gilbert, Elliot P

2017-11-01

The structure of cellulose microfibrils in mature cotton fibres from three varieties - Gossypium hirsutum, G. barbadense and G. arboreum - has been investigated by a multi-technique approach combining small angle scattering techniques with spectroscopy and diffraction. Cellulose microfibrils present a Iβ-rich crystalline structure with limited surface disorder. Small angle scattering (SAXS and SANS) data have been successfully fitted using a core-shell model and the results obtained indicate that the cellulose microfibrils, formed by the association of 2-3 elementary fibrils, are composed of a ca. 2nm impermeable crystalline core, surrounded by a partially hydrated paracrystalline shell, with overall cross-sections of ca. 3.6-4.7nm. Different low levels of cell wall matrix components have a strong impact on the microfibril architecture and enable moisture penetration upon hydration. Furthermore, the higher amounts of non-cellulosic components in G. barbadense result in a less dense packing of cellulose microfibrils and increased solvent accessibility. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seagrass-Mediated Phosphorus and Iron Solubilization in Tropical Sediments

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Tropical seagrasses are nutrient-limited owing to the strong phosphorus fixation capacity of carbonate-rich sediments, yet they form densely vegetated, multispecies meadows in oligotrophic tropical waters. Using a novel combination of high-resolution, two-dimensional chemical imaging of O2, pH, iron, sulfide, calcium, and phosphorus, we found that tropical seagrasses are able to mobilize the essential nutrients iron and phosphorus in their rhizosphere via multiple biogeochemical pathways. We show that tropical seagrasses mobilize phosphorus and iron within their rhizosphere via plant-induced local acidification, leading to dissolution of carbonates and release of phosphate, and via local stimulation of microbial sulfide production, causing reduction of insoluble Fe(III) oxyhydroxides to dissolved Fe(II) with concomitant phosphate release into the rhizosphere porewater. These nutrient mobilization mechanisms have a direct link to seagrass-derived radial O2 loss and secretion of dissolved organic carbon from the below-ground tissue into the rhizosphere. Our demonstration of seagrass-derived rhizospheric phosphorus and iron mobilization explains why seagrasses are widely distributed in oligotrophic tropical waters. PMID:29149570

Foreword to the Special Issue on Ejecta

DOE PAGES

Buttler, William Tillman; Williams, Robin J. R.; Najjar, Fady M.

2017-05-22

We report that ejecta physics is a young field, having developed over the last 60 years or so. Essentially, ejecta forms as a spray of dense particles generated from the free surface of metals subjected to strong shocks, but the detailed mechanisms controlling the properties of this particulate ejecta are only now being fully elucidated. The field is dynamic and rapidly growing, with military and industrial applications, and applications to areas such as fusion research. This Special Issue on Ejecta reports the current state of the art in ejecta physics, describing experimental, theoretical and computational work by research groups aroundmore » the world. While much remains to be done, the dramatic recent progress in the field, some of it first reported here, means that this volume provides a particularly timely review. In this foreword, we provide a brief historical overview of the development of ejecta physics, to define the context for the work in the rest of this Special Issue.« less

Plasma surface tantalum alloying on titanium and its corrosion behavior in sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, D. B.; Chen, X. H.; Zhang, P. Z.; Ding, F.; Li, F. K.; Yao, Z. J.

2018-05-01

An anti-corrosion Ti-Ta alloy coating was prepared on pure titanium surface by double glow plasma surface alloying technology. Electrochemical corrosion test was applied to test the anti-corrosion property of Ti-Ta alloy layer. The microstructure and the phase composition of Ti-Ta alloy coating were detected before and after corrosion process by means of scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The results showed that the Ta-Ti alloy layer has a thickness of about 13-15 μm, which is very dense without obvious defects such as pores or cracks. The alloy layer is composed mainly of β-Ta and α-Ti. The Ta alloy layer improves the anti-corrosion property of pure titanium. A denser and more durable TiO2 formed on the surface Ta-Ti alloy layer after immersing in strong corrosive media may account for the excellent corrosion resistant.

Super-Resolution Microscopy: Shedding Light on the Cellular Plasma Membrane.

PubMed

Stone, Matthew B; Shelby, Sarah A; Veatch, Sarah L

2017-06-14

Lipids and the membranes they form are fundamental building blocks of cellular life, and their geometry and chemical properties distinguish membranes from other cellular environments. Collective processes occurring within membranes strongly impact cellular behavior and biochemistry, and understanding these processes presents unique challenges due to the often complex and myriad interactions between membrane components. Super-resolution microscopy offers a significant gain in resolution over traditional optical microscopy, enabling the localization of individual molecules even in densely labeled samples and in cellular and tissue environments. These microscopy techniques have been used to examine the organization and dynamics of plasma membrane components, providing insight into the fundamental interactions that determine membrane functions. Here, we broadly introduce the structure and organization of the mammalian plasma membrane and review recent applications of super-resolution microscopy to the study of membranes. We then highlight some inherent challenges faced when using super-resolution microscopy to study membranes, and we discuss recent technical advancements that promise further improvements to super-resolution microscopy and its application to the plasma membrane.

Ionization-potential depression and dynamical structure factor in dense plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Chengliang; Röpke, Gerd; Kraeft, Wolf-Dietrich; Reinholz, Heidi

2017-07-01

The properties of a bound electron system immersed in a plasma environment are strongly modified by the surrounding plasma. The modification of an essential quantity, the ionization energy, is described by the electronic and ionic self-energies, including dynamical screening within the framework of the quantum statistical theory. Introducing the ionic dynamical structure factor as the indicator for the ionic microfield, we demonstrate that ionic correlations and fluctuations play a critical role in determining the ionization potential depression. This is, in particular, true for mixtures of different ions with large mass and charge asymmetry. The ionization potential depression is calculated for dense aluminum plasmas as well as for a CH plasma and compared to the experimental data and more phenomenological approaches used so far.

Dynamics and distribution of black abalone populations at San Nicolas Island

USGS Publications Warehouse

VanBlaricom, Glenn R.; Hochberg, F.G.

1993-01-01

Dense populations of black abalones (Haliotis cracherodii Leach) were monitored in permanent intertidal plots at nine sites on San Nicolas Island from 1981 through 1990. Densities were essentially constant at all four sites along the north shore of the island throughout the study period. Densities at five sites along the south shore were more variable, possibly reflecting asynchronous variation in recruitment, mortality resulting from wave disturbance, and removal by people. Temporal variation of abalone densities apparently was not influenced by sea otters or abalone withering syndrome during this study. Abalones were strongly aggregated in space. Highest densities occurred in areas of irregular substrata, apparently as a result of preference for crevices and vertical faces. The locations of dense patches were persistent in time.

Fracture mechanics of cellular glass

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zwissler, J. G.; Adams, M. A.

1981-01-01

The fracture mechanics of cellular glasses (for the structural substrate of mirrored glass for solr concentrator reflecting panels) are discussed. Commercial and developmental cellular glasses were tested and analyzed using standard testing techniques and models developed from linear fracture mechanics. Two models describing the fracture behavior of these materials were developed. Slow crack growth behavior in cellular glass was found to be more complex than that encountered in dense glasses or ceramics. The crack velocity was found to be strongly dependent upon water vapor transport to the tip of the moving crack. The existence of a static fatigue limit was not conclusively established, however, it is speculated that slow crack growth behavior in Region 1 may be slower, by orders of magnitude, than that found in dense glasses.

Spherical Nucleic Acids: A New Form of DNA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cutler, Joshua Isaac

Spherical Nucleic Acids (SNAs) are a new class of nucleic acid-based nanomaterials that exhibit unique properties currently being explored in the contexts of gene-based cancer therapies and in the design of programmable nanoparticle-based materials. The properties of SNAs differ from canonical, linear nucleic acids by virtue of their dense packing into an oriented 3-dimensional array. SNAs can be synthesized from a number of useful nanoparticle templates, such as plasmonic gold and silver, magnetic oxides, luminescent semi-conductor quantum dots, and silica. In addition, by crosslinking the oligonucleotides and dissolving the core, they can be made in a hollow form as well. This dissertation describes the evolution of SNAs from initial studies of inorganic nanoparticle-based materials densely functionalized with oligonucleotides to the proving of a hypothesis that their unique properties can be observed in a core-less structure if the nucleic acids are densely packed and highly oriented. Chapter two describes the synthesis of densely functionalized polyvalent oligonucleotide superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles using the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction. These particles are shown to exhibit cooperative binding in a density- and salt concentration-dependent fashion, with nearly identical behaviors to those of SNA-functionalized gold nanoparticles. Importantly, these particles are the first non-gold particles shown to be capable of entering cells in high numbers via the SNA-mediated cellular uptake pathway, and provided the first evidence that SNA-mediated cellular uptake is core-independent. In the third chapter, a gold nanoparticle catalyzed alkyne cross-linking reaction is described that is capable of forming hollow organic nanoparticles using polymers with alkyne-functionalized backbones. With this method, the alkyne-modified polymers adsorb to the particle surfaces, cross-link on the surface, allowing the gold nanoparticle to be subsequently dissolved oxidatively with KCN or Iodine. The reaction pathway is analyzed through characterization of the reaction progression and resulting products, and a mechanistic pathway is proposed. This is the first report of a gold nanoparticle catalyzed reaction involving the conversion of propargyl ethers to terminal alcohols, which can subsequently cross-link if densely arranged on a gold nanoparticle surface. Importantly, these structures can be synthesized using gold nanoparticles of a range of sizes, thereby providing control over the size and properties of the resulting crosslinked particle. Chapter four returns to the topic of SNAs and builds upon the chemistry of chapter three culminating in the synthesis of cross-linked hollow SNA nanoparticles. These structures are formed by the cross-linking of synthetically modified alkyne-bearing oligonucleotides through the pathway described in chapter three. When the gold core is dissolved, the resulting hollow SNAs exhibit nearly identical binding, nuclease resistance, cellular uptake, and gene regulation properties of SNA-gold nanoparticle conjugates. Indeed, this chapter demonstrates that the unique properties of SNA-nanoparticle conjugates are core-independent and stem solely from the dense ensemble of oligonucleotides arranged on their surfaces. The fifth chapter further asserts the synthetic achievements made in chapter four by showing how hollow SNAs can be substituted for SNA-gold nanoparticles in the context of DNA-programmable assembly. In this case, they can be used as building blocks within binary synthetic schemes to synthesize unique nanoparticle superlattices. It bolsters the design rules of DNA-programmable assembly by showing that the predicted structures form based on the behavior of SNA hybridization, and are universal for any SNA-functionalized nanoparticle.

3D numerical calculations and synthetic observations of magnetized massive dense core collapse and fragmentation.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Commerçon, B.; Hennebelle, P.; Levrier, F.; Launhardt, R.; Henning, Th.

2012-03-01

I will present radiation-magneto-hydrodynamics calculations of low-mass and massive dense core collapse, focusing on the first collapse and the first hydrostatic core (first Larson core) formation. The influence of magnetic field and initial mass on the fragmentation properties will be investigated. In the first part reporting low mass dense core collapse calculations, synthetic observations of spectral energy distributions will be derived, as well as classical observational quantities such as bolometric temperature and luminosity. I will show how the dust continuum can help to target first hydrostatic cores and to state about the nature of VeLLOs. Last, I will present synthetic ALMA observation predictions of first hydrostatic cores which may give an answer, if not definitive, to the fragmentation issue at the early Class 0 stage. In the second part, I will report the results of radiation-magneto-hydrodynamics calculations in the context of high mass star formation, using for the first time a self-consistent model for photon emission (i.e. via thermal emission and in radiative shocks) and with the high resolution necessary to resolve properly magnetic braking effects and radiative shocks on scales <100 AU (Commercon, Hennebelle & Henning ApJL 2011). In this study, we investigate the combined effects of magnetic field, turbulence, and radiative transfer on the early phases of the collapse and the fragmentation of massive dense cores (M=100 M_⊙). We identify a new mechanism that inhibits initial fragmentation of massive dense cores, where magnetic field and radiative transfer interplay. We show that this interplay becomes stronger as the magnetic field strength increases. We speculate that highly magnetized massive dense cores are good candidates for isolated massive star formation, while moderately magnetized massive dense cores are more appropriate to form OB associations or small star clusters. Finally we will also present synthetic observations of these collapsing massive dense cores.

Development and utilization of new diagnostics for dense-phase pneumatic transport

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

Dense-phase pneumatic transport is an attractive means of conveying solids. Unfortunately, because of the high solid concentrations, this transport method is a difficult regime in which to carry out detailed measurements. Hence most details of the flow are unknown. In this context, the main objective of this work is to develop probes for local measurements of solid velocity and holdup in dense gas-solid flows. Because we anticipate the recent theories of rapid granular flows will bring insight to the dense pneumatic transport of particles, we have sought to substantiate these theories through computer simulations. There we have verified the theorymore » of Hanes, Jenkins Richman (1988) for the rapid, steady shear flow of identical, smooth, nearly elastics disks driven by identical, parallel, bumpy boundaries. Because granular flows depend strongly on the nature of their interaction with a boundary, we have verified the boundary conditions calculated by Jenkins (1991) for spheres interacting with a flat, frictional surface. During the previous reporting period, we began a study of the time relaxation of the second moment of velocity fluctuations for a collection of disks undergoing simple shear. In the present reporting period, we have completed this study of relaxation by comparing results of simulations with the theoretical predictions of Jenkins and Richman (1988). In addition, we have concluded a series of experiments with flour plugs in the dense-phase pneumatic setup. Finally, we have established several industrial contacts to transfer the diagnostic techniques developed under this contract. 7 refs., 11 figs.« less

Algebraically special space-time in relativity, black holes, and pulsar models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adler, R. J.; Sheffield, C.

1973-01-01

The entire field of astronomy is in very rapid flux, and at the center of interest are problems relating to the very dense, rotating, neutron stars observed as pulsars. the hypothesized collapsed remains of stars known as black holes, and quasars. Degenerate metric form, or Kerr-Schild metric form, was used to study several problems related to intense gravitational fields.

The tufas of Pyramid Lake, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Benson, Larry V.

2004-01-01

Pyramid Lake is the site of some of the Earth's most spectacular tufa deposits. The Tufas are composed of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). The large tufa mounds, reef- and sheet-like tufas formed within Pyramid Lake, between 26,000 and 13,000 years (yr) ago, when the lake was part of pluvial Lake Lahontan. The mounds are composed of large interlocking spheres that contain multiple generations of a crystalline (thinolite) variety of tufa. Over time many of the mounds have fallen apart, exposing an internal network of tubes. The tubular structures are thought to have been created when springs discharged from the bottom of Pyramid Lake, supplying calcium that combined with carbonate dissolved in lake water to form the mounds. The reef- and sheet-like deposits contain pillow and pendant forms made up of a branching variety of tufa that often grades into dense layers or nodules. Dense layers of tufa also coat cobbles and boulders that were deposited in near-shore shallow-water areas. The thickest tufa deposits formed at lake-bottom sites of ground-water discharge and at overflow elevations1 where the lake was held at near-constant levels for long periods of time.

Tufa in Northern England: depositional facies, carbonate mineral fabrics, and role of biomineralization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manzo, E.; Mawson, M.; Perri, E.; Tucker, M. E.

2009-04-01

Tufas are widely scattered in northern England, being concentrated in areas of limestone (Carboniferous and Permian), where there are springs, seepages, streams and waterfalls with waters supersatured in respect of calcite. Some deposits are clearly related to faults. Tufas have been examined in Gordale and Malham (SW Yorkshire), Teesdale and Weardale (Co. Durham), Sunderland (Tyne & Wear) and Great Asby Fell (Cumbria). A variety of tufa types are developed: spring-related pisoids and moss tufa, fluviatile barrage and waterfall tufa, and seepage and spring tufa with microbial oncoids in a paludal setting. We present preliminary data and observations on tufa in the Teesdale area, which forms along the valley-side adjacent to the River Tees. Locally here, a tiny stream draining agricultural land runs over a sandstone outcrop at the top of a 30 metre high slope; water descends the 30-60 degrees slope, creating tiny waterfalls and pools across an area reaching 10 metres wide, on the way down towards the river. Three main facies are recognizable in the tufa deposits: carbonate crusts, moss tufa and pisoids. In the upper part of the slope tufa occurs as sub-vertical 0.5-5 cm thick carbonate crusts forming "sheets" with a bulbous external surface covered by a green biofilm, with some insect larvae. Encrustations form upon surfaces of rock exposures and pebbles, and coat plant fragments (leaves, twigs, pine cones). Tufa precipitation, particularly on mosses, liverworts and leaves (moss tufa), creates a series of rimmed pools, a few decimetres across and centimetres deep. Apart from the presence of moss, which gives the tufa has a vacuolar texture, the main constituents are cyanobacteria and diatoms. The moss tufa deposit may reach a metre or more in height and several metres in width, notably towards the base of the slope, adjacent to the river. Within the small pools on the slope, pisoids and partially calcified plant remains accumulate. They also occur abundantly in the soil hereabouts, and are gradually being washed down slope. Pisoids vary in size and shape, ranging from rods to sub-spherical forms, up to several cm long or a cm or more in diameter. The external surface is a smooth dull surface of a pale grey-buff colour; the nucleus may be a plant fragment, tufa intraclast or rock fragment. Microfacies Teesdale tufa is characterized by three microfacies all contributing to a basic stromatolitic or laminated microfabric: dendrolite, dense micrite and palisades of sparite. Laminae consist of an irregular alternation of the three microfacies, which vary in abundance within the main depositional facies. Dendrolitic layers are characterized of mineralized, upward-branching cyanobacterial filaments, forming bush-like fans. Coarse sparitic layers consist of palisades of bladed calcite spar characterized by rhombohedral terminations. Micritic layers consist of dark-brown dense laminae with some clotted fabric, composed of dark micritic crystals. In thin-section molds of moss stems are often preserved by a sparitic layer that formed a coating before decay of the moss organic tissues. Cavities are abundant in moss tufa and crusts. They are often empty or in some case filled by detrital particles. Pisoids under the microscope show a cortex characterized by a concentric structure consisting mainly dense micritic layers alternating with sporadic sparitic and/or dendrolitic layers. Calcified cyanobacterial filaments or their molds are very evident in the dendrolitic laminae, but also occur in the other microfacies, being incorporated in both the sparite macro-crystals and the micritic layers. Nanofacies of minerals The mineral composition of the autochthonous carbonate forming tufa is calcite with a few mole% Mg. Sub-hedral crystals of calcite, several tens of microns in size, form sparite crystals. Sub-polygonal micro-crystals and elongate fibres a few microns in size compose dense micrite and calcified filaments. Under extra-high SEM magnifications, all crystal forms seem be made of sub-spherical to rod-like nano-crystals, ranging in size from 100 to 300 nm. Other than cyanobacteria, calcified organic components like diatoms, plant tissues, and extra-cellular polymeric substances (EPS) are mineralized with the same crystal nano-elements. Conclusions Tufa formation seems strongly influenced by the inclination of the slope, water energy, the biota, including the biofilm, and the organic matter substrate (mainly EPS); super-saturation of water with respect to calcite is a pre-requisite for precipitation. The inclination of the slope determines the water energy and so the degassing of CO2 which leads to precipitation of carbonate. Photosynthesis by macrophytes, microphytes and cyanobacteria could also contribute to CO2 degassing. EPS degradation processes, particularly those involving heterotrophic micro-organisms which can induce an increase in alkalinity, could be a further mechanism of biomineralization in these tufa carbonates.

The combined effect of AGN and supernovae feedback in launching massive molecular outflows in high-redshift galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biernacki, Pawel; Teyssier, Romain

2018-04-01

We have recently improved our model of active galactic nucleus (AGN) by attaching the supermassive black hole (SMBH) to a massive nuclear star cluster (NSC). Here, we study the effects of this new model in massive, gas-rich galaxies with several simulations of different feedback recipes with the hydrodynamics code RAMSES. These simulations are compared to a reference simulation without any feedback, in which the cooling halo gas is quickly consumed in a burst of star formation. In the presence of strong supernovae (SN) feedback, we observe the formation of a galactic fountain that regulates star formation over a longer period, but without halting it. If only AGN feedback is considered, as soon as the SMBH reaches a critical mass, strong outflows of hot gas are launched and prevent the cooling halo gas from reaching the disc, thus efficiently halting star formation, leading to the so-called `quenching'. If both feedback mechanisms act in tandem, we observe a non-linear coupling, in the sense that the dense gas in the supernovae-powered galactic fountain is propelled by the hot outflow powered by the AGN at much larger radii than without AGN. We argue that these particular outflows are able to unbind dense gas from the galactic halo, thanks to the combined effect of SN and AGN feedback. We speculate that this mechanism occurs at the end of the fast growing phase of SMBH, and is at the origin of the dense molecular outflows observed in many massive high-redshift galaxies.

Laser propagation and soliton generation in strongly magnetized plasmas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Feng, W.; Li, J. Q.; Kishimoto, Y.

The propagation characteristics of various laser modes with different polarization, as well as the soliton generation in strongly magnetized plasmas are studied numerically through one-dimensional (1D) particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations and analytically by solving the laser wave equation. PIC simulations show that the laser heating efficiency substantially depends on the magnetic field strength, the propagation modes of the laser pulse and their intensities. Generally, large amplitude laser can efficiently heat the plasma with strong magnetic field. Theoretical analyses on the linear propagation of the laser pulse in both under-dense and over-dense magnetized plasmas are well confirmed by the numerical observations. Mostmore » interestingly, it is found that a standing or moving soliton with frequency lower than the laser frequency is generated in certain magnetic field strength and laser intensity range, which can greatly enhance the laser heating efficiency. The range of magnetic field strength for the right-hand circularly polarized (RCP) soliton formation with high and low frequencies is identified by solving the soliton equations including the contribution of ion's motion and the finite temperature effects under the quasi-neutral approximation. In the limit of immobile ions, the RCP soliton tends to be peaked and stronger as the magnetic field increases, while the enhanced soliton becomes broader as the temperature increases. These findings in 1D model are well validated by 2D simulations.« less

In-Situ Analysis of the Chemical Vapor Synthesis of Nanocrystalline Silicon Carbide by Aerosol Mass Spectrometry

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-11-01

ultrafine particles with a narrow size distribution and high purity. Chemical Vapor Synthesis (CVS) is a method to generate particles in the size range...high temperatures due to strong covalent bonds. Ultrafine particles of SiC are promising for the production of dense bulk solids due to the small grain

Fault properties, rheology and interseismic deformation in Southern California from high-precision space geodesy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindsey, Eric Ostrom

This dissertation presents the collection and processing of dense high-precision geode- tic data across major faults throughout Southern California. The results are used to inform numerical models of the long-term slip rate and interseismic behavior of these faults, as well as their frictional and rheological properties at shallow depths. The data include campaign surveys of dense networks of GPS monuments crossing the faults, and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) observations from ENVISAT. Using a Bayesian framework, we first assess to what extent these data constrain relative fault slip rates on the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults, and show that the inferred parameters depend critically on the assumed fault geometry. We next look in detail at near-field observations of strain across the San Jacinto fault, and show that the source of this strain may be either deep anomalous creep or a new form of shallow, distributed yielding in the top few kilometers of the crust. On the San Andreas fault, we show that this type of shallow yielding does occur, and its presence or absence is controlled by variations in the local normal stress that result from subtle bends in the fault. Finally, we investigate shallow creep on the Imperial fault, and show that thanks to observations from all parts of the earthquake cycle it is now possible to obtain a strong constraint on the shallow frictional rheology and depth of the material responsible for creep. The results also suggest activity on a hidden fault to the West, whose existence has been previously suggested but never confirmed.

Protein complexes and functional modules in molecular networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spirin, Victor; Mirny, Leonid A.

2003-10-01

Proteins, nucleic acids, and small molecules form a dense network of molecular interactions in a cell. Molecules are nodes of this network, and the interactions between them are edges. The architecture of molecular networks can reveal important principles of cellular organization and function, similarly to the way that protein structure tells us about the function and organization of a protein. Computational analysis of molecular networks has been primarily concerned with node degree [Wagner, A. & Fell, D. A. (2001) Proc. R. Soc. London Ser. B 268, 1803-1810; Jeong, H., Tombor, B., Albert, R., Oltvai, Z. N. & Barabasi, A. L. (2000) Nature 407, 651-654] or degree correlation [Maslov, S. & Sneppen, K. (2002) Science 296, 910-913], and hence focused on single/two-body properties of these networks. Here, by analyzing the multibody structure of the network of protein-protein interactions, we discovered molecular modules that are densely connected within themselves but sparsely connected with the rest of the network. Comparison with experimental data and functional annotation of genes showed two types of modules: (i) protein complexes (splicing machinery, transcription factors, etc.) and (ii) dynamic functional units (signaling cascades, cell-cycle regulation, etc.). Discovered modules are highly statistically significant, as is evident from comparison with random graphs, and are robust to noise in the data. Our results provide strong support for the network modularity principle introduced by Hartwell et al. [Hartwell, L. H., Hopfield, J. J., Leibler, S. & Murray, A. W. (1999) Nature 402, C47-C52], suggesting that found modules constitute the "building blocks" of molecular networks.

Decoupling of magnetic fields in collapsing protostellar envelopes and disc formation and fragmentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Bo; Caselli, Paola; Li, Zhi-Yun; Krasnopolsky, Ruben

2018-02-01

Efficient magnetic braking is a formidable obstacle to the formation of rotationally supported discs (RSDs) around protostars in magnetized dense cores. We have previously shown, through 2D (axisymmetric) non-ideal magnetohydrodynamic simulations, that removing very small grains (VSGs: ∼10 Å to few 100 Å) can greatly enhance ambipolar diffusion and enable the formation of RSDs. Here, we extend the simulations of disc formation enabled by VSG removal to 3D. We find that the key to this scenario of disc formation is that the drift velocity of the magnetic field almost cancels out the infall velocity of the neutrals in the 102-103 au scale 'pseudo-disc' where the field lines are most severely pinched and most of protostellar envelope mass infall occurs. As a result, the bulk neutral envelope matter can collapse without dragging much magnetic flux into the disc-forming region, which lowers the magnetic braking efficiency. We find that the initial discs enabled by VSG removal tend to be Toomre-unstable, which leads to the formation of prominent spiral structures that function as centrifugal barriers. The piling-up of infall material near the centrifugal barrier often produces dense fragments of tens of Jupiter masses, especially in cores that are not too strongly magnetized. Some fragments accrete on to the central stellar object, producing bursts in mass accretion rate. Others are longer lived, although whether they can survive for a long term to produce multiple systems remains to be ascertained. Our results highlight the importance of dust grain evolution in determining the formation and properties of protostellar discs and potentially multiple systems.

Statistical analysis of suprathermal electron drivers at 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broiles, Thomas W.; Burch, J. L.; Chae, K.; Clark, G.; Cravens, T. E.; Eriksson, A.; Fuselier, S. A.; Frahm, R. A.; Gasc, S.; Goldstein, R.; Henri, P.; Koenders, C.; Livadiotis, G.; Mandt, K. E.; Mokashi, P.; Nemeth, Z.; Odelstad, E.; Rubin, M.; Samara, M.

2016-11-01

We use observations from the Ion and Electron Sensor (IES) on board the Rosetta spacecraft to study the relationship between the cometary suprathermal electrons and the drivers that affect their density and temperature. We fit the IES electron observations with the summation of two kappa distributions, which we characterize as a dense and warm population (˜10 cm-3 and ˜16 eV) and a rarefied and hot population (˜0.01 cm-3 and ˜43 eV). The parameters of our fitting technique determine the populations' density, temperature, and invariant kappa index. We focus our analysis on the warm population to determine its origin by comparing the density and temperature with the neutral density and magnetic field strength. We find that the warm electron population is actually two separate sub-populations: electron distributions with temperatures above 8.6 eV and electron distributions with temperatures below 8.6 eV. The two sub-populations have different relationships between their density and temperature. Moreover, the two sub-populations are affected by different drivers. The hotter sub-population temperature is strongly correlated with neutral density, while the cooler sub-population is unaffected by neutral density and is only weakly correlated with magnetic field strength. We suggest that the population with temperatures above 8.6 eV is being heated by lower hybrid waves driven by counterstreaming solar wind protons and newly formed, cometary ions created in localized, dense neutral streams. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first observations of cometary electrons heated through wave-particle interactions.

Application of Artificial Intelligence For Euler Solutions Clustering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikhailov, V.; Galdeano, A.; Diament, M.; Gvishiani, A.; Agayan, S.; Bogoutdinov, Sh.; Graeva, E.; Sailhac, P.

Results of Euler deconvolution strongly depend on the selection of viable solutions. Synthetic calculations using multiple causative sources show that Euler solutions clus- ter in the vicinity of causative bodies even when they do not group densely about perimeter of the bodies. We have developed a clustering technique to serve as a tool for selecting appropriate solutions. The method RODIN, employed in this study, is based on artificial intelligence and was originally designed for problems of classification of large data sets. It is based on a geometrical approach to study object concentration in a finite metric space of any dimension. The method uses a formal definition of cluster and includes free parameters that facilitate the search for clusters of given proper- ties. Test on synthetic and real data showed that the clustering technique successfully outlines causative bodies more accurate than other methods of discriminating Euler solutions. In complicated field cases such as the magnetic field in the Gulf of Saint Malo region (Brittany, France), the method provides geologically insightful solutions. Other advantages of the clustering method application are: - Clusters provide solutions associated with particular bodies or parts of bodies permitting the analysis of different clusters of Euler solutions separately. This may allow computation of average param- eters for individual causative bodies. - Those measurements of the anomalous field that yield clusters also form dense clusters themselves. The application of cluster- ing technique thus outlines areas where the influence of different causative sources is more prominent. This allows one to focus on areas for reinterpretation, using different window sizes, structural indices and so on.

Dense plasma formation on the surface of a ferroelectric induced by a driving pulse with a fast fall time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chirko, K.; Krasik, Ya. E.; Sayapin, A.; Felsteiner, J.; Bernshtam, V.

2003-08-01

Experimental results are presented of dense plasma formation on the surface of a BaTi-based ferroelectric sample during the fall time of a driving pulse. A negative or positive driving pulse (⩽14 kV), with a slow rise time (˜450 ns) and a fast fall time (40-200 ns), was applied to the rear electrode of the ferroelectric. It was found by different electrical, optical, and spectroscopic diagnostics that this method allows one to form a plasma with a larger density (˜3×1013 cm-3) as compared with that formed by a driving pulse with a fast rise time (⩽4×1012 cm-3). It was shown that the shorter the fall time of the driving pulse the more intense plasma formation occurs. The most uniform and dense plasma formation occurs with a positive driving pulse. In addition, it was found that the shorter the fall time of the positive driving pulse the larger are the current amplitude, the energy, and the divergence of the emitted electrons. The obtained results are discussed in terms of the surface plasma formation and the compensation process of the polarization surface charge of the ferroelectric sample.

Molecular Composition and Chemistry of Isolated Dense Cores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, Amanda; Boogert, A.

2009-01-01

The composition of molecular clouds and the envelopes and disks surrounding low mass protostars within them is still poorly known. There is little doubt that a large fraction of the molecules is frozen on grains, but the abundance of several crucial species (e.g. ammonia, methanol, ions) in the ices is still uncertain. In addition, prominent spectral features discovered decades ago are still not securely identified (e.g. the 6.85-micron absorption band). Gas phase and grain surface chemistry play pivotal roles in molecule formation, but numerous other processes could have significant impacts as well: shocks, thermal heating, irradiation of ices by ultraviolet photons and cosmic rays. Complex species could be formed this way, profoundly influencing cloud, disk and planetary/cometary chemistry. We have obtained Spitzer/IRS spectra of an unprecedented sample of sight-lines tracing 25 dense isolated cores. These cores physically differ from the large, cluster-forming molecular clouds (e.g. Ophiuchus, Perseus) that are commonly studied: they are less turbulent, colder, less dense, and likely longer lived. These IRS spectra of isolated cores thus provide unique information on ice formation and destruction mechanisms. Toward the same cores, we observed 33 highly extincted background stars as well, tracing the quiescent cloud medium against which the ices around protostars can be contrasted.

Method of forming a dense, high temperature electronically conductive composite layer on a porous ceramic substrate

DOEpatents

Isenberg, A.O.

1992-04-21

An electrochemical device, containing a solid oxide electrolyte material and an electrically conductive composite layer, has the composite layer attached by: (A) applying a layer of LaCrO[sub 3], YCrO[sub 3] or LaMnO[sub 3] particles, on a portion of a porous ceramic substrate, (B) heating to sinter bond the particles to the substrate, (C) depositing a dense filler structure between the doped particles, (D) shaving off the top of the particles, and (E) applying an electronically conductive layer over the particles as a contact. 7 figs.

A cloud collision model for water maser excitation.

PubMed

Tarter, J C; Welch, W J

1986-06-01

High-velocity collisions between small, dense, neutral clouds or between a dense cloud and a dense shell can provide the energy source required to excite H2O maser emission. The radiative precursor from the surface of the collisional shock front rapidly diffuses through the cloud, heating the dust grains but leaving the H2 molecules cool. Transient maser emission occurs as the conditions for the Goldreich and Kwan "hot-dust cold-gas" maser pump scheme are realized locally within the cloud. In time the local maser action quenches due to the heating of the H2 molecules by collisions against the grains. Although this model cannot explain the very long-lived steady maser features, it is quite successful in explaining a number of the observed properties of the high-velocity features in such sources as Orion, W51, and W49. In particular, it provides a natural explanation for the rapid time variations, the narrow line widths, juxtaposition of high- and low-velocity features, and the short lifetimes which are frequently observed for the so-called high-velocity maser "bullets" thought to be accelerated by strong stellar winds.

Post-fusion structural changes and their roles in exocytosis and endocytosis of dense-core vesicles

PubMed Central

Chiang, Hsueh-Cheng; Shin, Wonchul; Zhao, Wei-Dong; Hamid, Edaeni; Sheng, Jiansong; Baydyuk, Maryna; Wen, Peter J.; Jin, Albert; Momboisse, Fanny; Wu, Ling-Gang

2014-01-01

Vesicle fusion with the plasma membrane generates an Ω-shaped membrane profile. Its pore is thought to dilate until flattening (full-collapse), followed by classical endocytosis to retrieve vesicles. Alternatively, the pore may close (kiss-and-run), but the triggering mechanisms and its endocytic roles remain poorly understood. Here, using confocal and STED imaging of dense-core vesicles, we find that fusion-generated Ω-profiles may enlarge or shrink while maintaining vesicular membrane proteins. Closure of fusion-generated Ω-profiles, which produces various sizes of vesicles, is the dominant mechanism mediating rapid and slow endocytosis within ~1–30 s. Strong calcium influx triggers dynamin-mediated closure. Weak calcium influx does not promote closure, but facilitates the merging of Ω-profiles with the plasma membrane via shrinking rather than full-collapse. These results establish a model, termed Ω-exo-endocytosis, in which the fusion-generated Ω-profile may shrink to merge with the plasma membrane, change in size, or change in size then close in response to calcium, which is the main mechanism to retrieve dense-core vesicles. PMID:24561832

Development and utilization of new diagnostics for dense-phase pneumatic transport

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Louge, M.Y.; Jenkins, J.T.

Dense-phase pneumatic transport is an attractive means of conveying solids. Unfortunately, because of the high solid concentrations, this transport method is a difficult regime in which to carry out detailed measurements. Hence most details of the flow are unknown. In this context, the main objective of this work is to develop probes for local measurements of solid velocity and holdup in dense gas-solid flows. In particular, the authors have designed capacitance probes to measure local, time-dependent particle concentrations, and a new optical fiber probe based on laser-induced-phosphorescence to measure particle velocities. The principles for the capacitance and optical diagnostics weremore » given in the first and second quarterly reports. A final version of the optical fiber probe was designed in the previous reporting period. Because granular flows depends strongly on the nature of their interaction with a boundary, the authors have sought in the present reporting period to verify the boundary conditions recently calculated by Jenkins (J. Appl. Mech., in press (1991)) using computer simulations. 2 refs., 2 figs.« less

Modeling the purging of dense fluid from a street canyon driven by an interfacial mixing flow and skimming flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baratian-Ghorghi, Z.; Kaye, N. B.

2013-07-01

An experimental study is presented to investigate the mechanism of flushing a trapped dense contaminant from a canyon by turbulent boundary layer flow. The results of a series of steady-state experiments are used to parameterize the flushing mechanisms. The steady-state experimental results for a canyon with aspect ratio one indicate that dense fluid is removed from the canyon by two different processes, skimming of dense fluid from the top of the dense layer; and by an interfacial mixing flow that mixes fresh fluid down into the dense lower layer (entrainment) while mixing dense fluid into the flow above the canyon (detrainment). A model is developed for the time varying buoyancy profile within the canyon as a function of the Richardson number which parameterizes both the interfacial mixing and skimming processes observed. The continuous release steady-state experiments allowed for the direct measurement of the skimming and interfacial mixing flow rates for any layer depth and Richardson number. Both the skimming rate and the interfacial mixing rate were found to be power-law functions of the Richardson number of the layer. The model results were compared to the results of previously published finite release experiments [Z. Baratian-Ghorghi and N. B. Kaye, Atmos. Environ. 60, 392-402 (2012)], 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2012.06.077. A high degree of consistency was found between the finite release data and the continuous release data. This agreement acts as an excellent check on the measurement techniques used, as the finite release data was based on curve fitting through buoyancy versus time data, while the continuous release data was calculated directly by measuring the rate of addition of volume and buoyancy once a steady-state was established. Finally, a system of ordinary differential equations is presented to model the removal of dense fluid from the canyon based on empirical correlations of the skimming and interfacial mixing taken form the steady-state experiments. The ODE model predicts well the time taken for a finite volume of dense fluid to be flushed from a canyon.

Effect of Post-spray Shot Peening Treatment on the Corrosion Behavior of NiCr-Mo Coating by Plasma Spraying of the Shell-Core-Structured Powders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Jia-Jia; Wei, Ying-Kang; Li, Cheng-Xin; Yang, Guan-Jun; Li, Chang-Jiu

2018-01-01

Corrosion of metal plays a detrimental role in service lifetime of parts or systems. Therefore, coating a protective film which is fully dense and defects free on the base metal is an effective approach to protect the base metal from corrosion. In this study, a dense NiCr-20Mo coating with excellent lamellar interface bonding was deposited by plasma spraying of the novel shell-core-structured Mo-clad-NiCr powders, and then post-spray shot peening treatment by cold spraying of steel shots was applied to the plasma-sprayed NiCr-20Mo coating to obtain a fully dense coating through eliminating possibly existed pores and un-bonded interfaces within the NiCr-20Mo coating. Corrosion behaviors of the NiCr-20Mo coatings before and after shot peening were tested to investigate the effect of the post-spray shot peening on the corrosion behavior of the NiCr-20Mo coating. Results showed that a much dense and uniform plasma-sprayed NiCr-20Mo coating with perfect lamellar bonding at most of interfaces was deposited. However, the electrochemical tests revealed the existence of through-thickness pores in the as-plasma-sprayed NiCr-20Mo coating. Through the post-spray shot peening treatment, a completely dense top layer in the coating was formed, and with the increase in the shot peening intensity from one pass to three passes, the dense top layer became thicker from 100 μm to reach 300 μm of the whole coating thickness. Thus, a fully dense bulk-like coating was obtained. Corrosion test results showed that the dense coating layer resulting from densification of shot peening can act as an effective barrier coating to prevent the penetration of the corrosive medium and consequently protect the substrate from corrosion effectively. Therefore, a fully dense bulk-like NiCr-20Mo coating with excellent corrosion resistance can be achieved through the plasma spraying of Mo-clad-NiCr powders followed by appropriate post-spray shot peening treatment.

The Origin of IRS 16: Dynamically Driven In-Spiral of a Dense Star Cluster to the Galactic Center?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Portegies Zwart, Simon F.; McMillan, Stephen L. W.; Gerhard, Ortwin

2003-08-01

We use direct N-body simulations to study the in-spiral and internal evolution of dense star clusters near the Galactic center. These clusters sink toward the center owing to dynamical friction with the stellar background and may go into core collapse before being disrupted by the Galactic tidal field. If a cluster reaches core collapse before disruption, its dense core, which has become rich in massive stars, survives to reach close to the Galactic center. When it eventually dissolves, the cluster deposits a disproportionate number of massive stars in the innermost parsec of the Galactic nucleus. Comparing the spatial distribution and kinematics of the massive stars with observations of IRS 16, a group of young He I stars near the Galactic center, we argue that this association may have formed in this way.

What Determines Star Formation Rates?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, Neal John

2017-06-01

The relations between star formation and gas have received renewed attention. We combine studies on scales ranging from local (within 0.5 kpc) to distant galaxies to assess what factors contribute to star formation. These include studies of star forming regions in the Milky Way, the LMC, nearby galaxies with spatially resolved star formation, and integrated galaxy studies. We test whether total molecular gas or dense gas provides the best predictor of star formation rate. The star formation ``efficiency," defined as star formation rate divided by mass, spreads over a large range when the mass refers to molecular gas; the standard deviation of the log of the efficiency decreases by a factor of three when the mass of relatively dense molecular gas is used rather than the mass of all the molecular gas. We suggest ways to further develop the concept of "dense gas" to incorporate other factors, such as turbulence.

Mechanical and shape memory properties of porous Ni50.1Ti49.9 alloys manufactured by selective laser melting.

PubMed

Taheri Andani, Mohsen; Saedi, Soheil; Turabi, Ali Sadi; Karamooz, M R; Haberland, Christoph; Karaca, Haluk Ersin; Elahinia, Mohammad

2017-04-01

Near equiatomic NiTi shape memory alloys were fabricated in dense and designed porous forms by Selective Laser Melting (SLM) and their mechanical and shape memory properties were systematically characterized. Particularly, the effects of pore morphology on their mechanical responses were investigated. Dense and porous NiTi alloys exhibited good shape memory effect with a recoverable strain of about 5% and functional stability after eight cycles of compression. The stiffness and residual plastic strain of porous NiTi were found to depend highly on the pore shape and the level of porosity. Since porous NiTi structures have lower elastic modulus and density than dense NiTi with still good shape memory properties, they are promising materials for lightweight structures, energy absorbers, and biomedical implants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Green Bank Ammonia Survey of the Gould Belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friesen, Rachel; Pineda, Jaime; GAS Team

2018-01-01

The past several years have seen a tremendous advancement in our ability to characterize the structure of nearby molecular clouds traced by large-scale continuum surveys. Critical, comparable data on the dense gas kinematics and temperatures are needed to understand the history and future fate of star-forming material. Filling this gap is the Green Bank Ammonia Survey (GAS), an ambitious legacy survey for the Green Bank Telescope to observe key molecular tracers of dense gas within all Gould Belt clouds visible from the northern hemisphere. I will present the latest science from GAS, whose goals are to 1) evaluate the stability of dense gas structures as a function of scale, 2) track the dissipation of turbulence and evolution of angular momentum in filaments and cores, and 3) quantitatively test predictions of models of core and filament formation via mass flows and accretion.

Celestial Cities and the Roads That Connect Them

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-01-25

Observations from NASA Spitzer Space Telescope show that filamentary galaxies form stars at twice the rate of their densely clustered counterparts. This is a representation of galaxies in and surrounding a galaxy cluster called Abell 1763.

Multifunctional nanocomposite hollow fiber membranes by solvent transfer induced phase separation.

PubMed

Haase, Martin F; Jeon, Harim; Hough, Noah; Kim, Jong Hak; Stebe, Kathleen J; Lee, Daeyeon

2017-11-01

The decoration of porous membranes with a dense layer of nanoparticles imparts useful functionality and can enhance membrane separation and anti-fouling properties. However, manufacturing of nanoparticle-coated membranes requires multiple steps and tedious processing. Here, we introduce a facile single-step method in which bicontinuous interfacially jammed emulsions are used to form nanoparticle-functionalized hollow fiber membranes. The resulting nanocomposite membranes prepared via solvent transfer-induced phase separation and photopolymerization have exceptionally high nanoparticle loadings (up to 50 wt% silica nanoparticles) and feature densely packed nanoparticles uniformly distributed over the entire membrane surfaces. These structurally well-defined, asymmetric membranes facilitate control over membrane flux and selectivity, enable the formation of stimuli responsive hydrogel nanocomposite membranes, and can be easily modified to introduce antifouling features. This approach forms a foundation for the formation of advanced nanocomposite membranes comprising diverse building blocks with potential applications in water treatment, industrial separations and as catalytic membrane reactors.

A novel mechanism for creating double pulsars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sigurdsson, Steinn; Hernquist, Lars

1992-01-01

Simulations of encounters between pairs of hard binaries, each containing a neutron star and a main-sequence star, reveal a new formation mechanism for double pulsars in dense cores of globular clusters. In many cases, the two normal stars are disrupted to form a common envelope around the pair of neutron stars, both of which will be spun up to become millisecond pulsars. We predict that a new class of pulsars, double millisecond pulsars, will be discovered in the cores of dense globular clusters. The genesis proceeds through a short-lived double-core common envelope phase, with the envelope ejected in a fast wind. It is possible that the progenitor may also undergo a double X-ray binary phase. Any circular, short-period double pulsar found in the galaxy would necessarily come from disrupted disk clusters, unlike Hulse-Taylor class pulsars or low-mass X-ray binaries which may be ejected from clusters or formed in the galaxy.

Degradation of porous poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) films based on water diffusion.

PubMed

Huang, Ying-Ying; Qi, Min; Liu, Hong-Ze; Zhao, Hong; Yang, Da-Zhi

2007-03-15

Poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) has been extensively used as a controlled release carrier for drug delivery due to its good biocompatibility, biodegradability, and mechanical strength. Effects of dense and porous film's degradation behavior have been systematically investigated up to 17 weeks in Hank's Simulated Body Fluid at 37 degrees C. The degradation of the films was studied by measuring changes in weight, molecular weight and its distribution, morphology, composition etc.. A special thing was that the differences in water diffusion in dense and porous structure films caused the different degradation behavior. According to the characteristic changes of various properties of films, the degradation process is suggested to be roughly divided into four stages, tentatively named as water absorption stage, dramatic loss of molecular weight or micro-pores formed stage, loss of weight or enlarged-pores formed stage, pores diminished or pores collapse stage.

Microstructure and thermal characterization of dense bone and metals for biomedical use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez, G. Peña; Calderón, A.; Hernández, R. A. Muñoz; Orea, A. Cruz; Méndez, M.; Sinencio, F. Sánchez

2000-10-01

We present a microstructural study and thermal diffusivity measurements at room temperature in two different sections of bull dense bone, bull bone and commercial hydroxyapatite, the last two in powder form. A comparison was realised between these measured values and those obtained from metallic samples frequently used in implants, as high purity titanium and 316L stainless steel. Our results show that the porosity and its orientation in the bone are two important factors for the heat flux through the bone. On the other hand, we obtained that the hydroxyapatite, in compact powder form, presents a thermal diffusivity value close to those obtained for the samples of bone which gives a good thermal agreement between these materials. Finally, it was obtained at one order of magnitude difference between the thermal diffusivity values of metallic samples and those corresponding values to bone and hydroxyapatite being this difference greater in titanium than in stainless steel.

The Effects of Stellar Irradiation on Gravitational Instabilities in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Kai; Durisen, R. H.; Zhu, Z.

2009-01-01

It has been suggested that giant protoplanets form in protoplanetary disks when the disks undergo rapid cooling and fragment into dense Jupiter-mass clumps under the disks' own self-gravity. Previous three-dimensional simulations of protoplanetary disks investigated the effects of envelope irradiation on the development of gravitational instabilities (GIs) in such disks. We found that the irradiation tends to suppress the nonlinear amplitude of GIs and no dense clumps form, arguing against direct formation of giant planets by disk instability in irradiated disks (Cai et al. 2008). In this work, by utilizing an improved radiative cooling scheme in the optically thin regions, we present some preliminary results from simulations with a variable irradiation temperature that mimics the effects of stellar irradiation. Comparisons with results from an envelope-irradiated disk suggest that stellar irradiation may be more effective in suppressing GIs than envelope irradiation.

Ionisation and discharge in cloud-forming atmospheres of brown dwarfs and extrasolar planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helling, Ch; Rimmer, P. B.; Rodriguez-Barrera, I. M.; Wood, Kenneth; Robertson, G. B.; Stark, C. R.

2016-07-01

Brown dwarfs and giant gas extrasolar planets have cold atmospheres with rich chemical compositions from which mineral cloud particles form. Their properties, like particle sizes and material composition, vary with height, and the mineral cloud particles are charged due to triboelectric processes in such dynamic atmospheres. The dynamics of the atmospheric gas is driven by the irradiating host star and/or by the rotation of the objects that changes during its lifetime. Thermal gas ionisation in these ultra-cool but dense atmospheres allows electrostatic interactions and magnetic coupling of a substantial atmosphere volume. Combined with a strong magnetic field \\gg {{B}\\text{Earth}} , a chromosphere and aurorae might form as suggested by radio and x-ray observations of brown dwarfs. Non-equilibrium processes like cosmic ray ionisation and discharge processes in clouds will increase the local pool of free electrons in the gas. Cosmic rays and lighting discharges also alter the composition of the local atmospheric gas such that tracer molecules might be identified. Cosmic rays affect the atmosphere through air showers in a certain volume which was modelled with a 3D Monte Carlo radiative transfer code to be able to visualise their spacial extent. Given a certain degree of thermal ionisation of the atmospheric gas, we suggest that electron attachment to charge mineral cloud particles is too inefficient to cause an electrostatic disruption of the cloud particles. Cloud particles will therefore not be destroyed by Coulomb explosion for the local temperature in the collisional dominated brown dwarf and giant gas planet atmospheres. However, the cloud particles are destroyed electrostatically in regions with strong gas ionisation. The potential size of such cloud holes would, however, be too small and might occur too far inside the cloud to mimic the effect of, e.g. magnetic field induced star spots.

A sample of [C II] clouds tracing dense clouds in weak FUV fields observed by Herschel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pineda, J. L.; Velusamy, T.; Langer, W. D.; Goldsmith, P. F.; Li, D.; Yorke, H. W.

2010-10-01

The [C ii] fine-structure line at 158 μm is an excellent tracer of the warm diffuse gas in the ISM and the interfaces between molecular clouds and their surrounding atomic and ionized envelopes. Here we present the initial results from Galactic observations of terahertz C+ (GOT C+), a Herschel key project devoted to studying the [C ii] emission in the Galactic plane using the HIFI instrument. We used the [C ii] emission, together with observations of CO, as a probe to understand the effects of newly formed stars on their interstellar environment and characterize the physical and chemical state of the star-forming gas. We collected data along 16 lines-of-sight passing near star-forming regions in the inner Galaxy near longitudes 330° and 20°. We identified fifty-eight [C ii] components that are associated with high-column density molecular clouds as traced by 13CO emission. We combined [C ii], 12CO, and 13CO observations to derive the physical conditions of the [C ii]-emitting regions in our sample of high-column density clouds based on comparing results from a grid of photon dominated region (PDR) models. From this unbiased sample, our results suggest that most of the [C ii] emission originates in clouds with H2 volume densities between 103.5 and 105.5 cm-3 and weak FUV strength (χ0 = 1-10). We find two regions where our analysis suggest high densities >105 cm-3 and strong FUV fields (χ0 = 104-106), likely associated with massive star formation. We suggest that [C ii] emission in conjunction with CO isotopes is a good tool for differentiating regions of massive star formation (high densities/strong FUV fields) and regions that are distant from massive stars (lower densities/weaker FUV fields) along the line-of-sight. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.

The evaporation of dense sprays as a mixing process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Rivas, Alois; Villermaux, Emmanuel

2014-11-01

A dense spray of micron-sized droplets (water or ethanol) is formed in air by a pneumatic atomizer in a closed chamber, and is then conveyed through a nozzle in ambient air, forming a plume whose extension depends on the relative humidity of the diluting medium. We focus on the dry ambient medium, and large plume Reynolds number limit. Standard shear instabilities develop at the plume edge, forming the stretched lamellar structures familiar with passive scalars, except that these vanish in a finite time, because individual droplets evaporate at their border. Experiments also demonstrate that the lifetime of an individual droplet embedded in a lamellae is much larger than expected from the usual d-square law for an isolated droplet. By analogy with the way mixing times are understood from the convection-diffusion equation for passive scalars, we show that the lifetime of a lamellae stretched at a rate γ is tv =1/γ ln (1/+ ϕ ϕ ) where ϕ is a parameter which incorporates the thermodynamic and diffusional properties of the vapor in the diluting phase. The droplets field thus behaves as a -non conserved- passive scalar.

Magnetized Converging Flows toward the Hot Core in the Intermediate/High-mass Star-forming Region NGC 6334 V

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Juárez, Carmen; Girart, Josep M.; Zamora-Avilés, Manuel

We present Submillimeter Array (SMA) observations at 345 GHz toward the intermediate/high-mass cluster-forming region NGC 6334 V. From the dust emission we spatially resolve three dense condensations, the brightest one presenting the typical chemistry of a hot core. The magnetic field (derived from the dust polarized emission) shows a bimodal converging pattern toward the hot core. The molecular emission traces two filamentary structures at two different velocities, separated by 2 km s{sup −1}, converging to the hot core and following the magnetic field distribution. We compare the velocity field and the magnetic field derived from the SMA observations with magnetohydrodynamicmore » simulations of star-forming regions dominated by gravity. This comparison allows us to show how the gas falls in from the larger-scale extended dense core (∼0.1 pc) of NGC 6334 V toward the higher-density hot core region (∼0.02 pc) through two distinctive converging flows dragging the magnetic field, whose strength seems to have been overcome by gravity.« less

Relative Influence of Socioeconomic, Psychological and Sensory Characteristics, Physical Activity and Diet on 5-Year Weight Gain in French Adults

PubMed Central

Castetbon, Katia; Hanafi, Mohamed; Deglaire, Amélie; Schlich, Pascal; Péneau, Sandrine; Méjean, Caroline

2017-01-01

Individual characteristics, dietary intake and physical activity influence weight status; however, the contribution of each factor to weight change has not been studied. The objective was to confirm a conceptual framework by simultaneously assessing the relative influence of socioeconomic, psychological and sensory characteristics, physical activity, and dietary intake on five-year weight gain in French adults. Individual characteristics, physical activity, and dietary data were assessed at baseline in 8014 participants in the NutriNet-Santé cohort. Self-reported anthropometric data were collected at baseline and five years later. Structural equation models, stratified by baseline body mass index (BMI), were used to perform analyses. Dietary restraint was a direct predictor of weight gain, with a stronger effect than age or intake of energy-dense foods, both in non-overweight and overweight participants. In non-overweight individuals only, intake of nutrient-dense foods and physical activity were inversely associated with weight gain. Regarding dietary intake, fat liking was the most important predictor of nutrient-dense food intake and was also related to energy-dense food intake. In these models, dietary restraint appears to be a direct predictor of weight gain and fat liking is a strong determinant of dietary intake. The influence of dietary restraint on weight gain, not explained by diet, warrants further investigation. PMID:29143765

Stand structure modulates the long-term vulnerability of Pinus halepensis to climatic drought in a semiarid Mediterranean ecosystem.

PubMed

Moreno-Gutiérrez, Cristina; Battipaglia, Giovanna; Cherubini, Paolo; Saurer, Matthias; Nicolás, Emilio; Contreras, Sergio; Querejeta, José Ignacio

2012-06-01

We investigated whether stand structure modulates the long-term physiological performance and growth of Pinus halepensis Mill. in a semiarid Mediterranean ecosystem. Tree radial growth and carbon and oxygen stable isotope composition of latewood (δ(13)C(LW) and δ(18)O(LW), respectively) from 1967 to 2007 were measured in P. halepensis trees from two sharply contrasting stand types: open woodlands with widely scattered trees versus dense afforested stands. In both stand types, tree radial growth, δ(13)C(LW) and δ(18)O(LW) were strongly correlated with annual rainfall, thus indicating that tree performance in this semiarid environment is largely determined by inter-annual changes in water availability. However, trees in dense afforested stands showed consistently higher δ(18)O(LW) and similar δ(13)C(LW) values compared with those in neighbouring open woodlands, indicating lower stomatal conductance and photosynthesis rates in the former, but little difference in water use efficiency between stand types. Trees in dense afforested stands were more water stressed and showed lower radial growth, overall suggesting greater vulnerability to drought and climate aridification compared with trees in open woodlands. In this semiarid ecosystem, the negative impacts of intense inter-tree competition for water on P. halepensis performance clearly outweigh potential benefits derived from enhanced infiltration and reduced run-off losses in dense afforested stands. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Catalytic Hydrogenation and Hydrodeoxygenation of Furfural over Pt(111): A Model System for the Rational Design and Operation of Practical Biomass Conversion Catalysts.

PubMed

Taylor, Martin J; Jiang, Li; Reichert, Joachim; Papageorgiou, Anthoula C; Beaumont, Simon K; Wilson, Karen; Lee, Adam F; Barth, Johannes V; Kyriakou, Georgios

2017-04-20

Furfural is a key bioderived platform chemical whose reactivity under hydrogen atmospheres affords diverse chemical intermediates. Here, temperature-programmed reaction spectrometry and complementary scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) are employed to investigate furfural adsorption and reactivity over a Pt(111) model catalyst. Furfural decarbonylation to furan is highly sensitive to reaction conditions, in particular, surface crowding and associated changes in the adsorption geometry: furfural adopts a planar geometry on clean Pt(111) at low coverage, tilting at higher coverage to form a densely packed furfural adlayer. This switch in adsorption geometry strongly influences product selectivity. STM reveals the formation of hydrogen-bonded networks for planar furfural, which favor decarbonylation on clean Pt(111) and hydrogenolysis in the presence of coadsorbed hydrogen. Preadsorbed hydrogen promotes furfural hydrogenation to furfuryl alcohol and its subsequent hydrogenolysis to methyl furan, while suppressing residual surface carbon. Furfural chemistry over Pt is markedly different from that over Pd, with weaker adsorption over the former affording a simpler product distribution than the latter; Pd catalyzes a wider range of chemistry, including ring-opening to form propene. Insight into the role of molecular orientation in controlling product selectivity will guide the design and operation of more selective and stable Pt catalysts for furfural hydrogenation.

Architecture of the human regulatory network derived from ENCODE data.

PubMed

Gerstein, Mark B; Kundaje, Anshul; Hariharan, Manoj; Landt, Stephen G; Yan, Koon-Kiu; Cheng, Chao; Mu, Xinmeng Jasmine; Khurana, Ekta; Rozowsky, Joel; Alexander, Roger; Min, Renqiang; Alves, Pedro; Abyzov, Alexej; Addleman, Nick; Bhardwaj, Nitin; Boyle, Alan P; Cayting, Philip; Charos, Alexandra; Chen, David Z; Cheng, Yong; Clarke, Declan; Eastman, Catharine; Euskirchen, Ghia; Frietze, Seth; Fu, Yao; Gertz, Jason; Grubert, Fabian; Harmanci, Arif; Jain, Preti; Kasowski, Maya; Lacroute, Phil; Leng, Jing Jane; Lian, Jin; Monahan, Hannah; O'Geen, Henriette; Ouyang, Zhengqing; Partridge, E Christopher; Patacsil, Dorrelyn; Pauli, Florencia; Raha, Debasish; Ramirez, Lucia; Reddy, Timothy E; Reed, Brian; Shi, Minyi; Slifer, Teri; Wang, Jing; Wu, Linfeng; Yang, Xinqiong; Yip, Kevin Y; Zilberman-Schapira, Gili; Batzoglou, Serafim; Sidow, Arend; Farnham, Peggy J; Myers, Richard M; Weissman, Sherman M; Snyder, Michael

2012-09-06

Transcription factors bind in a combinatorial fashion to specify the on-and-off states of genes; the ensemble of these binding events forms a regulatory network, constituting the wiring diagram for a cell. To examine the principles of the human transcriptional regulatory network, we determined the genomic binding information of 119 transcription-related factors in over 450 distinct experiments. We found the combinatorial, co-association of transcription factors to be highly context specific: distinct combinations of factors bind at specific genomic locations. In particular, there are significant differences in the binding proximal and distal to genes. We organized all the transcription factor binding into a hierarchy and integrated it with other genomic information (for example, microRNA regulation), forming a dense meta-network. Factors at different levels have different properties; for instance, top-level transcription factors more strongly influence expression and middle-level ones co-regulate targets to mitigate information-flow bottlenecks. Moreover, these co-regulations give rise to many enriched network motifs (for example, noise-buffering feed-forward loops). Finally, more connected network components are under stronger selection and exhibit a greater degree of allele-specific activity (that is, differential binding to the two parental alleles). The regulatory information obtained in this study will be crucial for interpreting personal genome sequences and understanding basic principles of human biology and disease.

Clustered, rectangular lakes of the Canadian Old Crow Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allenby, Richard J.

1989-12-01

This paper investigates the origin and development of the tightly clustered lakes within the Old Crow and Bluefish basins utilizing Landsat imagery, SEASAT Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), and the available scientific literature. The Old Crow Basin and the smaller, neighboring, Bluefish Basin are located in the northwest Yukon Territory of Canada, 150 km south of the Beaufort Sea and just east of the Canadian-Alaskan border. Both basins, situated in Pleistocene lake deposits of sand, gravel, silt, and peat, are characterized by numerous, densely clustered, rectangular or arrowhead-shaped, shallow lakes with linear shore lines. The straight edges of these lakes exhibit strong, nearly orthogonal, preferred alignments directed northwest and northeast. These lakes evidently originated as relatively small thaw or thermokarst lakes that subsequently coalesced into larger lakes with edges and orientations controlled by a fracture pattern in the consolidated, underlying rocks-possibly the Old Crow Granite. The fracture pattern may be the result of horizontal tertiary or later compressional forces along the Kaltag/Porcupine Fault or it may have originated in the relatively undeformed, consolidated, basinal sediments as a result of downwarping and subsequent uplifting. The lake forming process is ongoing with new lakes being formed to replace older lakes in all stages of being obliterated.

Catalytic Hydrogenation and Hydrodeoxygenation of Furfural over Pt(111): A Model System for the Rational Design and Operation of Practical Biomass Conversion Catalysts

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Furfural is a key bioderived platform chemical whose reactivity under hydrogen atmospheres affords diverse chemical intermediates. Here, temperature-programmed reaction spectrometry and complementary scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) are employed to investigate furfural adsorption and reactivity over a Pt(111) model catalyst. Furfural decarbonylation to furan is highly sensitive to reaction conditions, in particular, surface crowding and associated changes in the adsorption geometry: furfural adopts a planar geometry on clean Pt(111) at low coverage, tilting at higher coverage to form a densely packed furfural adlayer. This switch in adsorption geometry strongly influences product selectivity. STM reveals the formation of hydrogen-bonded networks for planar furfural, which favor decarbonylation on clean Pt(111) and hydrogenolysis in the presence of coadsorbed hydrogen. Preadsorbed hydrogen promotes furfural hydrogenation to furfuryl alcohol and its subsequent hydrogenolysis to methyl furan, while suppressing residual surface carbon. Furfural chemistry over Pt is markedly different from that over Pd, with weaker adsorption over the former affording a simpler product distribution than the latter; Pd catalyzes a wider range of chemistry, including ring-opening to form propene. Insight into the role of molecular orientation in controlling product selectivity will guide the design and operation of more selective and stable Pt catalysts for furfural hydrogenation. PMID:29225721

Anisotropic Strain Relaxation of Graphene by Corrugation on Copper Crystal Surfaces.

PubMed

Deng, Bing; Wu, Juanxia; Zhang, Shishu; Qi, Yue; Zheng, Liming; Yang, Hao; Tang, Jilin; Tong, Lianming; Zhang, Jin; Liu, Zhongfan; Peng, Hailin

2018-05-01

Corrugation is a ubiquitous phenomenon for graphene grown on metal substrates by chemical vapor deposition, which greatly affects the electrical, mechanical, and chemical properties. Recent years have witnessed great progress in controlled growth of large graphene single crystals; however, the issue of surface roughness is far from being addressed. Here, the corrugation at the interface of copper (Cu) and graphene, including Cu step bunches (CuSB) and graphene wrinkles, are investigated and ascribed to the anisotropic strain relaxation. It is found that the corrugation is strongly dependent on Cu crystallographic orientations, specifically, the packed density and anisotropic atomic configuration. Dense Cu step bunches are prone to form on loose packed faces due to the instability of surface dynamics. On an anisotropic Cu crystal surface, Cu step bunches and graphene wrinkles are formed in two perpendicular directions to release the anisotropic interfacial stress, as revealed by morphology imaging and vibrational analysis. Cu(111) is a suitable crystal face for growth of ultraflat graphene with roughness as low as 0.20 nm. It is believed the findings will contribute to clarifying the interplay between graphene and Cu crystal faces, and reducing surface roughness of graphene by engineering the crystallographic orientation of Cu substrates. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Strong seismic wave scattering beneath Kanto region derived from dense K-NET/KiK-net strong motion network and numerical simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takemura, S.; Yoshimoto, K.

2013-12-01

Observed seismograms, which consist of the high-frequency body waves through the low-velocity (LV) region at depth of 20-40 km beneath northwestern Chiba in Kanto, show strong peak delay and spindle shape of S waves. By analyzing dense seismic records from K-NET/KiK-net, such spindle-shape S waves are clearly observed in the frequency range of 1-8 Hz. In order to investigate a specific heterogeneous structure to generate such observations, we conduct 3-D finite-difference method (FDM) simulation using realistic heterogeneous models and compare the simulation results with dense strong motion array observations. Our 3-D simulation model is covering the zone 150 km by 64 km in horizontal directions and 75 km in vertical direction, which has been discretized with uniform grid size 0.05 km. We assume a layered background velocity structure, which includes basin structure, crust, mantle and subducting oceanic plate, base on the model proposed by Koketsu et al. (2008). In order to introduce the effect of seismic wave scattering, we assume a stochastic random velocity fluctuation in each layer. Random velocity fluctuations are characterized by exponential-type auto-correlation function (ACF) with correlation distance a = 3 km and rms value of fluctuation e = 0.05 in the upper crust, a = 3 km and e = 0.07 in the lower crust, a = 10 km and e = 0.02 in the mantle. In the subducting oceanic plate, we assume an anisotropic random velocity fluctuation characterized by exponential-type ACF with aH = 10 km in horizontal direction, aZ = 0.5 km in vertical direction and e = 0.02 (e.g., Furumura and Kennett, 2005). In addition, we assume a LV zone at northeastern part of Chiba with depth of 20-40 km (e.g., Matsubara et al., 2004). In the LV zone, random velocity fluctuation characterized by Gaussian-type ACF with a = 1 km and e = 0.07 is superposed on exponential-type ACF with a = 3 km and e = 0.07, in order to modulate the S-wave propagation in the dominant frequency range of spindle-shape S waves. Such large-scale FDM simulations are conducted on the Earth Simulator at JAMSTEC. It is found that the FDM simulation of the model without strong velocity fluctuation cannot explain the characteristics of observed S waves. By introducing strong velocity fluctuation in the LV zone, strong peak delay and spindle-shape S waves observed at central and southern part of Chiba are simulated successfully. In addition, the strong amplitude decrease of S waves in the LV zone due to strong seismic scattering is good corresponding to results based on the tomographic study of Q in Kanto (e.g., Nakamura et al., 2006). Simulation results demonstrated that strong velocity fluctuation in the LV zone plays important role in the peak delay and waveform shape. The LV zone beneath northeastern Chiba is considered as a result of dehydration from oceanic crust of subducted Philippine Sea plate (e.g., Matsubara et al., 2005). Therefore strong small-scale velocity fluctuation in the LV zone may be related with dehydrated water.

A study of the effect of bulges on bar formation in disc galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kataria, Sandeep Kumar; Das, Mousumi

2018-04-01

We use N-body simulations of bar formation in isolated galaxies to study the effect of bulge mass and bulge concentration on bar formation. Bars are global disc instabilities that evolve by transferring angular momentum from the inner to outer discs and to the dark matter halo. It is well known that a massive spherical component such as halo in a disc galaxy can make it bar stable. In this study, we explore the effect of another spherical component, the bulge, on bar formation in disc galaxies. In our models, we vary both the bulge mass and concentration. We have used two sets of models: one that has a dense bulge and high surface density disc, and the other model has a less concentrated bulge and a lighter disc. In both models, we vary the bulge to disc mass fraction from 0 to 0.7. Simulations of both the models show that there is an upper cut-off in bulge-to-disc mass ratio Mb/Md above which bars cannot form; the cut-off is smaller for denser bulges (Mb/Md = 0.2) compared to less denser ones (Mb/Md = 0.5). We define a new criterion for bar formation in terms of the ratio of bulge to total radial force (Fb/Ftot) at the disc scale lengths above which bars cannot form. We find that if Fb/Ftot > 0.35, a disc is stable and a bar cannot form. Our results indicate that early-type disc galaxies can still form strong bars in spite of having massive bulges.

Toxoplasma gondii: Biochemical and biophysical characterization of recombinant soluble dense granule proteins GRA2 and GRA6

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bittame, Amina; Université Grenoble Alpes, 38042 Grenoble; Effantin, Grégory

2015-03-27

The most prominent structural feature of the parasitophorous vacuole (PV) in which the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii proliferates is a membranous nanotubular network (MNN), which interconnects the parasites and the PV membrane. The MNN function remains unclear. The GRA2 and GRA6 proteins secreted from the parasite dense granules into the PV have been implicated in the MNN biogenesis. Amphipathic alpha-helices (AAHs) predicted in GRA2 and an alpha-helical hydrophobic domain predicted in GRA6 have been proposed to be responsible for their membrane association, thereby potentially molding the MMN in its structure. Here we report an analysis of the recombinant proteins (expressedmore » in detergent-free conditions) by circular dichroism, which showed that full length GRA2 displays an alpha-helical secondary structure while recombinant GRA6 and GRA2 truncated of its AAHs are mainly random coiled. Dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy showed that recombinant GRA6 and truncated GRA2 constitute a homogenous population of small particles (6–8 nm in diameter) while recombinant GRA2 corresponds to 2 populations of particles (∼8–15 nm and up to 40 nm in diameter, respectively). The unusual properties of GRA2 due to its AAHs are discussed. - Highlights: • Toxoplasma gondii: soluble GRA2 forms 2 populations of particles. • T. gondii: the dense granule protein GRA2 folds intrinsically as an alpha-helix. • T. gondii: monomeric soluble GRA6 forms particles of 6–8 nm in diameter. • T. gondii: monomeric soluble GRA6 is random coiled. • Unusual biophysical properties of the dense granule protein GRA2 from T. gondii.« less

Leveraging extreme laser-driven magnetic fields for gamma-ray generation and pair production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jansen, O.; Wang, T.; Stark, D. J.; d’Humières, E.; Toncian, T.; Arefiev, A. V.

2018-05-01

The ability of an intense laser pulse to propagate in a classically over-critical plasma through the phenomenon of relativistic transparency is shown to facilitate the generation of strong plasma magnetic fields. Particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate that these fields significantly enhance the radiation rates of the laser-irradiated electrons, and furthermore they collimate the emission so that a directed and dense beam of multi-MeV gamma-rays is achievable. This capability can be exploited for electron–positron pair production via the linear Breit–Wheeler process by colliding two such dense beams. Presented simulations show that more than 103 pairs can be produced in such a setup, and the directionality of the positrons can be controlled by the angle of incidence between the beams.

Hematopoietic stem cell origin of connective tissues.

PubMed

Ogawa, Makio; Larue, Amanda C; Watson, Patricia M; Watson, Dennis K

2010-07-01

Connective tissue consists of "connective tissue proper," which is further divided into loose and dense (fibrous) connective tissues and "specialized connective tissues." Specialized connective tissues consist of blood, adipose tissue, cartilage, and bone. In both loose and dense connective tissues, the principal cellular element is fibroblasts. It has been generally believed that all cellular elements of connective tissue, including fibroblasts, adipocytes, chondrocytes, and bone cells, are generated solely by mesenchymal stem cells. Recently, a number of studies, including those from our laboratory based on transplantation of single hematopoietic stem cells, strongly suggested a hematopoietic stem cell origin of these adult mesenchymal tissues. This review summarizes the experimental evidence for this new paradigm and discusses its translational implications. Copyright 2010 ISEH - Society for Hematology and Stem Cells. All rights reserved.

Porous hydrogels from shark skin collagen crosslinked under dense carbon dioxide atmosphere.

PubMed

Fernandes-Silva, Susana; Moreira-Silva, Joana; Silva, Tiago H; Perez-Martin, Ricardo I; Sotelo, Carmen G; Mano, João F; Duarte, Ana Rita C; Reis, Rui L

2013-11-01

The possibility to fabricate marine collagen porous structures crosslinked with genipin under high pressure carbon dioxide is investigated. Collagen from shark skin is used to prepare pre-scaffolds by freeze-drying. The poor stability of the structures and low mechanical properties require crosslinking of the structures. Under dense CO2 atmosphere, crosslinking of collagen pre-scaffolds is allowed for 16 h. Additionally, the hydrogels are foamed and the scaffolds obtained present a highly porous structure. In vitro cell culture tests performed with a chondrocyte-like cell line show good cell adherence and proliferation, which is a strong indication of the potential of these scaffolds to be used in tissue cartilage tissue engineering. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Volumetric mammographic density: heritability and association with breast cancer susceptibility loci.

PubMed

Brand, Judith S; Humphreys, Keith; Thompson, Deborah J; Li, Jingmei; Eriksson, Mikael; Hall, Per; Czene, Kamila

2014-12-01

Mammographic density is a strong heritable trait, but data on its genetic component are limited to area-based and qualitative measures. We studied the heritability of volumetric mammographic density ascertained by a fully-automated method and the association with breast cancer susceptibility loci. Heritability of volumetric mammographic density was estimated with a variance component model in a sib-pair sample (N pairs = 955) of a Swedish screening based cohort. Associations with 82 established breast cancer loci were assessed in an independent sample of the same cohort (N = 4025 unrelated women) using linear models, adjusting for age, body mass index, and menopausal status. All tests were two-sided, except for heritability analyses where one-sided tests were used. After multivariable adjustment, heritability estimates (standard error) for percent dense volume, absolute dense volume, and absolute nondense volume were 0.63 (0.06) and 0.43 (0.06) and 0.61 (0.06), respectively (all P < .001). Percent and absolute dense volume were associated with rs10995190 (ZNF365; P = 9.0 × 10(-6) and 8.9 × 10(-7), respectively) and rs9485372 (TAB2; P = 1.8 × 10(-5) and 1.8 × 10(-3), respectively). We also observed associations of rs9383938 (ESR1) and rs2046210 (ESR1) with the absolute dense volume (P = 2.6 × 10(-4) and 4.6 × 10(-4), respectively), and rs6001930 (MLK1) and rs17356907 (NTN4) with the absolute nondense volume (P = 6.7 × 10(-6) and 8.4 × 10(-5), respectively). Our results support the high heritability of mammographic density, though estimates are weaker for absolute than percent dense volume. We also demonstrate that the shared genetic component with breast cancer is not restricted to dense tissues only. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): galaxy environments and star formation rate variations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wijesinghe, D. B.; Hopkins, A. M.; Brough, S.; Taylor, E. N.; Norberg, P.; Bauer, A.; Brown, M. J. I.; Cameron, E.; Conselice, C. J.; Croom, S.; Driver, S.; Grootes, M. W.; Jones, D. H.; Kelvin, L.; Loveday, J.; Pimbblet, K. A.; Popescu, C. C.; Prescott, M.; Sharp, R.; Baldry, I.; Sadler, E. M.; Liske, J.; Robotham, A. S. G.; Bamford, S.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Gunawardhana, M.; Meyer, M.; Parkinson, H.; Drinkwater, M. J.; Peacock, J.; Tuffs, R.

2012-07-01

We present a detailed investigation into the effects of galaxy environment on their star formation rates (SFRs) using galaxies observed in the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey. We use three independent volume-limited samples of galaxies within z < 0.2 and Mr < -17.8. We investigate the known SFR-density relationship and explore in detail the dependence of SFR on stellar mass and density. We show that the SFR-density trend is only visible when we include the passive galaxy population along with the star-forming population. This SFR-density relation is absent when we consider only the star-forming population of galaxies, consistent with previous work. While there is a strong dependence of the EWHα on density we find, as in previous studies, that these trends are largely due to the passive galaxy population and this relationship is absent when considering a 'star-forming' sample of galaxies. We find that stellar mass has the strongest influence on SFR and EWHα with the environment having no significant effect on the star formation properties of the star-forming population. We also show that the SFR-density relationship is absent for both early- and late-type star-forming galaxies. We conclude that the stellar mass has the largest impact on the current SFR of a galaxy, and any environmental effect is not detectable. The observation that the trends with density are due to the changing morphology fraction with density implies that the time-scales must be very short for any quenching of the SFR in infalling galaxies. Alternatively, galaxies may in fact undergo predominantly in situ evolution where the infall and quenching of galaxies from the field into dense environments is not the dominant evolutionary mode.

Solution of the sign problem in the Potts model at fixed fermion number

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexandru, Andrei; Bergner, Georg; Schaich, David; Wenger, Urs

2018-06-01

We consider the heavy-dense limit of QCD at finite fermion density in the canonical formulation and approximate it by a three-state Potts model. In the strong-coupling limit, the model is free of the sign problem. Away from the strong coupling, the sign problem is solved by employing a cluster algorithm which allows to average each cluster over the Z (3 ) sectors. Improved estimators for physical quantities can be constructed by taking into account the triality of the clusters, that is, their transformation properties with respect to Z (3 ) transformations.

Recent Results on SNRs and PWNe from the Fermi Large Area Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hays, Elizabeth

2010-01-01

a) Symbiotic Binary System: White dwarf + red giant system. b) Nova: White dwarf builds up mass envelope to the point of thermonuclear fusion. c) Dramatic increase in visual magnitude. d) Recurrent Nova? e) Hints but no strong confirmation of previous nova f) Pre-nova activity: 1) White dwarf shows ongoing variability at level of several in magnitude. 2) V407 Cyg companion is a Mira star showing variability at level of several in magnitude. g) Origin of the gamma rays? 1) Strong shock propagating into dense medium around giant star land stellar wind. 2) Pion decay or electron processes?

Method to fabricate high performance tubular solid oxide fuel cells

DOEpatents

Chen, Fanglin; Yang, Chenghao; Jin, Chao

2013-06-18

In accordance with the present disclosure, a method for fabricating a solid oxide fuel cell is described. The method includes forming an asymmetric porous ceramic tube by using a phase inversion process. The method further includes forming an asymmetric porous ceramic layer on a surface of the asymmetric porous ceramic tube by using a phase inversion process. The tube is co-sintered to form a structure having a first porous layer, a second porous layer, and a dense layer positioned therebetween.

Experimental study of droplet formation of dense suspensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martensson, Gustaf; Carson, Fabian

2017-11-01

As with the jet printing of dyes and other low-viscosity fluids, the jetting of dense fluid suspensions is dependent on the repeatable break-off of the fluid filament into well-formed droplets. It is well known that the break-off of dense suspensions is dependent on the volume fraction of the solid phase, particle size and morphology, fluid phase viscosity et cetera, see for example van Deen et al. (2013). The purpose of this study is to establish a deeper understanding of the formation process of droplets of dense suspensions. Previous experiments have utilised a filament break-off device (FilBO) developed in-house. These experiments utilise an ejection device based on rapid volumetric displacement of the fluid through a conical nozzle. The suspension samples consist of a resin-based flux and spherical particles with diameters of dp = 5 - 25 μ m. A droplet of of the suspension with a volume of Vdrop = 2 - 50 nl is ejected from the nozzle. Correlations between droplet speed and the temporal development of the volumetric displacement will be presented. Further results relating break-off length and rate versus particle diameter, volume fraction and probe speed will be presented.

Phase transition temperatures of 405-725 K in superfluid ultra-dense hydrogen clusters on metal surfaces

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holmlid, Leif, E-mail: holmlid@chem.gu.se; Kotzias, Bernhard

Ultra-dense hydrogen H(0) with its typical H-H bond distance of 2.3 pm is superfluid at room temperature as expected for quantum fluids. It also shows a Meissner effect at room temperature, which indicates that a transition point to a non-superfluid state should exist above room temperature. This transition point is given by a disappearance of the superfluid long-chain clusters H{sub 2N}(0). This transition point is now measured for several metal carrier surfaces at 405 - 725 K, using both ultra-dense protium p(0) and deuterium D(0). Clusters of ordinary Rydberg matter H(l) as well as small symmetric clusters H{sub 4}(0) andmore » H{sub 3}(0) (which do not give a superfluid or superconductive phase) all still exist on the surface at high temperature. This shows directly that desorption or diffusion processes do not remove the long superfluid H{sub 2N}(0) clusters. The two ultra-dense forms p(0) and D(0) have different transition temperatures under otherwise identical conditions. The transition point for p(0) is higher in temperature, which is unexpected.« less

Two-dimensional simulation of high-power laser-surface interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldman, S. Robert; Wilke, Mark D.; Green, Ray E.; Busch, George E.; Johnson, Randall P.

1998-09-01

For laser intensities in the range of 108 - 109 W/cm2, and pulse lengths of order 10 microseconds or longer, we have modified the inertial confinement fusion code Lasnex to simulate gaseous and some dense material aspects of the laser-matter interaction. The unique aspect of our treatment consists of an ablation model which defines a dense material-vapor interface and then calculates the mass flow across this interface. The model treats the dense material as a rigid two-dimensional mass and heat reservoir suppressing all hydrodynamic motion in the dense material. The computer simulations and additional post-processors provide predictions for measurements including impulse given to the target, pressures at the target interface, electron temperatures and densities in the vapor-plasma plume region, and emission of radiation from the target. We will present an analysis of some relatively well diagnosed experiments which have been useful in developing our modeling. The simulations match experimentally obtained target impulses, pressures at the target surface inside the laser spot, and radiation emission from the target to within about 20%. Hence our simulational technique appears to form a useful basis for further investigation of laser-surface interaction in this intensity, pulse-width range.

Filamentation in the pinched column of the dense plasma focus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kubes, P.; Paduch, M.; Cikhardt, J.; Cikhardtova, B.; Klir, D.; Kravarik, J.; Rezac, K.; Zielinska, E.; Sadowski, M. J.; Szymaszek, A.; Tomaszewski, K.; Zaloga, D.

2017-03-01

The paper describes the filamentary structure observed in the high-energy ultraviolet radiation for discharges performed at the hydrogen- or deuterium-filling and at the puffing of hydrogen, deuterium or helium, in a mega-ampere dense plasma-focus facility. The lifetime of this structure overcomes 50 ns. These filaments connect the surface of a pinched column with internal plasmoids formed at different combinations of filling and puffing gases and they should transport some current and plasma. During all the investigated deuterium shots, the fusion-produced neutrons were recorded. Therefore, deuterons should be present in the region of their acceleration, independent of the applied puffing of the gas. Simultaneously with the observed filaments, inside the dense plasma column small plasma-balls of mm-dimensions were observed, which had a similar lifetime (longer than the relaxation time) and quasi-stationary positions in the discharge volume. The observed filaments and balls might be a manifestation of the (i) discrete spatial structure of the current flowing through and around the dense plasma column and (ii) transport of the plasma from external layers to the central region. Their formation and visualization were easier due to the application of air admixtures in the puffed gas.