FUSE Observations of Galactic and LMC Novae in Outburst

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huschildt, P. H.

2001-01-01

This document is a collection of five abstracts from papers written on the 'FUSE Observations of Galactic and LMC Novae in Outburst'. The titles are the following: (1) Analyzing FUSE Observations of Galactic and LMC Novae; (2) Detailed NLTE Model Atmospheres for Novae during Outburst: Modeling Optical and Ultraviolet Observations for Nova LMC 1988; (3) Numerical Solution of the Expanding Stellar Atmosphere Problem; (4) A Non-LTE Line-Blanketed Expanding Atmosphere Model for A-supergiant Alpha Cygni; and (5) Non-LTE Model Atmosphere Analysis of the Early Ultraviolet Spectra of Nova Andromedae 1986. A list of journal publications is also included.

A publicly available SSC+EC code.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Georganopoulos, M.; Perlman, E. S.; Kazanas, D.; Wingert, B.; Castro, R.

2004-08-01

We present a time-dependent one zone SSC+EC code that takes into account the KN-cross section, and calculates self-consistently all orders of Compton scattering. In particular, it produces separate results for the first order Compton component, and for the total Compton emission. The kinetic equation is solved using a stable implicit scheme, and the user can select from a range of physically motivated temporal electron injection profile. The code is written in C, is fully documented and will soon be publicly available through the Internet, along with a set of IDL visualization routines.

The feed-out process: Rayleigh-Taylor and Richtmyer-Meshkov instabilities in thin, laser-driven foils

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

Smitherman, D.P.

Eight beams carrying a shaped pulse from the NOVA laser were focused into a hohlraum with a total energy of about 25 kJ. A planar foil was placed on the side of the hohlraum with perturbations facing away from the hohlraum. All perturbations were 4 {micro}m in amplitude and 50 {micro}m in wavelength. Three foils of pure aluminum were shot with thicknesses and pulse lengths respectively of 86 {micro}m and 2. 2 ns, 50 {micro}m and 4.5 ns, and 35 {micro}m with both 2.2 ns and 4. 5 ns pulses. Two composite foils constructed respectively of 32 and 84 {micro}mmore » aluminum on the ablative side and 10 {micro}m beryllium on the cold surface were also shot using the 2.2 ns pulse. X-ray framing cameras recorded perturbation growth using both face- and side-on radiography. The LASNEX code was used to model the experiments. A shock wave interacted with the perturbation on the cold surface generating growth from a Richtmyer-Meshkov instability and a strong acoustic mode. The cold surface perturbation fed-out to the Rayleigh-Taylor unstable ablation surface, both by differential acceleration and interface coupling, where it grew. A density jump did not appear to have a large effect on feed-out from interface coupling. The Rayleigh-Taylor instability`s vortex pairs overtook and reversed the direction of flow of the Richtmyer-Meshkov vortices, resulting in the foil moving from a sinuous to a bubble and spike configuration. The Rayleigh-Taylor instability may have acted as an ablative instability on the hot surface, and as a classical instability on the cold surface, on which grew second and third order harmonics.« less

Mixing in classical novae: a 2-D sensitivity study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casanova, J.; José, J.; García-Berro, E.; Calder, A.; Shore, S. N.

2011-03-01

Context. Classical novae are explosive phenomena that take place in stellar binary systems. They are powered by mass transfer from a low-mass, main sequence star onto a white dwarf. The material piles up under degenerate conditions and a thermonuclear runaway ensues. The energy released by the suite of nuclear processes operating at the envelope heats the material up to peak temperatures of ~(1-4) × 108 K. During these events, about 10-4-10-5M⊙, enriched in CNO and other intermediate-mass elements, are ejected into the interstellar medium. To account for the gross observational properties of classical novae (in particular, a metallicity enhancement in the ejecta above solar values), numerical models assume mixing between the (solar-like) material transferred from the companion and the outermost layers (CO- or ONe-rich) of the underlying white dwarf. Aims: The nature of the mixing mechanism that operates at the core-envelope interface has puzzled stellar modelers for about 40 years. Here we investigate the role of Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities as a natural mechanism for self-enrichment of the accreted envelope with core material. Methods: The feasibility of this mechanism is studied by means of the multidimensional code FLASH. Here, we present a series of 9 numerical simulations perfomed in two dimensions aimed at testing the possible influence of the initial perturbation (duration, strength, location, and size), the resolution adopted, or the size of the computational domain on the results. Results: We show that results do not depend substantially on the specific choice of these parameters, demonstrating that Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities can naturally lead to self-enrichment of the accreted envelope with core material, at levels that agree with observations. Movie is only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Co-infestation of gills by different parasite groups in the mullet, Mugil platanus Günther, 1880 (Osteichthyes, Mugilidae): effects on relative condition factor.

PubMed

Ranzani-Paiva, M J T; Silva-Souza, A T

2004-08-01

This study involved 334 specimens of mullet, Mugil platanus, captured monthly in the estuarine region of Cananéia, São Paulo State, Brazil, from July 1988 to June 1989, and examined for the presence of gill parasites. Parasitological inspections revealed the occurrence of the following groups: Trichodina sp., Monogenoidea, Copepoda, and Hirudinea. Only four mullets were not parasitized. Total weight and total length of all 334 mullet specimens examined were used for adjusting the weight-length relationship curve and calculating the relative condition factor (Kn). The 118 specimens infested with monogenoideans on average had lower weights than expected (Kn < 1.0), and the 81 fish co-infested with Copepoda, Monogenoidea, and Trichodina sp. showed a Kn < 1.0. The other infested and non-infested mullets had a Kn > 1.0. It was possible to infer that gill infestation with monogenoideans alters mullet weight, especially in the presence of co-infestation with Trichodina sp. and copepods.

Specific tackling situations affect the biomechanical demands experienced by rugby union players.

PubMed

Seminati, Elena; Cazzola, Dario; Preatoni, Ezio; Trewartha, Grant

2017-03-01

Tackling in Rugby Union is an open skill which can involve high-speed collisions and is the match event associated with the greatest proportion of injuries. This study aimed to analyse the biomechanics of rugby tackling under three conditions: from a stationary position, with dominant and non-dominant shoulder, and moving forward, with dominant shoulder. A specially devised contact simulator, a 50-kg punch bag instrumented with pressure sensors, was translated towards the tackler (n = 15) to evaluate the effect of laterality and tackling approach on the external loads absorbed by the tackler, on head and trunk motion, and on trunk muscle activities. Peak impact force was substantially higher in the stationary dominant (2.84 ± 0.74 kN) than in the stationary non-dominant condition (2.44 ± 0.64 kN), but lower than in the moving condition (3.40 ± 0.86 kN). Muscle activation started on average 300 ms before impact, with higher activation for impact-side trapezius and non-impact-side erector spinae and gluteus maximus muscles. Players' technique for non-dominant-side tackles was less compliant with current coaching recommendations in terms of cervical motion (more neck flexion and lateral bending in the stationary non-dominant condition) and players could benefit from specific coaching focus on non-dominant-side tackles.

Local convertibility of the ground state of the perturbed toric code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santra, Siddhartha; Hamma, Alioscia; Cincio, Lukasz; Subasi, Yigit; Zanardi, Paolo; Amico, Luigi

2014-12-01

We present analytical and numerical studies of the behavior of the α -Renyi entropies in the toric code in presence of several types of perturbations aimed at studying the simulability of these perturbations to the parent Hamiltonian using local operations and classical communications (LOCC)—a property called local convertibility. In particular, the derivatives, with respect to the perturbation parameter, present different signs for different values of α within the topological phase. From the information-theoretic point of view, this means that such ground states cannot be continuously deformed within the topological phase by means of catalyst assisted local operations and classical communications (LOCC). Such LOCC differential convertibility is on the other hand always possible in the trivial disordered phase. The non-LOCC convertibility is remarkable because it can be computed on a system whose size is independent of correlation length. This method can therefore constitute an experimentally feasible witness of topological order.

Recent Progress in the Development of a Multi-Layer Green's Function Code for Ion Beam Transport

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tweed, John; Walker, Steven A.; Wilson, John W.; Tripathi, Ram K.

2008-01-01

To meet the challenge of future deep space programs, an accurate and efficient engineering code for analyzing the shielding requirements against high-energy galactic heavy radiation is needed. To address this need, a new Green's function code capable of simulating high charge and energy ions with either laboratory or space boundary conditions is currently under development. The computational model consists of combinations of physical perturbation expansions based on the scales of atomic interaction, multiple scattering, and nuclear reactive processes with use of the Neumann-asymptotic expansions with non-perturbative corrections. The code contains energy loss due to straggling, nuclear attenuation, nuclear fragmentation with energy dispersion and downshifts. Previous reports show that the new code accurately models the transport of ion beams through a single slab of material. Current research efforts are focused on enabling the code to handle multiple layers of material and the present paper reports on progress made towards that end.

A hydrodynamic study of a slow nova outburst. [computerized simulation of thermonuclear runaway in white dwarf envelope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sparks, W. M.; Starrfield, S.; Truran, J. W.

1978-01-01

The paper reports use of a Lagrangian implicit hydrodynamics computer code incorporating a full nuclear-reaction network to follow a thermonuclear runaway in the hydrogen-rich envelope of a 1.25 solar-mass white dwarf. In this evolutionary sequence the envelope was assumed to be of normal (solar) composition and the resulting outburst closely resembles that of the slow nova HR Del. In contrast, previous CNO-enhanced models resemble fast nova outbursts. The slow-nova model ejects material by radiation pressure when the high luminosity of the rekindled hydrogen shell source exceeds the local Eddington luminosity of the outer layers. This is in contrast to the fast nova outburst where ejection is caused by the decay of the beta(+)-unstable nuclei. Nevertheless, radiation pressure probably plays a major role in ejecting material from the fast nova remnants. Therefore, the sequence from slow to fast novae can be interpreted as a sequence of white dwarfs with increasing amounts of enhanced CNO nuclei in their hydrogen envelopes, although other parameters such as the white-dwarf mass and accretion rate probably contribute to the observed variation between novae.

Three-dimensional simulations of turbulent convective mixing in ONe and CO classical nova explosions

DOE PAGES

Casanova, Jordi; José, Jordi; García-Berro, Enrique; ...

2016-10-25

Classical novae are thermonuclear explosions that take place in the envelopes of accreting white dwarfs in binary systems. The material piles up under degenerate conditions, driving a thermonuclear runaway. The energy released by the suite of nuclear processes operating at the envelope heats the material up to peak temperatures of ~(1-4) × 10 8 K. During these events, about 10 -3-10 -7 M ⊙, enriched in CNO and, sometimes, other intermediate-mass elements (e.g., Ne, Na, Mg, Al) are ejected into the interstellar medium. To account for the gross observational properties of classical novae (in particular, the high concentrations of metalsmore » spectroscopically inferred in the ejecta), models require mixing between the (solar-like) material transferred from the secondary and the outermost layers (CO- or ONe-rich) of the underlying white dwarf. Recent multidimensional simulations have demonstrated that Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities can naturally produce self-enrichment of the accreted envelope with material from the underlying white dwarf at levels that agree with observations. However, the feasibility of this mechanism has been explored in the framework of CO white dwarfs, while mixing with different substrates still needs to be properly addressed. We performed three-dimensional simulations of mixing at the core-envelope interface during nova outbursts with the multidimensional code FLASH, for two types of substrates: CO- and ONe-rich. We also show that the presence of an ONe-rich substrate, as in “neon novae”, yields higher metallicity enhancements in the ejecta than CO-rich substrates (i.e., non-neon novae). Finally, a number of requirements and constraints for such 3D simulations (e.g., minimum resolution, size of the computational domain) are also outlined.« less

Combinatorial Proofs of Honsberger-Type Identities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plaza, A.; Falcon, S.

2008-01-01

In this article, we consider some generalizations of Fibonacci numbers. We consider k-Fibonacci numbers (that follow the recurrence rule F[subscript k,n + 2] = kF[subscript k,n + 1] + F[subscript k,n]), the (k, l)-Fibonacci numbers (that follow the recurrence rule F[subscript k,n + 2] = kF[subscript k,n + 1] + lF[subscript k,n]), and the Fibonacci…

1D Resonance line Broadened Quasilinear (RBQ1D) code for fast ion Alfvenic relaxations and its validations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorelenkov, Nikolai; Duarte, Vinicius; Podesta, Mario

2017-10-01

The performance of the burning plasma can be limited by the requirements to confine the superalfvenic fusion products which are capable of resonating with the Alfvénic eigenmodes (AEs). The effect of AEs on fast ions is evaluated using the quasi-linear approach [Berk et al., Ph.Plasmas'96] generalized for this problem recently [Duarte et al., Ph.D.'17]. The generalization involves the resonance line broadened interaction regions with the diffusion coefficient prescribed to find the evolution of the velocity distribution function. The baseline eigenmode structures are found using the NOVA-K code perturbatively [Gorelenkov et al., Ph.Plasmas'99]. A RBQ1D code allowing the diffusion in radial direction is presented here. The wave particle interaction can be reduced to one-dimensional dynamics where for the Alfvénic modes typically the particle kinetic energy is nearly constant. Hence to a good approximation the Quasi-Linear (QL) diffusion equation only contains derivatives in the angular momentum. The diffusion equation is then one dimensional that is efficiently solved simultaneously for all particles with the equation for the evolution of the wave angular momentum. The RBQ1D is validated against recent DIIID results [Collins et al., PRL'16]. Supported by the US Department of Energy under DE-AC02-09CH11466.

Synthetic neutron camera and spectrometer in JET based on AFSI-ASCOT simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sirén, P.; Varje, J.; Weisen, H.; Koskela, T.; contributors, JET

2017-09-01

The ASCOT Fusion Source Integrator (AFSI) has been used to calculate neutron production rates and spectra corresponding to the JET 19-channel neutron camera (KN3) and the time-of-flight spectrometer (TOFOR) as ideal diagnostics, without detector-related effects. AFSI calculates fusion product distributions in 4D, based on Monte Carlo integration from arbitrary reactant distribution functions. The distribution functions were calculated by the ASCOT Monte Carlo particle orbit following code for thermal, NBI and ICRH particle reactions. Fusion cross-sections were defined based on the Bosch-Hale model and both DD and DT reactions have been included. Neutrons generated by AFSI-ASCOT simulations have already been applied as a neutron source of the Serpent neutron transport code in ITER studies. Additionally, AFSI has been selected to be a main tool as the fusion product generator in the complete analysis calculation chain: ASCOT - AFSI - SERPENT (neutron and gamma transport Monte Carlo code) - APROS (system and power plant modelling code), which encompasses the plasma as an energy source, heat deposition in plant structures as well as cooling and balance-of-plant in DEMO applications and other reactor relevant analyses. This conference paper presents the first results and validation of the AFSI DD fusion model for different auxiliary heating scenarios (NBI, ICRH) with very different fast particle distribution functions. Both calculated quantities (production rates and spectra) have been compared with experimental data from KN3 and synthetic spectrometer data from ControlRoom code. No unexplained differences have been observed. In future work, AFSI will be extended for synthetic gamma diagnostics and additionally, AFSI will be used as part of the neutron transport calculation chain to model real diagnostics instead of ideal synthetic diagnostics for quantitative benchmarking.

Assessment of Head Displacement and Disassembly Force With Increasing Assembly Load at the Head/Trunnion Junction of a Total Hip Arthroplasty Prosthesis.

PubMed

Ramoutar, Darryl N; Crosnier, Emilie A; Shivji, Faiz; Miles, Anthony W; Gill, Harinderjit S

2017-05-01

Most femoral components used now for total hip arthroplasty are modular, requiring a strong connection at assembly. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of assembly force on the strength of head-trunnion interface and to measure the initial displacement of the head on the trunnion with different assembly forces. Three assembly load levels were assessed (A: 2 kN, B: 4 kN, C: 6 kN) with 4 implants in each group. The stems were mounted in a custom rig and the respective assembly loads were applied to the head at a constant rate of 0.05 kN/s (ISO7260-10:2003). Load levels were recorded during assembly. Head displacement was measured with a laser sensor. The disassembly force was determined by a standard pull-off test. The maximum head displacement on the trunnion was significantly different between the 2 kN group and the other 2 groups (4 kN, 6 kN, P = .029), but not between the 4 kN and 6 kN groups (P = .89). The disassembly forces between the 3 groups were significantly different (mean ± standard deviation, A: 1316 ± 223 kN; B: 2224 ± 151 kN; C: 3965 ± 344 kN; P = .007), with increasing assembly load leading to a higher pull-off force. For the 4 kN and 6 kN groups, a first peak of approximately 2.5 kN was observed on the load recordings during assembly before the required assembly load was eventually reached corresponding to sudden increase in head displacement to approximately 150 μm. An assembly force of 2 kN may be too low to overcome the frictional forces needed to engage the head and achieve maximum displacement on the trunnion and thus an assembly load of greater than 2.5 kN is recommended. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interplay between cardiac transcription factors and non-coding RNAs in predisposing to atrial fibrillation.

PubMed

Mikhailov, Alexander T; Torrado, Mario

2018-05-12

There is growing evidence that putative gene regulatory networks including cardio-enriched transcription factors, such as PITX2, TBX5, ZFHX3, and SHOX2, and their effector/target genes along with downstream non-coding RNAs can play a potentially important role in the process of adaptive and maladaptive atrial rhythm remodeling. In turn, expression of atrial fibrillation-associated transcription factors is under the control of upstream regulatory non-coding RNAs. This review broadly explores gene regulatory mechanisms associated with susceptibility to atrial fibrillation-with key examples from both animal models and patients-within the context of both cardiac transcription factors and non-coding RNAs. These two systems appear to have multiple levels of cross-regulation and act coordinately to achieve effective control of atrial rhythm effector gene expression. Perturbations of a dynamic expression balance between transcription factors and corresponding non-coding RNAs can provoke the development or promote the progression of atrial fibrillation. We also outline deficiencies in current models and discuss ongoing studies to clarify remaining mechanistic questions. An understanding of the function of transcription factors and non-coding RNAs in gene regulatory networks associated with atrial fibrillation risk will enable the development of innovative therapeutic strategies.

Experimental measurements of hydrodynamic instabilities on NOVA of relevance to astrophysics

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

Budil, K S; Cherfils, C; Drake, R P

1998-09-11

Large lasers such as Nova allow the possibility of achieving regimes of high energy densities in plasmas of millimeter spatial scales and nanosecond time scales. In those plasmas where thermal conductivity and viscosity do not play a significant role, the hydrodynamic evolution is suitable for benchmarking hydrodynamics modeling in astrophysical codes. Several experiments on Nova examine hydrodynamically unstable interfaces. A typical Nova experiment uses a gold millimeter-scale hohlraum to convert the laser energy to a 200 eV blackbody source lasting about a nanosecond. The x-rays ablate a planar target, generating a series of shocks and accelerating the target. The evolvingmore » area1 density is diagnosed by time-resolved radiography, using a second x-ray source. Data from several experiments are presented and diagnostic techniques are discussed.« less

Synthesis, antimicrobial activity and toxicity of analogs of the scorpion venom BmKn peptides.

PubMed

Bea, Roberto de la Salud; Petraglia, Adam Fine; Johnson, Laura Elena Luque de

2015-07-01

Two analogs of the natural peptide BmKn1 and four of BmKn2 found in the venom of the scorpion Buthus martensii Karsh have been synthesized and tested to compare their antimicrobial and hemolytic activity with the natural ones. Modifications of the natural sequence were done on the hydrophobic side of the alpha helix by increasing the size and hydrophobicity of the residues with alanine (BmKn2A1), valine (BmKn2V1) and leucine (BmKn2L1) respectively, and on the hydrophilic side by increasing the charge from +2 to +3 with two lysines (BmKn2K7). In order to study observed peptide aggregation, two peptides with one (BmKn1-6Lys) and two (BmKn1L2K2) positive charges respectively in the hydrophobic side have been also designed. Results show that the valine substituted analog BmKn2V1 and lysine substituted analog BmKn2K7 have in general, the highest antibiotic and hemolytic activity of the group. Introduction of one positive charge on the hydrophobic side shows a significant increase in antibacterial activity compared with the original sequence except for Bacillus and Enterobacter where, unexpectedly, the activity flats-off. In contrast, the analog with two positive charges has minimal antibacterial or hemolytic activity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-axisymmetric line-driven disc winds - I. Disc perturbations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dyda, Sergei; Proga, Daniel

2018-04-01

We study mass outflows driven from accretion discs by radiation pressure due to spectral lines. To investigate non-axisymmetric effects, we use the ATHENA++ code and develop a new module to account for radiation pressure driving. In 2D, our new simulations are consistent with previous 2D axisymmetric solutions by Proga et al., who used the ZEUS 2D code. Specifically, we find that the disc winds are time dependent, characterized by a dense stream confined to ˜45° relative to the disc mid-plane and bounded on the polar side by a less dense, fast stream. In 3D, we introduce a vertical, ϕ-dependent, subsonic velocity perturbation in the disc mid-plane. The perturbation does not change the overall character of the solution but global outflow properties such as the mass, momentum, and kinetic energy fluxes are altered by up to 100 per cent. Non-axisymmetric density structures develop and persist mainly at the base of the wind. They are relatively small, and their densities can be a few times higher than the azimuthal average. The structure of the non-axisymmetric and axisymmetric solutions differ also in other ways. Perhaps most importantly from the observational point of view are the differences in the so-called clumping factors, that serve as a proxy for emissivity due to two body processes. In particular, the spatially averaged clumping factor over the entire fast stream, while it is of a comparable value in both solutions, it varies about 10 times faster in the non-axisymmetric case.

Satellite phage TLCφ enables toxigenic conversion by CTX phage through dif site alteration.

PubMed

Hassan, Faizule; Kamruzzaman, M; Mekalanos, John J; Faruque, Shah M

2010-10-21

Bacterial chromosomes often carry integrated genetic elements (for example plasmids, transposons, prophages and islands) whose precise function and contribution to the evolutionary fitness of the host bacterium are unknown. The CTXφ prophage, which encodes cholera toxin in Vibrio cholerae, is known to be adjacent to a chromosomally integrated element of unknown function termed the toxin-linked cryptic (TLC). Here we report the characterization of a TLC-related element that corresponds to the genome of a satellite filamentous phage (TLC-Knφ1), which uses the morphogenesis genes of another filamentous phage (fs2φ) to form infectious TLC-Knφ1 phage particles. The TLC-Knφ1 phage genome carries a sequence similar to the dif recombination sequence, which functions in chromosome dimer resolution using XerC and XerD recombinases. The dif sequence is also exploited by lysogenic filamentous phages (for example CTXφ) for chromosomal integration of their genomes. Bacterial cells defective in the dimer resolution often show an aberrant filamentous cell morphology. We found that acquisition and chromosomal integration of the TLC-Knφ1 genome restored a perfect dif site and normal morphology to V. cholerae wild-type and mutant strains with dif(-) filamentation phenotypes. Furthermore, lysogeny of a dif(-) non-toxigenic V. cholerae with TLC-Knφ1 promoted its subsequent toxigenic conversion through integration of CTXφ into the restored dif site. These results reveal a remarkable level of cooperative interactions between multiple filamentous phages in the emergence of the bacterial pathogen that causes cholera.

Polynomial Interpolation and Sums of Powers of Integers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cereceda, José Luis

2017-01-01

In this note, we revisit the problem of polynomial interpolation and explicitly construct two polynomials in n of degree k + 1, P[subscript k](n) and Q[subscript k](n), such that P[subscript k](n) = Q[subscript k](n) = f[subscript k](n) for n = 1, 2,… , k, where f[subscript k](1), f[subscript k](2),… , f[subscript k](k) are k arbitrarily chosen…

Theory and computation of general force balance in non-axisymmetric tokamak equilibria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Jong-Kyu; Logan, Nikolas; Wang, Zhirui; Kim, Kimin; Boozer, Allen; Liu, Yueqiang; Menard, Jonathan

2014-10-01

Non-axisymmetric equilibria in tokamaks can be effectively described by linearized force balance. In addition to the conventional isotropic pressure force, there are three important components that can strongly contribute to the force balance; rotational, anisotropic tensor pressure, and externally given forces, i.e. ∇ --> p + ρv-> . ∇ --> v-> + ∇ --> . <-->Π + f-> = j-> × B-> , especially in, but not limited to, high β and rotating plasmas. Within the assumption of nested flux surfaces, Maxwell equations and energy minimization lead to the modified-generalized Newcomb equation for radial displacements with simple algebraic relations for perpendicular and parallel displacements, including an inhomogeneous term if any of the forces are not explicitly dependent on displacements. The general perturbed equilibrium code (GPEC) solves this force balance consistent with energy and torque given by external perturbations. Local and global behaviors of solutions will be discussed when ∇ --> . <-->Π is solved by the semi-analytic code PENT and will be compared with MARS-K. Any first-principle transport code calculating ∇ --> . <-->Π or f-> , e.g. POCA, can also be incorporated without demanding iterations. This work was supported by DOE Contract DE-AC02-09CH11466.

MicroRNA screening identifies a link between NOVA1 expression and a low level of IKAP in familial dysautonomia

PubMed Central

Hervé, Mylène

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Familial dysautonomia (FD) is a rare neurodegenerative disease caused by a mutation in intron 20 of the IKBKAP gene (c.2204+6T>C), leading to tissue-specific skipping of exon 20 and a decrease in the synthesis of the encoded protein IKAP (also known as ELP1). Small non-coding RNAs known as microRNAs (miRNAs) are important post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression and play an essential role in the nervous system development and function. To better understand the neuronal specificity of IKAP loss, we examined expression of miRNAs in human olfactory ecto-mesenchymal stem cells (hOE-MSCs) from five control individuals and five FD patients. We profiled the expression of 373 miRNAs using microfluidics and reverse transcription coupled to quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) on two biological replicate series of hOE-MSC cultures from healthy controls and FD patients. This led to the total identification of 26 dysregulated miRNAs in FD, validating the existence of a miRNA signature in FD. We then selected the nine most discriminant miRNAs for further analysis. The signaling pathways affected by these dysregulated miRNAs were largely within the nervous system. In addition, many targets of these dysregulated miRNAs had been previously demonstrated to be affected in FD models. Moreover, we found that four of our nine candidate miRNAs target the neuron-specific splicing factor NOVA1. We demonstrated that overexpression of miR-203a-3p leads to a decrease of NOVA1, counter-balanced by an increase of IKAP, supporting a potential interaction between NOVA1 and IKAP. Taken together, these results reinforce the choice of miRNAs as potential therapeutic targets and suggest that NOVA1 could be a regulator of FD pathophysiology. PMID:27483351

Tools for Implementing the Recent IAU Resolutions: USNO Circular 179 and the NOVAS Software Package

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaplan, G. H.; Bangert, J. A.

2006-08-01

The resolutions on positional astronomy adopted at the 1997 and 2000 IAU General Assemblies are far-reaching in scope, affecting both the details of various computations and the basic concepts upon which they are built. For many scientists and engineers, applying these recommendations to practical problems is thus doubly challenging. Because the U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO) serves a broad base of users, we have provided two different tools to aid in implementing the resolutions, both of which are intended for the person who is knowledgeable but not necessarily expert in positional astronomy. These tools complement the new material that has been added to The Astronomical Almanac (see paper by Hohenkerk). USNO Circular 179 is a 118-page book that introduces the resolutions to non-specialists. It includes extensive narratives describing the basic concepts as well as compilations of the equations necessary to apply the recommendations. The resolutions have been logically grouped into six main chapters. The Circular is available as a hard-cover book or as a PDF file that can be downloaded from either the USNO/AA web site (http://aa.usno.navy.mil/) or arXiv.org. NOVAS (Naval Observatory Vector Astrometry Subroutines) is a source-code library available in both Fortran and C. It is a long established package with a wide user base that has recently been extensively revised (in version 3.0) to implement the recent IAU resolutions. However, use of NOVAS does not require detailed knowledge of the resolutions, since commonly requested high-level data _ for example, topocentric positions of stars or planets _ are provided in a single call. NOVAS can be downloaded from the USNO/AA web site. Both Circular 179 and NOVAS version 3.0 anticipate IAU adoption of the recommendations of the 2003-2006 working groups on precession and nomenclature.

Impaction Force Influences Taper-Trunnion Stability in Total Hip Arthroplasty.

PubMed

Danoff, Jonathan R; Longaray, Jason; Rajaravivarma, Raga; Gopalakrishnan, Ananthkrishnan; Chen, Antonia F; Hozack, William J

2018-07-01

This study investigated the influence of femoral head impaction force, number of head strikes, the energy sequence of head strikes, and head offset on the strength of the taper-trunnion junction. Thirty titanium-alloy trunnions were mated with 36-mm zero-offset cobalt-chromium femoral heads of corresponding taper angle. A drop tower impacted the head with 2.5J or 8.25J, resulting in 6 kN or 14 kN impaction force, respectively, in a single strike or combinations of 6 kN + 14 kN or 14 kN + 14 kN. In addition, ten 36-mm heads with -5 and +5 offset were impacted with sequential 14 kN + 14 kN strikes. Heads were subsequently disassembled using a screw-driven mechanical testing frame, and peak distraction force was recorded. Femoral head pull-off force was 45% the strike force, and heads struck with a single 14 kN impact showed a pull-off force twice that of the 6 kN group. Two head strikes with the same force did not improve pull-off force for either 6 kN (P = .90) or 14 kN (P = .90). If the forces of the 2 impactions varied, but either impact measured 14 kN, a 51% higher pull-off force was found compared to impactions of either 6 kN or 6 kN + 6 kN. Femoral head offset did not significantly change the pull-off force among -5, 0, and +5 heads (P = .37). Femoral head impaction force influenced femoral head trunnion-taper stability, whereas offset did not affect pull-off force. Multiple head strikes did not add additional stability, as long as a single strike achieved 14 kN force at the mallet-head impactor interface. Insufficient impaction force may lead to inadequate engagement of the trunnion-taper junction. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

Albert, Christopher G.; Heyn, Martin F.; Kapper, Gernot

Toroidal torque generated by neoclassical viscosity caused by external non-resonant, non-axisymmetric perturbations has a significant influence on toroidal plasma rotation in tokamaks. In this article, a derivation for the expressions of toroidal torque and radial transport in resonant regimes is provided within quasilinear theory in canonical action-angle variables. The proposed approach treats all low-collisional quasilinear resonant neoclassical toroidal viscosity regimes including superbanana-plateau and drift-orbit resonances in a unified way and allows for magnetic drift in all regimes. It is valid for perturbations on toroidally symmetric flux surfaces of the unperturbed equilibrium without specific assumptions on geometry or aspect ratio. Themore » resulting expressions are shown to match the existing analytical results in the large aspect ratio limit. Numerical results from the newly developed code NEO-RT are compared to calculations by the quasilinear version of the code NEO-2 at low collisionalities. The importance of the magnetic shear term in the magnetic drift frequency and a significant effect of the magnetic drift on drift-orbit resonances are demonstrated.« less

Detection of Highly-Absorbed X-rays from Nova Mus 2018 with Swift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Thomas; Kuin, Paul; Mukai, Koji; Page, Kim; Chomiuk, Laura; Kawash, Adam; Sokoloski, J. L.; Linford, Justin; Rupen, Michael P.; Mioduszewski, Amy

2018-03-01

We report the detection of X-rays from Nova Mus 2018 with the Swift XRT instrument. We have been carrying out weekly monitoring of the nova with Swift since its discovery on 2018 Jan 15 (see ATel #11220), and observations up to 2018 Feb 24 yielded X-ray non-detections.

Model Atmospheres for Novae in Outburst: Summary of Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hauschildt, Peter H.

1999-01-01

This paper presents a final report and summary of research on Model Atmospheres for Novae in Outburst. Some of the topics include: 1) Detailed NLTE (non-local thermodynamic equilibrium) Model Atmospheres for Novae during Outburst: II. Modeling optical and ultraviolet observations of Nova LMC 1988 #1; 2) A Non-LTE Line-Blanketed Stellar Atmosphere Model of the Early B Giant epsilon CMa; 3) Spectroscopy of Low Metallicity Stellar atmospheres; 4) Infrared Colors at the Stellar/Substellar Boundary; 5) On the abundance of Lithium in T CrB; 6) Numerical Solution of the Expanding Stellar Atmosphere Problem; and 7) The NextGen Model Atmosphere grid for 3000 less than or equal to T (sub eff) less than or equal to 10000K.

Predictive modelling of Lactobacillus casei KN291 survival in fermented soy beverage.

PubMed

Zielińska, Dorota; Dorota, Zielińska; Kołożyn-Krajewska, Danuta; Danuta, Kołożyn-Krajewska; Goryl, Antoni; Antoni, Goryl; Motyl, Ilona

2014-02-01

The aim of the study was to construct and verify predictive growth and survival models of a potentially probiotic bacteria in fermented soy beverage. The research material included natural soy beverage (Polgrunt, Poland) and the strain of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) - Lactobacillus casei KN291. To construct predictive models for the growth and survival of L. casei KN291 bacteria in the fermented soy beverage we design an experiment which allowed the collection of CFU data. Fermented soy beverage samples were stored at various temperature conditions (5, 10, 15, and 20°C) for 28 days. On the basis of obtained data concerning the survival of L. casei KN291 bacteria in soy beverage at different temperature and time conditions, two non-linear models (r(2)= 0.68-0.93) and two surface models (r(2)=0.76-0.79) were constructed; these models described the behaviour of the bacteria in the product to a satisfactory extent. Verification of the surface models was carried out utilizing the validation data - at 7°C during 28 days. It was found that applied models were well fitted and charged with small systematic errors, which is evidenced by accuracy factor - Af, bias factor - Bf and mean squared error - MSE. The constructed microbiological growth and survival models of L. casei KN291 in fermented soy beverage enable the estimation of products shelf life period, which in this case is defined by the requirement for the level of the bacteria to be above 10(6) CFU/cm(3). The constructed models may be useful as a tool for the manufacture of probiotic foods to estimate of their shelf life period.

Evaluation of the toroidal torque driven by external non-resonant non-axisymmetric magnetic field perturbations in a tokamak

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

Kasilov, Sergei V.; Institute of Plasma Physics National Science Center “Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology” ul. Akademicheskaya 1, 61108 Kharkov; Kernbichler, Winfried

2014-09-15

The toroidal torque driven by external non-resonant magnetic perturbations (neoclassical toroidal viscosity) is an important momentum source affecting the toroidal plasma rotation in tokamaks. The well-known force-flux relation directly links this torque to the non-ambipolar neoclassical particle fluxes arising due to the violation of the toroidal symmetry of the magnetic field. Here, a quasilinear approach for the numerical computation of these fluxes is described, which reduces the dimension of a standard neoclassical transport problem by one without model simplifications of the linearized drift kinetic equation. The only limiting condition is that the non-axisymmetric perturbation field is small enough such thatmore » the effect of the perturbation field on particle motion within the flux surface is negligible. Therefore, in addition to most of the transport regimes described by the banana (bounce averaged) kinetic equation also such regimes as, e.g., ripple-plateau and resonant diffusion regimes are naturally included in this approach. Based on this approach, a quasilinear version of the code NEO-2 [W. Kernbichler et al., Plasma Fusion Res. 3, S1061 (2008).] has been developed and benchmarked against a few analytical and numerical models. Results from NEO-2 stay in good agreement with results from these models in their pertinent range of validity.« less

Modeling SOFIA/FORCAST spectra of the classical nova V5568 Sgr with 3D pyCloudy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calvén, Emilia; Helton, L. Andrew; Sankrit, Ravi

2017-06-01

We present our first results modelling Nova V5668 Sgr using the pseudo-3D photoionization code pyCloudy (Morisset 2013). V5668 Sgr is a classical nova of the FeII class (Williams et al. 2015; Seach 2015) showing signs of a bipolar flow (Banerjee et al. 2015). We construct a grid of models, which use hour-glass morphologies and a range of C, N, O and Ne abundances, to fit a suite of spectroscopic data in the near and mid-IR obtained between 82 to 556 days after outburst. The spectra were obtained using the FORCAST mid-IR instrument onboard the NASA Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) and the 1.2m near-IR telescope of the Mount Abu Infrared Observatory. Additional photometric data from FORCAST, The STONY BROOK/SMARTS Atlas of (mostly) Southern Novae (Walter et al., 2012) and the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) were used to supplement the spectral data to obtain the SED of the nova at different times during its evolution. The work presented here is the initial step towards developing a large database of 1D and 3D models that may be used to derive the elemental abundances and dust properties of classical novae.

The Dynamics of Dense Planetary Rings.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mosqueira, Ignacio

1995-01-01

We study the dynamics of a two-mode narrow ring in the case that one of the modes dominates the overall ring perturbation. We use a simple two-streamline self -gravity model, including viscosity, and shepherd satellites. As might be expected, we find that n m = 1 mode appears to be a natural end state for the rings, inasmuch as the presence of a dominant eccentric mode inhibits the growth of other modes, but the reverse is not true. Why some rings exhibit other m values only remains unexplained. Using a modified N-body code to include periodic boundary conditions in a perturbed shear flow, we investigate the role of viscosity on the dynamics of perturbed rings with optical depth tau ~ 1. In particular, we are concerned with rings such that qe = a{de over da} ne 0, where a is the semi-major axis and e is the eccentricity. We confirm the possibility that, for a sufficiently perturbed ring, the angular momentum luminosity may reverse direction with respect to the unperturbed ring (Borderies et al. 1983a). We use observationally constrained parameters for the delta and epsilon Uranian rings, as well as the outer portion of Saturn's B ring. We find that understanding the effects of viscosity for the Uranian rings requires that both local and non-local transport terms be considered if the coefficient of restitution experimentally obtained by Bridges et al. (1984) is appropriate for ring particles. We also find evidence that the criterion for viscous overstability is satisfied in the case of high optical depth rings, as originally proposed by Borderies et al. (1985), making viscous overstability a leading candidate mechanism to explain the non-axisymmetric structure present in the outer portion of Saturn's B ring. To better understand our path-code results we extend a non-local and incompressible fluid model used by Borderies et al. (1985) for dense rings. We incorporate local and non-local transport terms as well as compressibility, while retaining the same number of arbitrary model parameters.

On the Accretion Rates of SW Sextantis Nova-like Variables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballouz, Ronald-Louis; Sion, Edward M.

2009-06-01

We present accretion rates for selected samples of nova-like variables having IUE archival spectra and distances uniformly determined using an infrared method by Knigge. A comparison with accretion rates derived independently with a multiparametric optimization modeling approach by Puebla et al. is carried out. The accretion rates of SW Sextantis nova-like systems are compared with the accretion rates of non-SW Sextantis systems in the Puebla et al. sample and in our sample, which was selected in the orbital period range of three to four and a half hours, with all systems having distances using the method of Knigge. Based upon the two independent modeling approaches, we find no significant difference between the accretion rates of SW Sextantis systems and non-SW Sextantis nova-like systems insofar as optically thick disk models are appropriate. We find little evidence to suggest that the SW Sex stars have higher accretion rates than other nova-like cataclysmic variables (CVs) above the period gap within the same range of orbital periods.

LIGKA: A linear gyrokinetic code for the description of background kinetic and fast particle effects on the MHD stability in tokamaks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lauber, Ph.; Günter, S.; Könies, A.; Pinches, S. D.

2007-09-01

In a plasma with a population of super-thermal particles generated by heating or fusion processes, kinetic effects can lead to the additional destabilisation of MHD modes or even to additional energetic particle modes. In order to describe these modes, a new linear gyrokinetic MHD code has been developed and tested, LIGKA (linear gyrokinetic shear Alfvén physics) [Ph. Lauber, Linear gyrokinetic description of fast particle effects on the MHD stability in tokamaks, Ph.D. Thesis, TU München, 2003; Ph. Lauber, S. Günter, S.D. Pinches, Phys. Plasmas 12 (2005) 122501], based on a gyrokinetic model [H. Qin, Gyrokinetic theory and computational methods for electromagnetic perturbations in tokamaks, Ph.D. Thesis, Princeton University, 1998]. A finite Larmor radius expansion together with the construction of some fluid moments and specification to the shear Alfvén regime results in a self-consistent, electromagnetic, non-perturbative model, that allows not only for growing or damped eigenvalues but also for a change in mode-structure of the magnetic perturbation due to the energetic particles and background kinetic effects. Compared to previous implementations [H. Qin, mentioned above], this model is coded in a more general and comprehensive way. LIGKA uses a Fourier decomposition in the poloidal coordinate and a finite element discretisation in the radial direction. Both analytical and numerical equilibria can be treated. Integration over the unperturbed particle orbits is performed with the drift-kinetic HAGIS code [S.D. Pinches, Ph.D. Thesis, The University of Nottingham, 1996; S.D. Pinches et al., CPC 111 (1998) 131] which accurately describes the particles' trajectories. This allows finite-banana-width effects to be implemented in a rigorous way since the linear formulation of the model allows the exchange of the unperturbed orbit integration and the discretisation of the perturbed potentials in the radial direction. Successful benchmarks for toroidal Alfvén eigenmodes (TAEs) and kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs) with analytical results, ideal MHD codes, drift-kinetic codes and other codes based on kinetic models are reported.

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

Bose, Benjamin; Koyama, Kazuya, E-mail: benjamin.bose@port.ac.uk, E-mail: kazuya.koyama@port.ac.uk

We develop a code to produce the power spectrum in redshift space based on standard perturbation theory (SPT) at 1-loop order. The code can be applied to a wide range of modified gravity and dark energy models using a recently proposed numerical method by A.Taruya to find the SPT kernels. This includes Horndeski's theory with a general potential, which accommodates both chameleon and Vainshtein screening mechanisms and provides a non-linear extension of the effective theory of dark energy up to the third order. Focus is on a recent non-linear model of the redshift space power spectrum which has been shownmore » to model the anisotropy very well at relevant scales for the SPT framework, as well as capturing relevant non-linear effects typical of modified gravity theories. We provide consistency checks of the code against established results and elucidate its application within the light of upcoming high precision RSD data.« less

Nonambipolar Transport and Torque in Perturbed Equilibria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Logan, N. C.; Park, J.-K.; Wang, Z. R.; Berkery, J. W.; Kim, K.; Menard, J. E.

2013-10-01

A new Perturbed Equilibrium Nonambipolar Transport (PENT) code has been developed to calculate the neoclassical toroidal torque from radial current composed of both passing and trapped particles in perturbed equilibria. This presentation outlines the physics approach used in the development of the PENT code, with emphasis on the effects of retaining general aspect-ratio geometric effects. First, nonambipolar transport coefficients and corresponding neoclassical toroidal viscous (NTV) torque in perturbed equilibria are re-derived from the first order gyro-drift-kinetic equation in the ``combined-NTV'' PENT formalism. The equivalence of NTV torque and change in potential energy due to kinetic effects [J-K. Park, Phys. Plas., 2011] is then used to showcase computational challenges shared between PENT and stability codes MISK and MARS-K. Extensive comparisons to a reduced model, which makes numerous large aspect ratio approximations, are used throughout to emphasize geometry dependent physics such as pitch angle resonances. These applications make extensive use of the PENT code's native interfacing with the Ideal Perturbed Equilibrium Code (IPEC), and the combination of these codes is a key step towards an iterative solver for self-consistent perturbed equilibrium torque. Supported by US DOE contract #DE-AC02-09CH11466 and the DOE Office of Science Graduate Fellowship administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science & Education under contract #DE-AC05-06OR23100.

Virasoro algebra in the KN algebra; Bosonic string with fermionic ghosts on Riemann surfaces

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

Koibuchi, H.

1991-10-10

In this paper the bosonic string model with fermionic ghosts is considered in the framework of the KN algebra. The authors' attentions are paid to representations of KN algebra and a Clifford algebra of the ghosts. The authors show that a Virasoro-like algebra is obtained from KN algebra when KN algebra has certain antilinear anti-involution, and that it is isomorphic to the usual Virasoro algebra. The authors show that there is an expected relation between a central charge of this Virasoro-like algebra and an anomaly of the combined system.

DYNAMICAL FRAGMENTATION OF THE T PYXIDIS NOVA SHELL DURING RECURRENT ERUPTIONS

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

Toraskar, Jayashree; Mac Low, Mordecai-Mark; Shara, Michael M.

2013-05-01

Hubble Space Telescope images of the ejecta surrounding the nova T Pyxidis resolve the emission into more than 2000 bright knots. We simulate the dynamical evolution of the ejecta from T Pyxidis during its multiple eruptions over the last 150 years using the adaptive mesh refinement code Ramses. We demonstrate that the observed knots are the result of Richtmyer-Meshkov gas dynamical instabilities (the equivalent of Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities in an accelerated medium). These instabilities are caused by the overrunning of the ejecta from the classical nova of 1866 by fast-moving ejecta from the six subsequent recurrent nova outbursts. Magnetic fields maymore » play a role in determining knot scale and preventing their conductive evaporation. The model correctly predicts the observed expansion and dimming of the T Pyx ejecta as well as the knotty morphology. The model also predicts that deeper, high-resolution imagery will show filamentary structure connecting the knots. We show reprocessed Hubble Space Telescope imagery that shows the first hints of such a structure.« less

Users Guide for the Single-Station Nowcast Analysis Program

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-04-01

easily attained and support the meteorologist along with the aid of some diagnostic models to make a nowcast. With the onset of conflict and primarily...270° at 20 kn. At 400 mbbr , the next mandatory level is introduced. The code says 40752 20780 26025. The height is 7520 m. The temperature is -20.7...moisture in unstable conditions is needed. TIPS models these essential meteorological assumptions and determines if thunderstorms are expected and if

Non-perturbative modelling of energetic particle effects on resistive wall mode: Anisotropy and finite orbit width

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

Liu, Yueqiang, E-mail: yueqiang.liu@ccfe.ac.uk; Chapman, I. T.; Graves, J. P.

2014-05-15

A non-perturbative magnetohydrodynamic-kinetic hybrid formulation is developed and implemented into the MARS-K code [Liu et al., Phys. Plasmas 15, 112503 (2008)] that takes into account the anisotropy and asymmetry [Graves et al., Nature Commun. 3, 624 (2012)] of the equilibrium distribution of energetic particles (EPs) in particle pitch angle space, as well as first order finite orbit width (FOW) corrections for both passing and trapped EPs. Anisotropic models, which affect both the adiabatic and non-adiabatic drift kinetic energy contributions, are implemented for both neutral beam injection and ion cyclotron resonant heating induced EPs. The first order FOW correction does notmore » contribute to the precessional drift resonance of trapped particles, but generally remains finite for the bounce and transit resonance contributions, as well as for the adiabatic contributions from asymmetrically distributed passing particles. Numerical results for a 9MA steady state ITER plasma suggest that (i) both the anisotropy and FOW effects can be important for the resistive wall mode stability in ITER plasmas; and (ii) the non-perturbative approach predicts less kinetic stabilization of the mode, than the perturbative approach, in the presence of anisotropy and FOW effects for the EPs. The latter may partially be related to the modification of the eigenfunction of the mode by the drift kinetic effects.« less

Non-LTE model atmosphere analysis of Nova Cygni 1992

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hauschildt, P. H.; Starrfield, S.; Austin, S.; Wagner, R. M.; Shore, S. N.; Sonneborn, G.

1994-01-01

We use spherically symmetric non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE), line-blanketed, expanding model atmospheres to analyze the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) and optical spectra of Nova Cygni 1992 during the early phases of its outburst. We find that the first IUE spectrum obtained just after discovery on 1992 February 20, is best reproduced by a model atmosphere with a steep density gradient and homologous expansion, whereas the IUE and optical spectra obtained on February 24 show an extended, optically thick, wind structure. Therefore, we distinguish two phases of the early evolution of the nova photosphere: the initial, rapid, 'fireball' phase and the subsequent, much longer, optically thick 'wind' phase. The importance of line-blanketing in nova spectra is demonstrated. Our preliminary abundance analysis implies that hydrogen is depeleted in the ejecta, corresponding to abundance enhancements of Fe by a factor of approximately 2 and of CNO by more than a factor of 10 when compared to solar abundances. The synthetic spectra reproduce both the observed pseudo-continua as well as most of the observed features from the UV to the optical spectral range and demonstrate the importance of obtaining nearly simultaneous UV and optical spectra for performing accurate analyses of expanding stellar atmospheres (for both novae and supernovae).

GNSS orbit determination by precise modeling of non-gravitational forces acting on satellite's body

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wielgosz, Agata; Kalarus, Maciej; Liwosz, Tomasz

2016-04-01

Satellites orbiting around Earth are affected by gravitational forces and non-gravitational perturbations (NGP). While the perturbations caused by gravitational forces, which are due to central body gravity (including high-precision geopotential field) and its changes (due to secular variations and tides), solar bodies attraction and relativistic effects are well-modeled, the perturbations caused by the non-gravitational forces are the most limiting factor in Precise Orbit Determination (POD). In this work we focused on very precise non-gravitational force modeling for medium Earth orbit satellites by applying the various models of solar radiation pressure including changes in solar irradiance and Earth/Moon shadow transition, Earth albedo and thermal radiation. For computing influence of aforementioned forces on spacecraft the analytical box-wing satellite model was applied. Smaller effects like antenna thrust or spacecraft thermal radiation were also included. In the process of orbit determination we compared the orbit with analytically computed NGP with the standard procedure in which CODE model is fitted for NGP recovery. We considered satellites from several systems and on different orbits and for different periods: when the satellite is all the time in full sunlight and when transits the umbra and penumbra regions.

Multi-level of Fidelity Multi-Disciplinary Design Optimization of Small, Solid-Propellant Launch Vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roshanian, Jafar; Jodei, Jahangir; Mirshams, Mehran; Ebrahimi, Reza; Mirzaee, Masood

A new automated multi-level of fidelity Multi-Disciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) methodology has been developed at the MDO Laboratory of K.N. Toosi University of Technology. This paper explains a new design approach by formulation of developed disciplinary modules. A conceptual design for a small, solid-propellant launch vehicle was considered at two levels of fidelity structure. Low and medium level of fidelity disciplinary codes were developed and linked. Appropriate design and analysis codes were defined according to their effect on the conceptual design process. Simultaneous optimization of the launch vehicle was performed at the discipline level and system level. Propulsion, aerodynamics, structure and trajectory disciplinary codes were used. To reach the minimum launch weight, the Low LoF code first searches the whole design space to achieve the mission requirements. Then the medium LoF code receives the output of the low LoF and gives a value near the optimum launch weight with more details and higher fidelity.

Bottlenecks and Waiting Points in Nucleosynthesis in X-ray bursts and Novae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Michael S.; Sunayama, Tomomi; Hix, W. Raphael; Lingerfelt, Eric J.; Nesaraja, Caroline D.

2010-08-01

To better understand the energy generation and element synthesis occurring in novae and X-ray bursts, we give quantitative definitions to the concepts of ``bottlenecks'' and ``waiting points'' in the thermonuclear reaction flow. We use these criteria to search for bottlenecks and waiting points in post-processing element synthesis explosion simulations. We have incorporated these into the Computational Infrastructure for Nuclear Astrophysics, a suite of nuclear astrophysics codes available online at nucastrodata.org, so that anyone may perform custom searches for bottlenecks and waiting points.

Bottlenecks and Waiting Points in Nucleosynthesis in X-ray bursts and Novae

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

Smith, Michael S.; Hix, W. Raphael; Nesaraja, Caroline D.

2010-08-12

To better understand the energy generation and element synthesis occurring in novae and X-ray bursts, we give quantitative definitions to the concepts of ''bottlenecks'' and ''waiting points'' in the thermonuclear reaction flow. We use these criteria to search for bottlenecks and waiting points in post-processing element synthesis explosion simulations. We have incorporated these into the Computational Infrastructure for Nuclear Astrophysics, a suite of nuclear astrophysics codes available online at nucastrodata.org, so that anyone may perform custom searches for bottlenecks and waiting points.

FUSE Observations of the Bright, Eclipsing Nova-like Cataclysmic Variable, UX UMa (FUSE 2000)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Long, Knox; Froning, Cynthia

2004-01-01

This was a project to study the disk and wind of the eclipsing nova-like variable UX UMa, in order to better define the wind geometry of the system, including the nature of the transition region between the disk photosphere and the supersonic wind. We proposed to use phase resolved spectroscopy of the system, taking advantage of the fact that UX UMa is an eclipsing system, to isolate different regions of the wind and to use a Monte Carlo radiative transfer code to simulate the spectra through the eclipse.

Phosphorylation of CaMKII in the rat dorsal raphe nucleus plays an important role in sleep-wake regulation.

PubMed

Cui, Su-Ying; Li, Sheng-Jie; Cui, Xiang-Yu; Zhang, Xue-Qiong; Yu, Bin; Sheng, Zhao-Fu; Huang, Yuan-Li; Cao, Qing; Xu, Ya-Ping; Lin, Zhi-Ge; Yang, Guang; Song, Jin-Zhi; Ding, Hui; Wang, Zi-Jun; Zhang, Yong-He

2016-02-01

The Ca(2+) modulation in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) plays an important role in sleep-wake regulation. Calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) is an important signal-transducing molecule that is activated by Ca(2+) . This study investigated the effects of intracellular Ca(2+) /CaMKII signaling in the DRN on sleep-wake states in rats. Maximum and minimum CaMKII phosphorylation was detected at Zeitgeber time 21 (ZT 21; wakefulness state) and ZT 3 (sleep state), respectively, across the light-dark rhythm in the DRN in rats. Six-hour sleep deprivation significantly reduced CaMKII phosphorylation in the DRN. Microinjection of the CAMKII activation inhibitor KN-93 (5 or 10 nmol) into the DRN suppressed wakefulness and enhanced rapid-eye-movement sleep (REMS) and non-REM sleep (NREMS). Application of a high dose of KN-93 (10 nmol) increased slow-wave sleep (SWS) time, SWS bouts, the mean duration of SWS, the percentage of SWS relative to total sleep, and delta power density during NREMS. Microinjection of CaCl2 (50 nmol) in the DRN increased CaMKII phosphorylation and decreased NREMS, SWS, and REMS. KN-93 abolished the inhibitory effects of CaCl2 on NREMS, SWS, and REMS. These data indicate a novel wake-promoting and sleep-suppressing role for the Ca(2+) /CaMKII signaling pathway in DRN neurons. We propose that the intracellular Ca(2+) /CaMKII signaling in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) plays wake-promoting and sleep-suppressing role in rats. Intra-DRN application of KN-93 (CaMKII activation inhibitor) suppressed wakefulness and enhanced rapid-eye-movement sleep (REMS) and non-REMS (NREMS). Intra-DRN application of CaCl2 attenuated REMS and NREMS. We think these findings should provide a novel cellular and molecular mechanism of sleep-wake regulation. © 2015 International Society for Neurochemistry.

Extending SIESTA capabilities: removing field-periodic and stellarator symmetric limitations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, C. R.; Hirshman, S. P.; Sanchez, R.; Anderson, D. T.

2011-10-01

SIESTA is a three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics equilibrium code capable of resolving magnetic islands in toroidal plasma confinement devices. Currently SIESTA assumes that plasma perturbations, and thus also magnetic islands, are field-periodic. This limitation is being removed from the code by allowing the displacement toroidal mode number to not be restricted to multiples of the number of field periods. Extending SIESTA in this manner will allow larger, lower-order resonant islands to form in devices such as CTH. An example of a non-field-periodic perturbation in CTH will be demonstrated. Currently the code also operates in a stellarator-symmetric fashion in which an ``up-down'' symmetry is present at some toroidal angle. Nearly all of the current tokamaks (and ITER in the future) operate with a divertor and as such do not possess stellarator symmetry. Removal of this symmetry restriction requires including both sine and cosine terms in the Fourier expansion for the geometry of the device and the fields contained within. The current status of this extension of the code will be discussed, along with the method of implementation. U.S. DOE Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with UT-Battelle, LLC.

Research activities in nuclear astrophysics and related areas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1996-01-01

NASA/GRO grant NAG 5-2081, at the University of Chicago, has provided support for a broad program of theoretical research in nuclear astrophysics and related areas, with regard to gamma-ray and hard X-ray emission from classical nova explosions. This research emphasized the possible detection of 22Na gamma-ray line emission from nearby novae involving ONeMg white dwarfs, the detailed examination of 26Al production in novae, and the possible detection of the predicted early gamma ray emission from novae that arises from the decay of the short lived, positron emitting isotopes of CNO elements. Studies of nova related problems have consumed an increasing fraction of the Principal Investigator's research efforts over the past decade. Current research addresses problems associated with the standard model for the outbursts of the classical novae: the occurrence of thermonuclear runaways (TNR) in the accreted hydrogen rich envelopes on white dwarfs in close binary systems (see, e.g., the reviews by Truran 1982; and Shara 1989). Research in progress and planned for the next three years has three main objectives: (1) to gain an improved understanding of the early evolution of the light curves of, particularly, the fastest novae; (2) to gain an improved understanding of the relative importance of the various possible mechanisms of envelope hydrogen depletion (e.g. winds, common envelope driven mass loss, and nuclear burning) to the long term evolution of novae in outburst; and (3) to seek to provide a somewhat more definitive statement of the role of classical novae in nucleosynthesis. Our proposed 2-D studies of convection during the early phases of the TNR and our systematic attempt to incorporate an improved treatment of radiation hydrodynamics into the hydrodynamic code utilized in our calculations, are particularly relevant to the first of these objectives. Further 2-D studies of the effects of common envelope evolution are intended to provide more realistic constraints on the mass depletion mechanisms. Finally, detailed calculations of the thermonuclear history of the matter ejected in novae will be carried out for representative nova configurations involving both carbon-oxygen (CO) and oxygen-neon-magnesium (ONeMg) white dwarfs.

Measurement of the Out-of-Plane Shear Response of Thick Section Composite Materials Using the V-Notched Beam Specimen

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-04-01

to failure at 1.25 mm/min.(.05 in./min.) by a hydraulic, 267 kN (60,000 lb.) capacity, Satec testing machine. Strain output was conditioned through...D.Hoyns 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS( ES ) ’S. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division...Annapolis Detachment CRDKNSWC-SSM-64-92/22 Code 2844/644 9. SPONSORING /MON7ORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS( ES ) 10. SPONSORING /MONITOR INGAGENCY REPORT

Exploration of magnetic perturbation effects on advanced divertor configurations in NSTX-U

DOE Data Explorer

Frerichs, H. [Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States); Waters, I. [Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States); Schmitz, O. [Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States); Canal, G. P. [Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States); Evans, T. E. [Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States); Feng, Y. [Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States); Soukhanovskii, V. A. [Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)

2016-06-01

The control of divertor heat loads - both steady state and transient - remains a key challenge for the successful operation of ITER and FNSF. Magnetic perturbations provide a promising technique to control ELMs (transients), but understanding their detailed impact is difficult due to their symmetry breaking nature. One approach for reducing steady state heat loads are so called 'advanced divertors' which aim at optimizing the magnetic field configuration: the snowflake and the (super-)X-divertor. It is likely that both concepts - magnetic perturbations and advanced divertors - will have to work together, and we explore their interaction based on the NSTX-U setup. An overview of different divertor configurations under the impact of magnetic perturbations is presented, and the resulting impact on plasma edge transport is investigated with the EMC3-EIRENE code. Variations in size of the magnetic footprint of the perturbed separatrix are found, which is related to the level of flux expansion on the divertor target. Non-axisymmetric peaking of the heat flux related to the perturbed separatrix is found at the outer strike point, but only in locations where flux expansion is not too large.

Mass retention efficiencies of He accretion onto carbon-oxygen white dwarfs and type Ia supernovae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, C.; Wang, B.; Liu, D.; Han, Z.

2017-07-01

Context. Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) play a crucial role in studying cosmology and galactic chemical evolution. They are thought to be thermonuclear explosions of carbon-oxygen white dwarfs (CO WDs) when their masses reach the Chandrasekar mass limit in binaries. Previous studies have suggested that He novae may be progenitor candidates of SNe Ia. However, the mass retention efficiencies during He nova outbursts are still uncertain. Aims: In this article, we aim to study the mass retention efficiencies of He nova outbursts and to investigate whether SNe Ia can be produced through He nova outbursts. Methods: Using the stellar evolution code Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics, we simulated a series of multicycle He-layer flashes, in which the initial WD masses range from 0.7 to 1.35 M⊙ with various accretion rates. Results: We obtained the mass retention efficiencies of He nova outbursts for various initial WD masses, which can be used in the binary population synthesis studies. In our simulations, He nova outbursts can increase the mass of the WD to the Chandrasekar mass limit and the explosive carbon burning can be triggered in the center of the WD; this suggests that He nova outbursts can produce SNe Ia. Meanwhile, the mass retention efficiencies in the present work are lower than those of previous studies, which leads to a lower birthrates of SNe Ia through the WD + He star channel. Furthermore, we obtained the elemental abundances distribution at the moment of explosive carbon burning, which can be used as the initial input parameters in studying explosion models of SNe Ia.

A Hubble Space Telescope survey for Novae in M87. II. Snuffing out the maximum magnitude–rate of decline relation for novae as a non-standard candle, and a prediction of the existence of ultrafast novae

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

Shara, Michael M.; Doyle, Trisha; Lauer, Tod R.

The extensive grid of numerical simulations of nova eruptions first predicted that some classical novae might significantly deviate from the Maximum Magnitude–Rate of Decline (MMRD) relation, which purports to characterize novae as standard candles. Kasliwal et al. have announced the observational detection of a new class of faint, fast classical novae in the Andromeda galaxy. These objects deviate strongly from the MMRD relationship, as predicted by Yaron et al. Recently, Shara et al. reported the first detections of faint, fast novae in M87. These previously overlooked objects are as common in the giant elliptical galaxy M87 as they are inmore » the giant spiral M31; they comprise about 40% of all classical nova eruptions and greatly increase the observational scatter in the MMRD relation. We use the extensive grid of the nova simulations of Yaron et al. to identify the underlying causes of the existence of faint, fast novae. These are systems that have accreted, and can thus eject, only very low-mass envelopes, of the order of 10 –7–10 –8 M ⊙, on massive white dwarfs. Such binaries include, but are not limited to, the recurrent novae. As a result, these same models predict the existence of ultrafast novae that display decline times, t 2, to be as short as five hours. We outline a strategy for their future detection.« less

A Hubble Space Telescope Survey for Novae in M87. II. Snuffing out the Maximum Magnitude–Rate of Decline Relation for Novae as a Non-standard Candle, and a Prediction of the Existence of Ultrafast Novae

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

Shara, Michael M.; Doyle, Trisha; Zurek, David

The extensive grid of numerical simulations of nova eruptions from the work of Yaron et al. first predicted that some classical novae might significantly deviate from the Maximum Magnitude–Rate of Decline (MMRD) relation, which purports to characterize novae as standard candles. Kasliwal et al. have announced the observational detection of a new class of faint, fast classical novae in the Andromeda galaxy. These objects deviate strongly from the MMRD relationship, as predicted by Yaron et al. Recently, Shara et al. reported the first detections of faint, fast novae in M87. These previously overlooked objects are as common in the giantmore » elliptical galaxy M87 as they are in the giant spiral M31; they comprise about 40% of all classical nova eruptions and greatly increase the observational scatter in the MMRD relation. We use the extensive grid of the nova simulations of Yaron et al. to identify the underlying causes of the existence of faint, fast novae. These are systems that have accreted, and can thus eject, only very low-mass envelopes, of the order of 10{sup −7}–10{sup −8} M {sub ⊙}, on massive white dwarfs. Such binaries include, but are not limited to, the recurrent novae. These same models predict the existence of ultrafast novae that display decline times, t {sub 2,} to be as short as five hours. We outline a strategy for their future detection.« less

A Hubble Space Telescope survey for Novae in M87. II. Snuffing out the maximum magnitude–rate of decline relation for novae as a non-standard candle, and a prediction of the existence of ultrafast novae

DOE PAGES

Shara, Michael M.; Doyle, Trisha; Lauer, Tod R.; ...

2017-04-20

The extensive grid of numerical simulations of nova eruptions first predicted that some classical novae might significantly deviate from the Maximum Magnitude–Rate of Decline (MMRD) relation, which purports to characterize novae as standard candles. Kasliwal et al. have announced the observational detection of a new class of faint, fast classical novae in the Andromeda galaxy. These objects deviate strongly from the MMRD relationship, as predicted by Yaron et al. Recently, Shara et al. reported the first detections of faint, fast novae in M87. These previously overlooked objects are as common in the giant elliptical galaxy M87 as they are inmore » the giant spiral M31; they comprise about 40% of all classical nova eruptions and greatly increase the observational scatter in the MMRD relation. We use the extensive grid of the nova simulations of Yaron et al. to identify the underlying causes of the existence of faint, fast novae. These are systems that have accreted, and can thus eject, only very low-mass envelopes, of the order of 10 –7–10 –8 M ⊙, on massive white dwarfs. Such binaries include, but are not limited to, the recurrent novae. As a result, these same models predict the existence of ultrafast novae that display decline times, t 2, to be as short as five hours. We outline a strategy for their future detection.« less

Lindeberg theorem for Gibbs-Markov dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denker, Manfred; Senti, Samuel; Zhang, Xuan

2017-12-01

A dynamical array consists of a family of functions \\{ fn, i: 1≤slant i≤slant k_n, n≥slant 1\\} and a family of initial times \\{τn, i: 1≤slant i≤slant k_n, n≥slant 1\\} . For a dynamical system (X, T) we identify distributional limits for sums of the form for suitable (non-random) constants s_n>0 and an, i\\in { R} . We derive a Lindeberg-type central limit theorem for dynamical arrays. Applications include new central limit theorems for functions which are not locally Lipschitz continuous and central limit theorems for statistical functions of time series obtained from Gibbs-Markov systems. Our results, which hold for more general dynamics, are stated in the context of Gibbs-Markov dynamical systems for convenience.

The scorpion venom peptide BmKn2 induces apoptosis in cancerous but not in normal human oral cells.

PubMed

Satitmanwiwat, Saranya; Changsangfa, Chinarat; Khanuengthong, Anuson; Promthep, Kornkanok; Roytrakul, Sittiruk; Arpornsuwan, Teerakul; Saikhun, Kulnasan; Sritanaudomchai, Hathaitip

2016-12-01

This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of the induction of apoptosis of human oral cancer cells by the scorpion venom peptide BmKn2. Human oral squamous carcinoma cells (HSC4), mouth epidermoid carcinoma cells (KB), human normal gingival cells (HGC) and dental pulp cells (DPC) were treated with BmKn-2 peptide for 24h. Cell viability was determined by the MTT assay. Apoptosis was assessed using phase contrast microscopy, by propidium iodide (PI) staining to assess nuclear morphology and by Annexin V staining. Apoptotic signaling pathways were investigated by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blotting. BmKn-2 showed potent cytotoxic effects towards both HSC4 and KB cells with the associated induction of apoptosis. The cells showed distinct morphological changes, nuclear disintegration and an increase in the number of Annexin V-positive cells. Interestingly, at concentrations which kill cancerous cells, BmKn-2 did not affect cell viability or mediate the induction of apoptosis in normal HGC or DPC. Induction of apoptosis by BmKn-2 in HSC4 and KB cells was associated with the activation of tumor suppress p53. Pro-apoptotic BAX expression was increased, whereas antiapoptotic BCL-2 expression was decreased in BmKn-2 exposed HSC4 and KB cells. BmKn-2 treated-oral cancer cells showed distinct upregulation of initiator caspase-9, with no effect on caspase-8 expression. Increased expression levels of executor caspases-3 and -7 were also found in treated cells for both oral cancers. This study has suggested for the first time that BmKn-2 exerts selective cytotoxic effects on human oral cancer cells by inducting apoptosis via a p53-dependent intrinsic apoptotic pathway. BmKn-2 peptide originally derived from a natural source shows great promise as a candidate treatment for oral cancer, with minimal effects on healthy tissue. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Identification and overexpression of a knotted1-like transcription factor in switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.) for lignocellulosic feedstock improvement

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

Wuddineh, Wegi A.; Mazarei, Mitra; Zhang, Ji -Yi

High biomass production and wide adaptation has made switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.) an important candidate lignocellulosic bioenergy crop. One major limitation of this and other lignocellulosic feedstocks is the recalcitrance of complex carbohydrates to hydrolysis for conversion to biofuels. Lignin is the major contributor to recalcitrance as it limits the accessibility of cell wall carbohydrates to enzymatic breakdown into fermentable sugars. Therefore, genetic manipulation of the lignin biosynthesis pathway is one strategy to reduce recalcitrance. Here, we identified a switchgrass Knotted1 transcription factor, PvKN1, with the aim of genetically engineering switchgrass for reduced biomass recalcitrance for biofuel production. Genemore » expression of the endogenous PvKN1 gene was observed to be highest in young inflorescences and stems. Ectopic overexpression of PvKN1 in switchgrass altered growth, especially in early developmental stages. Transgenic lines had reduced expression of most lignin biosynthetic genes accompanied by a reduction in lignin content suggesting the involvement of PvKN1 in the broad regulation of the lignin biosynthesis pathway. Moreover, the reduced expression of the Gibberellin 20-oxidase (GA20ox) gene in tandem with the increased expression of Gibberellin 2-oxidase (GA2ox) genes in transgenic PvKN1 lines suggest that PvKN1 may exert regulatory effects via modulation of GA signaling. Furthermore, overexpression of PvKN1 altered the expression of cellulose and hemicellulose biosynthetic genes and increased sugar release efficiency in transgenic lines. Our findings demonstrated that switchgrass PvKN1 is a putative ortholog of maize KN1 that is linked to plant lignification and cell wall and development traits as a major regulatory gene. Therefore, targeted overexpression of PvKN1 in bioenergy feedstocks may provide one feasible strategy for reducing biomass recalcitrance and simultaneously improving plant growth characteristics.« less

Identification and overexpression of a knotted1-like transcription factor in switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.) for lignocellulosic feedstock improvement

DOE PAGES

Wuddineh, Wegi A.; Mazarei, Mitra; Zhang, Ji -Yi; ...

2016-04-28

High biomass production and wide adaptation has made switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.) an important candidate lignocellulosic bioenergy crop. One major limitation of this and other lignocellulosic feedstocks is the recalcitrance of complex carbohydrates to hydrolysis for conversion to biofuels. Lignin is the major contributor to recalcitrance as it limits the accessibility of cell wall carbohydrates to enzymatic breakdown into fermentable sugars. Therefore, genetic manipulation of the lignin biosynthesis pathway is one strategy to reduce recalcitrance. Here, we identified a switchgrass Knotted1 transcription factor, PvKN1, with the aim of genetically engineering switchgrass for reduced biomass recalcitrance for biofuel production. Genemore » expression of the endogenous PvKN1 gene was observed to be highest in young inflorescences and stems. Ectopic overexpression of PvKN1 in switchgrass altered growth, especially in early developmental stages. Transgenic lines had reduced expression of most lignin biosynthetic genes accompanied by a reduction in lignin content suggesting the involvement of PvKN1 in the broad regulation of the lignin biosynthesis pathway. Moreover, the reduced expression of the Gibberellin 20-oxidase (GA20ox) gene in tandem with the increased expression of Gibberellin 2-oxidase (GA2ox) genes in transgenic PvKN1 lines suggest that PvKN1 may exert regulatory effects via modulation of GA signaling. Furthermore, overexpression of PvKN1 altered the expression of cellulose and hemicellulose biosynthetic genes and increased sugar release efficiency in transgenic lines. Our findings demonstrated that switchgrass PvKN1 is a putative ortholog of maize KN1 that is linked to plant lignification and cell wall and development traits as a major regulatory gene. Therefore, targeted overexpression of PvKN1 in bioenergy feedstocks may provide one feasible strategy for reducing biomass recalcitrance and simultaneously improving plant growth characteristics.« less

Search for gamma-ray emission from Galactic novae with the Fermi -LAT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franckowiak, A.; Jean, P.; Wood, M.; Cheung, C. C.; Buson, S.

2018-02-01

Context. A number of novae have been found to emit high-energy gamma rays (>100 MeV). However, the origin of this emission is not yet understood. We report on the search for gamma-ray emission from 75 optically detected Galactic novae in the first 7.4 years of operation of the Fermi Large Area Telescope using the Pass 8 data set. Aims: We compile an optical nova catalog including light curves from various resources and estimate the optical peak time and optical peak magnitude in order to search for gamma-ray emission to determine whether all novae are gamma-ray emitters. Methods: We repeated the analysis of the six novae previously identified as gamma-ray sources and developed a unified analysis strategy that we then applied to all novae in our catalog. We searched for emission in a 15 day time window in two-day steps ranging from 20 days before to 20 days after the optical peak time. We performed a population study with Monte Carlo simulations to set constraints on the properties of the gamma-ray emission of novae. Results: Two new novae candidates have been found at 2σ global significance. Although these two novae candidates were not detected at a significant level individually, taking them together with the other non-detected novae, we found a sub-threshold nova population with a cumulative 3σ significance. We report the measured gamma-ray flux for detected sources and flux upper limits for novae without significant detection. Our results can be reproduced by several gamma-ray emissivity models (e.g., a power-law distribution with a slope of 2), while a constant emissivity model (i.e., assuming novae are standard candles) can be rejected.

Search for gamma-ray emission from Galactic novae with the Fermi-LAT

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

Franckowiak, A.; Jean, P.; Wood, M.

Context. A number of novae have been found to emit high-energy gamma rays (>100 MeV). However, the origin of this emission is not yet understood. We report on the search for gamma-ray emission from 75 optically detected Galactic novae in the first 7.4 years of operation of the Fermi Large Area Telescope using the Pass 8 data set. Aims. We compile an optical nova catalog including light curves from various resources and estimate the optical peak time and optical peak magnitude in order to search for gamma-ray emission to determine whether all novae are gamma-ray emitters. Methods. We repeated themore » analysis of the six novae previously identified as gamma-ray sources and developed a unified analysis strategy that we then applied to all novae in our catalog. We searched for emission in a 15 day time window in two-day steps ranging from 20 days before to 20 days after the optical peak time. We performed a population study with Monte Carlo simulations to set constraints on the properties of the gamma-ray emission of novae. Results. Two new novae candidates have been found at ~ 2σ global significance. Although these two novae candidates were not detected at a significant level individually, taking them together with the other non-detected novae, we found a sub-threshold nova population with a cumulative 3σ significance. We report the measured gamma-ray flux for detected sources and flux upper limits for novae without significant detection. Lastly, our results can be reproduced by several gamma-ray emissivity models (e.g., a power-law distribution with a slope of 2), while a constant emissivity model (i.e., assuming novae are standard candles) can be rejected.« less

Search for gamma-ray emission from Galactic novae with the Fermi-LAT

DOE PAGES

Franckowiak, A.; Jean, P.; Wood, M.; ...

2018-02-05

Context. A number of novae have been found to emit high-energy gamma rays (>100 MeV). However, the origin of this emission is not yet understood. We report on the search for gamma-ray emission from 75 optically detected Galactic novae in the first 7.4 years of operation of the Fermi Large Area Telescope using the Pass 8 data set. Aims. We compile an optical nova catalog including light curves from various resources and estimate the optical peak time and optical peak magnitude in order to search for gamma-ray emission to determine whether all novae are gamma-ray emitters. Methods. We repeated themore » analysis of the six novae previously identified as gamma-ray sources and developed a unified analysis strategy that we then applied to all novae in our catalog. We searched for emission in a 15 day time window in two-day steps ranging from 20 days before to 20 days after the optical peak time. We performed a population study with Monte Carlo simulations to set constraints on the properties of the gamma-ray emission of novae. Results. Two new novae candidates have been found at ~ 2σ global significance. Although these two novae candidates were not detected at a significant level individually, taking them together with the other non-detected novae, we found a sub-threshold nova population with a cumulative 3σ significance. We report the measured gamma-ray flux for detected sources and flux upper limits for novae without significant detection. Lastly, our results can be reproduced by several gamma-ray emissivity models (e.g., a power-law distribution with a slope of 2), while a constant emissivity model (i.e., assuming novae are standard candles) can be rejected.« less

Hematology and condition factor of tui chub and fathead minnow parasitized by nematode from Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, USA.

PubMed

Martins, Maurício L; Tavares-Dias, Marcos; Janik, Andrew J; Kent, Michael L; Jerônimo, Gabriela T

2017-11-21

This study evaluated the hematological profile and condition factor (Kn) of tui chub Siphateles bicolor and fathead minnow Pimephales promelas and their associations with larvae of Contracaecum sp. infection of the heart. A total of 30 tui chub and 17 fathead minnow were collected from Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, USA, measured, and weighed and blood was drawn for hematological analysis. Nematode larvae parasitized tui chub with a prevalence of 50% and mean intensity of 1.40, while 11.8% of fathead minnow were parasitized at a mean intensity of 1.0. Non-parasitized tui chub were significantly larger than the parasitized fish, indicating that small fish could be easily predated by the definitive host, a piscivorous bird. Although the relatively large worm occupied a large portion of the atrium, the presence of the larvae did not affect tui chub Kn, possibly associated with low parasite intensity and a harmonic co-evolution. Only parasitized fathead minnow showed significant differences in red blood cell measurements (greater cell width and larger nuclei) compared to non-parasitized fish. Lymphocytes were the most common white blood cells found in tui chub, followed by neutrophils, monocytes, and periodic acid-Schiff positive granular leukocytes; in fathead minnow lymphocytes were followed by heterophils, monocytes, neutrophils and eosinophils. This study is the first report of Kn and description of blood cells and hematological parameters in these fish species.

Shaded seafloor relief, backscatter strength, and surficial geology; German Bank, Scotian Shelf, offshore Nova Scotia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Todd, B.J.; Valentine, Page C.

2010-01-01

This map is part of a three-map series of German Bank, located on the Scotian Shelf off southern Nova Scotia.  This map is the product of a number of surveys (1997-2003) that used a multibeam sonar system to map 5321 km2 of the seafloor.  Other surveys collected geological data for scientific interpretation.  This map sheet shows the seafloor topography of German Bank in shaded-relief view and seafloor depth (coded by colour) at a scale of 1:1000,000.  Topographic contours generated from the multibeam data are shown (in white) on the colour-coded multibeam topography at a depth interval of 20 m.  Bathymetic contours (in blue) outside the multibeam survey area, presented at a depth interval of 10 m, are from the Natural Resource Map series (Canadian Hydrographic Service, 1967, 1971a, 1971b, 1972). Sheet 2 shows coloured backscatter strength in shaded-relief view.  Sheet 3 shows seafloor topography in shaded-relief view with colour-coded surficial geological units.

Cosmographical Implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, E. L.

1992-12-01

The COBE() DMR observation of large scale anisotropy of the CMBR allows one to compare the gravitational potential measured using Delta T to the gravitational forces required to produce the observed clustering of galaxies. This comparison helps to define the allowed range of cosmological models. As shown by Wright etal 1992, the COBE Delta T agrees quite well with the bulk flow velocity measured by Bertschinger etal 1990 in a window of radius 6000 km/sec. This is the best evidence that the initial perturbation spectrum in fact followed the Harrison-Zeldovich (and inflationary) prediction that P(k) ~ k(n) with n = 1. Assuming that n ~ 1, one can deduce information about the nature of the matter in the Universe: the first conclusion is that a large amount of non-baryonic dark matter is required. The second conclusion is that a linearly evolving model dominated by Cold Dark Matter produces too little structure on 2500 km/sec scales. However, mixed Cold Plus Hot Dark Matter models, vacuum dominated models, or the Couchman & Carlberg (1992) non-linear recipe for making galaxies out of CDM all seem to reproduce the observed structures on scales from 500-6,000 km/sec while connecting to the COBE results with the expected n ~ 1 slope. () COBE is supported by NASA's Astrophysics Division. Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), under the scientific guidance of the COBE Science Working Group, is responsible for the development and operation of COBE.

Instability Coupling Experiments*

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chrien, R. E.; Hoffman, N. M.; Magelssen, G. R.; Schappert, G. T.; Smitherman, D. P.

1996-11-01

The coupling of Richtmyer-Meshkov (RM) and ablative Rayleigh-Taylor (ART) instabilities is being studied with indirectly-driven planar foil experiments on the Nova laser at Livermore. The foil is attached to a 1.6-mm-diameter, 2.75-mm-long Au hohlraum driven by a 2.2-ns long, 1:5-contrast-ratio shaped laser pulse. A shock is generated in 35-μm or 86-μm thick Al foils with a 50-μm-wavelength, 4-μm-amplitude sinusoidal perturbation on its rear surface. In some experiments, the perturbation is applied to a 10-μm Be layer on the Al. A RM instability develops when the shock encounters the perturbed surface. The flow field of the RM instability can ``feed out'' to the ablation surface of the foil and provide the seed for ART perturbation growth. Face-on and side-on x-radiography are used to observe areal density perturbations in the foil. For the 86-μm foil, the perturbation arrives at the ablation surface while the hohlraum drive is dropping and the data are consistent with RM instability alone. For the 35-μm foil, the perturbation feeds out while the hohlraum drive is close to its peak and the data appear to show strong ART perturbation growth. Comparisons with LASNEX simulations will be presented. *This work supported under USDOE contract W-7405-ENG-36.

The influence of playing level on the biomechanical demands experienced by rugby union forwards during machine scrummaging.

PubMed

Preatoni, E; Stokes, K A; England, M E; Trewartha, G

2013-06-01

This study investigated machine scrummaging at different playing levels in rugby union and analysed kinetic factors that might influence performance and injury risk. Thirty-four forward packs from six different playing levels scrummaged against an instrumented scrum machine under real environmental conditions. Applied forces were measured in three orthogonal directions. The peak (SD) of the overall compression forces during engagement ranged between 16.5 (1.4) kN (International-Elite) and 8.7 (0.1) kN (Women), while sustained compression forces spanned between 8.3 (1.0) kN (International) and 4.8 (0.5) kN (Women). The peak of the overall vertical force during the initial engagement phase was between -3.9 (0.7) kN (Elite) and -2.0 (1.0) kN (School), and the range of lateral forces was between 1.8 (0.3) kN (International) and 1.1 (0.3) kN (School). Forces measured across all playing levels, particularly during initial engagement, were generally higher than those measured in the most commonly cited previous studies. This increase may be due to a combination of changes in modern scrummaging technique, changes in players' anthropometrics, and experimental conditions that better respect ecological validity. The magnitude of the measured forces is in the range of values that studies on cadaveric specimens have indicated as potentially hazardous for (chronic) spine injuries. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Tokamak plasma high field side response to an n = 3 magnetic perturbation: a comparison of 3D equilibrium solutions from seven different codes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reiman, A.; Ferraro, N. M.; Turnbull, A.; Park, J. K.; Cerfon, A.; Evans, T. E.; Lanctot, M. J.; Lazarus, E. A.; Liu, Y.; McFadden, G.; Monticello, D.; Suzuki, Y.

2015-06-01

In comparing equilibrium solutions for a DIII-D shot that is amenable to analysis by both stellarator and tokamak three-dimensional (3D) equilibrium codes, a significant disagreement has been seen between solutions of the VMEC stellarator equilibrium code and solutions of tokamak perturbative 3D equilibrium codes. The source of that disagreement has been investigated, and that investigation has led to new insights into the domain of validity of the different equilibrium calculations, and to a finding that the manner in which localized screening currents at low order rational surfaces are handled can affect global properties of the equilibrium solution. The perturbative treatment has been found to break down at surprisingly small perturbation amplitudes due to overlap of the calculated perturbed flux surfaces, and that treatment is not valid in the pedestal region of the DIII-D shot studied. The perturbative treatment is valid, however, further into the interior of the plasma, and flux surface overlap does not account for the disagreement investigated here. Calculated equilibrium solutions for simple model cases and comparison of the 3D equilibrium solutions with those of other codes indicate that the disagreement arises from a difference in handling of localized currents at low order rational surfaces, with such currents being absent in VMEC and present in the perturbative codes. The significant differences in the global equilibrium solutions associated with the presence or absence of very localized screening currents at rational surfaces suggests that it may be possible to extract information about localized currents from appropriate measurements of global equilibrium plasma properties. That would require improved diagnostic capability on the high field side of the tokamak plasma, a region difficult to access with diagnostics.

3D Multispecies Nonlinear Perturbative Particle Simulation of Intense Nonneutral Particle Beams (Research supported by the Department of Energy and the Short Pulse Spallation Source Project and LANSCE Division of LANL.)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Hong; Davidson, Ronald C.; Lee, W. Wei-Li

1999-11-01

The Beam Equilibrium Stability and Transport (BEST) code, a 3D multispecies nonlinear perturbative particle simulation code, has been developed to study collective effects in intense charged particle beams described self-consistently by the Vlasov-Maxwell equations. A Darwin model is adopted for transverse electromagnetic effects. As a 3D multispecies perturbative particle simulation code, it provides several unique capabilities. Since the simulation particles are used to simulate only the perturbed distribution function and self-fields, the simulation noise is reduced significantly. The perturbative approach also enables the code to investigate different physics effects separately, as well as simultaneously. The code can be easily switched between linear and nonlinear operation, and used to study both linear stability properties and nonlinear beam dynamics. These features, combined with 3D and multispecies capabilities, provides an effective tool to investigate the electron-ion two-stream instability, periodically focused solutions in alternating focusing fields, and many other important problems in nonlinear beam dynamics and accelerator physics. Applications to the two-stream instability are presented.

New insights from a statistical analysis of IUE spectra of dwarf novae and nova-like stars. I - Inclination effects in lines and continua

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

La Dous, Constanze

1991-01-01

IUE observations of dwarf novae at maximum at quiescence and novalike objects at the high brightness state are analyzed for effects of the inclination angle on the emitted continuum and line radiation. A clear pattern in the continuum flux distribution is exhibited only by dwarf novae at maximum where some 80 percent of the non-double-eclipsing systems show essentially identical distributions. This result is not in disagreement with theoretical expectations. All classes of objects exhibit a clear, but in each case different, dependence of the line radiation on the inclination angle.

Construction of a test bench for closed die forging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batit, G.; Kaczmarek, B.; Ravassard, P.

1984-03-01

A swan neck press was equipped with hydraulic jacks to enable it to press and forge complex shapes in closed dies in one operation without wasting metal. Maximum closing stress is 250 kN, maximum pressing stress is 250 kN, maximum forging stress is 70 kN.

A Public Set of Synthetic Spectra from Expanding Atmospheres for X-Ray Novae. I. Solar Abundances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Rossum, Daniel R.

2012-09-01

X-ray grating observations have revealed great detail in the spectra of novae in the Super Soft Source (SSS) phase. Notable features in the SSS spectra are blueshifted absorption lines, P-Cygni line profiles, and the absence of strong ionization edges, all of which are indicators of an expanding atmosphere. We present, and make publicly available, a set of 672 wind-type (WT) synthetic spectra, obtained from the expanding NLTE SSS models introduced in Van Rossum & Ness with the PHOENIX stellar atmosphere code. The set presented in this paper is limited to solar abundances with the aim to focus on the basic model parameters and their effect on the spectra, providing the basis upon which abundance effects can be studied using a much bigger non-solar set in the next paper in this series. We fit the WT spectra to the five grating spectra taken in the SSS phase of nova V4743 Sgr 2003 as an example application of the WT models. Within the limits of solar abundances we demonstrate that the following parameters are constrained by the data (in order of decreasing accuracy): column density N H, bolometric luminosity L bol, effective temperature T eff, white dwarf radius R, wind asymptotic velocity v ∞, and the mass-loss rate \\dot{M}. The models are also sensitive to the assumed white dwarf mass M WD but the effect on the spectra can largely be compensated by the other model parameters. The WT spectra with solar abundances fit the data better than abundance optimized hydrostatic models.

Allelic expression mapping across cellular lineages to establish impact of non-coding SNPs

PubMed Central

Adoue, Veronique; Schiavi, Alicia; Light, Nicholas; Almlöf, Jonas Carlsson; Lundmark, Per; Ge, Bing; Kwan, Tony; Caron, Maxime; Rönnblom, Lars; Wang, Chuan; Chen, Shu-Huang; Goodall, Alison H; Cambien, Francois; Deloukas, Panos; Ouwehand, Willem H; Syvänen, Ann-Christine; Pastinen, Tomi

2014-01-01

Most complex disease-associated genetic variants are located in non-coding regions and are therefore thought to be regulatory in nature. Association mapping of differential allelic expression (AE) is a powerful method to identify SNPs with direct cis-regulatory impact (cis-rSNPs). We used AE mapping to identify cis-rSNPs regulating gene expression in 55 and 63 HapMap lymphoblastoid cell lines from a Caucasian and an African population, respectively, 70 fibroblast cell lines, and 188 purified monocyte samples and found 40–60% of these cis-rSNPs to be shared across cell types. We uncover a new class of cis-rSNPs, which disrupt footprint-derived de novo motifs that are predominantly bound by repressive factors and are implicated in disease susceptibility through overlaps with GWAS SNPs. Finally, we provide the proof-of-principle for a new approach for genome-wide functional validation of transcription factor–SNP interactions. By perturbing NFκB action in lymphoblasts, we identified 489 cis-regulated transcripts with altered AE after NFκB perturbation. Altogether, we perform a comprehensive analysis of cis-variation in four cell populations and provide new tools for the identification of functional variants associated to complex diseases. PMID:25326100

lpNet: a linear programming approach to reconstruct signal transduction networks.

PubMed

Matos, Marta R A; Knapp, Bettina; Kaderali, Lars

2015-10-01

With the widespread availability of high-throughput experimental technologies it has become possible to study hundreds to thousands of cellular factors simultaneously, such as coding- or non-coding mRNA or protein concentrations. Still, extracting information about the underlying regulatory or signaling interactions from these data remains a difficult challenge. We present a flexible approach towards network inference based on linear programming. Our method reconstructs the interactions of factors from a combination of perturbation/non-perturbation and steady-state/time-series data. We show both on simulated and real data that our methods are able to reconstruct the underlying networks fast and efficiently, thus shedding new light on biological processes and, in particular, into disease's mechanisms of action. We have implemented the approach as an R package available through bioconductor. This R package is freely available under the Gnu Public License (GPL-3) from bioconductor.org (http://bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/lpNet.html) and is compatible with most operating systems (Windows, Linux, Mac OS) and hardware architectures. bettina.knapp@helmholtz-muenchen.de Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Photoionisation modelling of Nova LMC 1990 #1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dopita, M. A.; Meatheringham, S. J.; Sutherland, R.; Williams, R. E.; Starrfield, S.; Sonneborn, G.; Shore, S.

1992-01-01

Nova LMC 1990A was a very fast Ne-O-Mg nova, for which a particularly dense coverage of spectral observation in both the UV and optical was obtained. The data for the nebular phase were subjected to an analysis by the photoionization modeling code MAPPINGS 2. The following parameters were obtained: L(sub max) = 8 x 10(exp 4) solar luminosity, T(sub eff) = 2 x 10(exp 5) K and the mass of ejecta = 5/5 x 10(exp -5) solar mass. The abundnace ratios in the ejecta were similar to those obtained by Williams et al. (1985) in the case of V693 CrA 1981. The N/O ratio and the overabundance of Al is consistent with ourburst on a ONeMg white dwarf of mass approximately equal to 1.2 solar mass, but the super-Eddington luminosity, and amount of mass ejected presents some problems to theory.

Electron density increases due to Lightning activity as deduced from LWPC code and VLF signal perturbations.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samir, Nait Amor; Bouderba, Yasmina

VLF signal perturbations in association with thunderstorm activity appear as changes in the signal amplitude and phase. Several papers reported on the characteristics of thus perturbations and their connection to the lightning strokes amplitude and polarity. In this contribution, we quantified the electrons density increases due to lightning activity by the use of the LWPC code and VLF signal perturbations parameters. The method is similar to what people did in studying the solar eruptions effect. the results showed that the reference height (h') decreased to lower altitudes (between 70 and 80 km). From the LWPC code results the maximum of the electron density was then deduced. Therefore, a numerical simulation of the atmospheric species times dependences was performed to study the recovery times of the electrons density at different heights. The results showed that the recovery time last for several minutes and explain the observation of long recovery Early signal perturbations.

From causal dynamical triangulations to astronomical observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mielczarek, Jakub

2017-09-01

This letter discusses phenomenological aspects of dimensional reduction predicted by the Causal Dynamical Triangulations (CDT) approach to quantum gravity. The deformed form of the dispersion relation for the fields defined on the CDT space-time is reconstructed. Using the Fermi satellite observations of the GRB 090510 source we find that the energy scale of the dimensional reduction is E* > 0.7 \\sqrt{4-d\\text{UV}} \\cdot 1010 \\text{GeV} at (95% CL), where d\\text{UV} is the value of the spectral dimension in the UV limit. By applying the deformed dispersion relation to the cosmological perturbations it is shown that, for a scenario when the primordial perturbations are formed in the UV region, the scalar power spectrum PS \\propto kn_S-1 , where n_S-1≈ \\frac{3 r (d\\text{UV}-2)}{(d\\text{UV}-1)r-48} . Here, r is the tensor-to-scalar ratio. We find that within the considered model, the predicted from CDT deviation from the scale invariance (n_S=1) is in contradiction with the up to date Planck and BICEP2.

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

Fu, Guoyong; Budny, Robert; Gorelenkov, Nikolai

We report here the work done for the FY14 OFES Theory Performance Target as given below: "Understanding alpha particle confinement in ITER, the world's first burning plasma experiment, is a key priority for the fusion program. In FY 2014, determine linear instability trends and thresholds of energetic particle-driven shear Alfven eigenmodes in ITER for a range of parameters and profiles using a set of complementary simulation models (gyrokinetic, hybrid, and gyrofluid). Carry out initial nonlinear simulations to assess the effects of the unstable modes on energetic particle transport". In the past year (FY14), a systematic study of the alpha-driven Alfvenmore » modes in ITER has been carried out jointly by researchers from six institutions involving seven codes including the transport simulation code TRANSP (R. Budny and F. Poli, PPPL), three gyrokinetic codes: GEM (Y. Chen, Univ. of Colorado), GTC (J. McClenaghan, Z. Lin, UCI), and GYRO (E. Bass, R. Waltz, UCSD/GA), the hybrid code M3D-K (G.Y. Fu, PPPL), the gyro-fluid code TAEFL (D. Spong, ORNL), and the linear kinetic stability code NOVA-K (N. Gorelenkov, PPPL). A range of ITER parameters and profiles are specified by TRANSP simulation of a hybrid scenario case and a steady-state scenario case. Based on the specified ITER equilibria linear stability calculations are done to determine the stability boundary of alpha-driven high-n TAEs using the five initial value codes (GEM, GTC, GYRO, M3D-K, and TAEFL) and the kinetic stability code (NOVA-K). Both the effects of alpha particles and beam ions have been considered. Finally, the effects of the unstable modes on energetic particle transport have been explored using GEM and M3D-K.« less

Numerical optimization of perturbative coils for tokamaks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazerson, Samuel; Park, Jong-Kyu; Logan, Nikolas; Boozer, Allen; NSTX-U Research Team

2014-10-01

Numerical optimization of coils which apply three dimensional (3D) perturbative fields to tokamaks is presented. The application of perturbative 3D magnetic fields in tokamaks is now commonplace for control of error fields, resistive wall modes, resonant field drive, and neoclassical toroidal viscosity (NTV) torques. The design of such systems has focused on control of toroidal mode number, with coil shapes based on simple window-pane designs. In this work, a numerical optimization suite based on the STELLOPT 3D equilibrium optimization code is presented. The new code, IPECOPT, replaces the VMEC equilibrium code with the IPEC perturbed equilibrium code, and targets NTV torque by coupling to the PENT code. Fixed boundary optimizations of the 3D fields for the NSTX-U experiment are underway. Initial results suggest NTV torques can be driven by normal field spectrums which are not pitch-resonant with the magnetic field lines. Work has focused on driving core torque with n = 1 and edge torques with n = 3 fields. Optimizations of the coil currents for the planned NSTX-U NCC coils highlight the code's free boundary capability. This manuscript has been authored by Princeton University under Contract Number DE-AC02-09CH11466 with the U.S. Department of Energy.

Kinetin increases chromium absorption, modulates its distribution, and changes the activity of catalase and ascorbate peroxidase in Mexican Palo Verde

PubMed Central

Zhao, Yong; Peralta-Videa, Jose R.; Lopez-Moreno, Martha L.; Ren, Minghua; Saupe, Geoffrey; Gardea-Torresdey, Jorge L

2015-01-01

This report shows, for the first time, the effectiveness of the phytohormone kinetin (KN) in increasing Cr translocation from roots to stems in Mexican Palo Verde. Fifteen-day-old seedlings, germinated in soil spiked with Cr(III) and (VI) at 60 and 10 mg kg−1, respectively, were watered every other day for 30 days with a KN solution at 250 μM. Samples were analyzed for catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APOX) activities, Cr concentration, and Cr distribution in tissues. Results showed that KN reduced CAT but increased APOX in the roots of Cr(VI)-treated plants. In the leaves, KN reduced both CAT and APOX in Cr(III) but not in Cr(VI)-treated plants. However, KN increased total Cr concentration in roots, stems, and leaves by 45%, 103%, and 72%, respectively, compared to Cr(III) alone. For Cr(VI), KN increased Cr concentrations in roots, stems, and leaves, respectively, by 53%, 129%, and 168%, compared to Cr(VI) alone. The electron probe microanalyzer results showed that Cr was mainly located at the cortex section in the root, and Cr distribution was essentially homogenous in stems. However, proven through X-ray images, Cr(VI)-treated roots and stems had more Cr accumulation than Cr(III) counterparts. KN increased the Cr translocation from roots to stems. PMID:21174467

Exploration of magnetic perturbation effects on advanced divertor configurations in NSTX-U

DOE PAGES

Frerichs, H.; Schmitz, O.; Waters, I.; ...

2016-06-01

The control of divertor heat loads - both steady state and transient - remains a key challenge for the successful operation of ITER and FNSF. Magnetic perturbations provide a promising technique to control ELMs (transients), but understanding their detailed impact is difficult due to their symmetry breaking nature. One approach for reducing steady state heat loads are so called 'advanced divertors' which aim at optimizing the magnetic field configuration: the snowflake and the (super-)X-divertor. It is likely that both concepts - magnetic perturbations and advanced divertors - will have to work together, and we explore their inter- action based onmore » the NSTX-U setup. An overview of different divertor con gurations under the impact of magnetic perturbations is presented, and the resulting impact on plasma edge transport is investigated with the EMC3-EIRENE code. Variations in size of the magnetic footprint of the perturbed separatrix are found, which is related to the level of flux expansion on the divertor target. Non-axisymmetric peaking of the heat flux related to the perturbed separatrix is found at the outer strike point, but only in locations where flux expansion is not too large.« less

Continuous fever-range heat stress induces thermotolerance in odontoblast-lineage cells.

PubMed

Morotomi, Takahiko; Kitamura, Chiaki; Okinaga, Toshinori; Nishihara, Tatsuji; Sakagami, Ryuji; Anan, Hisashi

2014-07-01

Heat shock during restorative procedures can trigger damage to the pulpodentin complex. While severe heat shock has toxic effects, fever-range heat stress exerts beneficial effects on several cells and tissues. In this study, we examined whether continuous fever-range heat stress (CFHS) has beneficial effects on thermotolerance in the rat clonal dental pulp cell line with odontoblastic properties, KN-3. KN-3 cells were cultured at 41°C for various periods, and the expression level of several proteins was assessed by Western blot analysis. After pre-heat-treatment at 41°C for various periods, KN-3 cells were exposed to lethal severe heat shock (LSHS) at 49°C for 10min, and cell viability was examined using the MTS assay. Additionally, the expression level of odontoblast differentiation makers in surviving cells was examined by Western blot analysis. CFHS increased the expression levels of several heat shock proteins (HSPs) in KN-3 cells, and induced transient cell cycle arrest. KN-3 cells, not pre-heated or exposed to CFHS for 1 or 3h, died after exposure to LSHS. In contrast, KN-3 cells exposed to CFHS for 12h were transiently lower on day 1, but increased on day 3 after LSHS. The surviving cells expressed odontoblast differentiation markers, dentine sialoprotein and dentine matrix protein-1. These results suggest that CFHS for 12h improves tolerance to LSHS by inducing HSPs expression and cell cycle arrest in KN-3 cells. The appropriate pretreatment with continuous fever-range heat stress can provide protection against lethal heat shock in KN-3 cells. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fluoride release and recharge behavior of a nano-filled resin-modified glass ionomer compared with that of other fluoride releasing materials.

PubMed

Mitra, Sumita B; Oxman, Joe D; Falsafi, Afshin; Ton, Tiffany T

2011-12-01

To compare the long-term fluoride release kinetics of a novel nano-filled two-paste resin-modified glass-ionomer (RMGI), Ketac Nano (KN) with that of two powder-liquid resin-modified glass-ionomers, Fuji II LC (FLC) and Vitremer (VT) and one conventional glass-ionomer, Fuji IX (FIX). Fluoride release was measured in vitro using ion-selective electrodes. Kinetic analysis was done using regression analysis and compared with existing models for GIs and compomers. In a separate experiment the samples of KN and two conventional glass-ionomers, FIX and Ketac Molar (KM) were subjected to a treatment with external fluoride source (Oral-B Neutra-Foam) after 3 months of fluoride release and the recharge behavior studied for an additional 7-day period. The cumulative amount of fluoride released from KN, VT and FLC and the release profiles were statistically similar but greater than that for FIX at P < 0.05. All four materials, including KN, showed a burst of fluoride ions at shorter times (t) and an overall rate dependence on t1/2 typical for glass-ionomers. The coating of KN with its primer and of DY with its adhesive did not significantly alter the fluoride release behavior of the respective materials. The overall rate for KN was significantly higher than for the compomer DY. DY showed a linear rate of release vs. t and no burst effect as expected for compomers. The nanoionomer KN showed fluoride recharge behavior similar to the conventional glass ionomers FIX and KM. Thus, it was concluded that the new RMGI KN exhibits fluoride ion release behavior similar to typical conventional and RMGIs and that the primer does not impede the release of fluoride.

Development of a turbomachinery design optimization procedure using a multiple-parameter nonlinear perturbation method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stahara, S. S.

1984-01-01

An investigation was carried out to complete the preliminary development of a combined perturbation/optimization procedure and associated computational code for designing optimized blade-to-blade profiles of turbomachinery blades. The overall purpose of the procedures developed is to provide demonstration of a rapid nonlinear perturbation method for minimizing the computational requirements associated with parametric design studies of turbomachinery flows. The method combines the multiple parameter nonlinear perturbation method, successfully developed in previous phases of this study, with the NASA TSONIC blade-to-blade turbomachinery flow solver, and the COPES-CONMIN optimization procedure into a user's code for designing optimized blade-to-blade surface profiles of turbomachinery blades. Results of several design applications and a documented version of the code together with a user's manual are provided.

A pilot trial comparing the tear-out behavior in screw-sockets and cemented polyethylene acetabular components - a cadaveric study.

PubMed

Möbius, R; Schleifenbaum, S; Grunert, R; Löffler, S; Werner, M; Prietzel, T; Hammer, N

2016-10-01

The removal of well-fixed acetabular components following THA (total hip arthroplasty) is a difficult operation and could be accompanied by the loss of acetabular bone stock. The optimal method for fixation is still under debate. The aim of this pilot study was to compare the tear-out resistance and failure behavior between osseo-integrated and non-integrated screw cups. Furthermore, we examined whether there are differences in the properties mentioned between screw sockets and cemented polyethylene cups. Tear-out resistance and related mechanical work required for the tear-out of osseo-integrated screw sockets are higher than in non-integrated screw sockets. Ten human coxal bones from six cadavers with osseo-integrated screw sockets (n=4), non-integrated (implanted post-mortem, n=3) screw sockets and cemented polyethylene cups (n=3) were used for tear-out testing. The parameters axial failure load and mechanical work for tear-out were introduced as measures for determining the stability of acetabular components following THA. The osseo-integrated screw sockets yielded slightly higher tear-out resistance (1.61±0.26kN) and related mechanical work compared to the non-integrated screw sockets (1.23±0.39kN, P=0.4). The cemented polyethylene cups yielded the lowest tear-out resistance with a failure load of 1.18±0.24kN. Compared to the screw cups implanted while alive, they also differ on a non-significant level (P=0.1). Osseous failure patterns differed especially for the screw sockets compared to the cemented polyethylene cups. Osseo-integration did not greatly influence the tear-out stability in cementless screw sockets following axial loading. Furthermore, the strength of the bone-implant-interface of cementless screw sockets appears to be similar to cemented polyethylene cups. However, given the high failure load, high mechanical load and because of the related bone failure patterns, removal should not be performed by means of tear-out but rather by osteotomes or other curved cutting devices to preserve the acetabular bone stock. Level III, case-control-study. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

The non-autonomous YdKN equation and generalized symmetries of Boll equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gubbiotti, G.; Scimiterna, C.; Levi, D.

2017-05-01

In this paper, we study the integrability of a class of nonlinear non-autonomous quad graph equations compatible around the cube introduced by Boll in the framework of the generalized Adler, Bobenko, and Suris (ABS) classification. We show that all these equations possess three-point generalized symmetries which are subcases of either the Yamilov discretization of the Krichever-Novikov equation or of its non-autonomous extension. We also prove that all those symmetries are integrable as they pass the algebraic entropy test.

Integration of the Super Nova early warning system with the NOvA Trigger

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

Habig, Alec; Zirnstein, Jan

The NOvA experiment, with a baseline of 810km, samples Fermilab’s upgraded NuMI beam with a Near Detector on-site and a Far Detector (FD) at Ash River, MN, to observe oscillations of muon neutrinos. The 344,064 liquid scintillator-filled cells of the 14 kton FD provide high granularity of a large detector mass and enable us to also study non-accelerator based neutrinos with our Data Driven Trigger framework. This paper will focus on the real time integration of the SNEWS with the NOvA Trigger where we have set up an XML-RPC based messaging system to inject the SNEWS signal directly into ourmore » trigger. In conclusion, this presents a departure from the E-Mail based notification mechanism used by SNEWS in the past and allows NOvA more control over propagation and transmission timing.« less

Integration of the Super Nova early warning system with the NOvA Trigger

DOE PAGES

Habig, Alec; Zirnstein, Jan

2015-12-23

The NOvA experiment, with a baseline of 810km, samples Fermilab’s upgraded NuMI beam with a Near Detector on-site and a Far Detector (FD) at Ash River, MN, to observe oscillations of muon neutrinos. The 344,064 liquid scintillator-filled cells of the 14 kton FD provide high granularity of a large detector mass and enable us to also study non-accelerator based neutrinos with our Data Driven Trigger framework. This paper will focus on the real time integration of the SNEWS with the NOvA Trigger where we have set up an XML-RPC based messaging system to inject the SNEWS signal directly into ourmore » trigger. In conclusion, this presents a departure from the E-Mail based notification mechanism used by SNEWS in the past and allows NOvA more control over propagation and transmission timing.« less

Linear ideal MHD predictions for n = 2 non-axisymmetric magnetic perturbations on DIII-D

DOE PAGES

Haskey, Shaun R.; Lanctot, Matthew J.; Liu, Y. Q.; ...

2014-02-05

Here, an extensive examination of the plasma response to dominantly n = 2 non-axisymmetric magnetic perturbations (MPs) on the DIII-D tokamak shows the potential to control 3D field interactions by varying the poloidal spectrum of the radial magnetic field. The plasma response is calculated as a function of the applied magnetic field structure and plasma parameters, using the linear magnetohydrodynamic code MARS-F. The ideal, single fluid plasma response is decomposed into two main components: a local pitch-resonant response occurring at rational magnetic flux surfaces, and a global kink response. The efficiency with which the field couples to the total plasmamore » response is determined by the safety factor and the structure of the applied field. In many cases, control of the applied field has a more significant effect than control of plasma parameters, which is of particular interest since it can be modified at will throughout a shot to achieve a desired effect. The presence of toroidal harmonics, other than the dominant n = 2 component, is examined revealing a significant n = 4 component in the perturbations applied by the DIII-D MP coils; however, modeling shows the plasma responses to n = 4 perturbations are substantially smaller than the dominant n = 2 responses in most situations.« less

The Ultimate Pile Bearing Capacity from Conventional and Spectral Analysis of Surface Wave (SASW) Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faizah Bawadi, Nor; Anuar, Shamilah; Rahim, Mustaqqim A.; Mansor, A. Faizal

2018-03-01

A conventional and seismic method for determining the ultimate pile bearing capacity was proposed and compared. The Spectral Analysis of Surface Wave (SASW) method is one of the non-destructive seismic techniques that do not require drilling and sampling of soils, was used in the determination of shear wave velocity (Vs) and damping (D) profile of soil. The soil strength was found to be directly proportional to the Vs and its value has been successfully applied to obtain shallow bearing capacity empirically. A method is proposed in this study to determine the pile bearing capacity using Vs and D measurements for the design of pile and also as an alternative method to verify the bearing capacity from the other conventional methods of evaluation. The objectives of this study are to determine Vs and D profile through frequency response data from SASW measurements and to compare pile bearing capacities obtained from the method carried out and conventional methods. All SASW test arrays were conducted near the borehole and location of conventional pile load tests. In obtaining skin and end bearing pile resistance, the Hardin and Drnevich equation has been used with reference strains obtained from the method proposed by Abbiss. Back analysis results of pile bearing capacities from SASW were found to be 18981 kN and 4947 kN compared to 18014 kN and 4633 kN of IPLT with differences of 5% and 6% for Damansara and Kuala Lumpur test sites, respectively. The results of this study indicate that the seismic method proposed in this study has the potential to be used in estimating the pile bearing capacity.

The Use of the BAT Instrument on SWIFT for the Detection of Prompt Gamma-Ray Emission from Novae

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skinner, Gerry; Senziani, Fabio; Jean, Pierre; Hernanz, Margarita

2007-01-01

Gamma-rays are expected to be emitted during and immediately following a nova explosion due to the annihilation of positrons emitted by freshly produced short-lived radioactive isotopes. The expected gammaray emission is relatively short-lived and as nova explosions are unpredictable, the best chance of detecting the gamma-rays is with n wide field instrument. At the time when the flux is expected to rcach its peak, most of the gamma-ray production is at depths such that the photons suffer several Compton scatterings before escaping, degrading their energy down to the hard X-ray band (10s of keV). SWIFT/BAT is a very wide field coded mask instrument working in the energy band 14-190 keV and so is very well suited to the search for such gamma-rays. A retrospective search is being made in the BAT data for evidence for gamma-ray emission from the direction of novae at around the time of their explosion. So far the only positive detection is of RS Ophiuchi and in this case the emission is probably due to shock heating.

The direct simulation of acoustics on Earth, Mars, and Titan.

PubMed

Hanford, Amanda D; Long, Lyle N

2009-02-01

With the recent success of the Huygens lander on Titan, a moon of Saturn, there has been renewed interest in further exploring the acoustic environments of the other planets in the solar system. The direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is used here for modeling sound propagation in the atmospheres of Earth, Mars, and Titan at a variety of altitudes above the surface. DSMC is a particle method that describes gas dynamics through direct physical modeling of particle motions and collisions. The validity of DSMC for the entire range of Knudsen numbers (Kn), where Kn is defined as the mean free path divided by the wavelength, allows for the exploration of sound propagation in planetary environments for all values of Kn. DSMC results at a variety of altitudes on Earth, Mars, and Titan including the details of nonlinearity, absorption, dispersion, and molecular relaxation in gas mixtures are given for a wide range of Kn showing agreement with various continuum theories at low Kn and deviation from continuum theory at high Kn. Despite large computation time and memory requirements, DSMC is the method best suited to study high altitude effects or where continuum theory is not valid.

Characterization of a calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase homolog from maize roots showing light-regulated gravitropism

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lu, Y. T.; Hidaka, H.; Feldman, L. J.

1996-01-01

Roots of many species respond to gravity (gravitropism) and grow downward only if illuminated. This light-regulated root gravitropism is phytochrome-dependent, mediated by calcium, and inhibited by KN-93, a specific inhibitor of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMK II). A cDNA encoding MCK1, a maize homolog of mammalian CaMK, has been isolated from roots of maize (Zea mays L.). The MCK1 gene is expressed in root tips, the site of perception for both light and gravity. Using the [35S]CaM gel-overlay assay we showed that calmodulin-binding activity of the MCK1 is abolished by 50 microM KN-93, but binding is not affected by 5 microM KN-93, paralleling physiological findings that light-regulated root gravitropism is inhibited by 50 microM KN-93, but not by 5 microM KN-93. KN-93 inhibits light-regulated gravitropism by interrupting transduction of the light signal, not light perception, suggesting that MCK1 may play a role in transducing light. This is the first report suggesting a physiological function for a CaMK homolog in light signal transduction.

Testing Pullout Strength of Pedicle Screw Using Synthetic Bone Models: Is a Bilayer Foam Model a Better Representation of Vertebra?

PubMed

Varghese, Vicky; Krishnan, Venkatesh; Saravana Kumar, Gurunathan

2018-06-01

A biomechanical study. A new biomechanical model of the vertebra has been developed that accounts for the inhomogeneity of bone and the contribution of the pedicle toward the holding strength of a pedicle screw. Pullout strength studies are typically carried out on rigid polyurethane foams that represent the homogeneous vertebral framework of the spine. However, the contribution of the pedicle region, which contributes to the inhomogeneity in this framework, has not been considered in previous investigations. Therefore, we propose a new biomechanical model that can account for the vertebral inhomogeneity, especially the contribution of the pedicles toward the pullout strength of the pedicle screw. A bilayer foam model was developed by joining two foams representing the pedicle and the vertebra. The results of the pullout strength tests performed on the foam models were compared with those from the tests performed on the cadaver lumbar vertebra. Significant differences ( p <0.05) were observed between the pullout strength of the pedicle screw in extremely osteoporotic (0.18±0.11 kN), osteoporotic (0.37±0.14 kN), and normal (0.97±0.4 kN) cadaver vertebra. In the monolayer model, significant differences ( p <0.05) were observed in pullout strength between extremely osteoporotic (0.3±0.02 kN), osteoporotic (0.65±0.12 kN), and normal (0.99±0.04 kN) bone model. However, the bilayer foam model exhibited no significant differences ( p >0.05) in the pullout strength of pedicle screws between osteoporotic (0.85±0.08 kN) and extremely osteoporotic bone models (0.94±0.08 kN), but there was a significant difference ( p <0.05) between osteoporotic (0.94±0.08 kN) and normal bone models (1.19±0.05 kN). There were no significant differences ( p >0.05) in pullout strength between cadaver and bilayer foam model in normal bones. The new synthetic bone model that reflects the contribution of the pedicles to the pullout strength of the pedicle screws could provide a more efficacious means of testing pedicle-screw pullout strength. The bilayer model can match the pullout strength value of normal lumbar vertebra bone whereas the monolayer foam model was able to match that of the extremely osteoporotic lumbar vertebra.

GTC Turbulence Simulations near H-mode Pedestal with Resonant Magnetic Perturbations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Lei; Ferraro, Nathaniel; Taimourzadeh, Sam; Fu, Jingyuan; Lin, Zhihong; Nazikian, Raffi

2017-10-01

Full plasma responses to Resonant Magnetic Perturbations (RMPs) as provided by the resistive MHD code M3D-C1 are implemented into Gyrokinetic Toroidal Code (GTC) to study the effect of magnetic islands and stochastic field regions on microturbulence in realistic DIII-D geometry. Electrostatic turbulence simulations with adiabatic electrons show no significant increase of the saturated ion heat conductivity in the presence of RMP-induced islands. However, electron response to zonal flow in the presence of magnetic islands and stochastic fields can drastically increase zonal flow dielectric constant for long wavelength fluctuations. Zonal flow generation can then be reduced and the microturbulence can be enhanced greatly. Furthermore, because the RMP magnetic island size is comparable to the ion banana width, electron and ion responses to these islands may be fundamentally different, which could drive non-ambipolar particles fluxes leading to changes of the radial electric field shear. This work is supported by General Atomics subcontract.

Hydrodynamics, wall-slip, and normal-stress differences in rarefied granular Poiseuille flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Ronak; Alam, Meheboob

2017-02-01

Hydrodynamic fields, macroscopic boundary conditions, and non-Newtonian rheology of the acceleration-driven Poiseuille flow of a dilute granular gas are probed using "direct simulation Monte Carlo" method for a range of Knudsen numbers (Kn, the ratio between the mean free path and the macroscopic length), spanning the rarefied regime of slip and transitional flows. It is shown that the "dissipation-induced clustering" (for 1 -en>0 , where en is the restitution coefficient), leading to inhomogeneous density profiles along the transverse direction, competes with "rarefaction-induced declustering" (for Kn>0 ) phenomenon, leaving seemingly "anomalous" footprints on several hydrodynamic and rheological quantities; one example is the well-known rarefaction-induced temperature bimodality, which could also result from inelastic dissipation that dominates in the continuum limit (Kn→0 ) as found recently [Alam et al., J. Fluid Mech. 782, 99 (2015), 10.1017/jfm.2015.523]. The simulation data on the slip velocity and the temperature slip are contrasted with well-established boundary conditions for molecular gases. A modified Maxwell-Navier-type boundary condition is found to hold in granular Poiseuille flow, with the velocity slip length following a power-law relation with Knudsen number Knδ, with δ ≈0.95 , for Kn≤0.1 . Transverse profiles of both first [N1(y ) ] and second [N2(y ) ] normal stress differences seem to correlate well with respective density profiles at small Kn; their centerline values [N1(0 ) and N2(0 ) ] can be of "odd" sign with respect to their counterparts in molecular gases. The phase diagrams are constructed in the (Kn,1 -en ) plane that demarcates the regions of influence of inelasticity and rarefaction, which compete with each other resulting in the sign change of both N1(0 ) and N2(0 ) . The results on normal stress differences are rationalized via a comparison with a Burnett-order theory [Sela and Goldhirsch, J. Fluid Mech. 361, 41 (1998), 10.1017/S0022112098008660], which is able to predict their correct behavior at small values of the Knudsen number. Lastly, the Knudsen paradox and its dependence on inelasticity are analyzed and contrasted with related recent works.

Combination of Sharing Matrix and Image Encryption for Lossless $(k,n)$ -Secret Image Sharing.

PubMed

Bao, Long; Yi, Shuang; Zhou, Yicong

2017-12-01

This paper first introduces a (k,n) -sharing matrix S (k, n) and its generation algorithm. Mathematical analysis is provided to show its potential for secret image sharing. Combining sharing matrix with image encryption, we further propose a lossless (k,n) -secret image sharing scheme (SMIE-SIS). Only with no less than k shares, all the ciphertext information and security key can be reconstructed, which results in a lossless recovery of original information. This can be proved by the correctness and security analysis. Performance evaluation and security analysis demonstrate that the proposed SMIE-SIS with arbitrary settings of k and n has at least five advantages: 1) it is able to fully recover the original image without any distortion; 2) it has much lower pixel expansion than many existing methods; 3) its computation cost is much lower than the polynomial-based secret image sharing methods; 4) it is able to verify and detect a fake share; and 5) even using the same original image with the same initial settings of parameters, every execution of SMIE-SIS is able to generate completely different secret shares that are unpredictable and non-repetitive. This property offers SMIE-SIS a high level of security to withstand many different attacks.

Power spectrum for the small-scale Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widrow, Lawrence M.; Elahi, Pascal J.; Thacker, Robert J.; Richardson, Mark; Scannapieco, Evan

2009-08-01

The first objects to arise in a cold dark matter (CDM) universe present a daunting challenge for models of structure formation. In the ultra small-scale limit, CDM structures form nearly simultaneously across a wide range of scales. Hierarchical clustering no longer provides a guiding principle for theoretical analyses and the computation time required to carry out credible simulations becomes prohibitively high. To gain insight into this problem, we perform high-resolution (N = 7203-15843) simulations of an Einstein-de Sitter cosmology where the initial power spectrum is P(k) ~ kn, with -2.5 <= n <= - 1. Self-similar scaling is established for n = -1 and -2 more convincingly than in previous, lower resolution simulations and for the first time, self-similar scaling is established for an n = -2.25 simulation. However, finite box-size effects induce departures from self-similar scaling in our n = -2.5 simulation. We compare our results with the predictions for the power spectrum from (one-loop) perturbation theory and demonstrate that the renormalization group approach suggested by McDonald improves perturbation theory's ability to predict the power spectrum in the quasi-linear regime. In the non-linear regime, our power spectra differ significantly from the widely used fitting formulae of Peacock & Dodds and Smith et al. and a new fitting formula is presented. Implications of our results for the stable clustering hypothesis versus halo model debate are discussed. Our power spectra are inconsistent with predictions of the stable clustering hypothesis in the high-k limit and lend credence to the halo model. Nevertheless, the fitting formula advocated in this paper is purely empirical and not derived from a specific formulation of the halo model.

On the Development of a Deterministic Three-Dimensional Radiation Transport Code

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rockell, Candice; Tweed, John

2011-01-01

Since astronauts on future deep space missions will be exposed to dangerous radiations, there is a need to accurately model the transport of radiation through shielding materials and to estimate the received radiation dose. In response to this need a three dimensional deterministic code for space radiation transport is now under development. The new code GRNTRN is based on a Green's function solution of the Boltzmann transport equation that is constructed in the form of a Neumann series. Analytical approximations will be obtained for the first three terms of the Neumann series and the remainder will be estimated by a non-perturbative technique . This work discusses progress made to date and exhibits some computations based on the first two Neumann series terms.

Modelling the structure and kinematics of the Firework nebula: The nature of the GK Persei nova shell and its jet-like feature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harvey, E.; Redman, M. P.; Boumis, P.; Akras, S.

2016-10-01

Aims: The shaping mechanisms of old nova remnants are probes for several important and unexplained processes, such as dust formation and the structure of evolved star nebulae. To gain a more complete understanding of the dynamics of the GK Per (1901) remnant, an examination of symmetry of the nova shell is explored, followed by a kinematical analysis of the previously detected jet-like feature in the context of the surrounding fossil planetary nebula. Methods: Faint-object high-resolution echelle spectroscopic observations and imaging were undertaken covering the knots which comprise the nova shell and the surrounding nebulosity. New imaging from the Aristarchos telescope in Greece and long-slit spectra from the Manchester Echelle Spectrometer instrument at the San Pedro Mártir observatory in Mexico were obtained, supplemented with archival observations from several other optical telescopes. Position-velocity arrays are produced of the shell, and also individual knots, and are then used for morpho-kinematic modelling with the shape code. The overall structure of the old knotty nova shell of GK Per and the planetary nebula in which it is embedded is then analysed. Results: Evidence is found for the interaction of knots with each other and with a wind component, most likely the periodic fast wind emanating from the central binary system. We find that a cylindrical shell with a lower velocity polar structure gives the best model fit to the spectroscopy and imaging. We show in this work that the previously seen jet-like feature is of low velocity. Conclusions: The individual knots have irregular tail shapes; we propose here that they emanate from episodic winds from ongoing dwarf nova outbursts by the central system. The nova shell is cylindrical, not spherical, and the symmetry axis relates to the inclination of the central binary system. Furthermore, the cylinder axis is aligned with the long axis of the bipolar planetary nebula in which it is embedded. Thus, the central binary system is responsible for the bipolarity of the planetary nebula and the cylindrical nova shell. The gradual planetary nebula ejecta versus sudden nova ejecta is the reason for the different degrees of bipolarity. We propose that the "jet" feature is an illuminated lobe of the fossil planetary nebula that surrounds the nova shell.

Saving HEBBLE Data from Oblivion: From Faded Paper Copy to Digital Files

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishonov, A. V.; Richardson, M. J.; Gardner, W. D.

2017-12-01

The high-energy benthic boundary-layer experiment (HEBBLE) was designed to test the hypothesis that bed modifications can result from contemporary local erosion and deposition. We observed several 'benthic storms' that resuspended record-high concentrations of particulate matter - filtered samples up to 12,700 µg/l. High kinetic energy and near-bed flow were associated with these record-high concentrations of particulate matter at 4,9600 m off the Nova Scotian Rise in the north-west Atlantic, showing that large episodic events resuspend bottom sediments in deep ocean areas. As part of HEBBLE, CTD/Transmissometer data were collected in the late 1970's and early 1980's, including more than 40 stations on cruise KN74. Although many papers were published based on HEBBLE data, no electronic copies of the KN74 CTD/Transmissometer data were preserved. Because of the uniqueness of the record-high particulate matter concentrations, with ambient current velocities of >70 cm/sec near the seafloor, it was important to rescue these data. We had a paper printout of all of the digital CTD data. Attempts to scan and apply OCR to the data proved futile with standard copying/scanning machines. Texas A&M University Library Digital Service Center scanned our copies with a SupraScanQuartzA00-CamQuartzHD scanner and used ABBYY Fine Reader for OCR and PDF, more frequently used in the humanities for digital preservation and conservation. Their scans were markedly better, but still contained many errors because of poor quality originals. Two students were hired to QA/QC the hundreds of pages of data. While tedious, they successfully corrected the data, thus making it possible to make maps and sections shown here and submit data to publicly accessible archives for future generations to use. These data reside in the OAKTrust Digital Repository at Texas A&M University. After final QA/QC these data will be submitted to NCEI and will be merged with World Ocean Database (WOD).

77 FR 67055 - Application for a Presidential Permit To Operate and Maintain Pipeline Facilities (Line 39) on...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-08

... NOVA Corporation are owned by a wholly owned subsidiary of the International Petroleum Investment... series of internal transactions, Polysar's direct parent was merged into NOVA Inc. and Polysar changed... non-gaseous fuels to or from a foreign country. The Department of State is circulating this...

Modelling of the inner gas and dust coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko using ROSINA/COPS and OSIRIS data - First results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marschall, R.; Su, C. C.; Liao, Y.; Thomas, N.; Wu, J. S.; Altwegg, K.; Sierks, H.; Ip, W.-H.; Keller, H. U.; Knollenberg, J.; Kührt, E.; Lai, I. L.; Rubin, M.; Skorov, Y.; Jorda, L.; Preusker, F.; Scholten, F.; Gicquel, A.; Gracia-Berná, A.; Naletto, G.

2015-10-01

The physics of the outflow above the surface of comets is somewhat complex. Ice sublimating into vacuum forms a non-equilibrium boundary layer, the "Knudsen layer" (Kn-layer), with a scale height of #20 mean free paths. If the production rate is low, the Kn-layer becomes infinitely thick and the velocity distribution function (VDF) remains strongly non-Maxwellian. Thus our preferred method for gas dynamics simulations of the coma is Direct Simulation Monte Carlo DSMC. Here we report on the first results of models of the outflow from the Rosetta target, comet67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (C-G). Our aims are to (1) determine the gas flow-field of H2O and CO2 in the innermost coma and compare the results to the in-situ measurements of the ROSINA/COPS instrument (2) produce artificial images of the dust brightnesses that can be compared to the OSIRIS cameras. The comparison with ROSINA/COPS and OSIRIS data help to constrain the initial conditions of the simulations and thus yield information on the surface processes.

Network perturbation by recurrent regulatory variants in cancer

PubMed Central

Cho, Ara; Lee, Insuk; Choi, Jung Kyoon

2017-01-01

Cancer driving genes have been identified as recurrently affected by variants that alter protein-coding sequences. However, a majority of cancer variants arise in noncoding regions, and some of them are thought to play a critical role through transcriptional perturbation. Here we identified putative transcriptional driver genes based on combinatorial variant recurrence in cis-regulatory regions. The identified genes showed high connectivity in the cancer type-specific transcription regulatory network, with high outdegree and many downstream genes, highlighting their causative role during tumorigenesis. In the protein interactome, the identified transcriptional drivers were not as highly connected as coding driver genes but appeared to form a network module centered on the coding drivers. The coding and regulatory variants associated via these interactions between the coding and transcriptional drivers showed exclusive and complementary occurrence patterns across tumor samples. Transcriptional cancer drivers may act through an extensive perturbation of the regulatory network and by altering protein network modules through interactions with coding driver genes. PMID:28333928

Effects of fishing rope strength on the severity of large whale entanglements.

PubMed

Knowlton, Amy R; Robbins, Jooke; Landry, Scott; McKenna, Henry A; Kraus, Scott D; Werner, Timothy B

2016-04-01

Entanglement in fixed fishing gear affects whales worldwide. In the United States, deaths of North Atlantic right (Eubalaena glacialis) and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) have exceeded management limits for decades. We examined live and dead whales entangled in fishing gear along the U.S. East Coast and the Canadian Maritimes from 1994 to 2010. We recorded whale species, age, and injury severity and determined rope polymer type, breaking strength, and diameter of the fishing gear. For the 132 retrieved ropes from 70 cases, tested breaking strength range was 0.80-39.63 kN (kiloNewtons) and the mean was 11.64 kN (SD 8.29), which is 26% lower than strength at manufacture (range 2.89-53.38 kN, mean = 15.70 kN [9.89]). Median rope diameter was 9.5 mm. Right and humpback whales were found in ropes with significantly stronger breaking strengths at time of manufacture than minke whales (Balaenoptera acuturostrata) (19.30, 17.13, and 10.47 mean kN, respectively). Adult right whales were found in stronger ropes (mean 34.09 kN) than juvenile right whales (mean 15.33 kN) and than all humpback whale age classes (mean 17.37 kN). For right whales, severity of injuries increased since the mid 1980s, possibly due to changes in rope manufacturing in the mid 1990s that resulted in production of stronger ropes at the same diameter. Our results suggest that broad adoption of ropes with breaking strengths of ≤ 7.56 kN (≤ 1700 lbsf) could reduce the number of life-threatening entanglements for large whales by at least 72%, and yet could provide sufficient strength to withstand the routine forces involved in many fishing operations. A reduction of this magnitude would achieve nearly all the mitigation legally required for U.S. stocks of North Atlantic right and humpback whales. Ropes with reduced breaking strength should be developed and tested to determine the feasibility of their use in a variety of fisheries. © 2015 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.

CMCpy: Genetic Code-Message Coevolution Models in Python

PubMed Central

Becich, Peter J.; Stark, Brian P.; Bhat, Harish S.; Ardell, David H.

2013-01-01

Code-message coevolution (CMC) models represent coevolution of a genetic code and a population of protein-coding genes (“messages”). Formally, CMC models are sets of quasispecies coupled together for fitness through a shared genetic code. Although CMC models display plausible explanations for the origin of multiple genetic code traits by natural selection, useful modern implementations of CMC models are not currently available. To meet this need we present CMCpy, an object-oriented Python API and command-line executable front-end that can reproduce all published results of CMC models. CMCpy implements multiple solvers for leading eigenpairs of quasispecies models. We also present novel analytical results that extend and generalize applications of perturbation theory to quasispecies models and pioneer the application of a homotopy method for quasispecies with non-unique maximally fit genotypes. Our results therefore facilitate the computational and analytical study of a variety of evolutionary systems. CMCpy is free open-source software available from http://pypi.python.org/pypi/CMCpy/. PMID:23532367

Comparison of ICD code-based diagnosis of obesity with measured obesity in children and the implications for health care cost estimates.

PubMed

Kuhle, Stefan; Kirk, Sara F L; Ohinmaa, Arto; Veugelers, Paul J

2011-12-21

Administrative health databases are a valuable research tool to assess health care utilization at the population level. However, their use in obesity research limited due to the lack of data on body weight. A potential workaround is to use the ICD code of obesity to identify obese individuals. The objective of the current study was to investigate the sensitivity and specificity of an ICD code-based diagnosis of obesity from administrative health data relative to the gold standard measured BMI. Linkage of a population-based survey with anthropometric measures in elementary school children in 2003 with longitudinal administrative health data (physician visits and hospital discharges 1992-2006) from the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Measured obesity was defined based on the CDC cut-offs applied to the measured BMI. An ICD code-based diagnosis obesity was defined as one or more ICD-9 (278) or ICD-10 code (E66-E68) of obesity from a physician visit or a hospital stay. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated and health care cost estimates based on measured obesity and ICD-based obesity were compared. The sensitivity of an ICD code-based obesity diagnosis was 7.4% using ICD codes between 2002 and 2004. Those correctly identified had a higher BMI and had higher health care utilization and costs. An ICD diagnosis of obesity in Canadian administrative health data grossly underestimates the true prevalence of childhood obesity and overestimates the health care cost differential between obese and non-obese children.

Virgibacillus kapii sp. nov., isolated from Thai shrimp paste (Ka-pi).

PubMed

Daroonpunt, Rungsima; Tanasupawat, Somboon; Kudo, Takuji; Ohkuma, Moriya; Itoh, Takashi

2016-04-01

A Gram-reaction-positive and rod-shaped bacterium, designated KN3-8-4T, was isolated from shrimp paste collected from a market in Nakhon Sri Thammarat province, Thailand. Strain KN3-8-4T was a strictly aerobic, motile bacterium that produced ellipsoidal endospores at a terminal position. The isolate grew at pH 4.5-10 (optimum pH 7.5), at 11-42 °C (optimum 37 °C) and in the presence of 0-15% (w/v) NaCl (optimum 1-5%). On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequences, strain KN3-8-4T belonged to the genus Virgibacillus and showed highest similarity with Virgibacillus olivae JCM 30551T (97.85% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity). The diamino acid found in the cell-wall peptidoglycan was meso-diaminopimelic acid and the major isoprenoid quinone was MK-7. Strain KN3-8-4T contained anteiso-C15:0 and anteiso-C17:0 as major cellular fatty acids and had phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, two unknown phospholipids and one glycolipid as polar lipids. The DNA G+C content was 43.5 mol%. Strain KN3-8-4T showed low DNA-DNA relatedness (20.44%) with V. olivae JCM 30551T. On the basis of phenotypic and chemotaxonomic data and phylogenetic analyses, strain KN3-8-4T represents a novel species of the genus Virgibacillus for which the name Virgibacillus kapii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is KN3-8-4T (=JCM 30071T=LMG 28282T=TISTR 2279T=PCU 345T).

Ectopic expression of class 1 KNOX genes induce and adventitious shoot regeneration and alter growth and development of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L) and European plum (Prunus domestica L)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Transgenic plants of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L) and plum (Prunus domestica L) were produced by transforming with apple class 1 KNOX genes (MdKN1 and MdKN2) or corn KN1 gene. Transgenic tobacco plants were regenerated in vitro from transformed leaf discs cultured in a tissue medium lacking cytoki...

Neutrino Oscillations with the MINOS, MINOS+, T2K, and NOvA Experiments

DOE PAGES

Nakaya, Tsuyoshi; Plunkett, Robert K.

2016-01-18

Our paper discusses results and near-term prospects of the long-baseline neutrino experiments MINOS, MONOS+, T2K and NOvA. The non-zero value of the third neutrino mixing angle θ 13 allows experimental analysis in a manner which explicitly exhibits appearance and disappearance dependencies on additional parameters associated with mass-hierarchy, CP violation, and any non-maximal θ 23. Our current and near-future experiments begin the era of precision accelerator long-baseline measurements and lay the framework within which future experimental results will be interpreted.

Circ-UBR5: An exonic circular RNA and novel small nuclear RNA involved in RNA splicing.

PubMed

Qin, Meilin; Wei, Gang; Sun, Xiaomeng

2018-06-24

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are class of non-coding RNAs formed by back-splicing events as loops, and could be found in all types of organisms. They play important and diverse roles in cell development, growth, and tumorigenesis, but functions of the majority of circRNAs remain enigmatic. Particularly functional phenotypes of great majority of circRNAs are not obvious. Here we randomly selected a circRNA circ-UBR5, which has no obvious functional phenotype in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells from our previous research findings, to explore its potential function in cells. Differential expression of circ-UBR5 was detected in paired samples of tumorous tissues and adjacent nontumorous tissues from 59 patients with NSCLC by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reactions (qRT-PCRs). Results showed circ-UBR5 expression was significantly downregulated in NSCLC tissues (p < 0.001) and was correlated with tumor differentiation (p = 0.00126), suggesting circ-UBR5 might serve as an index of NSCLC differentiation. Our findings indicated circ-UBR5 could bind splicing regulatory factor QKI, KH domain containing RNA binding (QKI) and NOVA alternative splicing regulator 1 (NOVA1) and U1 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) in the nucleus, revealing circ-UBR5 might be a novel snRNA involved in RNA splicing regulatory process. Moreover, we first presented a highly efficient strategy for finding specific circRNA binding proteins using Human Protein Microarray (Huprot™ Protoarray). Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dynamics and elastic interactions of the discrete multi-dark soliton solutions for the Kaup-Newell lattice equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Nan; Wen, Xiao-Yong

2018-03-01

Under consideration in this paper is the Kaup-Newell (KN) lattice equation which is an integrable discretization of the KN equation. Infinitely, many conservation laws and discrete N-fold Darboux transformation (DT) for this system are constructed and established based on its Lax representation. Via the resulting N-fold DT, the discrete multi-dark soliton solutions in terms of determinants are derived from non-vanishing background. Propagation and elastic interaction structures of such solitons are shown graphically. Overtaking interaction phenomena between/among the two, three and four solitons are discussed. Numerical simulations are used to explore their dynamical behaviors of such multi-dark solitons. Numerical results show that their evolutions are stable against a small noise. Results in this paper might be helpful for understanding the propagation of nonlinear Alfvén waves in plasmas.

Numerical estimation of deformation energy of selected bulk oilseeds in compression loading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demirel, C.; Kabutey, A.; Herak, D.; Gurdil, G. A. K.

2017-09-01

This paper aimed at the determination of the deformation energy of some bulk oilseeds or kernels namely oil palm, sunflower, rape and flax in linear pressing applying the trapezoidal rule which is characterized by the area under the force and deformation curve.The bulk samples were measured at the initial pressing height of 60 mm with the vessel diameter of 60 mm where they were compressed under the universal compression machine at a maximum force of 200 kN and speed of 5 mm/min.Based on the compression test, the optimal deformation energy for recovering the oil was observed at a force of 163 kN where there was no seed/kernel cake ejection in comparison to the initial maximum force used particularly for rape and flax bulk oilseeds.This information is needed for analyzing the energy efficiency of the non-linear compression process involving a mechanical screw press or expeller.

Modulational instability and dynamics of implicit higher-order rogue wave solutions for the Kundu equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Xiao-Yong; Zhang, Guoqiang

2018-01-01

Under investigation in this paper is the Kundu equation, which may be used to describe the propagation process of ultrashort optical pulses in nonlinear optics. The modulational instability of the plane-wave for the possible reason of the formation of the rogue wave (RW) is studied for the system. Based on our proposed generalized perturbation (n,N - n)-fold Darboux transformation (DT), some new higher-order implicit RW solutions in terms of determinants are obtained by means of the generalized perturbation (1,N - 1)-fold DT, when choosing different special parameters, these results will reduce to the RW solutions of the Kaup-Newell (KN) equation, Chen-Lee-Liu (CLL) equation and Gerjikov-Ivanov (GI) equation, respectively. The relevant wave structures are shown graphically, which display abundant interesting wave structures. The dynamical behaviors and propagation stability of the first-order and second-order RW solutions are discussed by using numerical simulations, the higher-order nonlinear terms for the Kundu equation have an impact on the propagation instability of the RW. The method can also be extended to find the higher-order RW or rational solutions of other integrable nonlinear equations.

Revisiting Maxwell’s accommodation coefficient: A study of nitrogen flow in a silica microtube across all flow regimes

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

Lei, Wenwen, E-mail: wlei@physics.usyd.edu.au; McKenzie, David R., E-mail: d.mckenzie@physics.usyd.edu.au

2014-12-15

Gas flows have been studied quantitatively for more than a hundred years and have relevance in modern fields such as the control of gas inputs to processes, the measurement of leak rates and the separation of gaseous species. Cha and McCoy have derived a convenient formula for the flow of an ideal gas applicable across a wide range of Knudsen numbers (Kn) that approaches the Navier–Stokes equations at small Kn and the Smoluchowski extension of the Knudsen flow equation at large Kn. Smoluchowski’s result relies on the Maxwell definition of the tangential momentum accommodation coefficient α, recently challenged by Aryamore » et al. We measure the flow rate of nitrogen gas in a smooth walled silica tube across a wide range of Knudsen numbers from 0.0048 to 12.4583. We find that the nitrogen flow obeys the Cha and McCoy equation with a large value of α, unlike carbon nanotubes which show flows consistent with a small value of α. Silica capillaries are therefore not atomically smooth. The flow at small Kn has α=0.91 and at large Kn has α close to one, consistent with the redefinition of accommodation coefficient by Arya et al., which also resolves a problem in the literature where there are many observations of α of less than one at small Kn and many equal to one at large Kn. Silica capillaries are an excellent choice for an accurate flow control system. - Highlights: • First experimental study on flow rate across all flow regimes in a well-defined microtube. • Extend Cha and McCoy theory for molecular flow regime. • Demonstrate the Maxwell accommodation coefficient is different in the slip and molecular flow regimes.« less

Effects of laminar flow control on the performance of a large span-distributed-load flying-wing cargo airplane concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jernell, L. S.

1978-01-01

The effects of laminar flow control (LFC) on the performance of a large span-distributed-load flying-wing cargo airplane concept having a design payload of 2.669 MN and range of 5.93 Mm were determined. Two configurations were considered. One employed laminarized flow over the entire surfaces of the wing and vertical tails, with the exception of the estimated areas of interference due to the fuselage and engines. The other case differed only in that laminar flow was not applied to the flaps, elevons, spoilers, or rudders. The two cases are referred to as the 100 percent and 80 percent laminar configurations, respectively. The utilization of laminar flow control results in reductions in the standard day, sea level installed maximum static thrust per engine from 240 kN for the non-LFC configuration to 205 kN for the 100 percent laminar configuration and 209 kN for the 80 percent case. Weight increases due to the LFC systems cause increases in the operating empty weights of approximately 3 to 4 percent. The design takeoff gross weights decrease approximately 3 to 5 percent. The FAR-25 takeoff field distances for the LFC configurations are greater by about 6 to 7 percent. Fuel efficiencies for the respective configurations are increased 33 percent and 23 percent.

Tool Forces Developed During Friction Stir Welding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Melendez, M.; Tang, W.; Schmidt, C.; McClure, J. C.; Nunes, A. C.; Murr, L. E.

2003-01-01

This paper will describe a technique for measuring the various forces and the torque that exist on the Friction Stir Welding pin tool. Results for various plunge depths, weld speeds, rotational speed, and tool configurations will be presented. Welds made on 6061 aluminum with typical welding conditions require a downward force of 2800 lbs. (12.5 kN) a longitudinal force in the direction of motion of 300 lbs (1.33 kN), a transverse force in the omega x v direction of 30 lbs (135 N). Aluminum 2195 under typical weld conditions requires a downward force of 3100 lbs. (1.38 kN), a longitudinal force of 920 lbs. (4.1 kN), and a transverse force of 45 lbs. (200 N) in the omega x v direction.

A collision history-based approach to Sensitivity/Perturbation calculations in the continuous energy Monte Carlo code SERPENT

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

Giuseppe Palmiotti

In this work, the implementation of a collision history-based approach to sensitivity/perturbation calculations in the Monte Carlo code SERPENT is discussed. The proposed methods allow the calculation of the eects of nuclear data perturbation on several response functions: the eective multiplication factor, reaction rate ratios and bilinear ratios (e.g., eective kinetics parameters). SERPENT results are compared to ERANOS and TSUNAMI Generalized Perturbation Theory calculations for two fast metallic systems and for a PWR pin-cell benchmark. New methods for the calculation of sensitivities to angular scattering distributions are also presented, which adopts fully continuous (in energy and angle) Monte Carlo estimators.

Electron-Impact Excitation Cross Sections for Modeling Non-Equilibrium Gas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huo, Winifred M.; Liu, Yen; Panesi, Marco; Munafo, Alessandro; Wray, Alan; Carbon, Duane F.

2015-01-01

In order to provide a database for modeling hypersonic entry in a partially ionized gas under non-equilibrium, the electron-impact excitation cross sections of atoms have been calculated using perturbation theory. The energy levels covered in the calculation are retrieved from the level list in the HyperRad code. The downstream flow-field is determined by solving a set of continuity equations for each component. The individual structure of each energy level is included. These equations are then complemented by the Euler system of equations. Finally, the radiation field is modeled by solving the radiative transfer equation.

Monte Carlo modelling the dosimetric effects of electrode material on diamond detectors.

PubMed

Baluti, Florentina; Deloar, Hossain M; Lansley, Stuart P; Meyer, Juergen

2015-03-01

Diamond detectors for radiation dosimetry were modelled using the EGSnrc Monte Carlo code to investigate the influence of electrode material and detector orientation on the absorbed dose. The small dimensions of the electrode/diamond/electrode detector structure required very thin voxels and the use of non-standard DOSXYZnrc Monte Carlo model parameters. The interface phenomena was investigated by simulating a 6 MV beam and detectors with different electrode materials, namely Al, Ag, Cu and Au, with thickens of 0.1 µm for the electrodes and 0.1 mm for the diamond, in both perpendicular and parallel detector orientation with regards to the incident beam. The smallest perturbations were observed for the parallel detector orientation and Al electrodes (Z = 13). In summary, EGSnrc Monte Carlo code is well suited for modelling small detector geometries. The Monte Carlo model developed is a useful tool to investigate the dosimetric effects caused by different electrode materials. To minimise perturbations cause by the detector electrodes, it is recommended that the electrodes should be made from a low-atomic number material and placed parallel to the beam direction.

Relativistic initial conditions for N-body simulations

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

Fidler, Christian; Tram, Thomas; Crittenden, Robert

2017-06-01

Initial conditions for (Newtonian) cosmological N-body simulations are usually set by re-scaling the present-day power spectrum obtained from linear (relativistic) Boltzmann codes to the desired initial redshift of the simulation. This back-scaling method can account for the effect of inhomogeneous residual thermal radiation at early times, which is absent in the Newtonian simulations. We analyse this procedure from a fully relativistic perspective, employing the recently-proposed Newtonian motion gauge framework. We find that N-body simulations for ΛCDM cosmology starting from back-scaled initial conditions can be self-consistently embedded in a relativistic space-time with first-order metric potentials calculated using a linear Boltzmann code.more » This space-time coincides with a simple ''N-body gauge'' for z < 50 for all observable modes. Care must be taken, however, when simulating non-standard cosmologies. As an example, we analyse the back-scaling method in a cosmology with decaying dark matter, and show that metric perturbations become large at early times in the back-scaling approach, indicating a breakdown of the perturbative description. We suggest a suitable ''forwards approach' for such cases.« less

Genome-scale transcriptional activation by an engineered CRISPR-Cas9 complex.

PubMed

Konermann, Silvana; Brigham, Mark D; Trevino, Alexandro E; Joung, Julia; Abudayyeh, Omar O; Barcena, Clea; Hsu, Patrick D; Habib, Naomi; Gootenberg, Jonathan S; Nishimasu, Hiroshi; Nureki, Osamu; Zhang, Feng

2015-01-29

Systematic interrogation of gene function requires the ability to perturb gene expression in a robust and generalizable manner. Here we describe structure-guided engineering of a CRISPR-Cas9 complex to mediate efficient transcriptional activation at endogenous genomic loci. We used these engineered Cas9 activation complexes to investigate single-guide RNA (sgRNA) targeting rules for effective transcriptional activation, to demonstrate multiplexed activation of ten genes simultaneously, and to upregulate long intergenic non-coding RNA (lincRNA) transcripts. We also synthesized a library consisting of 70,290 guides targeting all human RefSeq coding isoforms to screen for genes that, upon activation, confer resistance to a BRAF inhibitor. The top hits included genes previously shown to be able to confer resistance, and novel candidates were validated using individual sgRNA and complementary DNA overexpression. A gene expression signature based on the top screening hits correlated with markers of BRAF inhibitor resistance in cell lines and patient-derived samples. These results collectively demonstrate the potential of Cas9-based activators as a powerful genetic perturbation technology.

The Evolution of NR TrA (Nova TrA 2008) from 2008 through 2017

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walter, Frederick M.; Burwitz, Vadim; Kafka, Stella

2018-06-01

The classical nova NR TrA was discovered as an O-type optically-thick classical nova. There is no evidence that it formed dust. Within four years the envelope became sufficiently thin to reveal an eclipsing accretion disk-dominated system with orbitally-modulated permitted lines of C IV, N V, and O VI. XMM observations reveal a non-eclipsing soft X-ray source and a deeply-eclipsing UV continuum. We will present the first ten years of optical spectral evolution of this system accompanied by ten years of BVRIJHK photometry, with an eye to deciphering the current nature of the system.

Oscilaciones estelares no-radiales: aplicación a configuraciones politrópicas y modelos de enanas blancas de He

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Córsico, A. H.; Benvenuto, O. G.

Recently in our Observatory we have developed a new Stellar Pulsation Code, independently of other workers. Such program computes eigenvalues (eigenfrequencies) and eigenfunctions of non-radial modes in spherical non-perturbated stellar models. To accomplish this calculations, the four order eigenvalue problem (in the linear adiabatic approach) is solved by means of the well-know technique of Henyey on the finite differences scheme wich replace to the differential equations of the problem. In order to test the Code, we have computed numerous eigenmodes in polytropic configurations for several values of index n. In this comunication we show the excelent agreement of our results and that best available in the literature. Also, we present results of oscillations in models of white dwarf stars with homogeneus chemical composition (pure Helium). This models have been obtained with the Evolution Stellar Code of our Observatory. The calculations outlined above conform a first preliminary step in a major proyect whose main purpose is the study of pulsational properties of DA, DB and DO white dwarfs stars. Detailed investigations have demonstrated that such objets pulsates in non-radial g-modes with eigenperiods in the range 100-2000 sec.

Supersymmetric and non-supersymmetric models without catastrophic Goldstone bosons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braathen, Johannes; Goodsell, Mark D.; Staub, Florian

2017-11-01

The calculation of the Higgs mass in general renormalisable field theories has been plagued by the so-called "Goldstone Boson Catastrophe," where light (would-be) Goldstone bosons give infra-red divergent loop integrals. In supersymmetric models, previous approaches included a workaround that ameliorated the problem for most, but not all, parameter space regions; while giving divergent results everywhere for non-supersymmetric models! We present an implementation of a general solution to the problem in the public code SARAH, along with new calculations of some necessary loop integrals and generic expressions. We discuss the validation of our code in the Standard Model, where we find remarkable agreement with the known results. We then show new applications in Split SUSY, the NMSSM, the Two-Higgs-Doublet Model, and the Georgi-Machacek model. In particular, we take some first steps to exploring where the habit of using tree-level mass relations in non-supersymmetric models breaks down, and show that the loop corrections usually become very large well before naive perturbativity bounds are reached.

Circumstellar Dust in Symbiotic Novae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jurkic, T.; Kotnik-Karuza, D.

2015-12-01

We present a model of inner dust regions around the cool Mira component of the two symbiotic novae, RR Tel and HM Sge, based on the near-IR photometry, ISO spectra and mid-IR interferometry. The dust properties were determined using the DUSTY code. A compact circumstellar silicate dust shell with inner dust shell temperatures between 900 K and 1300 K and of moderate optical depth can explain all the observations. RR Tel shows the presence of an equatorially enhanced dust density during minimum obscuration. Obscuration events are explained by an increase in optical depth caused by the newly condensed dust. The mass loss rates are significantly higher than in intermediate-period single Miras but in agreement with longer-period O-rich AGB stars.

The Distance to Nova V959 Mon from VLA Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linford, J. D.; Ribeiro, V. A. R. M.; Chomiuk, L.; Nelson, T.; Sokoloski, J. L.; Rupen, M. P.; Mukai, K.; O'Brien, T. J.; Mioduszewski, A. J.; Weston, J.

2015-06-01

Determining reliable distances to classical novae is a challenging but crucial step in deriving their ejected masses and explosion energetics. Here we combine radio expansion measurements from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array with velocities derived from optical spectra to estimate an expansion parallax for nova V959 Mon, the first nova discovered through its γ-ray emission. We spatially resolve the nova at frequencies of 4.5-36.5 GHz in nine different imaging epochs. The first five epochs cover the expansion of the ejecta from 2012 October to 2013 January, while the final four epochs span 2014 February-May. These observations correspond to days 126 through 199 and days 615 through 703 after the first detection of the nova. The images clearly show a non-spherical ejecta geometry. Utilizing ejecta velocities derived from three-dimensional modeling of optical spectroscopy, the radio expansion implies a distance between 0.9 ± 0.2 and 2.2 ± 0.4 kpc, with a most probable distance of 1.4 ± 0.4 kpc. This distance implies a γ-ray luminosity of 0.6× {{10}35} erg s-1, which is much less than the prototype γ-ray-detected nova, V407 Cyg, possibly due to the lack of a red giant companion in the V959 Mon system. V959 Mon also has a much lower γ-ray luminosity than other classical novae detected in γ-rays to date, indicating a range of at least a factor of 10 in the γ-ray luminosities for these explosions.

Effects of Normal and Perturbed Social Play on the Duration and Amplitude of Different Types of Infant Smiles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fogel, Alan; Hsu, Hui-Chin; Shapiro, Alyson F.; Nelson-Goens, G. Christina; Secrist, Cory

2006-01-01

Different types of smiling varying in amplitude of lip corner retraction were investigated during 2 mother-infant games--peekaboo and tickle--at 6 and 12 months and during normally occurring and perturbed games. Using Facial Action Coding System (FACS), infant smiles were coded as simple (lip corner retraction only), Duchenne (simple plus cheek…

The effect of dopants on laser imprint mitigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, Lee; Gardner, John H.; Bodner, Stephen E.; Colombant, Denis; Dahlburg, Jill

1999-11-01

An intact implosion of a pellet for direct-drive ICF requires that the perturbations imprinted by the laser be kept below some threshold. We report on simulations of targets that incorporate very small concentrations of a high-Z dopant in the ablator, to increase the electron density in the ablating plasma, causing the laser to be absorbed far enough from the solid ablator to achieve a substantial degree of thermal smoothing. These calculations were performed using NRL's FAST radiation hydrodynamics code(J.H. Gardner, A.J. Schmitt, et al., Phys. Plasmas) 5, 1935 (1998), incorporating the flux-corrected transport algorithm and opacities generated by an STA code, with non-LTE radiation transport based on the Busquet method.

Stability of the lepton bag model based on the Kerr–Newman solution

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

Burinskii, A., E-mail: bur@ibrae.ac.ru

2015-11-15

We show that the lepton bag model considered in our previous paper [10], generating the external gravitational and electromagnetic fields of the Kerr–Newman (KN) solution, is supersymmetric and represents a BPS-saturated soliton interpolating between the internal vacuum state and the external KN solution. We obtain Bogomolnyi equations for this phase transition and show that the Bogomolnyi bound determines all important features of this bag model, including its stable shape. In particular, for the stationary KN solution, the BPS bound provides stability of the ellipsoidal form of the bag and the formation of the ring–string structure at its border, while formore » the periodic electromagnetic excitations of the KN solution, the BPS bound controls the deformation of the surface of the bag, reproducing the known flexibility of bag models.« less

Epigenetic regulation in human melanoma: past and future.

PubMed

Sarkar, Debina; Leung, Euphemia Y; Baguley, Bruce C; Finlay, Graeme J; Askarian-Amiri, Marjan E

2015-01-01

The development and progression of melanoma have been attributed to independent or combined genetic and epigenetic events. There has been remarkable progress in understanding melanoma pathogenesis in terms of genetic alterations. However, recent studies have revealed a complex involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in the regulation of gene expression, including methylation, chromatin modification and remodeling, and the diverse activities of non-coding RNAs. The roles of gene methylation and miRNAs have been relatively well studied in melanoma, but other studies have shown that changes in chromatin status and in the differential expression of long non-coding RNAs can lead to altered regulation of key genes. Taken together, they affect the functioning of signaling pathways that influence each other, intersect, and form networks in which local perturbations disturb the activity of the whole system. Here, we focus on how epigenetic events intertwine with these pathways and contribute to the molecular pathogenesis of melanoma.

Numerical investigation of rarefaction effects in the vicinity of a sharp leading edge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Shaowu; Gao, Zhenxun; Lee, Chunhian

2014-12-01

This paper presents a study of rarefaction effect on hypersonic flow over a sharp leading edge. Both continuum approach and kinetic method: a widely spread commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics-Navior-Stokes-Fourier (CFD-NSF) software - Fluent together with a direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) code developed by the authors are employed for simulation of transition regime with Knudsen number ranging from 0.005 to 0.2. It is found that Fluent can predict the wall fluxes in the case of hypersonic argon flow over the sharp leading edge for the lowest Kn case (Kn = 0.005) in current paper while for other cases it also has a good agreement with DSMC except at the location near the sharp leading edge. Among all of the wall fluxes, it is found that coefficient of pressure is the most sensitive to rarefaction while heat transfer is the least one. A parameter based on translational nonequilibrium and a cut-off value of 0.34 is proposed for continuum breakdown in this paper. The structure of entropy and velocity profile in boundary layer is analyzed. Also, it is found that the ratio of heat transfer coefficient to skin friction coefficient remains uniform along the surface for the four cases in this paper.

A VLSI chip set for real time vector quantization of image sequences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baker, Richard L.

1989-01-01

The architecture and implementation of a VLSI chip set that vector quantizes (VQ) image sequences in real time is described. The chip set forms a programmable Single-Instruction, Multiple-Data (SIMD) machine which can implement various vector quantization encoding structures. Its VQ codebook may contain unlimited number of codevectors, N, having dimension up to K = 64. Under a weighted least squared error criterion, the engine locates at video rates the best code vector in full-searched or large tree searched VQ codebooks. The ability to manipulate tree structured codebooks, coupled with parallelism and pipelining, permits searches in as short as O (log N) cycles. A full codebook search results in O(N) performance, compared to O(KN) for a Single-Instruction, Single-Data (SISD) machine. With this VLSI chip set, an entire video code can be built on a single board that permits realtime experimentation with very large codebooks.

The pattern of parallel edge plasma flows due to pressure gradients, recycling, and resonant magnetic perturbations in DIII-D

DOE PAGES

Frerichs, H.; Schmitz, Oliver; Evans, Todd; ...

2015-07-13

High resolution plasma transport simulations with the EMC3-EIRENE code have been performed to address the parallel plasma flow structure in the boundary of a poloidal divertor configuration with non-axisymmetric perturbations at DIII-D. Simulation results show that a checkerboard pattern of flows with alternating direction is generated inside the separatrix. This pattern is aligned with the position of the main resonances (i.e. where the safety factor is equal to rational values q = m/n for a perturbation field with base mode number n): m pairs of alternating forward and backward flow channel exist for each resonance. The poloidal oscillations are alignedmore » with the subharmonic Melnikov function, which indicates that the plasma flow is generated by parallel pressure gradients along perturbed field lines. Lastly, an additional scrape-off layer-like domain is introduced by the perturbed separatrix which guides field lines from the interior to the divertor targets, resulting in an enhanced outward flow that is consistent with the experimentally observed particle pump-out effect. However, while the lobe structure of the perturbed separatrix is very well reflected in the temperature profile, the same lobes can appear to be smaller in the flow profile due to a competition between high upstream pressure and downstream particle sources driving flows in opposite directions.« less

Advancing Efficient All-Electron Electronic Structure Methods Based on Numeric Atom-Centered Orbitals for Energy Related Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blum, Volker

This talk describes recent advances of a general, efficient, accurate all-electron electronic theory approach based on numeric atom-centered orbitals; emphasis is placed on developments related to materials for energy conversion and their discovery. For total energies and electron band structures, we show that the overall accuracy is on par with the best benchmark quality codes for materials, but scalable to large system sizes (1,000s of atoms) and amenable to both periodic and non-periodic simulations. A recent localized resolution-of-identity approach for the Coulomb operator enables O (N) hybrid functional based descriptions of the electronic structure of non-periodic and periodic systems, shown for supercell sizes up to 1,000 atoms; the same approach yields accurate results for many-body perturbation theory as well. For molecular systems, we also show how many-body perturbation theory for charged and neutral quasiparticle excitation energies can be efficiently yet accurately applied using basis sets of computationally manageable size. Finally, the talk highlights applications to the electronic structure of hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite materials, as well as to graphene-based substrates for possible future transition metal compound based electrocatalyst materials. All methods described here are part of the FHI-aims code. VB gratefully acknowledges contributions by numerous collaborators at Duke University, Fritz Haber Institute Berlin, TU Munich, USTC Hefei, Aalto University, and many others around the globe.

Non-local electron transport validation using 2D DRACO simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Duc; Chenhall, Jeff; Moll, Eli; Prochaska, Alex; Moses, Gregory; Delettrez, Jacques; Collins, Tim

2012-10-01

Comparison of 2D DRACO simulations, using a modified versionfootnotetextprivate communications with M. Marinak and G. Zimmerman, LLNL. of the Schurtz, Nicolai and Busquet (SNB) algorithmfootnotetextSchurtz, Nicolai and Busquet, ``A nonlocal electron conduction model for multidimensional radiation hydrodynamics codes,'' Phys. Plasmas 7, 4238(2000). for non-local electron transport, with direct drive shock timing experimentsfootnotetextT. Boehly, et. al., ``Multiple spherically converging shock waves in liquid deuterium,'' Phys. Plasmas 18, 092706(2011). and with the Goncharov non-local modelfootnotetextV. Goncharov, et. al., ``Early stage of implosion in inertial confinement fusion: Shock timing and perturbation evolution,'' Phys. Plasmas 13, 012702(2006). in 1D LILAC will be presented. Addition of an improved SNB non-local electron transport algorithm in DRACO allows direct drive simulations with no need for an electron conduction flux limiter. Validation with shock timing experiments that mimic the laser pulse profile of direct drive ignition targets gives a higher confidence level in the predictive capability of the DRACO code. This research was supported by the University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics.

Gamma-ray spectroscopy: The diffuse galactic glow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hartmann, Dieter H.

1991-01-01

The goal of this project is the development of a numerical code that provides statistical models of the sky distribution of gamma-ray lines due to the production of radioactive isotopes by ongoing Galactic nucleosynthesis. We are particularly interested in quasi-steady emission from novae, supernovae, and stellar winds, but continuum radiation and transient sources must also be considered. We have made significant progress during the first half period of this project and expect the timely completion of a code that can be applied to Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (OSSE) Galactic plane survey data.

Coupled Kinetic-MHD Simulations of Divertor Heat Load with ELM Perturbations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cummings, Julian; Chang, C. S.; Park, Gunyoung; Sugiyama, Linda; Pankin, Alexei; Klasky, Scott; Podhorszki, Norbert; Docan, Ciprian; Parashar, Manish

2010-11-01

The effect of Type-I ELM activity on divertor plate heat load is a key component of the DOE OFES Joint Research Target milestones for this year. In this talk, we present simulations of kinetic edge physics, ELM activity, and the associated divertor heat loads in which we couple the discrete guiding-center neoclassical transport code XGC0 with the nonlinear extended MHD code M3D using the End-to-end Framework for Fusion Integrated Simulations, or EFFIS. In these coupled simulations, the kinetic code and the MHD code run concurrently on the same massively parallel platform and periodic data exchanges are performed using a memory-to-memory coupling technology provided by EFFIS. The M3D code models the fast ELM event and sends frequent updates of the magnetic field perturbations and electrostatic potential to XGC0, which in turn tracks particle dynamics under the influence of these perturbations and collects divertor particle and energy flux statistics. We describe here how EFFIS technologies facilitate these coupled simulations and discuss results for DIII-D, NSTX and Alcator C-Mod tokamak discharges.

A non-perturbative argument for the non-abelian Higgs mechanism

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

De Palma, G.; INFN, Sezione di Pisa, Pisa; Strocchi, F., E-mail: franco.strocchi@sns.it

2013-09-15

The evasion of massless Goldstone bosons by the non-abelian Higgs mechanism is proved by a non-perturbative argument in the local BRST gauge. -- Highlights: •The perturbative explanation of the Higgs mechanism (HM) is not under mathematical control. •We offer a non-perturbative proof of the absence of Goldstone bosons from the non-abelian HM. •Our non-perturbative proof in the BRST gauge avoids a mean field ansatz and expansion.

Modal interactions between a large-wavelength inclined interface and small-wavelength multimode perturbations in a Richtmyer-Meshkov instability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McFarland, Jacob A.; Reilly, David; Black, Wolfgang; Greenough, Jeffrey A.; Ranjan, Devesh

2015-07-01

The interaction of a small-wavelength multimodal perturbation with a large-wavelength inclined interface perturbation is investigated for the reshocked Richtmyer-Meshkov instability using three-dimensional simulations. The ares code, developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, was used for these simulations and a detailed comparison of simulation results and experiments performed at the Georgia Tech Shock Tube facility is presented first for code validation. Simulation results are presented for four cases that vary in large-wavelength perturbation amplitude and the presence of secondary small-wavelength multimode perturbations. Previously developed measures of mixing and turbulence quantities are presented that highlight the large variation in perturbation length scales created by the inclined interface and the multimode complex perturbation. Measures are developed for entrainment, and turbulence anisotropy that help to identify the effects of and competition between each perturbations type. It is shown through multiple measures that before reshock the flow processes a distinct memory of the initial conditions that is present in both large-scale-driven entrainment measures and small-scale-driven mixing measures. After reshock the flow develops to a turbulentlike state that retains a memory of high-amplitude but not low-amplitude large-wavelength perturbations. It is also shown that the high-amplitude large-wavelength perturbation is capable of producing small-scale mixing and turbulent features similar to the small-wavelength multimode perturbations.

The U.C.C. (Sales) as an Introductory Law School Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Ronald Benton

1980-01-01

A provisional admissions program at Nova University Law Center allows students who do not qualify for admission to take two summer courses to prove their ability to succeed. One of the courses offered, Commercial Transactions I (Sales), which covers parts of the Uniform Commercial Code, is described and its suitability for beginning law students…

Ultrafast excited-state dynamics of kynurenine, a UV filter of the human eye.

PubMed

Sherin, Peter S; Grilj, Jakob; Tsentalovich, Yuri P; Vauthey, Eric

2009-04-09

The excited-state dynamics of kynurenine (KN) has been examined in various solvents by femtosecond-resolved optical spectroscopy. The lifetime of the S(1) state of KN amounts to 30 ps in aqueous solutions, increases by more than 1 order of magnitude in alcohols, and exceeds 1 ns in aprotic solvents such as DMSO and DMF, internal conversion (IC) being shown to be the main deactivation channel. The IC rate constant is pH independent but increases with temperature with an activation energy of about 7 kJ/mol in all solvents studied. The dependence on the solvent proticity together with the observation of a substantial isotope effect indicates that hydrogen bonds are involved in the rapid nonradiative deactivation of KN in water. These results give new insight into the efficiency of KN as a UV filter and its role in cataractogenesis.

a Contemporary Approach for Evaluation of the best Measurement Capability of a Force Calibration Machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Harish

The present paper discusses the procedure for evaluation of best measurement capability of a force calibration machine. The best measurement capability of force calibration machine is evaluated by a comparison through the precision force transfer standards to the force standard machines. The force transfer standards are calibrated by the force standard machine and then by the force calibration machine by adopting the similar procedure. The results are reported and discussed in the paper and suitable discussion has been made for force calibration machine of 200 kN capacity. Different force transfer standards of nominal capacity 20 kN, 50 kN and 200 kN are used. It is found that there are significant variations in the .uncertainty of force realization by the force calibration machine according to the proposed method in comparison to the earlier method adopted.

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

Ikeda, Y.; Sato, T.

Three-body resonances in the KNN system have been studied within a framework of the KNN-{pi}YN coupled-channel Faddeev equation. By solving the three-body equation, the energy dependence of the resonant KN amplitude is fully taken into account. The S-matrix pole has been investigated from the eigenvalue of the kernel with the analytic continuation of the scattering amplitude on the unphysical Riemann sheet. The KN interaction is constructed from the leading order term of the chiral Lagrangian using relativistic kinematics. The {lambda}(1405) resonance is dynamically generated in this model, where the KN interaction parameters are fitted to the data of scattering length.more » As a result we find a three-body resonance of the strange dibaryon system with binding energy B{approx}79 MeV and width {gamma}{approx}74 MeV. The energy of the three-body resonance is found to be sensitive to the model of the I=0 KN interaction.« less

Probing the cosmological initial conditions using the CMB

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yadav, Amit P. S.

In the last few decades, advances in observational cosmology have given us a standard model of cosmology. The basic cosmological parameters have been laid out to high precision. Cosmologists have started asking questions about the nature of the cosmological initial conditions. Many ambitious experiments such as Planck satellite, EBEX, ACT, CAPMAP, QUaD, BICEP, SPIDER, QUIET, and GEM are underway. Experiments like these will provide us with a wealth of information about CMB polarization, CMB lensing, and polarization foregrounds. These experiments will be complemented with great observational campaigns to map the 3D structure in the Universe and new particle physics constraints from the Large Hadron Collider. In my graduate work I have made explicit how observations of the CMB temperature and E-polarization anisotropies can be combined to provide optimal constraints on models of the early universe at the highest energies. I have developed new ways of constraining models of the early universe using CMB temperature and polarization data. Inflation is one of the most promising theories of the early universe. Different inflationary models predict different amounts of non-Gaussian perturbations. Although any non-Gaussianity predicted by the canonical inflation model is very small, there exist models which can generate significant amounts of non-Gaussianities. Hence any characterization of non-Gaussianity of the primordial perturbations constrains the models of inflation. The information in the bispectrum (or higher order moments) is completely independent of the power spectrum constraints on the amplitude of primordial power spectrum (A), the scalar spectral index of the primordial power spectrum ns, and the running of the primordial power spectrum. My work has made it possible to extract the bispectrum information from large, high resolution CMB temperature and polarization data. We have demonstrated that the primordial adiabatic perturbations can be reconstructed using CMB temperature and E-polarization information (Yadav and Wandelt 2005). One of the main motivations of reconstructing the primordial perturbations is to study the primordial non-Gaussianities. Since the amplitude of primordial non-Gaussianity is very small, any enhancement in sensitivity to the primordial features is useful because it improves the characterization of the primordial non-Gaussianity. Our reconstruction allows us to be more sensitive to the primordial features, whereas most of the current probes of non-Gaussianity do not specifically select for them. We have also developed a fast cubic (bispectrum) estimator of non-Gaussianity f NL of local type, using combined temperature and E-polarization data (Yadavet al. 2007). The estimator is computationally efficient, scaling as O( N 3/2 ) compared to the O( N 5/2 ) scaling of the brute force bispectrum calculation for sky maps with N pixels. For the Planck satellite, this translates into a speed-up by factors of millions, reducing the required computing time from thousands of years to just hours and thus making f NL estimation feasible. The speed of our estimator allows us to study its statistical properties using Monte Carlo simulations. Our estimator in its original form was optimal for homogeneous noise. In order to apply our estimator to realistic data, the estimator needed to be able to deal with inhomogeneous noise. We have generalized the fast polarized estimator to deal with inhomogeneous noise. The generalized estimator is also computationally efficient, scaling as O( N 3/2 ). Furthermore, we have studied and characterized our estimators in the presence of realistic noise, finite resolution, incomplete sky-coverage, and using non-Gaussian CMB maps (Yadavet al. 2008a). We have also developed a numerical code to generate CMB temperature and polarization non-Gaussian maps starting from a given primordial non-Gaussianity (f NL ) (Liguori et al. 2007). In the process of non-Gaussian CMB map making, the code also generates corresponding non-Gaussian primordial curvature perturbations. We use these curvature perturbations to quantify the quality of the tomographic reconstruction method described in (Yadav and Wandelt 2005). We check whether the tomographic reconstruction method preserves the non-Gaussian features, especially the phase information, in the reconstructed curvature perturbations (Yadav et al. in preparation). Finally, using our estimator we found (Yadav and Wandelt 2008) evidence for primordial non-Gaussianity of the local type (f NL ) in the temperature anisotropy of the Cosmic Microwave Background. Analyzing the bispectrum of the WMAP 3-year data up to l max =750 we find 27< f NL <147 (95% CL). This amounts to a rejection of f NL =0 at 2.8s, disfavoring canonical single field slow-roll inflation. The signal is robust to variations in l max , frequency, and masks. No known foreground, instrument systematic, or secondary anisotropy explains it. We explore the impact of several analysis choices on the quoted significance and find 2.5s to be conservative.

Perturbative transport modeling and comparison to cold-pulse and heat-pulse propagation experiments in Alcator C-Mod and DIII-D

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez Fernandez, P.; White, A. E.; Cao, N. M.; Creely, A. J.; Greenwald, M. J.; Howard, N. T.; Hubbard, A. E.; Hughes, J. W.; Irby, J. H.; Petty, C. C.; Rice, J. E.; Alcator C-Mod Team

2016-10-01

Possible ``non-local'' transport phenomena are often observed in tokamak plasmas. Different models have been proposed to explain fast responses during perturbative transport experiments, including non-diffusive effects. Specific tools to characterize the dynamic behavior and power balance analysis using TRANSP and the quasi-linear trapped gyro-landau fluid code TGLF have been developed to analyze Alcator C-Mod experiments. Recent results from cold pulse experiments show that fast core temperature increases following edge cold-pulse injections (peak within 10ms , while τE 25ms) are not correlated with the direction of intrinsic rotation, and instead the amplitude of the core response depends on density, plasma current and RF input power. The propagation of the cold pulse can be compared with propagation of heat pulses from sawteeth, and both may be used to probe changes in temperature profile stiffness. A Laser Blow Off (LBO) system is being developed for DIII-D that will allow further validation and cross-machine comparison of cold pulse experiments. LBO at DIII-D will also allow for direct comparisons with ECH perturbative heat pulse experiments. Work supported by US DOE under Grants DE-FC02-99ER54512 (C-Mod) and DE-FC02-04ER54698 (DIII-D) and La Caixa Fellowship.

Disentangling the role of athermal walls on the Knudsen paradox in molecular and granular gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Ronak; Alam, Meheboob

2018-01-01

The nature of particle-wall interactions is shown to have a profound impact on the well-known "Knudsen paradox" [or the "Knudsen minimum" effect, which refers to the decrease of the mass-flow rate of a gas with increasing Knudsen number Kn, reaching a minimum at Kn˜O (1 ) and increasing logarithmically with Kn as Kn→∞ ] in the acceleration-driven Poiseuille flow of rarefied gases. The nonmonotonic variation of the flow rate with Kn occurs even in a granular or dissipative gas in contact with thermal walls. The latter result is in contradiction with recent work [Alam et al., J. Fluid Mech. 782, 99 (2015), 10.1017/jfm.2015.523] that revealed the absence of the Knudsen minimum in granular Poiseuille flow for which the flow rate was found to decrease at large values of Kn. The above conundrum is resolved by distinguishing between "thermal" and "athermal" walls, and it is shown that, for both molecular and granular gases, the momentum transfer to athermal walls is much different than that to thermal walls which is directly responsible for the anomalous flow-rate variation with Kn in the rarefied regime. In the continuum limit of Kn→0 , the athermal walls are shown to be closely related to "no-flux" ("adiabatic") walls for which the Knudsen minimum does not exist either. A possible characterization of athermal walls in terms of (1) an effective specularity coefficient for the slip velocity and (2) a flux-type boundary condition for granular temperature is suggested based on simulation results.

On the leading edge; Combining maturity and advanced technology on the F404 turbofan engine

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

Powel, S.F. IV

1991-01-01

In this paper the overall design concept of the F404 afterburning turbofan engine is reviewed together with some of the lessons learned from over 2 million flight hours in service. GE Aircraft Engines' derivative and growth plans for the F404 family are then reviewed including the Building Block component development approach. Examples of advanced technologies under development for introduction into new F404 derivative engine models are presented in the areas of materials, digital and fiber optic controls systems, and vectoring exhaust nozzles. The design concept and details of the F404-GE-402, F412-GE-400, and other derivative engines under full-scale development are described.more » Studies for future growth variants and the benefits of the F404 derivative approach to development of afterburning engines in the 18,000-24,000 lb (80--107 kN) thrust class and non- afterburning engines in the 12,000--19,000 lb (53--85 kN) class are discussed.« less

Numerical optimization of three-dimensional coils for NSTX-U

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazerson, S. A.; Park, J.-K.; Logan, N.; Boozer, A.

2015-10-01

A tool for the calculation of optimal three-dimensional (3D) perturbative magnetic fields in tokamaks has been developed. The IPECOPT code builds upon the stellarator optimization code STELLOPT to allow for optimization of linear ideal magnetohydrodynamic perturbed equilibrium (IPEC). This tool has been applied to NSTX-U equilibria, addressing which fields are the most effective at driving NTV torques. The NTV torque calculation is performed by the PENT code. Optimization of the normal field spectrum shows that fields with n  =  1 character can drive a large core torque. It is also shown that fields with n  =  3 features are capable of driving edge torque and some core torque. Coil current optimization (using the planned in-vessel and existing RWM coils) on NSTX-U suggest the planned coils set is adequate for core and edge torque control. Comparison between error field correction experiments on DIII-D and the optimizer show good agreement. Notice: This manuscript has been authored by Princeton University under Contract Number DE-AC02-09CH11466 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The publisher, by accepting the article for publication acknowledges, that the United States Government retains a non-exclusive,paid-up, irrevocable, world-wide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for United States Government purposes.

An object-oriented approach for parallel self adaptive mesh refinement on block structured grids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lemke, Max; Witsch, Kristian; Quinlan, Daniel

1993-01-01

Self-adaptive mesh refinement dynamically matches the computational demands of a solver for partial differential equations to the activity in the application's domain. In this paper we present two C++ class libraries, P++ and AMR++, which significantly simplify the development of sophisticated adaptive mesh refinement codes on (massively) parallel distributed memory architectures. The development is based on our previous research in this area. The C++ class libraries provide abstractions to separate the issues of developing parallel adaptive mesh refinement applications into those of parallelism, abstracted by P++, and adaptive mesh refinement, abstracted by AMR++. P++ is a parallel array class library to permit efficient development of architecture independent codes for structured grid applications, and AMR++ provides support for self-adaptive mesh refinement on block-structured grids of rectangular non-overlapping blocks. Using these libraries, the application programmers' work is greatly simplified to primarily specifying the serial single grid application and obtaining the parallel and self-adaptive mesh refinement code with minimal effort. Initial results for simple singular perturbation problems solved by self-adaptive multilevel techniques (FAC, AFAC), being implemented on the basis of prototypes of the P++/AMR++ environment, are presented. Singular perturbation problems frequently arise in large applications, e.g. in the area of computational fluid dynamics. They usually have solutions with layers which require adaptive mesh refinement and fast basic solvers in order to be resolved efficiently.

Lattice QCD studies of s-wave meson-baryon interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikeda, Yoichi

2011-10-01

We study the s-wave KN interactions in the isospin I = 0, 1 channels and associated exotic state Θ+ from 2+1 flavor full lattice QCD simulation for relatively heavy quark mass corresponding to mπ = 871 MeV. The s-wave KN potentials are obtained from the Bethe-Salpeter amplitudes. Potentials in both channels reveal short range repulsions: Strength of the repulsion is stronger in the I = 1 potential. The I = 0 potential is found to have attractive well at mid range. The KN scattering phase shifts are calculated and compared with the experimental data.

Three dimensional, non-linear, finite element analysis of compactable soil interaction with a hyperelastic wheel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiroux, Robert Charles

The objective of this research was to produce a three dimensional, non-linear, dynamic simulation of the interaction between a hyperelastic wheel rolling over compactable soil. The finite element models developed to produce the simulation utilized the ABAQUS/Explicit computer code. Within the simulation two separate bodies were modeled, the hyperelastic wheel and a compactable soil-bed. Interaction between the bodies was achieved by allowing them to come in contact but not to penetrate the contact surface. The simulation included dynamic loading of a hyperelastic, rubber tire in contact with compactable soil with an applied constant angular velocity or torque, including a tow load, applied to the wheel hub. The constraints on the wheel model produced a straight and curved path. In addition the simulation included a shear limit between the tire and soil allowing for the introduction of slip. Soil properties were simulated using the Drucker-Prager, Cap Plasticity model available within the ABAQUS/Explicit program. Numerical results obtained from the three dimensional model were compared with related experimental data and showed good correlation for similar conditions. Numerical and experimental data compared well for both stress and wheel rut formation depth under a weight of 5.8 kN and a constant angular velocity applied to the wheel hub. The simulation results provided a demonstration of the benefit of three-dimensional simulation in comparison to previous two-dimensional, plane strain simulations.

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

Dirian, Yves; Foffa, Stefano; Kunz, Martin

We study the cosmological predictions of two recently proposed non-local modifications of General Relativity. Both models have the same number of parameters as ΛCDM, with a mass parameter m replacing the cosmological constant. We implement the cosmological perturbations of the non-local models into a modification of the CLASS Boltzmann code, and we make a full comparison to CMB, BAO and supernova data. We find that the non-local models fit these datasets very well, at the same level as ΛCDM. Among the vast literature on modified gravity models, this is, to our knowledge, the only example which fits data as wellmore » as ΛCDM without requiring any additional parameter. For both non-local models parameter estimation using Planck +JLA+BAO data gives a value of H{sub 0} slightly higher than in ΛCDM.« less

Comparison of Thoracic Injury Risk in Frontal Car Crashes for Occupant Restrained without Belt Load Limiters and Those Restrained with 6 kN and 4 kN Belt Load Limiters.

PubMed

Foret-Bruno, J Y; Trosseille, X; Page, Y; Huère, J F; Le Coz, J Y; Bendjellal, F; Diboine, A; Phalempin, T; Villeforceix, D; Baudrit, P; Guillemot, H; Coltat, J C

2001-11-01

In France, as in other countries, accident research studies show that a large proportion of restrained occupants who sustain severe or fatal injuries are involved in frontal impacts (65% and 50%, respectively). In severe frontal impacts with restrained occupants and where intrusion is not preponderant, the oldest occupants very often sustain severe thoracic injuries due to the conventional seat belt. As we have been observing over the last years, we will expect in the coming years developments which include more solidly-built cars, as offset crash test procedures are widely used to evaluate the passive safety of production vehicles. The reduction of intrusion for the most severe frontal impacts, through optimization of car deformation, usually translates into an increase in restraint forces and hence thoracic injury risk with a conventional retractor seat belt for a given impact severity. It is, therefore essential to limit the restraint forces exerted by the seat belt on the thorax in order to reduce the number of road casualties. In order to address thoracic injury risk in frontal impact, Renault cars have been equipped with the Programmed Restraint System (PRS) since 1995. The PRS is a restraint system that combines belt load limitation and pyrotechnic belt pretension. In an initial design of the Programmed Restraint System (PRS1), the belt load limiter was a steel component designed to shear at a given shoulder force, namely 6 kN. It was mounted between the retractor and the lower anchorage point of the belt. The design of the PRS was modified in 1998 (PRS2), but the principle of load limitation was maintained. The threshold was decreased to 4 kN and this lower belt belt-force limiter has been combined with a specially designed airbag. This paper reports on 347 real-world frontal accidents where the EES (Equivalent Energy Speed) ranged from 35 to 75 km/h. One hundred and ninety-eight (198) of these accidents involved cars equipped with the 6 kN load limiter, and 149 involved cars equipped with the 4 kN load limiter. Based on this accident data, the study compares the thoracic injury risk for two occupant populations: belted occupants involved in accidents in which the vehicle was not equipped with a load limiter (378 cases with pyrotechnic pretensioners), and belted occupants involved in accidents in which the vehicles were equipped with 4 or 6 kN load limiters and pyrotechnic pretensioners (347 cases). One observes that a 4 kN load limitation results in a very important reduction of thoracic injury risk for all AIS levels, compared to others samples. 50 to 60% reduction for AIS 2+ was observed, as well as 75 to 85% for AIS 3+. The complete absence of AIS 4+ with a 4 kN load limiter must be stressed, though it remains more than 8% for the other samples (no limiter and 6 kN limiter).

Spectroscopic Classification of SN2016igr as a Normal Type Ia Supernova

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bostroem, K. A.; Valenti, S.; Tartaglia, L.

2016-12-01

We report that a CCD spectrum (range 350-1050 nm) of SN2016igr was obtained on Dec 1, 5.95 UT, with the 3-m Shane reflector (+Kast) at Lick Observatory. We classified the event via cross-correlation with a library of supernova spectra using the "SuperNova IDentification" code (SNID; Blondin & Tonry 2007, Ap.J.

Addendum to "Compact Perturbative Expressions for Neutrino Oscillations in Matter"

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

Denton, Peter B.; Minakata, Hisakazu; Parke, Stephen J.

2018-01-19

In this paper we rewrite the neutrino mixing angles and mass squared differences in matter given, in our original paper, in a notation that is more conventional for the reader. Replacing the usual neutrino mixing angles and mass squared differences in the expressions for the vacuum oscillation probabilities with these matter mixing angles and mass squared differences gives an excellent approximation to the oscillation probabilities in matter. Comparisons for T2K, NOvA, T2HKK and DUNE are also given for neutrinos and anti-neutrinos, disappearance and appearance channels, normal ordering and inverted ordering.

Laboratory Reconstructions of Real World Frontal Crash Configurations using the Hybrid III and THOR Dummies and PMHS.

PubMed

Petitjean, Audrey; Lebarbe, Matthieu; Potier, Pascal; Trosseille, Xavier; Lassau, Jean-Pierre

2002-11-01

Load-limiting belt restraints have been present in French cars since 1995. An accident study showed the greater effectiveness in thorax injury prevention using a 4 kN load limiter belt with an airbag than using a 6 kN load limiter belt without airbag. The criteria for thoracic tolerance used in regulatory testing is the sternal deflection for all restraint types, belt and/or airbag restraint. This criterion does not assess the effectiveness of the restraint 4 kN load limiter belt with airbag observed in accidentology. To improve the understanding of thoracic tolerance, frontal sled crashes were performed using the Hybrid III and THOR dummies and PMHS. The sled configuration and the deceleration law correspond to those observed in the accident study. Restraint conditions evaluated are the 6 kN load-limiting belt and the 4 kN load-limiting belt with an airbag. Loads between the occupant and the sled environment were recorded. Various measurements (including thoracic deflections and head, thorax and pelvis accelerations and angular velocities on the dummies) characterize the dummy and PMHS behavior. PMHS anthropometry and injuries were noted. This study presents the test methodology and the results used to evaluate dummy ability to discriminate both restraint types and dummy measurement ability to be representative of thoracic injury risk for all restraint types. The injury results of the PMHS tests showed the same tendency as the accident study. Some of the criteria proposed in the literature did not show a better protection of the 4 kN load limiter belt with airbag restraint, in particular thoracic deflection maxima for both dummies. The four thoracic deflections measured on the THOR and Hybrid III dummies may allow more accurate analysis of the loading pattern and therefore of injury risk.

Site-directed fluorescence labeling reveals a revised N-terminal membrane topology and functional periplasmic residues in the Escherichia coli cell division protein FtsK.

PubMed

Berezuk, Alison M; Goodyear, Mara; Khursigara, Cezar M

2014-08-22

In Escherichia coli, FtsK is a large integral membrane protein that coordinates chromosome segregation and cell division. The N-terminal domain of FtsK (FtsKN) is essential for division, and the C terminus (FtsKC) is a well characterized DNA translocase. Although the function of FtsKN is unknown, it is suggested that FtsK acts as a checkpoint to ensure DNA is properly segregated before septation. This may occur through modulation of protein interactions between FtsKN and other division proteins in both the periplasm and cytoplasm; thus, a clear understanding of how FtsKN is positioned in the membrane is required to characterize these interactions. The membrane topology of FtsKN was initially determined using site-directed reporter fusions; however, questions regarding this topology persist. Here, we report a revised membrane topology generated by site-directed fluorescence labeling. The revised topology confirms the presence of four transmembrane segments and reveals a newly identified periplasmic loop between the third and fourth transmembrane domains. Within this loop, four residues were identified that, when mutated, resulted in the appearance of cellular voids. High resolution transmission electron microscopy of these voids showed asymmetric division of the cytoplasm in the absence of outer membrane invagination or visible cell wall ingrowth. This uncoupling reveals a novel role for FtsK in linking cell envelope septation events and yields further evidence for FtsK as a critical checkpoint of cell division. The revised topology of FtsKN also provides an important platform for future studies on essential interactions required for this process. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Max-margin weight learning for medical knowledge network.

PubMed

Jiang, Jingchi; Xie, Jing; Zhao, Chao; Su, Jia; Guan, Yi; Yu, Qiubin

2018-03-01

The application of medical knowledge strongly affects the performance of intelligent diagnosis, and method of learning the weights of medical knowledge plays a substantial role in probabilistic graphical models (PGMs). The purpose of this study is to investigate a discriminative weight-learning method based on a medical knowledge network (MKN). We propose a training model called the maximum margin medical knowledge network (M 3 KN), which is strictly derived for calculating the weight of medical knowledge. Using the definition of a reasonable margin, the weight learning can be transformed into a margin optimization problem. To solve the optimization problem, we adopt a sequential minimal optimization (SMO) algorithm and the clique property of a Markov network. Ultimately, M 3 KN not only incorporates the inference ability of PGMs but also deals with high-dimensional logic knowledge. The experimental results indicate that M 3 KN obtains a higher F-measure score than the maximum likelihood learning algorithm of MKN for both Chinese Electronic Medical Records (CEMRs) and Blood Examination Records (BERs). Furthermore, the proposed approach is obviously superior to some classical machine learning algorithms for medical diagnosis. To adequately manifest the importance of domain knowledge, we numerically verify that the diagnostic accuracy of M 3 KN is gradually improved as the number of learned CEMRs increase, which contain important medical knowledge. Our experimental results show that the proposed method performs reliably for learning the weights of medical knowledge. M 3 KN outperforms other existing methods by achieving an F-measure of 0.731 for CEMRs and 0.4538 for BERs. This further illustrates that M 3 KN can facilitate the investigations of intelligent healthcare. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of a Monte Carlo code for the data analysis of the 18F(p,α)15O reaction at astrophysical energies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caruso, A.; Cherubini, S.; Spitaleri, C.; Crucillà, V.; Gulino, M.; La Cognata, M.; Lamia, L.; Rapisarda, G.; Romano, S.; Sergi, ML.; Kubono, S.; Yamaguchi, H.; Hayakawa, S.; Wakabayashi, Y.; Iwasa, N.; Kato, S.; Komatsubara, T.; Teranishi, T.; Coc, A.; Hammache, F.; de Séréville, N.

2015-02-01

Novae are astrophysical events (violent explosion) occurring in close binary systems consisting of a white dwarf and a main-sequence star or a star in a more advanced stage of evolution. They are called "narrow systems" because the two components interact with each other: there is a process of mass exchange with resulting in the transfer of matter from the companion star to the white dwarf, leading to the formation of this last of the so-called accretion disk, rich mainly of hydrogen. Over time, more and more material accumulates until the pressure and the temperature reached are sufficient to trigger nuclear fusion reactions, rapidly converting a large part of the hydrogen into heavier elements. The products of "hot hydrogen burning" are then placed in the interstellar medium as a result of violent explosions. Studies on the element abundances observed in these events can provide important information about the stages of evolution stellar. During the outbursts of novae some radioactive isotopes are synthesized: in particular, the decay of short-lived nuclei such as 13N and 18F with subsequent emission of gamma radiation energy below 511 keV. The gamma rays from products electron-positron annihilation of positrons emitted in the decay of 18F are the most abundant and the first observable as soon as the atmosphere of the nova starts to become transparent to gamma radiation. Hence the importance of the study of nuclear reactions that lead both to the formation and to the destruction of 18F . Among these, the 18F(p,α)15O reaction is one of the main channels of destruction. This reaction was then studied at energies of astrophysical interest. The experiment done at Riken, Japan, has as its objective the study of the 18F(p,α)15O reaction, using a beam of 18F produced at CRIB, to derive important information about the phenomenon of novae. In this paper we present the experimental technique and the Monte Carlo code developed to be used in the data analysis process.

The effects of resonant magnetic perturbations on fast ion confinement in the Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McClements, K. G.; Akers, R. J.; Boeglin, W. U.; Cecconello, M.; Keeling, D.; Jones, O. M.; Kirk, A.; Klimek, I.; Perez, R. V.; Shinohara, K.; Tani, K.

2015-07-01

The effects of resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) on the confinement of energetic (neutral beam) ions in the Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak (MAST) are assessed experimentally using measurements of neutrons, fusion protons and fast ion Dα (FIDA) light emission. In single null-diverted (SND) MAST pulses with relatively low plasma current (400 kA), the total neutron emission dropped by approximately a factor of two when RMPs with toroidal mode number n = 3 were applied. The measured neutron rate during RMPs was much lower than that calculated using the TRANSP plasma simulation code, even when non-classical (but axisymmetric) ad hoc fast ion transport was taken into account in the latter. Sharp drops in spatially-resolved neutron rates, fusion proton rates and FIDA emission were also observed. First principles-based simulations of RMP-induced fast ion transport in MAST, using the F3D-OFMC code, show similar losses for two alternative representations of the MAST first wall, with and without full orbit effects taken into account; for n = 6 RMPs in a 600 kA plasma, the additional loss of beam power due to the RMPs was found in the simulations to be approximately 11%.

Depressive symptoms, diet quality, physical activity, and body composition among populations in Nova Scotia, Canada: report from the Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow's Health.

PubMed

Yu, Zhijie M; Parker, Louise; Dummer, Trevor J B

2014-04-01

To investigate the association between depressive symptoms and diet quality, physical activity, and body composition among Nova Scotians. 4511 men and women aged 35-69 years were recruited to the Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow's Health study from 2009 through 2010 in Nova Scotia, Canada. Depressive symptoms were assessed by using the Patient Health Questionnaire. Anthropometric indexes and body composition were measured. Current antidepressant use, habitual diet intake, physical activity, and potential confounders were collected through questionnaires. In multivariable regression analyses, depressive symptoms were positively associated with all obese indexes after controlling for potential confounders (all P for trend<0.001). Compared with non-depressed individuals, those with mild and major depression had significantly increased odds ratios (ORs) for both obesity and abdominal obesity (OR 1.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], (1.50, 2.25) and 1.56 (95% CI, 1.30, 1.87) for obesity and 1.46 (95% CI, 1.20, 1.77) and 1.88 (95% CI, 1.58, 2.24) for abdominal obesity, respectively). Depressed individuals were less likely to have a high quality diet or engage in high levels of physical activity compared with their non-depressed counterparts. Depressive symptoms are associated with higher levels of obesity, poor diet, and physical inactivity among Nova Scotians in Canada. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electron cyclotron heating can drastically alter reversed shear Alfvén eigenmode activity in DIII-D through finite pressure effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Zeeland, M. A.; Heidbrink, W. W.; Sharapov, S. E.; Spong, D.; Cappa, A.; Chen, Xi; Collins, C.; García-Muñoz, M.; Gorelenkov, N. N.; Kramer, G. J.; Lauber, P.; Lin, Z.; Petty, C.

2016-11-01

A recent DIII-D experiment investigating the impact of electron cyclotron heating (ECH) on neutral beam driven reversed shear Alfvén eigenmode (RSAE) activity is presented. The experiment includes variations of ECH injection location and timing, current ramp rate, beam injection geometry (on/off-axis), and neutral beam power. Essentially all variations carried out in this experiment were observed to change the impact of ECH on AE activity significantly. In some cases, RSAEs were observed to be enhanced with ECH near the off-axis minimum in magnetic safety factor ({{q}\\min} ), in contrast to the original DIII-D experiments where the modes were absent when ECH was deposited near {{q}\\min} . It is found that during intervals when the geodesic acoustic mode (GAM) frequency at {{q}\\min} is elevated and the calculated RSAE minimum frequency, including contributions from thermal plasma gradients, is very near or above the nominal TAE frequency (f TAE), RSAE activity is not observed or RSAEs with a much reduced frequency sweep range are found. This condition is primarily brought about by ECH modification of the local electron temperature (T e) which can raise both the local T e at {{q}\\min} as well as its gradient. A q-evolution model that incorporates this reduction in RSAE frequency sweep range is in agreement with the observed spectra and appears to capture the relative balance of TAE or RSAE-like modes throughout the current ramp phase of over 38 DIII-D discharges. Detailed ideal MHD calculations using the NOVA code show both modification of plasma pressure and pressure gradient at {{q}\\min} play an important role in modifying the RSAE activity. Analysis of the ECH injection near the {{q}\\min} case where no frequency sweeping RSAEs are observed shows the typical RSAE is no longer an eigenmode of the system. What remains is an eigenmode with poloidal harmonic content reminiscent of the standard RSAE, but absent of the typical frequency sweeping behavior. The remaining eigenmode is also often strongly coupled to gap TAEs. Analysis with the non-perturbative gyro fluid code TAEFL confirms this change in RSAE activity and also shows a large drop in the resultant mode growth rates.

Electron cyclotron heating can drastically alter reversed shear Alfvén eigenmode activity in DIII-D through finite pressure effects

DOE PAGES

Van Zeeland, M. A.; Heidbrink, W. W.; Sharapov, S. E.; ...

2016-07-22

Here, a recent DIII-D experiment investigating the impact of electron cyclotron heating (ECH) on neutral beam driven reversed shear Alfvén eigenmode (RSAE) activity is presented. The experiment includes variations of ECH injection location and timing, current ramp rate, beam injection geometry (on/off-axis), and neutral beam power. Essentially all variations carried out in this experiment were observed to change the impact of ECH on AE activity significantly. In some cases, RSAEs were observed to be enhanced with ECH near the off-axis minimum in magnetic safety factor (more » $${{q}_{\\min}}$$ ), in contrast to the original DIII-D experiments where the modes were absent when ECH was deposited near $${{q}_{\\min}}$$ . It is found that during intervals when the geodesic acoustic mode (GAM) frequency at $${{q}_{\\min}}$$ is elevated and the calculated RSAE minimum frequency, including contributions from thermal plasma gradients, is very near or above the nominal TAE frequency (f TAE), RSAE activity is not observed or RSAEs with a much reduced frequency sweep range are found. This condition is primarily brought about by ECH modification of the local electron temperature (T e) which can raise both the local T e at $${{q}_{\\min}}$$ as well as its gradient. A q-evolution model that incorporates this reduction in RSAE frequency sweep range is in agreement with the observed spectra and appears to capture the relative balance of TAE or RSAE-like modes throughout the current ramp phase of over 38 DIII-D discharges. Detailed ideal MHD calculations using the NOVA code show both modification of plasma pressure and pressure gradient at $${{q}_{\\min}}$$ play an important role in modifying the RSAE activity. Analysis of the ECH injection near the $${{q}_{\\min}}$$ case where no frequency sweeping RSAEs are observed shows the typical RSAE is no longer an eigenmode of the system. What remains is an eigenmode with poloidal harmonic content reminiscent of the standard RSAE, but absent of the typical frequency sweeping behavior. The remaining eigenmode is also often strongly coupled to gap TAEs. Analysis with the non-perturbative gyro fluid code TAEFL confirms this change in RSAE activity and also shows a large drop in the resultant mode growth rates.« less

Density matrix perturbation theory for magneto-optical response of periodic insulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebedeva, Irina; Tokatly, Ilya; Rubio, Angel

2015-03-01

Density matrix perturbation theory offers an ideal theoretical framework for the description of response of solids to arbitrary electromagnetic fields. In particular, it allows to consider perturbations introduced by uniform electric and magnetic fields under periodic boundary conditions, though the corresponding potentials break the translational invariance of the Hamiltonian. We have implemented the density matrix perturbation theory in the open-source Octopus code on the basis of the efficient Sternheimer approach. The procedures for responses of different order to electromagnetic fields, including electric polarizability, orbital magnetic susceptibility and magneto-optical response, have been developed and tested by comparison with the results for finite systems and for wavefunction-based perturbation theory, which is already available in the code. Additional analysis of the orbital magneto-optical response is performed on the basis of analytical models. Symmetry limitations to observation of the magneto-optical response are discussed. The financial support from the Marie Curie Fellowship PIIF-GA-2012-326435 (RespSpatDisp) is gratefully acknowledged.

Multimerization of Adenovirus Serotype 3 Fiber Knob Domains Is Required for Efficient Binding of Virus to Desmoglein 2 and Subsequent Opening of Epithelial Junctions▿

PubMed Central

Wang, Hongjie; Li, ZongYi; Yumul, Roma; Lara, Stephanie; Hemminki, Akseli; Fender, Pascal; Lieber, André

2011-01-01

Recently, we identified desmoglein 2 (DSG2) as the main receptor for a group of species B adenoviruses (Ads), including Ad3, a serotype that is widely distributed in the human population (H. Wang et al., Nat. Med. 17:96–104, 2011). In this study, we have attempted to delineate structural details of the Ad3 interaction with DSG2. For CAR- and CD46-interacting Ad serotypes, attachment to cells can be completely blocked by an excess of recombinant fiber knob protein, while soluble Ad3 fiber knob only inefficiently blocks Ad3 infection. We found that the DSG2-interacting domain(s) within Ad3 is formed by several fiber knob domains that have to be in the spatial constellation that is present in viral particles. Based on this finding, we generated a small recombinant, self-dimerizing protein containing the Ad3 fiber knob (Ad3-K/S/Kn). Ad3-K/S/Kn bound to DSG2 with high affinity and blocked Ad3 infection. We demonstrated by confocal immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy analyses that Ad3-K/S/Kn, through its binding to DSG2, triggered the transient opening of intercellular junctions in epithelial cells. The pretreatment of epithelial cells with Ad3-K/S/Kn resulted in increased access to receptors that are localized in or masked by epithelial junctions, e.g., CAR or Her2/neu. Ad3-K/S/Kn treatment released CAR from tight junctions and thus increased the transduction of epithelial cells by a serotype Ad5-based vector. Furthermore, the pretreatment of Her2/neu-positive breast cancer cells with Ad3-K/S/Kn increased the killing of cancer cells by the Her2/neu-targeting monoclonal antibody trastuzumab (Herceptin). This study widens our understanding of how Ads achieve high avidity to their receptors and the infection of epithelial tissue. The small recombinant protein Ad3-K/S/Kn has practical implications for the therapy of epithelial cancer and gene/drug delivery to normal epithelial tissues. PMID:21525338

Orbital tori for non-axisymmetric galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Binney, James

2018-02-01

Our Galaxy's bar makes the Galaxy's potential distinctly non-axisymmetric. All orbits are affected by non-axisymmetry, and significant numbers are qualitatively changed by being trapped at a resonance with the bar. Orbital tori are used to compute these effects. Thick-disc orbits are no less likely to be trapped by corotation or a Lindblad resonance than thin-disc orbits. Perturbation theory is used to create non-axisymmetric orbital tori from standard axisymmetric tori, and both trapped and untrapped orbits are recovered to surprising accuracy. Code is added to the TorusModeller library that makes it as easy to manipulate non-axisymmetric tori as axisymmetric ones. The augmented TorusModeller is used to compute the velocity structure of the solar neighbourhood for bars of different pattern speeds and a simple action-based distribution function. The technique developed here can be applied to any non-axisymmetric potential that is stationary in a rotating from - hence also to classical spiral structure.

Non-perturbative effects and wall-crossing from topological strings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collinucci, Andrés; Soler, Pablo; Uranga, Angel M.

2009-11-01

We argue that the Gopakumar-Vafa interpretation of the topological string partition function can be used to compute and resum certain non-perturbative brane instanton effects of type II CY compactifications. In particular the topological string A-model encodes the non-perturbative corrections to the hypermultiplet moduli space metric from general D1/D(-1)-brane instantons in 4d Script N = 2 IIB models. We also discuss the reduction to 4d Script N = 1 by fluxes and/or orientifolds and/or D-branes, and the prospects to resum brane instanton contributions to non-perturbative superpotentials. We argue that the connection between non-perturbative effects and the topological string underlies the continuity of non-perturbative effects across lines of BPS stability. We also confirm this statement in mirror B-model matrix model examples, relating matrix model instantons to non-perturbative D-brane instantons. The computation of non-perturbative effects from the topological string requires a 3d circle compactification and T-duality, relating effects from particles and instantons, reminiscent of that involved in the physical derivation of the Kontsevich-Soibelmann wall-crossing formula.

Simulating X-ray bursts with a radiation hydrodynamics code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seong, Gwangeon; Kwak, Kyujin

2018-04-01

Previous simulations of X-ray bursts (XRBs), for example, those performed by MESA (Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics) could not address the dynamical effects of strong radiation, which are important to explain the photospheric radius expansion (PRE) phenomena seen in many XRBs. In order to study the effects of strong radiation, we propose to use SNEC (the SuperNova Explosion Code), a 1D Lagrangian open source code that is designed to solve hydrodynamics and equilibrium-diffusion radiation transport together. Because SNEC is able to control modules of radiation-hydrodynamics for properly mapped inputs, radiation-dominant pressure occurring in PRE XRBs can be handled. Here we present simulation models for PRE XRBs by applying SNEC together with MESA.

Vertical load capacities of roof truss cross members.

PubMed

Gearhart, David F; Morsy, Mohamed Khaled

2016-05-01

Trusses used for roof support in coal mines are constructed of two grouted bolts installed at opposing forty-five degree angles into the roof and a cross member that ties the angled bolts together. The load on the cross member is vertical, which is transverse to the longitudinal axis, and therefore the cross member is loaded in the weakest direction. Laboratory tests were conducted to determine the vertical load capacity and deflection of three different types of cross members. Single-point load tests, with the load applied in the center of the specimen and double-point load tests, with a span of 2.4 m, were conducted. For the single-point load configuration, the yield of the 25 mm solid bar cross member was nominally 98 kN of vertical load, achieved at 42 cm of deflection. For cable cross members, yield was not achieved even after 45 cm of deflection. Peak vertical loads were about 89 kN for 17 mm cables and 67 kN for the 15 mm cables. For the double-point load configurations, the 25 mm solid bar cross members yielded at 150 kN of vertical load and 25 cm of deflection. At 25 cm of deflection individual cable strands started breaking at 133 and 111 kN of vertical load for the 17 and 15 mm cable cross members respectively.

Lurasidone-β-cyclodextrin complexes: Physicochemical characterization and comparison of their antidepressant, antipsychotic activities against that of self microemulsifying formulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Londhe, Vaishali Y.; Deshmane, Aishwarya B.; Singh, Sarita R.; Kulkarni, Yogesh A.

2018-04-01

Lurasidone hydrochloride (LHD) is an atypical antipsychotic drug has poor aqueous solubility and low bioavailability (9-19%). This study describes effect of different methods of complex formation with β-cyclodextrin (BCD) on enhancement of dissolution and on antidepressant, antipsychotic effects of LHD. Other purpose of this study is to compare pharmacodynamic effects of complexes with that of self microemulsifying drug delivery system of LHD (SMEDDS). Inclusion complexes (IC) of LHD and BCD were prepared by physical mixing (PM), kneading (KN) and spray drying (SD) in a 1:1 M ratio. These complexes were characterized by different techniques. KN and SD showing enhancement in dissolution, were compared with SMEDDS using Forced swim test (FST) and Tail suspension test (TST) for antidepressant action and Paw test for antipsychotic activity. Characterization of complexes confirmed interaction between LHD and BCD. Enhancement in dissolution is seen in following order SD > KN > PM > LHD. In all three animal models, SD, KN and SMEDDS showed statistically significant effect (p < .05) than drug alone showing enhancement in bioavailability. Complexation of LHD with BCD enhances dissolution which reflected in improvement of antidepressant and antipsychotic activity of drug. Solubility enhancement methods like complexation and self microemulsion improves pharmacodynamic activities of drug. Improvement of pharmacodynamic effect is seen in order, SD ≥ SMEDDS ≥ KN > LHD.

Effect of subcutaneous Meloxicam on indicators of acute pain and distress after castration and branding in 2 mo old beef calves.

PubMed

Meléndez, D M; Marti, S; Pajor, E A; Moya, D; Gellatly, D; Janzen, E D; Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K S

2018-06-15

The aim of this study was to assess knife castration and knife castration + branding in 2-mo old calves, and the effect of a single dose of s.c. meloxicam at mitigating pain indicators. Seventy-one Angus crossbred bull calves (128 ± 18.5 kg of BW) were used in a 3 × 2 factorial design where main factors included procedure: sham (control calves, CT; n = 23), knife (KN; n = 24) or knife + branding (BK; n = 24) and medication: single s.c. administration of lactated ringer solution (NM; n = 35) or a single dose of 0.5 mg/kg of s.c. meloxicam (M; n = 36). Physiological samples were collected at T0, 60, 90, 120 and 180 min and on d 1, 2, 3 and 7 after procedure, while behavioral observations were evaluated at 2 to 4 h and 1, 2, 3 and 7 days after procedure. A procedure × time effect (P < 0.01) was observed for cortisol, where KN and BK calves had greater (P ≤ 0.01 ) cortisol concentrations than CT calves 60 min after the procedure, while BK calves had the greatest (P < 0.05) cortisol concentrations, followed by KN calves and by CT calves 90, 120 and 180 min after the procedure. A procedure × time effect (P = 0.01) was observed for tail flicks, where KN and BK calves had a greater (P < 0.05) number of tail flicks than CT calves on d 1 and 3, while BK calves had the greatest number of tail flicks, followed by KN calves, and then by CT calves on d 2. Haptoglobin had a procedure × medication × time interaction (P = 0.05), where BK-NM calves had greater haptoglobin concentrations than BK-M, KN-M and CT calves on d 1 and 3, while BK-NM and KN-NM calves had greater haptoglobin concentrations than BK-M, KN-M and CT calves on d 2 after the procedure. Lying duration and tail flicks had a medication effect (P = 0.04; P < 0.01) where M calves had greater (P < 0.05) lying duration and lower (P < 0.05) number of tail flicks than NM calves 2 to 4 h after procedure. No medication effects (P > 0.10) were observed for salivary cortisol, substance P and scrotal temperature min after the procedure or for cortisol, substance P, serum amyloid A, stride length or behavioral observations on d after the procedure. Overall, BK calves presented greater physiological and behavioral indicators of acute pain than KN calves, suggesting that the combination of knife castration + branding was more painful. Meloxicam administered s.c. was effective at reducing physiological and behavioral indicators of acute pain associated with knife castration and knife castration + branding.

New Tables For IABG's 320kN Shaker System: Design And Procurement Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baumgartl, Ralf

2012-07-01

For more than 25 years IABG is operating its 320kN vibration system in testing of space and non-space applications. The vibration system is a multi shaker system, using four electrodynamic shakers, driving a 3x3m2 head expander and a 3x3m2 slip table. During the recent years a modernisation program of the shaker system has been implemented. The purpose of this program was to exchange system components, which have reached their expected duration of life, as well as to exchange components which did no longer fulfil the state-of-the-art requirements in testing and thus to adapt the vibration system to future challenges. Two major components of the shaker system, which have been covered during the modernisation program, are the shaker tables (the head expander and the slip table). Being the direct interface of a vibration test facility to a specimen, the shaker tables are crucial regarding the shaker system overall performance. And this fact applies even more for shaker systems with large tables, because there are no off-the-shelf solutions in this area. During the recent 5 years IABG specified, designed and procured a new head expander and a new slip table for the 320kN shaker system. This paper describes the overall process investigating on the following listed aspects: - general requirements for the tables - definition of boundary conditions and guidance principles - specific areas of interest - definition of the table material and the manufacturing method - design solutions - challenges during manufacturing - results - table properties

The intrinsic B-mode polarisation of the Cosmic Microwave Background

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

Fidler, Christian; Pettinari, Guido W.; Crittenden, Robert

2014-07-01

We estimate the B-polarisation induced in the Cosmic Microwave Background by the non-linear evolution of density perturbations. Using the second-order Boltzmann code SONG, our analysis incorporates, for the first time, all physical effects at recombination. We also include novel contributions from the redshift part of the Boltzmann equation and from the bolometric definition of the temperature in the presence of polarisation. The remaining line-of-sight terms (lensing and time-delay) have previously been studied and must be calculated non-perturbatively. The intrinsic B-mode polarisation is present independent of the initial conditions and might contaminate the signal from primordial gravitational waves. We find thismore » contamination to be comparable to a primordial tensor-to-scalar ratio of r ≅ 10{sup −7} at the angular scale ℓ ≅ 100, where the primordial signal peaks, and r ≅ 5 × 10{sup −5} at ℓ ≅ 700, where the intrinsic signal peaks. Therefore, we conclude that the intrinsic B-polarisation from second-order effects is not likely to contaminate future searches of primordial gravitational waves.« less

On the Scientific Foundations of Level 2 Fusion

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-03-01

Development of Decision Aids”, CMIF Report 2-99, Feb 1999 KN2-49 Theories of Groups, Teams, Coalitions, etc -Adaptive Behaviors- • There is a huge literature...Investigations of Trust-related System Vulnerabilities in Aided, Adversarial Decision Making”, CMIF Report, Jan 2000 KN2-53 Summarizing Algorithm re Thing

RX GEMINORUM: PHOTOMETRIC SOLUTIONS, (NEARLY UNIFORM) GAINER ROTATION, DONOR RADIAL VELOCITY SOLUTION, NON-LTE ACCRETION DISK MODELS OF Hα EMISSION PROFILES, AND SECULAR LIGHT CURVE CHANGES IN THE 20TH CENTURY

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

Olson, Edward C.; Etzel, Paul B., E-mail: olsoneco@aol.com, E-mail: pbetzel@mail.sdsu.edu

We obtained full-orbit Iybvu intermediate-band photometry and CCD spectroscopy of the long-period Algol eclipsing binary RX Geminorum. Photometric solutions using the Wilson–Devinney code give a gainer rotation (hotter, mass-accreting component) about 15 times the synchronous rate. We describe a simple technique to detect departures from uniform rotation of the hotter component. These binaries radiate double-peaked Hα emission from a low-mass accretion disk around the gainer. We used an approximate non-LTE disk code to predict models in fair agreement with observations, except in the far wings of the emission profile, where the star–inner disk boundary layer emits extra radiation. Variations inmore » Hα emission derive from modulations in the transfer rate. A study of times of minima during the 20th century suggests that a perturbing third body is present near RX Gem.« less

Efficacy and safety of endometrial ablation for treating abnormal uterine bleeding in pre- and postmenopausal women with liver cirrhosis.

PubMed

Liu, Qing; Li, Xiu-Lan; Liu, Ji-Juan; Song, Xiao-Hong; Jiang, Xiao-Ying; Li, Wei; Zhang, Hua; Pan, Calvin Q

2016-12-01

Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) occurs in 10-30% of women of reproductive age and up to 61% of cirrhotic women. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of endometrial ablation (NovaSure therapy) for AUB in cirrhotic women. This prospective, two-arm, observational study enrolled patients for NovaSure treatment, and they were followed for 12 months. Primary measurements were the amenorrhea rate and changes of pictorial blood loss assessment chart (PBLAC) scores at 1-month post-therapy. Key secondary end-points included the longevity of amenorrhea at 12 months, safety profile, and progression of cirrhosis. Among 88 women, 26 were cirrhotic and 62 were non-cirrhotic. At 1-month post-NovaSure treatment, a significant reduction of mean PBLAC scores was observed in cirrhotic patients compared to those at baseline (0.4 ± 1.3 vs 215.2 ± 410.9, P < 0.001), and the amenorrhea rate was 88.5%. The efficacy outcomes of the PBLAC scores and amenorrhea rate were maintained until the end of the 12-month follow-up. A significant improvement in quality of life scores was observed 1-month post-therapy compared to those at baseline (5.4 ± 3.1 vs 20.5 ± 5.5, P < 0.001). Patients' satisfaction rates were 100% and 92.31% at 6 and 12 months, respectively. The aforementioned outcomes were comparable with those in non-cirrhotic patients. No significant progression of cirrhosis or safety concern was reported. Cirrhotic patients on NovaSure therapy had a high rate of amenorrhea 1-month post-treatment, which maintained longevity for 12 months. The safety profile was similar to that in non-cirrhotic patients. © 2016 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Stellar atmosphere modeling of extremely hot, compact stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rauch, Thomas; Ringat, Ellen; Werner, Klaus

Present X-ray missions like Chandra and XMM-Newton provide excellent spectra of extremely hot white dwarfs, e.g. burst spectra of novae. Their analysis requires adequate NLTE model atmospheres. The Tuebingen Non-LTE Model-Atmosphere Package (TMAP) can calculate such model at-mospheres and spectral energy distributions at a high level of sophistication. We present a new grid of models that is calculated in the parameter range of novae and supersoft X-ray sources and show examples of their application.

Circumstellar dust in symbiotic novae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jurkic, Tomislav; Kotnik-Karuza, Dubravka

2015-08-01

Physical properties of the circumstellar dust and associated physical mechanisms play an important role in understanding evolution of symbiotic binaries. We present a model of inner dust regions around the cool Mira component of the two symbiotic novae, RR Tel and HM Sge, based on the long-term near-IR photometry, infrared ISO spectra and mid-IR interferometry. Pulsation properties and long-term variabilities were found from the near-IR light curves. The dust properties were determined using the DUSTY code which solves the radiative transfer. No changes in pulsational parameters were found, but a long-term variations with periods of 20-25 years have been detected which cannot be attributed to orbital motion.Circumstellar silicate dust shell with inner dust shell temperatures between 900 K and 1300 K and of moderate optical depth can explain all the observations. RR Tel showed the presence of an optically thin CS dust envelope and an optically thick dust region outside the line of sight, which was further supported by the detailed modelling using the 2D LELUYA code. Obscuration events in RR Tel were explained by an increase in optical depth caused by the newly condensed dust leading to the formation of a compact dust shell. HM Sge showed permanent obscuration and a presence of a compact dust shell with a variable optical depth. Scattering of the near-IR colours can be understood by a change in sublimation temperature caused by the Mira variability. Presence of large dust grains (up to 4 µm) suggests an increased grain growth in conditions of increased mass loss. The mass loss rates of up to 17·10-6 MSun/yr were significantly higher than in intermediate-period single Miras and in agreement with longer-period O-rich AGB stars.Despite the nova outburst, HM Sge remained enshrouded in dust with no significant dust destruction. The existence of unperturbed dust shell suggests a small influence of the hot component and strong dust shielding from the UV flux. By the use of the CLOUDY code, we have showed that a high-density gas region can effectively stop most of the UV flux from the white dwarf and provide the observed dust shielding.

Overshoot Convective Mixing in Nova Outbursts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glasner, A. S.; Livne, E.; Truran, J. W.

2014-12-01

We present a 2D study of the overshoot convective mechanism in nova outbursts for a wide range of possible compositions of the layer underlying the accreted envelope. Previous surveys studied this mechanism only for solar composition matter accreted on top of carbon oxygen (CO) white dwarfs. Since, during the runaway, mixing with carbon enhances the hydrogen burning rates dramatically, one should question whether significant enrichment of the ejecta is possible also for other underlying compositions (He, O, Ne, Mg) predicted by stellar evolution models. When needed we upgraded our reaction network and simulated several non-carbon cases. Despite large differences in rates, time scales and energetics, our results show that the convective dredge up mechanism predicts significant enrichment in all cases, including that of helium enrichment in recurrent novae.

Thermal non-equilibrium effect of small-scale structures in compressible turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shi-Yi; Li, Qi-Bing

2018-05-01

The thermal non-equilibrium effect of the small-scale structures in the canonical two-dimensional turbulence is studied. Comparative studies of Unified Gas Kinetic Scheme (UGKS) and GKS-Navier-Stokes (NS) for Taylor-Green flow with initial Ma = 1, Kn = 0.01 and decaying isotropic turbulence with initial Mat = 1, Reλ = 20 show that the discrepancy exists both in small and large scales, even beyond the dissipation range to 10η with accuracy to 8% in the SGS energy transfer of the decaying isotropic turbulence, illustrating the necessity for resolving the kinetic scales even at moderated Reλ = 20.

Levitation properties of superconducting magnetic bearings using superconducting coils and bulk superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arai, Yuuki; Seino, Hiroshi; Nagashima, Ken

2010-11-01

We have been developing a flywheel energy storage system (FESS) with 36 MJ energy capacity for a railway system with superconducting magnetic bearings (SMBs). We prepared two kinds of models using superconducting coils and bulk superconductors (SCs). One model demonstrated SMB load capacity of 20 kN and the other model proved non-contact stable levitation and non-contact rotation with SMBs. Combining these results, the feasibility of a 36 MJ energy capacity FESS with SMBs completely inside a cryostat has been confirmed. In this paper, we report the levitation properties of SMBs in these models.

Neoclassical transport in toroidal plasmas with nonaxisymmetric flux surfaces

DOE PAGES

Belli, Emily A.; Candy, Jefferey M.

2015-04-15

The capability to treat nonaxisymmetric flux surface geometry has been added to the drift-kinetic code NEO. Geometric quantities (i.e. metric elements) are supplied by a recently-developed local 3D equilibrium solver, allowing neoclassical transport coefficients to be systematically computed while varying the 3D plasma shape in a simple and intuitive manner. Code verification is accomplished via detailed comparison with 3D Pfirsch–Schlüter theory. A discussion of the various collisionality regimes associated with 3D transport is given, with an emphasis on non-ambipolar particle flux, neoclassical toroidal viscosity, energy flux and bootstrap current. As a result, we compute the transport in the presence ofmore » ripple-type perturbations in a DIII-D-like H-mode edge plasma.« less

Advanced Small Perturbation Potential Flow Theory for Unsteady Aerodynamic and Aeroelastic Analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Batina, John T.

2005-01-01

An advanced small perturbation (ASP) potential flow theory has been developed to improve upon the classical transonic small perturbation (TSP) theories that have been used in various computer codes. These computer codes are typically used for unsteady aerodynamic and aeroelastic analyses in the nonlinear transonic flight regime. The codes exploit the simplicity of stationary Cartesian meshes with the movement or deformation of the configuration under consideration incorporated into the solution algorithm through a planar surface boundary condition. The new ASP theory was developed methodically by first determining the essential elements required to produce full-potential-like solutions with a small perturbation approach on the requisite Cartesian grid. This level of accuracy required a higher-order streamwise mass flux and a mass conserving surface boundary condition. The ASP theory was further developed by determining the essential elements required to produce results that agreed well with Euler solutions. This level of accuracy required mass conserving entropy and vorticity effects, and second-order terms in the trailing wake boundary condition. Finally, an integral boundary layer procedure, applicable to both attached and shock-induced separated flows, was incorporated for viscous effects. The resulting ASP potential flow theory, including entropy, vorticity, and viscous effects, is shown to be mathematically more appropriate and computationally more accurate than the classical TSP theories. The formulaic details of the ASP theory are described fully and the improvements are demonstrated through careful comparisons with accepted alternative results and experimental data. The new theory has been used as the basis for a new computer code called ASP3D (Advanced Small Perturbation - 3D), which also is briefly described with representative results.

An extended CFD model to predict the pumping curve in low pressure plasma etch chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Ning; Wu, Yuanhao; Han, Wenbin; Pan, Shaowu

2014-12-01

Continuum based CFD model is extended with slip wall approximation and rarefaction effect on viscosity, in an attempt to predict the pumping flow characteristics in low pressure plasma etch chambers. The flow regime inside the chamber ranges from slip wall (Kn ˜ 0.01), and up to free molecular (Kn = 10). Momentum accommodation coefficient and parameters for Kn-modified viscosity are first calibrated against one set of measured pumping curve. Then the validity of this calibrated CFD models are demonstrated in comparison with additional pumping curves measured in chambers of different geometry configurations. More detailed comparison against DSMC model for flow conductance over slits with contraction and expansion sections is also discussed.

Toxicity assessment in marine sediment for the Terra Nova environmental effects monitoring program (1997-2010)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whiteway, Sandra A.; Paine, Michael D.; Wells, Trudy A.; DeBlois, Elisabeth M.; Kilgour, Bruce W.; Tracy, Ellen; Crowley, Roger D.; Williams, Urban P.; Janes, G. Gregory

2014-12-01

This paper discusses toxicity test results on sediments from the Terra Nova offshore oil development. The Terra Nova Field is located on the Grand Banks approximately 350 km southeast of Newfoundland (Canada). The amphipod (Rhepoxynius abronius) survival and solid phase luminescent bacteria (Vibrio fischeri, or Microtox) assays were conducted on sediment samples collected from approximately 50 stations per program year around Terra Nova during baseline (1997), prior to drilling, and in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010 after drilling began. The frequency of toxic responses in the amphipod toxicity test was low. Of the ten stations that were toxic in environmental effects monitoring (EEM) years, only one (station 30(FE)) was toxic in more than one year and could be directly attributed to Terra Nova project activities. In contrast, 65 (18%) of 364 EEM samples were toxic to Microtox. Microtox toxicity in EEM years was not related to distance from Terra Nova drill centres or concentrations of >C10-C21 hydrocarbons or barium, the primary constituents of the synthetic-based drill muds used at Terra Nova. Of the variables tested, fines and strontium levels showed the strongest (positive) correlations with toxicity. Neither fines nor strontium levels were affected by drill cuttings discharge at Terra Nova, except at station 30(FE) (and that station was not toxic to Microtox). Benthic macro-invertebrate abundance, richness and diversity were greater in toxic than in non-toxic sediments. Therefore, Microtox responses indicating toxicity were associated with positive biological responses in the field. This result may have been an indirect function of the increased abundance of most invertebrate taxa in less sandy sediments with higher gravel content, where fines and strontium levels and, consequently, toxicity to Microtox were high; or chemical substances released by biodegradation of organic matter, where invertebrates are abundant, may be toxic to Microtox. Given the lack of association between Microtox results and discharge from Terra Nova, coupled with the confounding effects of other variables, the usefulness of Microtox toxicity tests within the context of environmental monitoring for the Terra Nova and, potentially, other offshore oil operations needs to be questioned. The amphipod toxicity tests showed that sediments in the vicinity of discharges of synthetic-based drilling mud cuttings are rarely toxic.

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

Rintoul, B.

Humble Oil and Refining Co. has developed a bottom-tension boom which successfully contained oil in 6 to 8-ft waves and 20-kn winds, against an imposed current of approx. 1-1/2 kn during a test program in the Santa Barbara Channel. In addition to oil swept up in the Coal Oil Point area near Santa Barbara, an area of natural oil seepage, the device has been used to sweep up popcorn--as many as fifty 3-cu-ft bags per test--purposely spilled in the channel for field test purposes. The boom was designed to operate in the vicinity of a continuous spill source, in heavymore » seas, and to remain in service for a long period of time. Humble says it is designed to survive in an environmental condition of 20-ft waves, 2-kn currents, and 60-kn winds, although claims are not made for effective containment under such severe circumstances. The boom may be towed by fishing-fleet vessels--one on each end of a bottom-tension tow cable--to sweep the sea, or it may be attached to anchors to provide a nt level technology.« less

Prevalence of low back disorders among female workers and biomechanical limits on the handling of load and patients.

PubMed

Gutiérrez, Manuel; Monzó, Jorge

2012-01-01

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the association between prevalence of low back disorders in female workers and biomechanical demands of compressive and shear forces at the lumbar spine. A descriptive, cross-sectional and correlational study was carried out in 11 groups of female workers in the Province of Concepción. An interview was performed to investigate the prevalence of low back pain. To estimate biomechanical demands on the lumbar spine, it was used the 3DSSPP software. The Pearson correlation coefficient between the prevalence of low back disorders and peak compression force at the lumbar spine was r = (p<0.005). The Spearman correlation coefficient between the prevalence of low back disorders and peak shear force was r = 0.9 (p <0.005). To protect 90% of female workers studied, the limits of compression and shear forces should be at 2.8 kN and 0.3 kN, respectively. These values differ from the recommendations currently used, 3.4 kN for peak compression force and 0.5 kN for peak shear force.

Investigation of island formation due to RMPs in DIII-D plasmas with the SIESTA resistive MHD equilibrium code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirshman, S. P.; Shafer, M. W.; Seal, S. K.; Canik, J. M.

2016-04-01

> The SIESTA magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equilibrium code has been used to compute a sequence of ideally stable equilibria resulting from numerical variation of the helical resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) applied to an axisymmetric DIII-D plasma equilibrium. Increasing the perturbation strength at the dominant , resonant surface leads to lower MHD energies and increases in the equilibrium island widths at the (and sidebands) surfaces, in agreement with theoretical expectations. Island overlap at large perturbation strengths leads to stochastic magnetic fields which correlate well with the experimentally inferred field structure. The magnitude and spatial phase (around the dominant rational surfaces) of the resonant (shielding) component of the parallel current are shown to change qualitatively with the magnetic island topology.

The Diversity of Kilonova Emission in Short Gamma-Ray Bursts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gompertz, B. P.; Levan, A. J.; Tanvir, N. R.; Hjorth, J.; Covino, S.; Evans, P. A.; Fruchter, A. S.; González-Fernández, C.; Jin, Z. P.; Lyman, J. D.; Oates, S. R.; O’Brien, P. T.; Wiersema, K.

2018-06-01

The historic first joint detection of both gravitational-wave and electromagnetic emission from a binary neutron star merger cemented the association between short gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) and compact object mergers, as well as providing a well-sampled multi-wavelength light curve of a radioactive kilonova (KN) for the first time. Here, we compare the optical and near-infrared light curves of this KN, AT 2017gfo, to the counterparts of a sample of nearby (z < 0.5) SGRBs to characterize their diversity in terms of their brightness distribution. Although at similar epochs AT 2017gfo appears fainter than every SGRB-associated KN claimed so far, we find three bursts (GRBs 050509B, 061201, and 080905A) where, if the reported redshifts are correct, deep upper limits rule out the presence of a KN similar to AT 2017gfo by several magnitudes. Combined with the properties of previously claimed KNe in SGRBs this suggests considerable diversity in the properties of KN drawn from compact object mergers, despite the similar physical conditions that are expected in many NS–NS mergers. We find that observer angle alone is not able to explain this diversity, which is likely a product of the merger type (NS–NS versus NS–BH) and the detailed properties of the binary (mass ratio, spins etc.). Ultimately disentangling these properties should be possible through observations of SGRBs and gravitational-wave sources, providing direct measurements of heavy element enrichment throughout the universe.

Intraspecific variation in estrogen receptor alpha and the expression of male sociosexual behavior in two populations of prairie voles.

PubMed

Cushing, Bruce S; Razzoli, Maria; Murphy, Anne Z; Epperson, Pamela M; Le, Wei-Wei; Hoffman, Gloria E

2004-08-06

Estrogen (E) regulates a variety of male sociosexual behaviors. We hypothesize that there is a relationship between the distribution of estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and the degree of male social behavior. To test this hypothesis, ERalpha immunoreactivity (IR) was compared in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) from Illinois (IL), which are highly social, and Kansas (KN), which are less social. The expression of androgen receptors (AR) in males also was compared between populations. The expression of ERalpha and AR were compared in brains from KN and IL males and females using immunocytochemistry (ICC). There were significant intrapopulational differences, with males expressing less ERalpha-IR than females in the medial preoptic area, ventromedial nucleus, ventrolateral portion of the hypothalamus, and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST). IL males also displayed less ERalpha-IR in the medial amygdala (MeA) than IL females. While IL males expressed significantly less ERalpha-IR in the BST and MeA than KN males, there was no difference in AR-IR. Differences in the pattern of ERalpha-IR between KN and IL males were behaviorally relevant, as low levels of testosterone (T) were more effective in restoring sexual activity in castrated KN males than IL males. The lack of difference in AR combined with lower expression of ERalpha-IR in IL males suggests that behavioral differences in response to T are associated with aromatization of T to E and that reduced sensitivity to E may facilitate prosocial behavior in males.

Simulation of magnetic island dynamics under resonant magnetic perturbation with the TEAR code and validation of the results on T-10 tokamak data

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

Ivanov, N. V.; Kakurin, A. M.

2014-10-15

Simulation of the magnetic island evolution under Resonant Magnetic Perturbation (RMP) in rotating T-10 tokamak plasma is presented with intent of TEAR code experimental validation. In the T-10 experiment chosen for simulation, the RMP consists of a stationary error field, a magnetic field of the eddy current in the resistive vacuum vessel and magnetic field of the externally applied controlled halo current in the plasma scrape-off layer (SOL). The halo-current loop consists of a rail limiter, plasma SOL, vacuum vessel, and external part of the circuit. Effects of plasma resistivity, viscosity, and RMP are taken into account in the TEARmore » code based on the two-fluid MHD approximation. Radial distribution of the magnetic flux perturbation is calculated with account of the externally applied RMP. A good agreement is obtained between the simulation results and experimental data for the cases of preprogrammed and feedback-controlled halo current in the plasma SOL.« less

The axial crushes behaviour on foam-filled round Jute/Polyester composite tubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Othman, A.; Ismail, A. E.

2018-04-01

The present paper investigates the effect of axial loading compression on jute fibre reinforced polyester composite round tubes. The specimen of composite tube was fabricated by hand lay-up method of 120 mm length with fix 50.8 mm inner diameter to determine the behaviour of energy absorption on number of layers of 450 angle fibre and internally reinforced with and without foam filler material. The foam filler material used in this studies were polyurethane (PU) and polystyrene (PE) with average of 40 and 45 kg/m3 densities on the axial crushing load against displacement relations and on the failure modes. The number of layers of on this study were two; three and four were selected to calculate the crush force efficiency (CFE) and the specific energy absorption (SEA) of the composite tubes. Result indicated that the four layers’ jute/polyester show significant value in term of crushing load compared to 2 and 3 layers higher 60% for 2 layer and 3% compared to 3 layers. It has been found that the specific energy absorption of the jute/polyester tubes with polystyrene foam-filled is found higher respectively 10% to 12% than empty and polyurethane (PU) foam tubes. The increase in the number of layers from two to four increases the mean axial load from 1.01 KN to 3.60 KN for empty jute/polyester and from 2.11 KN to 4.26 KN for the polyurethane (PU) foam-filled jute/polyester tubes as well as for 3.60 KN to 5.58 KN for the polystyrene (PE) foam-filled jute/polyester. The author’s found that the failure of mechanism influence the characteristic of curve load against displacement obtained and conclude that an increasing number of layers and introduce filler material enhance the capability of specific absorbed energy.

Navigating the Neural Space in Search of the Neural Code.

PubMed

Jazayeri, Mehrdad; Afraz, Arash

2017-03-08

The advent of powerful perturbation tools, such as optogenetics, has created new frontiers for probing causal dependencies in neural and behavioral states. These approaches have significantly enhanced the ability to characterize the contribution of different cells and circuits to neural function in health and disease. They have shifted the emphasis of research toward causal interrogations and increased the demand for more precise and powerful tools to control and manipulate neural activity. Here, we clarify the conditions under which measurements and perturbations support causal inferences. We note that the brain functions at multiple scales and that causal dependencies may be best inferred with perturbation tools that interface with the system at the appropriate scale. Finally, we develop a geometric framework to facilitate the interpretation of causal experiments when brain perturbations do or do not respect the intrinsic patterns of brain activity. We describe the challenges and opportunities of applying perturbations in the presence of dynamics, and we close with a general perspective on navigating the activity space of neurons in the search for neural codes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of band and knife castration of beef calves on welfare indicators of pain at three relevant industry ages: I. Acute pain.

PubMed

Meléndez, D M; Marti, S; Pajor, E A; Moya, D; Heuston, C E M; Gellatly, D; Janzen, E D; Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K S

2017-10-01

Three experiments evaluated the effect of band and knife castration on acute pain for the first 7 d after the procedure on 1-wk-, 2-mo-, and 4-mo-old calves. All calves were blocked by age and weight and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: sham castration (control, CT), band castration (BA), and knife castration (KN). Experiment 1 evaluated 1-wk-old Angus bull calves ( = 34; 43.0 ± 6.61 kg BW), Exp. 2 evaluated 2-mo-old Angus bull calves ( = 34; 91.5 ± 11.93 kg BW), and Exp. 3 evaluated 4-mo-old Angus bull calves ( = 35; 157.6 ± 22.52 kg BW). For all experiments, physiological and behavioral parameters were collected before (d -1 and immediately before castration [T0]) and after (60 and 120 min and on d 7) castration to assess acute pain. Physiological measures included complete blood cell count, cortisol, substance P, and scrotal temperature. Behavioral measures consisted of a visual analog scale, stride length, and time and frequency budgets for walking, standing, lying, tail flicking, foot stamping, and head turning. Performance parameters included initial and final BW and ADG. In Exp. 1, tail flicking was greater ( = 0.02) in KN calves compared to BA calves 2 to 4 h after castration, although no differences were seen between BA and KN compared to CT calves. In Exp. 2, a treatment × time interaction ( = 0.02) was observed for cortisol, where KN calves had greater cortisol concentrations 120 min after castration compared to BA and CT calves; KN calves also lay down and ate less ( < 0.01; = 0.02) and stood and walked more ( < 0.01; = 0.05) compared to BA and CT calves 2 to 4 h after castration. In Exp. 3, a treatment × time interaction ( < 0.01) was observed for cortisol concentrations in which all treatments were different from one another at 60 and 120 min, with BA calves having the greatest concentrations, KN calves being intermediate, and CT having the lowest concentrations. Overall, KN and BA castrated calves presented physiological and behavioral changes associated with acute pain; however, 2-mo-old BA calves presented the fewest behavioral changes and no physiological changes associated with acute pain compared to CT calves.

Using probe genotypes to dissect QTL × environment interactions for grain yield components in winter wheat.

PubMed

Zheng, Bing Song; Le Gouis, Jacques; Leflon, Martine; Rong, Wen Ying; Laperche, Anne; Brancourt-Hulmel, Maryse

2010-11-01

Yield is known to be a complex trait, the expression of which interacts strongly with environmental conditions. Understanding the genetic basis of these genotype × environment interactions, particularly under limited input levels, is a key objective when selecting wheat genotypes adapted to specific environments. Our principal objectives were thus: (1) to identify genomic regions [quantitative trait loci (QTL)] involving QTL × environment interactions (QEI) and (2) to develop a strategy to understand the specificity of these regions to certain environments. The two main components of yield were studied: kernel number (KN) and thousand-kernel weight (TKW). The Arche × Récital doubled-haploid population of 222 lines was grown in replicated field trials during 2000 and 2001 at three locations in France, under two nitrogen levels. The 12 environments were characterized in terms of water deficit, radiation, temperature and nitrogen stress based on measurements conducted on the four-probe genotypes: Arche, Récital, Ritmo and Soissons. A four-step strategy was developed to explain QTL specificity to some environments: (1) the detection of QTL for KN and TKW in each environment; (2) the estimation of genotypic sensitivities as the factorial regression slope of KN and TKW to environmental covariates and the detection of QTL for these genotypic sensitivities; (3) study of the co-locations of QTL for KN and TKW and of the QTL for sensitivities; in the event of a co-location partitioning the QEI, appropriate covariates were employed; (4) a description of the environments where QTL were detected for KN and TKW using the environmental covariates. A total of 131 QTL were found to be associated with KN, TKW and their sensitivity to environmental covariates across the 12 environments. Four of these QTL, for both KN and TKW, were located on linkage groups 1B, 2D1, 4B and 5A1, and displayed pleiotropic effects. Factorial regression explained from 15.1 to 83.2% of the QEI for KN and involved three major environmental covariates: cumulative radiation-days ±3 days at meiosis, cumulative degree-days >25°C ±3 days at meiosis and nitrogen stress at flowering. For TKW, 13.5-81.8% of the effect of the QEI was partitioned and involved three major environmental covariates: water deficit from flowering to the milk stage, cumulative degree-days >0°C from the milk stage to maturity and soil water deficit at maturity. A comparative analysis was then performed on the QTL detected during this and previous studies published on QEI and some interacting QTL may be common to different genetic backgrounds. Focusing on these QTL common to different genetic backgrounds would give some guidance to understand genotype × environment interaction.

Depletion Calculations Based on Perturbations. Application to the Study of a Rep-Like Assembly at Beginning of Cycle with TRIPOLI-4®.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dieudonne, Cyril; Dumonteil, Eric; Malvagi, Fausto; M'Backé Diop, Cheikh

2014-06-01

For several years, Monte Carlo burnup/depletion codes have appeared, which couple Monte Carlo codes to simulate the neutron transport to deterministic methods, which handle the medium depletion due to the neutron flux. Solving Boltzmann and Bateman equations in such a way allows to track fine 3-dimensional effects and to get rid of multi-group hypotheses done by deterministic solvers. The counterpart is the prohibitive calculation time due to the Monte Carlo solver called at each time step. In this paper we present a methodology to avoid the repetitive and time-expensive Monte Carlo simulations, and to replace them by perturbation calculations: indeed the different burnup steps may be seen as perturbations of the isotopic concentration of an initial Monte Carlo simulation. In a first time we will present this method, and provide details on the perturbative technique used, namely the correlated sampling. In a second time the implementation of this method in the TRIPOLI-4® code will be discussed, as well as the precise calculation scheme a meme to bring important speed-up of the depletion calculation. Finally, this technique will be used to calculate the depletion of a REP-like assembly, studied at beginning of its cycle. After having validated the method with a reference calculation we will show that it can speed-up by nearly an order of magnitude standard Monte-Carlo depletion codes.

A Framework for Cloudy Model Optimization and Database Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calvén, Emilia; Helton, Andrew; Sankrit, Ravi

2018-01-01

We present a framework for producing Cloudy photoionization models of the nebular emission from novae ejecta and storing a subset of the results in SQL database format for later usage. The database can be searched for models best fitting observed spectral line ratios. Additionally, the framework includes an optimization feature that can be used in tandem with the database to search for and improve on models by creating new Cloudy models while, varying the parameters. The database search and optimization can be used to explore the structures of nebulae by deriving their properties from the best-fit models. The goal is to provide the community with a large database of Cloudy photoionization models, generated from parameters reflecting conditions within novae ejecta, that can be easily fitted to observed spectral lines; either by directly accessing the database using the framework code or by usage of a website specifically made for this purpose.

Tactisch Optreden van kleine eenheden (Small Unit Tactics)

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-08-01

Marechaussee KTS Knock, Talk and Search MB Mercedes Benz MND(SE) Multinational Division (South East) NAVO Noord Atlantische Verdrag Organisatie NGO Non...patrouilles had men de beschikking over Mercedes Benz (MB) soft top wielvoertuigen, met een mitrailleur MAG 7.62 mm op affuit. Als extra bescherming was het... Mercedes Benz 5 IkN/ 7.5 kN soft top) voorzien van een voertuigaffuit met een mitrailleur MAG 7,62mm, uitgevoerd (zie Figuur 8). Bij verhoogde dreiging

On the Waring problem for polynomial rings

PubMed Central

Fröberg, Ralf; Ottaviani, Giorgio; Shapiro, Boris

2012-01-01

In this note we discuss an analog of the classical Waring problem for . Namely, we show that a general homogeneous polynomial of degree divisible by k≥2 can be represented as a sum of at most kn k-th powers of homogeneous polynomials in . Noticeably, kn coincides with the number obtained by naive dimension count. PMID:22460787

Expression of almond KNOTTED1 homologue (PdKn1) anticipates adventitious shoot initiation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background and Aims: The transcription factor encoded by the gene Knotted1 is a nuclear homeodomain protein, regulating meristematic cells at the shoot apical meristem. It has been proven that Knotted1 (KN1) has a role in the switch from an indeterminate to determinate cell fate and as such this gen...

Pillars of Creation among Destruction: Star Formation in Molecular Clouds near R136 in 30 Doradus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalari, Venu M.; Rubio, Mónica; Elmegreen, Bruce G.; Guzmán, Viviana V.; Zinnecker, Hans; Herrera, Cinthya N.

2018-01-01

We present new sensitive CO(2–1) observations of the 30 Doradus region in the Large Magellanic Cloud. We identify a chain of three newly discovered molecular clouds that we name KN1, KN2, and KN3 lying within 2–14 pc in projection from the young massive cluster R136 in 30 Doradus. Excited H2 2.12 μm emission is spatially coincident with the molecular clouds, but ionized Brγ emission is not. We interpret these observations as the tails of pillar-like structures whose ionized heads are pointing toward R136. Based on infrared photometry, we identify a new generation of stars forming within this structure.

2D Implosion Simulations with a Kinetic Particle Code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sagert, Irina; Even, Wesley; Strother, Terrance

2017-10-01

Many problems in laboratory and plasma physics are subject to flows that move between the continuum and the kinetic regime. We discuss two-dimensional (2D) implosion simulations that were performed using a Monte Carlo kinetic particle code. The application of kinetic transport theory is motivated, in part, by the occurrence of non-equilibrium effects in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) capsule implosions, which cannot be fully captured by hydrodynamics simulations. Kinetic methods, on the other hand, are able to describe both, continuum and rarefied flows. We perform simple 2D disk implosion simulations using one particle species and compare the results to simulations with the hydrodynamics code RAGE. The impact of the particle mean-free-path on the implosion is also explored. In a second study, we focus on the formation of fluid instabilities from induced perturbations. I.S. acknowledges support through the Director's fellowship from Los Alamos National Laboratory. This research used resources provided by the LANL Institutional Computing Program.

How do surgeons decide to refer patients for adjuvant cancer treatment? Protocol for a qualitative study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer are commonly diagnosed cancers in Canada. Patients diagnosed with early-stage non-small cell lung, breast, or colorectal cancer represent potentially curable populations. For these patients, surgery is the primary mode of treatment, with (neo)adjuvant therapies (e.g., chemotherapy, radiotherapy) recommended according to disease stage. Data from our research in Nova Scotia, as well as others’, demonstrate that a substantial proportion of non-small cell lung cancer and colorectal cancer patients, for whom practice guidelines recommend (neo)adjuvant therapy, are not referred for an oncologist consultation. Conversely, surveillance data and clinical experience suggest that breast cancer patients have much higher referral rates. Since surgery is the primary treatment, the surgeon plays a major role in referring patients to oncologists. Thus, an improved understanding of how surgeons make decisions related to oncology services is important to developing strategies to optimize referral rates. Few studies have examined decision making for (neo)adjuvant therapy from the perspective of the cancer surgeon. This study will use qualitative methods to examine decision-making processes related to referral to oncology services for individuals diagnosed with potentially curable non-small cell lung, breast, or colorectal cancer. Methods A qualitative study will be conducted, guided by the principles of grounded theory. The study design is informed by our ongoing research, as well as a model of access to health services. The method of data collection will be in-depth, semi structured interviews. We will attempt to recruit all lung, breast, and/or colorectal cancer surgeons in Nova Scotia (n ≈ 42), with the aim of interviewing a minimum of 34 surgeons. Interviews will be audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Data will be collected and analyzed concurrently, with two investigators independently coding and analyzing the data. Analysis will involve an inductive, grounded approach using constant comparative analysis. Discussion The primary outcomes will be (1) identification of the patient, surgeon, institutional, and health-system factors that influence surgeons’ decisions to refer non-small cell lung, breast, and colorectal cancer patients to oncology services when consideration for (neo)adjuvant therapy is recommended and (2) identification of potential strategies that could optimize referral to oncology for appropriate individuals. PMID:23098262

Effects of inhomogeneity at stagnation in 3D simulations of ICF implosions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Appelbe, Brian

2016-10-01

The stagnation phase of an ICF implosion is characterized by a hotspot and dense fuel layer that are spatially and temporally inhomogeneous. Perturbation growth during the implosion results in significant asymmetry at stagnation while the hotspot size, density and temperature change rapidly, even in non-igniting capsules. Diagnosing these inhomogeneities is necessary to increase yield in ICF experiments. In this work, 3D radiation hydrodynamic simulations of perturbed indirect drive ICF capsules are carried out using the CHIMERA code. During the stagnation phase a suite of novel and computationally efficient simulation tools are used to produce synthetic time-resolved neutron spectra and images. These tools allow a detailed study of the effects of hotspot inhomogeneities on diagnostic signals. Results show that the burn-averaged ion temperature drops rapidly during thermonuclear burn as the hotspot evolves from a localised, shock-heated region to a more massive, non-uniform plasma. Primary DD and DT neutron spectra show that there is significant residual bulk fluid motion at stagnation, complicating the measurement of ion temperature. Different perturbation modes cause different levels of anisotropic spectra shifts and broadening. However, in all cases the discrepancies between the DD and DT spectra are a reliable indicator of residual motion at stagnation. The simulations are used to examine the relationship between neutron scattering and areal density (ρR). Three measures of areal density are simulated: downscattered neutron ratio, attenuated primary neutron yield and nT backscatter edge. Each of these diagnoses the magnitude and anisotropy of the ρR with varying success, with accuracy decreasing for higher mode perturbations. Contributions to the neutron energy spectra from T +T reactions, secondary DT reactions and deuteron break-up are also evaluated.

Nanosecond-pulse-controlled higher-order sideband comb in a GaAs optomechanical disk resonator in the non-perturbative regime

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

Xiong, Hao, E-mail: haoxiong1217@gmail.com; Si, Liu-Gang, E-mail: siliugang@gmail.com; Lü, Xin-You

2014-10-15

We propose an interesting scheme for tunable high-order sideband comb generation by utilizing ultrastrong optomechanical interaction in a GaAs optomechanical disk resonator beyond the perturbative approximation. We analyze the nonlinear nature of the optomechanical interaction, and give a full description of the non-perturbative effects. It is shown, within the non-perturbative regime, that high-order sideband comb with large intensities can be realized and controlled in a GaAs optomechanical disk resonator with experimentally achievable system parameters, and the non-perturbative regime leads to rich and nontrivial behavior.

Validation of a multi-layer Green's function code for ion beam transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, Steven; Tweed, John; Tripathi, Ram; Badavi, Francis F.; Miller, Jack; Zeitlin, Cary; Heilbronn, Lawrence

To meet the challenge of future deep space programs, an accurate and efficient engineering code for analyzing the shielding requirements against high-energy galactic heavy radiations is needed. In consequence, a new version of the HZETRN code capable of simulating high charge and energy (HZE) ions with either laboratory or space boundary conditions is currently under development. The new code, GRNTRN, is based on a Green's function approach to the solution of Boltzmann's transport equation and like its predecessor is deterministic in nature. The computational model consists of the lowest order asymptotic approximation followed by a Neumann series expansion with non-perturbative corrections. The physical description includes energy loss with straggling, nuclear attenuation, nuclear fragmentation with energy dispersion and down shift. Code validation in the laboratory environment is addressed by showing that GRNTRN accurately predicts energy loss spectra as measured by solid-state detectors in ion beam experiments with multi-layer targets. In order to validate the code with space boundary conditions, measured particle fluences are propagated through several thicknesses of shielding using both GRNTRN and the current version of HZETRN. The excellent agreement obtained indicates that GRNTRN accurately models the propagation of HZE ions in the space environment as well as in laboratory settings and also provides verification of the HZETRN propagator.

PARALLEL PERTURBATION MODEL FOR CYCLE TO CYCLE VARIABILITY PPM4CCV

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

Ameen, Muhsin Mohammed; Som, Sibendu

This code consists of a Fortran 90 implementation of the parallel perturbation model to compute cyclic variability in spark ignition (SI) engines. Cycle-to-cycle variability (CCV) is known to be detrimental to SI engine operation resulting in partial burn and knock, and result in an overall reduction in the reliability of the engine. Numerical prediction of cycle-to-cycle variability (CCV) in SI engines is extremely challenging for two key reasons: (i) high-fidelity methods such as large eddy simulation (LES) are required to accurately capture the in-cylinder turbulent flow field, and (ii) CCV is experienced over long timescales and hence the simulations needmore » to be performed for hundreds of consecutive cycles. In the new technique, the strategy is to perform multiple parallel simulations, each of which encompasses 2-3 cycles, by effectively perturbing the simulation parameters such as the initial and boundary conditions. The PPM4CCV code is a pre-processing code and can be coupled with any engine CFD code. PPM4CCV was coupled with Converge CFD code and a 10-time speedup was demonstrated over the conventional multi-cycle LES in predicting the CCV for a motored engine. Recently, the model is also being applied to fired engines including port fuel injected (PFI) and direct injection spark ignition engines and the preliminary results are very encouraging.« less

Typical examples of classical novae

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hack, Margherita; Selvelli, Pierluigi; Bianchini, Antonio; Duerbeck, Hilmar W.

1993-01-01

Because of the very complicated individualistic behavior of each nova, we think it necessary to review the observations of a few well-observed individuals. We have selected a few objects of different speed classes, which have been extensively observed. They are: V1500 Cygni 1975, a very fast nova; V603 Aql 1918, fast nova; CP Pup 1942, fast nova; GK Per 1901, fast nova; V 1668 Cyg 1979, moderately fast nova; FH Ser 1970, slow nova; DQ Her 1934, slow nova; T Aur 1891, slow nova; RR Pic 1925, slow nova; and HR Del 1967, very slow nova.

Typical examples of classical novae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hack, Margherita; Selvelli, Pierluigi; Bianchini, Antonio; Duerbeck, Hilmar W.

1993-09-01

Because of the very complicated individualistic behavior of each nova, we think it necessary to review the observations of a few well-observed individuals. We have selected a few objects of different speed classes, which have been extensively observed. They are: V1500 Cygni 1975, a very fast nova; V603 Aql 1918, fast nova; CP Pup 1942, fast nova; GK Per 1901, fast nova; V 1668 Cyg 1979, moderately fast nova; FH Ser 1970, slow nova; DQ Her 1934, slow nova; T Aur 1891, slow nova; RR Pic 1925, slow nova; and HR Del 1967, very slow nova.

Study of the early signal perturbations due to GJ and Elves using the LWPC code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nait Amor, Samir; Ghalila, Hassen; Bouderba, Yasmina

2015-04-01

Early events are a Very Low Frequencies (VLF) signal perturbations recorded during a lightning activity. The properties of these signal perturbations and their association to the lightning peak current and/or Transient Luminous Events (TLEs) were widely studied. In a recently analysis a new early signal perturbations whose recovery time persists for several minutes were discovered. The underlying cause of these events is still unclear. In a recently published work, these events were attributed to the lightning peak current and the type of associated TLE. In others, and newly published papers, analyzes were done where all kind of early events were considered. Statistical results showed that the occurrence of long recovery events is independent of the lightning current amplitude and/or TLEs type. To understand which is the main cause of these events, we analyzed two types of early signal perturbations: One was a typical event (~200s time duration) in association with a Gigantic Jet and the second was a long recovery event in association with an elve recorded on December 12 2009 during the EuroSprite campaign. In addition to the VLF signal analysis, we used the Long Wave Propagation Capability (LWPC) code to simulate the unperturbed and perturbed signal parameters (amplitude and phase), to determine the signal modes attenuation coefficient and then to infer the electron density increases in the disturbed region. The results showed that the reference height was reduced from its ambient value (87km) to 66.4 km in the case of the GJ and 74.3 km for the elve. These reference heights decreases affected the propagating signal at the disturbed region by increasing the modes attenuation coefficient. Effectively, the number of modes was reduced from 28 at ambient condition to 9 modes (in the case of GJ) and 17 (in the case of elve). This high attenuation of modes leads to the appearance of null signal perturbations positions due to the interferences. Between two null positions the signal perturbation was negative (or decreasing) and sometimes positive (or increasing). It was also observed from the LWPC code results that the perturbation amplitude was maximum when the perturbed and unperturbed signals were in phase. Thus the main reason of these observations is the modal structure of the signal at the disturbed region and the receiver location. The electron density increases reached 104 cm-3 at 85 km independently on TLE kind. By the use of the signal perturbation parameters due to the long recovery event and the LWPC code, a recovery time profile of the electron density at each height below 87 km is obtained. The first order exponential decay fit gives different recovery constants depending on the height. This is in good agreement with the atmospheric model where the loss terms rates vary with altitude.

Development of a Monte Carlo code for the data analysis of the {sup 18}F(p,α){sup 15}O reaction at astrophysical energies

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

Caruso, A.; Cherubini, S.; Spitaleri, C.

Novae are astrophysical events (violent explosion) occurring in close binary systems consisting of a white dwarf and a main-sequence star or a star in a more advanced stage of evolution. They are called 'narrow systems' because the two components interact with each other: there is a process of mass exchange with resulting in the transfer of matter from the companion star to the white dwarf, leading to the formation of this last of the so-called accretion disk, rich mainly of hydrogen. Over time, more and more material accumulates until the pressure and the temperature reached are sufficient to trigger nuclearmore » fusion reactions, rapidly converting a large part of the hydrogen into heavier elements. The products of 'hot hydrogen burning' are then placed in the interstellar medium as a result of violent explosions. Studies on the element abundances observed in these events can provide important information about the stages of evolution stellar. During the outbursts of novae some radioactive isotopes are synthesized: in particular, the decay of short-lived nuclei such as {sup 13}N and {sup 18}F with subsequent emission of gamma radiation energy below 511 keV. The gamma rays from products electron-positron annihilation of positrons emitted in the decay of {sup 18}F are the most abundant and the first observable as soon as the atmosphere of the nova starts to become transparent to gamma radiation. Hence the importance of the study of nuclear reactions that lead both to the formation and to the destruction of {sup 18}F. Among these, the {sup 18}F(p,α){sup 15}O reaction is one of the main channels of destruction. This reaction was then studied at energies of astrophysical interest. The experiment done at Riken, Japan, has as its objective the study of the {sup 18}F(p,α){sup 15}O reaction, using a beam of {sup 18}F produced at CRIB, to derive important information about the phenomenon of novae. In this paper we present the experimental technique and the Monte Carlo code developed to be used in the data analysis process.« less

The mechanism by which nonlinearity sustains turbulence in plane Couette flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikolaidis, M.-A.; Farrell, B. F.; Ioannou, P. J.

2018-04-01

Turbulence in wall-bounded shear flow results from a synergistic interaction between linear non-normality and nonlinearity in which non-normal growth of a subset of perturbations configured to transfer energy from the externally forced component of the turbulent state to the perturbation component maintains the perturbation energy, while the subset of energy-transferring perturbations is replenished by nonlinearity. Although it is accepted that both linear non-normality mediated energy transfer from the forced component of the mean flow and nonlinear interactions among perturbations are required to maintain the turbulent state, the detailed physical mechanism by which these processes interact in maintaining turbulence has not been determined. In this work a statistical state dynamics based analysis is performed on turbulent Couette flow at R = 600 and a comparison to DNS is used to demonstrate that the perturbation component in Couette flow turbulence is replenished by a non-normality mediated parametric growth process in which the fluctuating streamwise mean flow has been adjusted to marginal Lyapunov stability. It is further shown that the alternative mechanism in which the subspace of non-normally growing perturbations is maintained directly by perturbation-perturbation nonlinearity does not contribute to maintaining the turbulent state. This work identifies parametric interaction between the fluctuating streamwise mean flow and the streamwise varying perturbations to be the mechanism of the nonlinear interaction maintaining the perturbation component of the turbulent state, and identifies the associated Lyapunov vectors with positive energetics as the structures of the perturbation subspace supporting the turbulence.

Perturbational and nonperturbational inversion of Rayleigh-wave velocities

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haney, Matt; Tsai, Victor C.

2017-01-01

The inversion of Rayleigh-wave dispersion curves is a classic geophysical inverse problem. We have developed a set of MATLAB codes that performs forward modeling and inversion of Rayleigh-wave phase or group velocity measurements. We describe two different methods of inversion: a perturbational method based on finite elements and a nonperturbational method based on the recently developed Dix-type relation for Rayleigh waves. In practice, the nonperturbational method can be used to provide a good starting model that can be iteratively improved with the perturbational method. Although the perturbational method is well-known, we solve the forward problem using an eigenvalue/eigenvector solver instead of the conventional approach of root finding. Features of the codes include the ability to handle any mix of phase or group velocity measurements, combinations of modes of any order, the presence of a surface water layer, computation of partial derivatives due to changes in material properties and layer boundaries, and the implementation of an automatic grid of layers that is optimally suited for the depth sensitivity of Rayleigh waves.

A Spectroscopic and Photometric Study of the Planetary Nebulae Kn 61 and Pa 5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Díaz, Ma. T.; González-Buitrago, D.; López, J. A.; Zharikov, S.; Tovmassian, G.; Borisov, N.; Valyavin, G.

2014-09-01

We present the first morpho-kinematical analysis of the planetary nebulae Kn 61 and Pa 5 and explore the nature of their central stars. Our analysis is based on high-resolution and medium-resolution spectroscopic observations, deep narrow-band imaging, and integral photometry. This material allows us to identify the morphological components and study their kinematics. The direct images and spectra indicate an absence of the characteristic [N II] and [S II] emission lines in both nebulae. The nebular spectrum of Kn 61 suggests a hydrogen deficient planetary nebula and the stellar spectrum of the central star reveals a hydrogen-deficient PG 1159-type star. The [O III] position velocity diagram reveals that Kn 61 is a closed, empty, spherical shell with a thin border and a filamentary surface expanding at 67.6 km s-1 and the shell is currently not expanding isotropically. We derived a kinematic age of ~1.6 × 104 yr for an assumed distance of 4 kpc. A photometric period of ~5.7(±0.4) days has been detected for Kn 61, indicating the presence of a possible binary system at its core. A possible link between filamentary spherical shells and PG 1159-type stars is noted. The morphology of Pa 5 is dominated by an equatorial toroid and faint polar extensions. The equatorial region of this planetary nebula is expanding at 45.2 km s-1. The stellar spectrum corresponds to a very hot star and is dominated by a steep blue rising continuum and He II, Balmer, and Ca II photospheric lines.

Intelligibility of American English Vowels and Consonants Spoken by International Students in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jin, Su-Hyun; Liu, Chang

2014-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the intelligibility of English consonants and vowels produced by Chinese-native (CN), and Korean-native (KN) students enrolled in American universities. Method: 16 English-native (EN), 32 CN, and 32 KN speakers participated in this study. The intelligibility of 16 American English consonants and 16…

On orbital period changes of two low-mass-ratio and deep-contact binaries: FN Cam and KN Per

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Ke; Jiang, Zhen-Hua; Yu, Yun-Xia; Xiang, Fu-Yuan

2018-07-01

The orbital period changes of two low-mass-ratio and deep-contact binaries, FN Cam and KN Per, are investigated by using all available times of light minimum taken from the databases and literature. It is found that the orbital periods of FN Cam and KN Per show secular increase at a rate of P˙ = 4.38 ×10-7 days year-1 and P˙ = 4.18 ×10-7 days year-1 , respectively. The secular period increase suggests that FN Cam and KN Per are undergoing continuous mass transfer from the less massive secondary component to the more massive primary one. A statistical analysis of 53 low-mass-ratio and deep-contact binaries indicates that all of them should contain at least a continuous period change (secular increase/decrease or cyclic oscillation). Moreover, the rates of the secular period variations can be at a common level of P˙ ∼10-7 days year-1. In addition, the cyclic period oscillation has been detected for only 43% of sample stars, which indicates that it should be not popular for all low-mass-ratio and deep-contact binaries.

Tearing Mode Stability of Evolving Toroidal Equilibria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pletzer, A.; McCune, D.; Manickam, J.; Jardin, S. C.

2000-10-01

There are a number of toroidal equilibrium (such as JSOLVER, ESC, EFIT, and VMEC) and transport codes (such as TRANSP, BALDUR, and TSC) in our community that utilize differing equilibrium representations. There are also many heating and current drive (LSC and TORRAY), and stability (PEST1-3, GATO, NOVA, MARS, DCON, M3D) codes that require this equilibrium information. In an effort to provide seamless compatibility between the codes that produce and need these equilibria, we have developed two Fortran 90 modules, MEQ and XPLASMA, that serve as common interfaces between these two classes of codes. XPLASMA provides a common equilibrium representation for the heating and current drive applications while MEQ provides common equilibrium and associated metric information needed by MHD stability codes. We illustrate the utility of this approach by presenting results of PEST-3 tearing stability calculations of an NSTX discharge performed on profiles provided by the TRANSP code. Using the MEQ module, the TRANSP equilibrium data are stored in a Fortran 90 derived type and passed to PEST3 as a subroutine argument. All calculations are performed on the fly, as the profiles evolve.

Cognitive Models for Learning to Control Dynamic Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-30

2 3N NM NM NMK NK M− + + + + constraints, including KN M+ equality constraints, 7 2NM M+ inequality non- timing constraints and the rest are... inequality timing constraints. The size of the MILP model grows rapidly with the increase of problem size. So it is a big challenge to deal with more...task requirement, are studied in the section. An assumption is made in advance that the time of attack delay and flight time to the sink node are

Effects of resistivity and rotation on the linear plasma response to non-axisymmetric magnetic perturbations on DIII-D

DOE PAGES

Haskey, Shaun R.; Lanctot, Matthew J.; Liu, Y. Q.; ...

2015-01-05

Parameter scans show the strong dependence of the plasma response on the poloidal structure of the applied field highlighting the importance of being able to control this parameter using non-axisymmetric coil sets. An extensive examination of the linear single fluid plasma response to n = 3 magnetic perturbations in L-mode DIII-D lower single null plasmas is presented. The effects of plasma resistivity, toroidal rotation and applied field structure are calculated using the linear single fluid MHD code, MARS-F. Measures which separate the response into a pitch-resonant and resonant field amplification (RFA) component are used to demonstrate the extent to whichmore » resonant screening and RFA occurs. The ability to control the ratio of pitch-resonant fields to RFA by varying the phasing between upper and lower resonant magnetic perturbations coils sets is shown. The predicted magnetic probe outputs and displacement at the x-point are also calculated for comparison with experiments. Additionally, modelling of the linear plasma response using experimental toroidal rotation profiles and Spitzer like resistivity profiles are compared with results which provide experimental evidence of a direct link between the decay of the resonant screening response and the formation of a 3D boundary. As a result, good agreement is found during the initial application of the MP, however, later in the shot a sudden drop in the poloidal magnetic probe output occurs which is not captured in the linear single fluid modelling.« less

Divergence of perturbation theory in large scale structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pajer, Enrico; van der Woude, Drian

2018-05-01

We make progress towards an analytical understanding of the regime of validity of perturbation theory for large scale structures and the nature of some non-perturbative corrections. We restrict ourselves to 1D gravitational collapse, for which exact solutions before shell crossing are known. We review the convergence of perturbation theory for the power spectrum, recently proven by McQuinn and White [1], and extend it to non-Gaussian initial conditions and the bispectrum. In contrast, we prove that perturbation theory diverges for the real space two-point correlation function and for the probability density function (PDF) of the density averaged in cells and all the cumulants derived from it. We attribute these divergences to the statistical averaging intrinsic to cosmological observables, which, even on very large and "perturbative" scales, gives non-vanishing weight to all extreme fluctuations. Finally, we discuss some general properties of non-perturbative effects in real space and Fourier space.

M3D-C1 simulations of the plasma response to RMPs in NSTX-U single-null and snowflake divertor configurations

DOE PAGES

Canal, G. P.; Ferraro, N. M.; Evans, T. E.; ...

2017-04-20

Here in this work, single- and two-fluid resistive magnetohydrodynamic calculations of the plasma response to n = 3 magnetic perturbations in single-null (SN) and snowflake (SF) divertor configurations are compared with those based on the vacuum approach. The calculations are performed using the code M3D-C 1 and are based on simulated NSTX-U plasmas. Significantly different plasma responses were found from these calculations, with the difference between the single- and two-fluid plasma responses being caused mainly by the different screening mechanism intrinsic to each of these models. Although different plasma responses were obtained from these different plasma models, no significant differencemore » between the SN and SF plasma responses were found. However, due to their different equilibrium properties, magnetic perturbations cause the SF configuration to develop additional and longer magnetic lobes in the null-point region than the SN, regardless of the plasma model used. The intersection of these longer and additional lobes with the divertor plates are expected to cause more striations in the particle and heat flux target profiles. In addition, the results indicate that the size of the magnetic lobes, in both single-null and snowflake configurations, are more sensitive to resonant magnetic perturbations than to non-resonant magnetic perturbations.« less

Grounding line dynamics inferred from a 3D full-Stokes model solving the contact problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Favier, Lionel; Gagliardini, Olivier; Durand, Gael; Zwinger, Thomas

2010-05-01

The mass balance of marine ice-sheets, such as the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, is mostly controlled by their grounding line dynamics. Most numerical models simulating marine ice-sheets involve simplifications and do not include all the stress gradients. First results obtained with a 3D full-Stokes model for the grounded ice-sheet / floating ice-shelf transition, using the finite-element code Elmer/Ice, are presented. The initial geometry, which takes into account a dome and a calving front, has been laterally extruded from a previously investigated 2D flowline geometry. The grounding line migration is computed by solving the contact problem between the ice and the rigid downward sloping bedrock, where a non linear friction law is applied in the two horizontal directions. The evolutions of the sea-air and sea-ice interfaces are determined by the solution of a local transport equation. The consistency between the 3D model and the analogous results of the flowline model is shown by comparing the results in the basic extruded case, with no normal flux through lateral boundaries. Thereafter, spatially non uniform perturbations are introduced, to simulate the grounding line dynamics under fully three-dimensional perturbations.

RNA-seq analysis of Rubus idaeus cv. Nova: transcriptome sequencing and de novo assembly for subsequent functional genomics approaches.

PubMed

Hyun, Tae Kyung; Lee, Sarah; Kumar, Dhinesh; Rim, Yeonggil; Kumar, Ritesh; Lee, Sang Yeol; Lee, Choong Hwan; Kim, Jae-Yean

2014-10-01

Using Illumina sequencing technology, we have generated the large-scale transcriptome sequencing data containing abundant information on genes involved in the metabolic pathways in R. idaeus cv. Nova fruits. Rubus idaeus (Red raspberry) is one of the important economical crops that possess numerous nutrients, micronutrients and phytochemicals with essential health benefits to human. The molecular mechanism underlying the ripening process and phytochemical biosynthesis in red raspberry is attributed to the changes in gene expression, but very limited transcriptomic and genomic information in public databases is available. To address this issue, we generated more than 51 million sequencing reads from R. idaeus cv. Nova fruit using Illumina RNA-Seq technology. After de novo assembly, we obtained 42,604 unigenes with an average length of 812 bp. At the protein level, Nova fruit transcriptome showed 77 and 68 % sequence similarities with Rubus coreanus and Fragaria versa, respectively, indicating the evolutionary relationship between them. In addition, 69 % of assembled unigenes were annotated using public databases including NCBI non-redundant, Cluster of Orthologous Groups and Gene ontology database, suggesting that our transcriptome dataset provides a valuable resource for investigating metabolic processes in red raspberry. To analyze the relationship between several novel transcripts and the amounts of metabolites such as γ-aminobutyric acid and anthocyanins, real-time PCR and target metabolite analysis were performed on two different ripening stages of Nova. This is the first attempt using Illumina sequencing platform for RNA sequencing and de novo assembly of Nova fruit without reference genome. Our data provide the most comprehensive transcriptome resource available for Rubus fruits, and will be useful for understanding the ripening process and for breeding R. idaeus cultivars with improved fruit quality.

The Nova-Dwarf Nova Connection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Marco, Orsola

The extraordinary discovery that thermonuclear runaway (TNR) processed material lives on the white dwarf (WD) surface in the dwarf nova (DN) system VW Hyi is in direct conflict with the currently accepted model for DNe. The WD in VW Hyi should be continuously buried in solar-abundance material accreted from its fully-convective, low-mass main sequence companion. IT ISNT. There are either subtle metallicity-varying forces at work, or the current theory of DNe is completely wrong. Only by monitoring the abundances of key elements throughout an entire dwarf nova cycle will we be able to observe the rate of change of key abundance ratios by accretion and mixing processes, and hence deduce the relative importance of diffusion (in removing metals), accretion (in adding metals) and (non-party line but possible) local nuclear burning. FUSE is ideal for this task, because its spectral range contains key lines of important elements, because of its high temperature sensitivity and because in its wavelength range, the VW Hyi spectrum is totally dominated by the WD. VW Hyi is the obvious candidate for this project, because we already know that its abundances are indicative of recent TNR processing.

Synthesis and biological activity of N-arylpiperazine-modified analogues of KN-62, a potent antagonist of the purinergic P2X7 receptor.

PubMed

Baraldi, Pier Giovanni; del Carmen Nuñez, Maria; Morelli, Anna; Falzoni, Simonetta; Di Virgilio, Francesco; Romagnoli, Romeo

2003-04-10

The P2X(7) receptor is involved in several processes relevant to inflammation (cytokine release, NO generation, killing of intracellular pathogens, cytotoxicity); thus, it may be an appealing target for pharmacological intervention. The characterization of native and recombinant P2X(7) receptor continues to be hindered by the lack of specific and subtype-selective antagonists. However, a tyrosine derivative named KN-62 exhibits selective P2X(7) receptor-blocking properties. The present study was designed to evaluate the functional antagonistic properties of a novel series of KN-62-related compounds characterized by the presence of different phenyl-substituted piperazine moieties. Antagonistic activity of KN-62 derivatives was tested on HEK293 cells transduced with the human P2X(7) receptor and monocyte-derived human macrophages, a cell type well-known for the high level of expression of this receptor. The biological responses investigated were ATP-dependent Ca(2+) influx across the plasma membrane, ethidium bromide uptake, and secretion of the cytokine interleukin-1beta. KN-62 was characterized by the presence of a phenylpiperazine moiety, and the presence of a one-carbon linker between the piperazine nitrogen and the phenyl ring (compound 61) increases the activity, while a two-carbon linker (compound 62) decreases biological activity 10-fold. Also, the nature and the position of substituents on the phenyl ring tethered to the piperazine seemed to exert a fundamental influence on the biological activity. In the series of synthesized compounds, the presence of a fluorine in the para position gives the most potent compound (63), while the same atom in the ortho position reduces potency by 3-fold. When the p-fluorine was replaced in the same position with other halogens, such as chlorine (compound 64) or iodine (compound 65), the activity decreased dramatically. We then tested the activity of the four most potent KN-62 derivatives on ATP-stimulated secretion of IL-1beta from monocyte-derived human macrophages, a key cell type in inflammation and innate immunity. Interestingly, compound 68 and 71 caused a complete inhibition of IL-1beta release, while with KN-62, 63, and 85, there was a small residual cytokine secretion even at concentrations exceeding 100 nM. None of the compounds tested on IL-1beta release had any effect on isolated CaMII kinase activity up to 20 microM (not shown).

Nonlinear Cascades of Surface Oceanic Geostrophic Kinetic Energy in the Frequency Domain

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

kinetic energy in wavenumber k space for surface ocean geostrophic flows have been computed from sat - ellite altimetry data of sea surface height (Scott...5 0.65kN, where kN corresponds to the Nyquist scale. The filter is applied to bq 1 and bq 2 , the Fourier transforms of q1 and q2, at every time step

Hydrodynamic Simulations of the Consequences of Accretion onto ONe White Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Starrfield, Sumner; Bose, Maitrayee; Iliadis, Christian; Hix, William Raphael; Woodward, Charles E.; Wagner, Robert M.; José, Jordi; Hernanz, Margarita; Feng, Wanda

2018-06-01

Mass and luminosity variations of the white dwarf, combined with changes in the mass accretion rate and composition of the accreted material affect the evolution of the thermonuclear runaway (TNR) in classical and recurrent novae. Here we highlight continued investigations of these effects on accreting Oxygen-Neon (ONe) white dwarfs. We now use the results of the multi-dimensional studies of TNRs in white dwarfs, accreting only solar matter, which show that sufficient core material is dredged-up during the TNR to agree with the measurements of ejecta abundances in classical nova explosions. Therefore, we first accrete solar material and follow the evolution until a TNR is ongoing. We then switch the composition to a mixture with either 25% core material or 50% core material (plus accreted material) and follow the resulting evolution of the TNR through peak nuclear burning and decline. We use our 1D, Lagrangian, hydrodynamic code: NOVA. We will report on the results of these new simulations and compare the ejecta abundances to those measured in pre-solar grains that are thought to arise from classical nova explosions. We will also compare these results to our companion studies, done in a similar fashion, where we have followed the consequences of accretion onto Carbon-Oxygen white dwarfs. This work was supported in part by NASA under the Astrophysics Theory Program grant 14-ATP14-0007 and the U.S. DOE under Contract No. DE-FG02- 97ER41041. SS acknowledges partial support from NASA, NSF, and HST grants to ASU and WRH is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Physics.

NOVA2-mediated RNA regulation is required for axonal pathfinding during development.

PubMed

Saito, Yuhki; Miranda-Rottmann, Soledad; Ruggiu, Matteo; Park, Christopher Y; Fak, John J; Zhong, Ru; Duncan, Jeremy S; Fabella, Brian A; Junge, Harald J; Chen, Zhe; Araya, Roberto; Fritzsch, Bernd; Hudspeth, A J; Darnell, Robert B

2016-05-25

The neuron specific RNA-binding proteins NOVA1 and NOVA2 are highly homologous alternative splicing regulators. NOVA proteins regulate at least 700 alternative splicing events in vivo, yet relatively little is known about the biologic consequences of NOVA action and in particular about functional differences between NOVA1 and NOVA2. Transcriptome-wide searches for isoform-specific functions, using NOVA1 and NOVA2 specific HITS-CLIP and RNA-seq data from mouse cortex lacking either NOVA isoform, reveals that NOVA2 uniquely regulates alternative splicing events of a series of axon guidance related genes during cortical development. Corresponding axonal pathfinding defects were specific to NOVA2 deficiency: Nova2-/- but not Nova1-/- mice had agenesis of the corpus callosum, and axonal outgrowth defects specific to ventral motoneuron axons and efferent innervation of the cochlea. Thus we have discovered that NOVA2 uniquely regulates alternative splicing of a coordinate set of transcripts encoding key components in cortical, brainstem and spinal axon guidance/outgrowth pathways during neural differentiation, with severe functional consequences in vivo.

Deformed quantum double realization of the toric code and beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padmanabhan, Pramod; Ibieta-Jimenez, Juan Pablo; Bernabe Ferreira, Miguel Jorge; Teotonio-Sobrinho, Paulo

2016-09-01

Quantum double models, such as the toric code, can be constructed from transfer matrices of lattice gauge theories with discrete gauge groups and parametrized by the center of the gauge group algebra and its dual. For general choices of these parameters the transfer matrix contains operators acting on links which can also be thought of as perturbations to the quantum double model driving it out of its topological phase and destroying the exact solvability of the quantum double model. We modify these transfer matrices with perturbations and extract exactly solvable models which remain in a quantum phase, thus nullifying the effect of the perturbation. The algebra of the modified vertex and plaquette operators now obey a deformed version of the quantum double algebra. The Abelian cases are shown to be in the quantum double phase whereas the non-Abelian phases are shown to be in a modified phase of the corresponding quantum double phase. These are illustrated with the groups Zn and S3. The quantum phases are determined by studying the excitations of these systems namely their fusion rules and the statistics. We then go further to construct a transfer matrix which contains the other Z2 phase namely the double semion phase. More generally for other discrete groups these transfer matrices contain the twisted quantum double models. These transfer matrices can be thought of as being obtained by introducing extra parameters into the transfer matrix of lattice gauge theories. These parameters are central elements belonging to the tensor products of the algebra and its dual and are associated to vertices and volumes of the three dimensional lattice. As in the case of the lattice gauge theories we construct the operators creating the excitations in this case and study their braiding and fusion properties.

The evolution of CNO isotopes: a new window on cosmic star formation history and the stellar IMF in the age of ALMA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romano, D.; Matteucci, F.; Zhang, Z.-Y.; Papadopoulos, P. P.; Ivison, R. J.

2017-09-01

We use state-of-the-art chemical models to track the cosmic evolution of the CNO isotopes in the interstellar medium of galaxies, yielding powerful constraints on their stellar initial mass function (IMF). We re-assess the relative roles of massive stars, asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars and novae in the production of rare isotopes such as 13C, 15N, 17O and 18O, along with 12C, 14N and 16O. The CNO isotope yields of super-AGB stars, novae and fast-rotating massive stars are included. Having reproduced the available isotope enrichment data in the solar neighbourhood, and across the Galaxy, and having assessed the sensitivity of our models to the remaining uncertainties, e.g. nova yields and star formation history, we show that we can meaningfully constrain the stellar IMF in galaxies using C, O and N isotope abundance ratios. In starburst galaxies, where data for multiple isotopologue lines are available, we find compelling new evidence for a top-heavy stellar IMF, with profound implications for their star formation rates and efficiencies, perhaps also their stellar masses. Neither chemical fractionation nor selective photodissociation can significantly perturb globally averaged isotopologue abundance ratios away from the corresponding isotope ones, as both these processes will typically affect only small mass fractions of molecular clouds in galaxies. Thus, the Atacama Large Millimeter Array now stands ready to probe the stellar IMF, and even the ages of specific starburst events in star-forming galaxies across cosmic time unaffected by the dust obscuration effects that plague optical/near-infrared studies.

Investigation of island formation due to RMPs in DIII-D plasmas with the SIESTA resistive MHD equilibrium code

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

Hirshman, S. P.; Shafer, M. W.; Seal, S. K.

The SIESTA magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equilibrium code has been used to compute a sequence of ideally stable equilibria resulting from numerical variation of the helical resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) applied to an axisymmetric DIII-D plasma equilibrium. Increasing the perturbation strength at the dominant m=2, n=-1 , resonant surface leads to lower MHD energies and increases in the equilibrium island widths at the m=2 (and sidebands) surfaces, in agreement with theoretical expectations. Island overlap at large perturbation strengths leads to stochastic magnetic fields which correlate well with the experimentally inferred field structure. The magnitude and spatial phase (around the dominant rational surfaces)more » of the resonant (shielding) component of the parallel current are shown to change qualitatively with the magnetic island topology.« less

Investigation of island formation due to RMPs in DIII-D plasmas with the SIESTA resistive MHD equilibrium code

DOE PAGES

Hirshman, S. P.; Shafer, M. W.; Seal, S. K.; ...

2016-03-03

The SIESTA magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equilibrium code has been used to compute a sequence of ideally stable equilibria resulting from numerical variation of the helical resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) applied to an axisymmetric DIII-D plasma equilibrium. Increasing the perturbation strength at the dominant m=2, n=-1 , resonant surface leads to lower MHD energies and increases in the equilibrium island widths at the m=2 (and sidebands) surfaces, in agreement with theoretical expectations. Island overlap at large perturbation strengths leads to stochastic magnetic fields which correlate well with the experimentally inferred field structure. The magnitude and spatial phase (around the dominant rational surfaces)more » of the resonant (shielding) component of the parallel current are shown to change qualitatively with the magnetic island topology.« less

Biomechanics of Thoracolumbar Burst and Chance-Type Fractures during Fall from Height

PubMed Central

Ivancic, Paul C.

2014-01-01

Study Design In vitro biomechanical study. Objective To investigate the biomechanics of thoracolumbar burst and Chance-type fractures during fall from height. Methods Our model consisted of a three-vertebra human thoracolumbar specimen (n = 4) stabilized with muscle force replication and mounted within an impact dummy. Each specimen was subjected to a single fall from an average height of 2.1 m with average velocity at impact of 6.4 m/s. Biomechanical responses were determined using impact load data combined with high-speed movie analyses. Injuries to the middle vertebra of each spinal segment were evaluated using imaging and dissection. Results Average peak compressive forces occurred within 10 milliseconds of impact and reached 40.3 kN at the ground, 7.1 kN at the lower vertebra, and 3.6 kN at the upper vertebra. Subsequently, average peak flexion (55.0 degrees) and tensile forces (0.7 kN upper vertebra, 0.3 kN lower vertebra) occurred between 43.0 and 60.0 milliseconds. The middle vertebra of all specimens sustained pedicle and endplate fractures with comminution, bursting, and reduced height of its vertebral body. Chance-type fractures were observed consisting of a horizontal split fracture through the laminae and pedicles extending anteriorly through the vertebral body. Conclusions We hypothesize that the compression fractures of the pedicles and vertebral body together with burst fracture occurred at the time of peak spinal compression, 10 milliseconds. Subsequently, the onset of Chance-type fracture occurred at 20 milliseconds through the already fractured and weakened pedicles and vertebral body due to flexion-distraction and a forward shifting spinal axis of rotation. PMID:25083357

Ectopic expression of class 1 KNOX genes induce adventitious shoot regeneration and alter growth and development of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L) and European plum (Prunus domestica L).

PubMed

Srinivasan, C; Liu, Zongrang; Scorza, Ralph

2011-04-01

Transgenic plants of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L) and European plum (Prunus domestica L) were produced by transforming with the apple class 1 KNOX genes (MdKN1 and MdKN2) or corn KNOX1 gene. Transgenic tobacco plants were regenerated in vitro from transformed leaf discs cultured in a medium lacking cytokinin. Ectopic expression of KNOX genes retarded shoot growth by suppressing elongation of internodes in transgenic tobacco plants. Expression of each of the three KNOX1 genes induced malformation and extensive lobbing in tobacco leaves. In situ regeneration of adventitious shoots was observed from leaves and roots of transgenic tobacco plants expressing each of the three KNOX genes. In vitro culture of leaf explants and internode sections excised from in vitro grown MdKN1 expressing tobacco shoots regenerated adventitious shoots on MS (Murashige and Skoog 1962) basal medium in the absence of exogenous cytokinin. Transgenic plum plants that expressed the MdKN2 or corn KNOX1 gene grew normally but MdKN1 caused a significant reduction in plant height, leaf shape and size and produced malformed curly leaves. A high frequency of adventitious shoot regeneration (96%) was observed in cultures of leaf explants excised from corn KNOX1-expressing transgenic plum shoots. In contrast to KNOX1-expressing tobacco, leaf and internode explants of corn KNOX1-expressing plum required synthetic cytokinin (thidiazuron) in the culture medium to induce adventitious shoot regeneration. The induction of high-frequency regeneration of adventitious shoots in vitro from leaves and stem internodal sections of plum through the ectopic expression of a KNOX1 gene is the first such report for a woody perennial fruit trees.

Gender differences in alpha-[(11)C]MTrp brain trapping, an index of serotonin synthesis, in medication-free individuals with major depressive disorder: a positron emission tomography study.

PubMed

Frey, Benicio N; Skelin, Ivan; Sakai, Yojiro; Nishikawa, Masami; Diksic, Mirko

2010-08-30

Women are at higher risk than men for developing major depressive disorder (MDD), but the mechanisms underlying this higher risk are unknown. Here, we report proportionally normalized alpha-[(11)C]methyl-L-tryptophan brain trapping constant (alpha-[(11)C]MTrp K*(N)), an index of serotonin synthesis, in 25 medication-free individuals with MDD and in 25 gender- and age-matched healthy subjects who were studied using positron emission tomography (PET). Comparisons of alpha-[(11)C]MTrp K*(N) values between the men and women were conducted at the voxel and cluster levels using Statistical Parametric Mapping 2 (SPM2) analysis. In addition, the alpha-[(11)C]MTrp K*(N) values on both sides of the brain were extracted and compared to identify the left to right differences, as well as the gender differences. Women with MDD displayed higher alpha-[(11)C]MTrp K*(N) than men in the inferior frontal gyrus, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), parahippocampal gyrus, precuneus, superior parietal lobule, and occipital lingual gyrus. In a matched group of normal subjects the gender differences were opposite from those found in MDD patients. Significant hemispheric differences in fronto-limbic structures between men and women with MDD were also observed. The K*(N) extracted from the volumes identified in MDD patients and in male and female normal subjects suggested no significant differences between males and females. In conclusion, depressed women have higher serotonin synthesis in multiple regions of the prefrontal cortex and limbic system involved with mood regulation, as compared with depressed men. Gender differences in brain serotonin synthesis may be related to higher risk for MDD in women. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A spectroscopic and photometric study of the planetary nebulae Kn 61 and Pa 5

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

García-Díaz, Ma. T.; González-Buitrago, D.; López, J. A.

2014-09-01

We present the first morpho-kinematical analysis of the planetary nebulae Kn 61 and Pa 5 and explore the nature of their central stars. Our analysis is based on high-resolution and medium-resolution spectroscopic observations, deep narrow-band imaging, and integral photometry. This material allows us to identify the morphological components and study their kinematics. The direct images and spectra indicate an absence of the characteristic [N II] and [S II] emission lines in both nebulae. The nebular spectrum of Kn 61 suggests a hydrogen deficient planetary nebula and the stellar spectrum of the central star reveals a hydrogen-deficient PG 1159-type star. Themore » [O III] position velocity diagram reveals that Kn 61 is a closed, empty, spherical shell with a thin border and a filamentary surface expanding at 67.6 km s{sup –1} and the shell is currently not expanding isotropically. We derived a kinematic age of ∼1.6 × 10{sup 4} yr for an assumed distance of 4 kpc. A photometric period of ∼5.7(±0.4) days has been detected for Kn 61, indicating the presence of a possible binary system at its core. A possible link between filamentary spherical shells and PG 1159-type stars is noted. The morphology of Pa 5 is dominated by an equatorial toroid and faint polar extensions. The equatorial region of this planetary nebula is expanding at 45.2 km s{sup –1}. The stellar spectrum corresponds to a very hot star and is dominated by a steep blue rising continuum and He II, Balmer, and Ca II photospheric lines.« less

On Convergence of Extended Dynamic Mode Decomposition to the Koopman Operator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korda, Milan; Mezić, Igor

2018-04-01

Extended dynamic mode decomposition (EDMD) (Williams et al. in J Nonlinear Sci 25(6):1307-1346, 2015) is an algorithm that approximates the action of the Koopman operator on an N-dimensional subspace of the space of observables by sampling at M points in the state space. Assuming that the samples are drawn either independently or ergodically from some measure μ , it was shown in Klus et al. (J Comput Dyn 3(1):51-79, 2016) that, in the limit as M→ ∞, the EDMD operator K_{N,M} converges to K_N, where K_N is the L_2(μ )-orthogonal projection of the action of the Koopman operator on the finite-dimensional subspace of observables. We show that, as N → ∞, the operator K_N converges in the strong operator topology to the Koopman operator. This in particular implies convergence of the predictions of future values of a given observable over any finite time horizon, a fact important for practical applications such as forecasting, estimation and control. In addition, we show that accumulation points of the spectra of K_N correspond to the eigenvalues of the Koopman operator with the associated eigenfunctions converging weakly to an eigenfunction of the Koopman operator, provided that the weak limit of the eigenfunctions is nonzero. As a by-product, we propose an analytic version of the EDMD algorithm which, under some assumptions, allows one to construct K_N directly, without the use of sampling. Finally, under additional assumptions, we analyze convergence of K_{N,N} (i.e., M=N), proving convergence, along a subsequence, to weak eigenfunctions (or eigendistributions) related to the eigenmeasures of the Perron-Frobenius operator. No assumptions on the observables belonging to a finite-dimensional invariant subspace of the Koopman operator are required throughout.

The spatial resolution of a rotating gamma camera tomographic facility.

PubMed

Webb, S; Flower, M A; Ott, R J; Leach, M O; Inamdar, R

1983-12-01

An important feature determining the spatial resolution in transverse sections reconstructed by convolution and back-projection is the frequency filter corresponding to the convolution kernel. Equations have been derived giving the theoretical spatial resolution, for a perfect detector and noise-free data, using four filter functions. Experiments have shown that physical constraints will always limit the resolution that can be achieved with a given system. The experiments indicate that the region of the frequency spectrum between KN/2 and KN where KN is the Nyquist frequency does not contribute significantly to resolution. In order to investigate the physical effect of these filter functions, the spatial resolution of reconstructed images obtained with a GE 400T rotating gamma camera has been measured. The results obtained serve as an aid to choosing appropriate reconstruction filters for use with a rotating gamma camera system.

NOVA2-mediated RNA regulation is required for axonal pathfinding during development

PubMed Central

Saito, Yuhki; Miranda-Rottmann, Soledad; Ruggiu, Matteo; Park, Christopher Y; Fak, John J; Zhong, Ru; Duncan, Jeremy S; Fabella, Brian A; Junge, Harald J; Chen, Zhe; Araya, Roberto; Fritzsch, Bernd; Hudspeth, A J; Darnell, Robert B

2016-01-01

The neuron specific RNA-binding proteins NOVA1 and NOVA2 are highly homologous alternative splicing regulators. NOVA proteins regulate at least 700 alternative splicing events in vivo, yet relatively little is known about the biologic consequences of NOVA action and in particular about functional differences between NOVA1 and NOVA2. Transcriptome-wide searches for isoform-specific functions, using NOVA1 and NOVA2 specific HITS-CLIP and RNA-seq data from mouse cortex lacking either NOVA isoform, reveals that NOVA2 uniquely regulates alternative splicing events of a series of axon guidance related genes during cortical development. Corresponding axonal pathfinding defects were specific to NOVA2 deficiency: Nova2-/- but not Nova1-/- mice had agenesis of the corpus callosum, and axonal outgrowth defects specific to ventral motoneuron axons and efferent innervation of the cochlea. Thus we have discovered that NOVA2 uniquely regulates alternative splicing of a coordinate set of transcripts encoding key components in cortical, brainstem and spinal axon guidance/outgrowth pathways during neural differentiation, with severe functional consequences in vivo. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.14371.001 PMID:27223325

Decavanadate, a P2X receptor antagonist, and its use to study ligand interactions with P2X7 receptors.

PubMed

Michel, Anton D; Xing, Mengle; Thompson, Kyla M; Jones, Clare A; Humphrey, Patrick P A

2006-03-18

In this study we have studied decavanadate effects at P2X receptors. Decavanadate competitively blocked 2'- and 3'-O-(4benzoylbenzoyl) ATP (BzATP) stimulated ethidium accumulation in HEK293 cells expressing human recombinant P2X7 receptors (pK(B) 7.5). The effects of decavanadate were rapid (minutes) in both onset and offset and contrasted with the much slower kinetics of pyridoxal 5-phosphate (P5P), Coomassie brilliant blue (CBB) and 1-[N,O-bis(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-N-methyl-L-tyrosyl]-4-phenylpiperazine (KN62). Decavanadate competitively blocked the slowly reversible, or irreversible, blockade of the P2X7 receptor produced by P5P and oxidised ATP suggesting competition for a common binding site. However, the interaction between decavanadate and KN62 was non-competitive. Decavanadate also blocked P2X2 and P2X4 receptors but with slightly lower potency. These data demonstrate that decavanadate is the first reversible and competitive antagonist of the P2X7 receptor and is a useful tool for studying the mechanism of interaction of ligands with the P2X7 receptor.

The Joint Physics Analysis Center: Recent results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernández-Ramírez, César

2016-10-01

We review some of the recent achievements of the Joint Physics Analysis Center, a theoretical collaboration with ties to experimental collaborations, that aims to provide amplitudes suitable for the analysis of the current and forthcoming experimental data on hadron physics. Since its foundation in 2013, the group is focused on hadron spectroscopy in preparation for the forthcoming high statistics and high precision experimental data from BELLEII, BESIII, CLAS12, COMPASS, GlueX, LHCb and (hopefully) PANDA collaborations. So far, we have developed amplitudes for πN scattering, KN scattering, pion and J/ψ photoproduction, two kaon photoproduction and three-body decays of light mesons (η, ω, ϕ). The codes for the amplitudes are available to download from the group web page and can be straightforwardly incorporated to the analysis of the experimental data.

ELECTRIC CURRENT FILAMENTATION AT A NON-POTENTIAL MAGNETIC NULL-POINT DUE TO PRESSURE PERTURBATION

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

Jelínek, P.; Karlický, M.; Murawski, K., E-mail: pjelinek@prf.jcu.cz

2015-10-20

An increase of electric current densities due to filamentation is an important process in any flare. We show that the pressure perturbation, followed by an entropy wave, triggers such a filamentation in the non-potential magnetic null-point. In the two-dimensional (2D), non-potential magnetic null-point, we generate the entropy wave by a negative or positive pressure pulse that is launched initially. Then, we study its evolution under the influence of the gravity field. We solve the full set of 2D time dependent, ideal magnetohydrodynamic equations numerically, making use of the FLASH code. The negative pulse leads to an entropy wave with amore » plasma density greater than in the ambient atmosphere and thus this wave falls down in the solar atmosphere, attracted by the gravity force. In the case of the positive pressure pulse, the plasma becomes evacuated and the entropy wave propagates upward. However, in both cases, owing to the Rayleigh–Taylor instability, the electric current in a non-potential magnetic null-point is rapidly filamented and at some locations the electric current density is strongly enhanced in comparison to its initial value. Using numerical simulations, we find that entropy waves initiated either by positive or negative pulses result in an increase of electric current densities close to the magnetic null-point and thus the energy accumulated here can be released as nanoflares or even flares.« less

A Vision for Future Virtual Training

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-06-15

Future Virtual Training. In Virtual Media for Military Applications (pp. KN2-1 – KN2-12). Meeting Proceedings RTO-MP-HFM-136, Keynote 2. Neuilly-sur...Spin Out. By 2017 , the FCS program will meet Full Operation Capability (FOC). The force structure of the Army at this time will include two BCTs...training environment, allowing them to meet preparatory training proficiency objectives virtually while minimizing the use of costly live ammunition. In

The First Scube3 Mutant Mouse Line with Pleiotropic Phenotypic Alterations

PubMed Central

Fuchs, Helmut; Sabrautzki, Sibylle; Przemeck, Gerhard K. H.; Leuchtenberger, Stefanie; Lorenz-Depiereux, Bettina; Becker, Lore; Rathkolb, Birgit; Horsch, Marion; Garrett, Lillian; Östereicher, Manuela A.; Hans, Wolfgang; Abe, Koichiro; Sagawa, Nobuho; Rozman, Jan; Vargas-Panesso, Ingrid L.; Sandholzer, Michael; Lisse, Thomas S.; Adler, Thure; Aguilar-Pimentel, Juan Antonio; Calzada-Wack, Julia; Ehrhard, Nicole; Elvert, Ralf; Gau, Christine; Hölter, Sabine M.; Micklich, Katja; Moreth, Kristin; Prehn, Cornelia; Puk, Oliver; Racz, Ildiko; Stoeger, Claudia; Vernaleken, Alexandra; Michel, Dian; Diener, Susanne; Wieland, Thomas; Adamski, Jerzy; Bekeredjian, Raffi; Busch, Dirk H.; Favor, John; Graw, Jochen; Klingenspor, Martin; Lengger, Christoph; Maier, Holger; Neff, Frauke; Ollert, Markus; Stoeger, Tobias; Yildirim, Ali Önder; Strom, Tim M.; Zimmer, Andreas; Wolf, Eckhard; Wurst, Wolfgang; Klopstock, Thomas; Beckers, Johannes; Gailus-Durner, Valerie; Hrabé de Angelis, Martin

2016-01-01

The vertebrate Scube (Signal peptide, CUB, and EGF-like domain-containing protein) family consists of three independent members, Scube1–3, which encode secreted cell surface-associated membrane glycoproteins. Limited information about the general function of this gene family is available, and their roles during adulthood. Here, we present the first Scube3 mutant mouse line (Scube3N294K/N294K), which clearly shows phenotypic alterations by carrying a missense mutation in exon 8, and thus contributes to our understanding of SCUBE3 functions. We performed a detailed phenotypic characterization in the German Mouse Clinic (GMC). Scube3N294K/N294K mutants showed morphological abnormalities of the skeleton, alterations of parameters relevant for bone metabolism, changes in renal function, and hearing impairments. These findings correlate with characteristics of the rare metabolic bone disorder Paget disease of bone (PDB), associated with the chromosomal region of human SCUBE3. In addition, alterations in energy metabolism, behavior, and neurological functions were detected in Scube3N294K/N294K mice. The Scube3N294K/N294K mutant mouse line may serve as a new model for further studying the effect of impaired SCUBE3 gene function. PMID:27815347

Gravitating lepton bag model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burinskii, A.

2015-08-01

The Kerr-Newman (KN) black hole (BH) solution exhibits the external gravitational and electromagnetic field corresponding to that of the Dirac electron. For the large spin/mass ratio, a ≫ m, the BH loses horizons and acquires a naked singular ring creating two-sheeted topology. This space is regularized by the Higgs mechanism of symmetry breaking, leading to an extended particle that has a regular spinning core compatible with the external KN solution. We show that this core has much in common with the known MIT and SLAC bag models, but has the important advantage of being in accordance with the external gravitational and electromagnetic fields of the KN solution. A peculiar two-sheeted structure of Kerr's gravity provides a framework for the implementation of the Higgs mechanism of symmetry breaking in configuration space in accordance with the concept of the electroweak sector of the Standard Model. Similar to other bag models, the KN bag is flexible and pliant to deformations. For parameters of a spinning electron, the bag takes the shape of a thin rotating disk of the Compton radius, with a ring-string structure and a quark-like singular pole formed at the sharp edge of this disk, indicating that the considered lepton bag forms a single bag-string-quark system.

Source of the Kerr-Newman solution as a gravitating bag model: 50 years of the problem of the source of the Kerr solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burinskii, Alexander

2016-01-01

It is known that gravitational and electromagnetic fields of an electron are described by the ultra-extreme Kerr-Newman (KN) black hole solution with extremely high spin/mass ratio. This solution is singular and has a topological defect, the Kerr singular ring, which may be regularized by introducing the solitonic source based on the Higgs mechanism of symmetry breaking. The source represents a domain wall bubble interpolating between the flat region inside the bubble and external KN solution. It was shown recently that the source represents a supersymmetric bag model, and its structure is unambiguously determined by Bogomolnyi equations. The Dirac equation is embedded inside the bag consistently with twistor structure of the Kerr geometry, and acquires the mass from the Yukawa coupling with Higgs field. The KN bag turns out to be flexible, and for parameters of an electron, it takes the form of very thin disk with a circular string placed along sharp boundary of the disk. Excitation of this string by a traveling wave creates a circulating singular pole, indicating that the bag-like source of KN solution unifies the dressed and point-like electron in a single bag-string-quark system.

Green synthesis and characterization of ANbO3 (A = Na, K) nanopowders fabricated using a biopolymer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khorrami, Gh. H.; Mousavi, M.; Khayatian, S. A.; Kompany, A.; Khorsand Zak, A.

2017-10-01

Lead-free sodium niobate (NaNbO3, NN) and potassium niobate (KNbO3, KN) nanopowders were successfully synthesized by a simple and green synthesis process in gelatin media. Gelatin, which is a biopolymer, was used as stabilizer. In order to determine the lowest calcination temperature needed to obtain pure NN and KN nanopowders, the produced gels were analyzed by thermogravometric analyzer (TGA). The produced gels were calcined at 500∘C and 600∘C. The structural and optical properties of the prepared powders were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The XRD results revealed that pure phase NN and KN nanopowders were formed at low temperature calcination of 500∘C and 600∘C, respectively. The Scherrer formula and size-strain plot (SSP) method were employed to estimate crystallite size and lattice strain of the samples. The TEM images show that the NN and KN samples calcined at 600∘C have cubic shape with an average particle size of 60.95 and 39.29 nm, respectively. The optical bandgap energy of the samples was calculated using UV-Vis diffused reflectance spectra of the samples and Kubelka-Munck relation.

Gravitating lepton bag model

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

Burinskii, A., E-mail: burinskii@mail.ru

The Kerr–Newman (KN) black hole (BH) solution exhibits the external gravitational and electromagnetic field corresponding to that of the Dirac electron. For the large spin/mass ratio, a ≫ m, the BH loses horizons and acquires a naked singular ring creating two-sheeted topology. This space is regularized by the Higgs mechanism of symmetry breaking, leading to an extended particle that has a regular spinning core compatible with the external KN solution. We show that this core has much in common with the known MIT and SLAC bag models, but has the important advantage of being in accordance with the external gravitationalmore » and electromagnetic fields of the KN solution. A peculiar two-sheeted structure of Kerr’s gravity provides a framework for the implementation of the Higgs mechanism of symmetry breaking in configuration space in accordance with the concept of the electroweak sector of the Standard Model. Similar to other bag models, the KN bag is flexible and pliant to deformations. For parameters of a spinning electron, the bag takes the shape of a thin rotating disk of the Compton radius, with a ring–string structure and a quark-like singular pole formed at the sharp edge of this disk, indicating that the considered lepton bag forms a single bag–string–quark system.« less

A modified homotopy perturbation method and the axial secular frequencies of a non-linear ion trap.

PubMed

Doroudi, Alireza

2012-01-01

In this paper, a modified version of the homotopy perturbation method, which has been applied to non-linear oscillations by V. Marinca, is used for calculation of axial secular frequencies of a non-linear ion trap with hexapole and octopole superpositions. The axial equation of ion motion in a rapidly oscillating field of an ion trap can be transformed to a Duffing-like equation. With only octopole superposition the resulted non-linear equation is symmetric; however, in the presence of hexapole and octopole superpositions, it is asymmetric. This modified homotopy perturbation method is used for solving the resulting non-linear equations. As a result, the ion secular frequencies as a function of non-linear field parameters are obtained. The calculated secular frequencies are compared with the results of the homotopy perturbation method and the exact results. With only hexapole superposition, the results of this paper and the homotopy perturbation method are the same and with hexapole and octopole superpositions, the results of this paper are much more closer to the exact results compared with the results of the homotopy perturbation method.

How does non-linear dynamics affect the baryon acoustic oscillation?

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

Sugiyama, Naonori S.; Spergel, David N., E-mail: nao.s.sugiyama@gmail.com, E-mail: dns@astro.princeton.edu

2014-02-01

We study the non-linear behavior of the baryon acoustic oscillation in the power spectrum and the correlation function by decomposing the dark matter perturbations into the short- and long-wavelength modes. The evolution of the dark matter fluctuations can be described as a global coordinate transformation caused by the long-wavelength displacement vector acting on short-wavelength matter perturbation undergoing non-linear growth. Using this feature, we investigate the well known cancellation of the high-k solutions in the standard perturbation theory. While the standard perturbation theory naturally satisfies the cancellation of the high-k solutions, some of the recently proposed improved perturbation theories do notmore » guarantee the cancellation. We show that this cancellation clarifies the success of the standard perturbation theory at the 2-loop order in describing the amplitude of the non-linear power spectrum even at high-k regions. We propose an extension of the standard 2-loop level perturbation theory model of the non-linear power spectrum that more accurately models the non-linear evolution of the baryon acoustic oscillation than the standard perturbation theory. The model consists of simple and intuitive parts: the non-linear evolution of the smoothed power spectrum without the baryon acoustic oscillations and the non-linear evolution of the baryon acoustic oscillations due to the large-scale velocity of dark matter and due to the gravitational attraction between dark matter particles. Our extended model predicts the smoothing parameter of the baryon acoustic oscillation peak at z = 0.35 as ∼ 7.7Mpc/h and describes the small non-linear shift in the peak position due to the galaxy random motions.« less

Free-Boundary 3D Equilibria and Resistive Wall Instabilities with Extended-MHD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferraro, N. M.

2015-11-01

The interaction of the plasma with external currents, either imposed or induced, is a critical element of a wide range of important tokamak phenomena, including resistive wall mode (RWM) stability and feedback control, island penetration and locking, and disruptions. A model of these currents may be included within the domain of extended-MHD codes in a way that preserves the self-consistency, scalability, and implicitness of their numerical methods. Such a model of the resistive wall and non-axisymmetric coils is demonstrated using the M3D-C1 code for a variety of applications, including RWMs, perturbed non-axisymmetric equilibria, and a vertical displacement event (VDE) disruption. The calculated free-boundary equilibria, which include Spitzer resistivity, rotation, and two-fluid effects, are compared to external magnetic and internal thermal measurements for several DIII-D discharges. In calculations of the perturbed equilibria in ELM suppressed discharges, the tearing response at the top of the pedestal is found to correlate with the onset of ELM suppression. Nonlinear VDE calculations, initialized using a vertically unstable DIII-D equilibrium, resolve in both space and time the currents induced in the wall and on the plasma surface, and also the currents flowing between the plasma and the wall. The relative magnitude of these contributions and the total impulse to the wall depend on the resistive wall time, although the maximum axisymmetric force on the wall over the course of the VDE is found to be essentially independent of the wall conductivity. This research was supported by US DOE contracts DE-FG02-95ER54309, DE-FC02-04ER54698 and DE-AC52-07NA27344.

Differences in Mechanical Properties of the Human and Monkey Tibia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnaud, Sara B.; Hutchinson, T. M.; Bakulin, A. V.; Rahkmanov, A. S.; Steele, C. R.; Hargens, Alan R. (Technical Monitor)

1996-01-01

A method which uses an instrument that detects the response of a long bone to a vibratory stimulus to quantify mechanical properties non-invasively was revised and validated for use in the tibia. Stored data from healthy men was reanalyzed and compared with values from non-human primates. The analysis uses the relationship K(sub b) = 48 EI/L(sup 3) where K(sub b) is the lateral stiffness of a beam with force applied midspan, E is the elastic modulus, I the geometric moment of inertia and L, the limb length. Values for stiffness (EI, Nm(sup2)), the Euler buckling load (P(sub cr) = EI (pi/L)(sup 2)), and bone sufficiency (S) which represents the axial load the bone can support, adjusted to BW (S=P(sub cr)/BW) were obtained. The interest precision of the method in relaxed men, 5.8%, and in sedated male monkeys, 4.3%, was based on repeated measures in the same subjects at 1 month intervals. The R tibias of 40 men, aged 38.6 +/- 7.3 yrs with BW 78.9 +/- 7.9 kg, showed average (+/- SD) L to be 35 +/- 2 cm, EI 222 +/- 71 Nm(sup 2), P(sub cr) 18.1 +/- 4.9 kN, and S 23.4 +/- 5.7 N. The R tibias of 24 Rhesus monkeys ranging in age from 2-12 years, BW 4.9 +/- 3 kg, showed L to be 14.7 +/- 1.9 cm, EI 6.0 +/- 4.8 Nm(sup 2), P(sub cr) 2.51 +/- 1.2 kN and S 57.3 N. These measurements indicate that the tibia of a terrestrial non-human primate, M. mulatta, has higher load carrying capacity for the level of body weights in the species than the human bone.

AT Cnc: A SECOND DWARF NOVA WITH A CLASSICAL NOVA SHELL

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

Shara, Michael M.; Mizusawa, Trisha; Zurek, David

2012-10-20

We are systematically surveying all known and suspected Z Cam-type dwarf novae for classical nova shells. This survey is motivated by the discovery of the largest known classical nova shell, which surrounds the archetypal dwarf nova Z Camelopardalis. The Z Cam shell demonstrates that at least some dwarf novae must have undergone classical nova eruptions in the past, and that at least some classical novae become dwarf novae long after their nova thermonuclear outbursts, in accord with the hibernation scenario of cataclysmic binaries. Here we report the detection of a fragmented 'shell', 3 arcmin in diameter, surrounding the dwarf novamore » AT Cancri. This second discovery demonstrates that nova shells surrounding Z Cam-type dwarf novae cannot be very rare. The shell geometry is suggestive of bipolar, conical ejection seen nearly pole-on. A spectrum of the brightest AT Cnc shell knot is similar to that of the ejecta of the classical nova GK Per, and of Z Cam, dominated by [N II] emission. Galaxy Evolution Explorer FUV imagery reveals a similar-sized, FUV-emitting shell. We determine a distance of 460 pc to AT Cnc, and an upper limit to its ejecta mass of {approx}5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -5} M {sub Sun }, typical of classical novae.« less

CMB hemispherical asymmetry from non-linear isocurvature perturbations

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

Assadullahi, Hooshyar; Wands, David; Firouzjahi, Hassan

2015-04-01

We investigate whether non-adiabatic perturbations from inflation could produce an asymmetric distribution of temperature anisotropies on large angular scales in the cosmic microwave background (CMB). We use a generalised non-linear δ N formalism to calculate the non-Gaussianity of the primordial density and isocurvature perturbations due to the presence of non-adiabatic, but approximately scale-invariant field fluctuations during multi-field inflation. This local-type non-Gaussianity leads to a correlation between very long wavelength inhomogeneities, larger than our observable horizon, and smaller scale fluctuations in the radiation and matter density. Matter isocurvature perturbations contribute primarily to low CMB multipoles and hence can lead to a hemisphericalmore » asymmetry on large angular scales, with negligible asymmetry on smaller scales. In curvaton models, where the matter isocurvature perturbation is partly correlated with the primordial density perturbation, we are unable to obtain a significant asymmetry on large angular scales while respecting current observational constraints on the observed quadrupole. However in the axion model, where the matter isocurvature and primordial density perturbations are uncorrelated, we find it may be possible to obtain a significant asymmetry due to isocurvature modes on large angular scales. Such an isocurvature origin for the hemispherical asymmetry would naturally give rise to a distinctive asymmetry in the CMB polarisation on large scales.« less

Comparison and prediction of chirping in NSTX and DIII-D

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duarte, Vinicius; Berk, Herbert; Gorelenkov, Nikolai; Heidbrink, William; Kramer, Gerrit; Nazikian, Raffi; Pace, David; Podesta, Mario; van Zeeland, Michael

2016-10-01

We present an explanation of why frequency chirping of Alfven waves is ubiquitous in NSTX and rarely observed in DIII-D. A time-delayed cubic nonlinear equation is employed for the study of the onset of nonlinear phase-space structures. Its explosive solutions are chirping precursors. We employ NOVA and NOVA-K codes to provide consistent Alfvenic eigenmodes and weighted physical contributions from all regions of phase space. In addition, TRANSP is employed to determine the diffusivity needed to fulfill power balance. Though background micro-turbulence is usually unimportant in determining the energetic particle spatial profile, it may still be important with regard to whether chirping structures likely form. We show that the energetic particle micro-turbulent induced scattering often competes with collisional pitch-angle scattering. This competition explains the tendency for NSTX, where micro-turbulence is weak, to exhibit Alfvénic chirping, whereas in DIII-D turbulent diffusion usually dominates and chirping is not observed except when micro-turbulence markedly reduces.

FAST-PT: a novel algorithm to calculate convolution integrals in cosmological perturbation theory

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

McEwen, Joseph E.; Fang, Xiao; Hirata, Christopher M.

2016-09-01

We present a novel algorithm, FAST-PT, for performing convolution or mode-coupling integrals that appear in nonlinear cosmological perturbation theory. The algorithm uses several properties of gravitational structure formation—the locality of the dark matter equations and the scale invariance of the problem—as well as Fast Fourier Transforms to describe the input power spectrum as a superposition of power laws. This yields extremely fast performance, enabling mode-coupling integral computations fast enough to embed in Monte Carlo Markov Chain parameter estimation. We describe the algorithm and demonstrate its application to calculating nonlinear corrections to the matter power spectrum, including one-loop standard perturbation theorymore » and the renormalization group approach. We also describe our public code (in Python) to implement this algorithm. The code, along with a user manual and example implementations, is available at https://github.com/JoeMcEwen/FAST-PT.« less

Introduction of the ASP3D Computer Program for Unsteady Aerodynamic and Aeroelastic Analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Batina, John T.

2005-01-01

A new computer program has been developed called ASP3D (Advanced Small Perturbation 3D), which solves the small perturbation potential flow equation in an advanced form including mass-consistent surface and trailing wake boundary conditions, and entropy, vorticity, and viscous effects. The purpose of the program is for unsteady aerodynamic and aeroelastic analyses, especially in the nonlinear transonic flight regime. The program exploits the simplicity of stationary Cartesian meshes with the movement or deformation of the configuration under consideration incorporated into the solution algorithm through a planar surface boundary condition. The new ASP3D code is the result of a decade of developmental work on improvements to the small perturbation formulation, performed while the author was employed as a Senior Research Scientist in the Configuration Aerodynamics Branch at the NASA Langley Research Center. The ASP3D code is a significant improvement to the state-of-the-art for transonic aeroelastic analyses over the CAP-TSD code (Computational Aeroelasticity Program Transonic Small Disturbance), which was developed principally by the author in the mid-1980s. The author is in a unique position as the developer of both computer programs to compare, contrast, and ultimately make conclusions regarding the underlying formulations and utility of each code. The paper describes the salient features of the ASP3D code including the rationale for improvements in comparison with CAP-TSD. Numerous results are presented to demonstrate the ASP3D capability. The general conclusion is that the new ASP3D capability is superior to the older CAP-TSD code because of the myriad improvements developed and incorporated.

GW/Bethe-Salpeter calculations for charged and model systems from real-space DFT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strubbe, David A.

GW and Bethe-Salpeter (GW/BSE) calculations use mean-field input from density-functional theory (DFT) calculations to compute excited states of a condensed-matter system. Many parts of a GW/BSE calculation are efficiently performed in a plane-wave basis, and extensive effort has gone into optimizing and parallelizing plane-wave GW/BSE codes for large-scale computations. Most straightforwardly, plane-wave DFT can be used as a starting point, but real-space DFT is also an attractive starting point: it is systematically convergeable like plane waves, can take advantage of efficient domain parallelization for large systems, and is well suited physically for finite and especially charged systems. The flexibility of a real-space grid also allows convenient calculations on non-atomic model systems. I will discuss the interfacing of a real-space (TD)DFT code (Octopus, www.tddft.org/programs/octopus) with a plane-wave GW/BSE code (BerkeleyGW, www.berkeleygw.org), consider performance issues and accuracy, and present some applications to simple and paradigmatic systems that illuminate fundamental properties of these approximations in many-body perturbation theory.

Integrating the intrinsic conformational preferences of non-coded α-amino acids modified at the peptide bond into the NCAD database

PubMed Central

Revilla-López, Guillem; Rodríguez-Ropero, Francisco; Curcó, David; Torras, Juan; Calaza, M. Isabel; Zanuy, David; Jiménez, Ana I.; Cativiela, Carlos; Nussinov, Ruth; Alemán, Carlos

2011-01-01

Recently, we reported a database (NCAD, Non-Coded Amino acids Database; http://recerca.upc.edu/imem/index.htm) that was built to compile information about the intrinsic conformational preferences of non-proteinogenic residues determined by quantum mechanical calculations, as well as bibliographic information about their synthesis, physical and spectroscopic characterization, the experimentally-established conformational propensities, and applications (J. Phys. Chem. B 2010, 114, 7413). The database initially contained the information available for α-tetrasubstituted α-amino acids. In this work, we extend NCAD to three families of compounds, which can be used to engineer peptides and proteins incorporating modifications at the –NHCO– peptide bond. Such families are: N-substituted α-amino acids, thio-α-amino acids, and diamines and diacids used to build retropeptides. The conformational preferences of these compounds have been analyzed and described based on the information captured in the database. In addition, we provide an example of the utility of the database and of the compounds it compiles in protein and peptide engineering. Specifically, the symmetry of a sequence engineered to stabilize the 310-helix with respect to the α-helix has been broken without perturbing significantly the secondary structure through targeted replacements using the information contained in the database. PMID:21491493

Non-perturbative theory of dispersion interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boström, M.; Thiyam, P.; Persson, C.; Parsons, D. F.; Buhmann, S. Y.; Brevik, I.; Sernelius, Bo E.

2015-03-01

Some open questions exist with fluctuation-induced forces between extended dipoles. Conventional intuition derives from large-separation perturbative approximations to dispersion force theory. Here, we present a full non-perturbative theory. In addition, we discuss how one can take into account finite dipole size corrections. It is of fundamental value to investigate the limits of validity of the perturbative dispersion force theory.

Validation and application of auxiliary density perturbation theory and non-iterative approximation to coupled-perturbed Kohn-Sham approach for calculation of dipole-quadrupole polarizability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shedge, Sapana V.; Pal, Sourav; Köster, Andreas M.

2011-07-01

Recently, two non-iterative approaches have been proposed to calculate response properties within density functional theory (DFT). These approaches are auxiliary density perturbation theory (ADPT) and the non-iterative approach to the coupled-perturbed Kohn-Sham (NIA-CPKS) method. Though both methods are non-iterative, they use different techniques to obtain the perturbed Kohn-Sham matrix. In this Letter, for the first time, both of these two independent methods have been used for the calculation of dipole-quadrupole polarizabilities. To validate these methods, three tetrahedral molecules viz., P4,CH4 and adamantane (C10H16) have been used as examples. The comparison with MP2 and CCSD proves the reliability of the methodology.

Dehydrin expression as a potential diagnostic tool for cold stress in white clover.

PubMed

Vaseva, Irina Ivanova; Anders, Iwona; Yuperlieva-Mateeva, Bistra; Nenkova, Rosa; Kostadinova, Anelia; Feller, Urs

2014-05-01

Cold acclimation is important for crop survival in environments undergoing seasonal low temperatures. It involves the induction of defensive mechanisms including the accumulation of different cryoprotective molecules among which are dehydrins (DHN). Recently several sequences coding for dehydrins were identified in white clover (Trifolium repens). This work aimed to select the most responsive to cold stress DHN analogues in search for cold stress diagnostic markers. The assessment of dehydrin transcript accumulation via RT-PCR and immunodetection performed with three antibodies against the conserved K-, Y-, and S-segment allowed to outline different dehydrin types presented in the tested samples. Both analyses confirmed that YnKn dehydrins were underrepresented in the controls but exposure to low temperature specifically induced their accumulation. Strong immunosignals corresponding to 37-40 kDa with antibodies against Y- and K-segment were revealed in cold-stressed leaves. Another 'cold-specific' band at position 52-55 kDa was documented on membranes probed with antibodies against K-segment. Real time RT-qPCR confirmed that low temperatures induced the accumulation of SKn and YnSKn transcripts in leaves and reduced their expression in roots. Results suggest that a YnKn dehydrin transcript with GenBank ID: KC247805 and the immunosignal at 37-40 kDa, obtained with antibodies against Y- and K-segment are reliable markers for cold stress in white clover. The assessment of SKn (GenBank ID: EU846208) and YnSKn (GenBank ID: KC247804) transcript levels in leaves could serve as additional diagnostic tools. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Non-perturbative String Theory from Water Waves

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

Iyer, Ramakrishnan; Johnson, Clifford V.; /Southern California U.

2012-06-14

We use a combination of a 't Hooft limit and numerical methods to find non-perturbative solutions of exactly solvable string theories, showing that perturbative solutions in different asymptotic regimes are connected by smooth interpolating functions. Our earlier perturbative work showed that a large class of minimal string theories arise as special limits of a Painleve IV hierarchy of string equations that can be derived by a similarity reduction of the dispersive water wave hierarchy of differential equations. The hierarchy of string equations contains new perturbative solutions, some of which were conjectured to be the type IIA and IIB string theoriesmore » coupled to (4, 4k ? 2) superconformal minimal models of type (A, D). Our present paper shows that these new theories have smooth non-perturbative extensions. We also find evidence for putative new string theories that were not apparent in the perturbative analysis.« less

Analysis of the Effect of Electron Density Perturbations Generated by Gravity Waves on HF Communication Links

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fagre, M.; Elias, A. G.; Chum, J.; Cabrera, M. A.

2017-12-01

In the present work, ray tracing of high frequency (HF) signals in ionospheric disturbed conditions is analyzed, particularly in the presence of electron density perturbations generated by gravity waves (GWs). The three-dimensional numerical ray tracing code by Jones and Stephenson, based on Hamilton's equations, which is commonly used to study radio propagation through the ionosphere, is used. An electron density perturbation model is implemented to this code based upon the consideration of atmospheric GWs generated at a height of 150 km in the thermosphere and propagating up into the ionosphere. The motion of the neutral gas at these altitudes induces disturbances in the background plasma which affects HF signals propagation. To obtain a realistic model of GWs in order to analyze the propagation and dispersion characteristics, a GW ray tracing method with kinematic viscosity and thermal diffusivity was applied. The IRI-2012, HWM14 and NRLMSISE-00 models were incorporated to assess electron density, wind velocities, neutral temperature and total mass density needed for the ray tracing codes. Preliminary results of gravity wave effects on ground range and reflection height are presented for low-mid latitude ionosphere.

Spectroscopic Classification of AT2016fij as a Normal Type Ia Supernova

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shivvers, I.; Yuk, H.; Kelly, P.; Stahl, B.; Filippenko, A. V.

2016-09-01

We report that a CCD spectrum (range 350-1050 nm) of AT2016fij was obtained on Aug. 27.5 UT with the 3-m Shane reflector (+Kast) at Lick Observatory. We classified the event via cross-correlation with a library of supernova spectra using the "SuperNova IDentification" code (SNID; Blondin & Tonry 2007, Ap.J. 666, 1024) including the updated templates of Silverman et al. (2012, MNRAS, 425, 1789) and Liu & Modjaz (2014, arXiv:1405.1437).

Spectral Classification of MASTER J221505.32+101812.6

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silverman, J. M.; Cohen, D. P.; Filippenko, A. V.

2012-06-01

We report that inspection of a CCD spectrum (range 340-1000 nm), obtained on June 27.4 UT with the Shane 3-m reflector (+ Kast spectrograph) at Lick Observatory, shows that MASTER J221505.32+101812.6 (ATel #4213) is a Type Ia supernova (SN Ia). Cross-correlation with a library of SN spectra using the "SuperNova IDentification" code (SNID; Blondin & Tonry 2007, Ap.J. 666, 1024) indicates that the object is a normal SN Ia near maximum brightness at a redshift of 0.090.

Assessment of adult pallid sturgeon fish condition, Lower Missouri River—Application of new information to the Missouri River Recovery Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Randall, Michael T.; Colvin, Michael E.; Steffensen, Kirk D.; Welker, Timothy L.; Pierce, Landon L.; Jacobson, Robert B.

2017-10-11

During spring 2015, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) biologists noted that pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) were in poor condition during sampling associated with the Pallid Sturgeon Population Assessment Project and NGPC’s annual pallid sturgeon broodstock collection effort. These observations prompted concerns that reduced fish condition could compromise reproductive health and population growth of pallid sturgeon. There was a further concern that compromised condition could possibly be linked to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers management actions and increase jeopardy to the species. An evaluation request was made to the Missouri River Recovery Program and the Effects Analysis Team was chartered to evaluate the issue. Data on all Missouri River pallid sturgeon captures were requested and received from the National Pallid Sturgeon Database. All data were examined for completeness and accuracy; 12,053 records of captures between 200 millimeters fork length (mm FL) and 1,200 mm FL were accepted. We analyzed condition using (1) the condition formula (Kn) from Shuman and others (2011); (2) a second Kn formulation derived from the 12,053 records (hereafter referred to as “Alternative Kn”); and (3) an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) approach that did not rely on a Kn formulation. The Kn data were analyzed using group (average annual Kn) and individual (percentage in low, normal, and robust conditions) approaches. Using the Shuman Kn formulation, annual mean Kn was fairly static from 2005 to 2011 (although always higher in the upper basin), declined from 2012 to 2015, then remained either static (lower basin) or increasing (upper basin) in 2016. Under the Alternative Kn formulation, the upper basin showed no decline in Kn, whereas the lower basin displayed the same trend as the Shuman Kn formulation. Using both formulations, the individual approach revealed a more complex situation; at the same times and locations that there are fish in poor condition, there are nearby fish in normal or robust condition. The ANCOVA approach revealed that fish condition at size changed between 400 and 600 mm and that some of the apparent trend in low condition was caused by differences in sample size across the size range of the population (that is, greater catch of intermediate-sized fish compared to large fish). We examined basin, year, origin (hatchery compared to wild), segment, and size class for effects on condition and concluded that, since 2012, there has been an increase in the percentage of pallid sturgeon in low condition. There are basin, year, and segment effects; origin and size class do not seem to have an effect. The lower basin, in particular segment 9 (Platte River to Kansas River), had a high percentage of low-condition fish. Within the segment, there were bend-level effects, but the bend effect was not spatially contiguous. We concluded that existing data confirm concerns about declining fish condition, especially in the segments between Sioux City, Iowa, and Kansas City, Missouri. Although the evidence is strong that fish condition has been in decline from 2011 to 2015, additional analysis of individual fish histories may provide more confidence in this conclusion; such analysis was beyond the scope of this effort but is part of our recommendations. The most recent data in 2016 indicate that decline of condition may have leveled off; however, the length of record is insufficient to determine whether recent declines are within the background range of variation. We recommend that monitoring of fish condition should be increased and enhanced with additional health metrics. We also recommend that, should condition continue to decline, processes are deployed to bring low-condition adult fish into the hatchery to improve nutrition and condition. We could not determine the cause of declining fish condition with available data, but we compiled information on several dominant hypotheses in two main categories: inter- or intraspecific competition for resources and habitat conditions. Data are insufficient to indicate a specific causation or solution, and it is possible that multiple causes apply. We make recommendations for additional research that can be pursued to address uncertainties in trends in fish health as well as potential causes.

NLTE Model Atmospheres for Super-Soft X-ray Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rauch, Thomas; Werner, Klaus

2009-09-01

Spectral analysis by means of fully line-blanketed Non-LTE model atmospheres has arrived at a high level of sophistication. The Tübingen NLTE Model Atmosphere Package (TMAP) is used to calculate plane-parallel NLTE model atmospheres which are in radiative and hydrostatic equilibrium. Although TMAP is not especially designed for the calculation of burst spectra of novae, spectral energy distributions (SEDs) calculated from TMAP models are well suited e.g. for abundance determinations of Super Soft X-ray Sources like nova V4743 Sgr or line identifications in observations of neutron stars with low magnetic fields in low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) like EXO 0748-676.

Consumers' conceptualization of ultra-processed foods.

PubMed

Ares, Gastón; Vidal, Leticia; Allegue, Gimena; Giménez, Ana; Bandeira, Elisa; Moratorio, Ximena; Molina, Verónika; Curutchet, María Rosa

2016-10-01

Consumption of ultra-processed foods has been associated with low diet quality, obesity and other non-communicable diseases. This situation makes it necessary to develop educational campaigns to discourage consumers from substituting meals based on unprocessed or minimally processed foods by ultra-processed foods. In this context, the aim of the present work was to investigate how consumers conceptualize the term ultra-processed foods and to evaluate if the foods they perceive as ultra-processed are in concordance with the products included in the NOVA classification system. An online study was carried out with 2381 participants. They were asked to explain what they understood by ultra-processed foods and to list foods that can be considered ultra-processed. Responses were analysed using inductive coding. The great majority of the participants was able to provide an explanation of what ultra-processed foods are, which was similar to the definition described in the literature. Most of the participants described ultra-processed foods as highly processed products that usually contain additives and other artificial ingredients, stressing that they have low nutritional quality and are unhealthful. The most relevant products for consumers' conceptualization of the term were in agreement with the NOVA classification system and included processed meats, soft drinks, snacks, burgers, powdered and packaged soups and noodles. However, some of the participants perceived processed foods, culinary ingredients and even some minimally processed foods as ultra-processed. This suggests that in order to accurately convey their message, educational campaigns aimed at discouraging consumers from consuming ultra-processed foods should include a clear definition of the term and describe some of their specific characteristics, such as the type of ingredients included in their formulation and their nutritional composition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Multi-Dimensional Structure of Radiative Shocks: Suppressed Thermal X-rays and Relativistic Ion Acceleration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steinberg, Elad; Metzger, Brian D.

2018-06-01

Radiative shocks, behind which gas cools faster than the dynamical time, play a key role in many astrophysical transients, including classical novae and young supernovae interacting with circumstellar material. The dense layer behind high Mach number M ≫ 1 radiative shocks is susceptible to thin-shell instabilities, creating a "corrugated" shock interface. We present two and three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of optically-thin radiative shocks to study their thermal radiation and acceleration of non-thermal relativistic ions. We employ a moving-mesh code and a specialized numerical technique to eliminate artificial heat conduction across grid cells. The fraction of the shock's luminosity Ltot radiated at X-ray temperatures kT_sh ≈ (3/16)μ m_p v_sh2 expected from a one-dimensional analysis is suppressed by a factor L(>T_sh/3)/L_tot ≈ 4.5/M^{4/3} for M ≈ 4-36. This suppression results in part from weak shocks driven into under-pressured cold filaments by hot shocked gas, which sap thermal energy from the latter faster than it is radiated. Combining particle-in-cell simulation results for diffusive shock acceleration with the inclination angle distribution across the shock (relative to an upstream magnetic field in the shock plane-the expected geometry for transient outflows), we predict the efficiency and energy spectrum of ion acceleration. Though negligible acceleration is predicted for adiabatic shocks, the corrugated shock front enables local regions to satisfy the quasi-parallel magnetic field geometry required for efficient acceleration, resulting in an average acceleration efficiency of ɛnth ˜ 0.005 - 0.02 for M ≈ 12-36, in agreement with modeling of the gamma-ray nova ASASSN-16ma.

On the Nature of CP Pup

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mason, E.; Orio, M.; Mukai, K.; Bianchini, A.; deMartino, D.; diMille, F.; Williams, R. E.

2013-01-01

We present new X-ray and optical spectra of the old nova CP Pup (nova Pup 1942) obtained with Chandra and the CTIO 4m telescope. The X-ray spectrum reveals a multi-temperature optically thin plasma reaching a maximum temperature of 36+19 keV 16 absorbed by local complex neutral material. The time resolved optical spectroscopy confirms the presence of the 1.47 hr period, with cycle-to-cycle amplitude changes, as well as of an additional long term modulation which is suggestive either of a longer pe- riod or of non-Keplerian velocities in the emission line regions. These new observational facts add further support to CP Pup as a magnetic cataclysmic variable (mCV). We compare the mCV and the non-mCV scenarios and while we cannot conclude whether CP Pup is a long period system, all observational evidences point at an intermediate polar (IP) type CV.

A Hubble Space Telescope survey for novae in M87.I. light and color curves, spatial distributions, and the nova rate

DOE PAGES

Shara, Michael M.; Doyle, Trisha F.; Lauer, Tod R.; ...

2016-11-08

The Hubble Space Telescope has imaged the central part of M87 over a 10 week span, leading to the discovery of 32 classical novae (CNe) and nine fainter, likely very slow, and/or symbiotic novae. In this first paper of a series, we present the M87 nova finder charts, and the light and color curves of the novae. We demonstrate that the rise and decline times, and the colors of M87 novae are uncorrelated with each other and with position in the galaxy. The spatial distribution of the M87 novae follows the light of the galaxy, suggesting that novae accreted by M87 during cannibalistic episodes are well-mixed. Conservatively using only the 32 brightest CNe we derive a nova rate for M87:more » $${363}_{-45}^{+33}$$ novae yr –1. We also derive the luminosity-specific classical nova rate for this galaxy, which is $${7.88}_{-2.6}^{+2.3}\\,{\\mathrm{yr}}^{-1}/{10}^{10}\\,{L}_{\\odot }{,}_{K}$$. Both rates are 3–4 times higher than those reported for M87 in the past, and similarly higher than those reported for all other galaxies. As a result, we suggest that most previous ground-based surveys for novae in external galaxies, including M87, miss most faint, fast novae, and almost all slow novae near the centers of galaxies.« less

Optimization of Monte Carlo dose calculations: The interface problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soudentas, Edward

1998-05-01

High energy photon beams are widely used for radiation treatment of deep-seated tumors. The human body contains many types of interfaces between dissimilar materials that affect dose distribution in radiation therapy. Experimentally, significant radiation dose perturbations has been observed at such interfaces. The EGS4 Monte Carlo code was used to calculate dose perturbations at boundaries between dissimilar materials (such as bone/water) for 60Co and 6 MeV linear accelerator beams using a UNIX workstation. A simple test of the reliability of a random number generator was also developed. A systematic study of the adjustable parameters in EGS4 was performed in order to minimize calculational artifacts at boundaries. Calculations of dose perturbations at boundaries between different materials showed that there is a 12% increase in dose at water/bone interface, and a 44% increase in dose at water/copper interface. with the increase mainly due to electrons produced in water and backscattered from the high atomic number material. The dependence of the dose increase on the atomic number was also investigated. The clinically important case of using two parallel opposed beams for radiation therapy was investigated where increased doses at boundaries has been observed. The Monte Carlo calculations can provide accurate dosimetry data under conditions of electronic non-equilibrium at tissue interfaces.

Combined effects of drift waves and neoclassical transport on density profiles in tokamaks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houlberg, W. A.; Strand, P.

2005-10-01

The relative importance of neoclassical and anomalous particle transport depends on the charge number of the species being studied. The detailed particle balance including the EDWM [1] drift wave model for anomalous transport that includes ITG, TEM and in some cases ETG modes, and the neoclassical model NCLASS [2], are illustrated by simulations with the DEA particle transport code. DEA models the evolution of all ion species, and can be run in a mode to evaluate dynamic responses to perturbations or to conditions far from equilibrium by perturbing the profiles from the experimental measurements. The perturbations allow the fluxes to be decomposed into diffusive and convective (pinch) terms. The different scaling with charge number between drift wave and neoclassical models favors a stronger component of neoclassical transport for higher Z impurities through the effective pinch term. Although trace impurities illustrate a simple Ficks Law form, the main ions as well as higher concentrations of intrinsic impurities exhibit non-linear responses to the density gradients as well as off-diagonal gradient dependencies, leading to a more complicated response for the particle fluxes.[1] H. Nordman, et al., Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 47 (2005) L11. [2] W.A. Houlberg, et al., Phys. Plasmas 4 (1997) 3230.

Symmetry-preserving perturbations of the Bateman Lagrangian and dissipative systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campoamor-Stursberg, Rutwig

2017-03-01

Perturbations of the classical Bateman Lagrangian preserving a certain subalgebra of Noether symmetries are studied, and conservative perturbations are characterized by the Lie algebra sl(2, ℝ) ⊕ so(2). Non-conservative albeit integrable perturbations are determined by the simple Lie algebra sl(2,ℝ), showing further the relation of the corresponding non-linear systems with the notion of generalized Ermakov systems.

Symmetry-preserving perturbations of the Bateman Lagrangian and dissipative systems

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

Campoamor-Stursberg, Rutwig, E-mail: rutwig@ucm.es

Perturbations of the classical Bateman Lagrangian preserving a certain subalgebra of Noether symmetries are studied, and conservative perturbations are characterized by the Lie algebra sl(2, ℝ) ⊕ so(2). Non-conservative albeit integrable perturbations are determined by the simple Lie algebra sl(2,ℝ), showing further the relation of the corresponding non-linear systems with the notion of generalized Ermakov systems.

Scalar Dyon Production In Near Extremal Kerr-Newman Black Holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chiang-Mei; Kim, Sang Pyo; Sun, Jia-Rui; Tang, Fu-Yi

2018-01-01

The pair production of charged scalar dyons is analytically studied in near-extremal Kerr-Newman (KN) dyonic black holes. The pair production rate and its thermal interpretation are given. Moreover, the absorption cross section ratio has been compared with the two-point function of the conformal field theories (CFTs) holographically dual to the near horizon geometry, namely warped AdS3, of the near extremal Kerr-Newman black holes to verify the threefold dyonic KN/CFTs correspondence.

Frequency Diverse Array Radar: Signal Characterization and Measurement Accuracy

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-25

W knN (C.14) and f [n] = N−1∑ k=0 F [k]W− knN (C.15) where f [n] = f(t)|t=nTs F [k] = F (ω)|ω=k∆ω WN = exp(−j2π/N) Ts = f −1 s ∆ω = 2π NTs , fs is the...Properties of the MIMO radar ambiguity function”. Proceedings 2008 International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing, 2309–2312. April 2008

Binary pulsars as probes of a Galactic dark matter disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caputo, Andrea; Zavala, Jesús; Blas, Diego

2018-03-01

As a binary pulsar moves through a wind of dark matter particles, the resulting dynamical friction modifies the binary's orbit. We study this effect for the double disk dark matter (DDDM) scenario, where a fraction of the dark matter is dissipative and settles into a thin disk. For binaries within the dark disk, this effect is enhanced due to the higher dark matter density and lower velocity dispersion of the dark disk, and due to its co-rotation with the baryonic disk. We estimate the effect and compare it with observations for two different limits in the Knudsen number (Kn). First, in the case where DDDM is effectively collisionless within the characteristic scale of the binary (Kn ≫ 1) and ignoring the possible interaction between the pair of dark matter wakes. Second, in the fully collisional case (Kn ≪ 1), where a fluid description can be adopted and the interaction of the pair of wakes is taken into account. We find that the change in the orbital period is of the same order of magnitude in both limits. A comparison with observations reveals good prospects to probe currently allowed DDDM models with timing data from binary pulsars in the near future. We finally comment on the possibility of extending the analysis to the intermediate (rarefied gas) case with Kn ∼ 1.

Effects of heat stress and starvation on clonal odontoblast-like cells.

PubMed

Morotomi, Takahiko; Kitamura, Chiaki; Toyono, Takashi; Okinaga, Toshinori; Washio, Ayako; Saito, Noriko; Nishihara, Tatsuji; Terashita, Masamichi; Anan, Hisashi

2011-07-01

Heat stress during restorative procedures, particularly under severe starvation conditions, can trigger damage to dental pulp. In the present study, we examined effects of heat stress on odontoblastic activity and inflammatory responses in an odontoblast-like cell line (KN-3) under serum-starved conditions. Viability, nuclear structures, and inflammatory responses of KN-3 cells were examined in culture medium containing 10% or 1% serum after exposure to heat stress at 43°C for 45 minutes. Gene expression of extracellular matrices, alkaline phosphatase activity, and detection of extracellular calcium deposition in cells exposed to heat stress were also examined. Reduced viability and apoptosis were transiently induced in KN-3 cells during the initial phases after heat stress; thereafter, cells recovered their viability. The cytotoxic effects of heat stress were enhanced under serum-starved conditions. Heat stress also strongly up-regulated expression of heat shock protein 25 as well as transient expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, and cyclooxygenase-2 in KN-3 cells. In contrast, expression of type-1 collagen, runt-related transcription factor 2, and dentin sialophosphoprotein were not inhibited by heat stress although starvation suppressed ALP activity and delayed progression of calcification. Odontoblast-like cells showed thermoresistance with transient inflammatory responses and without loss of calcification activity, and their thermoresistance and calcification activity were influenced by nutritional status. Copyright © 2011 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

West Nile Virus Temperature Sensitivity and Avian Virulence Are Modulated by NS1-2B Polymorphisms.

PubMed

Dietrich, Elizabeth A; Langevin, Stanley A; Huang, Claire Y-H; Maharaj, Payal D; Delorey, Mark J; Bowen, Richard A; Kinney, Richard M; Brault, Aaron C

2016-08-01

West Nile virus (WNV) replicates in a wide variety of avian species, which serve as reservoir and amplification hosts. WNV strains isolated in North America, such as the prototype strain NY99, elicit a highly pathogenic response in certain avian species, notably American crows (AMCRs; Corvus brachyrhynchos). In contrast, a closely related strain, KN3829, isolated in Kenya, exhibits a low viremic response with limited mortality in AMCRs. Previous work has associated the difference in pathogenicity primarily with a single amino acid mutation at position 249 in the helicase domain of the NS3 protein. The NY99 strain encodes a proline residue at this position, while KN3829 encodes a threonine. Introduction of an NS3-T249P mutation in the KN3829 genetic background significantly increased virulence and mortality; however, peak viremia and mortality were lower than those of NY99. In order to elucidate the viral genetic basis for phenotype variations exclusive of the NS3-249 polymorphism, chimeric NY99/KN3829 viruses were created. We show herein that differences in the NS1-2B region contribute to avian pathogenicity in a manner that is independent of and additive with the NS3-249 mutation. Additionally, NS1-2B residues were found to alter temperature sensitivity when grown in avian cells.

Recurrent novae

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hack, Margherita; Selvelli, Pierluigi

1993-01-01

Recurrent novae seem to be a rather inhomogeneous group: T CrB is a binary with a M III companion; U Sco probably has a late dwarf as companion. Three are fast novae; two are slow novae. Some of them appear to have normal chemical composition; others may present He and CNO excess. Some present a mass-loss that is lower by two orders of magnitude than classical novae. However, our sample is too small for saying whether there are several classes of recurrent novae, which may be related to the various classes of classical novae, or whether the low mass-loss is a general property of the class or just a peculiarity of one member of the larger class of classical novae and recurrent novae.

The awakening of a classical nova from hibernation.

PubMed

Mróz, Przemek; Udalski, Andrzej; Pietrukowicz, Paweł; Szymański, Michał K; Soszyński, Igor; Wyrzykowski, Łukasz; Poleski, Radosław; Kozłowski, Szymon; Skowron, Jan; Ulaczyk, Krzysztof; Skowron, Dorota; Pawlak, Michał

2016-09-29

Cataclysmic variable stars-novae, dwarf novae, and nova-likes-are close binary systems consisting of a white dwarf star (the primary) that is accreting matter from a low-mass companion star (the secondary). From time to time such systems undergo large-amplitude brightenings. The most spectacular eruptions, with a ten-thousandfold increase in brightness, occur in classical novae and are caused by a thermonuclear runaway on the surface of the white dwarf. Such eruptions are thought to recur on timescales of ten thousand to a million years. In between, the system's properties depend primarily on the mass-transfer rate: if it is lower than a billionth of a solar mass per year, the accretion becomes unstable and the matter is dumped onto the white dwarf during quasi-periodic dwarf nova outbursts. The hibernation hypothesis predicts that nova eruptions strongly affect the mass-transfer rate in the binary, keeping it high for centuries after the event. Subsequently, the mass-transfer rate should significantly decrease for a thousand to a million years, starting the hibernation phase. After that the nova awakes again-with accretion returning to the pre-eruption level and leading to a new nova explosion. The hibernation model predicts cyclical evolution of cataclysmic variables through phases of high and low mass-transfer. The theory gained some support from the discovery of ancient nova shells around the dwarf novae Z Camelopardalis and AT Cancri, but direct evidence for considerable mass-transfer changes prior, during and after nova eruptions has not hitherto been found. Here we report long-term observations of the classical nova V1213 Cen (Nova Centauri 2009) covering its pre- and post-eruption phases and precisely documenting its evolution. Within the six years before the explosion, the system revealed dwarf nova outbursts indicative of a low mass-transfer rate. The post-nova is two orders of magnitude brighter than the pre-nova at minimum light with no trace of dwarf nova behaviour, implying that the mass-transfer rate increased considerably as a result of the nova explosion.

The Masses and Accretion Rates of White Dwarfs in Classical and Recurrent Novae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shara, Michael M.; Prialnik, Dina; Hillman, Yael; Kovetz, Attay

2018-06-01

Models have long predicted that the frequency-averaged masses of white dwarfs (WDs) in Galactic classical novae are twice as large as those of field WDs. Only a handful of dynamically well-determined nova WDs masses have been published, leaving the theoretical predictions poorly tested. The recurrence time distributions and mass accretion rate distributions of novae are even more poorly known. To address these deficiencies, we have combined our extensive simulations of nova eruptions with the Strope et al. and Schaefer databases of outburst characteristics of Galactic classical and recurrent novae (RNe) to determine the masses of 92 WDs in novae. We find that the mean mass (frequency-averaged mean mass) of 82 Galactic classical novae is 1.06 (1.13) M ⊙, while the mean mass of 10 RNe is 1.31 M ⊙. These masses, and the observed nova outburst amplitude and decline time distributions allow us to determine the long-term mass accretion rate distribution of classical novae. Remarkably, that value is just 1.3 × 10‑10 M ⊙ yr‑1, which is an order of magnitude smaller than that of cataclysmic binaries in the decades before and after classical nova eruptions. This predicts that old novae become low-mass transfer rate systems, and hence dwarf novae, for most of the time between nova eruptions. We determine the mass accretion rates of each of the 10 known Galactic recurrent nova, finding them to be in the range of 10‑7–10‑8 M ⊙ yr‑1. We are able to predict the recurrence time distribution of novae and compare it with the predictions of population synthesis models.

Non-hard sphere thermodynamic perturbation theory.

PubMed

Zhou, Shiqi

2011-08-21

A non-hard sphere (HS) perturbation scheme, recently advanced by the present author, is elaborated for several technical matters, which are key mathematical details for implementation of the non-HS perturbation scheme in a coupling parameter expansion (CPE) thermodynamic perturbation framework. NVT-Monte Carlo simulation is carried out for a generalized Lennard-Jones (LJ) 2n-n potential to obtain routine thermodynamic quantities such as excess internal energy, pressure, excess chemical potential, excess Helmholtz free energy, and excess constant volume heat capacity. Then, these new simulation data, and available simulation data in literatures about a hard core attractive Yukawa fluid and a Sutherland fluid, are used to test the non-HS CPE 3rd-order thermodynamic perturbation theory (TPT) and give a comparison between the non-HS CPE 3rd-order TPT and other theoretical approaches. It is indicated that the non-HS CPE 3rd-order TPT is superior to other traditional TPT such as van der Waals/HS (vdW/HS), perturbation theory 2 (PT2)/HS, and vdW/Yukawa (vdW/Y) theory or analytical equation of state such as mean spherical approximation (MSA)-equation of state and is at least comparable to several currently the most accurate Ornstein-Zernike integral equation theories. It is discovered that three technical issues, i.e., opening up new bridge function approximation for the reference potential, choosing proper reference potential, and/or using proper thermodynamic route for calculation of f(ex-ref), chiefly decide the quality of the non-HS CPE TPT. Considering that the non-HS perturbation scheme applies for a wide variety of model fluids, and its implementation in the CPE thermodynamic perturbation framework is amenable to high-order truncation, the non-HS CPE 3rd-order or higher order TPT will be more promising once the above-mentioned three technological advances are established. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

Effect of rotation zero-crossing on single-fluid plasma response to three-dimensional magnetic perturbations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyons, B. C.; Ferraro, N. M.; Paz-Soldan, C.; Nazikian, R.; Wingen, A.

2017-04-01

In order to understand the effect of rotation on the response of a plasma to three-dimensional magnetic perturbations, we perform a systematic scan of the zero-crossing of the rotation profile in a DIII-D ITER-similar shape equilibrium using linear, time-independent modeling with the M3D-C1 extended magnetohydrodynamics code. We confirm that the local resonant magnetic field generally increases as the rotation decreases at a rational surface. Multiple peaks in the resonant field are observed near rational surfaces, however, and the maximum resonant field does not always correspond to zero rotation at the surface. Furthermore, we show that non-resonant current can be driven at zero-crossings not aligned with rational surfaces if there is sufficient shear in the rotation profile there, leading to amplification of near-resonant Fourier harmonics of the perturbed magnetic field and a decrease in the far-off-resonant harmonics. The quasilinear electromagnetic torque induced by this non-resonant plasma response provides drive to flatten the rotation, possibly allowing for increased transport in the pedestal by the destabilization of turbulent modes. In addition, this torque acts to drive the rotation zero-crossing to dynamically stable points near rational surfaces, which would allow for increased resonant penetration. By one or both of these mechanisms, this torque may play an important role in bifurcations into suppression of edge-localized modes. Finally, we discuss how these changes to the plasma response could be detected by tokamak diagnostics. In particular, we show that the changes to the resonant field discussed here have a significant impact on the external perturbed magnetic field, which should be observable by magnetic sensors on the high-field side of tokamaks but not on the low-field side. In addition, TRIP3D-MAFOT simulations show that none of the changes to the plasma response described here substantially affects the divertor footprint structure.

Effect of rotation zero-crossing on single-fluid plasma response to three-dimensional magnetic perturbations

DOE PAGES

Lyons, Brendan C.; Ferraro, Nathaniel M.; Paz-Soldan, Carlos A.; ...

2017-02-14

In order to understand the effect of rotation on the plasma's response to three-dimensional magnetic perturbations, we perform a systematic scan of the zero-crossing of the rotation profile in a DIII-D ITER-similar shape equilibrium using linear, time-independent modeling with the M3D-C1 extended magnetohydrodynamics code. We confirm that the local resonant magnetic field generally increases as the rotation decreases at a rational surface. Multiple peaks in the resonant field are observed near rational surfaces, however, and the maximum resonant field does not always correspond to zero rotation at the surface. Furthermore, we show that non-resonant current can be driven at zero-more » crossings not aligned with rational surfaces if there is sufficient shear in the rotation profile there, leading to an amplification of near-resonant Fourier harmonics of the perturbed magnetic field and a decrease in the far-off -resonant harmonics. The quasilinear electromagnetic torque induced by this non-resonant plasma response provides drive to flatten the rotation, possibly allowing for increased transport in the pedestal by the destabilization of turbulent modes. In addition, this torque acts to drive the rotation zero-crossing to dynamically stable points near rational surfaces, which would allow for increased resonant penetration. By one or both of these mechanisms, this torque may play an important role in bifurcations into ELM suppression. Finally, we discuss how these changes to the plasma response could be detected by tokamak diagnostics. In particular, we show that the changes to the resonant field discussed here have a significant impact on the external perturbed magnetic field, which should be observable by magnetic sensors on the high-field side of tokamaks, but not on the low-field side. In addition, TRIP3D-MAFOT simulations show that none of the changes to the plasma response described here substantially affects the divertor footprint structure.« less

A Hubble Space Telescope Survey for Novae in M87. I. Light and Color Curves, Spatial Distributions, and the Nova Rate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shara, Michael M.; Doyle, Trisha F.; Lauer, Tod R.; Zurek, David; Neill, J. D.; Madrid, Juan P.; Mikołajewska, Joanna; Welch, D. L.; Baltz, Edward A.

2016-11-01

The Hubble Space Telescope has imaged the central part of M87 over a 10 week span, leading to the discovery of 32 classical novae (CNe) and nine fainter, likely very slow, and/or symbiotic novae. In this first paper of a series, we present the M87 nova finder charts, and the light and color curves of the novae. We demonstrate that the rise and decline times, and the colors of M87 novae are uncorrelated with each other and with position in the galaxy. The spatial distribution of the M87 novae follows the light of the galaxy, suggesting that novae accreted by M87 during cannibalistic episodes are well-mixed. Conservatively using only the 32 brightest CNe we derive a nova rate for M87: {363}-45+33 novae yr‑1. We also derive the luminosity-specific classical nova rate for this galaxy, which is {7.88}-2.6+2.3 {yr}}-1/{10}10 {L}ȯ {,}K. Both rates are 3–4 times higher than those reported for M87 in the past, and similarly higher than those reported for all other galaxies. We suggest that most previous ground-based surveys for novae in external galaxies, including M87, miss most faint, fast novae, and almost all slow novae near the centers of galaxies. Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by AURA, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555.

Length-weight relationship and a relative condition factor equation for lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) from the St Clair River system (Michigan, USA)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Craig, J.M.; Thomas, M.V.; Nichols, S.J.

2005-01-01

Several USA state, federal, and Canadian agencies study lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) within the St Clair River and Lake St Clair, collectively referred to hereafter as the St Clair River (SCR) system. Previously, there has been no set standard for determining condition for SCR system lake sturgeon. Condition measures the variation from the expected weight for length as an indicator of fatness, general well-being, gonad development, etc. The aim of this project was to determine the length weight relationship of lake sturgeon caught from the SCR system, from which a relative condition factor (Kn) equation could be derived. Total length (TL, mm) and weight (W, kg) were measured for 1074 lake sturgeon (101 males and 16 females were identifiable) collected by setline and bottom trawl from the SCR system in May-September, 1997-2002. Analysis of covariance found no difference in the length-weight relationship between sampling gear or sex. Least-squares regression of log10W ?? log10TL produced the overall equation logW = 3.365logTL - 9.320. Using the exponential form of the slope and y-intercept, relative condition factor for lake sturgeon from the SCR system can be calculated as Kn - W/[(4.786 ?? 10-10)(TL3.365)]. Equations for males and females were also developed. Overall, body condition was significantly correlated with both age and girth; no significant difference in Kn by sex was found. In general, the SCR lake sturgeon population was near the upper ends of growth and condition ranges listed in the literature, comparable with those populations that are at similar latitudes. Although condition factors should be interpreted with caution, proper use of a standard equation provides a non-lethal measure of overall fish health that can be used by biologists and managers in ongoing efforts to restore lake sturgeon throughout the Great Lakes. ?? 2005 Blackwell Verlag, Berlin.

Length-weight relationship and a relative condition factor equation for lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) from the St. Clair River system (Michigan, USA)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Craig, Jaquelyn M.; Thomas, Michael V.; Nichols, S. Jerrine

2005-01-01

Several USA state, federal, and Canadian agencies study lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) within the St Clair River and Lake St Clair, collectively referred to hereafter as the St Clair River (SCR) system. Previously, there has been no set standard for determining condition for SCR system lake sturgeon. Condition measures the variation from the expected weight for length as an indicator of fatness, general well-being, gonad development, etc. The aim of this project was to determine the length-weight relationship of lake sturgeon caught from the SCR system, from which a relative condition factor (Kn) equation could be derived. Total length (TL, mm) and weight (W, kg) were measured for 1074 lake sturgeon (101 males and 16 females were identifiable) collected by setline and bottom trawl from the SCR system in May-September, 1997-2002. Analysis of covariance found no difference in the length-weight relationship between sampling gear or sex. Least-squares regression of log10W x log10TL produced the overall equation logW = 3.365logTL - 9.320. Using the exponential form of the slope and y-intercept, relative condition factor for lake sturgeon from the SCR system can be calculated as Kn = W/ [(4.786 x 10-10)(TL3.365)]. Equations for males and females were also developed. Overall, body condition was significantly correlated with both age and girth; no significant difference in Kn by sex was found. In general, the SCR lake sturgeon population was near the upper ends of growth and condition ranges listed in the literature, comparable with those populations that are at similar latitudes. Although condition factors should be interpreted with caution, proper use of a standard equation provides a non-lethal measure of overall fish health that can be used by biologists and managers in ongoing efforts to restore lake sturgeon throughout the Great Lakes.

Comparing TCV experimental VDE responses with DINA code simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Favez, J.-Y.; Khayrutdinov, R. R.; Lister, J. B.; Lukash, V. E.

2002-02-01

The DINA free-boundary equilibrium simulation code has been implemented for TCV, including the full TCV feedback and diagnostic systems. First results showed good agreement with control coil perturbations and correctly reproduced certain non-linear features in the experimental measurements. The latest DINA code simulations, presented in this paper, exploit discharges with different cross-sectional shapes and different vertical instability growth rates which were subjected to controlled vertical displacement events (VDEs), extending previous work with the DINA code on the DIII-D tokamak. The height of the TCV vessel allows observation of the non-linear evolution of the VDE growth rate as regions of different vertical field decay index are crossed. The vertical movement of the plasma is found to be well modelled. For most experiments, DINA reproduces the S-shape of the vertical displacement in TCV with excellent precision. This behaviour cannot be modelled using linear time-independent models because of the predominant exponential shape due to the unstable pole of any linear time-independent model. The other most common equilibrium parameters like the plasma current Ip, the elongation κ, the triangularity δ, the safety factor q, the ratio between the averaged plasma kinetic pressure and the pressure of the poloidal magnetic field at the edge of the plasma βp, and the internal self inductance li also show acceptable agreement. The evolution of the growth rate γ is estimated and compared with the evolution of the closed-loop growth rate calculated with the RZIP linear model, confirming the origin of the observed behaviour.

The active quiescence of HR Del (Nova Del 1967). The ex-nova HR Del

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selvelli, P.; Friedjung, M.

2003-04-01

This new UV study of the ex-nova HR Del is based on all of the data obtained with the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) satellite, and includes the important series of spectra taken in 1988 and 1992 that have not been analyzed so far. This has allowed us to make a detailed study of both the long-timescale and the short-timescale UV variations, after the return of the nova, around 1981-1982, to the pre-outburst optical magnitude. After the correction for the reddening (EB-V=0.16), adopting a distance d =850 pc we have derived a mean UV luminosity close to LUV ~ 56 Lsun, the highest value among classical novae in ``quiescence". Also the ``average" optical absolute magnitude (Mv=+2.30) is indicative of a bright object. The UV continuum luminosity, the HeII 1640 Å emission line luminosity, and the optical absolute magnitude all give a mass accretion rate dot {M} very close to 1.4x 10-7 Msun yr-1, if one assumes that the luminosity of the old nova is due to a non-irradiated accretion disk. The UV continuum has declined by a factor less than 1.2 over the 13 years of the IUE observations, while the UV emission lines have faded by larger factors. The continuum distribution is well fitted with either a black body of 33 900 K, or a power-law Flambda ~ lambda -2.20. A comparison with the grid of models of Wade & Hubeny (\\cite{Wade}) indicates a low M1 value and a relatively high dot {M} but the best fittings to the continuum and the line spectrum come from different models. We show that the ``quiescent" optical magnitude at mv ~ 12 comes from the hot component and not from the companion star. Since most IUE observations correspond to the ``quiescent" magnitude at mv ~ 12, the same as in the pre-eruption stage, we infer that the pre-nova, for at least 70 years prior to eruption, was also very bright at near the same LUV, Mv, dot {M}, and T values as derived in the present study for the ex-nova. The wind components in the P Cyg profiles of the CIV 1550 Å and NV 1240 Å resonance lines are strong and variable on short timescales, with vedge up to -5000 km s-1, a remarkably high value. The phenomenology of the short-time variations of the wind indicates the presence of an inhomogeneous outflow. We discuss the nature of the strong UV continuum and wind features and the implications of the presence of a ``bright" state a long time before and after outburst on our present knowledge of the pre-nova and post-nova behavior. Based on observations made with the International Ultraviolet Explorer and de-archived from the ESA VILSPA Database. }

The Galactic Nova Rate Revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shafter, A. W.

2017-01-01

Despite its fundamental importance, a reliable estimate of the Galactic nova rate has remained elusive. Here, the overall Galactic nova rate is estimated by extrapolating the observed rate for novae reaching m≤slant 2 to include the entire Galaxy using a two component disk plus bulge model for the distribution of stars in the Milky Way. The present analysis improves on previous work by considering important corrections for incompleteness in the observed rate of bright novae and by employing a Monte Carlo analysis to better estimate the uncertainty in the derived nova rates. Several models are considered to account for differences in the assumed properties of bulge and disk nova populations and in the absolute magnitude distribution. The simplest models, which assume uniform properties between bulge and disk novae, predict Galactic nova rates of ˜50 to in excess of 100 per year, depending on the assumed incompleteness at bright magnitudes. Models where the disk novae are assumed to be more luminous than bulge novae are explored, and predict nova rates up to 30% lower, in the range of ˜35 to ˜75 per year. An average of the most plausible models yields a rate of {50}-23+31 yr-1, which is arguably the best estimate currently available for the nova rate in the Galaxy. Virtually all models produce rates that represent significant increases over recent estimates, and bring the Galactic nova rate into better agreement with that expected based on comparison with the latest results from extragalactic surveys.

Roos and NACP-02 ion chamber perturbations and water-air stopping-power ratios for clinical electron beams for energies from 4 to 22 MeV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bailey, M.; Shipley, D. R.; Manning, J. W.

2015-02-01

Empirical fits are developed for depth-compensated wall- and cavity-replacement perturbations in the PTW Roos 34001 and IBA / Scanditronix NACP-02 parallel-plate ionisation chambers, for electron beam qualities from 4 to 22 MeV for depths up to approximately 1.1 × R50,D. These are based on calculations using the Monte Carlo radiation transport code EGSnrc and its user codes with a full simulation of the linac treatment head modelled using BEAMnrc. These fits are used with calculated restricted stopping-power ratios between air and water to match measured depth-dose distributions in water from an Elekta Synergy clinical linear accelerator at the UK National Physical Laboratory. Results compare well with those from recent publications and from the IPEM 2003 electron beam radiotherapy Code of Practice.

Dependence of locked mode behavior on frequency and polarity of a rotating external magnetic perturbation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inoue, S.; Shiraishi, J.; Takechi, M.; Matsunaga, G.; Isayama, A.; Hayashi, N.; Ide, S.

2018-02-01

Active control and stabilization of locked modes (LM) via rotating external magnetic perturbations are numerically investigated under a realistic low resistivity condition. To explore plasma responses to rotating and/or static external magnetic perturbations, we have developed a resistive magnetohydrodynamic code ‘AEOLUS-IT’. By using AEOLUS-IT, dependencies of mode behavior on frequency and polarity of the rotating magnetic perturbation are successfully clarified. Here, the rotational direction of the rotating magnetic perturbation to the equilibrium plasma rotation in the laboratory frame is referred to as ‘polarity’. The rotating magnetic perturbation acts on the background rotating plasma in the presence of a static field. Under such circumstances, there exist bifurcated states of the background rotating plasma, which should be taken into account when studying the dependence of the mode behavior on the rotating magnetic perturbation. It is found that there exist an optimum frequency and polarity of the rotating magnetic perturbation to control the LM, and that the LM is effectively stabilized by a co-polarity magnetic perturbation in comparison with a counter-polarity one.

Gamma-ray emission from internal shocks in novae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, P.; Dubus, G.; Jean, P.; Tatischeff, V.; Dosne, C.

2018-04-01

Context. Gamma-ray emission at energies ≥100 MeV has been detected from nine novae using the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT), and can be explained by particle acceleration at shocks in these systems. Eight out of these nine objects are classical novae in which interaction of the ejecta with a tenuous circumbinary material is not expected to generate detectable gamma-ray emission. Aim. We examine whether particle acceleration at internal shocks can account for the gamma-ray emission from these novae. The shocks result from the interaction of a fast wind radiatively-driven by nuclear burning on the white dwarf with material ejected in the initial runaway stage of the nova outburst. Methods: We present a one-dimensional model for the dynamics of a forward and reverse shock system in a nova ejecta, and for the associated time-dependent particle acceleration and high-energy gamma-ray emission. Non-thermal proton and electron spectra are calculated by solving a time-dependent transport equation for particle injection, acceleration, losses, and escape from the shock region. The predicted emission is compared to LAT observations of V407 Cyg, V1324 Sco, V959 Mon, V339 Del, V1369 Cen, and V5668 Sgr. Results: The ≥100 MeV gamma-ray emission arises predominantly from particles accelerated up to 100 GeV at the reverse shock and undergoing hadronic interactions in the dense cooling layer downstream of the shock. The emission rises within days after the onset of the wind, quickly reaches a maximum, and its subsequent decrease reflects mostly the time evolution of the wind properties. Comparison to gamma-ray data points to a typical scenario where an ejecta of mass 10-5-10-4 M⊙ expands in a homologous way with a maximum velocity of 1000-2000 km s-1, followed within a day by a wind with a velocity <2000 km s-1 and a mass-loss rate of 10-4-10-3 M⊙ yr-1 declining over a time scale of a few days. Because of the large uncertainties in the measurements, many parameters of the problem are degenerate and/or poorly constrained except for the wind velocity, the relatively low values of which result in the majority of best-fit models having gamma-ray spectra with a high-energy turnover below 10 GeV. Our typical model is able to account for the main features in the observations of the recent gamma-ray nova ASASSN-16ma. Conclusions: The internal shock model can account for the gamma-ray emission of the novae detected by Fermi LAT. Gamma-ray observations hold potential for probing the mechanism of mass ejection in novae, but should be combined to diagnostics of the thermal emission at lower energies to be more constraining.

Influence of a 3.5 Day Fast on Physical Performance Running Heading: Fasting and Performance,

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-01-01

induced atrophy. Two weeks of a hypocaloric diet has been shown to result in selective atrophy of Type II muscle fibers (28). However, it is unlike that...J, Marliss EB, Jeejeebhoy KN. Skeletal muse-le function during hypocaloric diets and fasting: a comparison with standard nutritional assessment...KN. Metabolic and structural changes in skeletal muscle during hypocaloric dieting . Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1984; 39:503-513. 0 .4. .4.% Ii 20 29. Taylor H

Proper-motion age dating of the progeny of Nova Scorpii AD 1437.

PubMed

Shara, M M; Iłkiewicz, K; Mikołajewska, J; Pagnotta, A; Bode, M F; Crause, L A; Drozd, K; Faherty, J; Fuentes-Morales, I; Grindlay, J E; Moffat, A F J; Pretorius, M L; Schmidtobreick, L; Stephenson, F R; Tappert, C; Zurek, D

2017-08-30

'Cataclysmic variables' are binary star systems in which one star of the pair is a white dwarf, and which often generate bright and energetic stellar outbursts. Classical novae are one type of outburst: when the white dwarf accretes enough matter from its companion, the resulting hydrogen-rich atmospheric envelope can host a runaway thermonuclear reaction that generates a rapid brightening. Achieving peak luminosities of up to one million times that of the Sun, all classical novae are recurrent, on timescales of months to millennia. During the century before and after an eruption, the 'novalike' binary systems that give rise to classical novae exhibit high rates of mass transfer to their white dwarfs. Another type of outburst is the dwarf nova: these occur in binaries that have stellar masses and periods indistinguishable from those of novalikes but much lower mass-transfer rates, when accretion-disk instabilities drop matter onto the white dwarfs. The co-existence at the same orbital period of novalike binaries and dwarf novae-which are identical but for their widely varying accretion rates-has been a longstanding puzzle. Here we report the recovery of the binary star underlying the classical nova eruption of 11 March AD 1437 (refs 12, 13), and independently confirm its age by proper-motion dating. We show that, almost 500 years after a classical-nova event, the system exhibited dwarf-nova eruptions. The three other oldest recovered classical novae display nova shells, but lack firm post-eruption ages, and are also dwarf novae at present. We conclude that many old novae become dwarf novae for part of the millennia between successive nova eruptions.

Novae as distance indicators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ford, Holland C.; Ciardullo, Robin

1988-01-01

Nova shells are characteristically prolate with equatorial bands and polar caps. Failure to account for the geometry can lead to large errors in expansion parallaxes for individual novae. When simple prescriptions are used for deriving expansion parallaxes from an ensemble of randomly oriented prolate spheroids, the average distance will be too small by factors of 10 to 15 percent. The absolute magnitudes of the novae will be underestimated and the resulting distance scale will be too small by the same factors. If observations of partially resolved nova shells select for large inclinations, the systematic error in the resulting distance scale could easily be 20 to 30 percent. Extinction by dust in the bulge of M31 may broaden and shift the intrinsic distribution of maximum nova magnitudes versus decay rates. We investigated this possibility by projecting Arp's and Rosino's novae onto a composite B - 6200A color map of M31's bulge. Thirty two of the 86 novae projected onto a smooth background with no underlying structure due to the presence of a dust cloud along the line of sight. The distribution of maximum magnitudes versus fade rates for these unreddened novae is indistinguishable from the distribution for the entire set of novae. It is concluded that novae suffer very little extinction from the filamentary and patchy distribution of dust seen in the bulge of M31. Time average B and H alpha nova luminosity functions are potentially powerful new ways to use novae as standard candles. Modern CCD observations and the photographic light curves of M31 novae found during the last 60 years were analyzed to show that these functions are power laws. Consequently, unless the eruption times for novae are known, the data cannot be used to obtain distances.

Non-normal perturbation growth in idealised island and headland wakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aiken, C. M.; Moore, A. M.; Middleton, J. H.

2003-12-01

Generalised linear stability theory is used to calculate the linear perturbations that furnish most rapid growth in energy in a model of a steady recirculating island wake. This optimal peturbation is found to be antisymmetric and to evolve into a von Kármán vortex street. Eigenanalysis of the linearised system reveals that the eigenmodes corresponding to vortex sheet formation are damped, so the growth of the perturbation is understood through the non-normality of the linearised system. Qualitatively similar perturbation growth is shown to occur in a non-linear model of stochastically-forced subcritical flow, resulting in transition to an unsteady wake. Free-stream variability with amplitude 8% of the mean inflow speed sustains vortex street structures in the non-linear model with perturbation velocities the order of the inflow speed, suggesting that environmental stochastic forcing may similarly be capable of exciting growing disturbances in real island wakes. To support this, qualitatively similar perturbation growth is demonstrated in the straining wake of a realistic island obstacle. It is shown that for the case of an idealised headland, where the vortex street eigenmodes are lacking, vortex sheets are produced through a similar non-normal process.

Neoclassical toroidal viscosity in perturbed equilibria with general tokamak geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Logan, Nikolas C.; Park, Jong-Kyu; Kim, Kimin; Wang, Zhirui; Berkery, John W.

2013-12-01

This paper presents a calculation of neoclassical toroidal viscous torque independent of large-aspect-ratio expansions across kinetic regimes. The Perturbed Equilibrium Nonambipolar Transport (PENT) code was developed for this purpose, and is compared to previous combined regime models as well as regime specific limits and a drift kinetic δf guiding center code. It is shown that retaining general expressions, without circular large-aspect-ratio or other orbit approximations, can be important at experimentally relevant aspect ratio and shaping. The superbanana plateau, a kinetic resonance effect recently recognized for its relevance to ITER, is recovered by the PENT calculations and shown to require highly accurate treatment of geometric effects.

Functionalized bioengineered spider silk spheres improve nuclease resistance and activity of oligonucleotide therapeutics providing a strategy for cancer treatment.

PubMed

Kozlowska, Anna Karolina; Florczak, Anna; Smialek, Maciej; Dondajewska, Ewelina; Mackiewicz, Andrzej; Kortylewski, Marcin; Dams-Kozlowska, Hanna

2017-09-01

Cell-selective delivery and sensitivity to serum nucleases remain major hurdles to the clinical application of RNA-based oligonucleotide therapeutics, such as siRNA. Spider silk shows great potential as a biomaterial due to its biocompatibility and biodegradability. Self-assembling properties of silk proteins allow for processing into several different morphologies such as fibers, scaffolds, films, hydrogels, capsules and spheres. Moreover, bioengineering of spider silk protein sequences can functionalize silk by adding peptide moieties with specific features including binding or cell recognition domains. We demonstrated that modification of silk protein by adding the nucleic acid binding domain enabled the development of a novel oligonucleotide delivery system that can be utilized to improve pharmacokinetics of RNA-based therapeutics, such as CpG-siRNA. The MS2 bioengineered silk was functionalized with poly-lysine domain (KN) to generate hybrid silk MS2KN. CpG-siRNA efficiently bound to MS2KN in contrary to control MS2. Both MS2KN complexes and spheres protected CpG-siRNA from degradation by serum nucleases. CpG-siRNA molecules encapsulated into MS2KN spheres were efficiently internalized and processed by TLR9-positive macrophages. Importantly, CpG-STAT3siRNA loaded in silk spheres showed delayed and extended target gene silencing compared to naked oligonucleotides. The prolonged Stat3 silencing resulted in the more pronounced downregulation of interleukin 6 (IL-6), a proinflammatory cytokine and upstream activator of STAT3, which limits the efficacy of TLR9 immunostimulation. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of using spider silk spheres as a carrier of therapeutic nucleic acids. Moreover, the modified kinetic and activity of the CpG-STAT3siRNA embedded into silk spheres is likely to improve immunotherapeutic effects in vivo. We demonstrated that modification of silk protein by adding the nucleic acid binding domain enabled the development of a novel oligonucleotide delivery system that can be utilized to improve pharmacokinetics of RNA-based therapeutics. Although, the siRNA constructs have already given very promising results in the cancer therapy, the in vivo application of RNA-based oligonucleotide therapeutics still is limited due to their sensitivity to serum nucleases and some toxicity. We propose a carrier for RNA-based therapeutics that is made of bioengineered spider silk. We showed that functionalized bioengineered spider silk spheres not only protected RNA-based therapeutics from degradation by serum nucleases, but what is more important the embedding of siRNA into silk spheres delayed and extended target gene silencing compared with naked oligonucleotides. Moreover, we showed that plain silk spheres did not have unspecific effect on target gene levels proving not only to be non-cytotoxic but also very neutral vehicles in terms of TLR9/STAT3 activation in macrophages. We demonstrated advantages of novel delivery technology in safety and efficacy comparing with delivery of naked CpG-STAT3siRNA therapeutics. Copyright © 2017 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Classical novae and recurrent novae: General properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hack, Margherita; Selvelli, Pierluigi; Duerbeck, Hilmar W.

1993-01-01

We describe the observable characteristics of classical novae and recurrent novae obtained by different techniques (photometry, spectroscopy, and imaging) in all the available spectral ranges. We consider the three stages in the life of a nova: quiescence (pre- and post-outburst), outburst, final decline and nebular phase. We describe the photometric properties during the quiescent phase. We describe the photometric properties during outburst, the classification according the rate of decline (magnitudes per day), which permits us to define very fast, fast, intermediate, slow, and very slow novae and the correlation between luminosity and speed class. We report the scanty data on the spectra of the few known prenovae and those on the spectra of old novae and those of dwarf novae and nova-like, which, however, are almost undistinguishable. We describe the typical spectra appearing from the beginning of the outburst, just before maximum, up to the nebular phase and the correlation between spectral type at maximum, expansional velocity, and speed class of the nova. We report the existing infrared observations, which permit us to explain some of the characteristics of the outburst light curve, and give evidence of the formation of a dust shell in slow and intermediate novae (with the important exception of the very slow nova HR Del 1967) and its absence or quasi-absence in fast novae. The ultraviolet and X-ray observations are described. The X ray observations of novae, mainly from the two satellites EINSTEIN and EXOSAT, are reported. Observations of the final decline and of the envelopes appearing several months after outburst are also reported.

CERES: An ab initio code dedicated to the calculation of the electronic structure and magnetic properties of lanthanide complexes.

PubMed

Calvello, Simone; Piccardo, Matteo; Rao, Shashank Vittal; Soncini, Alessandro

2018-03-05

We have developed and implemented a new ab initio code, Ceres (Computational Emulator of Rare Earth Systems), completely written in C++11, which is dedicated to the efficient calculation of the electronic structure and magnetic properties of the crystal field states arising from the splitting of the ground state spin-orbit multiplet in lanthanide complexes. The new code gains efficiency via an optimized implementation of a direct configurational averaged Hartree-Fock (CAHF) algorithm for the determination of 4f quasi-atomic active orbitals common to all multi-electron spin manifolds contributing to the ground spin-orbit multiplet of the lanthanide ion. The new CAHF implementation is based on quasi-Newton convergence acceleration techniques coupled to an efficient library for the direct evaluation of molecular integrals, and problem-specific density matrix guess strategies. After describing the main features of the new code, we compare its efficiency with the current state-of-the-art ab initio strategy to determine crystal field levels and properties, and show that our methodology, as implemented in Ceres, represents a more time-efficient computational strategy for the evaluation of the magnetic properties of lanthanide complexes, also allowing a full representation of non-perturbative spin-orbit coupling effects. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Advanced Models of Accretion Disk Atmospheres and Spectra for Close Binary Stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wade, Richard A.

1997-01-01

This work led to the development of code for fitting models to data, and to an understanding of the nature of the models which enabled a more rapid search of 'parameter space' for optimal fits to spectral data sets. The code was used to find optimal fits to IUE spectra of quiescent dwarf novae that have been reported to show evidence for the white dwarf. The models consisted of a white dwarf component and an accretion disk with boundary conditions appropriate for the choice of the white dwarf. The preliminary work has strengthened the initial impression that accretion disk spectra can mimic the appearance of white dwarf spectra in the short-wavelength ultraviolet, so that additional constraints (such as distance) are needed to distinguish to two cases.

A XMM-Newton Observation of Nova LMC 1995, a Bright Supersoft X-ray Source

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orio, Marina; Hartmann, Wouter; Still, Martin; Greiner, Jochen

2003-01-01

Nova LMC 1995, previously detected during 1995-1998 with ROSAT, was observed again as a luminous supersoft X-ray source with XMM-Newton in December of 2000. This nova offers the possibility to observe the spectrum of a hot white dwarf, burning hydrogen in a shell and not obscured by a wind or by nebular emission like in other supersoft X-ray sources. Notwithstanding uncertainties in the calibration of the EPIC instruments at energy E<0.5 keV, using atmospheric models in Non Local Thermonuclear Equilibrium we derived an effective temperature in the range 400,000-450,000 K, a bolometric luminosity Lbolabout equal to 2.3 times 10 sup37 erg s sup-l, and we verified that the abundance of carbon is not significantly enhanced in the X-rays emitting shell. The RGS grating spectra do not show emission lines (originated in a nebula or a wind) observed for some other supersoft X-ray sources. The crowded atmospheric absorption lines of the white dwarf cannot be not resolved. There is no hard component (expected from a wind, a surrounding nebula or an accretion disk), with no counts above the background at E>0.6 keV, and an upper limit Fx,hard = 10 sup-14 erg s sup-l cm sup-2 to the X-ray flux above this energy. The background corrected count rate measured by the EPIC instruments was variable on time scales of minutes and hours, but without the flares or sudden obscuration observed for other novae. The power spectrum shows a peak at 5.25 hours, possibly due to a modulation with the orbital period. We also briefly discuss the scenarios in which this nova may become a type Ia supernova progenitor.

A prospective randomized clinical trial into the capacity of a toothpaste containing NovaMin to prevent white spot lesions and gingivitis during orthodontic treatment.

PubMed

Hoffman, Derek A; Clark, Andrew E; Rody, Wellington J; McGorray, Susan P; Wheeler, Timothy T

2015-01-01

White spot lesions and gingivitis represent common, yet challenging, dilemmas for orthodontists. Fluoride has shown some benefit as a protective measure against demineralization; however, this is usually insufficient for orthodontic patients with less than ideal oral hygiene. Dentifrices containing calcium sodium phosphosilicate bioactive glass (NovaMin) have been proposed to aid in prevention of white spot lesions and gingival inflammation. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine if the use of NovaMin reduces the formation of white spot lesions and improves gingival health in orthodontic patients. This was a prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Forty-eight patients undergoing orthodontic treatment were randomly allocated to two groups. The control group consisted of 24 patients who received over-the-counter fluoride toothpaste (Crest®), while the study group consisted of 24 patients who were given the test dentifrice (ReNew™) containing 5 % NovaMin and fluoride. Patients were followed up for 6 months on a monthly basis. Decalcification, gingival health, plaque, and bacteria levels were evaluated every 3 months. Statistical analysis was performed using both parametric and non-parametric tests to identify differences between groups at different time points. There were no significant differences between the groups in regard to changes in white spot lesions, plaque, or gingival health (P > 0.05). There was a trend toward improvement in white spot lesions found in subjects using Crest® at the 3-month time point; however, this was not sustained throughout the study. Our results indicate that a toothpaste containing NovaMin does not differ significantly compared to traditional fluoride toothpaste for improving white spot lesions and gingivitis in orthodontic patients.

Understanding the large-distance behavior of transverse-momentum-dependent parton densities and the Collins-Soper evolution kernel

DOE PAGES

Collins, John; Rogers, Ted

2015-04-01

There is considerable controversy about the size and importance of non-perturbative contributions to the evolution of transverse momentum dependent (TMD) parton distribution functions. Standard fits to relatively high-energy Drell-Yan data give evolution that when taken to lower Q is too rapid to be consistent with recent data in semi-inclusive deeply inelastic scattering. Some authors provide very different forms for TMD evolution, even arguing that non-perturbative contributions at large transverse distance bT are not needed or are irrelevant. Here, we systematically analyze the issues, both perturbative and non-perturbative. We make a motivated proposal for the parameterization of the non-perturbative part ofmore » the TMD evolution kernel that could give consistency: with the variety of apparently conflicting data, with theoretical perturbative calculations where they are applicable, and with general theoretical non-perturbative constraints on correlation functions at large distances. We propose and use a scheme- and scale-independent function A(bT) that gives a tool to compare and diagnose different proposals for TMD evolution. We also advocate for phenomenological studies of A(bT) as a probe of TMD evolution. The results are important generally for applications of TMD factorization. In particular, they are important to making predictions for proposed polarized Drell- Yan experiments to measure the Sivers function.« less

Understanding the large-distance behavior of transverse-momentum-dependent parton densities and the Collins-Soper evolution kernel

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

Collins, John; Rogers, Ted

There is considerable controversy about the size and importance of non-perturbative contributions to the evolution of transverse momentum dependent (TMD) parton distribution functions. Standard fits to relatively high-energy Drell-Yan data give evolution that when taken to lower Q is too rapid to be consistent with recent data in semi-inclusive deeply inelastic scattering. Some authors provide very different forms for TMD evolution, even arguing that non-perturbative contributions at large transverse distance bT are not needed or are irrelevant. Here, we systematically analyze the issues, both perturbative and non-perturbative. We make a motivated proposal for the parameterization of the non-perturbative part ofmore » the TMD evolution kernel that could give consistency: with the variety of apparently conflicting data, with theoretical perturbative calculations where they are applicable, and with general theoretical non-perturbative constraints on correlation functions at large distances. We propose and use a scheme- and scale-independent function A(bT) that gives a tool to compare and diagnose different proposals for TMD evolution. We also advocate for phenomenological studies of A(bT) as a probe of TMD evolution. The results are important generally for applications of TMD factorization. In particular, they are important to making predictions for proposed polarized Drell- Yan experiments to measure the Sivers function.« less

X-Ray Emission from an Asymmetric Blast Wave and a Massive White Dwarf in the Gamma Ray Emitting Nova V407 CYG

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, Thomas; Donato, Davide; Mukai, Koji; Sokoloski, Jennifer; Chomiuk, Laura

2012-01-01

Classical nova events in symbiotic stars, although rare, offer a unique opportunity to probe the interaction between ejecta and a dense environment in stellar explosions. In this work, we use X-ray data obtained with Swift and Suzaku during the recent classical nova outburst in V407 Cyg to explore such an interaction. We find evidence of both equilibrium and non-equilibrium ionization plasmas at the time of peak X-ray brightness, indicating a strong asymmetry in the density of the emitting region. Comparing a simple model to the data, we find that the X-ray evolution is broadly consistent with nova ejecta driving a forward shock into the dense wind of the Mira companion. We detect a highly absorbed soft X-ray component in the spectrum during the first 50 days of the outburst that is consistent with supersoft emission from the nuclear burning white dwarf. The high temperature and short turn off time of this emission component, in addition to the observed breaks in the optical and UV lightcurves, indicate that the white dwarf in the binary is extremely massive. Finally, we explore the connections between the X-ray and GeV-ray evolution, and propose that the gamma ray turn-off is due to the stalling of the forward shock as the ejecta reach the red giant surface.

A statistical analysis of IUE spectra of dwarf novae and nova-like stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ladous, Constanze

1990-01-01

First results of a statistical analysis of the IUE International Ultraviolet Explorer archive on dwarf novae and nova like stars are presented. The archive contains approximately 2000 low resolution spectra of somewhat over 100 dwarf novae and nova like stars. Many of these were looked at individually, but so far the collective information content of this set of data has not been explored. The first results of work are reported.

Comment on "Heat transfer and fluid flow in microchannels and nanochannels at high Knudsen number using thermal lattice-Boltzmann method".

PubMed

Luo, Li-Shi

2011-10-01

In this Comment we reveal the falsehood of the claim that the lattice Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook (BGK) model "is capable of modeling shear-driven, pressure-driven, and mixed shear-pressure-driven rarified [sic] flows and heat transfer up to Kn=1 in the transitional regime" made in a recent paper [Ghazanfarian and Abbassi, Phys. Rev. E 82, 026307 (2010)]. In particular, we demonstrate that the so-called "Knudsen effects" described are merely numerical artifacts of the lattice BGK model and they are unphysical. Specifically, we show that the erroneous results for the pressure-driven flow in a microchannel imply the false and unphysical condition that 6σKn<-1, where Kn is the Knudsen number σ=(2-σ(v))/σ(v) and σ(v)∈(0,1] is the tangential momentum accommodation coefficient. We also show explicitly that the defects of the lattice BGK model can be completely removed by using the multiple-relaxation-time collision model.

Treatment of wastewater containing Reactive Brilliant Blue KN-R using TiO2/BC composite as heterogeneous photocatalyst and adsorbent.

PubMed

Zhang, Shici; Lu, Xujie

2018-09-01

Heterogeneous photocatalysis namely titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) supported on coconut shell biochar (BC) was synthesized by sol-gel method (calcined at 450 °C) in the paper, which was innovatively applied to the decolorization of Reactive Brilliant Blue KN-R. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD) results demonstrated that anatase TiO 2 film was firmly immobilized on the surface and pores of BC. The photocatalysis tests under UV high pressure xenon lamp (300 W) showed highest decolorization efficiency occurred at strong acid and alkali conditions (pH = 1 and 11) reached as 99.71% and 96.99% respectively within 60 min. Therefore, the TiO 2 /BC composites demonstrated both photocatalytic and adsorption capacity on KN-R decolorized, and presented quite durable and reusable in regeneration cycles, indicating a widely application possibility in anthraquinones dyeing wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of kinetin on wheat seedlings exposed to boron.

PubMed

Eser, Ahmet; Aydemir, Tülin

2016-11-01

The objective of this study was to examine relationship between boron (B) induced oxidative stress and antioxidant system in boron sensitive and tolerant wheat cultivars Bezostaya and Kutluk, and also to investigate whether Kinetin (KN) enhances the level of antioxidant system, relative growth, concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), malondialdehyde (MDA) and proline and chlorophyll content in both cultivars exposed to B stress. B treatments diminished growth and chlorophyll content whereas, it enhanced accumulation of H 2 O 2 , MDA and proline, and various antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) in the shoot and root of both cultivars. However, the follow-up application of KN to the B stressed plants improved growth and chlorophyll content and further enhanced the mentioned antioxidant enzymes and level of H 2 O 2 , MDA and proline. This study thus suggests that KN improves B tolerance of the studied cultivars grown under B toxicity. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Solid dispersion of efavirenz in PVP K-30 by conventional solvent and kneading methods.

PubMed

Alves, Lariza Darlene Santos; de La Roca Soares, Mônica Felts; de Albuquerque, Camila Tavares; da Silva, Elica Rodrigues; Vieira, Alexandre Couto Carneiro; Fontes, Danilo Augusto Ferreira; Figueirêdo, Camila Bezerra Melo; Soares Sobrinho, José Lamartine; Rolim Neto, Pedro José

2014-04-15

Efavirenz (EFV) used as a part of the treatment of first choice in antiretroviral therapy for AIDS has low aqueous solubility and presents problems of absorption. We thus initially present a phase solubility diagram with carriers of different classes. With a view to obtaining a solid dispersion (SD) with suitable consistency to that of a solid formulation, we chose to use PVP K-30, since polymers present some of the best results. The kneading (KN) and solvent evaporation (EV) methods were thus used at different rates. These were characterized by the way of DSC, FT-IR, SEM, DR-X and dissolution. SD EV proved unsatisfactory, resulting in a decreased dissolution rate, despite the amorphous state of the samples, while the SD KN 4:1 (EFV:polymer) and physical mixtures (PM) had a higher rate of dissolution. SD KN and PM 4:1 were also evaluated for stability after storage, with benefits being observed in relation to EFV. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Gamma Rays from Classical Novae

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

NASA at the University of Chicago, provided support for a program of theoretical research into the nature of the thermonuclear outbursts of the classical novae and their implications for gamma ray astronomy. In particular, problems which have been addressed include the role of convection in the earliest stages of nova runaway, the influence of opacity on the characteristics of novae, and the nucleosynthesis expected to accompany nova outbursts on massive Oxygen-Neon-Magnesium (ONeMg) white dwarfs. In the following report, I will identify several critical projects on which considerable progress has been achieved and provide brief summaries of the results obtained:(1) two dimensional simulation of nova runaway; (2) nucleosynthesis of nova modeling; and (3) a quasi-analytic study of nucleosynthesis in ONeMg novae.

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

Hachisu, Izumi; Kato, Mariko, E-mail: hachisu@ea.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp, E-mail: mariko@educ.cc.keio.ac.jp

We identified a general course of classical nova outbursts in the B – V versus U – B color-color diagram. It is reported that novae show spectra similar to those of A-F supergiants near optical light maximum. However, they do not follow the supergiant sequence in the color-color diagram, neither the blackbody nor the main-sequence sequence. Instead, we found that novae evolve along a new sequence in the pre-maximum and near-maximum phases, which we call 'the nova-giant sequence'. This sequence is parallel to but Δ(U – B) ≈ –0.2 mag bluer than the supergiant sequence. This is because the massmore » of a nova envelope is much (∼10{sup –4} times) less than that of a normal supergiant. After optical maximum, its color quickly evolves back blueward along the same nova-giant sequence and reaches the point of free-free emission (B – V = –0.03, U – B = –0.97), which coincides with the intersection of the blackbody sequence and the nova-giant sequence, and remains there for a while. Then the color evolves leftward (blueward in B – V but almost constant in U – B), owing mainly to the development of strong emission lines. This is the general course of nova outbursts in the color-color diagram, which was deduced from eight well-observed novae in various speed classes. For a nova with unknown extinction, we can determine a reliable value of the color excess by matching the observed track of the target nova with this general course. This is a new and convenient method for obtaining the color excesses of classical novae. Using this method, we redetermined the color excesses of 20 well-observed novae. The obtained color excesses are in reasonable agreement with the previous results, which in turn support the idea of our general track of nova outbursts. Additionally, we estimated the absolute V magnitudes of about 30 novae using a method for time-stretching nova light curves to analyze the distance-reddening relations of the novae.« less

Caracterisation, modelisation et validation du transfert radiatif d'atmospheres non standard; impact sur les corrections atmospheriques d'images de teledetection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zidane, Shems

This study is based on data acquired with an airborne multi-altitude sensor on July 2004 during a nonstandard atmospheric event in the region of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. By non-standard atmospheric event we mean an aerosol atmosphere that does not obey the typical monotonic, scale height variation employed in virtually all atmospheric correction codes. The surfaces imaged during this field campaign included a diverse variety of targets : agricultural land, water bodies, urban areas and forests. The multi-altitude approach employed in this campaign allowed us to better understand the altitude dependent influence of the atmosphere over the array of ground targets and thus to better characterize the perturbation induced by a non-standard (smoke) plume. The transformation of the apparent radiance at 3 different altitudes into apparent reflectance and the insertion of the plume optics into an atmospheric correction model permitted an atmospheric correction of the apparent reflectance at the two higher altitudes. The results showed consistency with the apparent validation reflectances derived from the lowest altitude radiances. This approach effectively confirmed the accuracy of our non-standard atmospheric correction approach. This test was particularly relevant at the highest altitude of 3.17 km : the apparent reflectances at this altitude were above most of the plume and therefore represented a good test of our ability to adequately correct for the influence of the perturbation. Standard atmospheric disturbances are obviously taken into account in most atmospheric correction models, but these are based on monotonically decreasing aerosol variations with increasing altitude. When the atmospheric radiation is affected by a plume or a local, non-standard pollution event, one must adapt the existing models to the radiative transfer constraints of the local perturbation and to the reality of the measurable parameters available for ingestion into the model. The main inputs of this study were those normally used in an atmospheric correction : apparent at-sensor radiance and the aerosol optical depth (AOD) acquired using ground-based sunphotometry. The procedure we employed made use of a standard atmospheric correction code (CAM5S, for Canadian Modified 5S, which comes from the 5S radiative transfer model in the visible and near infrared) : however, we also used other parameters and data to adapt and correctly model the special atmospheric situation which affected the multi-altitude images acquired during the St. Jean field campaign. We then developed a modeling protocol for these atmospheric perturbations where auxiliary data was employed to complement our main data-set. This allowed for the development of a robust and simple methodology adapted to this atmospheric situation. The auxiliary data, i.e. meteorological data, LIDAR profiles, various satellite images and sun photometer retrievals of the scattering phase function, were sufficient to accurately model the observed plume in terms of a unusual, vertical distribution. This distribution was transformed into an aerosol optical depth profile that replaced the standard aerosol optical depth profile employed in the CAM5S atmospheric correction model. Based on this model, a comparison between the apparent ground reflectances obtained after atmospheric corrections and validation values of R*(0) obtained from the lowest altitude data showed that the error between the two was less than 0.01 rms. This correction was shown to be a significantly better estimation of the surface reflectance than that obtained using the atmospheric correction model. Significant differences were nevertheless observed in the non-standard solution : these were mainly caused by the difficulties brought about by the acquisition conditions, significant disparities attributable to inconsistencies in the co-sampling / co-registration of different targets from three different altitudes, and possibly modeling errors and / or calibration. There is accordingly room for improvement in our approach to dealing with such conditions. The modeling and forecasting of such a disturbance is explicitly described in this document: our goal in so doing is to permit the establishment of a better protocol for the acquisition of more suitable supporting data. The originality of this study stems from a new approach for incorporating a plume structure into an operational atmospheric correction model and then demonstrating that the approach was a significant improvement over an approach that ignored the perturbations in the vertical profile while employing the correct overall AOD. The profile model we employed was simple and robust but captured sufficient plume detail to achieve significant improvements in atmospheric correction accuracy. The overall process of addressing all the problems encountered in the analysis of our aerosol perturbation helped us to build an appropriate methodology for characterizing such events based on data availability, distributed freely and accessible to the scientific community. This makes our study adaptable and exportable to other types of non-standard atmospheric events. Keywords : non-standard atmospheric perturbation, multi-altitude apparent radiances, smoke plume, Gaussian plume modelization, radiance fit, AOD, CASI

The spectroscopic evolution of novae in the bulge of M31 and a search for their possible origin in the M31 globular cluster system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomaney, Austin Bede

Results are presented from a three year (1987 to 1989) spectroscopic and photometric survey of novae in M3l's bulge, the first comprehensive study of novae outside the Galactic and Magellanic Cloud systems. Nine novae were detected and monitored and their spectra cover a range of outburst states from early decline to the early nebular phases. Broad agreement in spectral morphology and evolution is found with Galactic novae. Since Galactic novae are mainly disk objects, this indicates that novae outburst properties are not critically dependent on the metallicity of the progenitor population. However, in this sample, and in a sample of four M31 nova spectra taken in 1983, no fast, violent outbursts frequently associated with nova systems containing ONeMg white dwarfs were found, suggestive of a systematic difference between the observed proportion of such outbursts between Galactic and M31 bulge novae. Three novae in the sample were observed on succeeding nights during the transition phase of their evolution. Extraordinary variations in some nightly line strengths, particularly the N III lines, were discovered. It is argued that this variability reflects the deposition of drag energy by the secondary star during the common envelope phase of nova evolution and is indicative of a key phase in mass loss from nova systems. Observations include the spectroscopic coverage of an extremely slow nova from 1987 to l990, during the object's evolution in the nebula phase. This provided a unique opportunity to make the first detailed comparison of the evolution and properties of an extra galactic nova with those in our own Galaxy. The roughly solar abundances obtained are typical of similar slow Galactic novae. Further observations are also presented of a unique outburst in 1988 that was independently discovered and reported by Rich et al. These data confirm the inferences of other observers that the outburst differed markedly from that of a typical classical nova. Finally an extensive spectroscopic survey of the M31 globular cluster system was made in an effort to find evidence of a previously suggested enhanced nova rate in these objects. No outbursts were detected during an effective survey time of one year for the entire system.

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

Bordoloi, Ankur D.; Martinez, Adam A.; Prestridge, Katherine

Experimental measurements of the displacements of shock accelerated microparticles from shortly after shock interaction to the particle relaxation time show time-dependent drag coefficients (more » $$C_{D}$$) that are much higher than those predicted by quasi-steady and unsteady drag models. Nylon particles with mean diameter of $$4~\\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\\text{m}$$, accelerated by one-dimensional normal shocks (Mach number$$M_{s}=1.2$$, 1.3 and 1.4), have measured$$C_{D}$$values that follow a power-law behaviour. The drag is a function of the time-dependent Knudsen number,$$Kn^{\\ast }=M_{s}/Re_{p}$$, where the particle Reynolds number ($$Re_{p}$$) is calculated using the time-dependent slip velocity. Also, some portion of the drag can be attributed to quasi-steady forces, but the total drag cannot be predicted by current unsteady force models that are based on the Basset–Boussinesq–Oseen equation and pressure drag. The largest contribution to the total drag is the unsteady component ($$C_{D,us}$$) until the particle attains$$Kn^{\\ast }\\approx 0.5{-}1.0$$, then the unsteady contribution decays. The quasi-steady component ($$C_{D,qs}$$) increases almost linearly with$$Kn^{\\ast }$$, intersects the$$C_{D,us}$$at$$Kn^{\\ast }\\approx 2$$and becomes the primary contributor to the drag towards the end of the relaxation zone as$$Re_{p}\\rightarrow 0$$. Finally, there are currently no analytical models that are able to predict the nonlinear behaviour of the shock accelerated particles during the relaxation phase of the flow.« less

Kynurenine promotes the goblet cell differentiation of HT-29 colon carcinoma cells by modulating Wnt, Notch and AhR signals.

PubMed

Park, Joo-Hung; Lee, Jeong-Min; Lee, Eun-Jin; Kim, Da-Jeong; Hwang, Won-Bhin

2018-04-01

Various amino acids regulate cell growth and differentiation. In the present study, we examined the ability of HT-29 cells to differentiate into goblet cells in RPMI and DMEM which are largely different in the amounts of numerous amino acids. Most of the HT-29 cells differentiated into goblet cells downregulating the stem cell marker Lgr5 when cultured in DMEM, but remained undifferentiated in RPMI. The goblet cell differentiation in DMEM was inhibited by 1-methyl-tryptophan (1-MT), an inhibitor of indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase-1 which is the initial enzyme in tryptophan metabolism along the kynurenine (KN) pathway, whereas tryptophan and KN induced goblet cell differentiation in RPMI. The levels of Notch1 and its activation product Notch intracytoplasmic domain in HT-29 cells were lower in DMEM than those in RPMI and were increased by 1-MT in both media. HT-29 cells grown in both media expressed β-catenin at the same level on day 2 when goblet cell differentiation was not observed. β-catenin expression, which was increased by 1-MT in both media, was decreased by KN. DMEM reduced Hes1 expression while enhancing Hath1 expression. Finally, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activation moderately induced goblet cell differentiation. Our results suggest that KN promotes goblet cell differentiation by regulating Wnt, Notch, and AhR signals and expression of Hes1 and Hath1.

Topological quantum error correction in the Kitaev honeycomb model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Yi-Chan; Brell, Courtney G.; Flammia, Steven T.

2017-08-01

The Kitaev honeycomb model is an approximate topological quantum error correcting code in the same phase as the toric code, but requiring only a 2-body Hamiltonian. As a frustrated spin model, it is well outside the commuting models of topological quantum codes that are typically studied, but its exact solubility makes it more amenable to analysis of effects arising in this noncommutative setting than a generic topologically ordered Hamiltonian. Here we study quantum error correction in the honeycomb model using both analytic and numerical techniques. We first prove explicit exponential bounds on the approximate degeneracy, local indistinguishability, and correctability of the code space. These bounds are tighter than can be achieved using known general properties of topological phases. Our proofs are specialized to the honeycomb model, but some of the methods may nonetheless be of broader interest. Following this, we numerically study noise caused by thermalization processes in the perturbative regime close to the toric code renormalization group fixed point. The appearance of non-topological excitations in this setting has no significant effect on the error correction properties of the honeycomb model in the regimes we study. Although the behavior of this model is found to be qualitatively similar to that of the standard toric code in most regimes, we find numerical evidence of an interesting effect in the low-temperature, finite-size regime where a preferred lattice direction emerges and anyon diffusion is geometrically constrained. We expect this effect to yield an improvement in the scaling of the lifetime with system size as compared to the standard toric code.

Non-Gaussianity from isocurvature perturbations

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

Kawasaki, Masahiro; Nakayama, Kazunori; Sekiguchi, Toyokazu

2008-11-15

We develop a formalism for studying non-Gaussianity in both curvature and isocurvature perturbations. It is shown that non-Gaussianity in the isocurvature perturbation between dark matter and photons leaves distinct signatures in the cosmic microwave background temperature fluctuations, which may be confirmed in future experiments, or possibly even in the currently available observational data. As an explicit example, we consider the quantum chromodynamics axion and show that it can actually induce sizable non-Gaussianity for the inflationary scale, H{sub inf} = O(10{sup 9}-10{sup 11}) GeV.

DoOR 2.0 - Comprehensive Mapping of Drosophila melanogaster Odorant Responses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Münch, Daniel; Galizia, C. Giovanni

2016-02-01

Odors elicit complex patterns of activated olfactory sensory neurons. Knowing the complete olfactome, i.e. the responses in all sensory neurons for all relevant odorants, is desirable to understand olfactory coding. The DoOR project combines all available Drosophila odorant response data into a single consensus response matrix. Since its first release many studies were published: receptors were deorphanized and several response profiles were expanded. In this study, we add unpublished data to the odor-response profiles for four odorant receptors (Or10a, Or42b, Or47b, Or56a). We deorphanize Or69a, showing a broad response spectrum with the best ligands including 3-hydroxyhexanoate, alpha-terpineol, 3-octanol and linalool. We include all of these datasets into DoOR, provide a comprehensive update of both code and data, and new tools for data analyses and visualizations. The DoOR project has a web interface for quick queries (http://neuro.uni.kn/DoOR), and a downloadable, open source toolbox written in R, including all processed and original datasets. DoOR now gives reliable odorant-responses for nearly all Drosophila olfactory responding units, listing 693 odorants, for a total of 7381 data points.

Recent progress in understanding the eruptions of classical novae

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shara, Michael M.

1988-01-01

Dramatic progress has occurred in the last two decades in understanding the physical processes and events leading up to, and transpiring during the eruption of a classical nova. The mechanism whereby a white dwarf accreting hydrogen-rich matter from a low-mass main-sequence companion produces a nova eruption has been understood since 1970. The mass-transferring binary stellar configuration leads inexorably to thermonuclear runaways detected at distances of megaparsecs. Summarized here are the efforts of many researchers in understanding the physical processes which generate nova eruptions; the effects upon nova eruptions of different binary-system parameters (e.g., chemical composition or mass of the white dwarf, different mass accretion rates); the possible metamorphosis from dwarf to classical novae and back again; and observational diagnostics of novae, including x ray and gamma ray emission, and the characteristics and distributions of novae in globular clusters and in extragalactic systems. While the thermonuclear-runaway model remains the successful cornerstone of nova simulation, it is now clear that a wide variety of physical processes, and three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations, will be needed to explain the rich spectrum of behavior observed in erupting novae.

Plasma response measurements of non-axisymmetric magnetic perturbations on DIII-D via soft x-ray imaging

DOE PAGES

Shafer, Morgan W.; Unterberg, Ezekial A.; Wingen, Andreas; ...

2014-12-29

Recent observations on DIII-D have advanced the understanding of plasma response to applied resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) in both H-mode and L-mode plasmas. Three distinct 3D features localized in minor radius are imaged via filtered soft x-ray emission: (i) the formation of lobes extending from the unperturbed separatrix in the X-point region at the plasma boundary, (ii) helical kink-like perturbations in the steep-gradient region inside the separatrix, and (iii) amplified islands in the core of a low-rotation L-mode plasma. In this study, these measurements are used to test and to validate plasma response models, which are crucial for providing predictivemore » capability of edge-localized mode control. In particular, vacuum and two-fluid resistive magnetohydrodynamic(MHD) responses are tested in the regions of these measurements. At the plasma boundary in H-mode discharges with n = 3 RMPs applied, measurements compare well to vacuum-field calculations that predict lobe structures. Yet in the steep-gradient region, measurements agree better with calculations from the linear resistive two-fluid MHD code, M3D-C1. Relative to the vacuum fields, the resistive two-fluid MHD calculations show a reduction in the pitch-resonant components of the normal magnetic field (screening), and amplification of non-resonant components associated with ideal kink modes. However, the calculations still over-predict the amplitude of the measuredperturbation by a factor of 4. In a slowly rotating L-mode plasma with n = 1 RMPs, core islands are observed amplified from vacuum predictions. Finally, these results indicate that while the vacuum approach describes measurements in the edge region well, it is important to include effects of extended MHD in the pedestal and deeper in the plasma core.« less

Nova V2214 Ophiuchi 1988 - A magnetic nova inside the period gap

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baptista, R.; Jablonski, F. J.; Cieslinski, D.; Steiner, J. E.

1993-01-01

The discovery of a coherent photometric modulation in Nova Oph 1988 with period 0.117515 +/- 0.000002 d, which is associated with the orbital period of the underlying binary, is reported. On the basis of photometric observations, it is concluded that Nova V2214 Oph 1988 is a magnetic nova with an orbital period inside the period gap. The inclusion of this system in the statistics of novae suggests that there is no period gap for novae and that there is a clear correlation between the occurrence of novae with short orbital periods and the presence of magnetic white dwarfs. It is suggested that funneling of the accretion flow onto the magnetic poles favors the conditions for a thermonuclear runaway, increasing the frequency of eruptions for magnetic systems.

A Classical Nova Explosion in a Binary System with B[e] Star

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filippova, E.; Revnivtsev, M.; Lutovinov, A.

2011-09-01

The description of a thermonuclear runaway on a white dwarf, which causes a Classical Nova (CN) explosion, has several uncertainties. Observational tests of models are challenging because the majority of CNe are observed in optical and NIR spectral bands days after the onset of the explosion. We propose to use the properties of the X-ray emission of CNe for these tests. We have developed a model for the 1998 CN explosion in the binary system CI Cam. According to the adopted model the stellar wind from the optical component (a B[e] star), heated by a strong shock wave that was produced when matter was ejected from the white dwarf as the result of a thermonuclear explosion on its surface, is the source of X-ray emission in the standard X-ray band (˜ 2 - 10 keV). We use this model to explain the behaviour of the X-ray luminosity and of the mean temperature of the heated material during the explosion, and obtain velocity and mass estimates of the ejected matter from the WD surface. Discrepancies between model and observations, for example the slower decline of the theoretical luminosity compared to the observed one, are likely caused by the rough assumption of spherical symmetry. Using 3D calculations we find possible density perturbations (accretion wakes) that can reconcile theory with observations.

First optical candidate for a recovered classical nova in a globular cluster - Nova 1938 in M14

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shara, Michael M.; Potter, Michael; Moffat, Anthony F. J.; Hogg, Helen S.; Wehlau, Amelia

1986-01-01

U, B, V, R, and H-alpha CCD frames of the field of the nova which appeared in the globular cluster M14 in 1938 have been compared with the nova discovery images. On the basis of positional coincidence, brightness, and blue color, a candidate nova was identified and its right ascension and declination to within 1 arcsec each. Confirmation of the candidate and detailed study of the quiescent nova will probably require Hubble Space Telescope observations.

Development of an efficient procedure for calculating the aerodynamic effects of planform variation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mercer, J. E.; Geller, E. W.

1981-01-01

Numerical procedures to compute gradients in aerodynamic loading due to planform shape changes using panel method codes were studied. Two procedures were investigated: one computed the aerodynamic perturbation directly; the other computed the aerodynamic loading on the perturbed planform and on the base planform and then differenced these values to obtain the perturbation in loading. It is indicated that computing the perturbed values directly can not be done satisfactorily without proper aerodynamic representation of the pressure singularity at the leading edge of a thin wing. For the alternative procedure, a technique was developed which saves most of the time-consuming computations from a panel method calculation for the base planform. Using this procedure the perturbed loading can be calculated in about one-tenth the time of that for the base solution.

Spherically symmetric, expanding, non-LTE model atmospheres for novae during their early stages

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hauschildt, P. H.; Wehrse, R.; Starrfield, S.; Shaviv, G.

1992-01-01

In the continuum and line-blanketed models presented here, nova atmospheres are characterized by a very slow decrease of density with increasing radius. This feature leads to very large geometrical extensions so that there are large temperature differences between the inner and outer parts of the line-forming regions. The theoretical spectra show a large IR excess and a small Balmer jump which may be either in absorption or in emission. For the parameters considered (effective temperature of about 10 exp 4 K, L = 2 x 10 exp 4 solar luminosities, outer boundary density of about 3 x 10 exp -15 g cm exp -3, mass-loss rate of 10 exp -5 solar masses/yr), most lines are in absorption. The effects of changes in the abundances of the heavy elements on the emergent spectra are discussed. The strong unidentified features observed in ultraviolet spectra of novae are found in actuality to be regions of transparency within the Fe 'forest'. Ultraviolet spectra obtained from the IUE archives are displayed, and spectral synthesis of these spectra is done using the theoretical atmospheres.

Large-eddy simulation of a spatially-evolving turbulent mixing layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capuano, Francesco; Catalano, Pietro; Mastellone, Andrea

2015-11-01

Large-eddy simulations of a spatially-evolving turbulent mixing layer have been performed. The flow conditions correspond to those of a documented experimental campaign (Delville, Appl. Sci. Res. 1994). The flow evolves downstream of a splitter plate separating two fully turbulent boundary layers, with Reθ = 2900 on the high-speed side and Reθ = 1200 on the low-speed side. The computational domain starts at the trailing edge of the splitter plate, where experimental mean velocity profiles are prescribed; white-noise perturbations are superimposed to mimic turbulent fluctuations. The fully compressible Navier-Stokes equations are solved by means of a finite-volume method implemented into the in-house code SPARK-LES. The results are mainly checked in terms of the streamwise evolution of the vorticity thickness and averaged velocity profiles. The combined effects of inflow perturbations, numerical accuracy and subgrid-scale model are discussed. It is found that excessive levels of dissipation may damp inlet fluctuations and delay the virtual origin of the turbulent mixing layer. On the other hand, non-dissipative, high-resolution computations provide results that are in much better agreement with experimental data.

Chaotic coordinates for the Large Helical Device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hudson, Stuart; Suzuki, Yasuhiro

2014-10-01

The study of dynamical systems is facilitated by a coordinate framework with coordinate surfaces that coincide with invariant structures of the dynamical flow. For axisymmetric systems, a continuous family of invariant surfaces is guaranteed and straight-fieldline coordinates may be constructed. For non-integrable systems, e.g. stellarators, perturbed tokamaks, this continuous family is broken. Nevertheless, coordinates can still be constructed that simplify the description of the dynamics. The Poincare-Birkhoff theorem, the Aubry-Mather theorem, and the KAM theorem show that there are important structures that are invariant under the perturbed dynamics; namely the periodic orbits, the cantori, and the irrational flux surfaces. Coordinates adapted to these invariant sets, which we call chaotic coordinates, provide substantial advantages. The regular motion becomes straight, and the irregular motion is bounded by, and dissected by, coordinate surfaces that coincide with surfaces of locally-minimal magnetic-fieldline flux. The chaotic edge of the magnetic field, as calculated by HINT2 code, in the Large Helical Device (LHD) is examined, and a coordinate system is constructed so that the flux surfaces are ``straight'' and the islands become ``square.''

Modeling environmental bias and computing velocity field from data of Terra Nova Bay GPS network in Antarctica by means of a quasi-observation processing approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Casula, Giuseppe; Dubbini, Marco; Galeandro, Angelo

2007-01-01

A semi-permanent GPS network of about 30 vertices has been installed at Terra Nova Bay (TNB) near Ross Sea in Antarctica. A permanent GPS station TNB1 based on an Ashtech Z-XII dual frequency P-code GPS receiver with ASH700936D_M Choke Ring Antenna has been mounted on a reinforced concrete pillar built on bedrock since October 1998 and has recorded continuously up to the present. The semi-permanent network has been routinely surveyed every summer using high quality dual frequency GPS receivers with 24 hour sessions at 15 sec rate; data, metadata and solutions will be available to the scientific community at (http://www.geodant.unimore.it). We present the results of a distributed session approach applied to processing GPS data of the TNB GPS network, and based on Gamit/Globk 10.2-3 GPS analysis software. The results are in good agreement with other authors' computations and with many of the theoretical models.

Identification of Recurrent Novae in M31

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shafter, Allen W.; Rector, T. A.; Schweizer, F.; Bryan, J.

2014-01-01

Over roughly the past century a total of more than 900 optical transient events have been recorded in M31, the vast majority of which are believed to represent eruptions of classical novae. The impressive dataset of nova positions put together by Pietsch (http://www.mpe.mpg.de m31novae/opt/m31/) provides the opportunity to search for multiple nova outbursts from the same progenitor system, and thus to characterize the population of recurrent novae (RNe) in M31. In order to identify RNe candidates, we have searched for spatial near coincidences among the 945 recorded novae given in the Pietsch catalog through the end of August 2013. Given that the positions of many of the early novae are quite uncertain, we have set our initial screen to include nova pairs with nominal separations less than or equal to 6 arcsec. We have identified a total of 102 novae that pass this coarse screen. Of these, 78 novae form 39 pairs, 15 form five triples, four novae are part of a quad, and five novae form a quint. As demonstrated by Shafter, Rice and Daub (2009, presented at the "Wild Stars in the Old West II" conference, mintaka.sdsu.edu/faculty/shafter/extragalactic_novae/RNePoster4.pdf), the majority of the 102 novae surviving our initial screen are expected to be associated with chance positional near coincidences (especially near the nucleus), and are not RNe. To decide which candidates are indeed RNe, we have undertaken a study to locate the original discovery plates, CCD images or published finding charts, and to perform the necessary astrometry to identify which of our candidate RNe are chance positional coincidences, and which are RNe. For each candidate, we estimate the probability that the object is a chance positional coincidence as in Shafter et al. (2009). To date, we have been successful in identifying finding charts or original images for most of the candidates, and have found a total of 23 nova outbursts in M31 associated with 10 systems that are almost certainly RNe.

Non-local gravity and comparison with observational datasets. II. Updated results and Bayesian model comparison with ΛCDM

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

Dirian, Yves; Foffa, Stefano; Kunz, Martin

We present a comprehensive and updated comparison with cosmological observations of two non-local modifications of gravity previously introduced by our group, the so called RR and RT models. We implement the background evolution and the cosmological perturbations of the models in a modified Boltzmann code, using CLASS. We then test the non-local models against the Planck 2015 TT, TE, EE and Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) lensing data, isotropic and anisotropic Baryonic Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) data, JLA supernovae, H {sub 0} measurements and growth rate data, and we perform Bayesian parameter estimation. We then compare the RR, RT and ΛCDM models,more » using the Savage-Dickey method. We find that the RT model and ΛCDM perform equally well, while the performance of the RR model with respect to ΛCDM depends on whether or not we include a prior on H {sub 0} based on local measurements.« less

3D-MHD Simulations of the Madison Dynamo Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bayliss, R. A.; Forest, C. B.; Wright, J. C.; O'Connell, R.

2003-10-01

Growth, saturation and turbulent evolution of the Madison dynamo experiment is investigated numerically using a 3-D pseudo-spectral simulation of the MHD equations; results of the simulations are used to predict behavior of the experiment. The code solves the self-consistent full evolution of the magnetic and velocity fields. The code uses a spectral representation via spherical harmonic basis functions of the vector fields in longitude and latitude, and fourth order finite differences in the radial direction. The magnetic field evolution has been benchmarked against the laminar kinematic dynamo predicted by M.L. Dudley and R.W. James [Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 425. 407-429 (1989)]. Initial results indicate that saturation of the magnetic field occurs so that the resulting perturbed backreaction of the induced magnetic field changes the velocity field such that it would no longer be linearly unstable, suggesting non-linear terms are necessary for explaining the resulting state. Saturation and self-excitation depend in detail upon the magnetic Prandtl number.

Radio Observations as a Tool to Investigate Shocks and Asymmetries in Accreting White Dwarf Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weston, Jennifer Helen Seng; E-Nova Project

2017-01-01

In this dissertation, I use radio observations with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) to reveal that colliding flows within the ejecta from nova explosions can lead to shocks that accelerate particles and produce radio synchrotron emission. In both novae V1723 Aql and V5589 Sgr, radio emission within the first one to two months deviated strongly from the classic thermal model for radio emission from novae. Three years of radio observations of V1723 Aql show that multiple outflows from the system collided to create non-thermal shocks with a brightness temperature of >106 K. After these shocks faded, the radio light curve became roughly consistent with an expanding thermal shell. However, resolved images of V1723 Aql show elongated material that apparently rotates its major axis over the course of 15 months. In the case of nova V5589 Sgr, I show that the early radio emission is dominated by a shock-powered non-thermal flare that produces strong (kTx > 33 keV) X-rays. These findings have important implications for understanding how normal novae generate GeV gamma-rays.Additionally, I present VLA observations of the symbiotic star CH Cyg and two small surveys of symbiotic binaries. Radio observations of CH Cyg tie the ejection of a collimated jet to a change of state in the accretion disk, strengthening the link between bipolar outflows from accreting white dwarfs and other types of accreting compact objects. Next, I use a survey of eleven accretion-driven symbiotic binaries to determine that the radio brightness of a symbiotic system could potentially be used as an indicator of whether it is powered predominantly by shell burning on the surface of the white dwarf or by accretion. This survey also produces the first radio detections of seven of the target systems. In the second survey of seventeen symbiotic binaries, I spatially resolve extended radio emission in several systems for the first time. The results from these surveys provide some support for the model of radio emission where the red giant wind is photoionized by the white dwarf, and suggest that there may be a greater population of radio faint, accretion driven symbiotic systems.

Remineralization of early enamel caries lesions using different bioactive elements containing toothpastes: An in vitro study.

PubMed

Wang, Yu; Mei, Li; Gong, Lin; Li, Jialing; He, Shaowei; Ji, Yan; Sun, Weibin

2016-09-14

Demineralization can be arrested or reversed when remineralization agents are applied to incipient carious or non-cavitated carious lesions. A large number of therapeutic agents including non-fluoridated products have been developed to promote enamel remineralization. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of different bioactive elements containing toothpastes in remineralization of artificial enamel lesions. Artificial carious lesions were created on 40 human enamel slabs, and were randomly divided into four groups: (1) control group (no treatment), (2) casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate group (CPP-ACP, GC Tooth Mousse), (3) 8% arginine and calcium carbonate group (ACC, Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief), (4) calcium sodium phosphosilicate group (CSP, NovaMin®). All samples were subjected to 15 days of pH-cycling. Subsequently, a one-hour acid resistance test was carried out. Surface hardness of the samples was assessed using the Knoop hardness test, and surface morphology and roughness were assessed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, Tukey's test and paired t test. The three tested toothpastes exhibited a significantly higher remineralization efficacy compared with the control group (P< 0.05 for all). After pH-cycling, the specimens treated with Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief and NovaMin® showed a significant higher surface hardness (P< 0.001 and P= 0.03, respectively) and lower surface roughness (P< 0.05 for both) compared those treated with GC Tooth Mousse. While after the acid resistance test, all groups showed a significant loss of surface hardness (P< 0.001 for all) and significant increase of surface roughness (P< 0.05). The specimens treated with Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief and NovaMin® still showed a significant higher surface hardness and lower surface roughness in comparison with those treated with GC Tooth Mousse (P< 0.05 for all). No significant difference was found in surface hardness and roughness between Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief and NovaMin® during the pH-cycling test and acid resistance test (P= 0.45 and P= 0.83, respectively). Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief and NovaMin® present an advantage in enhancing remineralization and inhibiting demineralization for early enamel carious lesions in comparison with GC Tooth Mousse.

Infrared spectroscopy of the remnant of Nova Sco 2014: a symbiotic star with too little circumstellar matter to decelerate the ejecta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munari, U.; Banerjee, D. P. K.

2018-03-01

Pre-outburst 2MASS and WISE photometry of Nova Sco 2014 (V1534 Sco) has suggested the presence of a cool giant at the location of the nova in the sky. The spectral evolution recorded for the nova did not, however, support a direct partnership because no flash-ionized wind and no deceleration of the ejecta were observed, contrary to the behaviour displayed by other novae which erupted within symbiotic binaries like V407 Cyg or RS Oph. We have therefore obtained 0.8-2.5 μm spectra of the remnant of Nova Sco 2014 in order to ascertain if a cool giant is indeed present and if it is physically associated with the nova. The spectrum shows the presence of a M6III giant, reddened by E(B - V) = 1.20, displaying the typical and narrow emission-line spectrum of a symbiotic star, including He I 1.0830 μm with a deep P-Cyg profile. This makes Nova Sco 2014 a new member of the exclusive club of novae that erupt within a symbiotic binary. Nova Sco 2014 shows that a nova erupting within a symbiotic binary does not always come with a deceleration of the ejecta, contrary to the common belief. Many other similar systems may lay hidden in past novae, especially in those that erupted prior to the release of the 2MASS all-sky infrared survey, which could be profitably cross-matched now against them.

Designing and Implementing a Family of Intrusion Detection Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-11-01

configure (train), generates many false alarms – Misuse detection (signature analysis) (NFR, Emerald , Snort, STAT) • Generates few false alarms • Detects...to create .rhosts file in world-writable ftp home directory – rlogin using bogus .rhosts file S0 create_file read_rhosts S3S2 login S1 STAT KN-14...world-writable ftp home directory – rlogin using bogus .rhosts file S0 create_file read_rhosts S3S2 login S1 STAT KN-17 ftp-write in STATL use ustat

14 CFR 34.23 - Exhaust Emission Standards for Engines Manufactured on and after July 18, 2012.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... output less than 26.7 kN (6,000 lb) manufactured on and after July 18, 2012: SN = 83.6(rO) −0.274 or 50.0... Engines Class Rated pressure ratio—rPR Rated output rO (kN) NOX (g/kN) TF, T3, T8 rPR ≤ 30 26.7 89.0 16.72...(g/kN) TSS All 36 + 2.42 (rPR) 4,550 (rPR) −1.03 1 rO is the rated output with afterburning applied...

Inhibitory effects of KN-93, an inhibitor of Ca2+ calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, on light-regulated root gravitropism in maize

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feldman, L. J.; Hidaka, H.

1993-01-01

Light is essential for root gravitropism in Zea mays L., cultivar Merit. It is hypothesized that calcium mediates this light-regulated response. KN-93, an inhibitor of calcium/calmodulin kinase II (CaMK II), inhibits light-regulated root gravitropism but does not affect light perception. We hypothesize that CaMK II, or a homologue, operates late in the light/gravity signal transduction chain. Here we provide evidence suggesting a possible physiological involvement of CaMK II in root gravitropism in plants.

Implementation of a Localization System for Sensor Networks

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-05-18

its N-point DFT is mathematically formulated as X[k] = N−1∑ n=0 x[n] W nkN , k = 0, 1, . . . , N − 1 (7.1) W knN = e −j(2π/N)kn (7.2) There are two...distributed ad-hoc wireless sensor networks. In Int. Conf. on Acoustics, Speech , and Signal Proc. (ICASSP), pages 2037 – 2040, Salt Lake City, UT. [18] J...Stability of recursive qrd-ls algorithms using finite- precision systolic array implementation. IEEE Trans. on Acoustics, Speech , and Signal Proc., 37(5

Melatonin promotes Cashmere goat (Capra hircus) secondary hair follicle growth: A view from integrated analysis of long non-coding and coding RNAs.

PubMed

Ge, Wei; Wang, Shan-He; Sun, Bing; Zhang, Yue-Lang; Shen, Wei; Khatib, Hasan; Wang, Xin

2018-06-12

The role of melatonin in promoting the yield of Cashmere goat wool has been demonstrated for decades though there remains a lack of knowledge regarding melatonin mediated hair follicle growth. Recent studies have demonstrated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are widely transcribed in the genome and play ubiquitous roles in regulating biological processes. However, the role of lncRNAs in regulating melatonin mediated hair follicle growth remains unclear. In this study, we established an in vitro Cashmere goat secondary hair follicle culture system, and demonstrated that 500 ng/L melatonin exposure promoted hair follicle fiber growth. Based on long intergenic RNA sequencing, we demonstrated that melatonin promoted hair follicle elongation via regulating genes involved in focal adhesion and extracellular matrix receptor pathways and further cis predicting of lncRNAs targeted genes indicated that melatonin mediated lncRNAs mainly targeted vascular smooth muscle contraction and signaling pathways regulating the pluripotency of stem cells. We proposed that melatonin exposure not only perturbed key signals secreted from hair follicle stem cells to regulate hair follicle development, but also mediated lncRNAs mainly targeted to pathways involved in the microvascular system and extracellular matrix, which constitute the highly orchestrated microenvironment for hair follicle stem cell. Taken together, our findings here provide a profound view of lncRNAs in regulating Cashmere goat hair follicle circadian rhythms and broaden our knowledge on melatonin mediated hair follicle morphological changes.

Wave Excitation in Accretion Disks by Protoplanets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koller, J.; Li, H.

2002-05-01

The ongoing discoveries of extrasolar planets in the recent years revealed remarkable properties and unexpected results concerning the formation process. We studied the perturbation of a protostellar accretion disk by a companion utilizing APOLLO, a fast hydro disk code well tested in the case of accretion disks without a companion (Li et al. 2001, ApJ, 551, 874). We consider limiting cases where the companion's mass is much smaller than the central protostar and resides in a circular keplerian orbit. The gravitational field of the protoplanet, embedded in a numerically thin disk, generates spiral density waves and Rossby instabilities resulting in a non-axisymmetric density distribution. We present nonlinear hydro simulations to investigate those non-axisymmetric density distribution with different disk and planet parameters in order to understand how disks respond to a fixed companion in orbit. This work has been supported by IGPP at LANL (award # 1109) and NASA (grant # NAG5-9223).

Radiation pressure acceleration of corrugated thin foils by Gaussian and super-Gaussian beams

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

Adusumilli, K.; Goyal, D.; Tripathi, V. K.

Rayleigh-Taylor instability of radiation pressure accelerated ultrathin foils by laser having Gaussian and super-Gaussian intensity distribution is investigated using a single fluid code. The foil is allowed to have ring shaped surface ripples. The radiation pressure force on such a foil is non-uniform with finite transverse component F{sub r}; F{sub r} varies periodically with r. Subsequently, the ripple grows as the foil moves ahead along z. With a Gaussian beam, the foil acquires an overall curvature due to non-uniformity in radiation pressure and gets thinner. In the process, the ripple perturbation is considerably washed off. With super-Gaussian beam, the ripplemore » is found to be more strongly washed out. In order to avoid transmission of the laser through the thinning foil, a criterion on the foil thickness is obtained.« less

Large-scale 3D simulations of ICF and HEDP targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marinak, Michael M.

2000-10-01

The radiation hydrodynamics code HYDRA continues to be developed and applied to 3D simulations of a variety of targets for both inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and high energy density physics. Several packages have been added enabling this code to perform ICF target simulations with similar accuracy as two-dimensional codes of long-time historical use. These include a laser ray trace and deposition package, a heavy ion deposition package, implicit Monte Carlo photonics, and non-LTE opacities, derived from XSN or the linearized response matrix approach.(R. More, T. Kato, Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 814 (1998), S. Libby, F. Graziani, R. More, T. Kato, Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Laser Interactions and Related Plasma Phenomena, (AIP, New York, 1997).) LTE opacities can also be calculated for arbitrary mixtures online by combining tabular values generated by different opacity codes. Thermonuclear burn, charged particle transport, neutron energy deposition, electron-ion coupling and conduction, and multigroup radiation diffusion packages are also installed. HYDRA can employ ALE hydrodynamics; a number of grid motion algorithms are available. Multi-material flows are resolved using material interface reconstruction. Results from large-scale simulations run on up to 1680 processors, using a combination of massively parallel processing and symmetric multiprocessing, will be described. A large solid angle simulation of Rayleigh-Taylor instability growth in a NIF ignition capsule has resolved simultaneously the full spectrum of the most dangerous modes that grow from surface roughness. Simulations of a NIF hohlraum illuminated with the initial 96 beam configuration have also been performed. The effect of the hohlraum’s 3D intrinsic drive asymmetry on the capsule implosion will be considered. We will also discuss results from a Nova experiment in which a copper sphere is crushed by a planar shock. Several interacting hydrodynamic instabilities, including the Widnall instability, cause breakup of the resulting vortex ring.

The SW Sextantis-type star 2MASS J01074282+4845188: an unusual bright accretion disk with non-steady emission and a hot white dwarf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khruzina, T.; Dimitrov, D.; Kjurkchieva, D.

2013-03-01

Context. Cataclysmic variables (CVs) present a short evolutional stage of binary systems. The nova-like stars are rare objects, especially those with eclipses (only several tens). But precisely these allow to determine the global parameters of their configurations and to learn more about the late stage of stellar evolution. Aims: The light curve solution allows one to determine the global parameters of the newly discovered nova-like eclipsing star 2MASS J01074282+4845188 and to estimate the contribution of the different light sources. Methods: We present new photometric and spectral observations of 2MASS J01074282+4845188. To obtain a light curve solution we used a model of a nova-like star whose emission sources are a white dwarf surrounded by an accretion disk, a secondary star filling its Roche lobe, a hot spot and a hot line. The obtained global parameters are compared with those of the eclipsing nova-like UX UMa. Results: 2MASS J01074282+4845188 shows the deepest permanent eclipse among the known nova-like stars. It is reproduced by covering the very bright accretion disk by the secondary component. The luminosity of the disk is much bigger than that of the rest light sources. The determined high temperature of the disk is typical for that observed during the outbursts of CVs. The primary of 2MASS J01074282+4845188 is one of the hottest white dwarfs in CVs. The temperature of 5090 K of its secondary is also quite high and more appropriate for a long-period SW Sex star. It might be explained by the intense heating from the hot white dwarf and the hot accretion disk of the target. Conclusions: The high mass accretion rate Ṁ = 8 × 10-9 M⊙ yr-1, the broad and single-peaked Hα emission profile, and the presence of an S-wave are sure signs for the SW Sex classification of 2MASS J01074282+4845188. The obtained flat temperature distribution along the disk radius as well as the deviation of the energy distribution from the black-body law are evidence of the non-steady emission of the disk. It can be attributed to the low viscosity of the disk matter due to its unusual high temperature. The close values of the disk temperature and the parameter αg of 2MASS J01074282+4845188 and those of the cataclysmic stars at eruptions might be considered as an additional argument for the permanent active state of nova-like stars. Based on data collected with telescopes at Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory.

Discovery of stimulation-responsive immune enhancers with CRISPR activation

PubMed Central

Simeonov, Dimitre R.; Gowen, Benjamin G.; Boontanrart, Mandy; Roth, Theodore L.; Gagnon, John D.; Mumbach, Maxwell R.; Satpathy, Ansuman T.; Lee, Youjin; Bray, Nicolas L.; Chan, Alice Y.; Lituiev, Dmytro S.; Nguyen, Michelle L.; Gate, Rachel E.; Subramaniam, Meena; Li, Zhongmei; Woo, Jonathan M.; Mitros, Therese; Ray, Graham J.; Curie, Gemma L.; Naddaf, Nicki; Chu, Julia S.; Ma, Hong; Boyer, Eric; Van Gool, Frederic; Huang, Hailiang; Liu, Ruize; Tobin, Victoria R.; Schumann, Kathrin; Daly, Mark J.; Farh, Kyle K; Ansel, K. Mark; Ye, Chun J.; Greenleaf, William J.; Anderson, Mark S.; Bluestone, Jeffrey A.; Chang, Howard Y.; Corn, Jacob E.; Marson, Alexander

2017-01-01

The majority of genetic variants associated with common human diseases map to enhancers, non-coding elements that shape cell-type-specific transcriptional programs and responses to extracellular cues1–3. Systematic mapping of functional enhancers and their biological contexts is required to understand the mechanisms by which variation in non-coding genetic sequences contributes to disease. Functional enhancers can be mapped by genomic sequence disruption4–6, but this approach is limited to the subset of enhancers that are necessary in the particular cellular context being studied. We hypothesized that recruitment of a strong transcriptional activator to an enhancer would be sufficient to drive target gene expression, even if that enhancer was not currently active in the assayed cells. Here we describe a discovery platform that can identify stimulus-responsive enhancers for a target gene independent of stimulus exposure. We used tiled CRISPR activation (CRISPRa)7 to synthetically recruit a transcriptional activator to sites across large genomic regions (more than 100 kilobases) surrounding two key autoimmunity risk loci, CD69 and IL2RA. We identified several CRISPRa-responsive elements with chromatin features of stimulus-responsive enhancers, including an IL2RA enhancer that harbours an autoimmunity risk variant. Using engineered mouse models, we found that sequence perturbation of the disease-associated Il2ra enhancer did not entirely block Il2ra expression, but rather delayed the timing of gene activation in response to specific extracellular signals. Enhancer deletion skewed polarization of naive T cells towards a pro-inflammatory T helper (TH17) cell state and away from a regulatory T cell state. This integrated approach identifies functional enhancers and reveals how non-coding variation associated with human immune dysfunction alters context-specific gene programs. PMID:28854172

Discovery of stimulation-responsive immune enhancers with CRISPR activation.

PubMed

Simeonov, Dimitre R; Gowen, Benjamin G; Boontanrart, Mandy; Roth, Theodore L; Gagnon, John D; Mumbach, Maxwell R; Satpathy, Ansuman T; Lee, Youjin; Bray, Nicolas L; Chan, Alice Y; Lituiev, Dmytro S; Nguyen, Michelle L; Gate, Rachel E; Subramaniam, Meena; Li, Zhongmei; Woo, Jonathan M; Mitros, Therese; Ray, Graham J; Curie, Gemma L; Naddaf, Nicki; Chu, Julia S; Ma, Hong; Boyer, Eric; Van Gool, Frederic; Huang, Hailiang; Liu, Ruize; Tobin, Victoria R; Schumann, Kathrin; Daly, Mark J; Farh, Kyle K; Ansel, K Mark; Ye, Chun J; Greenleaf, William J; Anderson, Mark S; Bluestone, Jeffrey A; Chang, Howard Y; Corn, Jacob E; Marson, Alexander

2017-09-07

The majority of genetic variants associated with common human diseases map to enhancers, non-coding elements that shape cell-type-specific transcriptional programs and responses to extracellular cues. Systematic mapping of functional enhancers and their biological contexts is required to understand the mechanisms by which variation in non-coding genetic sequences contributes to disease. Functional enhancers can be mapped by genomic sequence disruption, but this approach is limited to the subset of enhancers that are necessary in the particular cellular context being studied. We hypothesized that recruitment of a strong transcriptional activator to an enhancer would be sufficient to drive target gene expression, even if that enhancer was not currently active in the assayed cells. Here we describe a discovery platform that can identify stimulus-responsive enhancers for a target gene independent of stimulus exposure. We used tiled CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) to synthetically recruit a transcriptional activator to sites across large genomic regions (more than 100 kilobases) surrounding two key autoimmunity risk loci, CD69 and IL2RA. We identified several CRISPRa-responsive elements with chromatin features of stimulus-responsive enhancers, including an IL2RA enhancer that harbours an autoimmunity risk variant. Using engineered mouse models, we found that sequence perturbation of the disease-associated Il2ra enhancer did not entirely block Il2ra expression, but rather delayed the timing of gene activation in response to specific extracellular signals. Enhancer deletion skewed polarization of naive T cells towards a pro-inflammatory T helper (T H 17) cell state and away from a regulatory T cell state. This integrated approach identifies functional enhancers and reveals how non-coding variation associated with human immune dysfunction alters context-specific gene programs.

Discovery of stimulation-responsive immune enhancers with CRISPR activation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simeonov, Dimitre R.; Gowen, Benjamin G.; Boontanrart, Mandy; Roth, Theodore L.; Gagnon, John D.; Mumbach, Maxwell R.; Satpathy, Ansuman T.; Lee, Youjin; Bray, Nicolas L.; Chan, Alice Y.; Lituiev, Dmytro S.; Nguyen, Michelle L.; Gate, Rachel E.; Subramaniam, Meena; Li, Zhongmei; Woo, Jonathan M.; Mitros, Therese; Ray, Graham J.; Curie, Gemma L.; Naddaf, Nicki; Chu, Julia S.; Ma, Hong; Boyer, Eric; van Gool, Frederic; Huang, Hailiang; Liu, Ruize; Tobin, Victoria R.; Schumann, Kathrin; Daly, Mark J.; Farh, Kyle K.; Ansel, K. Mark; Ye, Chun J.; Greenleaf, William J.; Anderson, Mark S.; Bluestone, Jeffrey A.; Chang, Howard Y.; Corn, Jacob E.; Marson, Alexander

2017-09-01

The majority of genetic variants associated with common human diseases map to enhancers, non-coding elements that shape cell-type-specific transcriptional programs and responses to extracellular cues. Systematic mapping of functional enhancers and their biological contexts is required to understand the mechanisms by which variation in non-coding genetic sequences contributes to disease. Functional enhancers can be mapped by genomic sequence disruption, but this approach is limited to the subset of enhancers that are necessary in the particular cellular context being studied. We hypothesized that recruitment of a strong transcriptional activator to an enhancer would be sufficient to drive target gene expression, even if that enhancer was not currently active in the assayed cells. Here we describe a discovery platform that can identify stimulus-responsive enhancers for a target gene independent of stimulus exposure. We used tiled CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) to synthetically recruit a transcriptional activator to sites across large genomic regions (more than 100 kilobases) surrounding two key autoimmunity risk loci, CD69 and IL2RA. We identified several CRISPRa-responsive elements with chromatin features of stimulus-responsive enhancers, including an IL2RA enhancer that harbours an autoimmunity risk variant. Using engineered mouse models, we found that sequence perturbation of the disease-associated Il2ra enhancer did not entirely block Il2ra expression, but rather delayed the timing of gene activation in response to specific extracellular signals. Enhancer deletion skewed polarization of naive T cells towards a pro-inflammatory T helper (TH17) cell state and away from a regulatory T cell state. This integrated approach identifies functional enhancers and reveals how non-coding variation associated with human immune dysfunction alters context-specific gene programs.

Long non-coding RNA repertoire and targeting by nuclear exosome, cytoplasmic exonuclease and RNAi in fission yeast.

PubMed

Atkinson, Sophie; Marguerat, Samuel; Bitton, Danny; Bachand, Francois; Rodriguez-Lopez, Maria; Rallis, Charalampos; Lemay, Jean-Francois; Cotobal, Cristina; Malecki, Michal; Smialowski, Pawel; Mata, Juan; Korber, Philipp; Bahler, Jurg

2018-06-18

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are longer than 200 nucleotides but often unstable, contribute a substantial and diverse portion to pervasive non-coding transcriptomes. Most lncRNAs are poorly annotated and understood, although several play important roles in gene regulation and diseases. Here we systematically uncover and analyse lncRNAs in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Based on RNA-seq data from twelve RNA-processing mutants and nine physiological conditions, we identify 5775 novel lncRNAs, nearly 4-times the previously annotated lncRNAs. The expression of most lncRNAs becomes strongly induced under the genetic and physiological perturbations, most notably during late meiosis. Most lncRNAs are cryptic and suppressed by three RNA-processing pathways: the nuclear exosome, cytoplasmic exonuclease, and RNAi. Double-mutant analyses reveal substantial coordination and redundancy among these pathways. We classify lncRNAs by their dominant pathway into cryptic unstable transcripts (CUTs), Xrn1-sensitive unstable transcripts (XUTs), and Dicer-sensitive unstable transcripts (DUTs). XUTs and DUTs are enriched for antisense lncRNAs, while CUTs are often bidirectional and actively translated. The cytoplasmic exonuclease, along with RNAi, dampens the expression of thousands of lncRNAs and mRNAs that become induced during meiosis. Antisense lncRNA expression mostly negatively correlates with sense mRNA expression in the physiological, but not the genetic conditions. Intergenic and bidirectional lncRNAs emerge from nucleosome-depleted regions, upstream of positioned nucleosomes. Our results highlight both similarities and differences to lncRNA regulation in budding yeast. This broad survey of the lncRNA repertoire and characteristics in S. pombe, and the interwoven regulatory pathways that target lncRNAs, provides a rich framework for their further functional analyses. Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press for the RNA Society.

A Hubble Space Telescope survey for novae in M87 - III. Are novae good standard candles 15 d after maximum brightness?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shara, Michael M.; Doyle, Trisha F.; Pagnotta, Ashley; Garland, James T.; Lauer, Tod R.; Zurek, David; Baltz, Edward A.; Goerl, Ariel; Kovetz, Attay; Machac, Tamara; Madrid, Juan P.; Mikołajewska, Joanna; Neill, J. D.; Prialnik, Dina; Welch, D. L.; Yaron, Ofer

2018-02-01

Ten weeks of daily imaging of the giant elliptical galaxy M87 with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has yielded 41 nova light curves of unprecedented quality for extragalactic cataclysmic variables. We have recently used these light curves to demonstrate that the observational scatter in the so-called maximum-magnitude rate of decline (MMRD) relation for classical novae is so large as to render the nova-MMRD useless as a standard candle. Here, we demonstrate that a modified Buscombe-de Vaucouleurs hypothesis, namely that novae with decline times t2 > 10 d converge to nearly the same absolute magnitude about two weeks after maximum light in a giant elliptical galaxy, is supported by our M87 nova data. For 13 novae with daily sampled light curves, well determined times of maximum light in both the F606W and F814W filters, and decline times t2 > 10 d we find that M87 novae display M606W,15 = -6.37 ± 0.46 and M814W,15 = -6.11 ± 0.43. If very fast novae with decline times t2 < 10 d are excluded, the distances to novae in elliptical galaxies with stellar binary populations similar to those of M87 should be determinable with 1σ accuracies of ± 20 per cent with the above calibrations.

New Nova Candidates from the RSBE M31 Nova Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lauber, Stephanie; Rector, Travis A.; Shafter, Allen W.

2015-01-01

Since 1995 the Kitt Peak National Observatory WIYN 0.9-m telescope has been used to monitor M31 for novae as part of the Research-Based Science Education Project (RBSE). The resulting images, which typically cover approximately the inner 20 arc min of M31, are taken through a broad-band H-alpha filter to isolate the strong H-alpha emission lines characteristic of novae shortly after eruption.We are in the process of reanalyzing the entire RBSE data set covering the period between September 1995 and August 2014 in order to produce an up-to-date list of novae from this survey. Here, we present coordinates and H-alpha magnitudes for 4 new nova discoveries not previous reported. Among the new nova discoveries, one system appears spatially coincident with M31N 1988-09a, and is thus a recurrent nova candidate.

Nonperturbative methods in HZE ion transport

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, John W.; Badavi, Francis F.; Costen, Robert C.; Shinn, Judy L.

1993-01-01

A nonperturbative analytic solution of the high charge and energy (HZE) Green's function is used to implement a computer code for laboratory ion beam transport. The code is established to operate on the Langley Research Center nuclear fragmentation model used in engineering applications. Computational procedures are established to generate linear energy transfer (LET) distributions for a specified ion beam and target for comparison with experimental measurements. The code is highly efficient and compares well with the perturbation approximations.

Nova Delphini 2013: Backyard Analysis of a Classical Nova

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reid, Piper

2014-01-01

On August 14, 2013, Nova Delphini was discovered by Koichi Itagaki. This nova erupted to a maximum brightness of magnitude 4.4 by August 16, 2013. The extraordinary brightness of this event has allowed many amateur astronomers to have the chance to study it. More than 750 amateur astronomers have contributed to the AAVSO photometry database of Nova Delphini.1 The amount and quality of spectroscopic data gathered is unprecedented as well, as over 700 individual spectra have been collected so far in the ARAS database.2 A nova is a class of variable star that undergoes a cataclysmic eruption, which can be observed through a sudden increase in brightness that declines over a series of months or years. At the center of a nova is an accreting white dwarf star which is collecting hydrogen from its surroundings. The accreting mass causes a nuclear reaction on the surface of the white dwarf and as the pressure increases the reaction becomes super-critical and a thermonuclear runaway is ignited causing the brightness increase as well as triggering the ejection of a shell of material form the star. The stages of a classical nova outburst are outlined along with techniques available to amateur astronomers for study of these phenomena. The author’s equipment and software setup are detailed. Results obtained using a low resolution grating, Schmidt-cassegrain telescope and CCD camera that were acquired while Nova Delphini was in the “fireball stage” 3 and subsequent “iron curtain phase”3 are compared and discussed. Results obtained using a high resolution spectroscope, Schmidt-cassegrain telescope and CCD camera that were acquired during the “lifting of the iron curtain phase”3 are also presented. References 1. Turner, Rebecca. “AAVSO - Nova Del 2013” 20 Aug 2013 Web. 8 Sep 2013 2. Tessier, Francois. “ARAS Spectral Database - Nova-Del-2013” 22 Sep 2013 Web. 22 Sep 2013 3. Shore, Steven N. “Spectroscopy of Novae - A User’s Manual” arXiv:1211.3176 [astro-ph.SR] 14 Nov 2012

White Dwarfs in Cataclysmic Variables: An Update

PubMed Central

Sion, Edward M.; Godon, Patrick

2018-01-01

In this review, we summarize what is currently known about the surface temperatures of accreting white dwarfs in non-magnetic and magnetic cataclysmic variables (CVs) based upon synthetic spectral analyses of far ultraviolet data. We focus only on white dwarf surface temperatures, since in the area of chemical abundances, rotation rates, WD masses and accretion rates, relatively little has changed since our last review, pending the results of a large HST GO program involving 48 CVs of different CV types. The surface temperature of the white dwarf in SS Cygni is re-examined in the light of its revised distance. We also discuss new HST spectra of the recurrent nova T Pyxidis as it transitioned into quiescence following its April 2011 nova outburst. PMID:29505036

On the implications of the period distributions of subclasses of cataclysmic variables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verbunt, Frank

1997-09-01

The period distributions of dwarf novae and nova-like variables above the period gap are different if the VY Scl systems are classed with the nova-like variables, but the same when the VY Scl phenomenon is classed with the dwarf nova outbursts. For the remaining nova-like variables, the period gap is no longer significant. Classification of the VY Scl phenomenon with dwarf novae suggests that dwarf nova outbursts are caused by variation in mass transfer from the donor. Absence of the period gap obviates the need for models explaining it, and invalidates one piece of evidence for the importance of magnetic braking for the evolution of cataclysmic variables and of low-mass binaries in general.

Spinal Motion and Muscle Activity during Active Trunk Movements – Comparing Sheep and Humans Adopting Upright and Quadrupedal Postures

PubMed Central

Valentin, Stephanie; Licka, Theresia F.

2016-01-01

Sheep are used as models for the human spine, yet comparative in vivo data necessary for validation is limited. The purpose of this study was therefore to compare spinal motion and trunk muscle activity during active trunk movements in sheep and humans. Three-dimensional kinematic data as well as surface electromyography (sEMG) of spinal flexion and extension was compared in twenty-four humans in upright (UR) and 4-point kneeling (KN) postures and in 17 Austrian mountain sheep. Kinematic markers were attached over the sacrum, posterior iliac spines, and spinous and transverse processes of T5, T8, T11, L2 and L5 in humans and over the sacrum, tuber sacrale, T5, T8, T12, L3 and L7 in sheep. The activity of erector spinae (ES), rectus abdominis (RA), obliquus externus (OE), and obliquus internus (OI) were collected. Maximum sEMG (MOE) was identified for each muscle and trial, and reported as a percentage (MOE%) of the overall maximally observed sEMG from all trials. Spinal range of motion was significantly smaller in sheep compared to humans (UR / KN) during flexion (sheep: 6–11°; humans 12–34°) and extension (sheep: 4°; humans: 11–17°). During extension, MOE% of ES was greater in sheep (median: 77.37%) than UR humans (24.89%), and MOE% of OE and OI was greater in sheep (OE 76.20%; OI 67.31%) than KN humans (OE 21.45%; OI 19.34%), while MOE% of RA was lower in sheep (21.71%) than UR humans (82.69%). During flexion, MOE% of RA was greater in sheep (83.09%) than humans (KN 47.42%; UR 41.38%), and MOE% of ES in sheep (45.73%) was greater than KN humans (14.45%), but smaller than UR humans (72.36%). The differences in human and sheep spinal motion and muscle activity suggest that caution is warranted when ovine data are used to infer human spine biomechanics. PMID:26741136

Transmission of Force in the Lumbosacral Spine During Backward Falls

PubMed Central

Van Toen, Carolyn; Sran, Meena M.; Robinovitch, Stephen N.; Cripton, Peter A.

2012-01-01

Study Design Mathematical model, combined with and verified using human subject data. Objective (1) To develop and verify a lumped-parameter mathematical model for prediction of spine forces during backward falls; (2) to use this model to evaluate the effect of floor stiffness on spine forces during falls; and (3) to compare predicted impact forces with forces previously measured to fracture the spine. Summary of Background Data Vertebral fractures are the most common osteoporotic fractures and commonly result from falls from standing height. Compliant flooring reduces the force at the ground during a backward fall from standing; however, the effect on spine forces is unknown. Methods A 6-df model of the body was developed and verified using data from 10 human subjects falling from standing onto 3 types of compliant floors (soft: 59 kN/m, medium: 67 kN/m, and firm: 95 kN/m). The simulated ground forces were compared with those measured experimentally. The model was also used to assess the effect of floor stiffness on spine forces at various intervertebral levels. Results There was less than 14% difference between model predictions and experimentally measured peak ground reaction forces, when averaged over all floor conditions. When compared with the rigid floor, average peak spine force attenuations of 46%, 43%, and 41% were achieved with the soft, medium, and firm floors, respectively (3.7, 3.9, 4.1 kN vs. 6.9 kN at L4/L5). Spine forces were lower than those at the ground and decreased cranially (4.9, 3.9, 3.7, 3.5 kN at the ground, L5/S1, L4/L5, and L3/L4, respectively, for the soft floor). Conclusion Lowering the floor stiffness (from 400 to 59 kN/m) can attenuate peak lumbosacral spine forces in a backward fall onto the buttocks from standing by 46% (average peak from 6.9 to 3.7 kN at L4/L5) to values closer to the average tolerance of the spine to fracture (3.4 kN). PMID:22076645

Transmission of force in the lumbosacral spine during backward falls.

PubMed

Van Toen, Carolyn; Sran, Meena M; Robinovitch, Stephen N; Cripton, Peter A

2012-04-20

Mathematical model, combined with and verified using human subject data. (1) To develop and verify a lumped-parameter mathematical model for prediction of spine forces during backward falls; (2) to use this model to evaluate the effect of floor stiffness on spine forces during falls; and (3) to compare predicted impact forces with forces previously measured to fracture the spine. Vertebral fractures are the most common osteoporotic fractures and commonly result from falls from standing height. Compliant flooring reduces the force at the ground during a backward fall from standing; however, the effect on spine forces is unknown. A 6-df model of the body was developed and verified using data from 10 human subjects falling from standing onto 3 types of compliant floors (soft: 59 kN/m, medium: 67 kN/m, and firm: 95 kN/m). The simulated ground forces were compared with those measured experimentally. The model was also used to assess the effect of floor stiffness on spine forces at various intervertebral levels. There was less than 14% difference between model predictions and experimentally measured peak ground reaction forces, when averaged over all floor conditions. When compared with the rigid floor, average peak spine force attenuations of 46%, 43%, and 41% were achieved with the soft, medium, and firm floors, respectively (3.7, 3.9, 4.1 kN vs. 6.9 kN at L4/L5). Spine forces were lower than those at the ground and decreased cranially (4.9, 3.9, 3.7, 3.5 kN at the ground, L5/S1, L4/L5, and L3/L4, respectively, for the soft floor). Lowering the floor stiffness (from 400 to 59 kN/m) can attenuate peak lumbosacral spine forces in a backward fall onto the buttocks from standing by 46% (average peak from 6.9 to 3.7 kN at L4/L5) to values closer to the average tolerance of the spine to fracture (3.4 kN).

Spinal Motion and Muscle Activity during Active Trunk Movements - Comparing Sheep and Humans Adopting Upright and Quadrupedal Postures.

PubMed

Valentin, Stephanie; Licka, Theresia F

2016-01-01

Sheep are used as models for the human spine, yet comparative in vivo data necessary for validation is limited. The purpose of this study was therefore to compare spinal motion and trunk muscle activity during active trunk movements in sheep and humans. Three-dimensional kinematic data as well as surface electromyography (sEMG) of spinal flexion and extension was compared in twenty-four humans in upright (UR) and 4-point kneeling (KN) postures and in 17 Austrian mountain sheep. Kinematic markers were attached over the sacrum, posterior iliac spines, and spinous and transverse processes of T5, T8, T11, L2 and L5 in humans and over the sacrum, tuber sacrale, T5, T8, T12, L3 and L7 in sheep. The activity of erector spinae (ES), rectus abdominis (RA), obliquus externus (OE), and obliquus internus (OI) were collected. Maximum sEMG (MOE) was identified for each muscle and trial, and reported as a percentage (MOE%) of the overall maximally observed sEMG from all trials. Spinal range of motion was significantly smaller in sheep compared to humans (UR / KN) during flexion (sheep: 6-11°; humans 12-34°) and extension (sheep: 4°; humans: 11-17°). During extension, MOE% of ES was greater in sheep (median: 77.37%) than UR humans (24.89%), and MOE% of OE and OI was greater in sheep (OE 76.20%; OI 67.31%) than KN humans (OE 21.45%; OI 19.34%), while MOE% of RA was lower in sheep (21.71%) than UR humans (82.69%). During flexion, MOE% of RA was greater in sheep (83.09%) than humans (KN 47.42%; UR 41.38%), and MOE% of ES in sheep (45.73%) was greater than KN humans (14.45%), but smaller than UR humans (72.36%). The differences in human and sheep spinal motion and muscle activity suggest that caution is warranted when ovine data are used to infer human spine biomechanics.

Aspects of perturbation theory in quantum mechanics: The BenderWuMATHEMATICA® package

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sulejmanpasic, Tin; Ünsal, Mithat

2018-07-01

We discuss a general setup which allows the study of the perturbation theory of an arbitrary, locally harmonic 1D quantum mechanical potential as well as its multi-variable (many-body) generalization. The latter may form a prototype for regularized quantum field theory. We first generalize the method of Bender-Wu,and derive exact recursion relations which allow the determination of the perturbative wave-function and energy corrections to an arbitrary order, at least in principle. For 1D systems, we implement these equations in an easy to use MATHEMATICA® package we call BenderWu. Our package enables quick home-computer computation of high orders of perturbation theory (about 100 orders in 10-30 s, and 250 orders in 1-2 h) and enables practical study of a large class of problems in Quantum Mechanics. We have two hopes concerning the BenderWu package. One is that due to resurgence, large amount of non-perturbative information, such as non-perturbative energies and wave-functions (e.g. WKB wave functions), can in principle be extracted from the perturbative data. We also hope that the package may be used as a teaching tool, providing an effective bridge between perturbation theory and non-perturbative physics in textbooks. Finally, we show that for the multi-variable case, the recursion relation acquires a geometric character, and has a structure which allows parallelization to computer clusters.

A novel quantum-mechanical interpretation of the Dirac equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

K-H Kiessling, M.; Tahvildar-Zadeh, A. S.

2016-04-01

A novel interpretation is given of Dirac’s ‘wave equation for the relativistic electron’ as a quantum-mechanical one-particle equation. In this interpretation the electron and the positron are merely the two different ‘topological spin’ states of a single more fundamental particle, not distinct particles in their own right. The new interpretation is backed up by the existence of such ‘bi-particle’ structures in general relativity, in particular the ring singularity present in any spacelike section of the spacetime singularity of the maximal-analytically extended, topologically non-trivial, electromagnetic Kerr-Newman (KN)spacetime in the zero-gravity limit (here, ‘zero-gravity’ means the limit G\\to 0, where G is Newton’s constant of universal gravitation). This novel interpretation resolves the dilemma that Dirac’s wave equation seems to be capable of describing both the electron and the positron in ‘external’ fields in many relevant situations, while the bi-spinorial wave function has only a single position variable in its argument, not two—as it should if it were a quantum-mechanical two-particle wave equation. A Dirac equation is formulated for such a ring-like bi-particle which interacts with a static point charge located elsewhere in the topologically non-trivial physical space associated with the moving ring particle, the motion being governed by a de Broglie-Bohm type law extracted from the Dirac equation. As an application, the pertinent general-relativistic zero-gravity hydrogen problem is studied in the usual Born-Oppenheimer approximation. Its spectral results suggest that the zero-G KN magnetic moment be identified with the so-called ‘anomalous magnetic moment of the physical electron,’ not with the Bohr magneton, so that the ring radius is only a tiny fraction of the electron’s reduced Compton wavelength.

SU-E-T-525: Ionization Chamber Perturbation in Flattening Filter Free Beams

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

Czarnecki, D; Voigts-Rhetz, P von; Zink, K

2015-06-15

Purpose: Changing the characteristic of a photon beam by mechanically removing the flattening filter may impact the dose response of ionization chambers. Thus, perturbation factors of cylindrical ionization chambers in conventional and flattening filter free photon beams were calculated by Monte Carlo simulations. Methods: The EGSnrc/BEAMnrc code system was used for all Monte Carlo calculations. BEAMnrc models of nine different linear accelerators with and without flattening filter were used to create realistic photon sources. Monte Carlo based calculations to determine the fluence perturbations due to the presens of the chambers components, the different material of the sensitive volume (air insteadmore » of water) as well as the volume effect were performed by the user code egs-chamber. Results: Stem, central electrode, wall, density and volume perturbation factors for linear accelerators with and without flattening filter were calculated as a function of the beam quality specifier TPR{sub 20/10}. A bias between the perturbation factors as a function of TPR{sub 20/10} for flattening filter free beams and conventional linear accelerators could not be observed for the perturbations caused by the components of the ionization chamber and the sensitive volume. Conclusion: The results indicate that the well-known small bias between the beam quality correction factor as a function of TPR20/10 for the flattening filter free and conventional linear accelerators is not caused by the geometry of the detector but rather by the material of the sensitive volume. This suggest that the bias for flattening filter free photon fields is only caused by the different material of the sensitive volume (air instead of water)« less

Simulation of the vibrational chemistry and the infrared signature induced by a Sprite streamer in the mesosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romand, F.; Payan, S.; Croize, L.

2017-12-01

Since their first observation in 1989, effect of TLEs on the atmospheric composition has become an open and important question. The lack of suitable experimental data is a shortcoming that hampers our understanding of the physics and chemistry induced by these effects. HALESIS (High-Altitude Luminous Events Studied by Infrared Spectro-imagery) is a future experiment dedicated to the measurement of the atmospheric perturbation induced by a TLE in the minutes following its occurrence, from a stratospheric balloon flying at an altitude of 25 km to 40 km. This work aims to quantify the local chemical impact of sprites in the stratosphere and mesosphere. In this paper, we will present the development of a tool which simulates (i) the impact of a sprite on the vibrational chemistry, (ii) the resulting infrared signature and (iii) the propagation of this signature through the atmosphere to an observer. First the Non Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium populations of a background atmosphere were computed using SAMM2 code. The initial thermodynamic and chemical description of atmosphere comes from the Whole Atmosphere community Climate Model (WACCM). Then a perturbation was applied to simulate a sprite. Chemistry due to TLEs was computed using Gordillo-Vazquez kinetic model. Rate coefficients that depend on the electron energy distribution function were calculated from collision cross-section data by solving the electron Boltzmann equation (BE). Time evolutions of the species densities and of vibrational populations in the non-thermal plasma consecutive to sprite discharge were simulated using the computer code ZDPlasKin (S. Pancheshn et al.). Finally, the resulting infrared signatures were propagated from the disturbed area through the atmosphere to an instrument placed in a limb line of sight using a line by line radiative transfer model. We will conclude that sprite could produce a significant infrared signature that last a few tens of seconds after the visible flash.

Numerical optimization of three-dimensional coils for NSTX-U

DOE PAGES

Lazerson, S. A.; Park, J. -K.; Logan, N.; ...

2015-09-03

A tool for the calculation of optimal three-dimensional (3D) perturbative magnetic fields in tokamaks has been developed. The IPECOPT code builds upon the stellarator optimization code STELLOPT to allow for optimization of linear ideal magnetohydrodynamic perturbed equilibrium (IPEC). This tool has been applied to NSTX-U equilibria, addressing which fields are the most effective at driving NTV torques. The NTV torque calculation is performed by the PENT code. Optimization of the normal field spectrum shows that fields with n = 1 character can drive a large core torque. It is also shown that fields with n = 3 features are capablemore » of driving edge torque and some core torque. Coil current optimization (using the planned in-vessel and existing RWM coils) on NSTX-U suggest the planned coils set is adequate for core and edge torque control. In conclusion, comparison between error field correction experiments on DIII-D and the optimizer show good agreement.« less

Relaxation drag history of shock accelerated microparticles

DOE PAGES

Bordoloi, Ankur D.; Martinez, Adam A.; Prestridge, Katherine

2017-06-21

Experimental measurements of the displacements of shock accelerated microparticles from shortly after shock interaction to the particle relaxation time show time-dependent drag coefficients (more » $$C_{D}$$) that are much higher than those predicted by quasi-steady and unsteady drag models. Nylon particles with mean diameter of $$4~\\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\\text{m}$$, accelerated by one-dimensional normal shocks (Mach number$$M_{s}=1.2$$, 1.3 and 1.4), have measured$$C_{D}$$values that follow a power-law behaviour. The drag is a function of the time-dependent Knudsen number,$$Kn^{\\ast }=M_{s}/Re_{p}$$, where the particle Reynolds number ($$Re_{p}$$) is calculated using the time-dependent slip velocity. Also, some portion of the drag can be attributed to quasi-steady forces, but the total drag cannot be predicted by current unsteady force models that are based on the Basset–Boussinesq–Oseen equation and pressure drag. The largest contribution to the total drag is the unsteady component ($$C_{D,us}$$) until the particle attains$$Kn^{\\ast }\\approx 0.5{-}1.0$$, then the unsteady contribution decays. The quasi-steady component ($$C_{D,qs}$$) increases almost linearly with$$Kn^{\\ast }$$, intersects the$$C_{D,us}$$at$$Kn^{\\ast }\\approx 2$$and becomes the primary contributor to the drag towards the end of the relaxation zone as$$Re_{p}\\rightarrow 0$$. Finally, there are currently no analytical models that are able to predict the nonlinear behaviour of the shock accelerated particles during the relaxation phase of the flow.« less

Relaxation drag history of shock accelerated microparticles

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

Bordoloi, Ankur D.; Martinez, Adam A.; Prestridge, Katherine

Experimental measurements of the displacements of shock accelerated microparticles from shortly after shock interaction to the particle relaxation time show time-dependent drag coefficients (more » $$C_{D}$$) that are much higher than those predicted by quasi-steady and unsteady drag models. Nylon particles with mean diameter of $$4~\\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\\text{m}$$, accelerated by one-dimensional normal shocks (Mach number$$M_{s}=1.2$$, 1.3 and 1.4), have measured$$C_{D}$$values that follow a power-law behaviour. The drag is a function of the time-dependent Knudsen number,$$Kn^{\\ast }=M_{s}/Re_{p}$$, where the particle Reynolds number ($$Re_{p}$$) is calculated using the time-dependent slip velocity. Also, some portion of the drag can be attributed to quasi-steady forces, but the total drag cannot be predicted by current unsteady force models that are based on the Basset–Boussinesq–Oseen equation and pressure drag. The largest contribution to the total drag is the unsteady component ($$C_{D,us}$$) until the particle attains$$Kn^{\\ast }\\approx 0.5{-}1.0$$, then the unsteady contribution decays. The quasi-steady component ($$C_{D,qs}$$) increases almost linearly with$$Kn^{\\ast }$$, intersects the$$C_{D,us}$$at$$Kn^{\\ast }\\approx 2$$and becomes the primary contributor to the drag towards the end of the relaxation zone as$$Re_{p}\\rightarrow 0$$. Finally, there are currently no analytical models that are able to predict the nonlinear behaviour of the shock accelerated particles during the relaxation phase of the flow.« less

Lion (Panthera leo) and caracal (Caracal caracal) type IIx single muscle fibre force and power exceed that of trained humans.

PubMed

Kohn, Tertius A; Noakes, Timothy D

2013-03-15

This study investigated for the first time maximum force production, shortening velocity (Vmax) and power output in permeabilised single muscle fibres at 12°C from lion, Panthera leo (Linnaeus 1758), and caracal, Caracal caracal (Schreber 1776), and compared the values with those from human cyclists. Additionally, the use and validation of previously frozen tissue for contractile experiments is reported. Only type IIx muscle fibres were identified in the caracal sample, whereas type IIx and only two type I fibres were found in the lion sample. Only pure type I and IIa, and hybrid type IIax fibres were identified in the human samples - there were no pure type IIx fibres. Nevertheless, compared with all the human fibre types, the lion and caracal fibres were smaller (P<0.01) in cross-sectional area (human: 6194±230 μm(2), lion: 3008±151 μm(2), caracal: 2583±221 μm(2)). On average, the felid type IIx fibres produced significantly greater force (191-211 kN m(-2)) and ~3 times more power (29.0-30.3 kN m(-2) fibre lengths s(-1)) than the human IIax fibres (100-150 kN m(-2), 4-11 kN m(-2) fibre lengths s(-1)). Vmax values of the lion type IIx fibres were also higher than those of human type IIax fibres. The findings suggest that the same fibre type may differ substantially between species and potential explanations are discussed.

First-year growth, condition, and size-selective winter mortality of freshwater drum in the lower Missouri River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Braaten, P.J.; Guy, C.S.

2004-01-01

We compared first-year growth and relative condition (Kn) of the 1997 and 1998 year-classes of freshwater drum Aplodinotus grunniens among three sites in a 235-km reach of the channelized Missouri River and tested for the occurrence of size-selective overwinter mortality during the first winter. Prewinter mean length was 15 mm greater, mean weight was 8 g greater, and mean Kn was 5% greater at the upstream site than at the downstream site. The prewinter mean length of age-0 freshwater drum was significantly greater in 1997 (115 mm) than in 1998 (109 mm), but Kn was significantly greater in 1998 (107) than in 1997 (102). There was no evidence that density-dependent interactions influenced prewinter growth and Kn. Size-selective overwinter mortality of the smallest size-classes of freshwater drum occurred at two of three sites during the 1997-1998 winter, and K n decreased 9-15%. Size-selective overwinter mortality of the 1998 cohort of freshwater drum did not occur during the 1998-1999 winter, and K n declined 0-10%. A prolonged growing season (through early December 1998), in conjunction with less severe winter water temperature conditions, apparently minimized the incidence of size-selective overwinter mortality for the 1998 cohort of freshwater drum. We conclude that size-selective overwinter mortality of age-0 freshwater drum occurs in the lower channelized Missouri River but depends on the length of the prewinter growing season, winter duration, and the severity of winter water temperatures.

Offshore Wind Turbines Subjected to Hurricanes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amirinia, Gholamreza

Hurricane Andrew (1992) caused one of the largest property losses in U.S. history, but limited availability of surface wind measurements hindered the advancement of wind engineering research. Many studies have been conducted on regular boundary layer winds (non-hurricane winds) and their effects on the structures. In this case, their results were used in the standards and codes; however, hurricane winds and their effects on the structures still need more studies and observations. Analysis of hurricane surface winds revealed that turbulence spectrum of hurricane winds differs from that of non-hurricane surface winds. Vertical profile of wind velocity and turbulence intensity are also important for determining the wind loads on high-rise structures. Vertical profile of hurricane winds is affected by different parameters such as terrain or surface roughness. Recent studies show that wind velocity profile and turbulence intensity of hurricane winds may be different from those used in the design codes. Most of the studies and available models for analyzing wind turbines subjected to high-winds neglect unsteady aerodynamic forces on a parked wind tower. Since the blade pitch angle in a parked wind turbine is usually about 90°, the drag coefficient on blade airfoils are very small therefore the along-wind aerodynamic forces on the blades are smaller than those on the tower. Hence, the tower in parked condition plays an important role in along-wind responses of the wind turbine. The objectives of this study are, first, to explore the nature of the hurricane surface winds. Next, to establish a time domain procedure for addressing structure-wind-wave-soil interactions. Third, investigating the behavior of wind turbines subjected to hurricane loads resulted form hurricane nature and, lastly, to investigate reconfiguration of turbine structure to reduce wind forces. In order to achieve these objective, first, recent observations on hurricane turbulence models were discussed. Then a new formulation for addressing unsteady wind forces on the tower was introduced and NREL-FAST package was modified with the new formulation. Interaction of wind-wave-soil-structure was also included in the modification. After customizing the package, the tower and blade buffeting responses, the low cycle fatigue during different hurricane categories, and extreme value of the short-term responses were analyzed. In the second part, piezoelectric materials were used to generate perturbations on the surface of a specimen in the wind tunnel. This perturbation was used to combine upward wall motion and surface curvature. For this purpose, a Macro Fiber Composite (MFC) material was mounted on the surface of a cylindrical specimen for generating perturbation in the wind tunnel. Four different perturbation frequencies (1 Hz, 2 Hz, 3 Hz, and 4Hz) as well as the baseline specimen were tested in a low-speed wind tunnel (Re= 2.8x104). Results showed that recently observed turbulence models resulted in larger structural responses and low-cycle fatigue damage than existing models. In addition, extreme value analysis of the short-term results showed that the IEC 61400-3 recommendation for wind turbine class I was sufficient for designing the tower for wind turbine class S subjected to hurricane; however, for designing the blade, IEC 61400-3 recommendations for class I underestimated the responses. In addition, wind tunnel testing results showed that the perturbation of the surface of the specimen increased the turbulence in the leeward in specific distance from the specimen. The surface perturbation technique had potential to reduce the drag by 4.8%.

Binary Orbits as the Driver of Gamma-Ray Emission and Mass Ejection in Classical Novae

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chomiuk, Laura; Linford, Justin D.; Yang, Jun; O'Brien, T. J.; Paragi, Zsolt; Mioduszewski, Amy J.; Beswick, R. J.; Cheung, C. C.; Mukai, Koji; Nelson, Thomas

2014-01-01

Classical novae are the most common astrophysical thermonuclear explosions, occurring on the surfaces of white dwarf stars accreting gas from companions in binary star systems. Novae typically expel about 10 (sup -4) solar masses of material at velocities exceeding 1,000 kilometers per second.However, the mechanism of mass ejection in novae is poorly understood, and could be dominated by the impulsive flash of thermonuclear energy, prolonged optically thick winds or binary interaction with the nova envelope. Classical novae are now routinely detected at giga-electronvolt gamma-ray wavelengths, suggesting that relativistic particles are accelerated by strong shocks in the ejecta. Here we report high-resolution radio imaging of the gamma-ray-emitting nova V959 Mon. We find that its ejecta were shaped by the motion of the binary system: some gas was expelled rapidly along the poles as a wind from the white dwarf, while denser material drifted out along the equatorial plane, propelled by orbital motion..At the interface between the equatorial and polar regions, we observe synchrotron emission indicative of shocks and relativistic particle acceleration, thereby pinpointing the location of gamma-ray production. Binary shaping of the nova ejecta and associated internal shocks are expected to be widespread among novae, explaining why many novae are gamma-ray emitters.

Novae in External Galaxies: M51, M87, and M101

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shafter, A. W.; Ciardullo, R.; Pritchet, C. J.

2000-02-01

As part of a program to determine the stellar population of novae, we have conducted a multiepoch Hα survey of the galaxies M51, M87, and M101. A total of nine and 12 novae were detected in the spiral galaxies M51 and M101, respectively, during four epochs of observation, and two epochs of observation yielded a total of nine novae in the giant elliptical galaxy M87. After correcting for the effective survey time and for the fraction of luminosity sampled, we find global nova rates of 18+/-7, 91+/-34, and 12+/-4 novae per year for M51, M87, and M101, respectively. After normalizing to the total K-band luminosity of each galaxy, we estimate luminosity-specific nova rates for M51, M87, and M101 of 1.09+/-0.47, 2.30+/-0.99, and 0.97+/-0.38 novae per year per 1010 solar luminosities in K. When we compare these data with measured values for the luminosity-specific nova rates of other galaxies, we find no compelling evidence for a significant variation with Hubble type. Possible ramifications of this result are discussed within the context of current theoretical models for nova production in galaxies.

Inertial confinement fusion ablator physics experiments on Saturn and Nova

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

Olson, R.E.; Porter, J.L.; Chandler, G.A.

1997-05-01

The Saturn pulsed power accelerator [R. B. Spielman {ital et al.}, in {ital Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Dense} Z-{ital pinches}, Laguna Beach, CA, 1989, edited by N. R. Pereira, J. Davis, and N. Rostoker (American Institute of Physics, New York, 1989), p. 3] at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and the Nova laser [J. T. Hunt and D. R. Speck, Opt. Eng. {bold 28}, 461 (1989)] at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have been used to explore techniques for studying the behavior of ablator material in x-ray radiation environments comparable in magnitude, spectrum, and duration to those thatmore » would be experienced in National Ignition Facility (NIF) hohlraums [J. D. Lindl, Phys. Plasmas {bold 2}, 3933 (1995)]. The large x-ray outputs available from the Saturn pulsed-power-driven z pinch have enabled us to drive hohlraums of full NIF ignition scale size at radiation temperatures and time scales comparable to those required for the low-power foot pulse of an ignition capsule. The high-intensity drives available in the Nova laser have allowed us to study capsule ablator physics in smaller-scale hohlraums at radiation temperatures and time scales relevant to the peak power pulse for an ignition capsule. Taken together, these experiments have pointed the way to possible techniques for testing radiation-hydrodynamics code predictions of radiation flow, opacity, equation of state, and ablator shock velocity over the range of radiation environments that will be encountered in a NIF hohlraum. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}« less

The Berkeley SuperNova Ia Program (BSNIP): Dataset and Initial Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silverman, Jeffrey; Ganeshalingam, M.; Kong, J.; Li, W.; Filippenko, A.

2012-01-01

I will present spectroscopic data from the Berkeley SuperNova Ia Program (BSNIP), their initial analysis, and the results of attempts to use spectral information to improve cosmological distance determinations to Type Ia supernova (SNe Ia). The dataset consists of 1298 low-redshift (z< 0.2) optical spectra of 582 SNe Ia observed from 1989 through the end of 2008. Many of the SNe have well-calibrated light curves with measured distance moduli as well as spectra that have been corrected for host-galaxy contamination. I will also describe the spectral classification scheme employed (using the SuperNova Identification code, SNID; Blondin & Tonry 2007) which utilizes a newly constructed set of SNID spectral templates. The sheer size of the BSNIP dataset and the consistency of the observation and reduction methods make this sample unique among all other published SN Ia datasets. I will also discuss measurements of the spectral features of about one-third of the spectra which were obtained within 20 days of maximum light. I will briefly describe the adopted method of automated, robust spectral-feature definition and measurement which expands upon similar previous studies. Comparisons of these measurements of SN Ia spectral features to photometric observables will be presented with an eye toward using spectral information to calculate more accurate cosmological distances. Finally, I will comment on related projects which also utilize the BSNIP dataset that are planned for the near future. This research was supported by NSF grant AST-0908886 and the TABASGO Foundation. I am grateful to Marc J. Staley for a Graduate Fellowship.

The NOvA Technical Design Report

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

Ayres, D.S.; Drake, G.R.; Goodman, M.C.

Technical Design Report (TDR) describes the preliminary design of the NOvA accelerator upgrades, NOvA detectors, detector halls and detector sites. Compared to the March 2006 and November 2006 NOvA Conceptual Design Reports (CDR), critical value engineering studies have been completed and the alternatives still active in the CDR have been narrowed to achieve a preliminary technical design ready for a Critical Decision 2 review. Many aspects of NOvA described this TDR are complete to a level far beyond a preliminary design. In particular, the access road to the NOvA Far Detector site in Minnesota has an advanced technical design atmore » a level appropriate for a Critical Decision 3a review. Several components of the accelerator upgrade and new neutrino detectors also have advanced technical designs appropriate for a Critical Decision 3a review. Chapter 1 is an Executive Summary with a short description of the NOvA project. Chapter 2 describes how the Fermilab NuMI beam will provide a narrow band beam of neutrinos for NOvA. Chapter 3 gives an updated overview of the scientific basis for the NOvA experiment, focusing on the primary goal to extend the search for {nu}{sub {mu}} {yields} {nu}{sub e} oscillations and measure the sin{sup 2}(2{theta}{sub 13}) parameter. This parameter has not been measured in any previous experiment and NOvA would extend the search by about an order of magnitude beyond the current limit. A secondary goal is to measure the dominant mode oscillation parameters, sin{sup 2}(2{theta}{sub 23}) and {Delta}m{sub 32}{sup 2} to a more precise level than previous experiments. Additional physics goals for NOvA are also discussed. Chapter 4 describes the Scientific Design Criteria which the Fermilab accelerator complex, NOvA detectors and NOvA detector sites must satisfy to meet the physics goals discussed in Chapter 3. Chapter 5 is an overview of the NOvA project. The changes in the design relative to the NOvA CDR are discussed. Chapter 6 summarizes the NOvA design performance relative to the Design Criteria set out in Chapter 4. Chapter 7 presents the Work Breakdown Structure dictionary at Level 3 and the Milestone dictionary. Chapters 8 through 17 then take each Level 2 WBS element of the NOvA project and present each part of the design in more detail than the overview given in Chapter 5. Specific technical design criteria are delineated for each part of the project in addition to the scientific design criteria outlined in Chapter 4. Changes in the design since the NOvA CDR are discussed in detail. The work remaining to bring each part of this preliminary design to a final design is outlined. Appendix A is a guide to other NOvA Project documentation with links to those documents.« less

Perturbations of non-resonant satellite orbits due to a rotating earth. [tesseral harmonics and the Von Ziepel method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mueller, A.

1978-01-01

The dominant perturbations of the motion of a satellite near the earth are due to atmospheric drag and the non-symmetrical gravitational field. Atmospheric drag perturbation continually pulls the satellite in and out of the different long period resonant frequencies. The result is that the resonances never become apparent and may be neglected. The tesseral harmonics have no true secular perturbation but the periodicities in the mean motion induce a secular perturbation in the mean anomaly. This secular perturbation may be determined by simply using the average mean motion instead of the osculating mean motion. The Von Ziepel method is used to determine tesseral perturbations. The solution is found first in the singular DS phi elements and then rewritten in the PS phi elements to remove singularities. The notation used in the development is described in the appendix.

How to pattern a leaf.

PubMed

Bolduc, N; O'Connor, D; Moon, J; Lewis, M; Hake, S

2012-01-01

Leaf development presents a tremendous resource for tackling the question of patterning in biology. Leaves can be simple or highly dissected. They may have elaborated parts such as the tendrils of a pea leaf or the rolled blade of a carnivorous pitcher plant. Despite the variation in size, shape, and function, all leaves initiate in the same manner: from the flanks of a meristem. The maize leaf is useful for analysis of patterning due to the wealth of mutants and the distinct tissues along the proximal distal axis. The blade is distal, the sheath is proximal, and the ligule forms at the blade/sheath boundary. Establishment of this boundary involves the transcription factors LIGULELESS1 and LIGULELESS2 and the kinase LIGULELESS NARROW. The meristem-specific protein KNOTTED1 (KN1) binds and modulates the lg2 gene. Given the localization of KN1 at the proximal end of the leaf from the time of inception, we hypothesize that KN1 has a role in establishing the very proximal end of the leaf, whereas an auxin maximum guides the growing distal tip.

Shikonin Production by Callus Culture of Onosma bulbotrichom as Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient

PubMed Central

Bagheri, Fereshteh; Tahvilian, Reza; Karimi, Naser; Chalabi, Maryam; Azami, Mahsa

2018-01-01

The objective of this research was in-vitro germination and callus induction of Onosma bulbotrichum (O. bulbotrichum) as a medicinal herb which belongs to Boraginaceae family. For germination, the seeds were cultured on growth regulator-free MS medium and for callus induction, seeds were sown on modified MS medium containing different concentrations of kinetin (kn)- Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and kn- 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid), respectively. The plates were maintained in the dark at growth chamber. After 7 days seed germination on hormone-free medium and after 10 days callus initiation on modified medium in the presence of hormones was occurred. The maximum pigmented callus (100%) was observed on modified MS medium with a combination of 0.2 mg.L-1 IAA + 2.10 mg.L-1 kn. Shikonin determination was performed by HPLC method. In addition, total hydroxynaphtoquinons as polyphenols in sum of callus and culture medium were measured by spectrophotometric method and revealed that total naphtoquinones content at IAA was more than 2, 4-D. PMID:29881407

Mode instability in one-dimensional anharmonic lattices: Variational equation approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshimura, K.

1999-03-01

The stability of normal mode oscillations has been studied in detail under the single-mode excitation condition for the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam-β lattice. Numerical experiments indicate that the mode stability depends strongly on k/N, where k is the wave number of the initially excited mode and N is the number of degrees of freedom in the system. It has been found that this feature does not change when N increases. We propose an average variational equation - approximate version of the variational equation - as a theoretical tool to facilitate a linear stability analysis. It is shown that this strong k/N dependence of the mode stability can be explained from the view point of the linear stability of the relevant orbits. We introduce a low-dimensional approximation of the average variational equation, which approximately describes the time evolution of variations in four normal mode amplitudes. The linear stability analysis based on this four-mode approximation demonstrates that the parametric instability mechanism plays a crucial role in the strong k/N dependence of the mode stability.

Experimental High Temperature Characterization of a Magnetic Bearing for Turbomachinery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Montague, Gerald; Jansen, Mark; Provenza, Andrew; Palazzolo, Alan; Jansen, Ralph; Ebihara, Ben

2003-01-01

Open loop, experimental force and power measurements of a radial, redundant-axis, magnetic bearing at temperatures to 1000 F (538 C) and rotor speeds to 15,000 RPM along with theoretical temperature and force models are presented in this paper. The experimentally measured force produced by a single C-core using 22A was 600 lb. (2.67 kN) at room temperature and 380 lb. (1.69 kN) at 1000 F (538 C). These values were compared with force predictions based on a 1D magnetic circuit analysis and a thermal analysis of gap growth as a function of temperature. Tests under rotating conditions showed that rotor speed has a negligible effect on the bearing s load capacity. One C-core required approximately 340 W of power to generate 190 lb. (8.45 kN) of magnetic force at 1000 F (538 C); however the magnetic air gap was much larger than at room temperature. The data presented is after the bearing had already operated six thermal cycles and eleven total (not consecutive) hours at 1000 F (538 C).

V1369 Cen High-resolution Panchromatic Late Nebular Spectra in the Context of a Unified Picture for Nova Ejecta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mason, Elena; Shore, Steven N.; De Gennaro Aquino, Ivan; Izzo, Luca; Page, Kim; Schwarz, Greg J.

2018-01-01

Nova Cen 2013 (V1369 Cen) is the fourth bright nova observed panchromatically through high-resolution UV+optical multiepoch spectroscopy. It is also the nova with the richest set of spectra (in terms of both data quality and number of epochs) thanks to its exceptional brightness. Here, we use the late nebular spectra taken between day ∼250 and day ∼837 after outburst to derive the physical, geometrical, and kinematical properties of the nova. We compare the results with those determined for the other panchromatic studies in this series: T Pyx, V339 Del (nova Del 2013), and V959 Mon (nova Mon 2012). From this we conclude that in all these novae the ejecta geometry and phenomenology can be consistently explained by clumpy gas expelled during a single, brief ejection episode and in ballistic expansion, and not by a wind. For V1369 Cen the ejecta mass (∼1 × 10‑4 M⊙) and filling factor (0.1 ≤ f ≤ 0.2) are consistent with those of classical novae but larger (by at least an order of magnitude) than those of T Pyx and the recurrent novae. V1369 Cen has an anomalously high (relative to solar) N/C ratio that is beyond the range currently predicted for a CO nova, and the Ne emission line strengths are dissimilar to those of typical ONe or CO white dwarfs.

A Hubble Space Telescope survey for novae in M87 – III. Are novae good standard candles 15 d after maximum brightness?

DOE PAGES

Shara, Michael M.; Doyle, Trisha F.; Pagnotta, Ashley; ...

2017-11-16

Ten weeks of daily imaging of the giant elliptical galaxy M87 with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has yielded 41 nova light curves of unprecedented quality for extragalactic cataclysmic variables. We have recently used these light curves to demonstrate that the observational scatter in the so-called maximum-magnitude rate of decline (MMRD) relation for classical novae is so large as to render the nova-MMRD useless as a standard candle. Here in this paper, we demonstrate that a modified Buscombe–de Vaucouleurs hypothesis, namely that novae with decline times t2 > 10 d converge to nearly the same absolute magnitude about two weeksmore » after maximum light in a giant elliptical galaxy, is supported by our M87 nova data. For 13 novae with daily sampled light curves, well determined times of maximum light in both the F606W and F814W filters, and decline times t 2 > 10 d we find that M87 novae display M606W,15 = -6.37 ± 0.46 and M814W,15 = -6.11 ± 0.43. If very fast novae with decline times t 2 < 10 d are excluded, the distances to novae in elliptical galaxies with stellar binary populations similar to those of M87 should be determinable with 1σ accuracies of ± 20 percent with the above calibrations.« less

A Hubble Space Telescope survey for novae in M87 – III. Are novae good standard candles 15 d after maximum brightness?

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

Shara, Michael M.; Doyle, Trisha F.; Pagnotta, Ashley

Ten weeks of daily imaging of the giant elliptical galaxy M87 with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has yielded 41 nova light curves of unprecedented quality for extragalactic cataclysmic variables. We have recently used these light curves to demonstrate that the observational scatter in the so-called maximum-magnitude rate of decline (MMRD) relation for classical novae is so large as to render the nova-MMRD useless as a standard candle. Here in this paper, we demonstrate that a modified Buscombe–de Vaucouleurs hypothesis, namely that novae with decline times t2 > 10 d converge to nearly the same absolute magnitude about two weeksmore » after maximum light in a giant elliptical galaxy, is supported by our M87 nova data. For 13 novae with daily sampled light curves, well determined times of maximum light in both the F606W and F814W filters, and decline times t 2 > 10 d we find that M87 novae display M606W,15 = -6.37 ± 0.46 and M814W,15 = -6.11 ± 0.43. If very fast novae with decline times t 2 < 10 d are excluded, the distances to novae in elliptical galaxies with stellar binary populations similar to those of M87 should be determinable with 1σ accuracies of ± 20 percent with the above calibrations.« less

Origins of the changing detector response in small megavoltage photon radiation fields.

PubMed

Fenwick, John D; Georgiou, Georgios; Rowbottom, Carl G; Underwood, Tracy S A; Kumar, Sudhir; Nahum, Alan E

2018-06-08

Differences in detector response between measured small fields, f clin, and wider reference fields, f msr , can be overcome by using correction factors [Formula: see text] or by designing detectors with field-size invariant responses. The changing response in small fields is caused by perturbations of the electron fluence within the detector sensitive volume. For solid-state detectors, it has recently been suggested that these perturbations might be caused by the non-water-equivalent effective atomic numbers Z of detector materials, rather than by their non-water-like densities. Using the EGSnrc Monte Carlo code we have analyzed the response of a PTW 60017 diode detector in a 6 MV beam, calculating the [Formula: see text] correction factor from computed doses absorbed by water and by the detector sensitive volume in 0.5  ×  0.5 and 4  ×  4 cm 2 fields. In addition to the 'real' detector, fully modelled according to the manufacturer's blue-prints, we calculated doses and [Formula: see text] factors for a 'Z  →  water' detector variant in which mass stopping-powers and microscopic interaction coefficients were set to those of water while preserving real material densities, and for a 'density  →  1' variant in which densities were set to 1 g cm -3 , leaving mass stopping-powers and interaction coefficients at real levels. [Formula: see text] equalled 0.910  ±  0.005 (2 standard deviations) for the real detector, was insignificantly different at 0.912  ±  0.005 for the 'Z  →  H 2 O' variant, but equalled 1.012  ±  0.006 for the 'density  →  1' variant. For the 60017 diode in a 6 MV beam, then, [Formula: see text] was determined primarily by the detector's density rather than its atomic composition. Further calculations showed this remained the case in a 15 MV beam. Interestingly, the sensitive volume electron fluence was perturbed more by detector atomic composition than by density; however, the density-dependent perturbation varied with field-size, whereas the Z-dependent perturbation was relatively constant, little affecting [Formula: see text].

Origins of the changing detector response in small megavoltage photon radiation fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fenwick, John D.; Georgiou, Georgios; Rowbottom, Carl G.; Underwood, Tracy S. A.; Kumar, Sudhir; Nahum, Alan E.

2018-06-01

Differences in detector response between measured small fields, f clin, and wider reference fields, f msr , can be overcome by using correction factors or by designing detectors with field-size invariant responses. The changing response in small fields is caused by perturbations of the electron fluence within the detector sensitive volume. For solid-state detectors, it has recently been suggested that these perturbations might be caused by the non-water-equivalent effective atomic numbers Z of detector materials, rather than by their non-water-like densities. Using the EGSnrc Monte Carlo code we have analyzed the response of a PTW 60017 diode detector in a 6 MV beam, calculating the correction factor from computed doses absorbed by water and by the detector sensitive volume in 0.5  ×  0.5 and 4  ×  4 cm2 fields. In addition to the ‘real’ detector, fully modelled according to the manufacturer’s blue-prints, we calculated doses and factors for a ‘Z  →  water’ detector variant in which mass stopping-powers and microscopic interaction coefficients were set to those of water while preserving real material densities, and for a ‘density  →  1’ variant in which densities were set to 1 g cm‑3, leaving mass stopping-powers and interaction coefficients at real levels. equalled 0.910  ±  0.005 (2 standard deviations) for the real detector, was insignificantly different at 0.912  ±  0.005 for the ‘Z  →  H2O’ variant, but equalled 1.012  ±  0.006 for the ‘density  →  1’ variant. For the 60017 diode in a 6 MV beam, then, was determined primarily by the detector’s density rather than its atomic composition. Further calculations showed this remained the case in a 15 MV beam. Interestingly, the sensitive volume electron fluence was perturbed more by detector atomic composition than by density; however, the density-dependent perturbation varied with field-size, whereas the Z-dependent perturbation was relatively constant, little affecting .

A LIGHT CURVE ANALYSIS OF CLASSICAL NOVAE: FREE-FREE EMISSION VERSUS PHOTOSPHERIC EMISSION

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

Hachisu, Izumi; Kato, Mariko, E-mail: hachisu@ea.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp, E-mail: mariko@educ.cc.keio.ac.jp

2015-01-10

We analyzed light curves of seven relatively slower novae, PW Vul, V705 Cas, GQ Mus, RR Pic, V5558 Sgr, HR Del, and V723 Cas, based on an optically thick wind theory of nova outbursts. For fast novae, free-free emission dominates the spectrum in optical bands rather than photospheric emission, and nova optical light curves follow the universal decline law. Faster novae blow stronger winds with larger mass-loss rates. Because the brightness of free-free emission depends directly on the wind mass-loss rate, faster novae show brighter optical maxima. In slower novae, however, we must take into account photospheric emission because of theirmore » lower wind mass-loss rates. We calculated three model light curves of free-free emission, photospheric emission, and their sum for various white dwarf (WD) masses with various chemical compositions of their envelopes and fitted reasonably with observational data of optical, near-IR (NIR), and UV bands. From light curve fittings of the seven novae, we estimated their absolute magnitudes, distances, and WD masses. In PW Vul and V705 Cas, free-free emission still dominates the spectrum in the optical and NIR bands. In the very slow novae, RR Pic, V5558 Sgr, HR Del, and V723 Cas, photospheric emission dominates the spectrum rather than free-free emission, which makes a deviation from the universal decline law. We have confirmed that the absolute brightnesses of our model light curves are consistent with the distance moduli of four classical novae with known distances (GK Per, V603 Aql, RR Pic, and DQ Her). We also discussed the reason why the very slow novae are about ∼1 mag brighter than the proposed maximum magnitude versus rate of decline relation.« less

Non-perturbative quark mass renormalisation and running in N_{f}=3 QCD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campos, I.; Fritzsch, P.; Pena, C.; Preti, D.; Ramos, A.; Vladikas, A.

2018-05-01

We determine from first principles the quark mass anomalous dimension in N_{f}=3 QCD between the electroweak and hadronic scales. This allows for a fully non-perturbative connection of the perturbative and non-perturbative regimes of the Standard Model in the hadronic sector. The computation is carried out to high accuracy, employing massless O (a)-improved Wilson quarks and finite-size scaling techniques. We also provide the matching factors required in the renormalisation of light quark masses from lattice computations with O (a)-improved Wilson fermions and a tree-level Symanzik improved gauge action. The total uncertainty due to renormalisation and running in the determination of light quark masses in the SM is thus reduced to about 1%.

A perturbative approach to the redshift space correlation function: beyond the Standard Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bose, Benjamin; Koyama, Kazuya

2017-08-01

We extend our previous redshift space power spectrum code to the redshift space correlation function. Here we focus on the Gaussian Streaming Model (GSM). Again, the code accommodates a wide range of modified gravity and dark energy models. For the non-linear real space correlation function used in the GSM we use the Fourier transform of the RegPT 1-loop matter power spectrum. We compare predictions of the GSM for a Vainshtein screened and Chameleon screened model as well as GR. These predictions are compared to the Fourier transform of the Taruya, Nishimichi and Saito (TNS) redshift space power spectrum model which is fit to N-body data. We find very good agreement between the Fourier transform of the TNS model and the GSM predictions, with <= 6% deviations in the first two correlation function multipoles for all models for redshift space separations in 50Mpch <= s <= 180Mpc/h. Excellent agreement is found in the differences between the modified gravity and GR multipole predictions for both approaches to the redshift space correlation function, highlighting their matched ability in picking up deviations from GR. We elucidate the timeliness of such non-standard templates at the dawn of stage-IV surveys and discuss necessary preparations and extensions needed for upcoming high quality data.

Alien calculus and non perturbative effects in Quantum Field Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellon, Marc P.

2016-12-01

In many domains of physics, methods for dealing with non-perturbative aspects are required. Here, I want to argue that a good approach for this is to work on the Borel transforms of the quantities of interest, the singularities of which give non-perturbative contributions. These singularities in many cases can be largely determined by using the alien calculus developed by Jean Écalle. My main example will be the two point function of a massless theory given as a solution of a renormalization group equation.

Approximate Green's function methods for HZE transport in multilayered materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, John W.; Badavi, Francis F.; Shinn, Judy L.; Costen, Robert C.

1993-01-01

A nonperturbative analytic solution of the high charge and energy (HZE) Green's function is used to implement a computer code for laboratory ion beam transport in multilayered materials. The code is established to operate on the Langley nuclear fragmentation model used in engineering applications. Computational procedures are established to generate linear energy transfer (LET) distributions for a specified ion beam and target for comparison with experimental measurements. The code was found to be highly efficient and compared well with the perturbation approximation.

Synoptic GNIRS XD Spectra ToO Novae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woodward, Chick; Helton, Andrew; Spitzer/Chandra Team

2007-02-01

Novae are important contributors to galactic chemical enrichment on local scales. NIR spectroscopy of novae provides information about the elemental abundances of the gas and dust in the ejecta dispersing into the ISM as well as kinematic information related to the outburst. We propose to obtain synoptic GNIRS spectra of select Target of Opportunity (ToO) novae in the Magellanic Clouds (MC) and the galaxy to study the dynamics of the ejecta, to determine the temporal evolution of coronal lines and recombination lines (measuring their strength and velocity profiles), and to determine abundances. Being all equidistant, MC nova permit a more robust analysis of distant-dependent physical parameters of outburst than is generally possible for Galactic novae. The GNIRS data will provide critical spectral coverage and synoptic data to complement extant Spitzer and Chandra nova programs. Triggering of the GNIRS program will occur when a nova becomes brighter than V=12 mag, (assuming that adequate PWFS guide stars exist) as reported in the IAUC or CBET.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Energy levels & transition rates for F-like ions (Si+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Si, R.; Li, S.; Guo, X. L.; Chen, Z. B.; Brage, T.; Jonsson, P.; Wang, K.; Yan, J.; Chen, C. Y.; Zou, Y. M.

2017-01-01

For the multiconfiguration Dirac-Hartree-Fock (MCDHF) calculation we use the latest version of the GRASP2K code (Jonsson+ 2013CoPhC.184.2197J), while the many-body perturbation theory (MBPT) calculation is performed using the Flexible Atomic Code (FAC; Gu 2008CaJPh..86..675G). (2 data files).

Decay-ratio calculation in the frequency domain with the LAPUR code using 1D-kinetics

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

Munoz-Cobo, J. L.; Escriva, A.; Garcia, C.

This paper deals with the problem of computing the Decay Ratio in the frequency domain codes as the LAPUR code. First, it is explained how to calculate the feedback reactivity in the frequency domain using slab-geometry i.e. 1D kinetics, also we show how to perform the coupling of the 1D kinetics with the thermal-hydraulic part of the LAPUR code in order to obtain the reactivity feedback coefficients for the different channels. In addition, we show how to obtain the reactivity variation in the complex domain by solving the eigenvalue equation in the frequency domain and we compare this result withmore » the reactivity variation obtained in first order perturbation theory using the 1D neutron fluxes of the base case. Because LAPUR works in the linear regime, it is assumed that in general the perturbations are small. There is also a section devoted to the reactivity weighting factors used to couple the reactivity contribution from the different channels to the reactivity of the entire reactor core in point kinetics and 1D kinetics. Finally we analyze the effects of the different approaches on the DR value. (authors)« less

Rarefaction-driven Rayleigh–Taylor instability. Part 2. Experiments and simulations in the nonlinear regime

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

Morgan, R. V.; Cabot, W. H.; Greenough, J. A.

Experiments and large eddy simulation (LES) were performed to study the development of the Rayleigh–Taylor instability into the saturated, nonlinear regime, produced between two gases accelerated by a rarefaction wave. Single-mode two-dimensional, and single-mode three-dimensional initial perturbations were introduced on the diffuse interface between the two gases prior to acceleration. The rarefaction wave imparts a non-constant acceleration, and a time decreasing Atwood number,more » $$A=(\\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{2}-\\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{1})/(\\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{2}+\\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{1})$$, where$$\\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{2}$$and$$\\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{1}$$are the densities of the heavy and light gas, respectively. Experiments and simulations are presented for initial Atwood numbers of$A=0.49$$,$$A=0.63$$,$$A=0.82$$and$$A=0.94$$. Nominally two-dimensional (2-D) experiments (initiated with nearly 2-D perturbations) and 2-D simulations are observed to approach an intermediate-time velocity plateau that is in disagreement with the late-time velocity obtained from the incompressible model of Goncharov (Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 88, 2002, 134502). Reacceleration from an intermediate velocity is observed for 2-D bubbles in large wavenumber,$$k=2\\unicode[STIX]{x03C0}/\\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}=0.247~\\text{mm}^{-1}$$, experiments and simulations, where$$\\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}$is the wavelength of the initial perturbation. At moderate Atwood numbers, the bubble and spike velocities approach larger values than those predicted by Goncharov’s model. These late-time velocity trends are predicted well by numerical simulations using the LLNL Miranda code, and by the 2009 model of Mikaelian (Phys. Fluids., vol. 21, 2009, 024103) that extends Layzer type models to variable acceleration and density. Large Atwood number experiments show a delayed roll up, and exhibit a free-fall like behaviour. Finally, experiments initiated with three-dimensional perturbations tend to agree better with models and a simulation using the LLNL Ares code initiated with an axisymmetric rather than Cartesian symmetry.« less

Rarefaction-driven Rayleigh–Taylor instability. Part 2. Experiments and simulations in the nonlinear regime

DOE PAGES

Morgan, R. V.; Cabot, W. H.; Greenough, J. A.; ...

2018-01-12

Experiments and large eddy simulation (LES) were performed to study the development of the Rayleigh–Taylor instability into the saturated, nonlinear regime, produced between two gases accelerated by a rarefaction wave. Single-mode two-dimensional, and single-mode three-dimensional initial perturbations were introduced on the diffuse interface between the two gases prior to acceleration. The rarefaction wave imparts a non-constant acceleration, and a time decreasing Atwood number,more » $$A=(\\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{2}-\\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{1})/(\\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{2}+\\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{1})$$, where$$\\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{2}$$and$$\\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{1}$$are the densities of the heavy and light gas, respectively. Experiments and simulations are presented for initial Atwood numbers of$A=0.49$$,$$A=0.63$$,$$A=0.82$$and$$A=0.94$$. Nominally two-dimensional (2-D) experiments (initiated with nearly 2-D perturbations) and 2-D simulations are observed to approach an intermediate-time velocity plateau that is in disagreement with the late-time velocity obtained from the incompressible model of Goncharov (Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 88, 2002, 134502). Reacceleration from an intermediate velocity is observed for 2-D bubbles in large wavenumber,$$k=2\\unicode[STIX]{x03C0}/\\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}=0.247~\\text{mm}^{-1}$$, experiments and simulations, where$$\\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}$is the wavelength of the initial perturbation. At moderate Atwood numbers, the bubble and spike velocities approach larger values than those predicted by Goncharov’s model. These late-time velocity trends are predicted well by numerical simulations using the LLNL Miranda code, and by the 2009 model of Mikaelian (Phys. Fluids., vol. 21, 2009, 024103) that extends Layzer type models to variable acceleration and density. Large Atwood number experiments show a delayed roll up, and exhibit a free-fall like behaviour. Finally, experiments initiated with three-dimensional perturbations tend to agree better with models and a simulation using the LLNL Ares code initiated with an axisymmetric rather than Cartesian symmetry.« less

Nova Discovery Efficiency 1890-2014; Only 43%±6% of the Brightest Nova Are Discovered

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaefer, Bradley E.

2014-06-01

Galactic nova discovery has always been the domain of the best amateur astronomers, with the only substantial exception being the use of the Harvard plates from 1890-1947. (Modern CCD surveys have not produced any significant nova discoveries.) From 1890-1946, novae were discovered by gentlemen who deeply knew the stars in the sky and who checked for new stars on every clear night. This all changed when war surplus binoculars became commonly available, so the various organizations (e.g., AAVSO, BAA) instructed their hunters to use binoculars to regularly search small areas of the Milky Way. In the 1970s the hunters largely switched to blinking photographs, while they switched to CCD images in the 1990s, all exclusively in Milky Way regions. Currently, most hunters use 'go-to' scopes to look deeply only in the Milky Way, use weekly or monthly cadences, never go outside to look up at the light-polluted skies, and do not have the stars memorized at all. This situation is good for catching many faint novae, but is inefficient for catching the more isotropic and systematically-fast bright novae.I have made an exhaustive analysis of all known novae to isolate the effects on the relative discovery efficiency as a function of decade, the elongation from the Sun, the Moon's phase, the declination, the peak magnitude, and the duration of the peak. For example, the relative efficiency for novae south of declination -33° is 0.5 before 1953, 0.2 from 1953-1990, and 0.8 after 1990. My analysis gives the overall discovery efficiency to be 43%±6%, 30%, 22%, 12%, and 6% for novae peaking brighter than 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 mag. Thus, the majority of first magnitude novae are being missed. The bright novae are lost because they are too close to the Sun, in the far south, and/or very fast. This is illustrated by the discovery rate for Vpeak<2 novae being once every five years before 1946, yet only one such nova (V1500 Cyg) has been seen in the last 68 years. A critical consequence of this result is that the nova rate for our Milky Way has doubled.

A Twenty-Year Survey of Novae in M31

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crayton, Hannah; Rector, Travis A.; Walentosky, Matthew J.; Shafter, Allen W.; Lauber, Stephanie; Pilachowski, Catherine A.; RBSE Nova Search Team

2018-06-01

Numerous surveys of M31 in search of extragalactic novae have been completed over the last century, with a total of more than 1000 having been discovered during this time. From these surveys it has been estimated that the number of novae that occur in M31 is approximately 65 yr-1 (Darnley et al. 2006). A fraction of these are recurrent novae that recur on the timescales of years to decades (Shafter et al. 2015). From 1997 to 2017 we completed observations of M31 with the KPNO/WIYN 0.9-meter telescope, which offers a wide field of view suitable for surveying nearly all of the bulge and much of the disk of M31. Observations were completed in Hα so as to better detect novae in the bulge of the galaxy, where most novae reside. Our survey achieves a limiting absolute magnitude per epoch of MHα ∼ 7.5 mag, which prior M31 nova surveys in Hα (e.g., Ciardullo et al. 1987; Shafter & Irby 2001) have shown to be sufficiently deep to detect a typical nova several months after eruption. By completing nearly all of the observations with the same telescope, cameras, and filters we were able to obtain a remarkably consistent dataset.Our survey offers several benefits as compared to prior surveys. Nearly 200 epochs of observations were completed during the survey period. Observations were typically completed on a monthly basis; although on several occasions we completed weekly and nightly observations to search for novae with faster decay rates. Thus we were sensitive to most of the novae that erupted in M31 during the survey period.Over twenty years we detected 316 novae. Our survey found 85% of the novae in M31 that were reported by other surveys completed during the same time range and in the same survey area as ours (Pietsch et al. 2007). We also discovered 39 novae that were not found by other surveys. We present the complete catalog of novae from our survey, along with example light curves. Among other uses, our catalog will be useful for improving estimates of nova rate in M31. We also identify 72 standard stars within the survey area that will be useful for future surveys.

streamgap-pepper: Effects of peppering streams with many small impacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bovy, Jo; Erkal, Denis; Sanders, Jason

2017-02-01

streamgap-pepper computes the effect of subhalo fly-bys on cold tidal streams based on the action-angle representation of streams. A line-of-parallel-angle approach is used to calculate the perturbed distribution function of a given stream segment by undoing the effect of all impacts. This approach allows one to compute the perturbed stream density and track in any coordinate system in minutes for realizations of the subhalo distribution down to 10^5 Msun, accounting for the stream's internal dispersion and overlapping impacts. This code uses galpy (ascl:1411.008) and the streampepperdf.py galpy extension, which implements the fast calculation of the perturbed stream structure.

Advanced capabilities for materials modelling with Quantum ESPRESSO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giannozzi, P.; Andreussi, O.; Brumme, T.; Bunau, O.; Buongiorno Nardelli, M.; Calandra, M.; Car, R.; Cavazzoni, C.; Ceresoli, D.; Cococcioni, M.; Colonna, N.; Carnimeo, I.; Dal Corso, A.; de Gironcoli, S.; Delugas, P.; DiStasio, R. A., Jr.; Ferretti, A.; Floris, A.; Fratesi, G.; Fugallo, G.; Gebauer, R.; Gerstmann, U.; Giustino, F.; Gorni, T.; Jia, J.; Kawamura, M.; Ko, H.-Y.; Kokalj, A.; Küçükbenli, E.; Lazzeri, M.; Marsili, M.; Marzari, N.; Mauri, F.; Nguyen, N. L.; Nguyen, H.-V.; Otero-de-la-Roza, A.; Paulatto, L.; Poncé, S.; Rocca, D.; Sabatini, R.; Santra, B.; Schlipf, M.; Seitsonen, A. P.; Smogunov, A.; Timrov, I.; Thonhauser, T.; Umari, P.; Vast, N.; Wu, X.; Baroni, S.

2017-11-01

Quantum EXPRESSO is an integrated suite of open-source computer codes for quantum simulations of materials using state-of-the-art electronic-structure techniques, based on density-functional theory, density-functional perturbation theory, and many-body perturbation theory, within the plane-wave pseudopotential and projector-augmented-wave approaches. Quantum EXPRESSO owes its popularity to the wide variety of properties and processes it allows to simulate, to its performance on an increasingly broad array of hardware architectures, and to a community of researchers that rely on its capabilities as a core open-source development platform to implement their ideas. In this paper we describe recent extensions and improvements, covering new methodologies and property calculators, improved parallelization, code modularization, and extended interoperability both within the distribution and with external software.

Advanced capabilities for materials modelling with Quantum ESPRESSO.

PubMed

Giannozzi, P; Andreussi, O; Brumme, T; Bunau, O; Buongiorno Nardelli, M; Calandra, M; Car, R; Cavazzoni, C; Ceresoli, D; Cococcioni, M; Colonna, N; Carnimeo, I; Dal Corso, A; de Gironcoli, S; Delugas, P; DiStasio, R A; Ferretti, A; Floris, A; Fratesi, G; Fugallo, G; Gebauer, R; Gerstmann, U; Giustino, F; Gorni, T; Jia, J; Kawamura, M; Ko, H-Y; Kokalj, A; Küçükbenli, E; Lazzeri, M; Marsili, M; Marzari, N; Mauri, F; Nguyen, N L; Nguyen, H-V; Otero-de-la-Roza, A; Paulatto, L; Poncé, S; Rocca, D; Sabatini, R; Santra, B; Schlipf, M; Seitsonen, A P; Smogunov, A; Timrov, I; Thonhauser, T; Umari, P; Vast, N; Wu, X; Baroni, S

2017-10-24

Quantum EXPRESSO is an integrated suite of open-source computer codes for quantum simulations of materials using state-of-the-art electronic-structure techniques, based on density-functional theory, density-functional perturbation theory, and many-body perturbation theory, within the plane-wave pseudopotential and projector-augmented-wave approaches. Quantum EXPRESSO owes its popularity to the wide variety of properties and processes it allows to simulate, to its performance on an increasingly broad array of hardware architectures, and to a community of researchers that rely on its capabilities as a core open-source development platform to implement their ideas. In this paper we describe recent extensions and improvements, covering new methodologies and property calculators, improved parallelization, code modularization, and extended interoperability both within the distribution and with external software.

Advanced capabilities for materials modelling with Quantum ESPRESSO.

PubMed

Andreussi, Oliviero; Brumme, Thomas; Bunau, Oana; Buongiorno Nardelli, Marco; Calandra, Matteo; Car, Roberto; Cavazzoni, Carlo; Ceresoli, Davide; Cococcioni, Matteo; Colonna, Nicola; Carnimeo, Ivan; Dal Corso, Andrea; de Gironcoli, Stefano; Delugas, Pietro; DiStasio, Robert; Ferretti, Andrea; Floris, Andrea; Fratesi, Guido; Fugallo, Giorgia; Gebauer, Ralph; Gerstmann, Uwe; Giustino, Feliciano; Gorni, Tommaso; Jia, Junteng; Kawamura, Mitsuaki; Ko, Hsin-Yu; Kokalj, Anton; Küçükbenli, Emine; Lazzeri, Michele; Marsili, Margherita; Marzari, Nicola; Mauri, Francesco; Nguyen, Ngoc Linh; Nguyen, Huy-Viet; Otero-de-la-Roza, Alberto; Paulatto, Lorenzo; Poncé, Samuel; Giannozzi, Paolo; Rocca, Dario; Sabatini, Riccardo; Santra, Biswajit; Schlipf, Martin; Seitsonen, Ari Paavo; Smogunov, Alexander; Timrov, Iurii; Thonhauser, Timo; Umari, Paolo; Vast, Nathalie; Wu, Xifan; Baroni, Stefano

2017-09-27

Quantum ESPRESSO is an integrated suite of open-source computer codes for quantum simulations of materials using state-of-the art electronic-structure techniques, based on density-functional theory, density-functional perturbation theory, and many-body perturbation theory, within the plane-wave pseudo-potential and projector-augmented-wave approaches. Quantum ESPRESSO owes its popularity to the wide variety of properties and processes it allows to simulate, to its performance on an increasingly broad array of hardware architectures, and to a community of researchers that rely on its capabilities as a core open-source development platform to implement theirs ideas. In this paper we describe recent extensions and improvements, covering new methodologies and property calculators, improved parallelization, code modularization, and extended interoperability both within the distribution and with external software. © 2017 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Porosity Dependence of Piezoelectric Properties for Porous Potassium Niobate System Ceramics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wada, S.; Mase, Y.; Shimizu, S.; Maeda, K.; Fujii, I.; Nakashima, K.; Pulpan, P.; Miyajima, N.

2011-10-01

Porous potassium niobate (KNbO3, KN) system ceramics were prepared by a conventional sintering method using carbon black (CB) nanoparticles. First, KN nanoparticles with a size of 100 nm was mixed with CB nanoparticles and binder using ball milling with ethanol. The mixture was dried, and pressed into pellets using uniaxial pressing. After binder burnout, these ceramics was sintered in air. Their piezoelectric properties were measured and discussed a relationship between porosity and piezoelectric properties. As the results, with increasing porosity, piezoelectric g33 constant increased significantly, which suggested that porous ceramics were effective for stress sensor application.

Pair production of scalar dyons in Kerr-Newman black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chiang-Mei; Kim, Sang Pyo; Sun, Jia-Rui; Tang, Fu-Yi

2018-06-01

We study the spontaneous pair production of scalar dyons in the near extremal dyonic Kerr-Newman (KN) black hole, which contains a warped AdS3 structure in the near horizon region. The leading term contribution of the pair production rate and the absorption cross section ratio are also calculated using the Hamilton-Jacobi approach and the thermal interpretation is given. In addition, the holographic dual conformal field theories (CFTs) descriptions of the pair production rate and absorption cross section ratios are analyzed both in the J-, Q- and P-pictures respectively based on the threefold dyonic KN/CFTs dualities.

A Ramsey’s Method With Pulsed Neutrons for a T-Violation Experiment

PubMed Central

Masuda, Y.; Ino, T.; Muto, S.; Skoy, V.

2005-01-01

A Ramsey’s method with pulsed neutrons is discussed for neutron spin manipulation in a time reversal (T) symmetry violation experiment. The neutron spin (sn) is aligned to the direction of a vector product of the nuclear spin (I) and the neutron momentum (kn) for the measurement of a T-odd correlation term, which is represented as sn · (kn × I), during propagation through a polarized nuclear target. The phase control and amplitude modulation of separated oscillatory fields are discussed for the measurement of the T-odd correlation term. PMID:27308171

Lp harmonic 1-forms on minimal hypersurfaces with finite index

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Hagyun; Seo, Keomkyo

2018-07-01

Let N be a complete simply connected Riemannian manifold with sectional curvature KN satisfying -k2 ≤KN ≤ 0 for a nonzero constant k. In this paper we prove that if M is an n(≥ 3) -dimensional complete minimal hypersurface with finite index in N, then the space of Lp harmonic 1-forms on M must be finite dimensional for certain p > 0 provided the bottom of the spectrum of the Laplace operator is sufficiently large. In particular, M has finitely many ends. These results can be regarded as an extension of Li-Wang (2002).

Optimum Multisensor, Multitarget Localization and Tracking.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-06-07

parameter vector t is given by (see Equation (3.5.1-7)’ the simul- taneous solution of A(e) N B G --1 ae &j’ -4n-in (fk’ ijn k3jn ~ k )kjn kjn - knn =1 k...the coefficient of mutual dependence given by M = 12 -(K-2) 121M12 :(3l 11J12 ) (K-2 and Jij is given by (see Equation (6.4.1-2)) - - (_ I R knN kn K...Transactions on Acoustic, Speech and Signal Processing, Vol ASSP-29, No. 3, June 1981. 17. B. Friedlander, "An ARMA Modeling Approach to Multitarget Tracking

Models for various aspects of dwarf novae and nova-like stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ladous, Constanze

1993-01-01

The first attempts to explain the nature of dwarf novae were based on the assumption of single-star phenomena, in which emission lines were assumed to be caused by circumstellar gas shells. The outburst behavior was tentatively ascribed to the kind of (also not understood) mechanism leading to nova outbursts. The realization that some, and possibly all, dwarf novae and nova-like stars (and novae) are binaries eventually led to models which bore more and more similarities to the modern interpretation on the basis of the Roche model. Not all cataclysmic variables are known binaries. In fact, with respect to the entire number of known objects, the proven binaries are still the minority, but all the brightest variables are in fact known to binaries. Not a single system is known which exhibits the usual characteristics of a cataclysmic variable and at the same time can be declared with certainty to be a single star. Two systems are known, the dwarf nova EY Cyg and the recurrent nova V1017 Sgr, in which, in spite of intensive search, no radial velocity variations have been found; but they still exhibit composite spectra consisting of a bright continuum, an emission spectrum, and a cool absorption spectrum. If the Roche model is correct, it is to be expected that a small percentage of objects is viewed pole-on, so orbital motions do not make themselves felt as Doppler shifts of spectral lines. So even these two systems support the hypothesis that all cataclysmic variables (with the possible exception of symbiotic stars) are binaries. In cataclysmic variables, it seems that the brightness changes observed in dwarf novae and nova-like stars in the optical and the UV are due directly to changes in the accretion disks. The study and understanding of accretion disks in these systems can bear potentially valuable consequences for many other fields in astronomy. The observed spectra of dwarf novae and nova-like stars comprise a fairly large range: pure emission spectra, pure absorption spectra, a mixture of both, asymmetric line profiles, very different slopes of the continuous flux distribution -- and one single system may exhibit all of these features at different times. Agreement and disagreement between computed and observed spectra should show whether or not the Roche model is applicable and where it probably will have to be modified and improved. Except for their outburst behavior and its immediate consequences, novae, dwarf novae, and nova-like stars cannot be physically distinguished from each other.

Optimal Transient Growth of Submesoscale Baroclinic Instabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, Brian; Zemskova, Varvara; Passaggia, Pierre-Yves

2016-11-01

Submesoscale instabilities are analyzed using a transient growth approach to determine the optimal perturbation for a rotating Boussinesq fluid subject to baroclinic instabilities. We consider a base flow with uniform shear and stratification and consider the non-normal evolution over finite-time horizons of linear perturbations in an ageostrophic, non-hydrostatic regime. Stone (1966, 1971) showed that the stability of the base flow to normal modes depends on the Rossby and Richardson numbers, with instabilities ranging from geostrophic (Ro -> 0) and ageostrophic (finite Ro) baroclinic modes to symmetric (Ri < 1 , Ro > 1) and Kelvin-Helmholtz (Ri < 1 / 4) modes. Non-normal transient growth, initiated by localized optimal wave packets, represents a faster mechanism for the growth of perturbations and may provide an energetic link between large-scale flows in geostrophic balance and dissipation scales via submesoscale instabilities. Here we consider two- and three-dimensional optimal perturbations by means of direct-adjoint iterations of the linearized Boussinesq Navier-Stokes equations to determine the form of the optimal perturbation, the optimal energy gain, and the characteristics of the most unstable perturbation.

Stabilizing all geometric moduli in heterotic Calabi-Yau vacua

DOE PAGES

Anderson, Lara B.; Gray, James; Lukas, Andre; ...

2011-05-27

We propose a scenario to stabilize all geometric moduli - that is, the complex structure, Kähler moduli and the dilaton - in smooth heterotic Calabi-Yau compactifications without Neveu-Schwarz three-form flux. This is accomplished using the gauge bundle required in any heterotic compactification, whose perturbative effects on the moduli are combined with non-perturbative corrections. We argue that, for appropriate gauge bundles, all complex structure and a large number of other moduli can be perturbatively stabilized - in the most restrictive case, leaving only one combination of Kähler moduli and the dilaton as a flat direction. At this stage, the remaining modulimore » space consists of Minkowski vacua. That is, the perturbative superpotential vanishes in the vacuum without the necessity to fine-tune flux. Finally, we incorporate non-perturbative effects such as gaugino condensation and/or instantons. These are strongly constrained by the anomalous U(1) symmetries which arise from the required bundle constructions. We present a specific example, with a consistent choice of non-perturbative effects, where all remaining flat directions are stabilized in an AdS vacuum.« less

BVRI Hα Photometric Evolution of Nova 2007 IN M 33

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munari, U.; Siviero, A.; Henden, A.; Dintinjana, B.; Mikuž, H.; Ochner, P.; Tomasoni, S.

The BVRCIC and Hα light curves of Nova 2007, located in the galaxy M 33, are presented. They display the fastest decline ever observed for a nova in this galaxy (Δ B = 0.40 ± 0.01 mag/day). Color indices of the nova match those of its counterparts in the Galaxy. The nova was discovered when it was already two magnitudes down from maximum (estimated to have occurred on September 13 at B = 15.5 mag).

Discovery of a New Photometric Sub-class of Faint and Fast Classical Novae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasliwal, M. M.; Cenko, S. B.; Kulkarni, S. R.; Ofek, E. O.; Quimby, R.; Rau, A.

2011-07-01

We present photometric and spectroscopic follow-up of a sample of extragalactic novae discovered by the Palomar 60 inch telescope during a search for "Fast Transients In Nearest Galaxies" (P60-FasTING). Designed as a fast cadence (1 day) and deep (g < 21 mag) survey, P60-FasTING was particularly sensitive to short-lived and faint optical transients. The P60-FasTING nova sample includes 10 novae in M 31, 6 in M 81, 3 in M 82, 1 in NGC 2403, and 1 in NGC 891. This significantly expands the known sample of extragalactic novae beyond the Local Group, including the first discoveries in a starburst environment. Surprisingly, our photometry shows that this sample is quite inconsistent with the canonical maximum-magnitude-rate-of-decline (MMRD) relation for classical novae. Furthermore, the spectra of the P60-FasTING sample are indistinguishable from classical novae. We suggest that we have uncovered a sub-class of faint and fast classical novae in a new phase space in luminosity-timescale of optical transients. Thus, novae span two orders of magnitude in both luminosity and time. Perhaps the MMRD, which is characterized only by the white dwarf mass, was an oversimplification. Nova physics appears to be characterized by a relatively rich four-dimensional parameter space in white dwarf mass, temperature, composition, and accretion rate.

Manipulation of the carbon storage regulator system for metabolite remodeling and biofuel production in Escherichia coli

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Microbial engineering strategies that elicit global metabolic perturbations have the capacity to increase organism robustness for targeted metabolite production. In particular, perturbations to regulators of cellular systems that impact glycolysis and amino acid production while simultaneously decreasing fermentation by-products such as acetate and CO2 make ideal targets. Intriguingly, perturbation of the Carbon Storage Regulator (Csr) system has been previously implicated in large changes in central carbon metabolism in E. coli. Therefore, we hypothesized that perturbation of the Csr system through the CsrA-CsrB ribonucleoprotein complex might increase production of biofuels and their intermediates from heterologous pathways. Results We engaged the CsrA-CsrB ribonucleoprotein complex of E. coli via overexpression of CsrB. CsrB is a 350-nucleotide non-coding RNA that antagonizes CsrA, an RNA-binding protein that regulates translation of specific mRNA targets. By using shotgun proteomics and targeted metabolomics we established that elevation of CsrB levels leads to alterations in metabolite and protein levels in glycolysis, the TCA cycle and amino acid levels. Consequently, we show that such changes can be suitably applied to improve the production of desired compounds through the native fatty acid and heterologous n-butanol and isoprenoid pathways by up to two-fold. We also observed concomitant decreases in undesirable fermentation by-products such as acetate and CO2. Conclusions We have demonstrated that simple engineering of the RNA-based Csr global regulatory system constitutes a novel approach to obtaining pathway-independent improvements within engineered hosts. Additionally, since Csr is conserved across most prokaryotic species, this approach may also be amenable to a wide variety of production hosts. PMID:22694848

Manipulation of the carbon storage regulator system for metabolite remodeling and biofuel production in Escherichia coli.

PubMed

McKee, Adrienne E; Rutherford, Becky J; Chivian, Dylan C; Baidoo, Edward K; Juminaga, Darmawi; Kuo, Dwight; Benke, Peter I; Dietrich, Jeffrey A; Ma, Suzanne M; Arkin, Adam P; Petzold, Christopher J; Adams, Paul D; Keasling, Jay D; Chhabra, Swapnil R

2012-06-13

Microbial engineering strategies that elicit global metabolic perturbations have the capacity to increase organism robustness for targeted metabolite production. In particular, perturbations to regulators of cellular systems that impact glycolysis and amino acid production while simultaneously decreasing fermentation by-products such as acetate and CO(2) make ideal targets. Intriguingly, perturbation of the Carbon Storage Regulator (Csr) system has been previously implicated in large changes in central carbon metabolism in E. coli. Therefore, we hypothesized that perturbation of the Csr system through the CsrA-CsrB ribonucleoprotein complex might increase production of biofuels and their intermediates from heterologous pathways. We engaged the CsrA-CsrB ribonucleoprotein complex of E. coli via overexpression of CsrB. CsrB is a 350-nucleotide non-coding RNA that antagonizes CsrA, an RNA-binding protein that regulates translation of specific mRNA targets. By using shotgun proteomics and targeted metabolomics we established that elevation of CsrB levels leads to alterations in metabolite and protein levels in glycolysis, the TCA cycle and amino acid levels. Consequently, we show that such changes can be suitably applied to improve the production of desired compounds through the native fatty acid and heterologous n-butanol and isoprenoid pathways by up to two-fold. We also observed concomitant decreases in undesirable fermentation by-products such as acetate and CO(2). We have demonstrated that simple engineering of the RNA-based Csr global regulatory system constitutes a novel approach to obtaining pathway-independent improvements within engineered hosts. Additionally, since Csr is conserved across most prokaryotic species, this approach may also be amenable to a wide variety of production hosts.

Length-weight relationship and a relative condition factor equation for lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) from the St. Clair River system (Michigan, USA)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Craig, Jaquelyn M.; Thomas, Michael V.; Nichols, Susan Jerrine

2005-01-01

Several USA state, federal, and Canadian agencies study lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) within the St Clair River and Lake St Clair, collectively referred to hereafter as the St Clair River (SCR) system. Previously, there has been no set standard for determining condition for SCR system lake sturgeon. Condition measures the variation from the expected weight for length as an indicator of fatness, general well-being, gonad development, etc. The aim of this project was to determine the length–weight relationship of lake sturgeon caught from the SCR system, from which a relative condition factor (Kn) equation could be derived. Total length (TL, mm) and weight (W, kg) were measured for 1074 lake sturgeon (101 males and 16 females were identifiable) collected by setline and bottom trawl from the SCR system in May–September, 1997–2002. Analysis of covariance found no difference in the length–weight relationship between sampling gear or sex. Least-squares regression of log10W × log10TL produced the overall equation logW = 3.365logTL − 9.320. Using the exponential form of the slope and y-intercept, relative condition factor for lake sturgeon from the SCR system can be calculated as Kn = W/[(4.786 × 10−10)(TL3.365)]. Equations for males and females were also developed. Overall, body condition was significantly correlated with both age and girth; no significant difference in Kn by sex was found. In general, the SCR lake sturgeon population was near the upper ends of growth and condition ranges listed in the literature, comparable with those populations that are at similar latitudes. Although condition factors should be interpreted with caution, proper use of a standard equation provides a non-lethal measure of overall fish health that can be used by biologists and managers in ongoing efforts to restore lake sturgeon throughout the Great Lakes.

Fast quantum nD Fourier and radon transforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Labunets, Valeri G.; Labunets-Rundblad, Ekaterina V.; Astola, Jaakko T.

2001-07-01

Fast Classical and quantum algorithms are introduced for a wide class of non-separable nD discrete unitary K- transforms(DKT)KNn. They require a number of 1D DKT Kn smaller than in the Cooley-Tukey radix-p FFT-type approach. The method utilizes a decomposition of the nDK- transform into a product of original nD discrete Radon Transform and of a family parallel/independ 1DK-transforms. If the nDK-transform has a separable kernel, that again in this case our approach leads to decrease of multiplicative complexity by factor of n compared to the tow/column separable Cooley-Tukey p-radix approach.

Venusian arachnoids revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kostama, V.-P.; Tormanen, T.

The Venusian volcano-tectonic structures have been subject to many classification and characterisation schemes. Several structure-types have been identified (e.g. coronae, novae, arachnoids, calderas, and corona-novae). Of these groups, the relationship of arachnoids and coronae has been complicated, and is a subject to much debate. Some previous works and studies have fused these two categories together, and even promoted the view of non-existence of arachnoids at times. However, based on the recognisable differences in morphology and other characteristics (e.g. size, topography, volcanism), they should be treated as a separate class of structures. In our first global study of the volcano-tectonic features, we found 96 arachnoids [1, 2]. During the reanalysis of the features as a by-product of another study, the arachnoid population was re-evalueted, and more importantly, the identification criteria was rechecked. The revised population increases the arachnoid number to 130 features. The work also produced many examples of features that can be considered as transitional forms between different morphological groups. [1] Kostama, V.-P., M. Aittola, LPSC XXXII, Abstract#1185, 2001a. [2] Kostama, V.-P., M. Aittola, The Catalogue of Venusian Arachnoids, Coronae and Novae, http://cc.oulu.fi/tati/JR/Venus/volcanotectonics/catalogue.html, 2001b.

Spectral and Timing Investigations of Dwarf Novae Selected in Hard X-Rays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thorstensen, John; Remillard, Ronald A.

2000-01-01

There are 9 dwarf novae (DN) among the 43 cataclysmic variables (accreting white dwarfs in close binary systems) that were detected during the HEAO-1 all-sky X-ray survey (1977-1979). On the other hand, there are roughly one hundred dwarf novae that are closer and/or optically brighter and yet they were not detected as hard X-ray sources. Two of the HEAO-1 DN show evidence for X-ray pulsations that imply strong magnetic fields on the white dwarf surface, and magnetic CVs are known to be strong X-ray sources. However, substantial flux in hard X-rays may be caused by non-magnetic effects, such as an optically thin boundary layer near a massive white dwarf. We proposed RXTE observations to measure plasma temperatures and to search for X-ray pulsations. The observations would distinguish whether these DN belong to one of (rare) magnetic subclasses. For those that do not show pulsations, the observations support efforts to define empirical relations between X-ray temperature, the accretion rate, and the mass of the white dwarf. The latter is determined via optical studies of the dynamics of the binary constituents.

Step length after discrete perturbation predicts accidental falls and fall-related injury in elderly people with a range of peripheral neuropathy

PubMed Central

Allet, L; Kim, H; Ashton-Miller, JA; De Mott, T; Richardson, JK

2013-01-01

Aims Distal symmetric polyneuropathy increases fall risk due to inability to cope with perturbations. We aimed to 1) identify the frontal plane lower limb sensorimotor functions which are necessary for robustness to a discrete, underfoot perturbation during gait; and 2) determine whether changes in the post-perturbed step parameters could distinguish between fallers and non fallers. Methods Forty-two subjects (16 healthy old and 26 with diabetic PN) participated. Frontal plane lower limb sensorimotor functions were determined using established laboratory-based techniques. The subjects' most extreme alterations in step width or step length in response to a perturbation were measured. In addition, falls and fall-related injuries were prospectively recorded. Results Ankle proprioceptive threshold (APrT; p=.025) and hip abduction rate of torque generation (RTG; p=.041) independently predicted extreme step length after medial perturbation, with precise APrT and greater hip RTG allowing maintenance of step length. Fallers demonstrated greater extreme step length changes after medial perturbation than non fallers (percent change = 16.41±8.42 vs 11.0±4.95; p=.06) Conclusions The ability to rapidly generate frontal plane hip strength and/or precisely perceive motion at the ankle is needed to maintain a normal step length after perturbation, a parameter, which distinguishes between fallers and non fallers. PMID:24183899

fNL‑gNL mixing in the matter density field at higher orders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gressel, Hedda A.; Bruni, Marco

2018-06-01

In this paper we examine how primordial non-Gaussianity contributes to nonlinear perturbative orders in the expansion of the density field at large scales in the matter dominated era. General Relativity is an intrinsically nonlinear theory, establishing a nonlinear relation between the metric and the density field. Representing the metric perturbations with the curvature perturbation ζ, it is known that nonlinearity produces effective non-Gaussian terms in the nonlinear perturbations of the matter density field δ, even if the primordial ζ is Gaussian. Here we generalise these results to the case of a non-Gaussian primordial ζ. Using a standard parametrization of primordial non-Gaussianity in ζ in terms of fNL, gNL, hNL\\ldots , we show how at higher order (from third and higher) nonlinearity also produces a mixing of these contributions to the density field at large scales, e.g. both fNL and gNL contribute to the third order in δ. This is the main result of this paper. Our analysis is based on the synergy between a gradient expansion (aka long-wavelength approximation) and standard perturbation theory at higher order. In essence, mathematically the equations for the gradient expansion are equivalent to those of first order perturbation theory, thus first-order results convert into gradient expansion results and, vice versa, the gradient expansion can be used to derive results in perturbation theory at higher order and large scales.

Linear chirp phase perturbing approach for finding binary phased codes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Bing C.

2017-05-01

Binary phased codes have many applications in communication and radar systems. These applications require binary phased codes to have low sidelobes in order to reduce interferences and false detection. Barker codes are the ones that satisfy these requirements and they have lowest maximum sidelobes. However, Barker codes have very limited code lengths (equal or less than 13) while many applications including low probability of intercept radar, and spread spectrum communication, require much higher code lengths. The conventional techniques of finding binary phased codes in literatures include exhaust search, neural network, and evolutionary methods, and they all require very expensive computation for large code lengths. Therefore these techniques are limited to find binary phased codes with small code lengths (less than 100). In this paper, by analyzing Barker code, linear chirp, and P3 phases, we propose a new approach to find binary codes. Experiments show that the proposed method is able to find long low sidelobe binary phased codes (code length >500) with reasonable computational cost.

Search for Gamma-Ray Emission from Galactic Novae using Fermi-LAT Pass 8

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buson, Sara; Franckowiak, Anna; Cheung, Teddy; Jean, Pierre; Fermi-LAT Collaboration

2016-01-01

Recently Galactic novae have been identified as a new class of GeV gamma-ray emitters, with 6 detected so far with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (Fermi-LAT) data. Based on optical observations we have compiled a catalog of ~70 Galactic novae, which peak (in optical) during the operations of the Fermi mission. Based on the properties of known gamma-ray novae we developed a search procedure that we apply to all novae in the catalog to detect these slow transient sources or set flux upper limits using the Fermi-LAT Pass 8 data set. This is the first time a large sample of Galactic novae has been uniformly studied.

School Psychology in Nova Scotia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Sara; McGonnell, Melissa; Noyes, Amira

2016-01-01

Registration as a psychologist in Nova Scotia can be at the master's or doctoral level; however, the Nova Scotia Board of Examiners in Psychology has announced a move to the doctoral degree as the entry-level to practice. Many school psychologists in Nova Scotia practice at the master's level; therefore, this change could affect school psychology…

A Kinase-Independent Function of c-Src Mediates p130Cas Phosphorylation at the Serine-639 Site in Pressure Overloaded Myocardium

PubMed Central

Palanisamy, Arun P.; Suryakumar, Geetha; Panneerselvam, Kavin; Willey, Christopher D.; Kuppuswamy, Dhandapani

2017-01-01

Early work in pressure overloaded (PO) myocardium shows that integrins mediate focal adhesion complex formation by recruiting the adaptor protein p130Cas (Cas) and nonreceptor tyrosine kinase c-Src. To explore c-Src role in Cas-associated changes during PO, we used a feline right ventricular in vivo PO model and a three-dimensional (3D) collagen-embedded adult cardiomyocyte in vitro model that utilizes a Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGD) peptide for integrin stimulation. Cas showed slow electrophoretic mobility (band-shifting), recruitment to the cytoskeleton, and tyrosine phosphorylation at 165, 249, and 410 sites in both 48 h PO myocardium and 1 h RGD-stimulated cardiomyocytes. Adenoviral mediated expression of kinase inactive (negative) c-Src mutant with intact scaffold domains (KN-Src) in cardiomyocytes did not block the RGD stimulated changes in Cas. Furthermore, expression of KN-Src or kinase active c-Src mutant with intact scaffold function (A-Src) in two-dimensionally (2D) cultured cardiomyocytes was sufficient to cause Cas band-shifting, although tyrosine phosphorylation required A-Src. These data indicate that c-Src’s adaptor function, but not its kinase function, is required for a serine/threonine specific phosphorylation(s) responsible for Cas band-shifting. To explore this possibility, Chinese hamster ovary cells that stably express Cas were infected with either β-gal or KN-Src adenoviruses and used for Cas immunoprecipitation combined with mass spectrometry analysis. In the KN-Src expressing cells, Cas showed phosphorylation at the serine-639 (human numbering) site. A polyclonal antibody raised against phospho-serine-639 detected Cas phosphorylation in 24–48 h PO myocardium. Our studies indicate that c-Src’s adaptor function mediates serine-639 phosphorylation of Cas during integrin activation in PO myocardium. PMID:25976166

A Magnetar Origin for the Kilonova Ejecta in GW170817

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metzger, Brian D.; Thompson, Todd A.; Quataert, Eliot

2018-04-01

The neutron star (NS) merger GW170817 was followed over several days by optical-wavelength (“blue”) kilonova (KN) emission likely powered by the radioactive decay of light r-process nuclei synthesized by ejecta with a low neutron abundance (electron fraction Y e ≈ 0.25–0.35). While the composition and high velocities of the blue KN ejecta are consistent with shock-heated dynamical material, the large quantity is in tension with the results of numerical simulations. We propose an alternative ejecta source: the neutrino-heated, magnetically accelerated wind from the strongly magnetized hypermassive NS (HMNS) remnant. A rapidly spinning HMNS with an ordered surface magnetic field of strength B ≈ (1–3) × 1014 G and lifetime t rem ∼ 0.1–1 s can simultaneously explain the velocity, total mass, and electron fraction of the blue KN ejecta. The inferred HMNS lifetime is close to its Alfvén crossing time, suggesting that global magnetic torques could be responsible for bringing the HMNS into solid-body rotation and instigating its gravitational collapse. Different origins for the KN ejecta may be distinguished by their predictions for the emission in the first hours after the merger, when the luminosity is enhanced by heating from internal shocks; the latter are likely generic to any temporally extended ejecta source (e.g., magnetar or accretion disk wind) and are not unique to the emergence of a relativistic jet. The same shocks could mix and homogenize the composition to a low but nonzero lanthanide mass fraction, {X}La}≈ {10}-3, as advocated by some authors, but only if the mixing occurs after neutrons are consumed in the r-process on a timescale ≳1 s.

Inhibition of spinal reflexes by paramedian reticular nucleus.

PubMed

Chai, C Y; Lin, Y F; Wang, H Y; Wu, W C; Yen, C T; Kuo, J S; Wayner, M J

1990-10-01

The inhibitory actions of the paramedian reticular nucleus (PRN), and its neighbouring structures, i.e., midline raphe nuclei (MRN) and dorsal medullary depressor area (DMD) on the knee jerk (KnJ) and crossed extension movement (CEM) induced by central sciatic stimulation and on the L5 ventral root response (EVRR) evoked by central tibial stimulation, were studied in cats under urethane (400 mg/kg) and alpha-chloralose (40 mg/kg) anesthesia alone, IP or further paralyzed with atracurium besylate (0.5 mg/kg/30 min), IV. Electrical stimulation of the above areas with rectangular pulses (80 Hz, 1.0 msec, 100-200 microA) decreased systemic arterial blood pressure (SAP) in an average value of: 36 +/- 3 mmHg for PRN; 19 +/- 2 mmHg for MRN; and 23 +/- 3 mmHg for DMD. The KnJ and CEM were almost completely suppressed by simultaneous PRN stimulation. The EVRR, including mono- and polysynaptic spinal reflexes with transmission velocity from 10 to 60 m/sec or above, were also suppressed. MRN stimulation only inhibited the KnJ, CEM and polysynaptic spinal reflexes with transmission velocities between 25 and 60 m/sec, but facilitated spinal reflexes with conduction velocities below 10 m/sec. On the other hand, DMD stimulation resulted in small suppression of KnJ, CEM and inhibition of polysynaptic spinal reflexes with conduction velocities between 25 and 60 m/sec. Even though MRN and DMD partially inhibited polysynaptic spinal reflexes, the magnitude of such inhibition was much smaller than that produced by PRN (-20% and -22% vs. -48%). The above-mentioned PRN effects on SAP and EVRR persisted in chronic animals decerebellated 9-12 days before.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Identification of QTLs associated with oil content in a high-oil Brassica napus cultivar and construction of a high-density consensus map for QTLs comparison in B. napus.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaodong; Wang, Hao; Long, Yan; Li, Dianrong; Yin, Yongtai; Tian, Jianhua; Chen, Li; Liu, Liezhao; Zhao, Weiguo; Zhao, Yajun; Yu, Longjiang; Li, Maoteng

2013-01-01

Increasing seed oil content is one of the most important goals in breeding of rapeseed (B. napus L.). To dissect the genetic basis of oil content in B. napus, a large and new double haploid (DH) population containing 348 lines was obtained from a cross between 'KenC-8' and 'N53-2', two varieties with >10% difference in seed oil content, and this population was named the KN DH population. A genetic linkage map consisting of 403 markers was constructed, which covered a total length of 1783.9 cM with an average marker interval of 4.4 cM. The KN DH population was phenotyped in eight natural environments and subjected to quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis for oil content. A total of 63 identified QTLs explaining 2.64-17.88% of the phenotypic variation were identified, and these QTLs were further integrated into 24 consensus QTLs located on 11 chromosomes using meta-analysis. A high-density consensus map with 1335 marker loci was constructed by combining the KN DH map with seven other published maps based on the common markers. Of the 24 consensus QTLs in the KN DH population, 14 were new QTLs including five new QTLs in A genome and nine in C genome. The analysis revealed that a larger population with significant differences in oil content gave a higher power detecting new QTLs for oil content, and the construction of the consensus map provided a new clue for comparing the QTLs detected in different populations. These findings enriched our knowledge of QTLs for oil content and should be a potential in marker-assisted breeding of B. napus.

Identification of QTLs Associated with Oil Content in a High-Oil Brassica napus Cultivar and Construction of a High-Density Consensus Map for QTLs Comparison in B. napus

PubMed Central

Long, Yan; Li, Dianrong; Yin, Yongtai; Tian, Jianhua; Chen, Li; Liu, Liezhao; Zhao, Weiguo; Zhao, Yajun; Yu, Longjiang; Li, Maoteng

2013-01-01

Increasing seed oil content is one of the most important goals in breeding of rapeseed (B. napus L.). To dissect the genetic basis of oil content in B. napus, a large and new double haploid (DH) population containing 348 lines was obtained from a cross between ‘KenC-8’ and ‘N53-2’, two varieties with >10% difference in seed oil content, and this population was named the KN DH population. A genetic linkage map consisting of 403 markers was constructed, which covered a total length of 1783.9 cM with an average marker interval of 4.4 cM. The KN DH population was phenotyped in eight natural environments and subjected to quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis for oil content. A total of 63 identified QTLs explaining 2.64–17.88% of the phenotypic variation were identified, and these QTLs were further integrated into 24 consensus QTLs located on 11 chromosomes using meta-analysis. A high-density consensus map with 1335 marker loci was constructed by combining the KN DH map with seven other published maps based on the common markers. Of the 24 consensus QTLs in the KN DH population, 14 were new QTLs including five new QTLs in A genome and nine in C genome. The analysis revealed that a larger population with significant differences in oil content gave a higher power detecting new QTLs for oil content, and the construction of the consensus map provided a new clue for comparing the QTLs detected in different populations. These findings enriched our knowledge of QTLs for oil content and should be a potential in marker-assisted breeding of B. napus. PMID:24312482

When does an old nova become a dwarf nova? Kinematics and age of the nova shell of the dwarf nova AT Cancri

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shara, Michael M.; Drissen, Laurent; Martin, Thomas; Alarie, Alexandre; Stephenson, F. Richard

2017-02-01

The Z Cam-type dwarf nova AT Cancri (AT Cnc) displays a classical nova (CN) shell, demonstrating that mass transfer in cataclysmic binaries decreases substantially after a CN eruption. The hibernation scenario of cataclysmic binaries predicts such a decrease, on a time-scale of a few centuries. In order to measure the time since AT Cnc's last CN eruption, we have measured the radial velocities of a hundred clumps in its ejecta with SITELLE, Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope's recently commissioned imaging Fourier transform spectrometer. These range from -455 to +490 km s-1. Coupled with the known distance to AT Cnc of 460 pc, the size of AT Cnc's shell, and a simple model of nova ejecta deceleration, we determine that the last CN eruption of this system occurred 330_{-90}^{+135} yr ago. This is the most rapid transition from a high mass-transfer rate, nova-like variable to a low mass-transfer rate, dwarf nova yet measured, and in accord with the hibernation scenario of cataclysmic binaries. We conclude by noting the similarity in the deduced outburst date (within a century of 1686 CE) of AT Cnc to a `guest star' reported in the constellation Cancer by Korean observers in 1645 CE.

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

Kasliwal, M. M.; Kulkarni, S. R.; Ofek, E. O.

We present photometric and spectroscopic follow-up of a sample of extragalactic novae discovered by the Palomar 60 inch telescope during a search for 'Fast Transients In Nearest Galaxies' (P60-FasTING). Designed as a fast cadence (1 day) and deep (g < 21 mag) survey, P60-FasTING was particularly sensitive to short-lived and faint optical transients. The P60-FasTING nova sample includes 10 novae in M 31, 6 in M 81, 3 in M 82, 1 in NGC 2403, and 1 in NGC 891. This significantly expands the known sample of extragalactic novae beyond the Local Group, including the first discoveries in a starburstmore » environment. Surprisingly, our photometry shows that this sample is quite inconsistent with the canonical maximum-magnitude-rate-of-decline (MMRD) relation for classical novae. Furthermore, the spectra of the P60-FasTING sample are indistinguishable from classical novae. We suggest that we have uncovered a sub-class of faint and fast classical novae in a new phase space in luminosity-timescale of optical transients. Thus, novae span two orders of magnitude in both luminosity and time. Perhaps the MMRD, which is characterized only by the white dwarf mass, was an oversimplification. Nova physics appears to be characterized by a relatively rich four-dimensional parameter space in white dwarf mass, temperature, composition, and accretion rate.« less

Evaluation of a health promoting schools program in a school board in Nova Scotia, Canada.

PubMed

McIsaac, Jessie-Lee D; Penney, Tarra L; Ata, Nicole; Munro-Sigfridson, Lori; Cunningham, Jane; Veugelers, Paul J; Storey, Kate; Ohinmaa, Arto; Kirk, Sara F L; Kuhle, Stefan

2017-03-01

A Health promoting schools (HPS) approach aims to make schools a healthy place through a holistic approach that promotes a supportive 'school ethos' and emphasizes improvements in physical, social, and emotional well-being and educational outcomes. A HPS initiative in rural Nova Scotia (Canada) provided an opportunity for a population-level natural experiment. This study investigated student well-being and health behaviours between schools with and without HPS implementation and schools with high and low school ethos scores. Student well-being, nutrition, and physical activity were examined in a cross-sectional survey of elementary students in Nova Scotia, Canada in 2014. Multiple regression was used to assess the relationship with student well-being using the Quality of Life in School (QoLS) instrument and health behaviours. The main exposure was attending one of the 10 HPS schools; secondary exposure was the school ethos score. The overall QoLS score and its subdomain scores in the adjusted models were higher in students attending HPS schools compared to those in non-HPS schools, but the differences were not statistically significant and the effect sizes were small. Students in schools that scored high on school ethos score had higher scores for the QoLS and its subdomains, but the difference was only significant for the teacher-student relationship domain. Although this study did not find significant differences between HPS and non-HPS schools, our results highlight the complexity of evaluating HPS effects in the real world. The findings suggest a potential role of a supportive school ethos for student well-being in school.

A Search for Ultrafast Novae in M31

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sola, Nicole; Rector, Travis A.; Shafter, Allen W.; Horst, Chuck; Igarashi, Amy; Henze, Martin; Pilachowski, Catherine A.

2018-06-01

Numerous surveys in search of extragalactic novae have been completed over the last century. From Local Group surveys it has been estimated that the number of novae that occur in M31 is approximately 65 yr-1 (Darnley et al. 2006), with a total of more than 1000 having been discovered over the past century. A fraction of these are recurrent novae that recur on the timescales of years to decades (Shafter et al. 2015).Novae typically fade from view on timescales of weeks to months. However, Shara et al. (2017) present models that predict the existence of "ultrafast" novae that have two-magnitude decay times (t2) of less than a day. The remarkable recurrent nova M31N 2008-12a has a t2 time of ~2 days (e.g., Darnley et al. 2016). None faster than this have been seen in M31; however, most surveys of extragalactic novae use cadences of a day or longer, meaning such novae could be missed.In October 2017 we completed a two-week search for ultrafast novae in M31 with the WIYN 0.9m telescope. The telescope's Half-Degree Imager provided a field of view of a quarter square degree, which covers most of M31's bulge and part of the disk. Weather hampered observations on some nights, but for most nights we were able to obtain multiple observations of M31 on a near hourly basis. We present the results of our search.

Dynamic perturbation effects upon the circular dichroism intensity induced in an aggregate of dye chromophores bound to biopolymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamiya, Mamoru

1980-11-01

The dynamic perturbation effects of polarizable monomer perturbers upon the circular dichroism intensity arising from absorption transitions of an arbitrary aggregate of dye chromophores bound to a large host polymer are formulated using the linear response theory in the decorrelation approximation, where the interchromophoric retardation phase factors are eliminated by a first-order Taylor expansion which is compatible with the use of the retarded helix selection rules in the long-wavelength approximation. A space-averaged and closed-form formulation of the non-conservative circular dichroism intensity which is perturbed by intensity with the outside perturber transitions is derived in the limit of the weak dynamic perturbation where perturber—perturber interactions are negligible. The relevant formulation is applied in order to investigate the intercalation model dependence of the non-conservative circular dichroism intensity induced at the visible absorption band of proflavine molecules intercalated in either poly(A—T) or poly(G—C).

Initial conditions for accurate N-body simulations of massive neutrino cosmologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zennaro, M.; Bel, J.; Villaescusa-Navarro, F.; Carbone, C.; Sefusatti, E.; Guzzo, L.

2017-04-01

The set-up of the initial conditions in cosmological N-body simulations is usually implemented by rescaling the desired low-redshift linear power spectrum to the required starting redshift consistently with the Newtonian evolution of the simulation. The implementation of this practical solution requires more care in the context of massive neutrino cosmologies, mainly because of the non-trivial scale-dependence of the linear growth that characterizes these models. In this work, we consider a simple two-fluid, Newtonian approximation for cold dark matter and massive neutrinos perturbations that can reproduce the cold matter linear evolution predicted by Boltzmann codes such as CAMB or CLASS with a 0.1 per cent accuracy or below for all redshift relevant to non-linear structure formation. We use this description, in the first place, to quantify the systematic errors induced by several approximations often assumed in numerical simulations, including the typical set-up of the initial conditions for massive neutrino cosmologies adopted in previous works. We then take advantage of the flexibility of this approach to rescale the late-time linear power spectra to the simulation initial redshift, in order to be as consistent as possible with the dynamics of the N-body code and the approximations it assumes. We implement our method in a public code (REPS rescaled power spectra for initial conditions with massive neutrinos https://github.com/matteozennaro/reps) providing the initial displacements and velocities for cold dark matter and neutrino particles that will allow accurate, I.e. 1 per cent level, numerical simulations for this cosmological scenario.

Early evolution of the extraordinary Nova Delphini 2013 (V339 Del)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skopal, A.; Drechsel, H.; Tarasova, T.; Kato, T.; Fujii, M.; Teyssier, F.; Garde, O.; Guarro, J.; Edlin, J.; Buil, C.; Antao, D.; Terry, J.-N.; Lemoult, T.; Charbonnel, S.; Bohlsen, T.; Favaro, A.; Graham, K.

2014-09-01

Aims: We determine the temporal evolution of the luminosity (LWD), radius (RWD) and effective temperature (Teff) of the white dwarf (WD) pseudophotosphere of V339 Del from its discovery to around day 40. Another main objective was studying the ionization structure of the ejecta. Methods: These aims were achieved by modelling the optical/near-IR spectral energy distribution (SED) using low-resolution spectroscopy (3500-9200 Å), UBVRCIC and JHKLM photometry. Important insights in the physical conditions of the ejecta were gained from an analysis of the evolution of the Hα and Raman-scattered 6825 Å O vi line using medium-resolution spectroscopy (R ~ 10 000). Results: During the fireball stage (Aug. 14.8-19.9, 2013), Teff was in the range of 6000-12 000 K, RWD was expanding non-uniformly in time from ~66 to ~300 (d/ 3 kpc) R⊙, and LWD was super-Eddington, but not constant. Its maximum of ~9 × 1038 (d/ 3 kpc)2 erg s-1 occurred around Aug. 16.0, at the maximum of Teff, half a day before the visual maximum. After the fireball stage, a large emission measure of 1.0-2.0 × 1062 (d/ 3 kpc)2 cm-3 constrained the lower limit of LWD to be well above the super-Eddington value. The mass of the ionized region was a few × 10-4 M⊙, and the mass-loss rate was decreasing from ~5.7 (Aug. 22) to ~0.71 × 10-4 M⊙ yr-1 (Sept. 20). The evolution of the Hα line and mainly the transient emergence of the Raman-scattered O vi 1032 Å line suggested a biconical ionization structure of the ejecta with a disk-like H i region persisting around the WD until its total ionization, around day 40. On Sept. 20 (day 35), the model SED indicated a dust emission component in the spectrum. The dust was located beyond the H i zone, where it was shielded from the hard, ≳105 K, radiation of the burning WD at that time. Conclusions: Our extensive spectroscopic observations of the classical nova V339 Del allowed us to map its evolution from the very early phase after its explosion. It is evident that the nova was not evolving according to the current theoretical prediction. The unusual non-spherically symmetric ejecta of nova V339 Del and its extreme physical conditions and evolution during and after the fireball stage represent interesting new challenges for the theoretical modelling of the nova phenomenon. Based on data collected by amateur astronomers.

A Self-consistent Model for a Full Cycle of Recurrent Novae—Wind Mass-loss Rate and X-Ray Luminosity

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

Kato, Mariko; Saio, Hideyuki; Hachisu, Izumi, E-mail: mariko.kato@hc.st.keio.ac.jp

2017-04-01

An unexpectedly slow evolution in the pre-optical-maximum phase was suggested in the very short recurrence period of nova M31N 2008-12a. To obtain reasonable nova light curves we have improved our calculation method by consistently combining optically thick wind solutions of hydrogen-rich envelopes with white dwarf (WD) structures calculated by a Henyey-type evolution code. The wind mass-loss rate is properly determined with high accuracy. We have calculated light curve models for 1.2 M {sub ⊙} and 1.38 M {sub ⊙} WDs with mass accretion rates corresponding to recurrence periods of 10 yr and 1 yr, respectively. The outburst lasts 590/29 days,more » in which the pre-optical-maximum phase is 82/16 days, for 1.2/1.38 M {sub ⊙}, respectively. Optically thick winds start at the end of the X-ray flash and cease at the beginning of the supersoft X-ray phase. We also present supersoft X-ray light curves including a prompt X-ray flash and later supersoft X-ray phase.« less

Novae as Tevatrons: prospects for CTA and IceCube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metzger, B. D.; Caprioli, D.; Vurm, I.; Beloborodov, A. M.; Bartos, I.; Vlasov, A.

2016-04-01

The discovery of novae as sources of ˜0.1-1 GeV gamma-rays highlights the key role of shocks and relativistic particle acceleration in these transient systems. Although there is evidence for a spectral cut-off above energies ˜1-100 GeV at particular epochs in some novae, the maximum particle energy achieved in these accelerators has remained an open question. The high densities of the nova ejecta (˜10 orders of magnitude larger than in supernova remnants) render the gas far upstream of the shock neutral and shielded from ionizing radiation. The amplification of the magnetic field needed for diffusive shock acceleration requires ionized gas, thus confining the acceleration process to a narrow photoionized layer immediately ahead of the shock. Based on the growth rate of the hybrid non-resonant cosmic ray current-driven instability (considering also ion-neutral damping), we quantify the maximum particle energy, Emax, across the range of shock velocities and upstream densities of interest. We find values of Emax ˜ 10 GeV-10 TeV, which are broadly consistent with the inferred spectral cut-offs, but which could also in principle lead to emission extending to ≳ 100 GeV accessible to atmosphere Cherenkov telescopes, such as the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). Detecting TeV neutrinos with IceCube is more challenging, although the prospects are improved for a nearby event (≲ kpc) or if the shock power during the earliest, densest phases of the outburst is higher than implied by the GeV light curves, due to downscattering of the gamma-rays within the ejecta.

Nova M33N 2012-10a

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alothman, Nourah

In this thesis I present a study and measurement of a Nova in M33 galaxy type N 2012-10a (which is type of binary star) using data that were collected by the ROTSE IIIb robotic telescope and another observatory. I study the fundamental properties of the light curve and determined the brightness and the velocity of this type of nova. I analyzed the spectra that were measured by the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at the McDonald Observatory. In addition, I compared this type of nova to other types of Novae.

Nova-driven winds in globular clusters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott, E. H.; Durisen, R. H.

1978-01-01

Recent sensitive searches for H-alpha emission from ionized intracluster gas in globular clusters have set upper limits that conflict with theoretical predictions. It is suggested that nova outbursts heat the gas, producing winds that resolve this discrepancy. The incidence of novae in globular clusters, the conversion of kinetic energy of the nova shell to thermal energy of the intracluster gas, and the characteristics of the resultant winds are discussed. Calculated emission from the nova-driven models does not conflict with any observations to date. Some suggestions are made concerning the most promising approaches for future detection of intracluster gas on the basis of these models. The possible relationship of nova-driven winds to globular cluster X-ray sources is also considered.

EFFECTS OF LARGE-SCALE NON-AXISYMMETRIC PERTURBATIONS IN THE MEAN-FIELD SOLAR DYNAMO

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

Pipin, V. V.; Kosovichev, A. G.

2015-11-10

We explore the response of a nonlinear non-axisymmetric mean-field solar dynamo model to shallow non-axisymmetric perturbations. After a relaxation period, the amplitude of the non-axisymmetric field depends on the initial condition, helicity conservation, and the depth of perturbation. It is found that a perturbation that is anchored at 0.9 R{sub ⊙} has a profound effect on the dynamo process, producing a transient magnetic cycle of the axisymmetric magnetic field, if it is initiated at the growing phase of the cycle. The non-symmetric, with respect to the equator, perturbation results in a hemispheric asymmetry of the magnetic activity. The evolution ofmore » the axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric fields depends on the turbulent magnetic Reynolds number R{sub m}. In the range of R{sub m} = 10{sup 4}–10{sup 6} the evolution returns to the normal course in the next cycle, in which the non-axisymmetric field is generated due to a nonlinear α-effect and magnetic buoyancy. In the stationary state, the large-scale magnetic field demonstrates a phenomenon of “active longitudes” with cyclic 180° “flip-flop” changes of the large-scale magnetic field orientation. The flip-flop effect is known from observations of solar and stellar magnetic cycles. However, this effect disappears in the model, which includes the meridional circulation pattern determined by helioseismology. The rotation rate of the non-axisymmetric field components varies during the relaxation period and carries important information about the dynamo process.« less

M3D-K Simulations of Beam-Driven Alfven Eigenmodes in ASDEX-U

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ge; Fu, Guoyong; Lauber, Philipp; Schneller, Mirjam

2013-10-01

Core-localized Alfven eigenmodes are often observed in neutral beam-heated plasma in ASDEX-U tokamak. In this work, hybrid simulations with the global kinetic/MHD hybrid code M3D-K have been carried out to investigate the linear stability and nonlinear dynamics of beam-driven Alfven eigenmodes using experimental parameters and profiles of an ASDEX-U discharge. The safety factor q profile is weakly reversed with minimum q value about qmin = 3.0. The simulation results show that the n = 3 mode transits from a reversed shear Alfven eigenmode (RSAE) to a core-localized toroidal Alfven eigenmode (TAE) as qmin drops from 3.0 to 2.79, consistent with results from the stability code NOVA as well as the experimental measurement. The M3D-K results are being compared with those of the linear gyrokinetic stability code LIGKA for benchmark. The simulation results will also be compared with the measured mode frequency and mode structure. This work was funded by the Max-Planck/Princeton Center for Plasma Physics.

Provision of Early Intervention: A Case Study of One Canadian Province

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kienapple, Kim; Lyon, Mary; McSorley, Adele

2007-01-01

In Nova Scotia as in much of Canada, early intervention service providers for young children with special needs are predominantly independent non-profit organizations which, although subject to government regulation, may or may nor receive government financial support. Basic information about who provides and uses services, the types of services…

Effect of resonant magnetic perturbations on microturbulence in DIII-D pedestal

DOE PAGES

Holod, I.; Lin, Z.; Taimourzadeh, S.; ...

2016-10-03

Vacuum resonant magnetic perturbations (RMP) applied to otherwise axisymmetric tokamak plasmas produce in general a combination of non-resonant effects that preserve closed flux surfaces (kink response) and resonant effects that introduce magnetic islands and/or stochasticity (tearing response). The effect of the plasma kink response on the linear stability and nonlinear transport of edge turbulence is studied using the gyrokinetic toroidal code GTC for a DIII-D plasma with applied n = 2 vacuum RMP. GTC simulations use the 3D equilibrium of DIII-D discharge 158103 (Nazikian et al 2015 Phys. Rev. Lett. 114 105002), which is provided by nonlinear ideal MHD VMECmore » equilibrium solver in order to include the effect of the plasma kink response to the external field but to exclude island formation at rational surfaces. Analysis using the GTC simulation results reveal no increase of growth rates for the electrostatic drift wave instability and for the electromagnetic kinetic-ballooning mode in the presence of the plasma kink response to the RMP. Moreover, nonlinear electrostatic simulations show that the effect of the 3D equilibrium on zonal flow damping is very weak and found to be insufficient to modify turbulent transport in the electrostatic turbulence.« less

Relativistic interpretation of Newtonian simulations for cosmic structure formation

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

Fidler, Christian; Tram, Thomas; Crittenden, Robert

2016-09-01

The standard numerical tools for studying non-linear collapse of matter are Newtonian N -body simulations. Previous work has shown that these simulations are in accordance with General Relativity (GR) up to first order in perturbation theory, provided that the effects from radiation can be neglected. In this paper we show that the present day matter density receives more than 1% corrections from radiation on large scales if Newtonian simulations are initialised before z =50. We provide a relativistic framework in which unmodified Newtonian simulations are compatible with linear GR even in the presence of radiation. Our idea is to usemore » GR perturbation theory to keep track of the evolution of relativistic species and the relativistic space-time consistent with the Newtonian trajectories computed in N -body simulations. If metric potentials are sufficiently small, they can be computed using a first-order Einstein–Boltzmann code such as CLASS. We make this idea rigorous by defining a class of GR gauges, the Newtonian motion gauges, which are defined such that matter particles follow Newtonian trajectories. We construct a simple example of a relativistic space-time within which unmodified Newtonian simulations can be interpreted.« less

NIMROD simulations and physics assessment of possible designs for a next generation Steady Inductive Helicity Injection HIT device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penna, James; Morgan, Kyle; Grubb, Isaac; Jarboe, Thomas

2017-10-01

The Helicity Injected Torus - Steady Inductive 3 (HIT-SI3) experiment forms and maintains spheromaks via Steady Inductive Helicity Injection (SIHI) using discrete injectors that inject magnetic helicity via a non-axisymmetric perturbation and drive toroidally symmetric current. Newer designs for larger SIHI-driven spheromaks incorporate a set of injectors connected to a single external manifold to allow more freedom for the toroidal structure of the applied perturbation. Simulations have been carried out using the NIMROD code to assess the effectiveness of various imposed mode structures and injector schema in driving current via Imposed Dynamo Current Drive (IDCD). The results are presented here for varying flux conserver shapes on a device approximately 1.5 times larger than the current HIT-SI3 experiment. The imposed mode structures and spectra of simulated spheromaks are analyzed in order to examine magnetic structure and stability and determine an optimal regime for IDCD sustainment in a large device. The development of scaling laws for manifold operation is also presented, and simulation results are analyzed and assessed as part of the development path for the large scale device.

Far-field coseismic ionospheric disturbances of Tohoku earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krasnov, V. M.; Drobzheva, Ya. V.; Chum, J.

2015-12-01

A computer code has been developed to simulate the generation of infrasonic waves by a strong earthquake at a distance of 9000 km from the epicenter, their propagation through the atmosphere and their effects in the ionosphere. We provide estimates of the perturbations in the ionosphere at the height (210-220 km) where radiowaves at the sounding frequency (3.595 MHz) of a continuous Doppler radar reflect. Ionospheric perturbations have a global character and amplitudes of 1.5-7.5% of ambient value. Perturbations exist for ~1 h. The form of calculated ionospheric disturbances coincides with the experimental results. The correlation coefficient between calculated and experimental forms was from 0.68 to 0.9.

A numerical study of the thermal stability of low-lying coronal loops

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klimchuk, J. A.; Antiochos, S. K.; Mariska, J. T.

1986-01-01

The nonlinear evolution of loops that are subjected to a variety of small but finite perturbations was studied. Only the low-lying loops are considered. The analysis was performed numerically using a one-dimensional hydrodynamical model developed at the Naval Research Laboratory. The computer codes solve the time-dependent equations for mass, momentum, and energy transport. The primary interest is the active region filaments, hence a geometry appropriate to those structures was considered. The static solutions were subjected to a moderate sized perturbation and allowed to evolve. The results suggest that both hot and cool loops of the geometry considered are thermally stable against amplitude perturbations of all kinds.

Non-gravitational perturbations and satellite geodesy

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

Milani, A.; Nobill, A.M.; Farinella, P.

1987-01-01

This book presents the basic ideas of the physics of non-gravitational perturbations and the mathematics required to compute their orbital effects. It conveys the relevance of the different problems that must be solved to achieve a given level of accuracy in orbit determination and in recovery of geophysically significant parameters. Selected Contents are: Orders of Magnitude of the Perturbing Forces, Tides and Apparent Forces, Tools from Celestial Mechanics, Solar Radiation Pressure-Direct Effects: Satellite-Solar Radiation Interaction, Long-Term Effects on Semi-Major Axis, Radiation Pressure-Indirect Effects: Earth-Reflected Radiation Pressure, Anisotropic Thermal Emission, Drag: Orbital Perturbations by a Drag-Like Force, and Charged Particle Drag.

FAST TRACK COMMUNICATION: Regularized Kerr-Newman solution as a gravitating soliton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burinskii, Alexander

2010-10-01

The charged, spinning and gravitating soliton is realized as a regular solution of the Kerr-Newman (KN) field coupled with a chiral Higgs model. A regular core of the solution is formed by a domain wall bubble interpolating between the external KN solution and a flat superconducting interior. An internal electromagnetic (em) field is expelled to the boundary of the bubble by the Higgs field. The solution reveals two new peculiarities: (i) the Higgs field is oscillating, similar to the known oscillon models; (ii) the em field forms on the edge of the bubble a Wilson loop, resulting in quantization of the total angular momentum.

Boeing-747 aircraft with external cargo pod

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quartero, C. B.; Washburn, G. F.; Price, J. E.

1978-01-01

An analysis was conducted to investigate the feasibility of mounting a detachable pod to the underside of the fuselage of a Boeing Model 747 aircraft to carry outsized cargo in case of military emergency. The analysis showed that the 747 configured with the pod and carrying only a bridge launcher as payload attained a range of 8.70 Mm (4 700 n. mi.) at Mach .68. This range was based on a maximum take-off gross weight of 3.447 MN (775 000 1bf) which included 212 kN (47 700 lbf) pod weight and 543 kN (122 000 lbf) payload (bridge launcher).

Molecular simulation of small Knudsen number flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fei, Fei; Fan, Jing

2012-11-01

The direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is a powerful particle-based method for modeling gas flows. It works well for relatively large Knudsen (Kn) numbers, typically larger than 0.01, but quickly becomes computationally intensive as Kn decreases due to its time step and cell size limitations. An alternative approach was proposed to relax or remove these limitations, based on replacing pairwise collisions with a stochastic model corresponding to the Fokker-Planck equation [J. Comput. Phys., 229, 1077 (2010); J. Fluid Mech., 680, 574 (2011)]. Similar to the DSMC method, the downside of that approach suffers from computationally statistical noise. To solve the problem, a diffusion-based information preservation (D-IP) method has been developed. The main idea is to track the motion of a simulated molecule from the diffusive standpoint, and obtain the flow velocity and temperature through sampling and averaging the IP quantities. To validate the idea and the corresponding model, several benchmark problems with Kn ˜ 10-3-10-4 have been investigated. It is shown that the IP calculations are not only accurate, but also efficient because they make possible using a time step and cell size over an order of magnitude larger than the mean collision time and mean free path, respectively.

A study of a co-processed dry binder composed of microcrystalline cellulose and glycerol monostearate.

PubMed

Mužíková, Jitka; Muchová, Sandra

2012-10-01

The paper studies the co-processed dry binder LubriToseTM MCC from the viewpoint of energy evaluation of the compression process, strength and disintegration time of tablets. The results were compared with the identical evaluation of physical mixtures of microcrystalline cellulose with several types of lubricants. LubriTose MCC showed the lowest value of energy for friction, the highest value of energy accumulated by the tablet, and the highest plasticity of all tableting materials under study. There were no marked differences in the values of the energy of decompression. The tensile strength of tablets from LubriTose MCC was lower than in those from the mixture of Vivapur® 12 and glycerol monostearate, in the compression forces of 4 and 5 kN it was comparable with the tensile strength of tablets from Vivapur 12 with Poloxamer 407. Disintegration time of tablets from LubriTose MCC was shorter than that of those from Vivapur 12 with glycerol monostearate at the compression force of 3 kN, in the case of the compression forces of 4 and 5 kN no statistically significant difference was found between the values of these tableting materials.

Traversable wormholes satisfying the weak energy condition in third-order Lovelock gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zangeneh, Mahdi Kord; Lobo, Francisco S. N.; Dehghani, Mohammad Hossein

2015-12-01

In this paper, we consider third-order Lovelock gravity with a cosmological constant term in an n -dimensional spacetime M4×Kn -4, where Kn -4 is a constant curvature space. We decompose the equations of motion to four and higher dimensional ones and find wormhole solutions by considering a vacuum Kn -4 space. Applying the latter constraint, we determine the second- and third-order Lovelock coefficients and the cosmological constant in terms of specific parameters of the model, such as the size of the extra dimensions. Using the obtained Lovelock coefficients and Λ , we obtain the four-dimensional matter distribution threading the wormhole. Furthermore, by considering the zero tidal force case and a specific equation of state, given by ρ =(γ p -τ )/[ω (1 +γ )], we find the exact solution for the shape function which represents both asymptotically flat and nonflat wormhole solutions. We show explicitly that these wormhole solutions in addition to traversibility satisfy the energy conditions for suitable choices of parameters and that the existence of a limited spherically symmetric traversable wormhole with normal matter in a four-dimensional spacetime implies a negative effective cosmological constant.

Infrasonic waves in the ionosphere generated by a weak earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krasnov, V. M.; Drobzheva, Ya. V.; Chum, J.

2011-08-01

A computer code has been developed to simulate the generation of infrasonic waves (frequencies considered ≤80 Hz) by a weak earthquake (magnitude ˜3.6), their propagation through the atmosphere and their effects in the ionosphere. We provide estimates of the perturbations in the ionosphere at the height (˜160 km) where waves at the sounding frequency (3.59 MHz) of a continuous Doppler radar reflect. We have found that the pressure perturbation is 5.79×10-7 Pa (0.26% of the ambient value), the temperature perturbation is 0.088 K (0.015% of the ambient value) and the electron density perturbation is 2×108 m-3 (0.12% of the ambient value). The characteristic perturbation is found to be a bipolar pulse lasting ˜25 s, and the maximum Doppler shift is found to be ˜0.08 Hz, which is too small to be detected by the Doppler radar at the time of the earthquake.

Development of a multiple-parameter nonlinear perturbation procedure for transonic turbomachinery flows: Preliminary application to design/optimization problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stahara, S. S.; Elliott, J. P.; Spreiter, J. R.

1983-01-01

An investigation was conducted to continue the development of perturbation procedures and associated computational codes for rapidly determining approximations to nonlinear flow solutions, with the purpose of establishing a method for minimizing computational requirements associated with parametric design studies of transonic flows in turbomachines. The results reported here concern the extension of the previously developed successful method for single parameter perturbations to simultaneous multiple-parameter perturbations, and the preliminary application of the multiple-parameter procedure in combination with an optimization method to blade design/optimization problem. In order to provide as severe a test as possible of the method, attention is focused in particular on transonic flows which are highly supercritical. Flows past both isolated blades and compressor cascades, involving simultaneous changes in both flow and geometric parameters, are considered. Comparisons with the corresponding exact nonlinear solutions display remarkable accuracy and range of validity, in direct correspondence with previous results for single-parameter perturbations.

A conservative scheme of drift kinetic electrons for gyrokinetic simulation of kinetic-MHD processes in toroidal plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bao, J.; Liu, D.; Lin, Z.

2017-10-01

A conservative scheme of drift kinetic electrons for gyrokinetic simulations of kinetic-magnetohydrodynamic processes in toroidal plasmas has been formulated and verified. Both vector potential and electron perturbed distribution function are decomposed into adiabatic part with analytic solution and non-adiabatic part solved numerically. The adiabatic parallel electric field is solved directly from the electron adiabatic response, resulting in a high degree of accuracy. The consistency between electrostatic potential and parallel vector potential is enforced by using the electron continuity equation. Since particles are only used to calculate the non-adiabatic response, which is used to calculate the non-adiabatic vector potential through Ohm's law, the conservative scheme minimizes the electron particle noise and mitigates the cancellation problem. Linear dispersion relations of the kinetic Alfvén wave and the collisionless tearing mode in cylindrical geometry have been verified in gyrokinetic toroidal code simulations, which show that the perpendicular grid size can be larger than the electron collisionless skin depth when the mode wavelength is longer than the electron skin depth.

Curvature perturbation spectra from waterfall transition, black hole constraints and non-Gaussianity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bugaev, Edgar; Klimai, Peter

2011-11-01

We carried out numerical calculations of a contribution of the waterfall field to the primordial curvature perturbation (on uniform density hypersurfaces) ζ, which is produced during waterfall transition in hybrid inflation scenario. The calculation is performed for a broad interval of values of the model parameters. We show that there is a strong growth of amplitudes of the curvature perturbation spectrum in the limit when the bare mass-squared of the waterfall field becomes comparable with the square of Hubble parameter. We show that in this limit the primordial black hole constraints on the curvature perturbations must be taken into account. It is shown that, in the same limit, peak values of the curvature perturbation spectra are far beyond horizon, and the spectra are strongly non-Gaussian.

Cosmological perturbations through a non-singular ghost-condensate/Galileon bounce

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

Battarra, Lorenzo; Koehn, Michael; Lehners, Jean-Luc

2014-07-01

We study the propagation of super-horizon cosmological perturbations in a non-singular bounce spacetime. The model we consider combines a ghost condensate with a Galileon term in order to induce a ghost-free bounce. Our calculation is performed in harmonic gauge, which ensures that the linearized equations of motion remain well-defined and non-singular throughout. We find that, despite the fact that near the bounce the speed of sound becomes imaginary, super-horizon curvature perturbations remain essentially constant across the bounce. In fact, we show that there is a time close to the bounce where curvature perturbations of all wavelengths are required to bemore » momentarily exactly constant. We relate our calculations to those performed in other gauges, and comment on the relation to previous results in the literature.« less

Dopamine Modulates Adaptive Prediction Error Coding in the Human Midbrain and Striatum.

PubMed

Diederen, Kelly M J; Ziauddeen, Hisham; Vestergaard, Martin D; Spencer, Tom; Schultz, Wolfram; Fletcher, Paul C

2017-02-15

Learning to optimally predict rewards requires agents to account for fluctuations in reward value. Recent work suggests that individuals can efficiently learn about variable rewards through adaptation of the learning rate, and coding of prediction errors relative to reward variability. Such adaptive coding has been linked to midbrain dopamine neurons in nonhuman primates, and evidence in support for a similar role of the dopaminergic system in humans is emerging from fMRI data. Here, we sought to investigate the effect of dopaminergic perturbations on adaptive prediction error coding in humans, using a between-subject, placebo-controlled pharmacological fMRI study with a dopaminergic agonist (bromocriptine) and antagonist (sulpiride). Participants performed a previously validated task in which they predicted the magnitude of upcoming rewards drawn from distributions with varying SDs. After each prediction, participants received a reward, yielding trial-by-trial prediction errors. Under placebo, we replicated previous observations of adaptive coding in the midbrain and ventral striatum. Treatment with sulpiride attenuated adaptive coding in both midbrain and ventral striatum, and was associated with a decrease in performance, whereas bromocriptine did not have a significant impact. Although we observed no differential effect of SD on performance between the groups, computational modeling suggested decreased behavioral adaptation in the sulpiride group. These results suggest that normal dopaminergic function is critical for adaptive prediction error coding, a key property of the brain thought to facilitate efficient learning in variable environments. Crucially, these results also offer potential insights for understanding the impact of disrupted dopamine function in mental illness. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT To choose optimally, we have to learn what to expect. Humans dampen learning when there is a great deal of variability in reward outcome, and two brain regions that are modulated by the brain chemical dopamine are sensitive to reward variability. Here, we aimed to directly relate dopamine to learning about variable rewards, and the neural encoding of associated teaching signals. We perturbed dopamine in healthy individuals using dopaminergic medication and asked them to predict variable rewards while we made brain scans. Dopamine perturbations impaired learning and the neural encoding of reward variability, thus establishing a direct link between dopamine and adaptation to reward variability. These results aid our understanding of clinical conditions associated with dopaminergic dysfunction, such as psychosis. Copyright © 2017 Diederen et al.

Nova-like variables

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ladous, Constanze

1993-01-01

On grounds of different observable characteristics five classes of nova-like objects are distinguished: the UX Ursae Majoris stars, the antidwarf novae, the DQ Herculis stars, the AM Herculis stars, and the AM Canum Venaticorum stars. Some objects have not been classified specifically. Nova-like stars share most observable features with dwarf novae, except for the outburst behavior. The understanding is that dwarf novae, UX Ursae Majoris stars, and anti-dwarf novae are basically the same sort of objects. The difference between them is that in UX Ursae Majoris stars the mass transfer through the accretion disc always is high so the disc is stationary all the time; in anti-dwarf novae for some reason the mass transfer occasionally drops considerably for some time, and in dwarf novae it is low enough for the disc to undergo semiperiodic changes between high and low accretion events. DQ Herculis stars are believed to possess weakly magnetic white dwarfs which disrupt the inner disc at some distance from the central star; the rotation of the white dwarf can be seen as an additional photometric period. In AM Herculis stars, a strongly magnetic white dwarf entirely prevents the formation of an accretion disk and at the same time locks the rotation of the white dwarf to the binary orbit. Finally, AM Canum Venaticorum stars are believed to be cataclysmic variables that consist of two white dwarf components.

The disappearance and reformation of the accretion disc during a low state of FO Aquarii

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hameury, J.-M.; Lasota, J.-P.

2017-09-01

Context. FO Aquarii, an asynchronous magnetic cataclysmic variable (intermediate polar) went into a low state in 2016, from which it slowly and steadily recovered without showing dwarf nova outbursts. This requires explanation since in a low state, the mass-transfer rate is in principle too low for the disc to be fully ionised and the disc should be subject to the standard thermal and viscous instability observed in dwarf novae. Aims: We investigate the conditions under which an accretion disc in an intermediate polar could exhibit a luminosity drop of two magnitudes in the optical band without showing outbursts. Methods: We use our numerical code for the time evolution of accretion discs, including other light sources from the system (primary, secondary, hot spot). Results: We show that although it is marginally possible for the accretion disc in the low state to stay on the hot stable branch, the required mass-transfer rate in the normal state would then have to be extremely high, of the order of 1019 g s-1 or even larger. This would make the system so intrinsically bright that its distance should be much larger than allowed by all estimates. We show that observations of FO Aqr are well accounted for by the same mechanism that we have suggested as explaining the absence of outbursts during low states of VY Scl stars: during the decay, the magnetospheric radius exceeds the circularisation radius, so that the disc disappears before it enters the instability strip for dwarf nova outbursts. Conclusions: Our results are unaffected, and even reinforced, if accretion proceeds both via the accretion disc and directly via the stream during some intermediate stages; the detailed process through which the disc disappears still requires investigation.

Hydrodynamic Simulations of Classical Novae: Accretion onto CO White Dwarfs as SN Ia Progenitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Starrfield, Sumner; Bose, Maitrayee; Iliadis, Christian; Hix, William R.; José, Jordi; Hernanz, Margarita

2017-06-01

We have continued our studies of accretion onto white dwarfs by following the evolution of thermonuclear runaways on Carbon Oxygen (CO) white dwarfs. We have varied the mass of the white dwarf and the composition of the accreted material but chosen to keep the mass accretion rate at 2 x 10^{-10} solar masses per year to obtain the largest amount of accreted material possible with rates near to those observed. We assume either 25% core material or 50% core material has been mixed into the accreting material prior to the explosion. We use our 1D, lagrangian, hydrodynamic code: NOVA. We will report on the results of these simulations and compare the ejecta abundances to those measured in pre-solar grains that are thought to arise from classical nova explosions. These results will also be compared to recent results with SHIVA (Jose and Hernanz). We find that in all cases and for all white dwarf masses that less mass is ejected than accreted and, therefore, the white dwarf is growing in mass as a result of the accretion and resulting explosion.This work was supported in part by NASA under the Astrophysics Theory Program grant 14-ATP14-0007 and the U.S. DOE under Contract No. DE-FG02- 97ER41041. SS acknowledges partial support from NASA, NSF, and HST grants to ASU and WRH is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Physics. The results reported herein benefitted from collaborations and/or information exchange within NASA’s Nexus for Exoplanet System Science (NExSS) research coordination network sponsored by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

Dust around the Cool Component of D-Type Symbiotic Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jurkic, Tomislav; Kotnik-Karuza, Dubravka

2018-04-01

D type symbiotic binaries are an excellent astrophysical laboratory for investigation of the dust properties and dust formation under the influence of theMira stellar wind and nova activity and of the mass loss and mass transfer between components in such a widely separated system. We present a study of the properties of circumstellar dust in symbiotic Miras by use of long-term near-IR photometry and colour indices. The published JHKL magnitudes of o Ceti, RX Pup, KM Vel, V366 Car, V835 Cen, RR Tel, HM Sge and R Aqr have been collected, analyzed and corrected for short-term variations caused by Mira pulsations. Assuming spherical temperature distribution of the dust in the close neighbourhood of the Mira, the DUSTY code was used to solve the radiative transfer in order to determine the dust temperature and its properties in each particular case. Common dust properties of the symbiotic Miras have been found, suggesting similar conditions in the condensation region of the studied symbiotic Miras. Silicate dust with the inner dust shell radius determined by the dust condensation and with the dust temperature of 900-1200 K can fully explain the observed colour indices. R Aqr is an exception and showed lower dust temperature of 650 K. Obscuration events visible in light curves can be explained by variable dust optical depth with minimal variations of other dust properties. More active symbioticMiras that underwent recent nova outbursts showed higher dust optical depths and larger maximum grain sizes of the order of μm, which means that the post-nova activity could stimulate the dust formation and the grain growth. Optically thicker dust shells and higher dust condensation temperatures have been found in symbiotic Miras compared to their single counterparts, suggesting different conditions for dust production.

Leadership, Education and Awareness: A Compassionate Care Nursing Initiative.

PubMed

Simmonds, Anne H

2015-03-01

The Canadian Nurses' Association Code of Ethics (2008) and the College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia (CRNNS) Standards of Practice for Registered Nurses (CRNNS 2011) identify the provision of safe, compassionate, competent and ethical care as one of nursing's primary values and ethical responsibilities. While compassion has historically been viewed as the essence of nursing, there is concern that this has become an abstract ideal, rather than a true reflection of nursing practice. This paper describes a compassionate care initiative undertaken by the CRNNS and the initial outcomes of these educational workshops. This work is informed by an exploration of the multiplicity of factors that have brought this issue to the fore for nursing regulators, educators, administrators, the public as well as front-line staff. The two most significant areas of learning reported by workshop participants included understanding the connection between mindfulness, non-judgmental care and compassion/self-compassion and recognizing possibilities for action related to compassionate care, even in the face of personal and environmental constraints. Implications for nursing regulators and leaders include consideration of their roles and responsibilities in supporting nurses to meet professional practice standards, such as provision of compassionate care. Copyright © 2015 Longwoods Publishing.

molgw 1: Many-body perturbation theory software for atoms, molecules, and clusters

DOE PAGES

Bruneval, Fabien; Rangel, Tonatiuh; Hamed, Samia M.; ...

2016-07-12

Here, we summarize the MOLGW code that implements density-functional theory and many-body perturbation theory in a Gaussian basis set. The code is dedicated to the calculation of the many-body self-energy within the GW approximation and the solution of the Bethe–Salpeter equation. These two types of calculations allow the user to evaluate physical quantities that can be compared to spectroscopic experiments. Quasiparticle energies, obtained through the calculation of the GW self-energy, can be compared to photoemission or transport experiments, and neutral excitation energies and oscillator strengths, obtained via solution of the Bethe–Salpeter equation, are measurable by optical absorption. The implementation choicesmore » outlined here have aimed at the accuracy and robustness of calculated quantities with respect to measurements. Furthermore, the algorithms implemented in MOLGW allow users to consider molecules or clusters containing up to 100 atoms with rather accurate basis sets, and to choose whether or not to apply the resolution-of-the-identity approximation. Finally, we demonstrate the parallelization efficacy of the MOLGW code over several hundreds of processors.« less

Supersonic propulsion simulation by incorporating component models in the large perturbation inlet (LAPIN) computer code

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cole, Gary L.; Richard, Jacques C.

1991-01-01

An approach to simulating the internal flows of supersonic propulsion systems is presented. The approach is based on a fairly simple modification of the Large Perturbation Inlet (LAPIN) computer code. LAPIN uses a quasi-one dimensional, inviscid, unsteady formulation of the continuity, momentum, and energy equations. The equations are solved using a shock capturing, finite difference algorithm. The original code, developed for simulating supersonic inlets, includes engineering models of unstart/restart, bleed, bypass, and variable duct geometry, by means of source terms in the equations. The source terms also provide a mechanism for incorporating, with the inlet, propulsion system components such as compressor stages, combustors, and turbine stages. This requires each component to be distributed axially over a number of grid points. Because of the distributed nature of such components, this representation should be more accurate than a lumped parameter model. Components can be modeled by performance map(s), which in turn are used to compute the source terms. The general approach is described. Then, simulation of a compressor/fan stage is discussed to show the approach in detail.

Neutrino Interactions

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

Kamyshkov, Yuri; Handler, Thomas

The neutrino group of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville was involved from 05/01/2013 to 04/30/2015 in the neutrino physics research funded by DOE-HEP grant DE-SC0009861. Contributions were made to the Double Chooz nuclear reactor experiment in France where second detector was commissioned during this period and final series of measurements has been started. Although Double Chooz was smaller experimental effort than competitive Daya Bay and RENO experiments, its several advantages make it valuable for understanding of systematic errors in measurements of neutrino oscillations. Double Chooz was the first experiment among competing three that produced initial result for neutrino angle θmore » 13 measurement, giving other experiments the chance to improve measured value statistically. Graduate student Ben Rybolt defended his PhD thesis on the results of Double Chooz experiment in 2015. UT group has fulfilled all the construction and analysis commitments to Double Chooz experiment, and has withdrawn from the collaboration by the end of the mentioned period to start another experiment. Larger effort of UT neutrino group during this period was devoted to the participation in another DOE-HEP project - NOvA experiment. The 14,000-ton "FAR" neutrino detector was commissioned in northern Minnesota in 2014 together with 300-ton "NEAR" detector located at Fermilab. Following that, the physics measurement program has started when Fermilab accelerator complex produced the high-intensity neutrino beam propagating through Earth to detector in MInnessota. UT group contributed to NOvA detector construction and developments in several aspects. Our Research Associate Athanasios Hatzikoutelis was managing (Level 3 manager) the construction of the Detector Control System. This work was successfully accomplished in time with the commissioning of the detectors. Group was involved in the development of the on-line software and study of the signatures of the cosmic ray backgrounds. Flumerfelt and another graduate student Philip Mason were also studying the non-linearity properties of the NOvA liquid scintillator - information that will be essential at the final stages of NOvA data analysis. Philip Mason also studied the response of the FAR NOvA detector in correlation with solar flares. Flumerfelt and Mason successfully defended their PhD in 2015. Also, undergraduate student Cameron Blake Erickson has defended his undergraduate thesis on the NOvA liquid scintillator studies with Compton gamma spectrometer at UT.« less

Explosive lithium production in the classical nova V339 Del (Nova Delphini 2013).

PubMed

Tajitsu, Akito; Sadakane, Kozo; Naito, Hiroyuki; Arai, Akira; Aoki, Wako

2015-02-19

The origin of lithium (Li) and its production process have long been uncertain. Li could be produced by Big Bang nucleosynthesis, interactions of energetic cosmic rays with interstellar matter, evolved low-mass stars, novae, and supernova explosions. Chemical evolution models and observed stellar Li abundances suggest that at least half the Li may have been produced in red giants, asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, and novae. No direct evidence, however, for the supply of Li from evolved stellar objects to the Galactic medium has hitherto been found. Here we report the detection of highly blue-shifted resonance lines of the singly ionized radioactive isotope of beryllium, (7)Be, in the near-ultraviolet spectra of the classical nova V339 Del (Nova Delphini 2013) 38 to 48 days after the explosion. (7)Be decays to form (7)Li within a short time (half-life of 53.22 days). The (7)Be was created during the nova explosion via the alpha-capture reaction (3)He(α,γ)(7)Be (ref. 5). This result supports the theoretical prediction that a significant amount of (7)Li is produced in classical nova explosions.

NovaSearch Online: Research Experience in Astronomy 101

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pilachowski, C. A.; Rector, T.; Morris, F.; Tebbe, H.

2003-12-01

A new website at the University of Indiana Bloomington allows undergraduate, introductory astronomy students to participate in original research, discovering novae in the Andromeda Galaxy. Sequences of CCD images obtained with the WIYN 0.9-m telescope at Kitt Peak of the central region of Andromeda are displayed on the Web as Flash movies, allowing students to identify novae as new, blinking stars. Tools are provided to estimate the magnitude of the novae and to determine the Julian date of observations, so that students can plot light curves. The goal of NovaSearch is to engage students in the process of discovery, applying the content they learn from textbooks and lectures to real observations and the creation of new knowledge. NovaSearch is supplemented with live video interactions with on-site observers and remote observing at the 0.9-m telescope. For many students, NovaSearch is their first experience with science as a creative, human activity. NovaSearch is available for examination and use at www.astro.indiana.edu/novasearch/ Support from the SBC Fellows program at Indiana University, as well as from the National Science Foundation through grant ESI 0101982 to the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, is gratefully acknowledged.

Can isolated single black holes produce X-ray novae?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumoto, Tatsuya; Teraki, Yuto; Ioka, Kunihito

2018-03-01

Almost all black holes (BHs) and BH candidates in our Galaxy have been discovered as soft X-ray transients, so-called X-ray novae. X-ray novae are usually considered to arise from binary systems. Here, we propose that X-ray novae are also caused by isolated single BHs. We calculate the distribution of the accretion rate from interstellar matter to isolated BHs, and find that BHs in molecular clouds satisfy the condition of the hydrogen-ionization disc instability, which results in X-ray novae. The estimated event rate is consistent with the observed one. We also check an X-ray novae catalogue (Corral-Santana et al.) and find that 16/59 ˜ 0.27 of the observed X-ray novae are potentially powered by isolated BHs. The possible candidates include IGR J17454-2919, XTE J1908-094, and SAX J1711.6-3808. Near-infrared photometric and spectroscopic follow-ups can exclude companion stars for a BH census in our Galaxy.

Detecting Nova Shells around known Cataclysmic Variable systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xhakaj, Enia; Kupfer, Thomas; Prince, Thomas A.

2017-01-01

Nova shells are hydrogen-rich nebulae around Cataclysmic Variables that are created when a Nova outburst takes place. Learning more about Nova shells can help us get a better understanding of the long-term evolution of white dwarfs in active Cataclysmic Variables. In this project, we present the search for Nova shells around 1700 Cataclysmic Variables, using Hα images from the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) survey. The PTF Hα survey started in 2009 using the 48’’ Oschin telescope at Palomar Observatory and is the first of its type covering the whole northern hemisphere while reaching 18 mags in 60 seconds of exposure. We concentrated our search on the IAU catalogue of Historical Novae, as well as on the SDSS and the Ritter-Kolb catalogue of Cataclysmic Variables. We numerically analyzed radial profiles centered on the target sources to search for excess emission potentially associated with the shells. Out of 1700 Cataclysmic Variables present in these catalogues, we detected 25 Nova shells, out of which 20 are not observed before.

Fritz Zwicky: Novae Become Supernovae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koenig, T.

2005-12-01

The Swiss physicist Fritz Zwicky (1898-1974) dabbled in a plethora of disciplines, including astronomy and astrophysics. His dabblings were with vested interest and he has left quite an impact. His first great success was his nova research. In the early 1930s, while supermarkets and Superman were flying, he labelled the distinctly brighter nova Supernova. It had been believed that novae were the collision of two stars, but Zwicky came to recognize supernovae as a phenomenon quite distinct from novae. He and Walter Baade explained supernova by melding astronomy and physics and in this aim they created neutron stars, explained the origin of cosmic rays, initiated the first sky survey, and confirmed that a number of historical novae were indeed supernovae. This was truly an important work in the history of astrophysics.

Discovery of an old nova shell surrounding the cataclysmic variable V1315 Aql

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahman, D. I.; Dhillon, V. S.; Littlefair, S. P.; Hallinan, G.

2018-07-01

Following our tentative discovery of a faint shell around V1315 Aql reported in Sahman et al., we undertook deep Hα imaging and intermediate-resolution spectroscopy of the shell. We find that the shell has its geometric centre located on V1315 Aql. The mass, spectral features, and density of the shell are consistent with other nova shells, rather than planetary nebulae or supernova remnants. The radial velocity of the shell is consistent with the systemic velocity of V1315 Aql. We believe this evidence strongly suggests that the shell originates from an earlier nova event. This is the first nova shell discovered around a nova-like and supports the theory of nova-induced cycles in mass transfer rates (hibernation theory) first proposed by Shara et al.

A quasilinear operator retaining magnetic drift effects in tokamak geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Catto, Peter J.; Lee, Jungpyo; Ram, Abhay K.

2017-12-01

The interaction of radio frequency waves with charged particles in a magnetized plasma is usually described by the quasilinear operator that was originally formulated by Kennel & Engelmann (Phys. Fluids, vol. 9, 1966, pp. 2377-2388). In their formulation the plasma is assumed to be homogenous and embedded in a uniform magnetic field. In tokamak plasmas the Kennel-Engelmann operator does not capture the magnetic drifts of the particles that are inherent to the non-uniform magnetic field. To overcome this deficiency a combined drift and gyrokinetic derivation is employed to derive the quasilinear operator for radio frequency heating and current drive in a tokamak with magnetic drifts retained. The derivation requires retaining the magnetic moment to higher order in both the unperturbed and perturbed kinetic equations. The formal prescription for determining the perturbed distribution function then follows a novel procedure in which two non-resonant terms must be evaluated explicitly. The systematic analysis leads to a diffusion equation that is compact and completely expressed in terms of the drift kinetic variables. The equation is not transit averaged, and satisfies the entropy principle, while retaining the full poloidal angle variation without resorting to Fourier decomposition. As the diffusion equation is in physical variables, it can be implemented in any computational code. In the Kennel-Engelmann formalism, the wave-particle resonant delta function is either for the Landau resonance or the Doppler shifted cyclotron resonance. In the combined gyro and drift kinetic approach, a term related to the magnetic drift modifies the resonance condition.

Polarimetry and spectroscopy of the "oxygen flaring" DQ Herculis-like nova: V5668 Sagittarii (2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harvey, E. J.; Redman, M. P.; Darnley, M. J.; Williams, S. C.; Berdyugin, A.; Piirola, V. E.; Fitzgerald, K. P.; O'Connor, E. G. P.

2018-03-01

Context. Classical novae are eruptions on the surface of a white dwarf in a binary system. The material ejected from the white dwarf surface generally forms an axisymmetric shell of gas and dust around the system. The three-dimensional structure of these shells is difficult to untangle when viewed on the plane of the sky. In this work a geometrical model is developed to explain new observations of the 2015 nova V5668 Sagittarii. Aim. We aim to better understand the early evolution of classical nova shells in the context of the relationship between polarisation, photometry, and spectroscopy in the optical regime. To understand the ionisation structure in terms of the nova shell morphology and estimate the emission distribution directly following the light curve's dust-dip. Methods: High-cadence optical polarimetry and spectroscopy observations of a nova are presented. The ejecta is modelled in terms of morpho-kinematics and photoionisation structure. Results: Initially observational results are presented, including broadband polarimetry and spectroscopy of V5668 Sgr nova during eruption. Variability over these observations provides clues towards the evolving structure of the nova shell. The position angle of the shell is derived from polarimetry, which is attributed to scattering from small dust grains. Shocks in the nova outflow are suggested in the photometry and the effect of these on the nova shell are illustrated with various physical diagnostics. Changes in density and temperature as the super soft source phase of the nova began are discussed. Gas densities are found to be of the order of 109 cm-3 for the nova in its auroral phase. The blackbody temperature of the central stellar system is estimated to be around 2.2 × 105 K at times coincident with the super soft source turn-on. It was found that the blend around 4640 Å commonly called "nitrogen flaring" is more naturally explained as flaring of the O II multiplet (V1) from 4638-4696 Å, i.e. "oxygen flaring". Conclusions: V5668 Sgr (2015) was a remarkable nova of the DQ Her class. Changes in absolute polarimetric and spectroscopic multi-epoch observations lead to interpretations of physical characteristics of the nova's evolving outflow. The high densities that were found early-on combined with knowledge of the system's behaviour at other wavelengths and polarimetric measurements strongly suggest that the visual "cusps" are due to radiative shocks between fast and slow ejecta that destroy and create dust seed nuclei cyclically.

Investigation of a relationship between external force to shoulder and chest injury of WorldSID and THUMS in 32 km/h oblique pole side impact.

PubMed

Tanaka, Shinobu; Hayashi, Shigeki; Fukushima, Satoshi; Yasuki, Tsuyoshi

2013-01-01

This article describes the chest injury risk reduction effect of shoulder restraints using finite element (FE) models of the worldwide harmonized side impact dummy (WorldSID) and Total Human Model for Safety (THUMS) in an FE model 32 km/h oblique pole side impact. This research used an FE model of a mid-sized vehicle equipped with various combinations of curtain shield air bags, torso air bags, and shoulder restraint air bags. As occupant models, AM50 WorldSID and THUMS AM50 Version 4 were used for comparison. The research investigated the effect of shoulder restraint air bag on chest injury by comparing cases with and without a shoulder side air bag. The maximum external force to the chest was reduced by shoulder restraint air bag in both WorldSID and THUMS, reducing chest injury risk as measured by the amount of rib deflection, number of the rib fractures, and rib deflection ratio. However, it was also determined that the external force to shoulder should be limited to the chest injury threshold because the external shoulder force transmits to the chest via the arm in the case of WorldSID and via the scapula in the case of THUMS. Because these results show the shoulder restraint air bag effect on chest injury risk, the vent hole size of the shoulder restraint air bag was changed for varying reaction forces to investigate the relationship between the external force to the shoulder and the risk of chest injury. In the case of THUMS, an external shoulder force of 1.8 kN and more force from the shoulder restraint air bag was necessary to help prevent rib fracture. Increasing external force applied to shoulder up to 6.2 kN (the maximum force used in this study) did not induce any rib or clavicle fractures in the THUMS. When the shoulder restraint air bag generated external force to the shoulder from 1.8 to 6.2 kN in THUMS, which were applied to the WorldSID, the shoulder deflection ranged from 35 to 68 mm, and the shoulder force ranged from 1.8 to 2.3 kN. In the test configuration used, a shoulder restraint using the air bag helps reduce chest injury risk by lowering the maximum magnitude of external force to the shoulder and chest. To help reduce rib fracture risk in the THUMS, the shoulder restraint air bag was expected to generate a force of 3.7 kN with a minimum rib deflection ratio. This corresponds to a shoulder rib deflection of 60 mm and a shoulder load of 2.2 kN in WorldSID. Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Traffic Injury Prevention to view the supplemental file.

ResBos2: Precision Resummation for the LHC ERA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isaacson, Joshua Paul

With the precision of data at the LHC, it is important to advance theoretical calculations to match it. Previously, the ResBos code was insufficient to adequately describe the data at the LHC. This requires an advancement in the ResBos code, and led to the development of the ResBos2 package. This thesis discusses some of the major improvements that were implemented into the code to advance it and prepare it for the precision of the LHC. The resummation for color singlet particles is improved from approximate NNLL+NLO accuracy to an accuracy of N3LL+NNLO accuracy. The ResBos2 code is validated against the calculation of the total cross-section for Drell-Yan processes against fixed order calculations, to ensure that the calculations are performed correctly. This allows for a prediction of the transverse momentum and φ*eta distributions for the Z boson to be consistent with the data from ATLAS at a collider energy of √s = 8 TeV. Also, the effects of choice of resummation scheme are investigated for the Collins-Soper-Sterman and Catani-deFlorian-Grazzini formalisms. It is shown that as long as the calculation of each of these is performed such that the order of the B coefficient is exactly 1 order higher than that of the C and H coefficients, then the two formalisms are consistent. Additionally, using the improved theoretical prediction will help to reduce the theoretical uncertainty on the mass of the W boson, by reducing the uncertainty in extrapolating the dsigma/dpTW distribution from the data for the dsigma/dpT Z distribution by taking the ratio of the theory predictions for the Z and W transverse momentum. In addition to improving the accuracy of the color singlet final state resummation calculations, the ResBos2 code introduces the resummation of non-color singlet states in the final state. Here the details for the Higgs plus jet calculation are illustrated as an example of one such process. It is shown that it is possible to perform this resummation, but the resummation formalism needs to be modified in order to do so. The major modification that is made is the inclusion of the jet cone-size dependence in the Sudakov form factor. This result resolves, analytically, the Sudakov shoulder singularity. The results of the ResBos2 prediction are compared to both the fixed order and parton shower calculations. The calculations are shown to be consistent for all of the distributions considered up to the theoretical uncertainty. As the LHC continues to increase their data, and their precision on these observables, the ability to have analytic resummation calculations for non-color singlet final states will provide a strong check of perturbative QCD. Finally, the calculation of the terms needed to match to N3LO are done in this work. Once the results become sufficiently publicly available for the perturbative calculation, the ResBos2 code can easily be extended to include these corrections, and be used as a means to predict the total cross-section at N3LO as well.

Improved EOS for describing high-temperature off-hugoniot states in epoxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulford, R. N.; Lanier, N. E.; Swift, D.; Workman, J.; Graham, Peter; Moore, Alastair

2007-06-01

Modeling of off-hugoniot states in an expanding interface subjected to a shock reveals the importance of a chemically complete description of the materials. Hydrodynamic experiments typically rely on pre-shot target characterization to predict how initial perturbations will affect the late-time hydrodynamic mixing. However, it is the condition of these perturbations at the time of shock arrival that dominates their eventual late-time evolution. In some cases these perturbations are heated prior to the arrival of the main shock. Correctly modeling how temperature and density gradients will develop in the pre-heated material requires an understanding of the equation-of-state. In the experiment modelled, an epoxy/foam layered package was subjected to tin L-shell radiation, producing an expanding assembly at a well-defined temperature. This assembly was then subjected to a controlled shock, and the evolution of the epoxy-foam interface imaged with x-ray radiography. Modeling of the data with the hydrodynamics code RAGE is unsuccessful under certain shock conditions, unless condensation of chemical species from the plasma is explicitly included. The EOS code CHEETAH was used to prepare suitable EOS for input into the hydrodynamics modeling.