Collapsed Dark Matter Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buckley, Matthew R.; DiFranzo, Anthony

2018-02-01

The distributions of dark matter and baryons in the Universe are known to be very different: The dark matter resides in extended halos, while a significant fraction of the baryons have radiated away much of their initial energy and fallen deep into the potential wells. This difference in morphology leads to the widely held conclusion that dark matter cannot cool and collapse on any scale. We revisit this assumption and show that a simple model where dark matter is charged under a "dark electromagnetism" can allow dark matter to form gravitationally collapsed objects with characteristic mass scales much smaller than that of a Milky-Way-type galaxy. Though the majority of the dark matter in spiral galaxies would remain in the halo, such a model opens the possibility that galaxies and their associated dark matter play host to a significant number of collapsed substructures. The observational signatures of such structures are not well explored but potentially interesting.

Collapsed Dark Matter Structures.

PubMed

Buckley, Matthew R; DiFranzo, Anthony

2018-02-02

The distributions of dark matter and baryons in the Universe are known to be very different: The dark matter resides in extended halos, while a significant fraction of the baryons have radiated away much of their initial energy and fallen deep into the potential wells. This difference in morphology leads to the widely held conclusion that dark matter cannot cool and collapse on any scale. We revisit this assumption and show that a simple model where dark matter is charged under a "dark electromagnetism" can allow dark matter to form gravitationally collapsed objects with characteristic mass scales much smaller than that of a Milky-Way-type galaxy. Though the majority of the dark matter in spiral galaxies would remain in the halo, such a model opens the possibility that galaxies and their associated dark matter play host to a significant number of collapsed substructures. The observational signatures of such structures are not well explored but potentially interesting.

No relative expansion of the number of prefrontal neurons in primate and human evolution.

PubMed

Gabi, Mariana; Neves, Kleber; Masseron, Carolinne; Ribeiro, Pedro F M; Ventura-Antunes, Lissa; Torres, Laila; Mota, Bruno; Kaas, Jon H; Herculano-Houzel, Suzana

2016-08-23

Human evolution is widely thought to have involved a particular expansion of prefrontal cortex. This popular notion has recently been challenged, although controversies remain. Here we show that the prefrontal region of both human and nonhuman primates holds about 8% of cortical neurons, with no clear difference across humans and other primates in the distribution of cortical neurons or white matter cells along the anteroposterior axis. Further, we find that the volumes of human prefrontal gray and white matter match the expected volumes for the number of neurons in the gray matter and for the number of other cells in the white matter compared with other primate species. These results indicate that prefrontal cortical expansion in human evolution happened along the same allometric trajectory as for other primate species, without modification of the distribution of neurons across its surface or of the volume of the underlying white matter. We thus propose that the most distinctive feature of the human prefrontal cortex is its absolute number of neurons, not its relative volume.

Age-Dependent Netrin-1 Signaling Regulates NG2+ Glial Cell Spatial Homeostasis in Normal Adult Gray Matter.

PubMed

Birey, Fikri; Aguirre, Adan

2015-04-29

Neuron-glial antigen 2-positive (NG2(+)) glial cells are the most proliferative glia type in the adult CNS, and their tile-like arrangement in adult gray matter is under tight regulation. However, little is known about the cues that govern this unique distribution. To this end, using a NG2(+) glial cell ablation model in mice, we examined the repopulation dynamics of NG2(+) glial cells in the mature and aged mice gray matter. We found that some resident NG2(+) glial cells that escaped depletion rapidly enter the cell cycle to repopulate the cortex with altered spatial distribution. We reveal that netrin-1 signaling is involved in the NG2(+) glial cell early proliferative, late repopulation, and distribution response after ablation in the gray matter. However, ablation of NG2(+) glial cell in older animals failed to stimulate a similar repopulation response, possibly because of a decrease in the sensitivity to netrin-1. Our findings indicate that endogenous netrin-1 plays a role in NG2(+) glial cell homeostasis that is distinct from its role in myelination. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/356946-06$15.00/0.

Balance between salt stress and endogenous hormones influence dry matter accumulation in Jerusalem artichoke.

PubMed

Shao, Tianyun; Li, Lingling; Wu, Yawen; Chen, Manxia; Long, Xiaohua; Shao, Hongbo; Liu, Zhaopu; Rengel, Zed

2016-10-15

Salinity is one of the most serious environmental stresses limiting agricultural production. Production of Jerusalem artichoke on saline land is strategically important for using saline land resources. The interaction between plant hormones and salinity stress in governing Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) growth is unclear. Jerusalem artichoke (variety Nanyu-1) was grown under variable salinity stress in the field, and a role of endogenous hormones [zeatin (ZT), auxins (IAA), gibberellins (GA3) and abscisic acid (ABA)] in regulating sugar and dry matter accumulation in tubers was characterized. Under mild salt stress (≤2.2gNaClkg(-1) soil), Nanyu-1 grew well with no significant alteration of dry matter distribution to stems and tubers. In contrast, under moderate salt stress (2.7gNaClkg(-1) soil), the distribution to stem decreased and to tubers decreased significantly. Mild salt stress induced sugar accumulation in tubers at the beginning of the tuber-expansion period, but significantly inhibited (i) transfer of non-reducing sugars to tubers, and (ii) polymerization and accumulation of fructan during the tuber-expansion stage. Under different salinity stress, before the stolon growth, the ratio of IAA/ABA in leaves increased significantly and that of GA3/ABA increased slightly; during tuber development, these ratios continued to decrease and reached the minimum late in the tuber-expansion period. While, salt stress inhibited (i) underground dry matter accumulation, (ii) tuber dry matter accumulation efficiency, (iii) transport of non-reducing sugars to tubers, and (iv) fructan accumulation efficiency during the tuber-expansion period; these effects were accompanied by significantly decreased tuber yield with an increase in salinity. With soil salinity increasing, the synthesis of IAA and GA3 was inhibited in leaves and tubers, while ABA synthesis was stimulated. In brief, tuber yield would significantly decreased with the increase of salinity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Environmental controls on the distribution of living (stained) benthic foraminifera on the continental slope in the Campos Basin area (SW Atlantic)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamashita, Cintia; Mello e Sousa, Silvia Helena de; Vicente, Thaisa Marques; Martins, Maria Virgínia; Nagai, Renata Hanae; Frontalini, Fabrizio; Godoi, Sueli Susana; Napolitano, Dante; Burone, Letícia; Carreira, Renato; Figueira, Rubens Cesar Lopes; Taniguchi, Nancy Kazumi; Rezende, Carlos Eduardo de; Koutsoukos, Eduardo Apostolos Machado

2018-05-01

Living (stained) benthic foraminifera from deep-sea stations in the Campos Basin, southeastern Brazilian continental margin, were investigated to understand their distribution patterns and ecology, as well as the oceanographic processes that control foraminiferal distribution. Sediments were collected from 1050 m to 1950 m of water depth during the austral winter of 2003, below the Intermediate Western Boundary Current (IWBC) and the Deep Water Boundary Current (DWBC). Based on statistical analysis, vertical flux of particulate organic matter and the grain size of sediment seem to be the main factors controlling the spatial distribution of benthic foraminifera. The middle slope (1050 m deep) is characterized by relatively high foraminiferal density and a predominance of phytodetritus-feeding foraminifera such as Epistominella exigua and Globocassidulina subglobosa. The occurrence of these species seems to reflect the Brazil Current System (BCS). The above-mentioned currents are associated with the relatively high vertical flux of particulate organic matter and the prevalence of sandy sediments, respectively. The lower slope (between 1350 and 1950 m of water depth) is marked by low foraminiferal density and assemblages composed of Bolivina spp. and Brizalina spp., with low particulate organic matter flux values, muddy sediments, and more refractory organic matter. The distribution of this group seems to be related to episodic fluxes of food particles to the seafloor, which are influenced by the BCS at the surface and are deposited under low deep current activity (DWBC).

Spatial and temporal distribution of aliphatic hydrocarbons and linear alkylbenzenes in the particulate phase from a subtropical estuary (Guaratuba Bay, SW Atlantic) under seasonal population fluctuation.

PubMed

Dauner, Ana Lúcia L; Martins, César C

2015-12-01

Guaratuba Bay, a subtropical estuary located in the SW Atlantic, is under variable anthropogenic pressure throughout the year. Samples of surficial suspended particulate matter (SPM) were collected at 22 sites during three different periods to evaluate the temporal and spatial variability of aliphatic hydrocarbons (AHs) and linear alkylbenzenes (LABs). These compounds were determined by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) and mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The spatial distributions of both compound classes were similar and varied among the sampling campaigns. Generally, the highest concentrations were observed during the austral summer, highlighting the importance of the increased human influence during this season. The compound distributions were also affected by the natural geochemical processes of organic matter accumulation. AHs were associated with petroleum, derived from boat and vehicle traffic, and biogenic sources, related to mangrove forests and autochthonous production. The LAB composition evidenced preferential degradation processes during the austral summer. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spatial patterns of air pollutants and social groups: a distributive environmental justice study in the phoenix metropolitan region of USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pope, Ronald; Wu, Jianguo; Boone, Christopher

2016-11-01

Quantifying spatial distribution patterns of air pollutants is imperative to understand environmental justice issues. Here we present a landscape-based hierarchical approach in which air pollution variables are regressed against population demographics on multiple spatiotemporal scales. Using this approach, we investigated the potential problem of distributive environmental justice in the Phoenix metropolitan region, focusing on ambient ozone and particulate matter. Pollution surfaces (maps) are evaluated against the demographics of class, age, race (African American, Native American), and ethnicity (Hispanic). A hierarchical multiple regression method is used to detect distributive environmental justice relationships. Our results show that significant relationships exist between the dependent and independent variables, signifying possible environmental inequity. Although changing spatiotemporal scales only altered the overall direction of these relationships in a few instances, it did cause the relationship to become nonsignificant in many cases. Several consistent patterns emerged: people aged 17 and under were significant predictors for ambient ozone and particulate matter, but people 65 and older were only predictors for ambient particulate matter. African Americans were strong predictors for ambient particulate matter, while Native Americans were strong predictors for ambient ozone. Hispanics had a strong negative correlation with ambient ozone, but a less consistent positive relationship with ambient particulate matter. Given the legacy conditions endured by minority racial and ethnic groups, and the relative lack of mobility of all the groups, our findings suggest the existence of environmental inequities in the Phoenix metropolitan region. The methodology developed in this study is generalizable with other pollutants to provide a multi-scaled perspective of environmental justice issues.

[Effects of nitrogen application rate on light interception and dry matter distribution at diffe-rent layers in wheat canopy under supplemental irrigation based on measuring soil moisture.

PubMed

Zheng, Xue Jiao; Yu, Zhen Wen; Zhang, Yong Li; Shi, Yu

2018-02-01

With the large-spike wheat cultivar Shannong 23 as test material,a field experiment was conducted by increasing the relative soil moisture content to 70% and 65% at jointing and anthesis stages. Four nitrogen levels,0 (N 0 ), 180 (N 1 ), 240 (N 2 ) and 300 kg·hm -2 (N 3 ), were designed to examine the effects of nitrogen application rates on the interception of photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) and dry matter distribution of wheat at different canopy layers. The results showed that the total stem number of wheat population at anthesis stage, the leaf area index at 10, 20 and 30 days after anthesis, PAR capture ratio at upper and middle layers and total PAR capture ratio in wheat canopy on day 20 after anthesis of treatment N 2 were significantly higher than those in the treatments of both N 0 and N 1 . Those indexes showed no significant increase when the application rate increased to 300 kg·hm -2 (N 3 ). The vegetative organ dry matter accumulation of all layers at maturity stage of treatment N 2 were significantly higher than N 0 and N 1 . Compared with treatment N 0 and N 1 , N 2 increased the grain and total dry matter accumulation by 36.7% and 35.4%, 9.5% and 10.2%, respectively, but had no significant difference with treatment N 3 . The vegetative organ dry matter accumulation at all layers, grain and total dry matter accumulation were significantly and positively correlated with PAR capture ratio at upper and middle layers, and had no significant correlation with that at lower layer. The vegetative organ dry matter accumulation at all layers was significantly and positively correlated with grain dry matter accumulation. The application rate at 240 kg·hm -2 (N 2 ) would be the optimum treatment under the present experimental condition.

THE EXTREME SMALL SCALES: DO SATELLITE GALAXIES TRACE DARK MATTER?

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

Watson, Douglas F.; Berlind, Andreas A.; McBride, Cameron K.

2012-04-10

We investigate the radial distribution of galaxies within their host dark matter halos as measured in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey by modeling their small-scale clustering. Specifically, we model the Jiang et al. measurements of the galaxy two-point correlation function down to very small projected separations (10 h{sup -1} kpc {<=} r {<=} 400 h{sup -1} kpc), in a wide range of luminosity threshold samples (absolute r-band magnitudes of -18 up to -23). We use a halo occupation distribution framework with free parameters that specify both the number and spatial distribution of galaxies within their host dark matter halos. Wemore » assume one galaxy resides in the halo center and additional galaxies are considered satellites that follow a radial density profile similar to the dark matter Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) profile, except that the concentration and inner slope are allowed to vary. We find that in low luminosity samples (M{sub r} < -19.5 and lower), satellite galaxies have radial profiles that are consistent with NFW. M{sub r} < -20 and brighter satellite galaxies have radial profiles with significantly steeper inner slopes than NFW (we find inner logarithmic slopes ranging from -1.6 to -2.1, as opposed to -1 for NFW). We define a useful metric of concentration, M{sub 1/10}, which is the fraction of satellite galaxies (or mass) that are enclosed within one-tenth of the virial radius of a halo. We find that M{sub 1/10} for low-luminosity satellite galaxies agrees with NFW, whereas for luminous galaxies it is 2.5-4 times higher, demonstrating that these galaxies are substantially more centrally concentrated within their dark matter halos than the dark matter itself. Our results therefore suggest that the processes that govern the spatial distribution of galaxies, once they have merged into larger halos, must be luminosity dependent, such that luminous galaxies become poor tracers of the underlying dark matter.« less

[Characteristics and its forming mechanism on grain size distribution of suspended matter at Changjiang Estuary].

PubMed

Pang, Chong-guang; Yu, Wei; Yang, Yang

2010-03-01

In July of 2008, under the natural condition of sea water, the Laser in-situ scattering and transmissometry (LISST-100X Type C) was used to measure grain size distribution spectrum and volume concentration of total suspended matter in the sea water, including flocs at different layers of 24 sampling stations at Changjiang Estuary and its adjacent sea. The characteristics and its forming mechanism on grain size distribution of total suspended matter were analyzed based on the observation data of LISST-100X Type C, and combining with the temperature, salinity and turbidity of sea water, simultaneously observed by Alec AAQ1183. The observation data showed that the average median grain size of total suspended matter was about 4.69 phi in the whole measured sea area, and the characteristics of grain size distribution was relatively poor sorted, wide kurtosis, and basically symmetrical. The conclusion could be drawn that vertically average volume concentration decreased with the distance from the coastline, while median grain size had an increase trend with the distance, for example, at 31.0 degrees N section, the depth-average median grain size had been increased from 11 microm up to 60 microm. With the increasing of distance from the coast, the concentration of fine suspended sediment reduced distinctly, nevertheless some relatively big organic matter or big flocs appeared in quantity, so its grain size would rise. The observation data indicated that the effective density was ranged from 246 kg/m3 to 1334 kg/m, with average was 613 kg/m3. When the concentration of total suspended matter was relatively high, median grain size of total suspended matter increased with the water depth, while effective density decreased with the depth, because of the faster settling velocity and less effective density of large flocs that of small flocs. As for station 37 and 44, their correlation coefficients between effective density and median grain size were larger than 0.9.

Methodology to Improve Aviation Security With Terrorist Using Aircraft as a Weapon

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

STATEMENT Approval for public release;distribution is unlimited 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words ) The aviation industry... Electronic Baggage Screening Program EDS Explosive Detection System EMMI Energy, Matter, Material wealth, and Information ETD Explosives Trace...12 All checked baggage in the United States has been subjected to 100% screening since December 2003 under TSA’s Electronic Baggage Screening

Molecular weight distribution of organic matter by ozonation and biofiltration.

PubMed

Lin, Yen-Hui

2012-01-01

Molecular weight (MW) distribution of organic matter by ozonation and biofiltration was evaluated using gel chromatography. The MW distribution of organic matter by Sephadex G-25 was observed from groups 2 (MW = 1,029-7,031 g/mol) and 3 (MW = 303-1,029 g/mol) shifted to groups 2, 3 and 4 (MW < 303 g/mol) under ozone doses of 0.1 and 0.4 mg O₃/mg total organic carbon (TOC). The shift in MW increases as ozone dosage increases. Biofiltration effectively degraded the organic molecule of group 2; however, the biofiltration only slightly degraded the organic molecule of group 4. Increased ozone dose destroyed functional groups C═C in phenolic and C-O in alcoholic compounds and increased UV-insensitive biodegradable organic carbon for subsequent biofiltration. Biofiltration effectively degraded organic compounds of alcohols and alkenes at an ozone dose of 0.1 mg O₃/mg TOC. Experimental approaches in this study can be applied to evaluate and diagnose the function of a full-scale process combining ozonation and biofiltration in drinking water treatment plants.

The fate, distribution, and toxicity of lindane in tests with Chironomus riparius: effects of bioturbation and sediment organic matter content.

PubMed

Goedkoop, Willem; Peterson, Märit

2003-01-01

In this laboratory study, we address the effect of Chironomus bioturbation (0, 2,000, 6,000, and 18,000 ind/m2) and sediment organic matter content (10, 20, and 40%) on the fate, distribution, and bioavailability of 14C-lindane under standardized conditions in toxicity tests with artificial sediment. The results show that both Chironomus burrowing activity and sediment organic matter strongly modify test conditions. Larval mortality and development were inversely related with Chironomus densities and lindane concentration. Sediment organic matter content affected larval development rates but not mortality. Partitioning of lindane between the sediment, overlying water, and interstitial water was affected negatively by Chironomus larval densities: however, sediment partitioning was positively affected by sediment organic matter content. Bioturbation by Chironomus resulted in a remobilization of particle-associated lindane to the interstitial and overlying water, implying an increase in the bioavailability of the test compound. Strong positive relationships were found between Chironomus densities and lindane concentrations in interstitial water. The presence of Chironomus also resulted in lower label recovery. Label recovery on sediment particles ranged from 49 to 61% of initially added label in microcosms without Chironomus, from 41 to 56% at low larval densities, and from 15 to 50% at high larval densities. These results show that large discrepancies may exist between nominal test concentrations (from test compound additions) and true exposure concentrations even under standardized test conditions, which can introduce a relatively large error term in risk assessments. Calculations show that volatilization may be a quantitatively important sink for test compounds.

EFFECTS OF LASER RADIATION ON MATTER: Distribution function of microinclusions in polymethylmethacrylate and its evolution under the influence of a series of laser pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glauberman, G. Ya; Savanin, S. Yu; Shkunov, V. V.; Shumov, D. E.

1990-08-01

A new method is proposed for the derivation of the distribution function of the experimentally determined breakdown thresholds of absorbing microinclusions in a transparent insulator. Expressions are obtained for describing the evolution of this function in the course of irradiation of the insulator with laser pulses of constant energy density. The method is applied to calculate the distribution function of microinclusions in polymethylmethacrylate and the evolution of this function.

Functional connectivity and activity of white matter in somatosensory pathways under tactile stimulations.

PubMed

Wu, Xi; Yang, Zhipeng; Bailey, Stephen K; Zhou, Jiliu; Cutting, Laurie E; Gore, John C; Ding, Zhaohua

2017-05-15

Functional MRI has proven to be effective in detecting neural activity in brain cortices on the basis of blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) contrast, but has relatively poor sensitivity for detecting neural activity in white matter. To demonstrate that BOLD signals in white matter are detectable and contain information on neural activity, we stimulated the somatosensory system and examined distributions of BOLD signals in related white matter pathways. The temporal correlation profiles and frequency contents of BOLD signals were compared between stimulation and resting conditions, and between relevant white matter fibers and background regions, as well as between left and right side stimulations. Quantitative analyses show that, overall, MR signals from white matter fiber bundles in the somatosensory system exhibited significantly greater temporal correlations with the primary sensory cortex and greater signal power during tactile stimulations than in a resting state, and were stronger than corresponding measurements for background white matter both during stimulations and in a resting state. The temporal correlation and signal power under stimulation were found to be twice those observed from the same bundle in a resting state, and bore clear relations with the side of stimuli. These indicate that BOLD signals in white matter fibers encode neural activity related to their functional roles connecting cortical volumes, which are detectable with appropriate methods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Soils of the Eastern mountainsides of the southern Sikhote-Alin (on the example of Lazovsky nature reserve, Russia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tregubova, Valentina; Semal, Victoria; Nesterova, Olga; Yaroslavtsev, Alexis

2017-04-01

The most common soils of the southern Far East are Brownzems under Russian classification (Cambisols), which are the zonal ones, emerging on the steep slopes and tops of hills, on high river terraces under broad-leaved and cedar-broad-leaved forests. Those soils formed due to two processes: organic matter metamorphism and clayization by siallite, leading to the formation of clay-metamorphic horizon Bw. The main morphological features of Cambisols are not deep soil profile (50 - 70 cm), weak horizons differentiation, with lots of cobble. Chemically those soils are low saturated, even in the humus horizon. Distribution of total absorbed bases is mostly accumulative, which is related to the distribution of humus in these soils, and the predominant type of clay fraction distribution of. The only exception are Humic Cambisols and Humic Cambisols Calcic which were formed on redeposited products of limestone rock weathering. Fine-grained deposits are mainly loams with a low content of silt. Silt distribution has an accumulative character with a gradual decrease in the content of silt down from the top of the profile. Layer of fresh leaf fall is very common for the Humic Cambisols surfaces, and under it there is the litter of plant residues with different degrees of decomposition. Accumulative humus horizon is dark gray with brownish tint, thin, from 10 to 15 cm in depth, loose, crumbly, highly penetrated by roots, with a strong granular structure, with aggregates tightly attached to the root hairs, sandy loam or sandy clay loam. The middle horizon is brown, yellowish-brown, divided into sub-horizons, with different color intensity, density, soil texture and amount of cobble. Dystric Cambisols are acidic or strongly acidic with low saturation of soil absorbing complex. Due to amount and distribution of organic matter these soils can be divided into two groups. The first group is soils with accumulative humus distribution: with a low depth humus-accumulative horizon (11 - 12 cm) and high content of organic matter (23 - 26 %); humus in the upper horizons mainly consists of humic acids, while in lower horizons it is with higher ratio of fulvic acids. The second group is soils with a gradual humus distribution along the profile and with a smaller amount of organic matter in the upper horizon (9 - 13 %) and with no differentiation in humus composition. Folic Cambisols are formed on the watershed surfaces, on the steep slopes under pine and oak trees. Under thin litter horizon these soils have organic-accumulative horizon of well decomposed organic matter, but in contrast with Dystric Cambisols it doesn't have strong granular structure. At the bottom the organic horizon is humic-impregnated or has clear streaks of humus. Humic Cambisols are formed in the lower parts of slopes, on steep slopes and high river terraces under pine and deciduous forests. All this soils have humified litter horizon, which is up to 7 cm in depth, weak differentiation of the soil profile, deep humus-accumulative horizon (18 - 31 cm) with dark gray, almost black color, with strong granular structure and loam or clay loam texture. Soil acidity is determined by the lithogenic basis. Base saturation is quite high (77 - 90%) in mineral horizons and is up to 70 % in organic and accumulative ones. There is a high amount of humus on the entire profile (5 - 16 %), which consists of humic acids in the upper half of the profile and of fulvates at the bottom. Humic Cambisols Gleyic are located in the lower parts of gentle slopes under mixed forest. Due to higher moisture at the lower parts of slopes this soils have signs of weak gley process in dense subsoil horizons in the form of small light grey spots. Humic Leptosols are weakly developed soils formed on rocky hills, boulders, rocky outcrops, under thick moss layer, under which is a layer of weathered gravel rock. Humic Cambisols (Calcic) are formed on the surface sediments of limestone. They have a deep soil profile, up to 40 cm and it's humus-accumulative horizon is dark gray or black, gradually passing into soil-forming rock. Bw horizon, typical for Cambisols, is weak.

General circular velocity relation of a test particle in a 3D gravitational potential: application to the rotation curves analysis and total mass determination of UGC 8490 and UGC 9753

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Repetto, P.; Martínez-García, E. E.; Rosado, M.; Gabbasov, R.

2018-06-01

In this paper, we derive a novel circular velocity relation for a test particle in a 3D gravitational potential applicable to every system of curvilinear coordinates, suitable to be reduced to orthogonal form. As an illustration of the potentiality of the determined circular velocity expression, we perform the rotation curves analysis of UGC 8490 and UGC 9753 and we estimate the total and dark matter mass of these two galaxies under the assumption that their respective dark matter haloes have spherical, prolate, and oblate spheroidal mass distributions. We employ stellar population synthesis models and the total H I density map to obtain the stellar and H I+He+metals rotation curves of both galaxies. The subtraction of the stellar plus gas rotation curves from the observed rotation curves of UGC 8490 and UGC 9753 generates the dark matter circular velocity curves of both galaxies. We fit the dark matter rotation curves of UGC 8490 and UGC 9753 through the newly established circular velocity formula specialized to the spherical, prolate, and oblate spheroidal mass distributions, considering the Navarro, Frenk, and White, Burkert, Di Cintio, Einasto, and Stadel dark matter haloes. Our principal findings are the following: globally, cored dark matter profiles Burkert and Einasto prevail over cuspy Navarro, Frenk, and White, and Di Cintio. Also, spherical/oblate dark matter models fit better the dark matter rotation curves of both galaxies than prolate dark matter haloes.

Self-Destructing Dark Matter

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

Grossman, Yuval; Harnik, Roni; Telem, Ofri

We present Self-Destructing Dark Matter (SDDM), a new class of dark matter models which are detectable in large neutrino detectors. In this class of models, a component of dark matter can transition from a long-lived state to a short-lived one by scattering off of a nucleus or an electron in the Earth. The short-lived state then decays to Standard Model particles, generating a dark matter signal with a visible energy of order the dark matter mass rather than just its recoil. This leads to striking signals in large detectors with high energy thresholds. We present a few examples of modelsmore » which exhibit self destruction, all inspired by bound state dynamics in the Standard Model. The models under consideration exhibit a rich phenomenology, possibly featuring events with one, two, or even three lepton pairs, each with a fixed invariant mass and a fixed energy, as well as non-trivial directional distributions. This motivates dedicated searches for dark matter in large underground detectors such as Super-K, Borexino, SNO+, and DUNE.« less

[Profile distribution and pollution assessment of heavy metals in soils under livestock feces composts].

PubMed

Chao, Lei; Zhou, Qi-xing; Cui, Shuang; Chen, Su; Ren, Li-ping

2007-06-01

This paper studied the profile distribution of heavy metals in soils under different kind livestock feces composts. The results showed that in the process of livestock feces composting, the pH value and organic matter content of soil under feces compost increased significantly, and had a decreased distribution with soil depth. The contents of soil Zn and Cd also had an obvious increase, and decreased with increasing soil depth. Under the composts of chicken and pig feces, soil Cu content decreased with soil depth, while under cattle feces compost, it had little change. Soil Cd and Zn had a stronger mobility than soil Cu, and the Zn, Cd and Cu contents in some soil layers exceeded the first level of the environmental quality standard for soils in China. The geo-accumulation indices showed that only the 0-10 cm soil layer under chicken feces compost and the 0-40 cm soil layer under egg chicken feces compost were lightly polluted by Zn, while the soil profiles under other kinds of livestock feces compost were not polluted by Pb, Cu, Zn and Cd.

Occupational Listings Arranged by Cluster and Subject Matter Areas.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwarz, Otto

Approximately 850 occupations are listed under 27 occupational clusters. The Dictionary of Occupational Title (DOT) number is specified for occupations in the clusters of business training and distributive education, chemistry, general shop and industrial arts, home economics, foreign language, music, social studies, art, agriculture, physics, and…

36 CFR 1002.52 - Sale or distribution of printed matter.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... printed matter. 1002.52 Section 1002.52 Parks, Forests, and Public Property PRESIDIO TRUST RESOURCE PROTECTION, PUBLIC USE AND RECREATION § 1002.52 Sale or distribution of printed matter. (a) The sale or distribution of printed matter is allowed within the area administered by the Presidio Trust, provided that a...

36 CFR 2.52 - Sale or distribution of printed matter.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... printed matter. 2.52 Section 2.52 Parks, Forests, and Public Property NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR RESOURCE PROTECTION, PUBLIC USE AND RECREATION § 2.52 Sale or distribution of printed matter. (a) The sale or distribution of printed matter is allowed within park areas, provided that a...

Voxel-based morphometry in autopsy proven PSP and CBD.

PubMed

Josephs, Keith A; Whitwell, Jennifer L; Dickson, Dennis W; Boeve, Bradley F; Knopman, David S; Petersen, Ronald C; Parisi, Joseph E; Jack, Clifford R

2008-02-01

The aim of this study was to compare the patterns of grey and white matter atrophy on MRI in autopsy confirmed progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD), and to determine whether the patterns vary depending on the clinical syndrome. Voxel-based morphometry was used to compare patterns of atrophy in 13 PSP and 11 CBD subjects and 24 controls. PSP and CBD subjects were also subdivided into those with a dominant dementia or extrapyramidal syndrome. PSP subjects showed brainstem atrophy with involvement of the cortex and underlying white matter. Frontoparietal grey and subcortical grey matter atrophy occurred in CBD. When subdivided, PSP subjects with an extrapyramidal syndrome had more brainstem atrophy and less cortical atrophy than CBD subjects with an extrapyramidal syndrome. PSP subjects with a dementia syndrome had more subcortical white matter atrophy than CBD subjects with a dementia syndrome. These results show regional differences between PSP and CBD that are useful in predicting the underlying pathology, and help to shed light on the in vivo distribution of regional atrophy in PSP and CBD.

White matter pathways and social cognition.

PubMed

Wang, Yin; Metoki, Athanasia; Alm, Kylie H; Olson, Ingrid R

2018-04-20

There is a growing consensus that social cognition and behavior emerge from interactions across distributed regions of the "social brain". Researchers have traditionally focused their attention on functional response properties of these gray matter networks and neglected the vital role of white matter connections in establishing such networks and their functions. In this article, we conduct a comprehensive review of prior research on structural connectivity in social neuroscience and highlight the importance of this literature in clarifying brain mechanisms of social cognition. We pay particular attention to three key social processes: face processing, embodied cognition, and theory of mind, and their respective underlying neural networks. To fully identify and characterize the anatomical architecture of these networks, we further implement probabilistic tractography on a large sample of diffusion-weighted imaging data. The combination of an in-depth literature review and the empirical investigation gives us an unprecedented, well-defined landscape of white matter pathways underlying major social brain networks. Finally, we discuss current problems in the field, outline suggestions for best practice in diffusion-imaging data collection and analysis, and offer new directions for future research. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

EFFECTS OF LASER RADIATION ON MATTER: Melting and thermocapillary convection under the action of pulsed laser radiation with an inhomogeneous spatial distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uglov, A. A.; Smurov, I. Yu; Gus'kov, A. G.; Aksenov, L. V.

1990-08-01

A theoretical study is reported of melting and thermocapillary convection under the action of laser radiation with a nonmonotonic spatial distribution of the power density. An analysis is made of changes in the geometry of the molten bath with time. The transition from a nonmonotonic boundary of a melt, corresponding to the spatial distribution of the radiation, to a monotonic one occurs in a time of the order of 1 ms when the power density of laser radiation is 105 W/cm2. The vortex structure of the flow in the molten bath is governed by the spatial distribution of the laser radiation in such a way that each local power density maximum corresponds to two vortices with oppositely directed velocity components.

Ward identities and consistency relations for the large scale structure with multiple species

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

Peloso, Marco; Pietroni, Massimo, E-mail: peloso@physics.umn.edu, E-mail: pietroni@pd.infn.it

2014-04-01

We present fully nonlinear consistency relations for the squeezed bispectrum of Large Scale Structure. These relations hold when the matter component of the Universe is composed of one or more species, and generalize those obtained in [1,2] in the single species case. The multi-species relations apply to the standard dark matter + baryons scenario, as well as to the case in which some of the fields are auxiliary quantities describing a particular population, such as dark matter halos or a specific galaxy class. If a large scale velocity bias exists between the different populations new terms appear in the consistencymore » relations with respect to the single species case. As an illustration, we discuss two physical cases in which such a velocity bias can exist: (1) a new long range scalar force in the dark matter sector (resulting in a violation of the equivalence principle in the dark matter-baryon system), and (2) the distribution of dark matter halos relative to that of the underlying dark matter field.« less

36 CFR 327.17 - Advertisment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... § 327.17 Advertisment. (a) Advertising and the distribution of printed matter is allowed within project... location of the proposed advertising or the distribution of printed matter, the number of participants, and... reasonably appears that the advertising or the distribution of printed matter will present a clear and...

Wettability, soil organic matter and structure-properties of typical chernozems under the forest and under the arable land

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bykova, Galina; Umarova, Aminat; Tyugai, Zemfira; Milanovskiy, Evgeny; Shein, Evgeny

2017-04-01

Intensive tillage affects the properties of soil: decrease in content of soil organic matter and in hydrophobicity of the soil's solid phase, the reduction of amount of water stable aggregates - all this leads to deterioration of the structure of the soil and affects the process of movement of moisture in the soil profile. One of the hypotheses of soil's structure formation ascribes the formation of water stable aggregates with the presence of hydrophobic organic substances on the surface of the soil's solid phase. The aim of this work is to study the effect of tillage on properties of typical chernozems (pachic Voronic Chernozems, Haplic Chernozems) (Russia, Kursk region), located under the forest and under the arable land. The determination of soil-water contact angle was performed by a Drop Shape Analyzer DSA100 (Krüss GmbH, Germany) by the static sessile drop method. For all samples the content of total and organic carbon by dry combustion in oxygen flow and the particle size distribution by the laser diffraction method on the device Analysette 22 comfort, FRITCH, Germany were determined. The estimation of aggregate composition was performed by dry sieving (AS 200, Retsch, Germany), the content of water stable aggregates was estimated by the Savvinov method. There was a positive correlation between the content of organic matter and soil's wettability in studied soils, a growth of contact angle with the increasing the content of organic matter. Under the forest the content of soil organic matter was changed from 6,41% on the surface up to 1,9% at the depth of 100 cm. In the Chernozem under the arable land the organic carbon content in arable horizon is almost two times less. The maximum of hydrophobicity (78.1o) was observed at the depth of 5 cm under the forest. In the profile under the arable land the contact angle value at the same depth was 50o. The results of the structure analysis has shown a decrease in the content of agronomically valuable and water stable aggregates in the profile under arable land. These data indicate the correlation between the wettability of soils with the content of organic matter and their influence on the formation of water stable structure, as well as the negative impact of tillage on the analyzed characteristics.

Why sampling scheme matters: the effect of sampling scheme on landscape genetic results

Treesearch

Michael K. Schwartz; Kevin S. McKelvey

2008-01-01

There has been a recent trend in genetic studies of wild populations where researchers have changed their sampling schemes from sampling pre-defined populations to sampling individuals uniformly across landscapes. This reflects the fact that many species under study are continuously distributed rather than clumped into obvious "populations". Once individual...

Lyman-α forest constraints on decaying dark matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Mei-Yu; Croft, Rupert A. C.; Peter, Annika H. G.; Zentner, Andrew R.; Purcell, Chris W.

2013-12-01

We present an analysis of high-resolution N-body simulations of decaying dark matter cosmologies focusing on the statistical properties of the transmitted Lyman-α (Lyα) forest flux in the high-redshift intergalactic medium (IGM). In this type of model a dark matter particle decays into a slightly less massive stable dark matter daughter particle and a comparably light particle. The small mass splitting provides a nonrelativistic kick velocity Vk=cΔM/M to the daughter particle resulting in free-streaming and subsequent damping of small-scale density fluctuations. Current Lyα forest power spectrum measurements probe comoving scales up to ˜2-3h-1Mpc at redshifts z˜2-4, providing one of the most robust ways to probe cosmological density fluctuations on relatively small scales. The suppression of structure growth due to the free-streaming of dark matter daughter particles also has a significant impact on the neutral hydrogen cloud distribution, which traces the underlying dark matter distribution well at high redshift. We exploit Lyα forest power spectrum measurements to constrain the amount of free-streaming of dark matter in such models and thereby place limits on decaying dark matter based only on the dynamics of cosmological perturbations without any assumptions about the interactions of the decay products. We use a suite of dark-matter-only simulations together with the fluctuating Gunn-Peterson approximation to derive the Lyα flux distribution. We argue that this approach should be sufficient for our main purpose, which is to demonstrate the power of the Lyα forest to constrain decaying dark matter models. We find that Sloan Digital Sky Survey 1D Lyα forest power spectrum data place a lifetime-dependent upper limit Vk≲30-70km/s for decay lifetimes ≲10Gyr. This is the most stringent model-independent bound on invisible dark matter decays with small mass splittings. For larger mass splittings (large Vk), Lyα forest data restrict the dark matter lifetime to Γ-1≳40Gyr. We leave the calibration of IGM properties using high-resolution hydrodynamic simulations for future work, which might become necessary if we consider data with higher precision such as the Baryon Oscillation and Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) Lyα data. Forthcoming BOSS data should be able to provide more stringent constraints on exotic dark matter, mainly because the larger BOSS quasar spectrum sample will significantly reduce statistical errors.

Accurate temperature measurement by temperature field analysis in diamond anvil cell for thermal transport study of matter under high pressures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yue, Donghui; Ji, Tingting; Qin, Tianru; Wang, Jia; Liu, Cailong; Jiao, Hui; Zhao, Lin; Han, Yonghao; Gao, Chunxiao

2018-02-01

The study on the thermal transport properties of matter under high pressure is important but is hard to fulfill in a diamond anvil cell (DAC) because the accurate measurement of the temperature gradient within the sample of DAC is very difficult. In most cases, the sample temperature can be read accurately from the thermocouples that are directly attached to the lateral edges of diamond anvils because both the sample and diamond anvils can be uniformly heated up to a given temperature. But for the thermal transport property studies in DAC, an artificial temperature distribution along the compression axis is a prerequisite. Obviously, the temperature of the top or bottom surface of the sample cannot be substituted by that of diamond anvils although diamond anvils can be considered as a good medium for heat conduction. With temperature field simulation by finite element analysis, it is found that big measurement errors can occur and are fatal to the correct analysis of thermal transport properties of materials. Thus, a method of combining both the four-thermocouple configuration and temperature field analysis is presented for the accurate temperature distribution measurement in DAC, which is based on the single-function relationship between temperature distribution and sample thermal conductivity.

Effect of hydrodynamical-simulation–inspired dark matter velocity profile on directional detection of dark matter

DOE PAGES

Laha, Ranjan

2018-02-01

Directional detection is an important way to detect dark matter. An input for these experiments is the dark matter velocity distribution. Recent hydrodynamical simulations have shown that the dark matter velocity distribution differs substantially from the Standard Halo Model. We study the impact of some of these updated velocity distributions in dark matter directional detection experiments. Here, we calculate the ratio of events required to confirm the forward-backward asymmetry and the existence of the ring of maximum recoil rate using different dark matter velocity distributions for 19F and Xe targets. We show that with the use of updated dark mattermore » velocity profiles, the forward-backward asymmetry and the ring of maximum recoil rate can be confirmed using a factor of ~ 2– 3 less events when compared to that using the Standard Halo Model.« less

Effect of hydrodynamical-simulation–inspired dark matter velocity profile on directional detection of dark matter

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

Laha, Ranjan

Directional detection is an important way to detect dark matter. An input for these experiments is the dark matter velocity distribution. Recent hydrodynamical simulations have shown that the dark matter velocity distribution differs substantially from the Standard Halo Model. We study the impact of some of these updated velocity distributions in dark matter directional detection experiments. Here, we calculate the ratio of events required to confirm the forward-backward asymmetry and the existence of the ring of maximum recoil rate using different dark matter velocity distributions for 19F and Xe targets. We show that with the use of updated dark mattermore » velocity profiles, the forward-backward asymmetry and the ring of maximum recoil rate can be confirmed using a factor of ~ 2– 3 less events when compared to that using the Standard Halo Model.« less

Cellular complexity in subcortical white matter: a distributed control circuit?

PubMed

Colombo, Jorge A

2018-03-01

The subcortical white matter (SWM) has been traditionally considered as a site for passive-neutral-information transfer through cerebral cortex association and projection fibers. Yet, the presence of subcortical neuronal and glial "interstitial" cells expressing immunolabelled neurotransmitters/neuromodulators and synaptic vesicular proteins, and recent immunohistochemical and electrophysiological observations on the rat visual cortex as well as interactive regulation of myelinating processes support the possibility that SWM nests subcortical, regionally variable, distributed neuronal-glial circuits, that could influence information transfer. Their hypothetical involvement in regulating the timing and signal transfer probability at the SWM axonal components ought to be considered and experimentally analysed. Thus, the "interstitial" neuronal cells-associated with local glial cells-traditionally considered to be vestigial and functionally inert under normal conditions, they may well turn to be critical in regulating information transfer at the SWM.

Dark/visible parallel universes and Big Bang nucleosynthesis

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

Bertulani, C. A.; Frederico, T.; Fuqua, J.

We develop a model for visible matter-dark matter interaction based on the exchange of a massive gray boson called herein the Mulato. Our model hinges on the assumption that all known particles in the visible matter have their counterparts in the dark matter. We postulate six families of particles five of which are dark. This leads to the unavoidable postulation of six parallel worlds, the visible one and five invisible worlds. A close study of big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN), baryon asymmetries, cosmic microwave background (CMB) bounds, galaxy dynamics, together with the Standard Model assumptions, help us to set a limitmore » on the mass and width of the new gauge boson. Modification of the statistics underlying the kinetic energy distribution of particles during the BBN is also discussed. The changes in reaction rates during the BBN due to a departure from the Debye-Hueckel electron screening model is also investigated.« less

Distribution and Composition of Thiotrophic Mats in the Hypoxic Zone of the Black Sea (150–170 m Water Depth, Crimea Margin)

PubMed Central

Jessen, Gerdhard L.; Lichtschlag, Anna; Struck, Ulrich; Boetius, Antje

2016-01-01

At the Black Sea chemocline, oxygen- and sulfide-rich waters meet and form a niche for thiotrophic pelagic bacteria. Here we investigated an area of the Northwestern Black Sea off Crimea close to the shelf break, where the chemocline reaches the seafloor at around 150–170 m water depth, to assess whether thiotrophic bacteria are favored in this zone. Seafloor video transects were carried out with the submersible JAGO covering 20 km2 on the region between 110 and 200 m depth. Around the chemocline we observed irregular seafloor depressions, covered with whitish mats of large filamentous bacteria. These comprised 25–55% of the seafloor, forming a belt of 3 km width around the chemocline. Cores from the mats obtained with JAGO showed higher accumulations of organic matter under the mats compared to mat-free sediments. The mat-forming bacteria were related to Beggiatoa-like large filamentous sulfur bacteria based on 16S rRNA sequences from the mat, and visual characteristics. The microbial community under the mats was significantly different from the surrounding sediments and enriched with taxa affiliated with polymer degrading, fermenting and sulfate reducing microorganisms. Under the mats, higher organic matter accumulation, as well as higher remineralization and radiotracer-based sulfate reduction rates were measured compared to outside the mat. Mat-covered and mat-free sediments showed similar degradability of the bulk organic matter pool, suggesting that the higher sulfide fluxes and subsequent development of the thiotrophic mats in the patches are consequences of the accumulation of organic matter rather than its qualitative composition. Our observations suggest that the key factors for the distribution of thiotrophic mat-forming communities near to the Crimean shelf break are hypoxic conditions that (i) repress grazers, (ii) enhance the accumulation and degradation of labile organic matter by sulfate-reducers, and (iii) favor thiotrophic filamentous bacteria which are adapted to exploit steep gradients in oxygen and sulfide availability; in addition to a specific seafloor topography which may relate to internal waves at the shelf break. PMID:27446049

Regional gray matter density associated with emotional conflict resolution: evidence from voxel-based morphometry.

PubMed

Deng, Z; Wei, D; Xue, S; Du, X; Hitchman, G; Qiu, J

2014-09-05

Successful emotion regulation is a fundamental prerequisite for well-being and dysregulation may lead to psychopathology. The ability to inhibit spontaneous emotions while behaving in accordance with desired goals is an important dimension of emotion regulation and can be measured using emotional conflict resolution tasks. Few studies have investigated the gray matter correlates underlying successful emotional conflict resolution at the whole-brain level. We had 190 adults complete an emotional conflict resolution task (face-word task) and examined the brain regions significantly correlated with successful emotional conflict resolution using voxel-based morphometry. We found successful emotional conflict resolution was associated with increased regional gray matter density in widely distributed brain regions. These regions included the dorsal anterior cingulate/dorsal medial prefrontal cortex, ventral medial prefrontal cortex, supplementary motor area, amygdala, ventral striatum, precuneus, posterior cingulate cortex, inferior parietal lobule, superior temporal gyrus and fusiform face area. Together, our results indicate that individual differences in emotional conflict resolution ability may be attributed to regional structural differences across widely distributed brain regions. Copyright © 2014 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Large-scale motions in the universe: Using clusters of galaxies as tracers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gramann, Mirt; Bahcall, Neta A.; Cen, Renyue; Gott, J. Richard

1995-01-01

Can clusters of galaxies be used to trace the large-scale peculiar velocity field of the universe? We answer this question by using large-scale cosmological simulations to compare the motions of rich clusters of galaxies with the motion of the underlying matter distribution. Three models are investigated: Omega = 1 and Omega = 0.3 cold dark matter (CDM), and Omega = 0.3 primeval baryonic isocurvature (PBI) models, all normalized to the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) background fluctuations. We compare the cluster and mass distribution of peculiar velocities, bulk motions, velocity dispersions, and Mach numbers as a function of scale for R greater than or = 50/h Mpc. We also present the large-scale velocity and potential maps of clusters and of the matter. We find that clusters of galaxies trace well the large-scale velocity field and can serve as an efficient tool to constrain cosmological models. The recently reported bulk motion of clusters 689 +/- 178 km/s on approximately 150/h Mpc scale (Lauer & Postman 1994) is larger than expected in any of the models studied (less than or = 190 +/- 78 km/s).

Decree-Law No. 482/88, 26 December 1988.

PubMed

1988-01-01

This Decree-Law adopts measures aimed at resolving land use matters that remained following the implementation of the Portuguese land reform policy under Law No. 2014 of 27 May 1946. The two principal measures introduced by the Decree-Law are 1) the lifting of legal impediments to the use of land acquired by the Colonization Agency under the 1946 statutes, but not redistributed under that policy and 2) the granting of full property rights to settlers who have paid and/or do not default on future payments of annuities owed pursuant to land distribution plans under the land reform policy. full text

Warm dark matter via ultra-violet freeze-in: reheating temperature and non-thermal distribution for fermionic Higgs portal dark matter

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

McDonald, John

2016-08-17

Warm dark matter (WDM) of order keV mass may be able to resolve the disagreement between structure formation in cold dark matter simulations and observations. The detailed properties of WDM will depend upon its energy distribution, in particular how it deviates from the thermal distribution usually assumed in WDM simulations. Here we focus on WDM production via the Ultra-Violet (UV) freeze-in mechanism, for the case of fermionic Higgs portal dark matter ψ produced via the portal interaction ψ-barψH{sup †}H/Λ. We introduce a new method to simplify the computation of the non-thermal energy distribution of dark matter from freeze-in. We showmore » that the non-thermal energy distribution from UV freeze-in is hotter than the corresponding thermal distribution and has the form of a Bose-Einstein distribution with a non-thermal normalization. The resulting range of dark matter fermion mass consistent with observations is 5–7 keV. The reheating temperature must satisfy T{sub R}≳120 GeV in order to account for the observed dark matter density when m{sub ψ}≈5 keV, where the lower bound on T{sub R} corresponds to the limit where the fermion mass is entirely due to electroweak symmetry breaking via the portal interaction. The corresponding bound on the interaction scale is Λ≳6.0×10{sup 9} GeV.« less

Characterization of particulate matter deposited on urban tree foliage: A landscape analysis approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Lin; Yan, Jingli; Ma, Keming; Zhou, Weiqi; Chen, Guojian; Tang, Rongli; Zhang, Yuxin

2017-12-01

Plants can mitigate ambient particulate matter by cleaning the air, which is crucial to urban environments. A novel approach was presented to quantitatively characterize particulate matter deposited on urban tree foliage. This approach could accurately quantify the number, size, shape, and spatial distribution of particles with different diameters on leaves. Spatial distribution is represented by proximity, which measures the closeness of particles. We sampled three common broadleaf species and obtained images through field emission scanning electron microscopy. We conducted the object-based method to extract particles from images. We then used Fragstats to analyze the landscape characteristics of these particles in term of selected metrics. Results reveal that Salix matsudana is more efficient than Ailanthus altissima and Fraxinus chinensis in terms of the number and area of particles per unit area and the proportion of fine particulate matter. The shape complexity of the particles increases with their size. Among the three species, S. matsudana and A. altissima particles respectively yield the highest and lowest proximity. PM1 in A. altissima and PM10 in F. chinensis and S. matsudana show the highest proximity, which may influence subsequent particle retention. S. matsudana should be generally considered to collect additional small particles. Different species and particle sizes exhibit various proximities, which should be further examined to elucidate the underlying mechanism.

Constraining the noise-free distribution of halo spin parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benson, Andrew J.

2017-11-01

Any measurement made using an N-body simulation is subject to noise due to the finite number of particles used to sample the dark matter distribution function, and the lack of structure below the simulation resolution. This noise can be particularly significant when attempting to measure intrinsically small quantities, such as halo spin. In this work, we develop a model to describe the effects of particle noise on halo spin parameters. This model is calibrated using N-body simulations in which the particle noise can be treated as a Poisson process on the underlying dark matter distribution function, and we demonstrate that this calibrated model reproduces measurements of halo spin parameter error distributions previously measured in N-body convergence studies. Utilizing this model, along with previous measurements of the distribution of halo spin parameters in N-body simulations, we place constraints on the noise-free distribution of halo spins. We find that the noise-free median spin is 3 per cent lower than that measured directly from the N-body simulation, corresponding to a shift of approximately 40 times the statistical uncertainty in this measurement arising purely from halo counting statistics. We also show that measurement of the spin of an individual halo to 10 per cent precision requires at least 4 × 104 particles in the halo - for haloes containing 200 particles, the fractional error on spins measured for individual haloes is of order unity. N-body simulations should be viewed as the results of a statistical experiment applied to a model of dark matter structure formation. When viewed in this way, it is clear that determination of any quantity from such a simulation should be made through forward modelling of the effects of particle noise.

Distribution and biodegradability of water soluble organic carbon and nitrogen in subarctic Alaskan soils under three different land uses

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Water-extractable organic matter (WEOM) contains labile organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) and is sensitive to soil management. However, knowledge about quantitative changes of water soluble organic C (WSOC) and N (WSON) impacted by land use conversion is still limited. In this chapter, the level a...

Ordinary Dark Matter versus Mysterious Dark Matter in Galactic Rotation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallo, C. F.; Feng, James

2008-04-01

To theoretically describe the measured rotational velocity curves of spiral galaxies, there are two different approaches and conclusions. (1) ORDINARY DARK MATTER. We assume Newtonian gravity/dynamics and successfully find (via computer) mass distributions in bulge/disk configurations that duplicate the measured rotational velocities. There is ordinary dark matter within the galactic disk towards the cooler periphery which has lower emissivity/opacity. There are no mysteries in this scenario based on verified physics. (2) MYSTERIOUS DARK MATTER. Others INaccurately assume the galactic mass distributions follow the measured light distributions, and then the measured rotational velocity curves are NOT duplicated. To alleviate this discrepancy, speculations are invoked re ``Massive Peripheral Spherical Halos of Mysterious Dark Matter.'' But NO matter has been detected in this UNtenable Halo configuration. Many UNverified ``Mysteries'' are invoked as necessary and convenient. CONCLUSION. The first approach utilizing Newtonian gravity/dynamics and searching for the ordinary mass distributions within the galactic disk simulates reality and agrees with data.

36 CFR 2.52 - Sale or distribution of printed matter.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Sale or distribution of printed matter. 2.52 Section 2.52 Parks, Forests, and Public Property NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF... matter. (a) Printed Matter. The term “printed matter” means message-bearing textual printed material such...

Relationship of grey and white matter abnormalities with distance from the surface of the brain in multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Pardini, Matteo; Sudre, Carole H; Prados, Ferran; Yaldizli, Özgür; Sethi, Varun; Muhlert, Nils; Samson, Rebecca S; van de Pavert, Steven H; Cardoso, M Jorge; Ourselin, Sebastien; Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott, Claudia A M; Miller, David H; Chard, Declan T

2016-11-01

To assess the association between proximity to the inner (ventricular and aqueductal) and outer (pial) surfaces of the brain and the distribution of normal appearing white matter (NAWM) and grey matter (GM) abnormalities, and white matter (WM) lesions, in multiple sclerosis (MS). 67 people with relapse-onset MS and 30 healthy controls were included in the study. Volumetric T1 images and high-resolution (1 mm 3 ) magnetisation transfer ratio (MTR) images were acquired and segmented into 12 bands between the inner and outer surfaces of the brain. The first and last bands were discarded to limit partial volume effects with cerebrospinal fluid. MTR values were computed for all bands in supratentorial NAWM, cerebellar NAWM and brainstem NA tissue, and deep and cortical GM. Band WM lesion volumes were also measured. Proximity to the ventricular surfaces was associated with progressively lower MTR values in the MS group but not in controls in supratentorial and cerebellar NAWM, brainstem NA and in deep and cortical GM. The density of WM lesions was associated with proximity to the ventricles only in the supratentorial compartment, and no link was found with distance from the pial surfaces. In MS, MTR abnormalities in NAWM and GM are related to distance from the inner and outer surfaces of the brain, and this suggests that there is a common factor underlying their spatial distribution. A similar pattern was not found for WM lesions, raising the possibility that different factors promote their formation. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Time-dependent Hartree-Fock approach to nuclear ``pasta'' at finite temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuetrumpf, B.; Klatt, M. A.; Iida, K.; Maruhn, J. A.; Mecke, K.; Reinhard, P.-G.

2013-05-01

We present simulations of neutron-rich matter at subnuclear densities, like supernova matter, with the time-dependent Hartree-Fock approximation at temperatures of several MeV. The initial state consists of α particles randomly distributed in space that have a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution in momentum space. Adding a neutron background initialized with Fermi distributed plane waves the calculations reflect a reasonable approximation of astrophysical matter. This matter evolves into spherical, rod-like, and slab-like shapes and mixtures thereof. The simulations employ a full Skyrme interaction in a periodic three-dimensional grid. By an improved morphological analysis based on Minkowski functionals, all eight pasta shapes can be uniquely identified by the sign of only two valuations, namely the Euler characteristic and the integral mean curvature. In addition, we propose the variance in the cell density distribution as a measure to distinguish pasta matter from uniform matter.

One dark matter mystery: halos in the cosmic web

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaite, Jose

2015-01-01

The current cold dark matter cosmological model explains the large scale cosmic web structure but is challenged by the observation of a relatively smooth distribution of matter in galactic clusters. We consider various aspects of modeling the dark matter around galaxies as distributed in smooth halos and, especially, the smoothness of the dark matter halos seen in N-body cosmological simulations. We conclude that the problems of the cold dark matter cosmology on small scales are more serious than normally admitted.

Astrophysical uncertainties on the local dark matter distribution and direct detection experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, Anne M.

2017-08-01

The differential event rate in weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) direct detection experiments depends on the local dark matter density and velocity distribution. Accurate modelling of the local dark matter distribution is therefore required to obtain reliable constraints on the WIMP particle physics properties. Data analyses typically use a simple standard halo model which might not be a good approximation to the real Milky Way (MW) halo. We review observational determinations of the local dark matter density, circular speed and escape speed and also studies of the local dark matter distribution in simulated MW-like galaxies. We discuss the effects of the uncertainties in these quantities on the energy spectrum and its time and direction dependence. Finally, we conclude with an overview of various methods for handling these astrophysical uncertainties.

Galaxies and Their Host Dark Matter Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hahn, ChangHoon

Through their connection with dark matter structures, galaxies act as tracers of the underlying matter distribution in the Universe. Their observed spatial distribution allows us to precisely measure large scale structure and effectively test cosmological models that explain the content, geometry, and history of the Universe. Current observations from galaxy surveys such as the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey have already probed vast cosmic volumes with millions of galaxies and ushered in an era of precision cosmology. The next surveys will probe over an order of magnitude more. With this unprecedented statistical power, the bottleneck of scientific discovery is in the methodology. In this dissertation, I address major methodological challenges in constraining cosmology with the large-scale distribution of galaxies. I develop a robust framework for treating systematic effects, which significantly bias galaxy clustering measurements. I apply new innovative approaches to probabilistic parameter inference that challenge and test the in- correct assumptions of the standard approach. Furthermore, I use precise predictions of structure formation from cosmology and observations of galaxies during the last eight billion years to develop detailed models of how galaxies are impacted by their host dark matter structures. These models provide key insight into the galaxy-halo connection, which bridges the gap between cosmology theory and observations. They also answer crucial questions of how galaxies form and evolve. The developments in this dissertation will help unlock the full potential of future observations and allow us to precisely test cosmological models, General Relativity and modified gravity scenarios, and even particle physics theory beyond the Standard Model.

Deep-Subwavelength Resolving and Manipulating of Hidden Chirality in Achiral Nanostructures.

PubMed

Zu, Shuai; Han, Tianyang; Jiang, Meiling; Lin, Feng; Zhu, Xing; Fang, Zheyu

2018-04-24

The chiral state of light plays a vital role in light-matter interactions and the consequent revolution of nanophotonic devices and advanced modern chiroptics. As the light-matter interaction goes into the nano- and quantum world, numerous chiroptical technologies and quantum devices require precise knowledge of chiral electromagnetic modes and chiral radiative local density of states (LDOS) distributions in detail, which directly determine the chiral light-matter interaction for applications such as chiral light detection and emission. With classical optical techniques failing to directly measure the chiral radiative LDOS, deep-subwavelength imaging and control of circular polarization (CP) light associated phenomena are introduced into the agenda. Here, we simultaneously reveal the hidden chiral electromagnetic mode and acquire its chiral radiative LDOS distribution of a single symmetric nanostructure at the deep-subwavelength scale by using CP-resolved cathodoluminescence (CL) microscopy. The chirality of the symmetric nanostructure under normally incident light excitation, resulting from the interference between the symmetric and antisymmetric modes of the V-shaped nanoantenna, is hidden in the near field with a giant chiral distribution (∼99%) at the arm-ends, which enables the circularly polarized CL emission from the radiative LDOS hot-spot and the following active helicity control at the deep-subwavelength scale. The proposed V-shaped nanostructure as a functional unit is further applied to the helicity-dependent binary encoding and the two-dimensional display applications. The proposed physical principle and experimental configuration can promote the future chiral characterization and manipulation at the deep-subwavelength scale and provide direct guidelines for the optimization of chiral light-matter interactions for future quantum studies.

MATTER IN THE BEAM: WEAK LENSING, SUBSTRUCTURES, AND THE TEMPERATURE OF DARK MATTER

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

Mahdi, Hareth S.; Elahi, Pascal J.; Lewis, Geraint F.

2016-08-01

Warm dark matter (WDM) models offer an attractive alternative to the current cold dark matter (CDM) cosmological model. We present a novel method to differentiate between WDM and CDM cosmologies, namely, using weak lensing; this provides a unique probe as it is sensitive to all of the “matter in the beam,” not just dark matter haloes and the galaxies that reside in them, but also the diffuse material between haloes. We compare the weak lensing maps of CDM clusters to those in a WDM model corresponding to a thermally produced 0.5 keV dark matter particle. Our analysis clearly shows thatmore » the weak lensing magnification, convergence, and shear distributions can be used to distinguish between CDM and WDM models. WDM models increase the probability of weak magnifications, with the differences being significant to ≳5 σ , while leaving no significant imprint on the shear distribution. WDM clusters analyzed in this work are more homogeneous than CDM ones, and the fractional decrease in the amount of material in haloes is proportional to the average increase in the magnification. This difference arises from matter that would be bound in compact haloes in CDM being smoothly distributed over much larger volumes at lower densities in WDM. Moreover, the signature does not solely lie in the probability distribution function but in the full spatial distribution of the convergence field.« less

Modeling of Disordered Binary Alloys Under Thermal Forcing: Effect of Nanocrystallite Dissociation on Thermal Expansion of AuCu3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Y. W.; Cress, R. P.

2016-11-01

Disordered binary alloys are modeled as a randomly close-packed assembly of nanocrystallites intermixed with randomly positioned atoms, i.e., glassy-state matter. The nanocrystallite size distribution is measured in a simulated macroscopic medium in two dimensions. We have also defined, and measured, the degree of crystallinity as the probability of a particle being a member of nanocrystallites. Both the distribution function and the degree of crystallinity are found to be determined by alloy composition. When heated, the nanocrystallites become smaller in size due to increasing thermal fluctuation. We have modeled this phenomenon as a case of thermal dissociation by means of the law of mass action. The crystallite size distribution function is computed for AuCu3 as a function of temperature by solving some 12 000 coupled algebraic equations for the alloy. The results show that linear thermal expansion of the specimen has contributions from the temperature dependence of the degree of crystallinity, in addition to respective thermal expansions of the nanocrystallites and glassy-state matter.

Dark matter as a trigger for periodic comet impacts.

PubMed

Randall, Lisa; Reece, Matthew

2014-04-25

Although statistical evidence is not overwhelming, possible support for an approximately 35×106  yr periodicity in the crater record on Earth could indicate a nonrandom underlying enhancement of meteorite impacts at regular intervals. A proposed explanation in terms of tidal effects on Oort cloud comet perturbations as the Solar System passes through the galactic midplane is hampered by lack of an underlying cause for sufficiently enhanced gravitational effects over a sufficiently short time interval and by the time frame between such possible enhancements. We show that a smooth dark disk in the galactic midplane would address both these issues and create a periodic enhancement of the sort that has potentially been observed. Such a disk is motivated by a novel dark matter component with dissipative cooling that we considered in earlier work. We show how to evaluate the statistical evidence for periodicity by input of appropriate measured priors from the galactic model, justifying or ruling out periodic cratering with more confidence than by evaluating the data without an underlying model. We find that, marginalizing over astrophysical uncertainties, the likelihood ratio for such a model relative to one with a constant cratering rate is 3.0, which moderately favors the dark disk model. Our analysis furthermore yields a posterior distribution that, based on current crater data, singles out a dark matter disk surface density of approximately 10M⊙/pc2. The geological record thereby motivates a particular model of dark matter that will be probed in the near future.

Constraints on cosmological dark matter annihilation from the Fermi-LAT isotropic diffuse gamma-ray measurement

DOE PAGES

Abdo, A. A.; Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; ...

2010-04-01

The first published Fermi large area telescope (Fermi-LAT) measurement of the isotropic diffuse gamma-ray emission is in good agreement with a single power law, and is not showing any signature of a dominant contribution from dark matter sources in the energy range from 20 to 100 GeV. Here, we use the absolute size and spectral shape of this measured flux to derive cross section limits on three types of generic dark matter candidates: annihilating into quarks, charged leptons and monochromatic photons. Predicted gamma-ray fluxes from annihilating dark matter are strongly affected by the underlying distribution of dark matter, and bymore » using different available results of matter structure formation we assess these uncertainties. We also quantify how the dark matter constraints depend on the assumed conventional backgrounds and on the Universe's transparency to high-energy gamma-rays. In reasonable background and dark matter structure scenarios (but not in all scenarios we consider) it is possible to exclude models proposed to explain the excess of electrons and positrons measured by the Fermi-LAT and PAMELA experiments. Derived limits also start to probe cross sections expected from thermally produced relics (e.g. in minimal supersymmetry models) annihilating predominantly into quarks. Finally, for the monochromatic gamma-ray signature, the current measurement constrains only dark matter scenarios with very strong signals.« less

Characterizing dark matter at the LHC in Drell-Yan events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capdevilla, Rodolfo M.; Delgado, Antonio; Martin, Adam; Raj, Nirmal

2018-02-01

Spectral features in LHC dileptonic events may signal radiative corrections coming from new degrees of freedom, notably dark matter and mediators. Using simplified models, and under a set of simplifying assumptions, we show how these features can reveal the fundamental properties of the dark sector, such as self-conjugation, spin and mass of dark matter, and the quantum numbers of the mediator. Distributions of both the invariant mass mℓℓ and the Collins-Soper scattering angle cos θCS are studied to pinpoint these properties. We derive constraints on the models from LHC measurements of mℓℓ and cos θCS, which are competitive with direct detection and jets+MET searches. We find that in certain scenarios the cos θCS spectrum provides the strongest bounds, underlining the importance of scattering angle measurements for nonresonant new physics.

Resurrecting hot dark matter - Large-scale structure from cosmic strings and massive neutrinos

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scherrer, Robert J.

1988-01-01

These are the results of a numerical simulation of the formation of large-scale structure from cosmic-string loops in a universe dominated by massive neutrinos (hot dark matter). This model has several desirable features. The final matter distribution contains isolated density peaks embedded in a smooth background, producing a natural bias in the distribution of luminous matter. Because baryons can accrete onto the cosmic strings before the neutrinos, the galaxies will have baryon cores and dark neutrino halos. Galaxy formation in this model begins much earlier than in random-phase models. On large scales the distribution of clustered matter visually resembles the CfA survey, with large voids and filaments.

Gravitational lens models of arcs in clusters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bergmann, Anton G.; Petrosian, Vahe; Lynds, Roger

1990-01-01

It is now well established that the luminous arcs discovered in clusters of galaxies, in particular those in Abell 370 and Cluster 2244-02, are produced by gravitational lensing of background sources. The arcs are modeled and constraints are placed on the distribution of the mass in the clusters and the shape and size of the sources. The models require, as expected, a large amount of dark matter in the clusters and a mass-to blue-light ratio for the cluster which exceeds 100 solar mass/solar luminosity and could be as high as 1000 solar mass/solar luminosity depending on cosmological parameters and the distribution of the dark matter. Furthermore, it is found that in the case of the arc in A370 the dark matter must have a different distribution than the luminous galaxies, while for the arc in Cl 2244 the dark matter can have a distribution similar to that of the light matter (galaxies) or a separate distribution.

A new method to quantify the effects of baryons on the matter power spectrum

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

Schneider, Aurel; Teyssier, Romain, E-mail: aurel@physik.uzh.ch, E-mail: teyssier@physik.uzh.ch

2015-12-01

Future large-scale galaxy surveys have the potential to become leading probes for cosmology provided the influence of baryons on the total mass distribution is understood well enough. As hydrodynamical simulations strongly depend on details in the feedback implementations, no unique and robust predictions for baryonic effects currently exist. In this paper we propose a baryonic correction model that modifies the density field of dark-matter-only N-body simulations to mimic the effects of baryons from any underlying adopted feedback recipe. The model assumes haloes to consist of 4 components: 1- hot gas in hydrostatical equilibrium, 2- ejected gas from feedback processes, 3-more » central galaxy stars, and 4- adiabatically relaxed dark matter, which all modify the initial dark-matter-only density profiles. These altered profiles allow to define a displacement field for particles in N-body simulations and to modify the total density field accordingly. The main advantage of the baryonic correction model is to connect the total matter density field to the observable distribution of gas and stars in haloes, making it possible to parametrise baryonic effects on the matter power spectrum. We show that the most crucial quantities are the mass fraction of ejected gas and its corresponding ejection radius. The former controls how strongly baryons suppress the power spectrum, while the latter provides a measure of the scale where baryonic effects become important. A comparison with X-ray and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich cluster observations suggests that baryons suppress wave modes above k∼0.5 h/Mpc with a maximum suppression of 10-25 percent around k∼ 2 h/Mpc. More detailed observations of the gas in the outskirts of groups and clusters are required to decrease the large uncertainties of these numbers.« less

Cosmological constraints from a combination of galaxy clustering and lensing - III. Application to SDSS data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cacciato, Marcello; van den Bosch, Frank C.; More, Surhud; Mo, Houjun; Yang, Xiaohu

2013-04-01

We simultaneously constrain cosmology and galaxy bias using measurements of galaxy abundances, galaxy clustering and galaxy-galaxy lensing taken from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We use the conditional luminosity function (which describes the halo occupation statistics as a function of galaxy luminosity) combined with the halo model (which describes the non-linear matter field in terms of its halo building blocks) to describe the galaxy-dark matter connection. We explicitly account for residual redshift-space distortions in the projected galaxy-galaxy correlation functions, and marginalize over uncertainties in the scale dependence of the halo bias and the detailed structure of dark matter haloes. Under the assumption of a spatially flat, vanilla Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) cosmology, we focus on constraining the matter density, Ωm, and the normalization of the matter power spectrum, σ8, and we adopt 7-year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP7) priors for the spectral index, n, the Hubble parameter, h, and the baryon density, Ωb. We obtain that Ωm = 0.278+ 0.023- 0.026 and σ8 = 0.763+ 0.064- 0.049 (95 per cent CL). These results are robust to uncertainties in the radial number density distribution of satellite galaxies, while allowing for non-Poisson satellite occupation distributions results in a slightly lower value for σ8 (0.744+ 0.056- 0.047). These constraints are in excellent agreement (at the 1σ level) with the cosmic microwave background constraints from WMAP. This demonstrates that the use of a realistic and accurate model for galaxy bias, down to the smallest non-linear scales currently observed in galaxy surveys, leads to results perfectly consistent with the vanilla ΛCDM cosmology.

Investigating the capability to resolve complex white matter structures with high b-value diffusion magnetic resonance imaging on the MGH-USC Connectom scanner.

PubMed

Fan, Qiuyun; Nummenmaa, Aapo; Witzel, Thomas; Zanzonico, Roberta; Keil, Boris; Cauley, Stephen; Polimeni, Jonathan R; Tisdall, Dylan; Van Dijk, Koene R A; Buckner, Randy L; Wedeen, Van J; Rosen, Bruce R; Wald, Lawrence L

2014-11-01

One of the major goals of the NIH Blueprint Human Connectome Project was to map and quantify the white matter connections in the brain using diffusion tractography. Given the prevalence of complex white matter structures, the capability of resolving local white matter geometries with multiple crossings in the diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) data is critical. Increasing b-value has been suggested for delineation of the finer details of the orientation distribution function (ODF). Although increased gradient strength and duration increase sensitivity to highly restricted intra-axonal water, gradient strength limitations require longer echo times (TE) to accommodate the increased diffusion encoding times needed to achieve a higher b-value, exponentially lowering the signal-to-noise ratio of the acquisition. To mitigate this effect, the MGH-USC Connectom scanner was built with 300 mT/m gradients, which can significantly reduce the TE of high b-value diffusion imaging. Here we report comparisons performed across b-values based on q-ball ODF metrics to investigate whether high b-value diffusion imaging on the Connectom scanner can improve resolving complex white matter structures. The q-ball ODF features became sharper as the b-value increased, with increased power fraction in higher order spherical harmonic series of the ODF and increased peak heights relative to the overall size of the ODF. Crossing structures were detected in an increasingly larger fraction of white matter voxels and the spatial distribution of two-way and three-way crossing structures was largely consistent with known anatomy. Results indicate that dMRI with high diffusion encoding on the Connectom system is a promising tool to better characterize, and ultimately understand, the underlying structural organization and motifs in the human brain.

ASSESSING ASTROPHYSICAL UNCERTAINTIES IN DIRECT DETECTION WITH GALAXY SIMULATIONS

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

Sloane, Jonathan D.; Buckley, Matthew R.; Brooks, Alyson M.

2016-11-01

We study the local dark matter velocity distribution in simulated Milky Way-mass galaxies, generated at high resolution with both dark matter and baryons. We find that the dark matter in the solar neighborhood is influenced appreciably by the inclusion of baryons, increasing the speed of dark matter particles compared to dark matter-only simulations. The gravitational potential due to the presence of a baryonic disk increases the amount of high velocity dark matter, resulting in velocity distributions that are more similar to the Maxwellian Standard Halo Model than predicted from dark matter-only simulations. Furthermore, the velocity structures present in baryonic simulationsmore » possess a greater diversity than expected from dark matter-only simulations. We show that the impact on the direct detection experiments LUX, DAMA/Libra, and CoGeNT using our simulated velocity distributions, and explore how resolution and halo mass within the Milky Way’s estimated mass range impact the results. A Maxwellian fit to the velocity distribution tends to overpredict the amount of dark matter in the high velocity tail, even with baryons, and thus leads to overly optimistic direct detection bounds on models that are dependent on this region of phase space for an experimental signal. Our work further demonstrates that it is critical to transform simulated velocity distributions to the lab frame of reference, due to the fact that velocity structure in the solar neighborhood appears when baryons are included. There is more velocity structure present when baryons are included than in dark matter-only simulations. Even when baryons are included, the importance of the velocity structure is not as apparent in the Galactic frame of reference as in the Earth frame.« less

Formation of large-scale structure from cosmic strings and massive neutrinos

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scherrer, Robert J.; Melott, Adrian L.; Bertschinger, Edmund

1989-01-01

Numerical simulations of large-scale structure formation from cosmic strings and massive neutrinos are described. The linear power spectrum in this model resembles the cold-dark-matter power spectrum. Galaxy formation begins early, and the final distribution consists of isolated density peaks embedded in a smooth background, leading to a natural bias in the distribution of luminous matter. The distribution of clustered matter has a filamentary appearance with large voids.

Application of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter Absorbance and Excitation-Emission Matrix Fluorescence Spectra (EEMS) to Investigate Clay-Organic Matter Flocculation Processes in Riverine-Estuarine Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, J. P.; Reed, A. H.; Boyd, T. J.

2016-12-01

Changes in hydrodynamic shear, variations in ionic strength (salinity), and to a lesser degree pH, along the salinity gradient influences clay-organic matter (OM) flocculation, disaggregation and particle size distributions with depth in natural river-estuarine waters. The scale and rate of aggregation and disaggregation of specific clay-OM flocs assemblages under different hydrodynamic and physiochemical conditions in estuaries or coastal river systems is an area of ongoing research. Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is the fraction of the DOM pool that absorbs and/or emits light at discrete wavelengths when excited. The CDOM absorbance and Excitation Emission Matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectra in natural waters can potentially be used to investigate clay-OM interactions and implications for formation kinetics, size, strength, and settling velocities of cohesive particulate aggregates (flocs and suspended sediments) as they respond to hydrodynamic shear under different physiochemical conditions. Size characteristics of particulate matter and sediment samples collected from the Misa River in Italy in 2014 were compared to the optical properties of the water column to identify potential OM components/constituents influencing flocculation processes in riverine-estuarine systems. The EEMs results were coupled with a parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) model to associate previously identified EEMS regions of CDOM components to those found in the waters of this study and identify the main OM components/constituents influencing the multi-way variance of the EEMS data. Initial results from the Misa River and subsequent studies show a difference in dominant DOM types by salinity, clay-OM composition, and flow conditions that may be indicative of system specific particle flocculation and disaggregation under different hydrodynamic regimes. These results suggest that the CDOM absorbance and EEMS fluorescence spectra in natural waters can potentially be used to qualify the influence of OM on the flocculation and sedimentation of clay particulates in river-estuarine systems under different physiochemical and hydrodynamic conditions.

Light Regimes Shape Utilization of Extracellular Organic C and N in a Cyanobacterial Biofilm

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

Stuart, Rhona K.; Mayali, Xavier; Boaro, Amy A.

2016-06-28

Although it is becoming clear that many microbial primary producers can also play a role as organic consumers, we know very little about the metabolic regulation of photoautotroph organic matter consumption. Cyanobacteria in phototrophic biofilms can reuse extracellular organic carbon, but the metabolic drivers of extracellular processes are surprisingly complex. We investigated the metabolic foundations of organic matter reuse by comparing exoproteome composition and incorporation of 13C-labeled and 15N-labeled cyanobacterial extracellular organic matter (EOM) in a unicyanobacterial biofilm incubated using different light regimes. In the light and the dark, cyanobacterial direct organic C assimilation accounted for 32% and 43%, respectively,more » of all organic C assimilation in the community. Under photosynthesis conditions, we measured increased excretion of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and proteins involved in micronutrient transport, suggesting that requirements for micronutrients may drive EOM assimilation during daylight hours. This interpretation was supported by photosynthesis inhibition experiments, in which cyanobacteria incorporated N-rich EOM-derived material. In contrast, under dark, C-starved conditions, cyanobacteria incorporated C-rich EOM-derived organic matter, decreased excretion of EPS, and showed an increased abundance of degradative exoproteins, demonstrating the use of the extracellular domain for C storage. Sequence-structure modeling of one of these exoproteins predicted a specific hydrolytic activity that was subsequently detected, confirming increased EOM degradation in the dark. Associated heterotrophic bacteria increased in abundance and upregulated transport proteins under dark relative to light conditions. Taken together, our results indicate that biofilm cyanobacteria are successful competitors for organic C and N and that cyanobacterial nutrient and energy requirements control the use of EOM. IMPORTANCECyanobacteria are globally distributed primary producers, and the fate of their fixed C influences microbial biogeochemical cycling. This fate is complicated by cyanobacterial degradation and assimilation of organic matter, but because cyanobacteria are assumed to be poor competitors for organic matter consumption, regulation of this process is not well tested. In mats and biofilms, this is especially relevant because cyanobacteria produce an extensive organic extracellular matrix, providing the community with a rich source of nutrients. Light is a well-known regulator of cyanobacterial metabolism, so we characterized the effects of light availability on the incorporation of organic matter. Using stable isotope tracing at the single-cell level, we quantified photoautotroph assimilation under different metabolic conditions and integrated the results with proteomics to elucidate metabolic status. We found that cyanobacteria effectively compete for organic matter in the light and the dark and that nutrient requirements and community interactions contribute to cycling of extracellular organic matter.« less

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

Choi, K.; Itow, Y.; Rott, C., E-mail: koun@stelab.nagoya-u.ac.jp, E-mail: rott@skku.edu, E-mail: itow@stelab.nagoya-u.ac.jp

Dark matter could be captured in the Sun and self-annihilate, giving rise to an observable neutrino flux. Indirect searches for dark matter looking for this signal with neutrino telescopes have resulted in tight constraints on the interaction cross-section of dark matter with ordinary matter. We investigate how robust limits are against astro-physical uncertainties. We study the effect of the velocity distribution of dark matter in our Galaxy on capture rates in the Sun. We investigate four sources of uncertainties: orbital speed of the Sun, escape velocity of dark matter from the halo, dark matter velocity distribution functions and existence ofmore » a dark disc. We find that even extreme cases currently discussed do not decrease the sensitivity of indirect detection significantly because the capture is achieved over a broad range of the velocity distribution by integration over the velocity distribution. The effect of the uncertainty in the high-velocity tail of dark matter halo is very marginal as the capture process is rather inefficient at this region. The difference in capture rate in the Sun for various scenarios is compared to the expected change in event rates for direct detection. The possibility of co-rotating structure with the Sun can largely boost the signal and hence makes the interpretation of indirect detection conservative compared to direct detection.« less

A comparison of solids collected in sediment traps and automated water samplers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bartsch, L.A.; Rada, R.G.; Sullivan, J.F.

1996-01-01

Sediment traps are being used in some pollution monitoring programs in the USA to sample suspended solids for contaminant analyses. This monitoring approach assumes that the characteristics of solids obtained in sediment traps are the same as those collected in whole-water sampling devices. We tested this assumption in the upper Mississippi River, based on the inorganic particle-size distribution (determined with a laser particle- analyzer) and volatile matter content of solids (a surrogate for organic matter). Cylindrical sediment traps (aspect ratio 3) were attached to a rigid mooring device and deployed in a flowing side channel in Navigation Pool 7 of the upper Mississippi River. On each side of the mooring device, a trap was situated adjacent to a port of an autosampler that collected raw water samples hourly to form 2-d composite samples. Paired samples (one trap and one raw water, composite sample) were removed from each end of the mooring device at 2-d intervals during the 30-d study period and compared. The relative particle collection efficiency of paired samplers did not vary temporally. Particle-size distributions of inorganic solids from sediment traps and water samples were not significantly different. The volatile matter content of solids was lesser in sediment traps (mean, 9.5%) than in corresponding water samples (mean, 22.7%). This bias may have been partly due to under-collection of phytoplankton (mainly cyanobacteria), which were abundant in the water column during the study. The positioning of water samplers and sediment traps in the mooring device did not influence the particle-size distribution or total solids of samples. We observed a small difference in the amount of organic matter collected by water samplers situated at opposite ends of the mooring device.

Limits of applicability of a two-temperature model under nonuniform heating of metal by an ultrashort laser pulse

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

Polyakov, D S; Yakovlev, E B

The heating of metals (silver and aluminium) by ultrashort laser pulses is analysed proceeding from a spatially nonuniform kinetic equation for the electron distribution function. The electron subsystem thermalisation is estimated in a wide range of absorbed pulse energy density. The limits of applicability are determined for the two-temperature model. (interaction of laser radiation with matter)

Learning from Experience? Evidence on the Impact and Distribution of Teacher Experience and the Implications for Teacher Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rice, Jennifer King

2013-01-01

Teacher experience has long been a central pillar of teacher workforce policies in U.S. school systems. The underlying assumption behind many of these policies is that experience promotes effectiveness, but is this really the case? What does existing evidence tell us about how, why, and for whom teacher experience matters? This policy brief…

Reconstruction of cluster masses using particle based lensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deb, Sanghamitra

Clusters of galaxies are among the richest astrophysical data systems, but to truly understand these systems, we need a detailed study of the relationship between observables and the underlying cluster dark matter distribution. Gravitational lensing is the most direct probe of dark matter, but many mass reconstruction techniques assume that cluster light traces mass, or combine different lensing signals in an ad hoc way. In this talk, we will describe "Particle Based Lensing" (PBL), a new method for cluster mass reconstruction, that avoids many of the pitfalls of previous techniques. PBL optimally combines lensing information of varying signal-to-noise, and makes no assumptions about the relationship between mass and light. We will describe mass reconstructions in three very different, but very illuminating cluster systems: the "Bullet Cluster" (lE 0657-56), A901/902 and A1689. The "Bullet Cluster" is a system of merging clusters made famous by the first unambiguous lensing detection of dark matter. A901/902 is a multi-cluster system with four peaks, and provides an ideal laboratory for studying cluster interaction. We are particularly interested in measuring and correlating the dark matter clump ellipticities. A1689 is one of the richest clusters known, and has significant substructure at the core. It is also my first exercise in optimally combining weak and strong gravitational lensing in a cluster reconstruction. We find that the dark matter distribution is significantly clumpier than indicated by X-ray maps of the gas. We conclude by discussing various potential applications of PBL to existing and future data.

Convection-enhanced delivery of M13 bacteriophage to the brain

PubMed Central

Ksendzovsky, Alexander; Walbridge, Stuart; Saunders, Richard C.; Asthagiri, Ashok R.; Heiss, John D.; Lonser, Russell R.

2013-01-01

Object Recent studies indicate that M13 bacteriophage, a very large nanoparticle, binds to β-amyloid and α-synuclein proteins, leading to plaque disaggregation in models of Alzheimer and Parkinson disease. To determine the feasibility, safety, and characteristics of convection-enhanced delivery (CED) of M13 bacteriophage to the brain, the authors perfused primate brains with bacteriophage. Methods Four nonhuman primates underwent CED of M13 bacteriophage (900 nm) to thalamic gray matter (4 infusions) and frontal white matter (3 infusions). Bacteriophage was coinfused with Gd-DTPA (1 mM), and serial MRI studies were performed during infusion. Animals were monitored for neurological deficits and were killed 3 days after infusion. Tissues were analyzed for bacteriophage distribution. Results Real-time T1-weighted MRI studies of coinfused Gd-DTPA during infusion demonstrated a discrete region of perfusion in both thalamic gray and frontal white matter. An MRI-volumetric analysis revealed that the mean volume of distribution (Vd) to volume of infusion (Vi) ratio of M13 bacteriophage was 2.3 ± 0.2 in gray matter and 1.9 ± 0.3 in white matter. The mean values are expressed ± SD. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated mean Vd:Vi ratios of 2.9 ± 0.2 in gray matter and 2.1 ± 0.3 in white matter. The Gd-DTPA accurately tracked M13 bacteriophage distribution (the mean difference between imaging and actual bacteriophage Vd was insignificant [p > 0.05], and was −2.2% ± 9.9% in thalamic gray matter and 9.1% ± 9.5% in frontal white matter). Immunohistochemical analysis revealed evidence of additional spread from the initial delivery site in white matter (mean Vd:Vi, 16.1 ± 9.1). All animals remained neurologically intact after infusion during the observation period, and histological studies revealed no evidence of toxicity. Conclusions The CED method can be used successfully and safely to distribute M13 bacteriophage in the brain. Furthermore, additional white matter spread after infusion cessation enhances distribution of this large nanoparticle. Real-time MRI studies of coinfused Gd-DTPA (1 mM) can be used for accurate tracking of distribution during infusion of M13 bacteriophage. PMID:22606981

Convection-enhanced delivery of M13 bacteriophage to the brain.

PubMed

Ksendzovsky, Alexander; Walbridge, Stuart; Saunders, Richard C; Asthagiri, Ashok R; Heiss, John D; Lonser, Russell R

2012-08-01

Recent studies indicate that M13 bacteriophage, a very large nanoparticle, binds to β-amyloid and α-synuclein proteins, leading to plaque disaggregation in models of Alzheimer and Parkinson disease. To determine the feasibility, safety, and characteristics of convection-enhanced delivery (CED) of M13 bacteriophage to the brain, the authors perfused primate brains with bacteriophage. Four nonhuman primates underwent CED of M13 bacteriophage (900 nm) to thalamic gray matter (4 infusions) and frontal white matter (3 infusions). Bacteriophage was coinfused with Gd-DTPA (1 mM), and serial MRI studies were performed during infusion. Animals were monitored for neurological deficits and were killed 3 days after infusion. Tissues were analyzed for bacteriophage distribution. Real-time T1-weighted MRI studies of coinfused Gd-DTPA during infusion demonstrated a discrete region of perfusion in both thalamic gray and frontal white matter. An MRI-volumetric analysis revealed that the mean volume of distribution (Vd) to volume of infusion (Vi) ratio of M13 bacteriophage was 2.3 ± 0.2 in gray matter and 1.9 ± 0.3 in white matter. The mean values are expressed ± SD. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated mean Vd:Vi ratios of 2.9 ± 0.2 in gray matter and 2.1 ± 0.3 in white matter. The Gd-DTPA accurately tracked M13 bacteriophage distribution (the mean difference between imaging and actual bacteriophage Vd was insignificant [p > 0.05], and was -2.2% ± 9.9% in thalamic gray matter and 9.1% ± 9.5% in frontal white matter). Immunohistochemical analysis revealed evidence of additional spread from the initial delivery site in white matter (mean Vd:Vi, 16.1 ± 9.1). All animals remained neurologically intact after infusion during the observation period, and histological studies revealed no evidence of toxicity. The CED method can be used successfully and safely to distribute M13 bacteriophage in the brain. Furthermore, additional white matter spread after infusion cessation enhances distribution of this large nanoparticle. Real-time MRI studies of coinfused Gd-DTPA (1 mM) can be used for accurate tracking of distribution during infusion of M13 bacteriophage.

Structure analysis and size distribution of particulate matter from candles and kerosene combustion in burning chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baitimirova, M.; Osite, A.; Katkevics, J.; Viksna, A.

2012-08-01

Burning of candles generates particulate matter of fine dimensions that produces poor indoor air quality, so it may cause harmful impact on human health. In this study solid aerosol particles of burning of candles of different composition and kerosene combustion were collected in a closed laboratory system. Present work describes particulate matter collection for structure analysis and the relationship between source and size distribution of particulate matter. The formation mechanism of particulate matter and their tendency to agglomerate also are described. Particles obtained from kerosene combustion have normal size distribution. Whereas, particles generated from the burning of stearin candles have distribution shifted towards finer particle size range. If an additive of stearin to paraffin candle is used, particle size distribution is also observed in range of towards finer particles. A tendency to form agglomerates in a short time is observed in case of particles obtained from kerosene combustion, while in case of particles obtained from burning of candles of different composition such a tendency is not observed. Particles from candles and kerosene combustion are Aitken and accumulation mode particles

Gravitational lensing by a smoothly variable three-dimensional mass distribution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Man Hoi; Paczynski, Bohdan

1990-01-01

A smooth three-dimensional mass distribution is approximated by a model with multiple thin screens, with surface mass density varying smoothly on each screen. It is found that 16 screens are sufficient for a good approximation of the three-dimensional distribution of matter. It is also found that in this multiscreen model the distribution of amplifications of single images is dominated by the convergence due to matter within the beam. The shear caused by matter outside the beam has no significant effect. This finding considerably simplifies the modeling of lensing by a smooth three-dimensional mass distribution by effectively reducing the problem to one dimension, as it is sufficient to know the mass distribution along a straight light ray.

The impact of baryons on the direct detection of dark matter

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

Kelso, Chris; Savage, Christopher; Freese, Katherine

2016-08-01

The spatial and velocity distributions of dark matter particles in the Milky Way Halo affect the signals expected to be observed in searches for dark matter. Results from direct detection experiments are often analyzed assuming a simple isothermal distribution of dark matter, the Standard Halo Model (SHM). Yet there has been skepticism regarding the validity of this simple model due to the complicated gravitational collapse and merger history of actual galaxies. In this paper we compare the SHM to the results of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy formation to investigate whether or not the SHM is a good representation ofmore » the true WIMP distribution in the analysis of direct detection data. We examine two Milky Way-like galaxies from the MaGICC cosmological simulations (a) with dark matter only and (b) with baryonic physics included. The inclusion of baryons drives the shape of the DM halo to become more spherical and makes the velocity distribution of dark matter particles less anisotropic especially at large heliocentric velocities, thereby making the SHM a better fit. We also note that we do not find a significant disk-like rotating dark matter component in either of the two galaxy halos with baryons that we examine, suggesting that dark disks are not a generic prediction of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. We conclude that in the Solar neighborhood, the SHM is in fact a good approximation to the true dark matter distribution in these cosmological simulations (with baryons) which are reasonable representations of the Milky Way, and hence can also be used for the purpose of dark matter direct detection calculations.« less

Hints on the nature of dark matter from the properties of Milky Way satellites

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

Anderhalden, Donnino; Diemand, Juerg; Schneider, Aurel

2013-03-01

The nature of dark matter is still unknown and one of the most fundamental scientific mysteries. Although successfully describing large scales, the standard cold dark matter model (CDM) exhibits possible shortcomings on galactic and sub-galactic scales. It is exactly at these highly non-linear scales where strong astrophysical constraints can be set on the nature of the dark matter particle. While observations of the Lyman-α forest probe the matter power spectrum in the mildly non-linear regime, satellite galaxies of the Milky Way provide an excellent laboratory as a test of the underlying cosmology on much smaller scales. Here we present resultsmore » from a set of high resolution simulations of a Milky Way sized dark matter halo in eight distinct cosmologies: CDM, warm dark matter (WDM) with a particle mass of 2 keV and six different cold plus warm dark matter (C+WDM) models, varying the fraction, f{sub wdm}, and the mass, m{sub wdm}, of the warm component. We used three different observational tests based on Milky Way satellite observations: the total satellite abundance, their radial distribution and their mass profile. We show that the requirement of simultaneously satisfying all three constraints sets very strong limits on the nature of dark matter. This shows the power of a multi-dimensional small scale approach in ruling out models which would be still allowed by large scale observations.« less

Controls on the distribution of fluorescent dissolved organic matter during an under-ice algal bloom in the western Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendoza, Wilson G.; Weiss, Elliot L.; Schieber, Brian; Greg Mitchell, B.

2017-07-01

In this study we used fluorescence excitation and emission matrix spectroscopy, hydrographic data, and a self-organizing map (SOM) analysis to assess the spatial distribution of labile and refractory fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) for the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas at the time of a massive under-ice phytoplankton bloom during early summer 2011. Biogeochemical properties were assessed through decomposition of water property classes and sample classification that employed a SOM neural network-based analysis which classified 10 clusters from 269 samples and 17 variables. The terrestrial, humic-like component FDOM (ArC1, 4.98 ± 1.54 Quinine Sulfate Units (QSU)) and protein-like component FDOM (ArC3, 1.63 ± 0.88 QSU) were found to have elevated fluorescence in the Lower Polar Mixed Layer (LPML) (salinity 29.56 ± 0.76). In the LPML water mass, the observed contribution of meteoric water fraction was 17%, relative to a 12% contribution from the sea ice melt fraction. The labile ArC3-protein-like component (2.01 ± 1.92 QSU) was also observed to be elevated in the Pacific Winter Waters mass, where the under-ice algal bloom was observed ( 40-50 m). We interpreted these relationships to indicate that the accumulation and variable distribution of the protein-like component on the shelf could be influenced directly by sea ice melt, transport, and mixing processes and indirectly by the in situ algal bloom and microbial activity. ArC5, corresponding to what is commonly considered marine humic FDOM, indicated a bimodal distribution with high values in both the freshest and saltiest waters. The association of ArC5 with deep, dense salty water is consistent with this component as refractory humic-like FDOM, whereas our evidence of a terrestrial origin challenges this classic paradigm for this component.

Controls on the distribution of fluorescent dissolved organic matter during an under-ice algal bloom in the western Arctic Ocean.

PubMed

Mendoza, Wilson G; Weiss, Elliot L; Schieber, Brian; Greg Mitchell, B

2017-07-01

In this study we used fluorescence excitation and emission matrix spectroscopy, hydrographic data, and a self-organizing map (SOM) analysis to assess the spatial distribution of labile and refractory fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) for the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas at the time of a massive under-ice phytoplankton bloom during early summer 2011. Biogeochemical properties were assessed through decomposition of water property classes and sample classification that employed a SOM neural network-based analysis which classified 10 clusters from 269 samples and 17 variables. The terrestrial, humic-like component FDOM (ArC1, 4.98 ± 1.54 Quinine Sulfate Units (QSU)) and protein-like component FDOM (ArC3, 1.63 ± 0.88 QSU) were found to have elevated fluorescence in the Lower Polar Mixed Layer (LPML) (salinity ~29.56 ± 0.76). In the LPML water mass, the observed contribution of meteoric water fraction was 17%, relative to a 12% contribution from the sea ice melt fraction. The labile ArC3-protein-like component (2.01 ± 1.92 QSU) was also observed to be elevated in the Pacific Winter Waters mass, where the under-ice algal bloom was observed (~40-50 m). We interpreted these relationships to indicate that the accumulation and variable distribution of the protein-like component on the shelf could be influenced directly by sea ice melt, transport, and mixing processes and indirectly by the in situ algal bloom and microbial activity. ArC5, corresponding to what is commonly considered marine humic FDOM, indicated a bimodal distribution with high values in both the freshest and saltiest waters. The association of ArC5 with deep, dense salty water is consistent with this component as refractory humic-like FDOM, whereas our evidence of a terrestrial origin challenges this classic paradigm for this component.

Consumers or Citizens? Whose Voice Will Healthwatch Represent and Will It Matter? Comment on "Challenges Facing Healthwatch, a New Consumer Champion in England".

PubMed

Wright, Brad

2016-06-22

Efforts to achieve effective and meaningful patient and public involvement (PPI) in healthcare have existed for nearly a century, albeit with limited success. This brief commentary discusses a recent paper by Carter and Martin exploring the "Challenges Facing Healthwatch, a New Consumer Champion in England," and places these challenges in the context of the broader struggle to give a voice to healthcare consumers and citizens. With an overview of what can go right and-perhaps more importantly-what can go wrong, the question remains: will Healthwatch-and other PPI efforts in healthcare-represent the voice of consumers or citizens and will it matter? © 2016 The Author(s); Published by Kerman University of Medical Sciences. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Transformation and utilization of slowly biodegradable organic matters in biological sewage treatment of anaerobic anoxic oxic systems.

PubMed

Zhang, Q H; Jin, P K; Ngo, H H; Shi, X; Guo, W S; Yang, S J; Wang, X C; Wang, X; Dzakpasu, M; Yang, W N; Yang, L

2016-10-01

This study examined the distribution of carbon sources in two anaerobic anoxic oxic (AAO) sewage treatment plants in Xi'an and investigated the transformation characteristics and utilization potential of slowly biodegradable organic matters (SBOM). Results indicated under anaerobic and aerobic conditions, SBOM could be transformed at a rate of 65% in 8h into more readily biologically utilizable substrates such as volatile fatty acids (VFAs), polysaccharides and proteins. Additionally, non-biodegradable humus-type substances which are difficult to biodegrade and readily accumulate, were also generated. These products could be further hydrolyzed to aldehyde and ketone compounds and then transformed into substances with significant oxygen-containing functional groups and utilized subsequently. The molecular weights of proteinoid substances had a wide distribution and tended to decrease over time. Long hours of microbial reaction increased the proportion of micromolecular substances. This particular increase generated significant bioavailability, which can greatly improve the efficiency of nitrogen removal. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A correlation between the cosmic microwave background and large-scale structure in the Universe.

PubMed

Boughn, Stephen; Crittenden, Robert

2004-01-01

Observations of distant supernovae and the fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) indicate that the expansion of the Universe may be accelerating under the action of a 'cosmological constant' or some other form of 'dark energy'. This dark energy now appears to dominate the Universe and not only alters its expansion rate, but also affects the evolution of fluctuations in the density of matter, slowing down the gravitational collapse of material (into, for example, clusters of galaxies) in recent times. Additional fluctuations in the temperature of CMB photons are induced as they pass through large-scale structures and these fluctuations are necessarily correlated with the distribution of relatively nearby matter. Here we report the detection of correlations between recent CMB data and two probes of large-scale structure: the X-ray background and the distribution of radio galaxies. These correlations are consistent with those predicted by dark energy, indicating that we are seeing the imprint of dark energy on the growth of structure in the Universe.

Radial dependence of the dark matter distribution in M33

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

López Fune, E.; Salucci, P.; Corbelli, E.

2017-06-01

The stellar and gaseous mass distributions, as well as the extended rotation curve, in the nearby galaxy M33 are used to derive the radial distribution of dark matter density in the halo and to test cosmological models of galaxy formation and evolution. Two methods are examined to constrain the dark mass density profiles. The first method deals directly with fitting the rotation curve data in the range of galactocentric distances 0.24 ≤ r ≤ 22.72 kpc. Using the results of collisionless Λ cold dark matter numerical simulations, we confirm that the Navarro-Frenkel-White (NFW) dark matter profile provides a better fit to the rotation curve data than the cored Burkert profile (BRK) profile. The second method relies on the local equation of centrifugal equilibrium and on the rotation curve slope. In the aforementioned range of distances, we fit the observed velocity profile, using a function that has a rational dependence on the radius, and we derive the slope of the rotation curve. Then, we infer the effective matter densities. In the radial range 9.53 ≤ r ≤ 22.72 kpc, the uncertainties induced by the luminous matter (stars and gas) become negligible, because the dark matter density dominates, and we can determine locally the radial distribution of dark matter. With this second method, we tested the NFW and BRK dark matter profiles and we can confirm that both profiles are compatible with the data, even though in this case the cored BRK density profile provides a more reasonable value for the baryonic-to-dark matter ratio.

Lignin signatures show the effects of changes in heather and bracken cover on the composition of organic matter in a moorland soil profile.

PubMed

Hetherington, S L; Anderson, J M

1998-11-01

Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) is aggressively displacing heather (Calluna vulgaris) on many moorlands in Britain. We investigated the use of lignin derivatives to identify the distribution of soil organic matter (SOM) derived from bracken in moorland soil profiles formed under heather. Phenylpropanoids extracted from recently senesced litters, roots and SOM, using alkaline CuO oxidation, showed distinct signatures for bracken and heather, with vanillyl moieties dominating bracken litter extracts and vanillyl and syringyl dominating heather litter extracts. Ratios of vanillyl and syringyl concentrations characterised the SOM derived from heather and bracken better than the concentrations of the individual moieties. The analysis showed up to a depth of 5 cm under pure bracken cover, and at the interface between heather and bracken, the SOM was largely derived from bracken litter but below that depth SOM was apparently derived from heather. The use of these methods to identify the plant origin of SOM not only enables understanding the effects of changing vegetation cover on organic matter dynamics in moorland soils but could also facilitate management techniques in moorland/heathland restoration which involve the removal of comparatively nutrient-rich SOM derived from bracken.

Transit-time and age distributions for nonlinear time-dependent compartmental systems.

PubMed

Metzler, Holger; Müller, Markus; Sierra, Carlos A

2018-02-06

Many processes in nature are modeled using compartmental systems (reservoir/pool/box systems). Usually, they are expressed as a set of first-order differential equations describing the transfer of matter across a network of compartments. The concepts of age of matter in compartments and the time required for particles to transit the system are important diagnostics of these models with applications to a wide range of scientific questions. Until now, explicit formulas for transit-time and age distributions of nonlinear time-dependent compartmental systems were not available. We compute densities for these types of systems under the assumption of well-mixed compartments. Assuming that a solution of the nonlinear system is available at least numerically, we show how to construct a linear time-dependent system with the same solution trajectory. We demonstrate how to exploit this solution to compute transit-time and age distributions in dependence on given start values and initial age distributions. Furthermore, we derive equations for the time evolution of quantiles and moments of the age distributions. Our results generalize available density formulas for the linear time-independent case and mean-age formulas for the linear time-dependent case. As an example, we apply our formulas to a nonlinear and a linear version of a simple global carbon cycle model driven by a time-dependent input signal which represents fossil fuel additions. We derive time-dependent age distributions for all compartments and calculate the time it takes to remove fossil carbon in a business-as-usual scenario.

Products Liability and Tort Risk Distribution in Government Contract Programs

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-09-30

IndemnityStatutes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126 E. Swine Flu Immunization Act. . . . . . . . . . . . .126 F. Teton Dam Act...handle 311 discovery and other preliminary matters. Litigation under the Swine Flu Act can be expected to continue for a number of years. F. Teton Dam ...Act On June 5, 1976, the Teton Dam collapsed in Idaho, killing 11 persons, injuring more than 100 -others and causing property 312 damage in excess of

[Distribution characteristics of dissolved oxygen and its affecting factors in the Pearl River Estuary during the summer of the extremely drought hydrological year 2011].

PubMed

Ye, Feng; Huang, Xiao-ping; Shi, Zhen; Liu, Qing-xi

2013-05-01

More and more attention has focused on assessing impacts of extreme hydrologic events on estuarine ecosystem under the background of climate change. Based on a summer cruise conducted in the Pearl River Estuary in 2011 (extreme drought event), we have investigated the spatial distribution of dissolved oxygen (DO) and its relationships to water column stability, nutrient concentrations, and organic matter; besides, the major reason which caused the oxygen depletion was discussed. Under the influence of the extreme drought event, low bottom water dissolved oxygen was apparent in regions characterized by great depths, with an oxygen minimum value of 1.38 mg x L(-1). Statistical analysis shows significant correlations among deltaDO, deltaT, deltaS and deltaPOC. A comparison was conducted to show the mechanisms of oxygen depletion during the summers of 1999, 2009 and 2011, respectively. The result indicates that prolonged residence time of water due to the extremely low discharge and the subsequently decomposition of organic substance are major factors causing the formation of hypoxia during the summer drought in 2011. Despite the changing nutrient and organic matter regime in the Pearl River Estuary, there was no apparent trend in the minimum values of DO over the past 2 decades.

Dark matter phenomenology of high-speed galaxy cluster collisions

DOE PAGES

Mishchenko, Yuriy; Ji, Chueng-Ryong

2017-07-29

Here, we perform a general computational analysis of possible post-collision mass distributions in high-speed galaxy cluster collisions in the presence of self-interacting dark matter. Using this analysis, we show that astrophysically weakly self-interacting dark matter can impart subtle yet measurable features in the mass distributions of colliding galaxy clusters even without significant disruptions to the dark matter halos of the colliding galaxy clusters themselves. Most profound such evidence is found to reside in the tails of dark matter halos’ distributions, in the space between the colliding galaxy clusters. Such features appear in our simulations as shells of scattered dark mattermore » expanding in alignment with the outgoing original galaxy clusters, contributing significant densities to projected mass distributions at large distances from collision centers and large scattering angles of up to 90°. Our simulations indicate that as much as 20% of the total collision’s mass may be deposited into such structures without noticeable disruptions to the main galaxy clusters. Such structures at large scattering angles are forbidden in purely gravitational high-speed galaxy cluster collisions.Convincing identification of such structures in real colliding galaxy clusters would be a clear indication of the self-interacting nature of dark matter. Our findings may offer an explanation for the ring-like dark matter feature recently identified in the long-range reconstructions of the mass distribution of the colliding galaxy cluster CL0024+017.« less

Dark matter phenomenology of high-speed galaxy cluster collisions

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

Mishchenko, Yuriy; Ji, Chueng-Ryong

Here, we perform a general computational analysis of possible post-collision mass distributions in high-speed galaxy cluster collisions in the presence of self-interacting dark matter. Using this analysis, we show that astrophysically weakly self-interacting dark matter can impart subtle yet measurable features in the mass distributions of colliding galaxy clusters even without significant disruptions to the dark matter halos of the colliding galaxy clusters themselves. Most profound such evidence is found to reside in the tails of dark matter halos’ distributions, in the space between the colliding galaxy clusters. Such features appear in our simulations as shells of scattered dark mattermore » expanding in alignment with the outgoing original galaxy clusters, contributing significant densities to projected mass distributions at large distances from collision centers and large scattering angles of up to 90°. Our simulations indicate that as much as 20% of the total collision’s mass may be deposited into such structures without noticeable disruptions to the main galaxy clusters. Such structures at large scattering angles are forbidden in purely gravitational high-speed galaxy cluster collisions.Convincing identification of such structures in real colliding galaxy clusters would be a clear indication of the self-interacting nature of dark matter. Our findings may offer an explanation for the ring-like dark matter feature recently identified in the long-range reconstructions of the mass distribution of the colliding galaxy cluster CL0024+017.« less

Simulations of galaxy cluster collisions with a dark plasma component

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spethmann, Christian; Veermäe, Hardi; Sepp, Tiit; Heikinheimo, Matti; Deshev, Boris; Hektor, Andi; Raidal, Martti

2017-12-01

Context. Dark plasma is an intriguing form of self-interacting dark matter with an effective fluid-like behavior, which is well motivated by various theoretical particle physics models. Aims: We aim to find an explanation for an isolated mass clump in the Abell 520 system, which cannot be explained by traditional models of dark matter, but has been detected in weak lensing observations. Methods: We performed N-body smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations of galaxy cluster collisions with a two component model of dark matter, which is assumed to consist of a predominant non-interacting dark matter component and a 10-40% mass fraction of dark plasma. Results: The mass of a possible dark clump was calculated for each simulation in a parameter scan over the underlying model parameters. In two higher resolution simulations shock-waves and Mach cones were observed to form in the dark plasma halos. Conclusions: By choosing suitable simulation parameters, the observed distributions of dark matter in both the Bullet cluster (1E 0657-558) and Abell 520 (MS 0451.5+0250) can be qualitatively reproduced. Movies associated to Figs. A.1 and A.2 are available at http://www.aanda.org

Profiles of White Matter Tract Pathology in Frontotemporal Dementia

PubMed Central

Mahoney, Colin J; Ridgway, Gerard R; Malone, Ian B; Downey, Laura E; Beck, Jonathan; Kinnunen, Kirsi M; Schmitz, Nicole; Golden, Hannah L; Rohrer, Jonathan D; Schott, Jonathan M; Rossor, Martin N; Ourselin, Sebastien; Mead, Simon; Fox, Nick C; Warren, Jason D

2014-01-01

Despite considerable interest in improving clinical and neurobiological characterisation of frontotemporal dementia and in defining the role of brain network disintegration in its pathogenesis, information about white matter pathway alterations in frontotemporal dementia remains limited. Here we investigated white matter tract damage using an unbiased, template-based diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) protocol in a cohort of 27 patients with the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) representing both major genetic and sporadic forms, in relation both to healthy individuals and to patients with Alzheimer's disease. Widespread white matter tract pathology was identified in the bvFTD group compared with both healthy controls and Alzheimer's disease group, with prominent involvement of uncinate fasciculus, cingulum bundle and corpus callosum. Relatively discrete and distinctive white matter profiles were associated with genetic subgroups of bvFTD associated with MAPT and C9ORF72 mutations. Comparing diffusivity metrics, optimal overall separation of the bvFTD group from the healthy control group was signalled using radial diffusivity, whereas optimal overall separation of the bvFTD group from the Alzheimer's disease group was signalled using fractional anisotropy. Comparing white matter changes with regional grey matter atrophy (delineated using voxel based morphometry) in the bvFTD cohort revealed co-localisation between modalities particularly in the anterior temporal lobe, however white matter changes extended widely beyond the zones of grey matter atrophy. Our findings demonstrate a distributed signature of white matter alterations that is likely to be core to the pathophysiology of bvFTD and further suggest that this signature is modulated by underlying molecular pathologies. PMID:24510641

Modeling The Distribution Of Dark Matter And Its Connection To Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Yao-Yuan

2016-06-01

Despite the mysterious nature of dark matter and dark energy, the Lambda-Cold Dark Matter (LCDM) model provides a reasonably accurate description of the evolution of the cosmos and the distribution of galaxies. Today, we are set to tackle more specific and quantitative questions about the galaxy formation physics, the nature of dark matter, and the connection between the dark and the visible components. The answers to these questions are however elusive, because dark matter is not directly observable, and various unknowns lie between what we can observe and what we can calculate. Hence, mathematical models that bridge the observable and the calculable are essential for the study of modern cosmology. The aim of my thesis work is to improve existing models and also to construct new models for various aspects of the dark matter distribution, as dark matter structures the cosmic web and forms the nests of visible galaxies. Utilizing a series of cosmological dark matter simulations which span a wide dynamical range and a statistical sample of zoom-in simulations which focus on individual dark matter halos, we develop models for the spatial and velocity distribution of dark matter particles, the abundance of dark substructures, and the empirical connection between dark matter and galaxies. As more precise observational results become available, more accurate models are then required to test the consistency between these results and the LCDM predictions. For all the models we investigate, we find that the formation history of dark matter halos always plays a crucial role. Neglecting the halo formation history would result in systematic biases when we interpret various observational results, including dark matter direct detection experiments, the detection of dark substructures with strong-lensed systems, the large-scale spatial clustering of galaxies, and the abundance of dwarf galaxies. Rectifying this, our work will enable us to fully utilize the complementary power of diverse observational datasets to test the LCDM model and to seek new physics.

VARIABILITY IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF LIPID BIOMARKERS AND THEIR MOLECULAR ISOTOPIC COMPOSITION IN ALTAMAHA ESTUARINE SEDIMENTS: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE RELATIVE CONTRIBUTION OF ORGANIC MATTER FROM VARIOUS SOURCES

EPA Science Inventory

The estuarine mixing zone is an effective trap for particulate and dissolved organic matter From many sources, and thus greatly affects transport and deposition of organic matter between the land and ocean. This study examined sedimentary distributions of various fatty acids and ...

Nuclear Pasta at Finite Temperature with the Time-Dependent Hartree-Fock Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuetrumpf, B.; Klatt, M. A.; Iida, K.; Maruhn, J. A.; Mecke, K.; Reinhard, P.-G.

2016-01-01

We present simulations of neutron-rich matter at sub-nuclear densities, like supernova matter. With the time-dependent Hartree-Fock approximation we can study the evolution of the system at temperatures of several MeV employing a full Skyrme interaction in a periodic three-dimensional grid [1]. The initial state consists of α particles randomly distributed in space that have a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution in momentum space. Adding a neutron background initialized with Fermi distributed plane waves the calculations reflect a reasonable approximation of astrophysical matter. The matter evolves into spherical, rod-like, connected rod-like and slab-like shapes. Further we observe gyroid-like structures, discussed e.g. in [2], which are formed spontaneously choosing a certain value of the simulation box length. The ρ-T-map of pasta shapes is basically consistent with the phase diagrams obtained from QMD calculations [3]. By an improved topological analysis based on Minkowski functionals [4], all observed pasta shapes can be uniquely identified by only two valuations, namely the Euler characteristic and the integral mean curvature. In addition we propose the variance in the cell-density distribution as a measure to distinguish pasta matter from uniform matter.

Dark Matter Profiles in Dwarf Galaxies: A Statistical Sample Using High-Resolution Hα Velocity Fields from PCWI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Relatores, Nicole C.; Newman, Andrew B.; Simon, Joshua D.; Ellis, Richard; Truong, Phuongmai N.; Blitz, Leo

2018-01-01

We present high quality Hα velocity fields for a sample of nearby dwarf galaxies (log M/M⊙ = 8.4-9.8) obtained as part of the Dark Matter in Dwarf Galaxies survey. The purpose of the survey is to investigate the cusp-core discrepancy by quantifying the variation of the inner slope of the dark matter distributions of 26 dwarf galaxies, which were selected as likely to have regular kinematics. The data were obtained with the Palomar Cosmic Web Imager, located on the Hale 5m telescope. We extract rotation curves from the velocity fields and use optical and infrared photometry to model the stellar mass distribution. We model the total mass distribution as the sum of a generalized Navarro-Frenk-White dark matter halo along with the stellar and gaseous components. We present the distribution of inner dark matter density profile slopes derived from this analysis. For a subset of galaxies, we compare our results to an independent analysis based on CO observations. In future work, we will compare the scatter in inner density slopes, as well as their correlations with galaxy properties, to theoretical predictions for dark matter core creation via supernovae feedback.

Detection of weak gravitational lensing distortions of distant galaxies by cosmic dark matter at large scales

PubMed

Wittman; Tyson; Kirkman; Dell'Antonio; Bernstein

2000-05-11

Most of the matter in the Universe is not luminous, and can be observed only through its gravitational influence on the appearance of luminous matter. Weak gravitational lensing is a technique that uses the distortions of the images of distant galaxies as a tracer of dark matter: such distortions are induced as the light passes through large-scale distributions of dark matter in the foreground. The patterns of the induced distortions reflect the density of mass along the line of sight and its distribution, and the resulting 'cosmic shear' can be used to distinguish between alternative cosmologies. But previous attempts to measure this effect have been inconclusive. Here we report the detection of cosmic shear on angular scales of up to half a degree using 145,000 galaxies and along three separate lines of sight. We find that the dark matter is distributed in a manner consistent with either an open universe, or a flat universe that is dominated by a cosmological constant. Our results are inconsistent with the standard cold-dark-matter model.

Empirical Determination of Dark Matter Velocities Using Metal-Poor Stars.

PubMed

Herzog-Arbeitman, Jonah; Lisanti, Mariangela; Madau, Piero; Necib, Lina

2018-01-26

The Milky Way dark matter halo is formed from the accretion of smaller subhalos. These sub-units also harbor stars-typically old and metal-poor-that are deposited in the Galactic inner regions by disruption events. In this Letter, we show that the dark matter and metal-poor stars in the Solar neighborhood share similar kinematics due to their common origin. Using the high-resolution eris simulation, which traces the evolution of both the dark matter and baryons in a realistic Milky Way analog galaxy, we demonstrate that metal-poor stars are indeed effective tracers for the local, virialized dark matter velocity distribution. The local dark matter velocities can therefore be inferred from observations of the stellar halo made by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey within 4 kpc of the Sun. This empirical distribution differs from the standard halo model in important ways and suggests that the bounds on the spin-independent scattering cross section may be weakened for dark matter masses below ∼10  GeV. Data from Gaia will allow us to further refine the expected distribution for the smooth dark matter component, and to test for the presence of local substructure.

Empirical Determination of Dark Matter Velocities Using Metal-Poor Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herzog-Arbeitman, Jonah; Lisanti, Mariangela; Madau, Piero; Necib, Lina

2018-01-01

The Milky Way dark matter halo is formed from the accretion of smaller subhalos. These sub-units also harbor stars—typically old and metal-poor—that are deposited in the Galactic inner regions by disruption events. In this Letter, we show that the dark matter and metal-poor stars in the Solar neighborhood share similar kinematics due to their common origin. Using the high-resolution eris simulation, which traces the evolution of both the dark matter and baryons in a realistic Milky Way analog galaxy, we demonstrate that metal-poor stars are indeed effective tracers for the local, virialized dark matter velocity distribution. The local dark matter velocities can therefore be inferred from observations of the stellar halo made by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey within 4 kpc of the Sun. This empirical distribution differs from the standard halo model in important ways and suggests that the bounds on the spin-independent scattering cross section may be weakened for dark matter masses below ˜10 GeV . Data from Gaia will allow us to further refine the expected distribution for the smooth dark matter component, and to test for the presence of local substructure.

Revealing the effect of edge contamination on vortex matter structure in a Nb single crystal with neutron diffraction techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanson, Helen; Wang, Xi; Luk, Michael; Shi, Jing; Ling, Xinsheng; Maranville, Brian; Majkrzak, Charles

2011-03-01

The vortex matter of type II superconductors provides a model system to study the effect of quenched random disorder on an elastic lattice, particularly in the framework of Bragg glass theory. Neutron scattering techniques are used to examine the structure of the vortex matter and to quantify the phase diagram. After measuring various thermal-magnetic histories, our data provided evidence for the edge contamination model in a Nb single crystal. Since surface oxidation is known to suppress the Bean-Livingston Surface barrier and the inhomogeneous distribution of surface impurities in Nb, we oxidize our sample surface and repeat our measurements. By comparing the data, we are able isolate the dynamic impact of the edge disorder from the static influence of bulk pinning. We discuss the various experimental obstacles in measuring the predicted Bragg glass state. We also report on Reverse Monte Carlo Refinement simulations modeling possible structures of our vortex matter. This research was supported by the U.S. DOE under grant DE- FG 02 - 07 ER46458.

Constraints on an annihilation signal from a core of constant dark matter density around the milky way center with H.E.S.S.

PubMed

Abramowski, A; Aharonian, F; Ait Benkhali, F; Akhperjanian, A G; Angüner, E O; Backes, M; Balenderan, S; Balzer, A; Barnacka, A; Becherini, Y; Becker Tjus, J; Berge, D; Bernhard, S; Bernlöhr, K; Birsin, E; Biteau, J; Böttcher, M; Boisson, C; Bolmont, J; Bordas, P; Bregeon, J; Brun, F; Brun, P; Bryan, M; Bulik, T; Carrigan, S; Casanova, S; Chadwick, P M; Chakraborty, N; Chalme-Calvet, R; Chaves, R C G; Chrétien, M; Colafrancesco, S; Cologna, G; Conrad, J; Couturier, C; Cui, Y; Davids, I D; Degrange, B; Deil, C; deWilt, P; Djannati-Ataï, A; Domainko, W; Donath, A; Drury, L O'C; Dubus, G; Dutson, K; Dyks, J; Dyrda, M; Edwards, T; Egberts, K; Eger, P; Espigat, P; Farnier, C; Fegan, S; Feinstein, F; Fernandes, M V; Fernandez, D; Fiasson, A; Fontaine, G; Förster, A; Füßling, M; Gabici, S; Gajdus, M; Gallant, Y A; Garrigoux, T; Giavitto, G; Giebels, B; Glicenstein, J F; Gottschall, D; Grondin, M-H; Grudzińska, M; Hadasch, D; Häffner, S; Hahn, J; Harris, J; Heinzelmann, G; Henri, G; Hermann, G; Hervet, O; Hillert, A; Hinton, J A; Hofmann, W; Hofverberg, P; Holler, M; Horns, D; Ivascenko, A; Jacholkowska, A; Jahn, C; Jamrozy, M; Janiak, M; Jankowsky, F; Jung-Richardt, I; Kastendieck, M A; Katarzyński, K; Katz, U; Kaufmann, S; Khélifi, B; Kieffer, M; Klepser, S; Klochkov, D; Kluźniak, W; Kolitzus, D; Komin, Nu; Kosack, K; Krakau, S; Krayzel, F; Krüger, P P; Laffon, H; Lamanna, G; Lefaucheur, J; Lefranc, V; Lemière, A; Lemoine-Goumard, M; Lenain, J-P; Lohse, T; Lopatin, A; Lu, C-C; Marandon, V; Marcowith, A; Marx, R; Maurin, G; Maxted, N; Mayer, M; McComb, T J L; Méhault, J; Meintjes, P J; Menzler, U; Meyer, M; Mitchell, A M W; Moderski, R; Mohamed, M; Morå, K; Moulin, E; Murach, T; de Naurois, M; Niemiec, J; Nolan, S J; Oakes, L; Odaka, H; Ohm, S; Opitz, B; Ostrowski, M; Oya, I; Panter, M; Parsons, R D; Paz Arribas, M; Pekeur, N W; Pelletier, G; Petrucci, P-O; Peyaud, B; Pita, S; Poon, H; Pühlhofer, G; Punch, M; Quirrenbach, A; Raab, S; Reichardt, I; Reimer, A; Reimer, O; Renaud, M; de Los Reyes, R; Rieger, F; Romoli, C; Rosier-Lees, S; Rowell, G; Rudak, B; Rulten, C B; Sahakian, V; Salek, D; Sanchez, D A; Santangelo, A; Schlickeiser, R; Schüssler, F; Schulz, A; Schwanke, U; Schwarzburg, S; Schwemmer, S; Sol, H; Spanier, F; Spengler, G; Spies, F; Stawarz, Ł; Steenkamp, R; Stegmann, C; Stinzing, F; Stycz, K; Sushch, I; Tavernet, J-P; Tavernier, T; Taylor, A M; Terrier, R; Tluczykont, M; Trichard, C; Valerius, K; van Eldik, C; van Soelen, B; Vasileiadis, G; Veh, J; Venter, C; Viana, A; Vincent, P; Vink, J; Völk, H J; Volpe, F; Vorster, M; Vuillaume, T; Wagner, S J; Wagner, P; Wagner, R M; Ward, M; Weidinger, M; Weitzel, Q; White, R; Wierzcholska, A; Willmann, P; Wörnlein, A; Wouters, D; Yang, R; Zabalza, V; Zaborov, D; Zacharias, M; Zdziarski, A A; Zech, A; Zechlin, H-S

2015-02-27

An annihilation signal of dark matter is searched for from the central region of the Milky Way. Data acquired in dedicated on-off observations of the Galactic center region with H.E.S.S. are analyzed for this purpose. No significant signal is found in a total of ∼9  h of on-off observations. Upper limits on the velocity averaged cross section, ⟨σv⟩, for the annihilation of dark matter particles with masses in the range of ∼300  GeV to ∼10  TeV are derived. In contrast to previous constraints derived from observations of the Galactic center region, the constraints that are derived here apply also under the assumption of a central core of constant dark matter density around the center of the Galaxy. Values of ⟨σv⟩ that are larger than 3×10^{-24}  cm^{3}/s are excluded for dark matter particles with masses between ∼1 and ∼4  TeV at 95% C.L. if the radius of the central dark matter density core does not exceed 500 pc. This is the strongest constraint that is derived on ⟨σv⟩ for annihilating TeV mass dark matter without the assumption of a centrally cusped dark matter density distribution in the search region.

Thematic mapper research in the earth sciences: Small scale patches of suspended matter and phytoplankton in the Elbe River Estuary, German Bight and Tidal Flats

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grassl, H.; Doerffer, R.; Fischer, J.; Brockmann, C.; Stoessel, M.

1987-01-01

A Thematic Mapper (TM) field experiment was followed by a data analysis to determine TM capabilities for analysis of suspended matter and phytoplankton. Factor analysis showed that suspended matter concentration, atmospheric scattering, and sea surface temperature can be retrieved as independent factors which determine the variation in the TM data over water areas. Spectral channels in the near infrared open the possibility of determining the Angstrom exponent better than for the coastal zone color scanner. The suspended matter distribution may then be calculated by the absolute radiance of channel 2 or 3 or the ratio of both. There is no indication of whether separation of chlorophyll is possible. The distribution of suspended matter and sea surface temperature can be observed with the expected fine structure. A good correlation between water depth and suspended matter distribution as found from ship data can now be analyzed for an entire area by the synoptic view of the TM scenes.

Dark matter directionality revisited with a high pressure xenon gas detector

DOE PAGES

Mohlabeng, Gopolang; Kong, Kyoungchul; Li, Jin; ...

2015-07-20

An observation of the anisotropy of dark matter interactions in a direction-sensitive detector would provide decisive evidence for the discovery of galactic dark matter. Directional information would also provide a crucial input to understanding its distribution in the local Universe. Most of the existing directional dark matter detectors utilize particle tracking methods in a low-pressure gas time projection chamber. These low pressure detectors require excessively large volumes in order to be competitive in the search for physics beyond the current limit. In order to avoid these volume limitations, we consider a novel proposal, which exploits a columnar recombination effect inmore » a high-pressure gas time projection chamber. The ratio of scintillation to ionization signals observed in the detector carries the angular information of the particle interactions. In this paper, we investigate the sensitivity of a future directional detector focused on the proposed high-pressure Xenon gas time projection chamber. We study the prospect of detecting an anisotropy in the dark matter velocity distribution. We find that tens of events are needed to exclude an isotropic distribution of dark matter interactions at 95% confidence level in the most optimistic case with head-to-tail information. However, one needs at least 10-20 times more events without head-to-tail information for light dark matter below ~50 GeV. For an intermediate mass range, we find it challenging to observe an anisotropy of the dark matter distribution. Our results also show that the directional information significantly improves precision measurements of dark matter mass and the elastic scattering cross section for a heavy dark matter.« less

Experimental evidence of stress-field-induced selection of variants in Ni-Mn-Ga ferromagnetic shape-memory alloys

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

Wang, Y. D.; Key Laboratory for Anisotropy and Texture of Materials; Brown, D. W.

2007-05-01

The in situ time-of-flight neutron-diffraction measurements captured well the martensitic transformation behavior of the Ni-Mn-Ga ferromagnetic shape-memory alloys under uniaxial stress fields. We found that a small uniaxial stress applied during phase transformation dramatically disturbed the distribution of variants in the product phase. The observed changes in the distributions of variants may be explained by considering the role of the minimum distortion energy of the Bain transformation in the effective partition among the variants belonging to the same orientation of parent phase. It was also found that transformation kinetics under various stress fields follows the scale law. The present investigationsmore » provide the fundamental approach for scaling the evolution of microstructures in martensitic transitions, which is of general interest to the condensed matter community.« less

Characterization of microscopic deformation through two-point spatial correlation functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Guan-Rong; Wu, Bin; Wang, Yangyang; Chen, Wei-Ren

2018-01-01

The molecular rearrangements of most fluids under flow and deformation do not directly follow the macroscopic strain field. In this work, we describe a phenomenological method for characterizing such nonaffine deformation via the anisotropic pair distribution function (PDF). We demonstrate how the microscopic strain can be calculated in both simple shear and uniaxial extension, by perturbation expansion of anisotropic PDF in terms of real spherical harmonics. Our results, given in the real as well as the reciprocal space, can be applied in spectrum analysis of small-angle scattering experiments and nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations of soft matter under flow.

Characterization of microscopic deformation through two-point spatial correlation functions.

PubMed

Huang, Guan-Rong; Wu, Bin; Wang, Yangyang; Chen, Wei-Ren

2018-01-01

The molecular rearrangements of most fluids under flow and deformation do not directly follow the macroscopic strain field. In this work, we describe a phenomenological method for characterizing such nonaffine deformation via the anisotropic pair distribution function (PDF). We demonstrate how the microscopic strain can be calculated in both simple shear and uniaxial extension, by perturbation expansion of anisotropic PDF in terms of real spherical harmonics. Our results, given in the real as well as the reciprocal space, can be applied in spectrum analysis of small-angle scattering experiments and nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations of soft matter under flow.

Mapping all the mass in the universe (with weak gravitational lensing) - Oral Presentation

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

Everett, Spencer

Recent discoveries have shown that most of the universe is made of an exotic dark matter that behaves much differently than the normal matter that we experience in everyday life. As we cannot detect dark matter directly, we must infer its location in the universe by indirect effects, such as the distortion of light from distant galaxies as it travels through large clouds of dark matter. While the degree of distortion should be proportional to the amount of dark matter present, we don't know the original shape of the galaxy so the distortion is difficult to quantify. If we hadmore » a model of how dark matter is linked to galaxies, and thus be able predict the amount of distortion that should occur, we could apply the model to galaxy surveys to map out the dark matter in our universe. In this research, I attach a spherical 'halo' of dark matter to each galaxy in a simulated universe to approximate its known complex dark matter structure. I then predict how the halos distort the light from distant galaxies generated behind the halos. As the data is simulated, the true distortion of the light is known which is compared to the halo-predicted distortion. I find that, on average, the model under-predicts the degree of distortion on all scales and fails to capture distortions from large-scale dark matter structure. These issues are likely due to missing features in the model, as the halo model is a greatly simplified version of the actual distribution of dark matter. Potential improvements to the model for future work are discussed.« less

Gravitational lensing in a cold dark matter universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Narayan, Ramesh; White, Simon D. M.

1988-01-01

Gravitational lensing due to mass condensations in a biased cold dark matter (CDM) universe is investigated using the Press-Schechter (1974) theory with density fluctuation amplitudes taken from previous N-body work. Under the critical assumption that CDM haloes have small core radii, a distribution of image angular separations for high-z lensed quasars with a peak at about 1 arcsec and a half-width of a factor of about 10. Allowing for selection effects at small angular separations, this is in good agreement with the observed separations. The estimated frequency of lensing is somewhat lower than that observed, but the discrepancy can be removed by invoking amplification bias and by making a small upward adjustment to the density fluctuation amplitudes assumed in the CDM model.

Dark matter in 3D

DOE PAGES

Alves, Daniele S. M.; El Hedri, Sonia; Wacker, Jay G.

2016-03-21

We discuss the relevance of directional detection experiments in the post-discovery era and propose a method to extract the local dark matter phase space distribution from directional data. The first feature of this method is a parameterization of the dark matter distribution function in terms of integrals of motion, which can be analytically extended to infer properties of the global distribution if certain equilibrium conditions hold. The second feature of our method is a decomposition of the distribution function in moments of a model independent basis, with minimal reliance on the ansatz for its functional form. We illustrate our methodmore » using the Via Lactea II N-body simulation as well as an analytical model for the dark matter halo. Furthermore, we conclude that O(1000) events are necessary to measure deviations from the Standard Halo Model and constrain or measure the presence of anisotropies.« less

Matter and charge distributions of 6He and 5,6,7,9Li within the dynamic-correlation model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomaselli, M.; Hjorth-Jensen, M.; Fritzsche, S.; Egelhof, P.; Neumaier, S. R.; Mutterer, M.; Kühl, T.; Dax, A.; Wang, H.

2000-12-01

The matter and the charge distributions of the 6He and 5,6,7,9Li isotopes are investigated within the dynamic-correlation model (DCM) which describes the ground states of light nuclei in terms of microscopic correlated clusters: the valence particles and the intrinsic vacuum states. The amplitudes of these mixed-mode wave functions are calculated in the framework of nonperturbative solutions of the equation of motion method (EOMM). The matter and charge mean square radii are in good agreement with experimental results. The calculated matter distribution of the 6He nucleus is characterized by a halo structure less pronounced than that calculated by the three cluster models. The charge distribution of 6Li reproduces well the electron scattering data. Good agreement with experimental data has been also achieved for the proton scattering cross sections of p-6He at an energy of 0.7 GeV/nucleon.

Simulation of concentration distribution of urban particles under wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yanghou; Yang, Hangsheng

2018-02-01

The concentration of particulate matter in the air is too high, which seriously affects people’s health. The concentration of particles in densely populated towns is also high. Understanding the distribution of particles in the air helps to remove them passively. The concentration distribution of particles in urban streets is simulated by using the FLUENT software. The simulation analysis based on Discrete Phase Modelling (DPM) of FLUENT. Simulation results show that the distribution of the particles is caused by different layout of buildings. And it is pointed out that in the windward area of the building and the leeward sides of the high-rise building are the areas with high concentration of particles. Understanding the concentration of particles in different areas is also helpful for people to avoid and reduce the concentration of particles in high concentration areas.

The metal-poor stellar halo in RAVE-TGAS and its implications for the velocity distribution of dark matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herzog-Arbeitman, Jonah; Lisanti, Mariangela; Necib, Lina

2018-04-01

The local velocity distribution of dark matter plays an integral role in interpreting the results from direct detection experiments. We previously showed that metal-poor halo stars serve as excellent tracers of the virialized dark matter velocity distribution using a high-resolution hydrodynamic simulation of a Milky Way-like halo. In this paper, we take advantage of the first Gaia data release, coupled with spectroscopic measurements from the RAdial Velocity Experiment (RAVE), to study the kinematics of stars belonging to the metal-poor halo within an average distance of ~5 kpc of the Sun. We study stars with iron abundances [Fe/H] < ‑1.5 and ‑1.8 that are located more than 1.5 kpc from the Galactic plane. Using a Gaussian mixture model analysis, we identify the stars that belong to the halo population, as well as some kinematic outliers. We find that both metallicity samples have similar velocity distributions for the halo component, within uncertainties. Assuming that the stellar halo velocities adequately trace the virialized dark matter, we study the implications for direct detection experiments. The Standard Halo Model, which is typically assumed for dark matter, is discrepant with the empirical distribution by ~6σ, predicts fewer high-speed particles, and is anisotropic. As a result, the Standard Halo Model overpredicts the nuclear scattering rate for dark matter masses below ~10 GeV. The kinematic outliers that we identify may potentially be correlated with dark matter substructure, though further study is needed to establish this correspondence.

Settling Efficiency of Urban Particulate Matter Transported by Stormwater Runoff.

PubMed

Carbone, Marco; Penna, Nadia; Piro, Patrizia

2015-09-01

The main purpose of control measures in urban areas is to retain particulate matter washed out by stormwater over impermeable surfaces. In stormwater control measures, particulate matter removal typically occurs via sedimentation. Settling column tests were performed to examine the settling efficiency of such units using monodisperse and heterodisperse particulate matter (for which the particle size distributions were measured and modelled by the cumulative gamma distribution). To investigate the dependence of settling efficiency from the particulate matter, a variant of the evolutionary polynomial regression (EPR), a Microsoft Excel function based on multi-objective EPR technique (EPR-MOGA), called EPR MOGA XL, was used as a data-mining strategy. The results from this study have shown that settling efficiency is a function of the initial total suspended solids (TSS) concentration and of the median diameter (d50 index), obtained from the particle size distributions (PSDs) of the samples.

Conserved actions, maximum entropy and dark matter haloes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pontzen, Andrew; Governato, Fabio

2013-03-01

We use maximum entropy arguments to derive the phase-space distribution of a virialized dark matter halo. Our distribution function gives an improved representation of the end product of violent relaxation. This is achieved by incorporating physically motivated dynamical constraints (specifically on orbital actions) which prevent arbitrary redistribution of energy. We compare the predictions with three high-resolution dark matter simulations of widely varying mass. The numerical distribution function is accurately predicted by our argument, producing an excellent match for the vast majority of particles. The remaining particles constitute the central cusp of the halo (≲4 per cent of the dark matter). They can be accounted for within the presented framework once the short dynamical time-scales of the centre are taken into account.

A model for the distribution of dark matter, galaxies, and the intergalactic medium in a cold dark matter-dominated universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryu, Dongsu; Vishniac, Ethan T.; Chiang, Wei-Hwan

1989-01-01

The spatial distribution of the cold-dark-matter (CDM) and baryonic components of CDM-dominated cosmological models are characterized, summarizing the results of recent theoretical investigations. The evolution and distribution of matter in an Einstein-de Sitter universe on length scales small enough so that the Newtonian approximation is valid is followed chronologically, assuming (1) that the galaxies, CDM, and the intergalactic medium (IGM) are coupled by gravity, (2) that galaxies form by taking mass and momentum from the IGM, and (3) that the IGM responds to the energy input from the galaxies. The results of the numerical computations are presented in extensive graphs and discussed in detail.

Strategies for Augmentation Initiatives for Leadership Self-Development Program

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-08-01

sensitive to ethical matters. Leaders must not tolerate unethical behavior by subordinates, peers, or superic s. This can be an area of great ambiguity, if... planned with the intent of the reader becoming reliably informed and conversant with the topic, while maintaining a high level of motivation and interest...Soc;it Sciences Distribution Is restricted. U.S. ARMY RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR THE BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES A Field Operating Agency Under the

Do political factors matter in explaining under- and overweight outcomes in developing countries?

PubMed Central

Fumagalli, Elena; Mentzakis, Emmanouil; Suhrcke, Marc

2013-01-01

We construct a rich dataset covering 47 developing countries over the years 1990–2007, combining several micro and macro level data sources to explore the link between political factors and body mass index (BMI). We implement a heteroskedastic generalized ordered logit model allowing for different covariate effects across the BMI distribution and accounting for the unequal BMI dispersion by geographical area. We find that systems with democratic qualities are more likely to reduce under-weight, but increase overweight/obesity, whereas effective political competition does entail double-benefits in the form of reducing both under-weight and obesity. Our results are robust to the introduction of country fixed effects. PMID:24795523

Too hot to handle? Analytic solutions for massive neutrino or warm dark matter cosmologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slepian, Zachary; Portillo, Stephen K. N.

2018-05-01

We obtain novel closed-form solutions to the Friedmann equation for cosmological models containing a component whose equation of state is that of radiation (w = 1/3) at early times and that of cold pressureless matter (w = 0) at late times. The equation of state smoothly transitions from the early to late-time behavior and exactly describes the evolution of a species with a Dirac Delta function distribution in momentum magnitudes |p_0| (i.e. all particles have the same |p_0|). Such a component, here termed "hot matter", is an approximate model for both neutrinos and warm dark matter. We consider it alone and in combination with cold matter and with radiation, also obtaining closed-form solutions for the growth of super-horizon perturbations in each case. The idealized model recovers t(a) to better than 1.5% accuracy for all a relative to a Fermi-Dirac distribution (as describes neutrinos). We conclude by adding the second moment of the distribution to our exact solution and then generalizing to include all moments of an arbitrary momentum distribution in a closed-form solution.

Too hot to handle? Analytic solutions for massive neutrino or warm dark matter cosmologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slepian, Zachary; Portillo, Stephen K. N.

2018-07-01

We obtain novel closed-form solutions to the Friedmann equation for cosmological models containing a component whose equation of state is that of radiation (w = 1/3) at early times and that of cold pressureless matter (w= 0) at late times. The equation of state smoothly transitions from the early- to late-time behaviour and exactly describes the evolution of a species with a Dirac delta function distribution in momentum magnitudes |{p}_0| (i.e. all particles have the same |{p}_0|). Such a component, here termed `hot matter', is an approximate model for both neutrinos and warm dark matter. We consider it alone and in combination with cold matter and with radiation, also obtaining closed-form solutions for the growth of superhorizon perturbations in each case. The idealized model recovers t(a) to better than 1.5 per cent accuracy for all a relative to a Fermi-Dirac distribution (as describes neutrinos). We conclude by adding the second moment of the distribution to our exact solution and then generalizing to include all moments of an arbitrary momentum distribution in a closed-form solution.

Aerodynamic size distribution of suspended particulate matter in the ambient air in the city of Cleveland, Ohio

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leibecki, H. F.; King, R. B.; Fordyce, J. S.

1974-01-01

The City of Cleveland Division of Air Pollution Control and NASA jointly investigated the chemical and physical characteristics of the suspended particulate matter in Cleveland, and as part of the program, measurements of the particle size distribution of ambient air samples at five urban locations during August and September 1972 were made using high-volume cascade impactions. The distributions were evaluated for lognormality, and the mass median diameters were compared between locations and as a function of resultant wind direction. Junge-type distributions were consistent with dirty continental aerosols. About two-thirds of the suspended particulate matter observed in Cleveland is less than 7 microns in diameter.

The dark matter distribution of M87 and NGC 1399

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsai, John C.

1993-01-01

Recent X-ray observations of clusters of galaxies indicate that, outside the innermost about 100 kpc region, the ratio of dark matter density to baryonic matter density declines with radius. We show that this result is consistent with a cold dark matter simulation, suggesting the presence of dissipationless dark matter in the observed clusters. This is contrary to previous suggestions that dissipational baryonic dark matter is required to explain the decline in the density ratio. The simulation further shows that, in the inner 100 kpc region, the density ratio should rise with radius. We confirm this property in M87 and NGC 1399, which are close enough to allow the determination of the density ratio in the required inner region. X-ray mappings of the dark matter distribution in clusters of galaxies are therefore consistent with the presence of dissipationless dark matter.

Potential effect of fiddler crabs on organic matter distribution: A combined laboratory and field experimental approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Natálio, Luís F.; Pardo, Juan C. F.; Machado, Glauco B. O.; Fortuna, Monique D.; Gallo, Deborah G.; Costa, Tânia M.

2017-01-01

Bioturbators play a key role in estuarine environments by modifying the availability of soil elements, which in turn may affect other organisms. Despite the importance of bioturbators, few studies have combined both field and laboratory experiments to explore the effects of bioturbators on estuarine soils. Herein, we assessed the bioturbation potential of fiddler crabs Leptuca leptodactyla and Leptuca uruguayensis in laboratory and field experiments, respectively. We evaluated whether the presence of fiddler crabs resulted in vertical transport of sediment, thereby altering organic matter (OM) distribution. Under laboratory conditions, the burrowing activity by L. leptodactyla increased the OM content in sediment surface. In the long-term field experiment with areas of inclusion and exclusion of L. uruguayensis, we did not observe influence of this fiddler crab in the vertical distribution of OM. Based on our results, we suggest that small fiddler crabs, such as the species used in these experiments, are potentially capable of alter their environment by transporting sediment and OM but such effects may be masked by environmental drivers and spatial heterogeneity under natural conditions. This phenomenon may be related to the small size of these species, which affects how much sediment is transported, along with the way OM interacts with biogeochemical and physical processes. Therefore, the net effect of these burrowing organisms is likely to be the result of a complex interaction with other environmental factors. In this sense, we highlight the importance of performing simultaneous field and laboratory experiments in order to better understanding the role of burrowing animals as bioturbators.

Multiple sclerosis deep grey matter: the relation between demyelination, neurodegeneration, inflammation and iron.

PubMed

Haider, Lukas; Simeonidou, Constantina; Steinberger, Günther; Hametner, Simon; Grigoriadis, Nikolaos; Deretzi, Georgia; Kovacs, Gabor G; Kutzelnigg, Alexandra; Lassmann, Hans; Frischer, Josa M

2014-12-01

In multiple sclerosis (MS), diffuse degenerative processes in the deep grey matter have been associated with clinical disabilities. We performed a systematic study in MS deep grey matter with a focus on the incidence and topographical distribution of lesions in relation to white matter and cortex in a total sample of 75 MS autopsy patients and 12 controls. In addition, detailed analyses of inflammation, acute axonal injury, iron deposition and oxidative stress were performed. MS deep grey matter was affected by two different processes: the formation of focal demyelinating lesions and diffuse neurodegeneration. Deep grey matter demyelination was most prominent in the caudate nucleus and hypothalamus and could already be seen in early MS stages. Lesions developed on the background of inflammation. Deep grey matter inflammation was intermediate between low inflammatory cortical lesions and active white matter lesions. Demyelination and neurodegeneration were associated with oxidative injury. Iron was stored primarily within oligodendrocytes and myelin fibres and released upon demyelination. In addition to focal demyelinated plaques, the MS deep grey matter also showed diffuse and global neurodegeneration. This was reflected by a global reduction of neuronal density, the presence of acutely injured axons, and the accumulation of oxidised phospholipids and DNA in neurons, oligodendrocytes and axons. Neurodegeneration was associated with T cell infiltration, expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase in microglia and profound accumulation of iron. Thus, both focal lesions as well as diffuse neurodegeneration in the deep grey matter appeared to contribute to the neurological disabilities of MS patients. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Geospatial risk assessment and trace element concentration in reef associated sediments, northern part of Gulf of Mannar biosphere reserve, Southeast Coast of India.

PubMed

Krishnakumar, S; Ramasamy, S; Simon Peter, T; Godson, Prince S; Chandrasekar, N; Magesh, N S

2017-12-15

Fifty two surface sediments were collected from the northern part of the Gulf of Mannar biosphere reserve to assess the geospatial risk of sediments. We found that distribution of organic matter and CaCO 3 distributions were locally controlled by the mangrove litters and fragmented coral debris. In addition, Fe and Mn concentrations in the marine sediments were probably supplied through the riverine input and natural processes. The Geo-accumulation of elements fall under the uncontaminated category except Pb. Lead show a wide range of contamination from uncontaminated-moderately contaminated to extremely contaminated category. The sediment toxicity level of the elements revealed that the majority of the sediments fall under moderately to highly polluted sediments (23.07-28.84%). The grades of potential ecological risk suggest that predominant sediments fall under low to moderate risk category (55.7-32.7%). The accumulation level of trace elements clearly suggests that the coral reef ecosystem is under low to moderate risk. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ISW-galaxy cross correlation: a probe of dark energy clustering and distribution of dark matter tracers

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

Khosravi, Shahram; Mollazadeh, Amir; Baghram, Shant, E-mail: khosravi_sh@khu.ac.ir, E-mail: amirmollazadeh@khu.ac.ir, E-mail: baghram@sharif.edu

2016-09-01

Cross correlation of the Integrated Sachs-Wolfe signal (ISW) with the galaxy distribution in late time is a promising tool for constraining the dark energy properties. Here, we study the effect of dark energy clustering on the ISW-galaxy cross correlation and demonstrate the fact that the bias parameter between the distribution of the galaxies and the underlying dark matter introduces a degeneracy and complications. We argue that as the galaxy's host halo formation time is different from the observation time, we have to consider the evolution of the halo bias parameter. It will be shown that any deviation from ΛCDM modelmore » will change the evolution of the bias as well. Therefore, it is deduced that the halo bias depends strongly on the sub-sample of galaxies which is chosen for cross correlation and that the joint kernel of ISW effect and the galaxy distribution has a dominant effect on the observed signal. In this work, comparison is made specifically between the clustered dark energy models using two samples of galaxies. The first one is a sub-sample of galaxies from Sloan Digital Sky Survey, chosen with the r-band magnitude 18 < r < 21 and the dark matter halo host of mass M ∼10{sup 12} M {sub ⊙} and formation redshift of z {sub f} ∼ 2.5. The second one is the sub-sample of Luminous Red galaxies with the dark matter halo hosts of mass M ∼ 10{sup 13} M {sub ⊙} and formation redshift of z {sub f} ∼ 2.0. Using the evolved bias we improve the χ{sup 2} for the ΛCDM which reconciles the ∼1σ-2σ tension of the ISW-galaxy signal with ΛCDM prediction. Finally, we study the parameter estimation of a dark energy model with free parameters w {sub 0} and w {sub a} in the equation of state w {sub de} = w {sub 0} + w {sub az} /(1+ z ) with the constant bias parameter and also with an evolved bias model with free parameters of galaxy's host halo mass and the halo formation redshift.« less

Time-Dependent Hartree-Fock Approach to Nuclear Pasta at Finite Temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuetrumpf, B.; Klatt, M. A.; Iida, K.; Maruhn, J. A.; Mecke, K.; Reinhard, P.-G.

2013-03-01

We present simulations of neutron-rich matter at subnuclear densities, like supernova matter, with the time-dependent Hartree-Fock approximation at temperatures of several MeV. The initial state consists of α particles randomly distributed in space that have a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution in momentum space. Adding a neutron background initialized with Fermi distributed plane waves the calculations reflect a reasonable approximation of astrophysical matter. This matter evolves into spherical, rod-like, and slab-like shapes and mixtures thereof. The simulations employ a full Skyrme interaction in a periodic three-dimensional grid. By an improved morphological analysis based on Minkowski functionals, all eight pasta shapes can be uniquely identified by the sign of only two valuations, namely the Euler characteristic and the integral mean curvature.

Microstructural Abnormalities Were Found in Brain Gray Matter from Patients with Chronic Myofascial Pain

PubMed Central

Xie, Peng; Qin, Bangyong; Song, Ganjun; Zhang, Yi; Cao, Song; Yu, Jin; Wu, Jianjiang; Wang, Jiang; Zhang, Tijiang; Zhang, Xiaoming; Yu, Tian; Zheng, Hong

2016-01-01

Myofascial pain, presented as myofascial trigger points (MTrPs)-related pain, is a common, chronic disease involving skeletal muscle, but its underlying mechanisms have been poorly understood. Previous studies have revealed that chronic pain can induce microstructural abnormalities in the cerebral gray matter. However, it remains unclear whether the brain gray matters of patients with chronic MTrPs-related pain undergo alteration. In this study, we employed the Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging (DKI) technique, which is particularly sensitive to brain microstructural perturbation, to monitor the MTrPs-related microstructural alterations in brain gray matter of patients with chronic pain. Our results revealed that, in comparison with the healthy controls, patients with chronic myofascial pain exhibited microstructural abnormalities in the cerebral gray matter and these lesions were mainly distributed in the limbic system and the brain areas involved in the pain matrix. In addition, we showed that microstructural abnormalities in the right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) had a significant negative correlation with the course of disease and pain intensity. The results of this study demonstrated for the first time that there are microstructural abnormalities in the brain gray matter of patients with MTrPs-related chronic pain. Our findings may provide new insights into the future development of appropriate therapeutic strategies to this disease. PMID:28066193

Dark matter subhalos and unidentified sources in the Fermi 3FGL source catalog

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

Schoonenberg, Djoeke; Gaskins, Jennifer; Bertone, Gianfranco

2016-05-01

If dark matter consists of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), dark matter subhalos in the Milky Way could be detectable as gamma-ray point sources due to WIMP annihilation. In this work, we perform an updated study of the detectability of dark matter subhalos as gamma-ray sources with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (Fermi LAT). We use the results of the Via Lactea II simulation, scaled to the Planck 2015 cosmological parameters, to predict the local dark matter subhalo distribution. Under optimistic assumptions for the WIMP parameters—a 40 GeV particle annihilating to b b-bar with a thermal cross-section, as required tomore » explain the Galactic center GeV excess—we predict that at most ∼ 10 subhalos might be present in the third Fermi LAT source catalog (3FGL). This is a smaller number than has been predicted by prior studies, and we discuss the origin of this difference. We also compare our predictions for the detectability of subhalos with the number of subhalo candidate sources in 3FGL, and derive upper limits on the WIMP annihilation cross-section as a function of the particle mass. If a dark matter interpretation could be excluded for all 3FGL sources, our constraints would be competitive with those found by indirect searches using other targets, such as known Milky Way satellite galaxies.« less

Permafrost and land cover as controlling factors for light fraction organic matter on the southern Qinghai-Tibetan plateau.

PubMed

Wu, Xiaodong; Zhao, Lin; Hu, Guojie; Liu, Guimin; Li, Wangping; Ding, Yongjian

2018-02-01

Permafrost degradation can stimulate the decomposition of organic soil matter and cause a large amount of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. The light fraction organic matter (LFOM) is a labile substrate for microbial decomposition and probably plays an important role in future permafrost carbon cycles. However, little is known about the distribution of LFOM and its relationship with permafrost and environmental factors. Here, we investigated the light fraction carbon (LFC) and nitrogen (LFN) contents and stocks under meadows and wet meadows with different permafrost conditions on the southern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Our results showed that LFC and LFN were mainly distributed in the upper 30cm of soils, and the sites with permafrost had significantly higher contents of LFC and LFN than those from the sites without existing permafrost. The LFC and LFN decreased sharply with depth, suggesting that the soil organic matter (SOM) in this area was highly decomposed in deep soils. Soil moisture and bulk density explained approximately 50% of the variances in LFC and LFN for all the sampling sites, while soil moisture explained approximately 30% of the variance in permafrost sites. Both the C:N ratios and LFC:LFN ratios in the sites with permafrost were higher than those in the sites without permafrost. The results suggested that the permafrost and land cover types are the main factors controlling LFOM content and stock, and that permafrost degradation would lead to a decrease of LFOM and soil C:N ratios, thus accelerating the decomposition of SOM. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dynamical effects of dark matter in systems of galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Navarro, J. F.; Garcia Lambas, D.; Sersic, J. L.

1986-06-01

Several N-body experiments were performed in order to simulate the dynamical behavior of systems of galaxies gravitationally dominated by a massive dark background. Mass estimates from the dynamics of the luminous component under the influence of such a background are discussed, assuming a constant dark/luminous mass ratio and plausible physical conditions. Previous studies (Smith, 1980, 1984) about the dependence of the virial theorem mass on the relative distributions of dark and luminous matter (Limber, 1959) are extended. It is found that the observed ratio of the virial theorem mass to luminosity in systems of galaxies of different sizes could be the result of different stages of their postvirialisation evolution as previously suggested by White and Rees (1978) and Barnes (1983). This evolution is mainly the result of the dynamical friction that dark matter exerts on the luminous component. Thus the results give support to the idea that compact groups of galaxies are dynamically more evolved than large clusters, which is expected from the 'hierarchical cluster' picture for the formation of such structures.

[Effects of irrigation and planting pattern on winter wheat water consumption characteristics and dry matter production].

PubMed

Dong, Hao; Chen, Yu-Hai; Zhou, Xun-Bo

2013-07-01

Taking high-yield winter wheat cultivar 'Jimai 22' as test material, a field experiment was conducted in 2008-2010 to study the effects of different irrigation and planting modes on the water consumption characteristics and dry matter accumulation and distribution of winter wheat. Three planting patterns (uniform row, wide-narrow row, and furrow) and four irrigation schedules (no irrigation, W0; irrigation at jointing stage, W1; irrigation at jointing and anthesis stages, W2; and irrigation at jointing, anthesis, and milking stages, W3; with 60 mm per irrigation) were installed. With increasing amount of irrigation, the total water consumption and the ratio of irrigation water to total water consumption under different planting patterns all increased, while the soil water consumption and its ratio to total water consumption decreased significantly. As compared with W0, the other three irrigation schedules had a higher dry matter accumulation after anthesis and a higher grain yield, but a lower water use efficiency (WUE). Under the same irrigation schedules, furrow pattern had higher water consumption ratio, grain yield, and WUE. Taking the grain yield and WUE into consideration, furrow pattern combined with irrigation at jointing and anthesis stages would be the optimal water-saving and planting modes for the winter wheat production in North China Plain.

Effects of retorting factors on combustion properties of shale char. 3. Distribution of residual organic matters.

PubMed

Han, Xiangxin; Jiang, Xiumin; Cui, Zhigang; Liu, Jianguo; Yan, Junwei

2010-03-15

Shale char, formed in retort furnaces of oil shale, is classified as a dangerous waste containing several toxic compounds. In order to retort oil shale to produce shale oil as well as treat shale char efficiently and in an environmentally friendly way, a novel kind of comprehensive utilization system was developed to use oil shale for shale oil production, electricity generation (shale char fired) and the extensive application of oil shale ash. For exploring the combustion properties of shale char further, in this paper organic matters within shale chars obtained under different retorting conditions were extracted and identified using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method. Subsequently, the effects of retorting factors, including retorting temperature, residence time, particle size and heating rate, were analyzed in detail. As a result, a retorting condition with a retorting temperature of 460-490 degrees C, residence time of <40 min and a middle particle size was recommended for both keeping nitrogenous organic matters and aromatic hydrocarbons in shale char and improving the yield and quality of shale oil. In addition, shale char obtained under such retorting condition can also be treated efficiently using a circulating fluidized bed technology with fractional combustion. (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nucleon effective E-mass in neutron-rich matter from the Migdal–Luttinger jump

DOE PAGES

Cai, Bao-Jun; Li, Bao-An

2016-03-25

The well-known Migdal-Luttinger theorem states that the jump of the single-nucleon momentum distribution at the Fermi surface is equal to the inverse of the nucleon effective E-mass. Recent experiments studying short-range correlations (SRC) in nuclei using electron-nucleus scatterings at the Jefferson National Laboratory (JLAB) together with model calculations constrained significantly the Migdal-Luttinger jump at saturation density of nuclear matter. We show that the corresponding nucleon effective E-mass is consequently constrained to M-0(*,E)/M approximate to 2.22 +/- 0.35 in symmetric nuclear matter (SNM) and the E-mass of neutrons is smaller than that of protons in neutron-rich matter. Moreover, the average depletionmore » of the nucleon Fermi sea increases (decreases) approximately linearly with the isospin asymmetry delta according to kappa(p/n) approximate to 0.21 +/- 0.06 +/- (0.19 +/- 0.08)delta for protons (neutrons). These results will help improve our knowledge about the space-time non-locality of the single-nucleon potential in neutron-rich nucleonic matter Useful in both nuclear physics and astrophysics. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Funded by SCOAP(3).« less

Life Support Filtration System Trade Study for Deep Space Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agui, Juan H.; Perry, Jay L.

2017-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administrations (NASA) technical developments for highly reliable life support systems aim to maximize the viability of long duration deep space missions. Among the life support system functions, airborne particulate matter filtration is a significant driver of launch mass because of the large geometry required to provide adequate filtration performance and because of the number of replacement filters needed to a sustain a mission. A trade analysis incorporating various launch, operational and maintenance parameters was conducted to investigate the trade-offs between the various particulate matter filtration configurations. In addition to typical launch parameters such as mass, volume and power, the amount of crew time dedicated to system maintenance becomes an increasingly crucial factor for long duration missions. The trade analysis evaluated these parameters for conventional particulate matter filtration technologies and a new multi-stage particulate matter filtration system under development by NASAs Glenn Research Center. The multi-stage filtration system features modular components that allow for physical configuration flexibility. Specifically, the filtration system components can be configured in distributed, centralized, and hybrid physical layouts that can result in considerable mass savings compared to conventional particulate matter filtration technologies. The trade analysis results are presented and implications for future transit and surface missions are discussed.

Dry matter and energy partitioning in plants under climatic stress

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

Bolhar-Nordenkampf, H.R.; Postl, W.F.; Meister, M.H.

1996-12-31

During ontogenesis plants distribute assimilates quite differently among their organs depending on the environmental conditions. In case of high sink capacity energetically cheap storing compounds such as carbohydrates and/or organic acids are formed, whereas during periods with low demand proteins and lipids may be accumulated. Besides ontogenesis, drought and increased CO{sub 2} are able to modify sink capacity and by this transients in the partitioning pattern of carbon are induced. Plants, well adapted to several dry seasons during the year are able to allocate carbon predominantly to below ground organs. During this period many leaves become senescent. In any casemore » stems and remaining green leaves will loose dry matter and energy. With 80% of plants under investigation CO{sub 2} enrichment was shown to induce an enforced allocation of carbon to below ground organs. Roots and Rhizomes, beets and tubers act as a sink for the additionally fixed carbon. It was demonstrated that sink capacity is controlling photosynthetic activity. With respect to agricultural production, to ecosystems and to single plants, climatic change will modify productivity and plants distribution pattern as a consequence of quite different metabolic changes. These responses are depending on the effect of natural and anthropogenic stress factors on the use of enhanced CO{sub 2} and on the allocation of additionally formed assimilates.« less

Compression and release dynamics of an active matter system of Euglena gracilis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lam, Amy; Tsang, Alan C. H.; Ouellette, Nicholas; Riedel-Kruse, Ingmar

Active matter, defined as ensembles of self-propelled particles, encompasses a large variety of systems at all scales, from nanoparticles to bird flocks. Though various models and simulations have been created to describe the dynamics of these systems, experimental verification has been difficult to obtain. This is frequently due to the complex interaction rules which govern the particle behavior, in turn making systematic varying of parameters impossible. Here, we propose a model for predicting the system evolution of compression and release of an active system based on experiments and simulations. In particular, we consider ensembles of the unicellular, photo-responsive algae, Euglena gracilis, under light stimulation. By varying the spatiotemporal light patterns, we are able to finely adjust cell densities and achieve arbitrary non-homogeneous distributions, including compression into high-density aggregates of varying geometries. We observe the formation of depletion zones after the release of the confining stimulus and investigate the effects of the density distribution and particle rotational noise on the depletion. These results provide implications for defining state parameters which determine system evolution.

Big Data of the Cosmic Web

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitaura, Francisco-Shu

2016-10-01

One of the main goals in cosmology is to understand how the Universe evolves, how it forms structures, why it expands, and what is the nature of dark matter and dark energy. Next decade large and expensive observational projects will bring information on the structure and the distribution of many millions of galaxies at different redshifts enabling us to make great progress in answering these questions. However, these data require a very special and complex set of analysis tools to extract the maximum valuable information. Statistical inference techniques are being developed, bridging the gaps between theory, simulations, and observations. In particular, we discuss the efforts to address the question: What is the underlying nonlinear matter distribution and dynamics at any cosmic time corresponding to a set of observed galaxies in redshift space? An accurate reconstruction of the initial conditions encodes the full phase-space information at any later cosmic time (given a particular structure formation model and a set of cosmological parameters). We present advances to solve this problem in a self-consistent way with Big Data techniques of the Cosmic Web.

Sources and distribution of aromatic hydrocarbons in a tropical marine protected area estuary under influence of sugarcane cultivation.

PubMed

Arruda-Santos, Roxanny Helen de; Schettini, Carlos Augusto França; Yogui, Gilvan Takeshi; Maciel, Daniele Claudino; Zanardi-Lamardo, Eliete

2018-05-15

Goiana estuary is a well preserved marine protected area (MPA) located on the northeastern coast of Brazil. Despite its current state, human activities in the watershed represent a potential threat to long term local preservation. Dissolved/dispersed aromatic hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in water and sediments across the estuarine salt gradient. Concentration of aromatic hydrocarbons was low in all samples. According to results, aromatic hydrocarbons are associated to suspended particulate matter (SPM) carried to the estuary by river waters. An estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM) was identified in the upper estuary, indicating that both sediments and contaminants are trapped prior to an occasional export to the adjacent sea. PAHs distribution in sediments were associated with organic matter and mud content. Diagnostic ratios indicated pyrolytic processes as the main local source of PAHs that are probably associated with sugarcane burning and combustion engines. Low PAH concentrations probably do not cause adverse biological effects to the local biota although their presence indicate anthropogenic contamination and pressure on the Goiana estuary MPA. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Limits on spin-dependent WIMP-nucleon cross sections from the XENON10 experiment.

PubMed

Angle, J; Aprile, E; Arneodo, F; Baudis, L; Bernstein, A; Bolozdynya, A; Coelho, L C C; Dahl, C E; DeViveiros, L; Ferella, A D; Fernandes, L M P; Fiorucci, S; Gaitskell, R J; Giboni, K L; Gomez, R; Hasty, R; Kastens, L; Kwong, J; Lopes, J A M; Madden, N; Manalaysay, A; Manzur, A; McKinsey, D N; Monzani, M E; Ni, K; Oberlack, U; Orboeck, J; Plante, G; Santorelli, R; dos Santos, J M F; Shagin, P; Shutt, T; Sorensen, P; Schulte, S; Winant, C; Yamashita, M

2008-08-29

XENON10 is an experiment to directly detect weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), which may comprise the bulk of the nonbaryonic dark matter in our Universe. We report new results for spin-dependent WIMP-nucleon interactions with 129Xe and 131Xe from 58.6 live days of operation at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso. Based on the nonobservation of a WIMP signal in 5.4 kg of fiducial liquid xenon mass, we exclude previously unexplored regions in the theoretically allowed parameter space for neutralinos. We also exclude a heavy Majorana neutrino with a mass in the range of approximately 10 GeV/c2-2 TeV/c2 as a dark matter candidate under standard assumptions for its density and distribution in the galactic halo.

A Sparse Bayesian Learning Algorithm for White Matter Parameter Estimation from Compressed Multi-shell Diffusion MRI.

PubMed

Pisharady, Pramod Kumar; Sotiropoulos, Stamatios N; Sapiro, Guillermo; Lenglet, Christophe

2017-09-01

We propose a sparse Bayesian learning algorithm for improved estimation of white matter fiber parameters from compressed (under-sampled q-space) multi-shell diffusion MRI data. The multi-shell data is represented in a dictionary form using a non-monoexponential decay model of diffusion, based on continuous gamma distribution of diffusivities. The fiber volume fractions with predefined orientations, which are the unknown parameters, form the dictionary weights. These unknown parameters are estimated with a linear un-mixing framework, using a sparse Bayesian learning algorithm. A localized learning of hyperparameters at each voxel and for each possible fiber orientations improves the parameter estimation. Our experiments using synthetic data from the ISBI 2012 HARDI reconstruction challenge and in-vivo data from the Human Connectome Project demonstrate the improvements.

[Changes in vegetation and soil characteristics under tourism disturbance in lakeside wetland of northwest Yunnan Plateau, Southwest China].

PubMed

Tang, Ming-Yan; Yang, Yong-Xing

2014-05-01

The characteristics of vegetation and soil were investigated in Bita Lake and Shudu Lake wetlands in northwest Yunnan Plateau under tourism disturbance. The 22 typical plots in the wetlands were classified into 4 types by TWINSPAN, including primary wetland, light degradation, moderate degradation, and severe degradation. Along the degradation gradient, the plant community density, coverage, species number and Shannon diversity index increased and the plant height decreased in Bita Lake and Shudu Lake wetlands, and Whittaker diversity index increased in Bita Lake wetland. Plant species number, soil organic matter, total nitrogen, porosity, available nitrogen, available phosphorus and available potassium contents were higher in Shudu Lake wetland than in Bita Lake wetland, but the plant density, height, soil total potassium and pH were opposite. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) by importance values of 42 plants and 11 soil variables showed that soil organic matter, total nitrogen and total potassium were the key factors on plant species distribution in Bita Lake and Shudu Lake wetlands under tourism disturbance. TWINSPAN classification and analysis of vegetation-soil characteristics indicated the effects of tourism disturbance in Bita Lake wetland were larger than in Shudu Lake wetland.

The New Worlds Observer: The Astrophysics Strategic Mission Concept Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-08-01

of galaxies and galaxy clusters • Tracing the cosmic evolution of dark energy • Mapping the distribution of dark matter • Characterization of the...imaging of these fields will be used to map the distribution of dark matter us- ing the distortions of galaxy images produced by weak gravitational...dedicated to specific science goals such as mapping dark matter , tracing dark energy, or prob- ing star formation in the local Universe. In the dif

White matter and cognition: making the connection

PubMed Central

Fields, R. Douglas

2016-01-01

Whereas the cerebral cortex has long been regarded by neuroscientists as the major locus of cognitive function, the white matter of the brain is increasingly recognized as equally critical for cognition. White matter comprises half of the brain, has expanded more than gray matter in evolution, and forms an indispensable component of distributed neural networks that subserve neurobehavioral operations. White matter tracts mediate the essential connectivity by which human behavior is organized, working in concert with gray matter to enable the extraordinary repertoire of human cognitive capacities. In this review, we present evidence from behavioral neurology that white matter lesions regularly disturb cognition, consider the role of white matter in the physiology of distributed neural networks, develop the hypothesis that white matter dysfunction is relevant to neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and the newly described entity chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and discuss emerging concepts regarding the prevention and treatment of cognitive dysfunction associated with white matter disorders. Investigation of the role of white matter in cognition has yielded many valuable insights and promises to expand understanding of normal brain structure and function, improve the treatment of many neurobehavioral disorders, and disclose new opportunities for research on many challenging problems facing medicine and society. PMID:27512019

A method for establishing constraints on galactic magnetic field models using ultra high energy cosmic rays and results from the data of the Pierre Auger Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutherland, Michael Stephen

2010-12-01

The Galactic magnetic field is poorly understood. Essentially the only reliable measurements of its properties are the local orientation and field strength. Its behavior at galactic scales is unknown. Historically, magnetic field measurements have been performed using radio astronomy techniques which are sensitive to certain regions of the Galaxy and rely upon models of the distribution of gas and dust within the disk. However, the deflection of trajectories of ultra high energy cosmic rays arriving from extragalactic sources depends only on the properties of the magnetic field. In this work, a method is developed for determining acceptable global models of the Galactic magnetic field by backtracking cosmic rays through the field model. This method constrains the parameter space of magnetic field models by comparing a test statistic between backtracked cosmic rays and isotropic expectations for assumed cosmic ray source and composition hypotheses. Constraints on Galactic magnetic field models are established using data from the southern site of the Pierre Auger Observatory under various source distribution and cosmic ray composition hypotheses. Field models possessing structure similar to the stellar spiral arms are found to be inconsistent with hypotheses of an iron cosmic ray composition and sources selected from catalogs tracing the local matter distribution in the universe. These field models are consistent with hypothesis combinations of proton composition and sources tracing the local matter distribution. In particular, strong constraints are found on the parameter space of bisymmetric magnetic field models scanned under hypotheses of proton composition and sources selected from the 2MRS-VS, Swift 39-month, and VCV catalogs. Assuming that the Galactic magnetic field is well-described by a bisymmetric model under these hypotheses, the magnetic field strength near the Sun is less than 3-4 muG and magnetic pitch angle is less than -8°. These results comprise the first measurements of the Galactic magnetic field using ultra-high energy cosmic rays and supplement existing radio astronomical measurements of the Galactic magnetic field.

Beyond the bump-hunt: A game plan for discovering dynamical dark matter at the LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dienes, Keith R.; Su, Shufang; Thomas, Brooks

2016-06-01

Dynamical Dark Matter (DDM) is an alternative framework for dark-matter physics in which an ensemble of individual constituent fields with a spectrum of masses, lifetimes, and cosmological abundances collectively constitute the dark-matter candidate, and in which the traditional notion of dark-matter stability is replaced by a balancing between lifetimes and abundances across the ensemble. In this talk, we discuss the prospects for distinguishing between DDM ensembles and traditional dark-matter candidates at hadron colliders - and in particular, at the upgraded LHC - via the analysis of event-shape distributions of kine-matic variables. We also examine the correlations between these kinematic variables and other relevant collider variables in order to assess how imposing cuts on these additional variables may distort - for better or worse - their event-shape distributions.

29 CFR 1610.20 - Deletion of exempted matters.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 29 Labor 4 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Deletion of exempted matters. 1610.20 Section 1610.20 Labor... Production or Disclosure Under 5 U.S.C. 552 § 1610.20 Deletion of exempted matters. Where requested records contain matters which are exempted under 5 U.S.C. 552(b) but which matters are reasonably segregable from...

29 CFR 1610.20 - Deletion of exempted matters.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Deletion of exempted matters. 1610.20 Section 1610.20 Labor... Production or Disclosure Under 5 U.S.C. 552 § 1610.20 Deletion of exempted matters. Where requested records contain matters which are exempted under 5 U.S.C. 552(b) but which matters are reasonably segregable from...

A voxel-based morphometry study of regional gray and white matter correlate of self-disclosure.

PubMed

Wang, ShanShan; Wei, DongTao; Li, WenFu; Li, HaiJiang; Wang, KangCheng; Xue, Song; Zhang, Qinglin; Qiu, Jiang

2014-01-01

Self-disclosure is an important performance in human social communication. Generally, an individual is likely to have a good physical and mental health if he is prone to self-disclosure under stressful life events. However, as for now, little is known about the neural structure associated with self-disclosure. Therefore, in this study, we used voxel-based morphometry to explore regional gray matter volume (rGMV) and white matter volume (rWMV) associated with self-disclosure measured by the Jourard Self-disclosure Questionnaire in a large sample of college students. Results showed that individual self-disclosure was significantly and positively associated with rGMV of the left postcentral gyrus, which might be related to strengthen individual's ability of body feeling; while self-disclosure was significantly and negatively associated with rGMV of the right orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), which might be involved in increased positive emotion experience seeking (intrinsically rewarding). In addition, individual self-disclosure was also associated with smaller rWMV in the right inferior parietal lobule (IPL). These findings suggested a biological basis for individual self-disclosure, distributed across different gray and white matter areas of the brain.

Magnetized strange quark matter in f(R, T) gravity with bilinear and special form of time varying deceleration parameter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahoo, P. K.; Sahoo, Parbati; Bishi, Binaya K.; Aygün, Sezgin

2018-04-01

In this paper, we have studied homogeneous and anisotropic locally rotationally symmetric (LRS) Bianchi type-I model with magnetized strange quark matter (MSQM) distribution and cosmological constant Λ in f(R, T) gravity where R is the Ricci scalar and T the trace of matter source. The exact solutions of the field equations are obtained under bilinear and special form of time varying deceleration parameter (DP). Firstly, we have considered two specific forms of bilinear DP with a single parameter of the form: q = α(1-t)/1+t and q = -αt/1+t, which leads to the constant or linear nature of the function based on the constant α. Second one is the special form of the DP as q = - 1 + β/1+aβ. From the results obtained here, one can observe that in the early universe magnetic flux has more effects and it reduces gradually in the later stage. For t → ∞, we get p → -Bc and ρ → Bc. The behaviour of strange quark matter along with magnetic epoch gives an idea of accelerated expansion of the universe as per the observations of the type Ia Supernovae.

Impacts of heterogeneous organic matter on phenanthrene sorption--Different soil and sediment samples

USGS Publications Warehouse

Karapanagioti, Hrissi K.; Childs, Jeffrey; Sabatini, David A.

2001-01-01

Organic petrography has been proposed as a tool for characterizing the heterogeneous organic matter present in soil and sediment samples. A new simplified method is proposed as a quantitative means of interpreting observed sorption behavior for phenanthrene and different soils and sediments based on their organic petrographical characterization. This method is tested under singe solute conditions and at phenanthrene concentration of 1 μg/L. Since the opaque organic matter fraction dominates the sorption process, we propose that by quantifying this fraction one can interpret organic content normalized sorption distribution coefficient (Koc) values for a sample. While this method was developed and tested for various samples within the same aquifer, in the current study the method is validated for soil and sediment samples from different sites that cover a wide range of organic matter origin, age, and organic content. All 10 soil and sediment samples studied had log Koc values for the opaque particles between 5.6 and 6.8. This range of Koc values illustrates the heterogeneity of opaque particles between sites and geological formations and thus the need to characterize the opaque fraction of materials on a site-by-site basis.

High Resolution Measurement of Rhizosphere Priming Effects and Temporal Variability of CO2 Fluxes under Zea Mays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Splettstößer, T.; Pausch, J.

2016-12-01

Plant induced increase of soil organic matter turnover rates contribute to carbon emissions in agricultural land use systems. In order to better understand these rhizosphere priming effects, we conducted an experiment, which enabled us to monitor CO2 fluxes under zea mays plants with high resolution. The experiment was conducted in a climate chamber where the plants were grown in thin, tightly sealed boxes for 40 days and CO2 efflux from soil was measured twice a day. 13C-CO2 was introduced to allow differentiation between plant and soil derived CO2.This enabled us to monitor root respiration and soil organic matter turnover in the early stages of plant growth and to highlight changes in soil CO2 emissions and priming effects between day and night. The measurements were conducted with a PICARRO G2131-I δ13C high-precision isotopic CO2 Analyzer (PICARRO INC.) utilizing an automated valve system governed by a CR1000 data logger (Campbell Scientific). After harvest roots and shoots were analyzed for 13C content. Microbial biomass, root length density and enzymatic activities in soil were measured and linked to soil organic matter turnover rates. In order to visualize the spatial distribution of carbon allocation to the root system a few plants were additionally labeled with 14C and 14C distribution was monitored by 14C imaging of the root systems over 4 days. Based on the 14C distribution a grid was chosen and the soil was sampled from each square of the grid to investigate the impact of carbon allocation hotspots on enzymatic activities and microbial biomass. First initial results show an increase of soil CO2 efflux in the night periods, whereby the contribution of priming is not fully analyzed yet. Additionally, root tips were identified as hotspots of short term carbon allocation via 14C imaging and an in increase in microbial biomass could be measured in this regions. The full results will be shown at AGU 2016.

Techniques for determining partial size distribution of particulate matter: Laser diffraction versus electrical sensing zone

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The study of health impacts, emission estimation of particulate matter (PM), and development of new control technologies require knowledge of PM characteristics. Among these PM characteristics, the particle size distribution (PSD) is perhaps the most important physical parameter governing particle b...

Techniques for measuring particle size distribution of particulate matter emitted from animal feeding operations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Particle size distribution (PSD) is perhaps the most important physical parameter governing the airborne particle behavior. Various methods and techniques are available for conducting PSD analyses. Unfortunately, there is no single agreed upon method to determine the PSDs of particulate matter (PM) ...

Computational study on the behaviors of granular materials under mechanical cycling

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

Wang, Xiaoliang; Ye, Minyou; Chen, Hongli, E-mail: hlchen1@ustc.edu.cn

2015-11-07

Considering that fusion pebble beds are probably subjected to the cyclic compression excitation in their future applications, we presented a computational study to report the effect of mechanical cycling on the behaviors of granular matter. The correctness of our numerical experiments was confirmed by a comparison with the effective medium theory. Under the cyclic loads, the fast granular compaction was observed to evolve in a stretched exponential law. Besides, the increasing stiffening in packing structure, especially the decreasing moduli pressure dependence due to granular consolidation, was also observed. For the force chains inside the pebble beds, both the internal forcemore » distribution and the spatial distribution of force chains would become increasingly uniform as the external force perturbation proceeded and therefore produced the stress relief on grains. In this case, the originally proposed 3-parameter Mueth function was found to fail to describe the internal force distribution. Thereby, its improved functional form with 4 parameters was proposed here and proved to better fit the data. These findings will provide more detailed information on the pebble beds for the relevant fusion design and analysis.« less

A method for determining and exploring the distribution of organic matters and hardness salts in natural waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sargsyan, Suren

2017-11-01

A question regarding how organic matters in water are associated with hardness salts hasn't been completely studied. For partially clarifying this question, a water fractional separation and investigation method has been recommended. The experiments carried out by the recommended method showed that the dynamics of the distribution of total hardness and permanganate oxidation values in the fractions of frozen and melted water samples coincided completely based on which it has been concluded that organic matters in natural waters are associated with hardness salts and always distributed in this form. All these findings are useful information for the deep study of macro- and microelements in water.

STATISTICAL DISTRIBUTIONS OF PARTICULATE MATTER AND THE ERROR ASSOCIATED WITH SAMPLING FREQUENCY. (R828678C010)

EPA Science Inventory

The distribution of particulate matter (PM) concentrations has an impact on human health effects and the setting of PM regulations. Since PM is commonly sampled on less than daily schedules, the magnitude of sampling errors needs to be determined. Daily PM data from Spokane, W...

Detection prospects for high energy neutrino sources from the anisotropic matter distribution in the local Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mertsch, Philipp; Rameez, Mohamed; Tamborra, Irene

2017-03-01

Constraints on the number and luminosity of the sources of the cosmic neutrinos detected by IceCube have been set by targeted searches for point sources. We set complementary constraints by using the 2MASS Redshift Survey (2MRS) catalogue, which maps the matter distribution of the local Universe. Assuming that the distribution of the neutrino sources follows that of matter, we look for correlations between ``warm'' spots on the IceCube skymap and the 2MRS matter distribution. Through Monte Carlo simulations of the expected number of neutrino multiplets and careful modelling of the detector performance (including that of IceCube-Gen2), we demonstrate that sources with local density exceeding 10-6 Mpc-3 and neutrino luminosity Lν lesssim 1042 erg s-1 (1041 erg s-1) will be efficiently revealed by our method using IceCube (IceCube-Gen2). At low luminosities such as will be probed by IceCube-Gen2, the sensitivity of this analysis is superior to requiring statistically significant direct observation of a point source.

A dynamic model for plant growth: validation study under changing temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wann, M.; Raper, C. D. Jr; Raper CD, J. r. (Principal Investigator)

1984-01-01

A dynamic simulation model to describe vegetative growth of plants, for which some functions and parameter values have been estimated previously by optimization search techniques and numerical experimentation based on data from constant temperature experiments, is validated under conditions of changing temperatures. To test the predictive capacity of the model, dry matter accumulation in the leaves, stems, and roots of tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum L.) was measured at 2- or 3-day intervals during a 5-week period when temperatures in controlled-environment rooms were programmed for changes at weekly and daily intervals and in ascending or descending sequences within a range of 14 to 34 degrees C. Simulations of dry matter accumulation and distribution were carried out using the programmed changes for experimental temperatures and compared with the measured values. The agreement between measured and predicted values was close and indicates that the temperature-dependent functional forms derived from constant-temperature experiments are adequate for modelling plant growth responses to conditions of changing temperatures with switching intervals as short as 1 day.

Minimal climate change impacts on natural organic matter forecasted for a potable water supply in Ireland.

PubMed

O'Driscoll, Connie; Ledesma, José L J; Coll, John; Murnane, John G; Nolan, Paul; Mockler, Eva M; Futter, Martyn N; Xiao, Liwen W

2018-07-15

Natural organic matter poses an increasing challenge to water managers because of its potential adverse impacts on water treatment and distribution, and subsequently human health. Projections were made of impacts of climate change on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the primarily agricultural Boyne catchment which is used as a potable water supply in Ireland. The results indicated that excluding a potential rise in extreme precipitation, future projected loads are not dissimilar to those observed under current conditions. This is because projected increases in DOC concentrations are offset by corresponding decreases in precipitation and hence river flow. However, the results presented assume no changes in land use and highlight the predicted increase in DOC loads from abstracted waters at water treatment plants. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Sources and distribution of allochthonous organic matter in surface sediment from the Seomjin River to the southern inner shelf of Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Badejo, Adegoke Olugboyega; Hyun, Sangmin; Kim, Wonnyon; Ju, Se-Jong; Song, Bareum

2017-12-01

The spatial distributions of δ13C, δ15N, and n-alkanes were investigated to determine the source and transportation of allochthonous organic matter from the mouth of the Seomjin River to the southern inner shelf break of Korea. Total organic carbon (%) ranged from 0.3% to 1.6% (average = 0.80%, n = 81), and the C/N ratio varied from 2.4 to 12.4 (average = 6.76, n = 81). The δ13C values ranged from -25.86 to -20.26‰ (average = -21.47‰, n = 81), and δ15N values ranged from 4.37‰ to 8.57‰ (average = 6.72‰, n = 81). The contribution of the terrestrial fraction of organic matter to the total ranged from 4.4% to 97.7% (average = 24.4%, n = 81), suggesting higher amounts around the catchment area and lower amounts in the offshore area. The concentration of total n-alkanes ( nC25 - nC35) was higher at the boundary between the outer bay and inner shelf break (BOBIS). Average chain length and the carbon preference index both indicated that major leaf wax n-alkanes accounted for the observed distribution of terrestrial organic matter, and were dominant in the inner shelf break (around BOBIS) and outer shelf break. Based on the spatial distribution of the total n-alkanes and the sum of nC27, nC29, and nC31, the terrestrial organic matter distribution was considered to be controlled by local oceanographic conditions, especially at the center of the BOBIS. In addition to enabling the distribution and source of terrestrial organic matter to be identified, the n-alkanes indicated that minor anthropogenic allochthonous organic materials were superimposed on the total organic materials in the central part of Yeosu Bay and the catchment area. The n-alkane indices revealed weathered petroleum contamination, with contamination levels being relatively low at the present time.

Small scale patches of suspended matter and phytoplankton in the Elbe River estuary, German Bight and tidal flats

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doerffer, R.; Fischer, J.; Stoessel, M.; Brockmann, C.; Grassl, H.

1989-01-01

Landsat 5 TM measurements are found suitable for study of small scale features in coastal waters; three independent factors, namely suspended matter concentration, atmospheric scattering, and sea-surface temperature, were extracted from all seven TM channels on the basis of factor analysis. The distribution of suspended matter in near-surface water layer and sea surface temperature is observable with a spatial resolution of at least 120 x 120 sq m. The high correlation between water depth and suspended matter distribution established by ship-gathered data supports the presently hypothesized control by bottom topography and wind-modified tidal currents of eddy and front formation.

Tracing organic matter composition and distribution and its role on arsenic release in shallow Cambodian groundwaters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawson, Michael; Polya, David A.; Boyce, Adrian J.; Bryant, Charlotte; Ballentine, Christopher J.

2016-04-01

Biogeochemical processes that utilize dissolved organic carbon are widely thought to be responsible for the liberation of arsenic from sediments to shallow groundwater in south and southeast Asia. The accumulation of this known carcinogen to hazardously high concentrations has occurred in the primary source of drinking water in large parts of densely populated countries in this region. Both surface and sedimentary sources of organic matter have been suggested to contribute dissolved organic carbon in these aquifers. However, identification of the source of organic carbon responsible for driving arsenic release remains enigmatic and even controversial. Here, we provide the most extensive interrogation to date of the isotopic signature of ground and surface waters at a known arsenic hotspot in Cambodia. We present tritium and radiocarbon data that demonstrates that recharge through ponds and/or clay windows can transport young, surface derived organic matter into groundwater to depths of 44 m under natural flow conditions. Young organic matter dominates the dissolved organic carbon pool in groundwater that is in close proximity to these surface water sources and we suggest this is likely a regional relationship. In locations distal to surface water contact, dissolved organic carbon represents a mixture of both young surface and older sedimentary derived organic matter. Ground-surface water interaction therefore strongly influences the average dissolved organic carbon age and how this is distributed spatially across the field site. Arsenic mobilization rates appear to be controlled by the age of dissolved organic matter present in these groundwaters. Arsenic concentrations in shallow groundwaters (<20 m) increase by 1 μg/l for every year increase in dissolved organic carbon age compared to only 0.25 μg/l for every year increase in dissolved organic carbon age in deeper (>20 m) groundwaters. We suggest that, while the rate of arsenic release is greatest in shallow aquifer sediments, arsenic release also occurs in deeper aquifer sediments and as such remains an important process in controlling the spatial distribution of arsenic in the groundwaters of SE Asia. Our findings suggest that any anthropogenic activities that alter the source of groundwater recharge or the timescales over which recharge takes place may also drive changes in the natural composition of dissolved organic carbon in these groundwaters. Such changes have the potential to influence both the spatial and temporal evolution of the current groundwater arsenic hazard in this region.

Biodiversity redistribution under climate change: Impacts on ecosystems and human well-being.

PubMed

Pecl, Gretta T; Araújo, Miguel B; Bell, Johann D; Blanchard, Julia; Bonebrake, Timothy C; Chen, I-Ching; Clark, Timothy D; Colwell, Robert K; Danielsen, Finn; Evengård, Birgitta; Falconi, Lorena; Ferrier, Simon; Frusher, Stewart; Garcia, Raquel A; Griffis, Roger B; Hobday, Alistair J; Janion-Scheepers, Charlene; Jarzyna, Marta A; Jennings, Sarah; Lenoir, Jonathan; Linnetved, Hlif I; Martin, Victoria Y; McCormack, Phillipa C; McDonald, Jan; Mitchell, Nicola J; Mustonen, Tero; Pandolfi, John M; Pettorelli, Nathalie; Popova, Ekaterina; Robinson, Sharon A; Scheffers, Brett R; Shaw, Justine D; Sorte, Cascade J B; Strugnell, Jan M; Sunday, Jennifer M; Tuanmu, Mao-Ning; Vergés, Adriana; Villanueva, Cecilia; Wernberg, Thomas; Wapstra, Erik; Williams, Stephen E

2017-03-31

Distributions of Earth's species are changing at accelerating rates, increasingly driven by human-mediated climate change. Such changes are already altering the composition of ecological communities, but beyond conservation of natural systems, how and why does this matter? We review evidence that climate-driven species redistribution at regional to global scales affects ecosystem functioning, human well-being, and the dynamics of climate change itself. Production of natural resources required for food security, patterns of disease transmission, and processes of carbon sequestration are all altered by changes in species distribution. Consideration of these effects of biodiversity redistribution is critical yet lacking in most mitigation and adaptation strategies, including the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals. Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Predicting Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter Distributions in Coastal Waters

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

Predicting Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter Distributions in Coastal Waters Robert F. Chen Environmental , Earth and Ocean Sciences...G. Bernard Gardner Environmental , Coastal and Ocean Sciences University of Massachusetts Boston 100 Morrissey Boulevard Boston, MA 02125-3393...phone: (617)287-7451 fax: (617)287-7474 email: bernie.gardner@umb.edu Yong Tian Environmental , Coastal and Ocean Sciences University of

Predicting Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter Distributions in Coastal Waters

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-30

Predicting Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter Distributions in Coastal Waters Robert F. Chen Environmental , Earth and Ocean Sciences...G. Bernard Gardner Environmental , Coastal and Ocean Sciences University of Massachusetts Boston 100 Morrissey Boulevard Boston, MA 02125-3393...phone: (617)287-7451 fax: (617)287-7474 email: bernie.gardner@umb.edu Yong Tian Environmental , Coastal and Ocean Sciences University of

Predicting Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter Distributions in Coastal Waters

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-30

Predicting Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter Distributions in Coastal Waters Robert F. Chen Environmental , Earth and Ocean...umb.edu G. Bernard Gardner Environmental , Coastal and Ocean Sciences University of Massachusetts Boston 100 Morrissey Boulevard Boston, MA...02125-3393 phone: (617) 287-7451 fax: (617) 287-7474 email: bernie.gardner@umb.edu Yong Tian Environmental , Coastal and Ocean Sciences

Induced Ellipticity for Inspiraling Binary Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Randall, Lisa; Xianyu, Zhong-Zhi

2018-01-01

Although gravitational waves tend to erase eccentricity of an inspiraling binary system, ellipticity can be generated in the presence of surrounding matter. We present a semianalytical method for understanding the eccentricity distribution of binary black holes (BHs) in the presence of a supermassive BH in a galactic center. Given a matter distribution, we show how to determine the resultant eccentricity analytically in the presence of both tidal forces and evaporation up to one cutoff and one matter-distribution-independent function, paving the way for understanding the environment of detected inspiraling BHs. We furthermore generalize Kozai–Lidov dynamics to situations where perturbation theory breaks down for short time intervals, allowing more general angular momentum exchange, such that eccentricity is generated even when all bodies orbit in the same plane.

Analysis of Large-scale Anisotropy of Ultra-high Energy Cosmic Rays in HiRes Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbasi, R. U.; Abu-Zayyad, T.; Allen, M.; Amann, J. F.; Archbold, G.; Belov, K.; Belz, J. W.; Bergman, D. R.; Blake, S. A.; Brusova, O. A.; Burt, G. W.; Cannon, C.; Cao, Z.; Deng, W.; Fedorova, Y.; Findlay, J.; Finley, C. B.; Gray, R. C.; Hanlon, W. F.; Hoffman, C. M.; Holzscheiter, M. H.; Hughes, G.; Hüntemeyer, P.; Ivanov, D.; Jones, B. F.; Jui, C. C. H.; Kim, K.; Kirn, M. A.; Koers, H.; Loh, E. C.; Maestas, M. M.; Manago, N.; Marek, L. J.; Martens, K.; Matthews, J. A. J.; Matthews, J. N.; Moore, S. A.; O'Neill, A.; Painter, C. A.; Perera, L.; Reil, K.; Riehle, R.; Roberts, M. D.; Rodriguez, D.; Sasaki, M.; Schnetzer, S. R.; Scott, L. M.; Sinnis, G.; Smith, J. D.; Sokolsky, P.; Song, C.; Springer, R. W.; Stokes, B. T.; Stratton, S. R.; Thomas, J. R.; Thomas, S. B.; Thomson, G. B.; Tinyakov, P.; Tupa, D.; Wiencke, L. R.; Zech, A.; Zhang, X.; High Resolution Fly's Eye Collaboration

2010-04-01

Stereo data collected by the HiRes experiment over a six-year period are examined for large-scale anisotropy related to the inhomogeneous distribution of matter in the nearby universe. We consider the generic case of small cosmic-ray deflections and a large number of sources tracing the matter distribution. In this matter tracer model the expected cosmic-ray flux depends essentially on a single free parameter, the typical deflection angle θ s . We find that the HiRes data with threshold energies of 40 EeV and 57 EeV are incompatible with the matter tracer model at a 95% confidence level unless θ s > 10° and are compatible with an isotropic flux. The data set above 10 EeV is compatible with both the matter tracer model and an isotropic flux.

IceCube events and decaying dark matter: hints and constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esmaili, Arman; Kang, Sin Kyu; Dario Serpico, Pasquale

2014-12-01

In the light of the new IceCube data on the (yet unidentified) astrophysical neutrino flux in the PeV and sub-PeV range, we present an update on the status of decaying dark matter interpretation of the events. In particular, we develop further the angular distribution analysis and discuss the perspectives for diagnostics. By performing various statistical tests (maximum likelihood, Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Anderson-Darling tests) we conclude that currently the data show a mild preference (below the two sigma level) for the angular distribution expected from dark matter decay vs. the isotropic distribution foreseen for a conventional astrophysical flux of extragalactic origin. Also, we briefly develop some general considerations on heavy dark matter model building and on the compatibility of the expected energy spectrum of decay products with the IceCube data, as well as with existing bounds from gamma-rays. Alternatively, assuming that the IceCube data originate from conventional astrophysical sources, we derive bounds on both decaying and annihilating dark matter for various final states. The lower limits on heavy dark matter lifetime improve by up to an order of magnitude with respect to existing constraints, definitively making these events—even if astrophysical in origin—an important tool for astroparticle physics studies.

Gypsum and organic matter distribution in a mixed construction and demolition waste sorting process and their possible removal from outputs.

PubMed

Montero, A; Tojo, Y; Matsuo, T; Matsuto, T; Yamada, M; Asakura, H; Ono, Y

2010-03-15

With insufficient source separation, construction and demolition (C&D) waste becomes a mixed material that is difficult to recycle. Treatment of mixed C&D waste generates residue that contains gypsum and organic matter and poses a risk of H(2)S formation in landfills. Therefore, removing gypsum and organic matter from the residue is vital. This study investigated the distribution of gypsum and organic matter in a sorting process. Heavy liquid separation was used to determine the density ranges in which gypsum and organic matter were most concentrated. The fine residue that was separated before shredding accounted for 27.9% of the waste mass and contained the greatest quantity of gypsum; therefore, most of the gypsum (52.4%) was distributed in this fraction. When this fine fraction was subjected to heavy liquid separation, 93% of the gypsum was concentrated in the density range of 1.59-2.28, which contained 24% of the total waste mass. Therefore, removing this density range after segregating fine particles should reduce the amount of gypsum sent to landfills. Organic matter tends to float as density increases; nevertheless, separation at 1.0 density could be more efficient. (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Accumulation and Distribution of Dry Matter and Nutrients in Aigeiros Poplar Plantations

Treesearch

G. L. Switzer; L. E. Nelson; James B. Baker

1976-01-01

Patterns of accumulation of dry matter and nutrients through 20 years in Aigeiros poplar plantations are strongly influenced by mode of plantation culture. Accumulation of both dry matter and nutrients in closely spaced thinned plantations is linear through age 12 to 14, after which accumulation declines and then stabilizes. In contrast, dry matter and nutrient...

Schrödinger-Poisson-Vlasov-Poisson correspondence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mocz, Philip; Lancaster, Lachlan; Fialkov, Anastasia; Becerra, Fernando; Chavanis, Pierre-Henri

2018-04-01

The Schrödinger-Poisson equations describe the behavior of a superfluid Bose-Einstein condensate under self-gravity with a 3D wave function. As ℏ/m →0 , m being the boson mass, the equations have been postulated to approximate the collisionless Vlasov-Poisson equations also known as the collisionless Boltzmann-Poisson equations. The latter describe collisionless matter with a 6D classical distribution function. We investigate the nature of this correspondence with a suite of numerical test problems in 1D, 2D, and 3D along with analytic treatments when possible. We demonstrate that, while the density field of the superfluid always shows order unity oscillations as ℏ/m →0 due to interference and the uncertainty principle, the potential field converges to the classical answer as (ℏ/m )2. Thus, any dynamics coupled to the superfluid potential is expected to recover the classical collisionless limit as ℏ/m →0 . The quantum superfluid is able to capture rich phenomena such as multiple phase-sheets, shell-crossings, and warm distributions. Additionally, the quantum pressure tensor acts as a regularizer of caustics and singularities in classical solutions. This suggests the exciting prospect of using the Schrödinger-Poisson equations as a low-memory method for approximating the high-dimensional evolution of the Vlasov-Poisson equations. As a particular example we consider dark matter composed of ultralight axions, which in the classical limit (ℏ/m →0 ) is expected to manifest itself as collisionless cold dark matter.

The detection of the imprint of filaments on cosmic microwave background lensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Siyu; Alam, Shadab; Ferraro, Simone; Chen, Yen-Chi; Ho, Shirley

2018-05-01

Galaxy redshift surveys, such as the 2-Degree-Field Survey (2dF)1, Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)2, 6-Degree-Field Survey (6dF)3, Galaxy And Mass Assembly survey (GAMA)4 and VIMOS Public Extragalactic Redshift Survey (VIPERS)5, have shown that the spatial distribution of matter forms a rich web, known as the cosmic web6. Most galaxy survey analyses measure the amplitude of galaxy clustering as a function of scale, ignoring information beyond a small number of summary statistics. Because the matter density field becomes highly non-Gaussian as structure evolves under gravity, we expect other statistical descriptions of the field to provide us with additional information. One way to study the non-Gaussianity is to study filaments, which evolve non-linearly from the initial density fluctuations produced in the primordial Universe. In our study, we report the detection of lensing of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) by filaments, and we apply a null test to confirm our detection. Furthermore, we propose a phenomenological model to interpret the detected signal, and we measure how filaments trace the matter distribution on large scales through filament bias, which we measure to be around 1.5. Our study provides new scope to understand the environmental dependence of galaxy formation. In the future, the joint analysis of lensing and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich observations might reveal the properties of `missing baryons', the vast majority of the gas that resides in the intergalactic medium, which has so far evaded most observations.

Modulating terrestrial impacts from Oort cloud comets by the adiabatically changing galactic tides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matese, J. J.; Whitman, P. G.; Innanen, K. A.; Valtonen, M. J.

Time modulation of the flux of new Jupiter-dominated Oort cloud comets is the subject of interest here. The major perturbation of these comets during the present epoch is due to the tidal field of the relatively smooth distribution of matter in the galactic disk. A secondary source of the near-parabolic comet flux are stars penetrating the inner Oort cloud and providing impulses that create brief comet showers. Substantial stellar-induced showers occur approximately every 100 m.y. Less frequent (but stronger) impulses due to giant molecular clouds can also perturb comets from the inner cloud. These occur on timescales of approximately equal to 500 m.y. In contrast to these infrequent stochastic shower phenomena is the continuously varying tidal-induced flux due to the galaxy. As the Sun orbits the galactic center it undergoes quasiharmonic motion about the galactic midplane, which is superimposed on the small eccentricity, near-Keplerian motion in the plane having epicycle period approximately equal to 150 m.y. In the process the galactic tidal field on the Sun/cloud system will vary causing a modulation of the observable Oort cloud flux. We have created a model of the galactic matter distribution as it affects the solar motion over a time interval ranging from 300 m.y. in the past to 100 m.y. into the future. As constraints on the disk's compact dark matter component we require consistency with the following: (1) the observed galactic rotation curve, (2) today's flux distribution of new comets, (3) the studies of K-giant distributions, and (4) the periodicity found in the terrestrial cratering record. The adiabatically varying galactic tidal torque is then determined and used to predict the time dependence of the flux. We find that a model in which approximately half the disk matter is compact is consistent with these constraints. Under such circumstances the peak-to-trough flux variation will be approx. equal to 5:1 with a full width of 9 m.y. This variability will manifest in the terrestrial cratering record and is consistent with the observed cratering periodicity, if over half of the impacts on Earth are caused by comets or asteroids that originate in the outer Oort cloud.

On wave dark matter in spiral and barred galaxies

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

Martinez-Medina, Luis A.; Matos, Tonatiuh; Bray, Hubert L., E-mail: lmedina@fis.cinvestav.mx, E-mail: bray@math.duke.edu, E-mail: tmatos@fis.cinvestav.mx

2015-12-01

We recover spiral and barred spiral patterns in disk galaxy simulations with a Wave Dark Matter (WDM) background (also known as Scalar Field Dark Matter (SFDM), Ultra-Light Axion (ULA) dark matter, and Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC) dark matter). Here we show how the interaction between a baryonic disk and its Dark Matter Halo triggers the formation of spiral structures when the halo is allowed to have a triaxial shape and angular momentum. This is a more realistic picture within the WDM model since a non-spherical rotating halo seems to be more natural. By performing hydrodynamic simulations, along with earlier test particlesmore » simulations, we demonstrate another important way in which wave dark matter is consistent with observations. The common existence of bars in these simulations is particularly noteworthy. This may have consequences when trying to obtain information about the dark matter distribution in a galaxy, the mere presence of spiral arms or a bar usually indicates that baryonic matter dominates the central region and therefore observations, like rotation curves, may not tell us what the DM distribution is at the halo center. But here we show that spiral arms and bars can develop in DM dominated galaxies with a central density core without supposing its origin on mechanisms intrinsic to the baryonic matter.« less

Resolving the chemical heterogeneity of natural organic matter: new insights from comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Duarte, Regina M B O; Barros, Ana C; Duarte, Armando C

2012-08-03

For the purpose of resolving the chemical heterogeneity of natural organic matter (NOM), comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography (LC×LC) was employed for the first time to map the hydrophobicity versus molecular weight (MW) distribution of two well-known complex organic mixtures: Suwannee River Fulvic Acids (SR-FA) and Pony Lake Fulvic Acids (PL-FA). Two methods have been developed using either a conventional reversed-phase (RP) silica column or a mixed-mode hydrophilic interaction column operating under aqueous RP mode in the first dimension, and a size-exclusion column in the second dimension. The LC×LC fractions were screened on-line by UV at 254 nm, molecular fluorescence at excitation/emission wavelengths (λ(Exc)/λ(Em)) of 240/450 nm, and by evaporative light scattering. The MW distributions of these two NOM samples were further characterized by number (Mn) and weight (Mw) average MW, and by polydispersity (Mw/Mn). Findings suggest that the combination of two independent separation mechanisms is promising in extend the range of NOM separation. For the cases where NOM separation was accomplished, smaller Mw group fractions seem to be related to a more hydrophobic nature. Regardless of the detection method, the complete range of MW distribution provided by both comprehensive LC×LC methods was found to be lower than those reported in the literature. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modeling particulate matter emissions during mineral loading process under weak wind simulation.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaochun; Chen, Weiping; Ma, Chun; Zhan, Shuifen

2013-04-01

The quantification of particulate matter emissions from mineral handling is an important problem for the quantification of global emissions on industrial sites. Mineral particulate matter emissions could adversely impact environmental quality in mining regions, transport regions, and even on a global scale. Mineral loading is an important process contributing to mineral particulate matter emissions, especially under weak wind conditions. Mathematical models are effective ways to evaluate particulate matter emissions during the mineral loading process. The currently used empirical models based on the form of a power function do not predict particulate matter emissions accurately under weak wind conditions. At low particulate matter emissions, the models overestimated, and at high particulate matter emissions, the models underestimated emission factors. We conducted wind tunnel experiments to evaluate the particulate matter emission factors for the mineral loading process. A new approach based on the mathematical form of a logistical function was developed and tested. It provided a realistic depiction of the particulate matter emissions during the mineral loading process, accounting for fractions of fine mineral particles, dropping height, and wind velocity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

STATUS AND PROGRESS IN PARTICULATE MATTER FORECASTING: INITIAL APPLICATION OF THE ETA- CMAQ FORECAST MODEL

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation reviews the status and progress in forecasting particulate matter distributions. The shortcomings in representation of particulate matter formation in current atmospheric chemistry/transport models are presented based on analyses and detailed comparisons with me...

Disk mass and disk heating in the spiral galaxy NGC 3223

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gentile, G.; Tydtgat, C.; Baes, M.; De Geyter, G.; Koleva, M.; Angus, G. W.; de Blok, W. J. G.; Saftly, W.; Viaene, S.

2015-04-01

We present the stellar and gaseous kinematics of an Sb galaxy, NGC 3223, with the aim of determining the vertical and radial stellar velocity dispersion as a function of radius, which can help to constrain disk heating theories. Together with the observed NIR photometry, the vertical velocity dispersion is also used to determine the stellar mass-to-light (M/L) ratio, typically one of the largest uncertainties when deriving the dark matter distribution from the observed rotation curve. We find a vertical-to-radial velocity dispersion ratio of σz/σR = 1.21 ± 0.14, significantly higher than expectations from known correlations, and a weakly-constrained Ks-band stellar M/L ratio in the range 0.5-1.7, which is at the high end of (but consistent with) the predictions of stellar population synthesis models. Such a weak constraint on the stellar M/L ratio, however, does not allow us to securely determine the dark matter density distribution. To achieve this, either a statistical approach or additional data (e.g. integral-field unit) are needed. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory, Chile, under proposal 68.B-0588.

Movement and effects of spilled oil over the outer continental shelf; inadequacy of existent data for the Baltimore Canyon Trough area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knebel, Harley J.

1974-01-01

A deductive approach to the problem of determining the movement and effects of spilled oil over the Outer Continental Shelf requires that the potential paths of oil be determined first, in order that critical subareas may be defined for later studies. The paths of spilled oil, in turn, depend primarily on the temporal and spatial variability of four factors: the thermohaline structure of the waters, the circulation of the water, the winds, and the distribution of suspended matter. A review of the existent data concerning these factors for the Baltimore Canyon Trough area (a relatively well studied segment of the Continental Shelf) reveals that the movement and dispersal of potential oil spills cannot be reliably predicted. Variations in the thermohaline structure of waters and in the distribution of suspended matter are adequately known; the uncertainty is due to insufficient wind and storm statistics and to the lack of quantitative understanding of the relationship between the nontidal drift and its basic driving mechanisms. Similar inadequacies should be anticipated for other potentially leasable areas of the shelf because an understanding of the movement of spilled oil has not been the underlying aim of most previous studies.

On the Evolution of Dark Matter Halo Properties Following Major and Minor Mergers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Peter; Zhang, Shawn; Lee, Christoph; Primack, Joel

2018-01-01

We conducted an analysis on dark matter halo properties following major and minor mergers to advance our understanding of halo evolution. In this work, we analyzed ~80,000 dark matter halos from the Bolshoi-Planck cosmological simulation and studied halo evolution during relaxation after major mergers. We then applied a Gaussian filter to the property evolutions and characterized peak distributions, frequencies, and variabilities for several halo properties, including centering, spin, shape (prolateness), scale radius, and virial ratio. However, there were also halos that experienced relaxation without the presence of major mergers. We hypothesized that this was due to minor mergers unrecorded by the simulation analysis. By using property peaks to create a novel merger detection algorithm, we attempted to find minor mergers and match them to the unaccounted relaxed halos. Not only did we find evidence that minor mergers were the causes, but we also found similarities between major and minor merger effects, showing the significance of minor mergers for future studies. Through our dark matter merger statistics, we expect our work to ultimately serve as vital parameters towards better understanding galaxy formation and evolution. Most of this work was carried out by high school students working under the auspices of the Science Internship Program (SIP) at UC Santa Cruz.

Dark matter maps reveal cosmic scaffolding.

PubMed

Massey, Richard; Rhodes, Jason; Ellis, Richard; Scoville, Nick; Leauthaud, Alexie; Finoguenov, Alexis; Capak, Peter; Bacon, David; Aussel, Hervé; Kneib, Jean-Paul; Koekemoer, Anton; McCracken, Henry; Mobasher, Bahram; Pires, Sandrine; Refregier, Alexandre; Sasaki, Shunji; Starck, Jean-Luc; Taniguchi, Yoshi; Taylor, Andy; Taylor, James

2007-01-18

Ordinary baryonic particles (such as protons and neutrons) account for only one-sixth of the total matter in the Universe. The remainder is a mysterious 'dark matter' component, which does not interact via electromagnetism and thus neither emits nor reflects light. As dark matter cannot be seen directly using traditional observations, very little is currently known about its properties. It does interact via gravity, and is most effectively probed through gravitational lensing: the deflection of light from distant galaxies by the gravitational attraction of foreground mass concentrations. This is a purely geometrical effect that is free of astrophysical assumptions and sensitive to all matter--whether baryonic or dark. Here we show high-fidelity maps of the large-scale distribution of dark matter, resolved in both angle and depth. We find a loose network of filaments, growing over time, which intersect in massive structures at the locations of clusters of galaxies. Our results are consistent with predictions of gravitationally induced structure formation, in which the initial, smooth distribution of dark matter collapses into filaments then into clusters, forming a gravitational scaffold into which gas can accumulate, and stars can be built.

Constraining particle dark matter using local galaxy distribution

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

Ando, Shin’ichiro; Ishiwata, Koji

It has been long discussed that cosmic rays may contain signals of dark matter. In the last couple of years an anomaly of cosmic-ray positrons has drawn a lot of attentions, and recently an excess in cosmic-ray anti-proton has been reported by AMS-02 collaboration. Both excesses may indicate towards decaying or annihilating dark matter with a mass of around 1–10 TeV. In this article we study the gamma rays from dark matter and constraints from cross correlations with distribution of galaxies, particularly in a local volume. We find that gamma rays due to inverse-Compton process have large intensity, and hencemore » they give stringent constraints on dark matter scenarios in the TeV scale mass regime. Taking the recent developments in modeling astrophysical gamma-ray sources as well as comprehensive possibilities of the final state products of dark matter decay or annihilation into account, we show that the parameter regions of decaying dark matter that are suggested to explain the excesses are excluded. We also discuss the constrains on annihilating scenarios.« less

Large Directed Flow of Open Charm Mesons Probes the Three-Dimensional Distribution of Matter in Heavy-Ion Collisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chatterjee, Sandeep; BoŻek, Piotr

2018-05-01

Thermalized matter created in noncentral relativistic heavy-ion collisions is expected to be tilted in the reaction plane with respect to the beam axis. The most notable consequence of this forward-backward symmetry breaking is the observation of rapidity-odd directed flow for charged particles. On the other hand, the production points for heavy quarks are forward-backward symmetric and shifted in the transverse plane with respect to the fireball. The drag on heavy quarks from the asymmetrically distributed thermalized matter generates substantial directed flow for heavy flavor mesons. We predict a very large rapidity-odd directed flow of D mesons in noncentral Au-Au collisions at √{sN N}=200 GeV , several times larger than for charged particles. A possible experimental observation of a large directed flow for heavy flavor mesons would represent an almost direct probe of the three-dimensional distribution of matter in heavy-ion collisions.

The missing mass in clusters of galaxies and elliptical galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mushotzky, Richard F.

1991-01-01

We review the available data for the existence of dark matter in clusters of galaxies and elliptical galaxies. While the amount of dark matter in clusters is not well determined, both the X-ray and optical data show that more than 50 percent of the total mass must be dark. There is in general fair agreement in the binding mass estimates between the X-ray and optical techniques, but there is not detailed agreement on the form of the potential or the distribution of dark matter. The X-ray spectral and spatial observations of elliptical galaxies demonstrate that dark matter is also required in these objects and that it must be considerably more extended than the stellar distribution.

Novel gamma-ray signatures of PeV-scale dark matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanco, Carlos; Harding, J. Patrick; Hooper, Dan

2018-04-01

The gamma-ray annihilation and decay products of very heavy dark matter particles can undergo attenuation through pair production, leading to the development of electromagnetic cascades. This has a significant impact not only on the spectral shape of the gamma-ray signal, but also on the angular distribution of the observed photons. Such phenomena are particularly important in light of the new HAWC experiment, which provides unprecedented sensitivity to multi-TeV photons and thus to very heavy dark matter particles. In this study, we focus on dark matter in the 100 TeV–100 PeV mass range, and calculate the spectral and angular distribution of gamma-rays from dwarf galaxies and from nearby galaxy clusters in this class of models.

Detection prospects for high energy neutrino sources from the anisotropic matter distribution in the local Universe

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

Mertsch, Philipp; Rameez, Mohamed; Tamborra, Irene, E-mail: mertsch@nbi.ku.dk, E-mail: mohamed.rameez@nbi.ku.dk, E-mail: tamborra@nbi.ku.dk

Constraints on the number and luminosity of the sources of the cosmic neutrinos detected by IceCube have been set by targeted searches for point sources. We set complementary constraints by using the 2MASS Redshift Survey (2MRS) catalogue, which maps the matter distribution of the local Universe. Assuming that the distribution of the neutrino sources follows that of matter, we look for correlations between ''warm'' spots on the IceCube skymap and the 2MRS matter distribution. Through Monte Carlo simulations of the expected number of neutrino multiplets and careful modelling of the detector performance (including that of IceCube-Gen2), we demonstrate that sourcesmore » with local density exceeding 10{sup −6} Mpc{sup −3} and neutrino luminosity L {sub ν} ∼< 10{sup 42} erg s{sup −1} (10{sup 41} erg s{sup −1}) will be efficiently revealed by our method using IceCube (IceCube-Gen2). At low luminosities such as will be probed by IceCube-Gen2, the sensitivity of this analysis is superior to requiring statistically significant direct observation of a point source.« less

AxTract: Toward microstructure informed tractography.

PubMed

Girard, Gabriel; Daducci, Alessandro; Petit, Laurent; Thiran, Jean-Philippe; Whittingstall, Kevin; Deriche, Rachid; Wassermann, Demian; Descoteaux, Maxime

2017-11-01

Diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tractography has become the tool of choice to probe the human brain's white matter in vivo. However, tractography algorithms produce a large number of erroneous streamlines (false positives), largely due to complex ambiguous tissue configurations. Moreover, the relationship between the resulting streamlines and the underlying white matter microstructure characteristics remains poorly understood. In this work, we introduce a new approach to simultaneously reconstruct white matter fascicles and characterize the apparent distribution of axon diameters within fascicles. To achieve this, our method, AxTract, takes full advantage of the recent development DW-MRI microstructure acquisition, modeling, and reconstruction techniques. This enables AxTract to separate parallel fascicles with different microstructure characteristics, hence reducing ambiguities in areas of complex tissue configuration. We report a decrease in the incidence of erroneous streamlines compared to the conventional deterministic tractography algorithms on simulated data. We also report an average increase in streamline density over 15 known fascicles of the 34 healthy subjects. Our results suggest that microstructure information improves tractography in crossing areas of the white matter. Moreover, AxTract provides additional microstructure information along the fascicle that can be studied alongside other streamline-based indices. Overall, AxTract provides the means to distinguish and follow white matter fascicles using their microstructure characteristics, bringing new insights into the white matter organization. This is a step forward in microstructure informed tractography, paving the way to a new generation of algorithms able to deal with intricate configurations of white matter fibers and providing quantitative brain connectivity analysis. Hum Brain Mapp 38:5485-5500, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Neuroaxonal Dystrophy and Cavitating Leukoencephalopathy of Chihuahua Dogs.

PubMed

Degl'Innocenti, Sara; Asiag, Nimrod; Zeira, Offer; Falzone, Cristian; Cantile, Carlo

2017-09-01

A novel form of neuroaxonal dystrophy is described in 3 Chihuahua pups, 2 of which were from the same litter. It was characterized not only by accumulation of numerous and widely distributed axonal swellings (spheroids) but also by a severe cavitating leukoencephalopathy. The dogs presented with progressive neurological signs, including gait abnormalities and postural reaction deficits. Magnetic resonance images and gross examination at necropsy revealed dilation of lateral ventricles and cerebral atrophy, accompanied by cavitation of the subcortical white matter. Histopathologically, severe axonal degeneration with formation of large spheroids was found in the cerebral and cerebellar white matter, thalamus, and brainstem nuclei. Small-caliber spheroids were observed in the cerebral and cerebellar gray matter. The telencephalic white matter had severe myelin loss and cavitation with relative sparing of the U-fibers. Different from previously reported cases of canine neuroaxonal dystrophy, in these Chihuahuas the spheroid distribution predominantly involved the white matter with secondary severe leukoencephalopathy.

Analysis of Thematic Mapper data for studying the suspended matter distribution in the coastal area of the German Bight (North Sea)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doerffer, R.; Fischer, J.; Stoessel, M.; Brockmann, C.; Grassl, H.

1989-01-01

Thematic Mapper data were analyzed with respect to its capability for mapping the complex structure and dynamics of suspended matter distribution in the coastal area of the German Bight (North Sea). Three independent pieces of information were found by factor analysis of all seven TM channels: suspended matter concentration, atmospheric scattering, and sea surface temperature. For the required atmospheric correction, the signal-to-noise ratios of Channels 5 and 7 have to be improved by averaging over 25 x 25 pixels, which also makes it possible to monitor the aerosol optical depth and aerosol type over cloud-free water surfaces. Near-surface suspended matter concentrations may be detected with an accuracy of factor less than 2 by using an algorithm derived from radiative transfer model calculation. The patchiness of suspended matter and its relation to underwater topography was analyzed with autocorrelation and cross-correlation.

ANALYSIS OF LARGE-SCALE ANISOTROPY OF ULTRA-HIGH ENERGY COSMIC RAYS IN HiRes DATA

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

Abbasi, R. U.; Abu-Zayyad, T.; Allen, M.

2010-04-10

Stereo data collected by the HiRes experiment over a six-year period are examined for large-scale anisotropy related to the inhomogeneous distribution of matter in the nearby universe. We consider the generic case of small cosmic-ray deflections and a large number of sources tracing the matter distribution. In this matter tracer model the expected cosmic-ray flux depends essentially on a single free parameter, the typical deflection angle {theta} {sub s}. We find that the HiRes data with threshold energies of 40 EeV and 57 EeV are incompatible with the matter tracer model at a 95% confidence level unless {theta} {sub s}more » > 10 deg. and are compatible with an isotropic flux. The data set above 10 EeV is compatible with both the matter tracer model and an isotropic flux.« less

Sparse Reconstruction of the Merging A520 Cluster System

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

Peel, Austin; Lanusse, François; Starck, Jean-Luc, E-mail: austin.peel@cea.fr

2017-09-20

Merging galaxy clusters present a unique opportunity to study the properties of dark matter in an astrophysical context. These are rare and extreme cosmic events in which the bulk of the baryonic matter becomes displaced from the dark matter halos of the colliding subclusters. Since all mass bends light, weak gravitational lensing is a primary tool to study the total mass distribution in such systems. Combined with X-ray and optical analyses, mass maps of cluster mergers reconstructed from weak-lensing observations have been used to constrain the self-interaction cross-section of dark matter. The dynamically complex Abell 520 (A520) cluster is anmore » exceptional case, even among merging systems: multi-wavelength observations have revealed a surprising high mass-to-light concentration of dark mass, the interpretation of which is difficult under the standard assumption of effectively collisionless dark matter. We revisit A520 using a new sparsity-based mass-mapping algorithm to independently assess the presence of the puzzling dark core. We obtain high-resolution mass reconstructions from two separate galaxy shape catalogs derived from Hubble Space Telescope observations of the system. Our mass maps agree well overall with the results of previous studies, but we find important differences. In particular, although we are able to identify the dark core at a certain level in both data sets, it is at much lower significance than has been reported before using the same data. As we cannot confirm the detection in our analysis, we do not consider A520 as posing a significant challenge to the collisionless dark matter scenario.« less

The distribution of dark matter, galaxies, and the intergalactic medium in a cold dark matter dominated universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryu, Dongsu; Vishniac, Ethan T.; Chiang, Wei-Hwan

1988-01-01

The evolution and distribution of galaxies and the intergalactic medium (IGM) have been studied, along with collisionless dark matter in a Universe dominated by cold dark matter. The Einstein-deSitter universe with omega sub 0 = 1 and h = 0.5 was considered (here h = H sub 0 bar 100/kms/Mpc and H sub 0 is the present value of the Hubble constant). It is assumed that initially dark matter composes 90 pct and baryonic matter composes 10 pct of total mass, and that the primordial baryonic matter is comprised of H and He, with the abundance of He equal to 10 pct of H by number. Galaxies are allowed to form out of the IGM, if the total density and baryonic density satisfy an overdensity criterion. Subsequently, the newly formed galaxies release 10 to the 60th ergs of energy into the IGM over a period of 10 to the 8th years. Calculations have been performed with 32 to the 3rd dark matter particles and 32 to the 3rd cells in a cube with comoving side length L = 9.6/h Mpc. Dark matter particles and galaxies have been followed with an N-body code, while the IGM has been followed with a fluid code.

Enhancement of the natural organic matter removal from drinking water by nanofiltration.

PubMed

Matilainen, A; Liikanen, R; Nyström, M; Lindqvist, N; Tuhkanen, T

2004-03-01

Finnish surface waters are abundant in natural organic matter. Natural organic matter can be removed from drinking water in a water treatment process by coagulation and filtration. The standard treatment operations are not able to remove the smallest molar mass fraction of organic matter and the intermediate molar mass matter is only partly removed. The removal of residual natural organic matter from drinking water by nanofiltration was evalueted in this study. Three different nanofiltration membranes were compared in filtering six pre-treated surface waters. The total organic carbon content of the feed waters varied from 2.0 to 4.2 mg l(-1). Other water quality parameters measured were conductivity, alkalinity, hardness, UV-absorbance, SUVA, E2/E3 value and molecular size distribution by high-performance size-exclusion chromatography. The natural organic matter removal efficiencies of the membranes were good and varied between 100% and 49%, and between 85% and 47% according to molecular size distribution and total organic carbon measurements, respectively. Removal of different molecular size fractions varied from 100% to 56%, 100% to 54% and 88% to 19%, regarding high molar mass, intermediate molar mass and low molar mass organic matter, respectively. The Desal-5 DL membrane produced the highest natural organic matter removals.

The distribution of dark matter, galaxies, and the intergalactic medium in a cold dark matter dominated universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryu, Dongsu; Vishniac, Ethan T.; Chiang, Wei-Hwan

1988-11-01

The evolution and distribution of galaxies and the intergalactic medium (IGM) have been studied, along with collisionless dark matter in a Universe dominated by cold dark matter. The Einstein-deSitter universe with omega0 = 1 and h = 0.5 was considered (here h = H0 bar 100/kms/Mpc and H0 is the present value of the Hubble constant). It is assumed that initially dark matter composes 90 pct and baryonic matter composes 10 pct of total mass, and that the primordial baryonic matter is comprised of H and He, with the abundance of He equal to 10 pct of H by number. Galaxies are allowed to form out of the IGM, if the total density and baryonic density satisfy an overdensity criterion. Subsequently, the newly formed galaxies release 10 to the 60th ergs of energy into the IGM over a period of 10 to the 8th years. Calculations have been performed with 32 to the 3rd dark matter particles and 32 to the 3rd cells in a cube with comoving side length L = 9.6/h Mpc. Dark matter particles and galaxies have been followed with an N-body code, while the IGM has been followed with a fluid code.

Auxin-to-Gibberellin Ratio as a Signal for Light Intensity and Quality in Regulating Soybean Growth and Matter Partitioning

PubMed Central

Yang, Feng; Fan, Yuanfang; Wu, Xiaoling; Cheng, Yajiao; Liu, Qinlin; Feng, Lingyang; Chen, Junxu; Wang, Zhonglin; Wang, Xiaochun; Yong, Taiwen; Liu, Weiguo; Liu, Jiang; Du, Junbo; Shu, Kai; Yang, Wenyu

2018-01-01

The intensity and quality (red to far-red (R/Fr) ratio) of light directly affect growth of plant under shading. Gibberellins (GAs) and auxin [indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)] play important roles in mediating the shading adaptive responses of plants. Thus, the intensity and quality of the uncoupling light from shading were assessed to identify the influence of each component on the morphology and matter distribution of the leaf, stem, and petiole. This assessment was based on the changes in endogenous Gibberellin 1 (GA1) and IAA levels. Soybean plants were grown in a growth chamber with four treatments [normal (N), N+Fr, low (L), and L+Fr light]. Results revealed that the reductions in photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and R/Fr ratio equally increased height and stem mass fractions (SMFs) of the soybean seedling. The light intensity significantly influenced the dry mass per unit area and mass fraction of soybean leaves, whereas the light quality regulated the petiole elongation and mass fraction. Low R/Fr ratio (high Fr light) increased the soybean biomass by improving the photosynthetic assimilation rate and quantum yield of photosystem II. In addition, the IAA and GA1 levels in the leaf, stem, and petiole did not reflect the growth response trends of each tissue toward light intensity and quality; however, trends of the IAA-to-GA1 content ratios were similar to those of the growth and matter allocation of each soybean tissue under different light environments. Therefore, the response of growth and matter allocation of soybean to light intensity and quality may be regulated by the IAA-to-GA1 content ratio in the tissues of the soybean plant. PMID:29441084

Mapping field spatial distribution patterns of isoproturon-mineralizing activity over a three-year winter wheat/rape seed/barley rotation.

PubMed

Hussain, S; Devers-Lamrani, M; Spor, A; Rouard, N; Porcherot, M; Beguet, J; Martin-Laurent, F

2013-03-01

The temporal and spatial variability of the activity of soil microorganisms able to mineralize the herbicide isoproturon (IPU) pesticide was investigated over a three-year long crop rotation between 2008 and 2010. Isoproturon mineralization was higher in 2008, when winter wheat was treated with this herbicide, than in 2009 and 2010, when rape seed and barley were treated with different herbicides. Under laboratory conditions, we showed that isoproturon mineralization was not promoted by sulfonylurea herbicide applied on barley crop in 2010. IPU mineralization was shown to be highly variable at the field scale in years 2009 and 2010. Principal component analyses and analyses of similarities revealed that soil pH and equivalent humidity, and to a lesser extent soil organic matter content and cation exchange capacity (CEC) were the main drivers of isoproturon-mineralizing activity variance. Using a rather simple model that yields the rate of isoproturon mineralization as a function of soil pH and equivalent humidity, we explained up to 85% of the variance observed. Mapping field-scale distribution of isoproturon mineralization over the three-year survey indicated higher variability in 2009 and in 2010 as compared to 2008, suggesting that isoproturon treatment applied to winter wheat promoted isoproturon mineralization activity and reduced its spatial variability. Field-scale distribution of isoproturon mineralization showed important similarity to the distribution of soil pH, equivalent humidity and to a lesser extent to soil organic matter and cation exchange capacity (CEC) thereby confirming our model. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Picocyanobacteria and deep-ocean fluorescent dissolved organic matter share similar optical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Zhao; Gonsior, Michael; Luek, Jenna; Timko, Stephen; Ianiri, Hope; Hertkorn, Norbert; Schmitt-Kopplin, Philippe; Fang, Xiaoting; Zeng, Qinglu; Jiao, Nianzhi; Chen, Feng

2017-05-01

Marine chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and its related fluorescent components (FDOM), which are widely distributed but highly photobleached in the surface ocean, are critical in regulating light attenuation in the ocean. However, the origins of marine FDOM are still under investigation. Here we show that cultured picocyanobacteria, Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus, release FDOM that closely match the typical fluorescent signals found in oceanic environments. Picocyanobacterial FDOM also shows comparable apparent fluorescent quantum yields and undergoes similar photo-degradation behaviour when compared with deep-ocean FDOM, further strengthening the similarity between them. Ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy reveal abundant nitrogen-containing compounds in Synechococcus DOM, which may originate from degradation products of the fluorescent phycobilin pigments. Given the importance of picocyanobacteria in the global carbon cycle, our results indicate that picocyanobacteria are likely to be important sources of marine autochthonous FDOM, which may accumulate in the deep ocean.

From phase space to integrable representations and level-rank duality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chattopadhyay, Arghya; Dutta, Parikshit; Dutta, Suvankar

2018-05-01

We explicitly find representations for different large N phases of Chern-Simons matter theory on S 2 × S 1. These representations are characterised by Young diagrams. We show that no-gap and lower-gap phase of Chern-Simons-matter theory correspond to integrable representations of SU( N) k affine Lie algebra, where as upper-cap phase corresponds to integrable representations of SU( k - N) k affine Lie algebra. We use phase space description of [1] to obtain these representations and argue how putting a cap on eigenvalue distribution forces corresponding representations to be integrable. We also prove that the Young diagrams corresponding to lower-gap and upper-cap representations are related to each other by transposition under level-rank duality. Finally we draw phase space droplets for these phases and show how information about eigenvalue and Young diagram descriptions can be captured in topologies of these droplets in a unified way.

Measurement of matter-antimatter differences in beauty baryon decays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aaij, R.; Adeva, B.; Adinolfi, M.; Ajaltouni, Z.; Akar, S.; Albrecht, J.; Alessio, F.; Alexander, M.; Ali, S.; Alkhazov, G.; Cartelle, P. Alvarez; , A. A. Alves, Jr.; Amato, S.; Amerio, S.; Amhis, Y.; An, L.; Anderlini, L.; Andreassi, G.; Andreotti, M.; Andrews, J. E.; Appleby, R. B.; Archilli, F.; D'Argent, P.; Romeu, J. Arnau; Artamonov, A.; Artuso, M.; Aslanides, E.; Auriemma, G.; Baalouch, M.; Babuschkin, I.; Bachmann, S.; Back, J. J.; Badalov, A.; Baesso, C.; Baker, S.; Baldini, W.; Barlow, R. J.; Barschel, C.; Barsuk, S.; Barter, W.; Baszczyk, M.; Batozskaya, V.; Batsukh, B.; Battista, V.; Bay, A.; Beaucourt, L.; Beddow, J.; Bedeschi, F.; Bediaga, I.; Bel, L. J.; Bellee, V.; Belloli, N.; Belous, K.; Belyaev, I.; Ben-Haim, E.; Bencivenni, G.; Benson, S.; Benton, J.; Berezhnoy, A.; Bernet, R.; Bertolin, A.; Betti, F.; Bettler, M.-O.; Beuzekom, M. Van; Bezshyiko, I.; Bifani, S.; Billoir, P.; Bird, T.; Birnkraut, A.; Bitadze, A.; Bizzeti, A.; Blake, T.; Blanc, F.; Blouw, J.; Blusk, S.; Bocci, V.; Boettcher, T.; Bondar, A.; Bondar, N.; Bonivento, W.; Borgheresi, A.; Borghi, S.; Borisyak, M.; Borsato, M.; Bossu, F.; Boubdir, M.; Bowcock, T. J. V.; Bowen, E.; Bozzi, C.; Braun, S.; Britsch, M.; Britton, T.; Brodzicka, J.; Buchanan, E.; Burr, C.; Bursche, A.; Buytaert, J.; Cadeddu, S.; Calabrese, R.; Calvi, M.; Gomez, M. Calvo; Camboni, A.; Campana, P.; Perez, D. Campora; Perez, D. H. Campora; Capriotti, L.; Carbone, A.; Carboni, G.; Cardinale, R.; Cardini, A.; Carniti, P.; Carson, L.; Akiba, K. Carvalho; Casse, G.; Cassina, L.; Garcia, L. Castillo; Cattaneo, M.; Cauet, Ch.; Cavallero, G.; Cenci, R.; Charles, M.; Charpentier, Ph.; Chatzikonstantinidis, G.; Chefdeville, M.; Chen, S.; Cheung, S.-F.; Chobanova, V.; Chrzaszcz, M.; Vidal, X. Cid; Ciezarek, G.; Clarke, P. E. L.; Clemencic, M.; Cliff, H. V.; Closier, J.; Coco, V.; Cogan, J.; Cogneras, E.; Cogoni, V.; Cojocariu, L.; Collazuol, G.; Collins, P.; Comerma-Montells, A.; Contu, A.; Cook, A.; Coquereau, S.; Corti, G.; Corvo, M.; Sobral, C. M. Costa; Couturier, B.; Cowan, G. A.; Craik, D. C.; Crocombe, A.; Torres, M. Cruz; Cunliffe, S.; Currie, R.; D'Ambrosio, C.; Marinho, F. Da Cunha; Dall'Occo, E.; Dalseno, J.; David, P. N. Y.; Davis, A.; Francisco, O. De Aguiar; Bruyn, K. De; Capua, S. De; Cian, M. De; Miranda, J. M. De; Paula, L. De; Serio, M. De; Simone, P. De; Dean, C.-T.; Decamp, D.; Deckenhoff, M.; Buono, L. Del; Demmer, M.; Derkach, D.; Deschamps, O.; Dettori, F.; Dey, B.; Canto, A. Di; Dijkstra, H.; Dordei, F.; Dorigo, M.; Suárez, A. Dosil; Dovbnya, A.; Dreimanis, K.; Dufour, L.; Dujany, G.; Dungs, K.; Durante, P.; Dzhelyadin, R.; Dziurda, A.; Dzyuba, A.; Déléage, N.; Easo, S.; Ebert, M.; Egede, U.; Egorychev, V.; Eidelman, S.; Eisenhardt, S.; Eitschberger, U.; Ekelhof, R.; Eklund, L.; Elsasser, Ch.; Ely, S.; Esen, S.; Evans, H. M.; Evans, T.; Falabella, A.; Farley, N.; Farry, S.; Fay, R.; Fazzini, D.; Ferguson, D.; Albor, V. Fernandez; Prieto, A. Fernandez; Ferrari, F.; Rodrigues, F. Ferreira; Ferro-Luzzi, M.; Filippov, S.; Fini, R. A.; Fiore, M.; Fiorini, M.; Firlej, M.; Fitzpatrick, C.; Fiutowski, T.; Fleuret, F.; Fohl, K.; Fontana, M.; Fontanelli, F.; Forshaw, D. C.; Forty, R.; Lima, V. Franco; Frank, M.; Frei, C.; Fu, J.; Furfaro, E.; Färber, C.; Torreira, A. Gallas; Galli, D.; Gallorini, S.; Gambetta, S.; Gandelman, M.; Gandini, P.; Gao, Y.; Martin, L. M. Garcia; Pardiñas, J. Garcıa; Tico, J. Garra; Garrido, L.; Garsed, P. J.; Gascon, D.; Gaspar, C.; Gavardi, L.; Gazzoni, G.; Gerick, D.; Gersabeck, E.; Gersabeck, M.; Gershon, T.; Ghez, Ph.; Gianì, S.; Gibson, V.; Girard, O. G.; Giubega, L.; Gizdov, K.; Gligorov, V. V.; Golubkov, D.; Golutvin, A.; Gomes, A.; Gorelov, I. V.; Gotti, C.; Gándara, M. Grabalosa; Diaz, R. Graciani; Cardoso, L. A. Granado; Graugés, E.; Graverini, E.; Graziani, G.; Grecu, A.; Griffith, P.; Grillo, L.; Cazon, B. R. Gruberg; Grünberg, O.; Gushchin, E.; Guz, Yu.; Gys, T.; Göbel, C.; Hadavizadeh, T.; Hadjivasiliou, C.; Haefeli, G.; Haen, C.; Haines, S. C.; Hall, S.; Hamilton, B.; Han, X.; Hansmann-Menzemer, S.; Harnew, N.; Harnew, S. T.; Harrison, J.; Hatch, M.; He, J.; Head, T.; Heister, A.; Hennessy, K.; Henrard, P.; Henry, L.; Morata, J. A. Hernando; Herwijnen, E. Van; Heß, M.; Hicheur, A.; Hill, D.; Hombach, C.; Hopchev, H.; Hulsbergen, W.; Humair, T.; Hushchyn, M.; Hussain, N.; Hutchcroft, D.; Idzik, M.; Ilten, P.; Jacobsson, R.; Jaeger, A.; Jalocha, J.; Jans, E.; Jawahery, A.; Jiang, F.; John, M.; Johnson, D.; Jones, C. R.; Joram, C.; Jost, B.; Jurik, N.; Kandybei, S.; Kanso, W.; Karacson, M.; Kariuki, J. M.; Karodia, S.; Kecke, M.; Kelsey, M.; Kenyon, I. R.; Kenzie, M.; Ketel, T.; Khairullin, E.; Khanji, B.; Khurewathanakul, C.; Kirn, T.; Klaver, S.; Klimaszewski, K.; Koliiev, S.; Kolpin, M.; Komarov, I.; Koopman, R. F.; Koppenburg, P.; Kozachuk, A.; Kozeiha, M.; Kravchuk, L.; Kreplin, K.; Kreps, M.; Krokovny, P.; Kruse, F.; Krzemien, W.; Kucewicz, W.; Kucharczyk, M.; Kudryavtsev, V.; Kuonen, A. K.; Kurek, K.; Kvaratskheliya, T.; Lacarrere, D.; Lafferty, G.; Lai, A.; Lambert, D.; Lanfranchi, G.; Langenbruch, C.; Latham, T.; Lazzeroni, C.; Gac, R. Le; Leerdam, J. Van; Lees, J.-P.; Leflat, A.; Lefrançois, J.; Lefèvre, R.; Lemaitre, F.; Cid, E. Lemos; Leroy, O.; Lesiak, T.; Leverington, B.; Li, Y.; Likhomanenko, T.; Lindner, R.; Linn, C.; Lionetto, F.; Liu, B.; Liu, X.; Loh, D.; Longstaff, I.; Lopes, J. H.; Lucchesi, D.; Martinez, M. Lucio; Luo, H.; Lupato, A.; Luppi, E.; Lupton, O.; Lusiani, A.; Lyu, X.; Machefert, F.; Maciuc, F.; Maev, O.; Maguire, K.; Malde, S.; Malinin, A.; Maltsev, T.; Manca, G.; Mancinelli, G.; Manning, P.; Maratas, J.; Marchand, J. F.; Marconi, U.; Benito, C. Marin; Marino, P.; Marks, J.; Martellotti, G.; Martin, M.; Martinelli, M.; Santos, D. Martinez; Vidal, F. Martinez; Tostes, D. Martins; Massacrier, L. M.; Massafferri, A.; Matev, R.; Mathad, A.; Mathe, Z.; Matteuzzi, C.; Mauri, A.; Maurin, B.; Mazurov, A.; McCann, M.; McCarthy, J.; McNab, A.; McNulty, R.; Meadows, B.; Meier, F.; Meissner, M.; Melnychuk, D.; Merk, M.; Merli, A.; Michielin, E.; Milanes, D. A.; Minard, M.-N.; Mitzel, D. S.; Mogini, A.; Rodriguez, J. Molina; Monroy, I. A.; Monteil, S.; Morandin, M.; Morawski, P.; Mordà, A.; Morello, M. J.; Moron, J.; Morris, A. B.; Mountain, R.; Muheim, F.; Mulder, M.; Mussini, M.; Müller, D.; Müller, J.; Müller, K.; Müller, V.; Naik, P.; Nakada, T.; Nandakumar, R.; Nandi, A.; Nasteva, I.; Needham, M.; Neri, N.; Neubert, S.; Neufeld, N.; Neuner, M.; Nguyen, A. D.; Nguyen-Mau, C.; Nieswand, S.; Niet, R.; Nikitin, N.; Nikodem, T.; Novoselov, A.; O'Hanlon, D. P.; Oblakowska-Mucha, A.; Obraztsov, V.; Ogilvy, S.; Oldeman, R.; Onderwater, C. J. G.; Goicochea, J. M. Otalora; Otto, A.; Owen, P.; Oyanguren, A.; Pais, P. R.; Palano, A.; Palombo, F.; Palutan, M.; Panman, J.; Papanestis, A.; Pappagallo, M.; Pappalardo, L. L.; Parker, W.; Parkes, C.; Passaleva, G.; Pastore, A.; Patel, G. D.; Patel, M.; Patrignani, C.; Pearce, A.; Pellegrino, A.; Penso, G.; Altarelli, M. Pepe; Perazzini, S.; Perret, P.; Pescatore, L.; Petridis, K.; Petrolini, A.; Petrov, A.; Petruzzo, M.; Olloqui, E. Picatoste; Pietrzyk, B.; Pikies, M.; Pinci, D.; Pistone, A.; Piucci, A.; Playfer, S.; Casasus, M. Plo; Poikela, T.; Polci, F.; Poluektov, A.; Polyakov, I.; Polycarpo, E.; Pomery, G. J.; Popov, A.; Popov, D.; Popovici, B.; Poslavskii, S.; Potterat, C.; Price, E.; Price, J. D.; Prisciandaro, J.; Pritchard, A.; Prouve, C.; Pugatch, V.; Navarro, A. Puig; Punzi, G.; Qian, W.; Quagliani, R.; Rachwal, B.; Rademacker, J. H.; Rama, M.; Pernas, M. Ramos; Rangel, M. S.; Raniuk, I.; Raven, G.; Redi, F.; Reichert, S.; Reis, A. C. Dos; Alepuz, C. Remon; Renaudin, V.; Ricciardi, S.; Richards, S.; Rihl, M.; Rinnert, K.; Molina, V. Rives; Robbe, P.; Rodrigues, A. B.; Rodrigues, E.; Lopez, J. A. Rodriguez; Perez, P. Rodriguez; Rogozhnikov, A.; Roiser, S.; Romanovskiy, V.; Vidal, A. Romero; Ronayne, J. W.; Rotondo, M.; Rudolph, M. S.; Ruf, T.; Valls, P. Ruiz; Silva, J. J. Saborido; Sadykhov, E.; Sagidova, N.; Saitta, B.; Guimaraes, V. Salustino; Mayordomo, C. Sanchez; Sedes, B. Sanmartin; Santacesaria, R.; Rios, C. Santamarina; Santimaria, M.; Santovetti, E.; Sarti, A.; Satriano, C.; Satta, A.; Saunders, D. M.; Savrina, D.; Schael, S.; Schellenberg, M.; Schiller, M.; Schindler, H.; Schlupp, M.; Schmelling, M.; Schmelzer, T.; Schmidt, B.; Schneider, O.; Schopper, A.; Schubert, K.; Schubiger, M.; Schune, M.-H.; Schwemmer, R.; Sciascia, B.; Sciubba, A.; Semennikov, A.; Sergi, A.; Serra, N.; Serrano, J.; Sestini, L.; Seyfert, P.; Shapkin, M.; Shapoval, I.; Shcheglov, Y.; Shears, T.; Shekhtman, L.; Shevchenko, V.; Shires, A.; Siddi, B. G.; Coutinho, R. Silva; de Oliveira, L. Silva; Simi, G.; Simone, S.; Sirendi, M.; Skidmore, N.; Skwarnicki, T.; Smith, E.; Smith, I. T.; Smith, J.; Smith, M.; Snoek, H.; Sokoloff, M. D.; Soler, F. J. P.; de Paula, B. Souza; Spaan, B.; Spradlin, P.; Sridharan, S.; Stagni, F.; Stahl, M.; Stahl, S.; Stefko, P.; Stefkova, S.; Steinkamp, O.; Stemmle, S.; Stenyakin, O.; Stevenson, S.; Stoica, S.; Stone, S.; Storaci, B.; Stracka, S.; Straticiuc, M.; Straumann, U.; Sun, L.; Sutcliffe, W.; Swientek, K.; Syropoulos, V.; Szczekowski, M.; Szumlak, T.; T'Jampens, S.; Tayduganov, A.; Tekampe, T.; Tellarini, G.; Teubert, F.; Thomas, E.; Tilburg, J. Van; Tilley, M. J.; Tisserand, V.; Tobin, M.; Tolk, S.; Tomassetti, L.; Tonelli, D.; Topp-Joergensen, S.; Toriello, F.; Tournefier, E.; Tourneur, S.; Trabelsi, K.; Traill, M.; Tran, M. T.; Tresch, M.; Trisovic, A.; Tsaregorodtsev, A.; Tsopelas, P.; Tully, A.; Tuning, N.; Ukleja, A.; Ustyuzhanin, A.; Uwer, U.; Vacca, C.; Vagnoni, V.; Valassi, A.; Valat, S.; Valenti, G.; Vallier, A.; Gomez, R. Vazquez; Regueiro, P. Vazquez; Vecchi, S.; Veghel, M. Van; Velthuis, J. J.; Veltri, M.; Veneziano, G.; Venkateswaran, A.; Vernet, M.; Vesterinen, M.; Viaud, B.; Vieira, D.; Diaz, M. Vieites; Vilasis-Cardona, X.; Volkov, V.; Vollhardt, A.; Voneki, B.; Vorobyev, A.; Vorobyev, V.; Voß, C.; Vries, J. A. De; Sierra, C. Vázquez; Waldi, R.; Wallace, C.; Wallace, R.; Walsh, J.; Wang, J.; Ward, D. R.; Wark, H. M.; Watson, N. K.; Websdale, D.; Weiden, A.; Whitehead, M.; Wicht, J.; Wilkinson, G.; Wilkinson, M.; Williams, M.; Williams, M. P.; Williams, M.; Williams, T.; Wilson, F. F.; Wimberley, J.; Wishahi, J.; Wislicki, W.; Witek, M.; Wormser, G.; Wotton, S. A.; Wraight, K.; Wright, S.; Wyllie, K.; Xie, Y.; Xing, Z.; Xu, Z.; Yang, Z.; Yin, H.; Yu, J.; Yuan, X.; Yushchenko, O.; Zarebski, K. A.; Zavertyaev, M.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Zhelezov, A.; Zheng, Y.; Zhokhov, A.; Zhu, X.; Zhukov, V.; Zucchelli, S.

2017-04-01

Differences in the behaviour of matter and antimatter have been observed in K and B meson decays, but not yet in any baryon decay. Such differences are associated with the non-invariance of fundamental interactions under the combined charge-conjugation and parity transformations, known as CP violation. Here, using data from the LHCb experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, we search for CP-violating asymmetries in the decay angle distributions of Λb0 baryons decaying to pπ-π+π- and pπ-K+K- final states. These four-body hadronic decays are a promising place to search for sources of CP violation both within and beyond the standard model of particle physics. We find evidence for CP violation in Λb0 to pπ-π+π- decays with a statistical significance corresponding to 3.3 standard deviations including systematic uncertainties. This represents the first evidence for CP violation in the baryon sector.

Astrophysics-independent bounds on the annual modulation of dark matter signals.

PubMed

Herrero-Garcia, Juan; Schwetz, Thomas; Zupan, Jure

2012-10-05

We show how constraints on the time integrated event rate from a given dark matter (DM) direct detection experiment can be used to bound the amplitude of the annual modulation signal in another experiment. The method requires only mild assumptions about the properties of the local DM distribution: that it is temporally stable on the scale of months and spatially homogeneous on the ecliptic. We apply the method to the annual modulation signal in DAMA/LIBRA, which we compare to the bounds derived from XENON10, XENON100, cryogenic DM search, and SIMPLE data. Assuming a DM mass of 10 GeV, we show that under the above assumptions about the DM halo, a DM interpretation of the DAMA/LIBRA signal is excluded for several classes of models: at 6.3σ (4.6σ) for elastic isospin conserving (violating) spin-independent interactions, and at 4.9σ for elastic spin-dependent interactions on protons.

Space-Time Characterization of Laser Plasma Interactions in the Warm Dense Matter Regime

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

Cao, L F; Uschmann, I; Forster, E

2008-04-30

Laser plasma interaction experiments have been performed using a fs Titanium Sapphire laser. Plasmas have been generated from planar PMMA targets using single laser pulses with 3.3 mJ pulse energy, 50 fs pulse duration at 800 nm wavelength. The electron density distributions of the plasmas in different delay times have been characterized by means of Nomarski Interferometry. Experimental data were compared with hydrodynamic simulation. First results to characterize the plasma density and temperature as a function of space and time are obtained. This work aims to generate plasmas in the warm dense matter (WDM) regime at near solid-density in anmore » ultra-fast laser target interaction process. Plasmas under these conditions can serve as targets to develop x-ray Thomson scattering as a plasma diagnostic tool, e.g., using the VUV free-electron laser (FLASH) at DESY Hamburg.« less

Picocyanobacteria and deep-ocean fluorescent dissolved organic matter share similar optical properties

PubMed Central

Zhao, Zhao; Gonsior, Michael; Luek, Jenna; Timko, Stephen; Ianiri, Hope; Hertkorn, Norbert; Schmitt-Kopplin, Philippe; Fang, Xiaoting; Zeng, Qinglu; Jiao, Nianzhi; Chen, Feng

2017-01-01

Marine chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and its related fluorescent components (FDOM), which are widely distributed but highly photobleached in the surface ocean, are critical in regulating light attenuation in the ocean. However, the origins of marine FDOM are still under investigation. Here we show that cultured picocyanobacteria, Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus, release FDOM that closely match the typical fluorescent signals found in oceanic environments. Picocyanobacterial FDOM also shows comparable apparent fluorescent quantum yields and undergoes similar photo-degradation behaviour when compared with deep-ocean FDOM, further strengthening the similarity between them. Ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy reveal abundant nitrogen-containing compounds in Synechococcus DOM, which may originate from degradation products of the fluorescent phycobilin pigments. Given the importance of picocyanobacteria in the global carbon cycle, our results indicate that picocyanobacteria are likely to be important sources of marine autochthonous FDOM, which may accumulate in the deep ocean. PMID:28513605

Some intriguing aspects of multiparticle production processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilk, Grzegorz; Włodarczyk, Zbigniew

2018-04-01

Multiparticle production processes provide valuable information about the mechanism of the conversion of the initial energy of projectiles into a number of secondaries by measuring their multiplicity distributions and their distributions in phase space. They therefore serve as a reference point for more involved measurements. Distributions in phase space are usually investigated using the statistical approach, very successful in general but failing in cases of small colliding systems, small multiplicities, and at the edges of the allowed phase space, in which cases the underlying dynamical effects competing with the statistical distributions take over. We discuss an alternative approach, which applies to the whole phase space without detailed knowledge of dynamics. It is based on a modification of the usual statistics by generalizing it to a superstatistical form. We stress particularly the scaling and self-similar properties of such an approach manifesting themselves as the phenomena of the log-periodic oscillations and oscillations of temperature caused by sound waves in hadronic matter. Concerning the multiplicity distributions we discuss in detail the phenomenon of the oscillatory behavior of the modified combinants apparently observed in experimental data.

In vivo characterization of cortical and white matter neuroaxonal pathology in early multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Granberg, Tobias; Fan, Qiuyun; Treaba, Constantina Andrada; Ouellette, Russell; Herranz, Elena; Mangeat, Gabriel; Louapre, Céline; Cohen-Adad, Julien; Klawiter, Eric C; Sloane, Jacob A; Mainero, Caterina

2017-11-01

Neuroaxonal pathology is a main determinant of disease progression in multiple sclerosis; however, its underlying pathophysiological mechanisms, including its link to inflammatory demyelination and temporal occurrence in the disease course are still unknown. We used ultra-high field (7 T), ultra-high gradient strength diffusion and T1/T2-weighted myelin-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging to characterize microstructural changes in myelin and neuroaxonal integrity in the cortex and white matter in early stage multiple sclerosis, their distribution in lesional and normal-appearing tissue, and their correlations with neurological disability. Twenty-six early stage multiple sclerosis subjects (disease duration ≤5 years) and 24 age-matched healthy controls underwent 7 T T2*-weighted imaging for cortical lesion segmentation and 3 T T1/T2-weighted myelin-sensitive imaging and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging for assessing microstructural myelin, axonal and dendrite integrity in lesional and normal-appearing tissue of the cortex and the white matter. Conventional mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy metrics were also assessed for comparison. Cortical lesions were identified in 92% of early multiple sclerosis subjects and they were characterized by lower intracellular volume fraction (P = 0.015 by paired t-test), lower myelin-sensitive contrast (P = 0.030 by related-samples Wilcoxon signed-rank test) and higher mean diffusivity (P = 0.022 by related-samples Wilcoxon signed-rank test) relative to the contralateral normal-appearing cortex. Similar findings were observed in white matter lesions relative to normal-appearing white matter (all P < 0.001), accompanied by an increased orientation dispersion (P < 0.001 by paired t-test) and lower fractional anisotropy (P < 0.001 by related-samples Wilcoxon signed-rank test) suggestive of less coherent underlying fibre orientation. Additionally, the normal-appearing white matter in multiple sclerosis subjects had diffusely lower intracellular volume fractions than the white matter in controls (P = 0.029 by unpaired t-test). Cortical thickness did not differ significantly between multiple sclerosis subjects and controls. Higher orientation dispersion in the left primary motor-somatosensory cortex was associated with increased Expanded Disability Status Scale scores in surface-based general linear modelling (P < 0.05). Microstructural pathology was frequent in early multiple sclerosis, and present mainly focally in cortical lesions, whereas more diffusely in white matter. These results suggest early demyelination with loss of cells and/or cell volumes in cortical and white matter lesions, with additional axonal dispersion in white matter lesions. In the cortex, focal lesion changes might precede diffuse atrophy with cortical thinning. Findings in the normal-appearing white matter reveal early axonal pathology outside inflammatory demyelinating lesions. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Impact of land use on soil organic carbon distribution in toposequences of the Central Rif, Morocco

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mesrar, Haytam; Sadiki, Abdelhamid; Faleh, Ali; Quijano, Laura; Gaspar, Leticia; Navas, Ana

2017-04-01

Mediterranean mountain agroecosystems are sensitive areas to soil degradation mainly due to erodible soils, occasional heavy rainfalls and anthropogenic activities that have transformed large surfaces of natural forest into croplands. In the mountains of the central Rif (Morocco) the anthropogenic pressure by intensive agriculture on steep slopes and grazing practices is causing large impacts on soils. In the region soil losses have further indirect impact on water resources due to siltation of water bodies from canals, small check dams to large reservoirs. Besides the loss of the upper rich organic soil horizons containing the largest amounts of organic matter is causing decreases in soil fertility and losses in crop productivity. Soil erosion affects the spatial variability of soil nutrients of which soil organic carbon (SOC) is one of the most important because is directly linked to soil quality and soil functions. The artificially emitted 137Cs has been found to effectively trace soil redistribution because of its associated movement with fine soil particles including the organic matter. To assess the contents of SOC under different land uses a set of transects were set up in the Sahla catchment that holds a reservoir and is representative of the Rif mountain agroecosystems. Along the transects soil sampling was done to collect soil cores extending until a depth of 25 cm that were sectioned at 5cm depth intervals. The SOC content (%) was measured by the oxidation method in the < 2mm fraction of the interval subsamples. The lateral and vertical variations of SOC contents were examined in combination with the 137Cs profiles to gain information on the nutrient content in the soils under the most characteristic land uses existing in the catchment. In general the SOC contents are low but the mean contents in the croplands are much lower than in the uncultivated lands that present the highest variations in the SOC percentages. In croplands the depth distribution of SOC is homogeneous and the SOC profiles match the vertical distribution of 137Cs revealing the mixing of the soil by tillage. The lateral and vertical distributions of SOC allowed to gain information on the status of soil degradation under the different land uses which is of interest to support management practices aimed to preserve the soils and maintain the sustainability of agroecosystems.

Energy Harvesting for Soft-Matter Machines and Electronics

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-09

AFRL-AFOSR-VA-TR-2016-0353 Energy Harvesting for Soft-Matter Machines and Electronics Carmel Majidi CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY Final Report 06/09...ES) CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY 5000 FORBES AVENUE PITTSBURGH, PA 15213-3815 US 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING...livelink.ebs.afrl.af.mil/livelink/llisapi.dll DISTRIBUTION A: Distribution approved for public release. Carnegie Mellon University MECHANICAL ENGINEERING FINAL

Organic geochemical characterisation of shallow marine Cretaceous formations from Yola Sub-basin, Northern Benue Trough, NE Nigeria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarki Yandoka, Babangida M.; Abdullah, Wan Hasiah; Abubakar, M. B.; Hakimi, Mohammed Hail; Jauro, Aliyu; Adegoke, Adebanji Kayode

2016-05-01

The shallow marine shales of the Cretaceous formations namely Yolde, Dukul, Jessu, Sekuliye and Numanha ranging in age from Cenomanian to Coniacian within the Yola Sub-basin in the Northern Benue Trough, northeastern Nigeria were analysed to provide an overview on their hydrocarbon generation potential. This study is based on pyrolysis analysis, total organic carbon content (TOC), extractable organic matter (EOM), biomarker distributions and measured vitrinite reflectance. The present-day TOC contents range between 0.24 and 0.71 wt. % and Hydrogen Index (HI) values between 8.7 and 113 mg HC/g TOC with Type III/IV kerogens. Based on the present-day kerogen typing, the shale sediments are expected to generate mainly gas. Biomarker compositions indicates deposition in a marine environment under suboxic conditions with prevalent contribution of aquatic organic matter and a significant amount of terrigenous organic matter input. Organic matter that is dominated by marine components contains kerogens of Type II and Type II-III. This study shows that the organic matter has been affected by volcanic intrusion and consequently, have reached post-mature stage of oil generation. These higher thermal maturities levels are consistent with the vitrinite reflectance ranging from 0.85 to 2.35 Ro % and high Tmax (440-508 °C) values as supported by biomarker maturity ratios. Based on this study, a high prospect for major gas and minor oil generation potential is anticipated from the shallow marine Cretaceous formations from Yola Sub-basin.

Dissipative dark matter and the rotation curves of dwarf galaxies

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

Foot, R., E-mail: rfoot@unimelb.edu.au

2016-07-01

There is ample evidence from rotation curves that dark matter halos around disk galaxies have nontrivial dynamics. Of particular significance are: a) the cored dark matter profile of disk galaxies, b) correlations of the shape of rotation curves with baryonic properties, and c) Tully-Fisher relations. Dark matter halos around disk galaxies may have nontrivial dynamics if dark matter is strongly self interacting and dissipative. Multicomponent hidden sector dark matter featuring a massless 'dark photon' (from an unbroken dark U(1) gauge interaction) which kinetically mixes with the ordinary photon provides a concrete example of such dark matter. The kinetic mixing interactionmore » facilitates halo heating by enabling ordinary supernovae to be a source of these 'dark photons'. Dark matter halos can expand and contract in response to the heating and cooling processes, but for a sufficiently isolated halo could have evolved to a steady state or 'equilibrium' configuration where heating and cooling rates locally balance. This dynamics allows the dark matter density profile to be related to the distribution of ordinary supernovae in the disk of a given galaxy. In a previous paper a simple and predictive formula was derived encoding this relation. Here we improve on previous work by modelling the supernovae distribution via the measured UV and H α fluxes, and compare the resulting dark matter halo profiles with the rotation curve data for each dwarf galaxy in the LITTLE THINGS sample. The dissipative dark matter concept is further developed and some conclusions drawn.« less

Galaxy Distribution in Clusters of Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okamoto, T.; Yachi, S.; Habe, A.

beta-discrepancy have been pointed out from comparison of optical and X-ray observations of clusters of galaxies. To examine physical reason of beta-discrepancy, we use N-body simulation which contains two components, dark particles and galaxies which are identified by using adaptive-linking friend of friend technique at a certain red-shift. The gas component is not included here, since the gas distribution follows the dark matter distribution in dark halos (Jubio F. Navarro, Carlos S. Frenk and Simon D. M. White 1995). We find that the galaxy distribution follows the dark matter distribution, therefore beta-discrepancy does not exist, and this result is consistent with the interpretation of the beta-discrepancy by Bahcall and Lubin (1994), which was based on recent observation.

Impact of fugitive sources and meteorological parameters on vertical distribution of particulate matter over the industrial agglomeration.

PubMed

Štrbová, Kristína; Raclavská, Helena; Bílek, Jiří

2017-12-01

The aim of the study was to characterize vertical distribution of particulate matter, in an area well known by highest air pollution levels in Europe. A balloon filled with helium with measuring instrumentation was used for vertical observation of air pollution over the fugitive sources in Moravian-Silesian metropolitan area during spring and summer. Synchronously, selected meteorological parameters were recorded together with particulate matter for exploration its relationship with particulate matter. Concentrations of particulate matter in the vertical profile were significantly higher in the spring than in the summer. Significant effect of fugitive sources was observed up to the altitude ∼255 m (∼45 m above ground) in both seasons. The presence of inversion layer was observed at the altitude ∼350 m (120-135 m above ground) at locations with major source traffic load. Both particulate matter concentrations and number of particles for the selected particle sizes decreased with increasing height. Strong correlation of particulate matter with meteorological parameters was not observed. The study represents the first attempt to assess the vertical profile over the fugitive emission sources - old environmental burdens in industrial region. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Simulated Milky Way analogues: implications for dark matter direct searches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bozorgnia, Nassim; Calore, Francesca; Schaller, Matthieu; Lovell, Mark; Bertone, Gianfranco; Frenk, Carlos S.; Crain, Robert A.; Navarro, Julio F.; Schaye, Joop; Theuns, Tom

2016-05-01

We study the implications of galaxy formation on dark matter direct detection using high resolution hydrodynamic simulations of Milky Way-like galaxies simulated within the EAGLE and APOSTLE projects. We identify Milky Way analogues that satisfy observational constraints on the Milky Way rotation curve and total stellar mass. We then extract the dark matter density and velocity distribution in the Solar neighbourhood for this set of Milky Way analogues, and use them to analyse the results of current direct detection experiments. For most Milky Way analogues, the event rates in direct detection experiments obtained from the best fit Maxwellian distribution (with peak speed of 223-289 km/s) are similar to those obtained directly from the simulations. As a consequence, the allowed regions and exclusion limits set by direct detection experiments in the dark matter mass and spin-independent cross section plane shift by a few GeV compared to the Standard Halo Model, at low dark matter masses. For each dark matter mass, the halo-to-halo variation of the local dark matter density results in an overall shift of the allowed regions and exclusion limits for the cross section. However, the compatibility of the possible hints for a dark matter signal from DAMA and CDMS-Si and null results from LUX and SuperCDMS is not improved.

Particle dark matter searches in the anisotropic sky

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fornengo, Nicolao; Regis, Marco

2014-02-01

Anisotropies in the electromagnetic emission produced by dark matter annihilation or decay in the extragalactic sky are a recent tool in the quest for a particle dark matter evidence. We review the formalism to compute the two-point angular power spectrum in the halo-model approach and discuss the features and the relative size of the various auto- and cross-correlation signals that can be envisaged for anisotropy studies. From the side of particle dark matter signals, we consider the full multi-wavelength spectrum, from the radio emission to X-ray and gamma-ray productions. We discuss the angular power spectra of the auto-correlation of each of these signals and of the cross-correlation between any pair of them. We then extend the search to comprise specific gravitational tracers of dark matter distribution in the Universe: weak-lensing cosmic shear, large-scale-structure matter distribution and CMB-lensing. We have shown that cross-correlating a multi-wavelength dark matter signal (which is a direct manifestation of its particle physics nature) with a gravitational tracer (which is a manifestation of the presence of large amounts of unseen matter in the Universe) may offer a promising tool to demonstrate that what we call DM is indeed formed by elementary particles.

Strategic rehabilitation planning of piped water networks using multi-criteria decision analysis.

PubMed

Scholten, Lisa; Scheidegger, Andreas; Reichert, Peter; Maurer, Max; Mauer, Max; Lienert, Judit

2014-02-01

To overcome the difficulties of strategic asset management of water distribution networks, a pipe failure and a rehabilitation model are combined to predict the long-term performance of rehabilitation strategies. Bayesian parameter estimation is performed to calibrate the failure and replacement model based on a prior distribution inferred from three large water utilities in Switzerland. Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and scenario planning build the framework for evaluating 18 strategic rehabilitation alternatives under future uncertainty. Outcomes for three fundamental objectives (low costs, high reliability, and high intergenerational equity) are assessed. Exploitation of stochastic dominance concepts helps to identify twelve non-dominated alternatives and local sensitivity analysis of stakeholder preferences is used to rank them under four scenarios. Strategies with annual replacement of 1.5-2% of the network perform reasonably well under all scenarios. In contrast, the commonly used reactive replacement is not recommendable unless cost is the only relevant objective. Exemplified for a small Swiss water utility, this approach can readily be adapted to support strategic asset management for any utility size and based on objectives and preferences that matter to the respective decision makers. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A new model to predict weak-lensing peak counts. II. Parameter constraint strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Chieh-An; Kilbinger, Martin

2015-11-01

Context. Peak counts have been shown to be an excellent tool for extracting the non-Gaussian part of the weak lensing signal. Recently, we developed a fast stochastic forward model to predict weak-lensing peak counts. Our model is able to reconstruct the underlying distribution of observables for analysis. Aims: In this work, we explore and compare various strategies for constraining a parameter using our model, focusing on the matter density Ωm and the density fluctuation amplitude σ8. Methods: First, we examine the impact from the cosmological dependency of covariances (CDC). Second, we perform the analysis with the copula likelihood, a technique that makes a weaker assumption than does the Gaussian likelihood. Third, direct, non-analytic parameter estimations are applied using the full information of the distribution. Fourth, we obtain constraints with approximate Bayesian computation (ABC), an efficient, robust, and likelihood-free algorithm based on accept-reject sampling. Results: We find that neglecting the CDC effect enlarges parameter contours by 22% and that the covariance-varying copula likelihood is a very good approximation to the true likelihood. The direct techniques work well in spite of noisier contours. Concerning ABC, the iterative process converges quickly to a posterior distribution that is in excellent agreement with results from our other analyses. The time cost for ABC is reduced by two orders of magnitude. Conclusions: The stochastic nature of our weak-lensing peak count model allows us to use various techniques that approach the true underlying probability distribution of observables, without making simplifying assumptions. Our work can be generalized to other observables where forward simulations provide samples of the underlying distribution.

Probing parton dynamics of QCD matter with Ω and ϕ production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adamczyk, L.; Adkins, J. K.; Agakishiev, G.; Aggarwal, M. M.; Ahammed, Z.; Alekseev, I.; Aparin, A.; Arkhipkin, D.; Aschenauer, E. C.; Attri, A.; Averichev, G. S.; Bai, X.; Bairathi, V.; Bellwied, R.; Bhasin, A.; Bhati, A. K.; Bhattarai, P.; Bielcik, J.; Bielcikova, J.; Bland, L. C.; Bordyuzhin, I. G.; Bouchet, J.; Brandenburg, J. D.; Brandin, A. V.; Bunzarov, I.; Butterworth, J.; Caines, H.; Calderón de la Barca Sánchez, M.; Campbell, J. M.; Cebra, D.; Chakaberia, I.; Chaloupka, P.; Chang, Z.; Chatterjee, A.; Chattopadhyay, S.; Chen, J. H.; Chen, X.; Cheng, J.; Cherney, M.; Christie, W.; Contin, G.; Crawford, H. J.; Das, S.; De Silva, L. C.; Debbe, R. R.; Dedovich, T. G.; Deng, J.; Derevschikov, A. A.; di Ruzza, B.; Didenko, L.; Dilks, C.; Dong, X.; Drachenberg, J. L.; Draper, J. E.; Du, C. M.; Dunkelberger, L. E.; Dunlop, J. C.; Efimov, L. G.; Engelage, J.; Eppley, G.; Esha, R.; Evdokimov, O.; Eyser, O.; Fatemi, R.; Fazio, S.; Federic, P.; Fedorisin, J.; Feng, Z.; Filip, P.; Fisyak, Y.; Flores, C. E.; Fulek, L.; Gagliardi, C. A.; Garand, D.; Geurts, F.; Gibson, A.; Girard, M.; Greiner, L.; Grosnick, D.; Gunarathne, D. S.; Guo, Y.; Gupta, S.; Gupta, A.; Guryn, W.; Hamad, A. I.; Hamed, A.; Haque, R.; Harris, J. W.; He, L.; Heppelmann, S.; Heppelmann, S.; Hirsch, A.; Hoffmann, G. W.; Horvat, S.; Huang, T.; Huang, X.; Huang, B.; Huang, H. Z.; Huck, P.; Humanic, T. J.; Igo, G.; Jacobs, W. W.; Jang, H.; Jentsch, A.; Jia, J.; Jiang, K.; Judd, E. G.; Kabana, S.; Kalinkin, D.; Kang, K.; Kauder, K.; Ke, H. W.; Keane, D.; Kechechyan, A.; Khan, Z. H.; Kikoła, D. P.; Kisel, I.; Kisiel, A.; Kochenda, L.; Koetke, D. D.; Kosarzewski, L. K.; Kraishan, A. F.; Kravtsov, P.; Krueger, K.; Kumar, L.; Lamont, M. A. C.; Landgraf, J. M.; Landry, K. D.; Lauret, J.; Lebedev, A.; Lednicky, R.; Lee, J. H.; Li, X.; Li, C.; Li, X.; Li, Y.; Li, W.; Lin, T.; Lisa, M. A.; Liu, F.; Ljubicic, T.; Llope, W. J.; Lomnitz, M.; Longacre, R. S.; Luo, X.; Ma, R.; Ma, G. L.; Ma, Y. G.; Ma, L.; Magdy, N.; Majka, R.; Manion, A.; Margetis, S.; Markert, C.; Matis, H. S.; McDonald, D.; McKinzie, S.; Meehan, K.; Mei, J. C.; Minaev, N. G.; Mioduszewski, S.; Mishra, D.; Mohanty, B.; Mondal, M. M.; Morozov, D. A.; Mustafa, M. K.; Nandi, B. K.; Nasim, Md.; Nayak, T. K.; Nigmatkulov, G.; Niida, T.; Nogach, L. V.; Noh, S. Y.; Novak, J.; Nurushev, S. B.; Odyniec, G.; Ogawa, A.; Oh, K.; Okorokov, V. A.; Olvitt, D.; Page, B. S.; Pak, R.; Pan, Y. X.; Pandit, Y.; Panebratsev, Y.; Pawlik, B.; Pei, H.; Perkins, C.; Pile, P.; Pluta, J.; Poniatowska, K.; Porter, J.; Posik, M.; Poskanzer, A. M.; Pruthi, N. K.; Putschke, J.; Qiu, H.; Quintero, A.; Ramachandran, S.; Raniwala, S.; Raniwala, R.; Ray, R. L.; Ritter, H. G.; Roberts, J. B.; Rogachevskiy, O. V.; Romero, J. L.; Ruan, L.; Rusnak, J.; Rusnakova, O.; Sahoo, N. R.; Sahu, P. K.; Sakrejda, I.; Salur, S.; Sandweiss, J.; Sarkar, A.; Schambach, J.; Scharenberg, R. P.; Schmah, A. M.; Schmidke, W. B.; Schmitz, N.; Seger, J.; Seyboth, P.; Shah, N.; Shahaliev, E.; Shanmuganathan, P. V.; Shao, M.; Sharma, A.; Sharma, B.; Sharma, M. K.; Shen, W. Q.; Shi, Z.; Shi, S. S.; Shou, Q. Y.; Sichtermann, E. P.; Sikora, R.; Simko, M.; Singha, S.; Skoby, M. J.; Smirnov, N.; Smirnov, D.; Solyst, W.; Song, L.; Sorensen, P.; Spinka, H. M.; Srivastava, B.; Stanislaus, T. D. S.; Stepanov, M.; Stock, R.; Strikhanov, M.; Stringfellow, B.; Sumbera, M.; Summa, B.; Sun, Z.; Sun, X. M.; Sun, Y.; Surrow, B.; Svirida, D. N.; Tang, Z.; Tang, A. H.; Tarnowsky, T.; Tawfik, A.; Thäder, J.; Thomas, J. H.; Timmins, A. R.; Tlusty, D.; Todoroki, T.; Tokarev, M.; Trentalange, S.; Tribble, R. E.; Tribedy, P.; Tripathy, S. K.; Tsai, O. D.; Ullrich, T.; Underwood, D. G.; Upsal, I.; Van Buren, G.; van Nieuwenhuizen, G.; Vandenbroucke, M.; Varma, R.; Vasiliev, A. N.; Vertesi, R.; Videbæk, F.; Vokal, S.; Voloshin, S. A.; Vossen, A.; Wang, F.; Wang, G.; Wang, J. S.; Wang, H.; Wang, Y.; Wang, Y.; Webb, G.; Webb, J. C.; Wen, L.; Westfall, G. D.; Wieman, H.; Wissink, S. W.; Witt, R.; Wu, Y.; Xiao, Z. G.; Xie, W.; Xie, G.; Xin, K.; Xu, Y. F.; Xu, Q. H.; Xu, N.; Xu, H.; Xu, Z.; Xu, J.; Yang, S.; Yang, Y.; Yang, Y.; Yang, C.; Yang, Y.; Yang, Q.; Ye, Z.; Ye, Z.; Yepes, P.; Yi, L.; Yip, K.; Yoo, I.-K.; Yu, N.; Zbroszczyk, H.; Zha, W.; Zhang, X. P.; Zhang, Y.; Zhang, J.; Zhang, J.; Zhang, S.; Zhang, S.; Zhang, Z.; Zhang, J. B.; Zhao, F.; Zhao, J.; Zhong, C.; Zhou, L.; Zhu, X.; Zoulkarneeva, Y.; Zyzak, M.; STAR Collaboration

2016-02-01

We present measurements of Ω and ϕ production at midrapidity from Au+Au collisions at nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energies √{sN N}=7.7 , 11.5 , 19.6 , 27, and 39 GeV by the STAR experiment at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). Motivated by the coalescence formation mechanism for these strange hadrons, we study the ratios of N (Ω-+Ω¯+) /[2 N (ϕ ) ] . These ratios as a function of transverse momentum pT fall on a consistent trend at high collision energies, but start to show deviations in peripheral collisions at √{sN N}=19.6 , 27, and 39 GeV, and in central collisions at 11.5 GeV in the intermediate pT region of 2.4 -3.6 GeV/c . We further evaluate empirically the strange quark pT distributions at hadronization by studying the Ω /ϕ ratios scaled by the number of constituent quarks (NCQ). The NCQ-scaled Ω /ϕ ratios show a suppression of strange quark production in central collisions at 11.5 GeV compared to √{sN N}≥19.6 GeV. The shapes of the presumably thermal strange quark distributions in 0-60% most central collisions at 7.7 GeV show significant deviations from those in 0-10% most central collisions at higher energies. These features suggest that there is likely a change of the underlying strange quark dynamics in the transition from quark matter to hadronic matter at collision energies below 19.6 GeV.

Galaxy Bias and its Effects on the Baryon Acoustic Oscillations Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehta, Kushal; Seo, H.; Eckel, J.; Eisenstein, D.; Metchnik, M.; Pinto, P.; Xu, X.

2011-05-01

The baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) feature in the clustering of matter in the universe serves as a robust standard ruler and hence can be used to map the expansion history of the universe. We use high force resolution simulations to analyze the effects of galaxy bias on the measurements of the BAO signal. We apply a variety of Halo Occupation Distributions (HODs) and produce biased mass tracers to mimic different galaxy populations. We investigate whether galaxy bias changes the non-linear shifts on the acoustic scale relative to the underlying dark matter distribution presented by Seo et al (2010). For the less biased HOD models (b < 3), we do not detect any shift in the acoustic scale relative to the no-bias case, typically 0.10% ± 0.10%. However, the most biased HOD models (b > 3) show a shift at moderate significance (0.79% ± 0.31% for the most extreme case). We test the one-step reconstruction technique introduced by Eisenstein et al. (2007) in the case of realistic galaxy bias and shot noise. The reconstruction scheme increases the correlation between the initial and final (z = 1) density fields achieving an equivalent level of correlation at nearly twice the wavenumber after reconstruction. Reconstruction reduces the shifts and errors on the shifts. We find that after reconstruction the shifts from the galaxy cases and the dark matter case are consistent with each other and with no shift. The 1σ systematic errors on the distance measurements inferred from our BAO measurements with various HODs after reconstruction are about 0.07% - 0.15%.

Galaxy Bias and Its Effects on the Baryon Acoustic Oscillation Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehta, Kushal T.; Seo, Hee-Jong; Eckel, Jonathan; Eisenstein, Daniel J.; Metchnik, Marc; Pinto, Philip; Xu, Xiaoying

2011-06-01

The baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) feature in the clustering of matter in the universe serves as a robust standard ruler and hence can be used to map the expansion history of the universe. We use high force resolution simulations to analyze the effects of galaxy bias on the measurements of the BAO signal. We apply a variety of Halo Occupation Distributions (HODs) and produce biased mass tracers to mimic different galaxy populations. We investigate whether galaxy bias changes the nonlinear shifts on the acoustic scale relative to the underlying dark matter distribution presented by Seo et al. For the less biased HOD models (b < 3), we do not detect any shift in the acoustic scale relative to the no-bias case, typically 0.10% ± 0.10%. However, the most biased HOD models (b > 3) show a shift at moderate significance (0.79% ± 0.31% for the most extreme case). We test the one-step reconstruction technique introduced by Eisenstein et al. in the case of realistic galaxy bias and shot noise. The reconstruction scheme increases the correlation between the initial and final (z = 1) density fields, achieving an equivalent level of correlation at nearly twice the wavenumber after reconstruction. Reconstruction reduces the shifts and errors on the shifts. We find that after reconstruction the shifts from the galaxy cases and the dark matter case are consistent with each other and with no shift. The 1σ systematic errors on the distance measurements inferred from our BAO measurements with various HODs after reconstruction are about 0.07%-0.15%.

Probing parton dynamics of QCD matter with Ω and Φ production

DOE PAGES

Adamczyk, L.

2016-02-24

In this paper, we present measurements of Ω and Φ production at midrapidity from Au+Au collisions at nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energies √sNN = 7.7, 11.5, 19.6 , 27, and 39 GeV by the STAR experiment at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). Motivated by the coalescence formation mechanism for these strange hadrons, we study the ratios of N(Ω - +more » $$\\overline{Ω}$$ +) / [2N (Φ)] . These ratios as a function of transverse momentum p T fall on a consistent trend at high collision energies, but start to show deviations in peripheral collisions at √sNN = 19.6, 27, and 39 GeV, and in central collisions at 11.5 GeV in the intermediate p T region of 2.4 - 3.6 GeV/ . We further evaluate empirically the strange quark p T distributions at hadronization by studying the Ω/Φ ratios scaled by the number of constituent quarks (NCQ). The NCQ-scaled Ω/Φ ratios show a suppression of strange quark production in central collisions at 11.5 GeV compared to √sNN ≥ 19.6 GeV. The shapes of the presumably thermal strange quark distributions in 0–60% most central collisions at 7.7 GeV show significant deviations from those in 0–10% most central collisions at higher energies. Lastly, these features suggest that there is likely a change of the underlying strange quark dynamics in the transition from quark matter to hadronic matter at collision energies below 19.6 GeV.« less

White Matter Hyperintensities on MRI in High-Altitude U-2 Pilots

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-08-19

occupational exposure to hypobaria leads to increased incidence of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) with a more uniform distribution throughout the...distribution in controls. Pilots with occupational exposure to hypobaria showed a significant increase in WMH lesion volume and number. Unlike the healthy...hyperintensities on MRI in high-altitude U-2 pilots ABSTRACT Objective: To demonstrate that U-2 pilot occupational exposure to hypobaria leads to increased

Bounds on dark matter in solar orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, John D.; Lau, Eunice L.; Taylor, Anthony H.; Dicus, Duane A.; Teplitz, Doris C.

1989-01-01

The possibility is considered that a spherical distribution of dark matter (DM), matter not visible with current instruments, is trapped in the sun's gravitational field. Bounds are placed from the motion of Uranus and Neptune, on the amount of DM that could be so trapped within the radius of those planets' orbits, as follows: from the Voyager 2, Uranus-flyby data new, more accurate ephemeris values are generated. Trapped DM mass is bounded by noting that such a distribution would increase the effective mass of the sun as seen by the outer planets and by using the new ephemeris values to bound such an increase.

Measuring Dark Matter With MilkyWay@home

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shelton, Siddhartha; Newberg, Heidi Jo; Arsenault, Matthew; Bauer, Jacob; Desell, Travis; Judd, Roland; Magdon-Ismail, Malik; Newby, Matthew; Rice, Colin; Thompson, Jeffrey; Ulin, Steve; Weiss, Jake; Widrow, Larry

2016-01-01

We perform N-body simulations of two component dwarf galaxies (dark matter and stars follow separate distributions) falling into the Milky Way and the forming of tidal streams. Using MilkyWay@home we optimize the parameters of the progenitor dwarf galaxy and the orbital time to fit the simulated distribution of stars along the tidal stream to the observed distribution of stars. Our initial dwarf galaxy models are constructed with two separate Plummer profiles (one for the dark matter and one for the baryonic matter), sampled using a generalized distribution function for spherically symmetric systems. We perform rigorous testing to ensure that our simulated galaxies are in virial equilibrium, and stable over a simulation time. The N-body simulations are performed using a Barnes-Hut Tree algorithm. Optimization traverses the likelihood surface from our six model parameters using particle swarm and differential evolution methods. We have generated simulated data with known model parameters that are similar to those of the Orphan Stream. We show that we are able to recover a majority of our model parameters, and most importantly the mass-to-light ratio of the now disrupted progenitor galaxy, using MilkyWay@home. This research is supported by generous gifts from the Marvin Clan, Babette Josephs, Manit Limlamai, and the MilkyWay@home volunteers.

Effect of site on sedimentological characteristics and metal pollution in two semi-enclosed embayments of great freshwater reservoir: Lake Nasser, Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farhat, Hassan I.; Aly, Walid

2018-05-01

This study was carried out to assess the effect of site on the spatial variations of sedimentological characteristics and heavy metal pollution of two semi-enclosed embayments of Lake Nasser. Grain Size, texture and mode of transportation as well as some heavy metals and organic matter were assessed in sediment samples from those embayments. The results indicated that the grain size of the lake sediments was affected by site variation. Moreover, heavy metal distribution in the sediments was mainly directed by grain size distribution and organic matter, though, the organic matter was more critical than grain size in controlling heavy metals distribution in each embayment. The main source of heavy metals in studied embayments was concluded to be the metals brought with flood waters rather than being of anthropogenic origin. The results also indicated the association of studied metals with Fe and Mn oxides of suspended matters and dissolved solids which come with flood water and trapped and settled to the bottom sediment in the stagnation period. Measured indices indicated that southern embayment is more polluted than northern one, which could be explained on the basis that the southern embayment reserves larger amounts of suspended matter coming with the flood than northern embayment.

G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Gpr17 Expression in Two Multiple Sclerosis Remyelination Models.

PubMed

Nyamoya, Stella; Leopold, Patrizia; Becker, Birte; Beyer, Cordian; Hustadt, Fabian; Schmitz, Christoph; Michel, Anne; Kipp, Markus

2018-06-05

In multiple sclerosis patients, demyelination is prominent in both the white and gray matter. Chronic clinical deficits are known to result from acute or chronic injury to the myelin sheath and inadequate remyelination. The underlying molecular mechanisms of remyelination and its failure remain currently unclear. Recent studies have recognized G protein-coupled receptor 17 (GPR17) as an important regulator of oligodendrocyte development and remyelination. So far, the relevance of GPR17 for myelin repair was mainly tested in remyelinating white matter lesions. The relevance of GPR17 for gray matter remyelination as well as remyelination of chronic white matter lesions was not addressed so far. Here, we provide a detailed characterization of GPR17 expression during experimental de- and remyelination. Experimental lesions with robust and limited endogenous remyelination capacity were established by either acute or chronic cuprizone-induced demyelination. Furthermore, remyelinating lesions were induced by the focal injection of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) into the corpus callosum. GPR17 expression was analyzed by complementary techniques including immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, and real-time PCR. In control animals, GPR17 + cells were evenly distributed in the corpus callosum and cortex and displayed a highly ramified morphology. Virtually all GPR17 + cells also expressed the oligodendrocyte-specific transcription factor OLIG2. After acute cuprizone-induced demyelination, robust endogenous remyelination was evident in the white matter corpus callosum but not in the gray matter cortex. Endogenous callosal remyelination was paralleled by a robust induction of GPR17 expression which was absent in the gray matter cortex. Higher numbers of GPR17 + cells were as well observed after LPC-induced focal white matter demyelination. In contrast, densities of GPR17 + cells were comparable to control animals after chronic cuprizone-induced demyelination indicating quiescence of this cell population. Our findings demonstrate that GPR17 expression induction correlates with acute demyelination and sufficient endogenous remyelination. This strengthens the view that manipulation of this receptor might be a therapeutic opportunity to support endogenous remyelination.

Linear velocity fields in non-Gaussian models for large-scale structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scherrer, Robert J.

1992-01-01

Linear velocity fields in two types of physically motivated non-Gaussian models are examined for large-scale structure: seed models, in which the density field is a convolution of a density profile with a distribution of points, and local non-Gaussian fields, derived from a local nonlinear transformation on a Gaussian field. The distribution of a single component of the velocity is derived for seed models with randomly distributed seeds, and these results are applied to the seeded hot dark matter model and the global texture model with cold dark matter. An expression for the distribution of a single component of the velocity in arbitrary local non-Gaussian models is given, and these results are applied to such fields with chi-squared and lognormal distributions. It is shown that all seed models with randomly distributed seeds and all local non-Guassian models have single-component velocity distributions with positive kurtosis.

Reconstruction of anthropogenic activities on the excavations of a fireplace sequence from the Krems-Wachtberg site (Austria) using molecular proxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiesenberg, Guido; Hambach, Ulrich

2010-05-01

The well investigated Krems-Wachtberg excavation yielded a broad variety of anthropogenic artefacts and thus enables a proper reconstruction of an ancient settlement of Upper-Palaeolithic age. Despite these artefacts, some questions cannot be answered by sedimentologic and archaeologic approaches. Molecular fossils like lipids including aliphatic hydrocarbons are suitable to improve understanding of e.g. paleoclimatic, pedogenetic, and archaeologic contexts. Especially aliphatic hydrocarbons including straight-chain and branched alkanes yield potential to elucidate biogenic sources of soil and loess organic matter and to assess degradation conditions of primary organic matter. To improve understanding on the terms the fireplaces at the Krems-Wachtberg site are used, aliphatic hydrocarbons are investigated on a set of samples covering several horizons in the context of one fireplace, which was part of the excavation. Horizons above and below the fireplace as well as the fireplace itself were investigated for lipids. Additionally, reference loess samples from a similar age like the fireplace and a pit filling were investigated. Two replicates were available for most samples except for the pit filling. Two distinct fireplace series have been studies. All samples were extracted for lipids using Soxhlet extraction followed by column chromatography in order to separate the aliphatic hydrocarbon fraction from other lipids. Thereafter, aliphatic hydrocarbons were quantified using gas chromatography. The total amounts of extractable organic compounds in the whole sample set from the Krems-Wachtberg site were in the range of usual loess deposits and accounted for 30-80 mg kg-1 loess. The largest contents were observed in reference loess samples and decreased within the excavation from fireplaces > sediments covering fireplace > basement of fireplace > pit. The lower the extract yields, the stronger was the degradation of organic matter. In this context, the pit yielded either organic matter that was strongly degraded during rotting process of organic material after burial or incorporation of already strongly degraded organic matter like ash from fireplaces. The basement of the fireplace was exposed to high temperature for the whole usage of the place, resulting in a modification in the structure of the sediments and a degradation of organic matter within the sediments. The material from the fireplace itself probably was not completely burned and thus yielded comparatively large amounts of extractable components. The sediments covering the fireplace were potentially used to extinguish the fire and hence received a thermal alteration of the organic matter within the sediment under oxygen limiting conditions. Hence, the amount of extractable organic compounds can be used to reconstruct the firing process in the Krems-Wachtberg excavation. The amount of individual aliphatic hydrocarbons parallels the content of all extractable compounds and thus confirms the findings explained above. The aliphatic hydrocarbons reveal typical distribution patterns for grassland vegetation as indicated by a strong predomination of odd long chain alkanes and n-C31 as the most abundant homologue for most samples. Only sediments covering the fireplaces are dominated by n-C29 alkane. The different alkane distribution pattern for these sediments compared to all other samples including reference loess indicates a different biogenic source of the covering sediment than for all other samples. Probably, the covering sediments yield organic matter incorporated under forest or different grassland vegetation than the other sediments. In this study, several molecular markers have been tested for aliphatic hydrocarbons in order to elucidate their sources and to identify degradation effects responsible for the determined distribution patterns. The ratio of long chain vs. short chain alkanes enables the differentiation of plant-derived organic matter characterized by high ratios (>10) and organic matter derived from microbial biomass or degradation (<10). The reference loess samples were characterized by very high values (>50), which indicates plant biomass as the predominant source of loess organic matter. All other samples were characterized by low values (<10), which is due to degradation effects. Microbial alkanes as second potential source of short chain n-alkanes are not likely as odd homologues did not predominate over even homologues, which is typical for microbial alkanes. Furthermore even alkanes dominated in most samples, which can be related to thermal alteration of organic matter as common in fireplaces. Other degradation markers like n-alkanes vs. isoprenoid alkanes (n-C18/phytane) revealed values between 2-4.5. The fireplace samples were characterized by lowest values whereas the reference samples yielded highest values. Hence degradation increased from loess towards fireplace with an intermediate degradation of most other samples. Aliphatic hydrocarbon biomarkers like alkanes were found useful to reconstruct degradation intensity in ancient sediments and to elucidate anthropogenic activities like extinguishing of fire. Hence, organic geochemical investigations can be useful techniques to complement standard archaeological techniques.

An analysis of organic matter sources for surface sediments in the central South Yellow Sea, China: evidence based on macroelements and n-alkanes.

PubMed

Zhang, Shengyin; Li, Shuanglin; Dong, Heping; Zhao, Qingfang; Lu, Xinchuan; Shi, Ji'an

2014-11-15

By analyzing the composition of n-alkane and macroelements in the surface sediments of the central South Yellow Sea of China, we evaluated the influencing factors on the distribution of organic matter. The analysis indicates that the distribution of total organic carbon (TOC) was low in the west and high in the east, and TOC was more related to Al2O3 content than medium diameter (MD). The composition of n-alkanes indicated the organic matter was mainly derived from terrestrial higher plants. Contributions from herbaceous plants and woody plants were comparable. The comprehensive analysis of the parameters of macroelements and n-alkanes showed the terrestrial organic matter in the central South Yellow Sea was mainly from the input of the modern Yellow River and old Yellow River. However, some samples exhibited evident input characteristics from petroleum sources, which changed the original n-alkanes of organic matter in sediments. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stellar Wakes from Dark Matter Subhalos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buschmann, Malte; Kopp, Joachim; Safdi, Benjamin R.; Wu, Chih-Liang

2018-05-01

We propose a novel method utilizing stellar kinematic data to detect low-mass substructure in the Milky Way's dark matter halo. By probing characteristic wakes that a passing dark matter subhalo leaves in the phase-space distribution of ambient halo stars, we estimate sensitivities down to subhalo masses of ˜107 M⊙ or below. The detection of such subhalos would have implications for dark matter and cosmological models that predict modifications to the halo-mass function at low halo masses. We develop an analytic formalism for describing the perturbed stellar phase-space distributions, and we demonstrate through idealized simulations the ability to detect subhalos using the phase-space model and a likelihood framework. Our method complements existing methods for low-mass subhalo searches, such as searches for gaps in stellar streams, in that we can localize the positions and velocities of the subhalos today.

Gravitational waves from primordial black hole mergers

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

Raidal, Martti; Vaskonen, Ville; Veermäe, Hardi, E-mail: martti.raidal@cern.ch, E-mail: ville.vaskonen@kbfi.ee, E-mail: hardi.veermae@cern.ch

We study the production of primordial black hole (PBH) binaries and the resulting merger rate, accounting for an extended PBH mass function and the possibility of a clustered spatial distribution. Under the hypothesis that the gravitational wave events observed by LIGO were caused by PBH mergers, we show that it is possible to satisfy all present constraints on the PBH abundance, and find the viable parameter range for the lognormal PBH mass function. The non-observation of a gravitational wave background allows us to derive constraints on the fraction of dark matter in PBHs, which are stronger than any other currentmore » constraint in the PBH mass range 0.5−30 M {sub ⊙}. We show that the predicted gravitational wave background can be observed by the coming runs of LIGO, and its non-observation would indicate that the observed events are not of primordial origin. As the PBH mergers convert matter into radiation, they may have interesting cosmological implications, for example in the context of relieving the tension between high and low redshift measurements of the Hubble constant. However, we find that these effects are suppressed as, after recombination, no more that 1% of dark matter can be converted into gravitational waves.« less

Differential white matter involvement associated with distinct visuospatial deficits after right hemisphere stroke.

PubMed

Carter, Alex R; McAvoy, Mark P; Siegel, Joshua S; Hong, Xin; Astafiev, Serguei V; Rengachary, Jennifer; Zinn, Kristi; Metcalf, Nicholas V; Shulman, Gordon L; Corbetta, Maurizio

2017-03-01

Visuospatial attention depends on the integration of multiple processes, and people with right hemisphere lesions after a stroke may exhibit severe or no visuospatial deficits. The anatomy of core components of visuospatial attention is an area of intense interest. Here we examine the relationship between the disruption of core components of attention and lesion distribution in a heterogeneous group (N = 70) of patients with right hemisphere strokes regardless of the presence of clinical neglect. Deficits of lateralized spatial orienting, measured as the difference in reaction times for responding to visual targets in the contralesional or ipsilesional visual field, and deficits in re-orienting attention, as measured by the difference in reaction times for invalidly versus validly cued targets, were measured using a computerized spatial orienting task. Both measures were related through logistic regression and a novel ridge regression method to anatomical damage measured with magnetic resonance imaging. While many regions were common to both deficit maps, a deficit in lateralized spatial orienting was more associated with lesions in the white matter underlying the posterior parietal cortex, and middle and inferior frontal gyri. A deficit in re-orienting of attention toward unattended locations was associated with lesions in the white matter of the posterior parietal cortex, insular cortex and less so with white matter involvement of the anterior frontal lobe. An hodological analysis also supports this partial dissociation between the white matter tracts that are damaged in lateralized spatial biases versus impaired re-orienting. Our results underscore that the integrity of fronto-parietal white matter tracts is crucial for visuospatial attention and that different attention components are mediated by partially distinct neuronal substrates. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lack of enhanced preservation of organic matter in sediments under the oxygen minimum on the Oman Margin

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

Pedersen, T.F.; Shimmield, G.B.; Price, N.B.

1992-01-01

The impingement of oxygen minima on continental margins is widely thought to promote the accumulation of sedimentary facies enriched in well-preserved organic matter. It is shown here, however, that such a relationship does not clearly apply to the productive Oman Margin in the Arabian Sea, which hosts one of the most severe oxygen minima in the oceans. Measurements made on the 0-1 cm depth interval from fourteen box cores collected from the outer shelf-upper continental slope area off Oman show that (1) deposited organic matter is overwhelmingly of marine origin, (2) there is no significant correlation between the abundance ofmore » sedimentary organic carbon (C{sub org}) and the bottom-water O{sub 2} concentration, (3) there is no relation between the sedimentary C{sub org}:N ratio and bottom-water O{sub 2}, and (4) there is no correlation between the hydrogen index (HI) of the organic matter and bottom water oxygen. There are, however, significant correlations between the C{sub org}:N ratio and the I:C{sub org}, Cr:Al, and Zr:Al ratios, as well as between the C{sub org}:N ratio and the hydrogen index. Overall, these data suggest that the bottom water oxygen concentration has little effect in governing either the distribution of the degree of preservation of organic matter on this margin. Thus, the generally high but spatially variable C{sub org} content of the sediments on the Oman Margin may not reflect the occurrence of an oxygen minimum but instead be the result of a high settling flux of organic matter, supported by monsoon-driven upwelling, and post-depositional redistribution of the organic material by hydrodynamic influences.« less

The Neutron Star Mass Distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiziltan, Bülent; Kottas, Athanasios; De Yoreo, Maria; Thorsett, Stephen E.

2013-11-01

In recent years, the number of pulsars with secure mass measurements has increased to a level that allows us to probe the underlying neutron star (NS) mass distribution in detail. We critically review the radio pulsar mass measurements. For the first time, we are able to analyze a sizable population of NSs with a flexible modeling approach that can effectively accommodate a skewed underlying distribution and asymmetric measurement errors. We find that NSs that have evolved through different evolutionary paths reflect distinctive signatures through dissimilar distribution peak and mass cutoff values. NSs in double NS and NS-white dwarf (WD) systems show consistent respective peaks at 1.33 M ⊙ and 1.55 M ⊙, suggesting significant mass accretion (Δm ≈ 0.22 M ⊙) has occurred during the spin-up phase. The width of the mass distribution implied by double NS systems is indicative of a tight initial mass function while the inferred mass range is significantly wider for NSs that have gone through recycling. We find a mass cutoff at ~2.1 M ⊙ for NSs with WD companions, which establishes a firm lower bound for the maximum NS mass. This rules out the majority of strange quark and soft equation of state models as viable configurations for NS matter. The lack of truncation close to the maximum mass cutoff along with the skewed nature of the inferred mass distribution both enforce the suggestion that the 2.1 M ⊙ limit is set by evolutionary constraints rather than nuclear physics or general relativity, and the existence of rare supermassive NSs is possible.

Fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy for warm dense matter studies and ICF plasma diagnostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, Stephanie

2017-10-01

The burning core of an inertial confinement fusion (ICF) plasma at stagnation is surrounded by a shell of warm, dense matter whose properties are difficult both to model (due to a complex interplay of thermal, degeneracy, and strong coupling effects) and to diagnose (due to low emissivity and high opacity). We demonstrate a promising technique to study the warm dense shells of ICF plasmas based on the fluorescence emission of dopants or impurities in the shell material. This emission, which is driven by x-rays produced in the hot core, exhibits signature changes in response to compression and heating. High-resolution measurements of absorption and fluorescence features can refine our understanding of the electronic structure of material under high compression, improve our models of density-driven phenomena such as ionization potential depression and plasma polarization shifts, and help diagnose shell density, temperature, mass distribution, and residual motion in ICF plasmas at stagnation. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-mission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC., a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International, Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA-0003525. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science Early Career Research Program, Office of Fusion Energy Sciences under FWP-14-017426.

Effects of seasonal changes in feeding management under part-time grazing on the evolution of the composition and coagulation properties of raw milk from ewes.

PubMed

Abilleira, E; Virto, M; Nájera, A I; Salmerón, J; Albisu, M; Pérez-Elortondo, F J; Ruiz de Gordoa, J C; de Renobales, M; Barron, L J R

2010-09-01

Ewe raw milk composition, rennet coagulation parameters, and curd texture were monitored throughout the milk production season in 11 commercial flocks reared under a part-time grazing system. Milking season lasted from February to July. During that period, the diet of the animals shifted from indoor feeding, consisting of concentrate and forage, to an outdoor grazing diet. Lean dry matter, fat, protein, calcium, and magnesium contents increased throughout the milking season, as did rennet coagulation time, curd firmness, and curd resistance to compression. However, lean dry matter, protein content, and curd resistance to compression stabilized when sheep started to graze. Principal component analysis correlated curd resistance to compression and proteins, whereas curd firmness was highly correlated with fat content and minerals. Discriminant analysis distributed milk samples according to the feeding management. Curd firmness, fat, and magnesium turned out to be discriminant variables. Those variables reflected the evolution of the composition and coagulation parameters when fresh pasture prevailed over other feeds in the diet of the flocks. The present study shows that seasonal changes associated with feeding management influence milk technological quality and that milk of good processing quality can be obtained under part-time grazing. Copyright (c) 2010 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Study of soil aggregate breakdown dynamics under low dispersive ultrasonic energies with sedimentation and X-ray attenuation**

PubMed Central

Schomakers, Jasmin; Zehetner, Franz; Mentler, Axel; Ottner, Franz; Mayer, Herwig

2016-01-01

It has been increasingly recognized that soil organic matter stabilization is strongly controlled by physical binding within soil aggregates. It is therefore essential to measure soil aggregate stability reliably over a wide range of disruptive energies and different aggregate sizes. To this end, we tested high-accuracy ultrasonic dispersion in combination with subsequent sedimentation and X-ray attenuation. Three arable topsoils (notillage) from Central Europe were subjected to ultrasound at four different specific energy levels: 0.5, 6.7, 100 and 500 J cm−3, and the resulting suspensions were analyzed for aggregate size distribution by wet sieving (2 000-63 μm) and sedimentation/X-ray attenuation (63-2 μm). The combination of wet sieving and sedimentation technique allowed for a continuous analysis, at high resolution, of soil aggregate breakdown dynamics after defined energy inputs. Our results show that aggregate size distribution strongly varied with sonication energy input and soil type. The strongest effects were observed in the range of low specific energies (< 10 J cm−3), which previous studies have largely neglected. This shows that low ultrasonic energies are required to capture the full range of aggregate stability and release of soil organic matter upon aggregate breakdown. PMID:27099408

On the Problem of Deformed Spherical Systems in Modified Newtonian Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ko, Chung-Ming

2016-04-01

Based on Newtonian dynamics, observations show that the luminous masses of astrophysical objects that are the size of a galaxy or larger are not enough to generate the measured motions which they supposedly determine. This is typically attributed to the existence of dark matter, which possesses mass but does not radiate (or absorb radiation). Alternatively, the mismatch can be explained if the underlying dynamics is not Newtonian. Within this conceptual scheme, Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) is a successful theoretical paradigm. MOND is usually expressed in terms of a nonlinear Poisson equation, which is difficult to analyze for arbitrary matter distributions. We study the MONDian gravitational field generated by slightly non-spherically symmetric mass distributions based on the fact that both Newtonian and MONDian fields are conservative (which we refer to as the compatibility condition). As the non-relativistic version of MOND has two different formulations (AQUAL and QuMOND) and the compatibility condition can be expressed in two ways, there are four approaches to the problem in total. The method involves solving a suitably defined linear deformation potential, which generally depends on the choice of MOND interpolation function. However, for some specific form of the deformation potential, the solution is independent of the interpolation function.

Soil factors of ecosystems' disturbance risk reduction under the impact of rocket fuel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krechetov, Pavel; Koroleva, Tatyana; Sharapova, Anna; Chernitsova, Olga

2016-04-01

Environmental impacts occur at all stages of space rocket launch. One of the most dangerous consequences of a missile launch is pollution by components of rocket fuels ((unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH)). The areas subjected to falls of the used stages of carrier rockets launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome occupy thousands of square kilometers of different natural landscapes: from dry steppes of Kazakhstan to the taiga of West Siberia and mountains of the Altai-Sayany region. The study aims at assessing the environmental risk of adverse effects of rocket fuel on the soil. Experimental studies have been performed on soil and rock samples with specified parameters of the material composition. The effect of organic matter, acid-base properties, particle size distribution, and mineralogy on the decrease in the concentration of UDMH in equilibrium solutions has been studied. It has been found that the soil factors are arranged in the following series according to the effect on UDMH mobility: acid-base properties > organic matter content >clay fraction mineralogy > particle size distribution. The estimation of the rate of self-purification of contaminated soil is carried out. Experimental study of the behavior of UDMH in soil allowed to define a model for calculating critical loads of UDMH in terrestrial ecosystems.

Study of soil aggregate breakdown dynamics under low dispersive ultrasonic energies with sedimentation and X-ray attenuation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schomakers, Jasmin; Zehetner, Franz; Mentler, Axel; Ottner, Franz; Mayer, Herwig

2015-10-01

It has been increasingly recognized that soil organic matter stabilization is strongly controlled by physical binding within soil aggregates. It is therefore essential to measure soil aggregate stability reliably over a wide range of disruptive energies and different aggregate sizes. To this end, we tested highaccuracy ultrasonic dispersion in combination with subsequent sedimentation and X-ray attenuation. Three arable topsoils (notillage) from Central Europe were subjected to ultrasound at four different specific energy levels: 0.5, 6.7, 100 and 500 J cm-3, and the resulting suspensions were analyzed for aggregate size distribution by wet sieving (2 000-63 μm) and sedimentation/X-ray attenuation (63-2 μm). The combination of wet sieving and sedimentation technique allowed for a continuous analysis, at high resolution, of soil aggregate breakdown dynamics after defined energy inputs. Our results show that aggregate size distribution strongly varied with sonication energy input and soil type. The strongest effects were observed in the range of low specific energies (< 10 J cm-3), which previous studies have largely neglected. This shows that low ultrasonic energies are required to capture the full range of aggregate stability and release of soil organic matter upon aggregate breakdown.

A Literature Review of Concentrations and Size Distributions of Ambient Airborne Pb-Containing Particulate Matter

EPA Science Inventory

The final 2008 lead (Pb) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) revision maintains Pb in total suspended particulate matter as the indicator. However, the final rule permits the use of low-volume PM₁₀ (particulate matter sampled with a 50% cut-point of 10 μm) F...

Geostatistics as a tool to improve sampling and statistical analysis in wetlands: a case study on dynamics of organic matter distribution in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brazil.

PubMed

Nogueira, F; Couto, E G; Bernardi, C J

2002-11-01

The Pantanal of Mato Grosso presents distinct landscape units: permanently, occasionally and periodically flooded areas. In the last ones, sampling is especially difficult due to the high heterogeneity occurring inter and intrastratas. This paper presents a comparison of different methodological approaches showing that they can influence decisively the knowledge of distribution organic matter dynamics. In such an area in order to understand the role of the flood pulse in the distribution dynamics of organic matter in a wetland at the Pantanal, we considered that there is spatial dependence between points. This consideration contradicts the classical statistic principle that focuses on the aleatority, and allowed the obtainment of a larger volume of information from a minor sampling effort, which means better performance, with time and money economy.

Evaluation of parameters of Black Hole, stellar cluster and dark matter distribution from bright star orbits in the Galactic Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zakharov, Alexander

It is well-known that one can evaluate black hole (BH) parameters (including spin) analyz-ing trajectories of stars around BH. A bulk distribution of matter (dark matter (DM)+stellar cluster) inside stellar orbits modifies trajectories of stars, namely, generally there is a apoas-tron shift in direction which opposite to GR one, even now one could put constraints on DM distribution and BH parameters and constraints will more stringent in the future. Therefore, an analyze of bright star trajectories provides a relativistic test in a weak gravitational field approximation, but in the future one can test a strong gravitational field near the BH at the Galactic Center with the same technique due to a rapid progress in observational facilities. References A. Zakharov et al., Phys. Rev. D76, 062001 (2007). A.F. Zakharov et al., Space Sci. Rev. 148, 301313(2009).

Phase transition and entropy inequality of noncommutative black holes in a new extended phase space

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

Miao, Yan-Gang; Xu, Zhen-Ming, E-mail: miaoyg@nankai.edu.cn, E-mail: xuzhenm@mail.nankai.edu.cn

We analyze the thermodynamics of the noncommutative high-dimensional Schwarzschild-Tangherlini AdS black hole with the non-Gaussian smeared matter distribution by regarding a noncommutative parameter as an independent thermodynamic variable named as the noncommutative pressure . In the new extended phase space that includes this noncommutative pressure and its conjugate variable, we reveal that the noncommutative pressure and the original thermodynamic pressure related to the negative cosmological constant make the opposite effects in the phase transition of the noncommutative black hole, i.e. the former dominates the UV regime while the latter does the IR regime, respectively. In addition, by means of themore » reverse isoperimetric inequality, we indicate that only the black hole with the Gaussian smeared matter distribution holds the maximum entropy for a given thermodynamic volume among the noncommutative black holes with various matter distributions.« less

[Effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 and nitrogen application on cotton biomass, nitrogen utilization and soil urease activity].

PubMed

Lyu, Ning; Yin, Fei-hu; Chen, Yun; Gao, Zhi-jian; Liu, Yu; Shi, Lei

2015-11-01

In this study, a semi-open-top artificial climate chamber was used to study the effect of CO2 enrichment (360 and 540 µmol · mol(-1)) and nitrogen addition (0, 150, 300 and 450 kg · hm(-2)) on cotton dry matter accumulation and distribution, nitrogen absorption and soil urease activity. The results showed that the dry matter accumulation of bud, stem, leaf and the whole plant increased significantly in the higher CO2 concentration treatment irrespective of nitrogen level. The dry matter of all the detected parts of plant with 300 kg · hm(-2) nitrogen addition was significantly higher than those with the other nitrogen levels irrespective of CO2 concentration, indicating reasonable nitrogen fertilization could significantly improve cotton dry matter accumulation. Elevated CO2 concentration had significant impact on the nitrogen absorption contents of cotton bud and stem. Compared to those under CO2 concentration of 360 µmol · mol(-1), the nitrogen contents of bud and stem both increased significantly under CO2 concentration of 540 µmol · mol(-1). The nitrogen content of cotton bud in the treatment of 300 kg · hm(-2) nitrogen was the highest among the four nitrogen fertilizer treatments. While the nitrogen contents of cotton stem in the treatments of 150 kg · hm(-2) and 300 kg · hm(-2) nitrogen levels were higher than those in the treatment of 0 kg · hm(-2) and 450 kg · hm(-2) nitrogen levels. The nitrogen content of cotton leaf was significantly influenced by the in- teraction of CO2 elevation and N addition as the nitrogen content of leaf increased in the treatments of 0, 150 and 300 kg · hm(-2) nitrogen levels under the CO2 concentration of 540 µmol · mol(-1). The nitrogen content in cotton root was significantly increased with the increase of nitrogen fertilizer level under elevated CO2 (540 µmol · mol(-1)) treatment. Overall, the cotton nitrogen absorption content under the elevated CO2 (540 µmol · mol(-1)) treatment was higher than that under the ambient CO2- (360 µmol · mol(-1)) treatment. The order of nitrogen accumulation content in organs was bud > leaf > stem > root. Soil urease activity of both layers increased significantly with the elevation of CO2 concentration in all the nitrogen treatments. Under each CO2 concentration treatment, the soil urease activity in the upper layer (0-20 cm) increased significantly with nitrogen application, while the urease activity under the application of 300 kg · hm(-2) nitrogen was highest in the lower layer (20- 40 cm). The average soil urease activity in the upper layer (0-20 cm) was significantly higher than that in the lower layer (20-40 cm). This study suggested that the cotton dry matter accumulation and nitrogen absorption content were significantly increased in response to the elevated CO2 concentration (540 µmol · mol(-1)) and higher nitrogen addition (300 kg · hm(-2)).

Soil organic matter persistence as a stochastic process: age and transit time distributions of carbon in soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sierra, Carlos

2017-04-01

The question of why some organic matter is more persistent than other that decomposes quickly in soils has sparkled a large amount of research in recent years. Persistence is commonly characterized as the turnover or mean residence time of specific compounds or soil organic matter (SOM) pools. However, turnover and residence times are ambiguous measures of persistence, which is better characterized by the probability distribution of ages in the system and in particular pools. We calculated age distributions for a wide range of SOM models, which showed long-tail distributions far from the mean value. Age and transit time distributions from a variety of models also showed: 1) transit times are lower than ages of SOM, 2) turnover times differ significantly from mean ages in slow cycling pools, 3) change in the inputs, without changes in the allocation of photosynthetic products, has no effect on transit times, but does affect system and pool ages. We propose an index to assess persistence of C in soils that can be derived from observations alone or from models. We also ask whether random chance is an important contributor to the persistence of SOM.

Organic matter in sediment layers of an acidic mining lake as assessed by lipid analysis. Part II: Neutral lipids.

PubMed

Poerschmann, Juergen; Koschorreck, Matthias; Górecki, Tadeusz

2017-02-01

Natural neutralization of acidic mining lakes is often limited by organic matter. The knowledge of the sources and degradability of organic matter is crucial for understanding alkalinity generation in these lakes. Sediments collected at different depths (surface sediment layer from 0 to 1 cm and deep sediment layer from 4 to 5cm) from an acidic mining lake were studied in order to characterize sedimentary organic matter based on neutral signature markers. Samples were exhaustively extracted, subjected to pre-chromatographic derivatizations and analyzed by GC/MS. Herein, molecular distributions of diagnostic alkanes/alkenes, terpenes/terpenoids, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic alcohols and ketones, sterols, and hopanes/hopanoids were addressed. Characterization of the contribution of natural vs. anthropogenic sources to the sedimentary organic matter in these extreme environments was then possible based on these distributions. With the exception of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, combined concentrations across all marker classes proved higher in the surface sediment layer as compared to those in the deep sediment layer. Alkane and aliphatic alcohol distributions pointed to predominantly allochthonous over autochthonous contribution to sedimentary organic matter. Sterol patterns were dominated by phytosterols of terrestrial plants including stigmasterol and β-sitosterol. Hopanoid markers with the ββ-biohopanoid "biological" configuration were more abundant in the surface sediment layer, which pointed to higher bacterial activity. The pattern of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons pointed to prevailing anthropogenic input. Pyrolytic makers were likely to due to atmospheric deposition from a nearby former coal combustion facility. The combined analysis of the array of biomarkers provided new insights into the sources and transformations of organic matter in lake sediments. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cortical gray and subcortical white matter associations in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Sterling, Nicholas W; Du, Guangwei; Lewis, Mechelle M; Swavely, Steven; Kong, Lan; Styner, Martin; Huang, Xuemei

2017-01-01

Cortical atrophy has been documented in both Parkinson's disease (PD) and healthy aging, but its relationship to changes in subcortical white matter is unknown. This was investigated by obtaining T1- and diffusion-weighted images from 76 PD and 70 controls at baseline and 18 and 36 months, from which cortical volumes and underlying subcortical white matter axial diffusivity (AD), radial diffusivity (RD), and fractional anisotropy (FA) were determined. Twelve of 69 cortical subregions had significant group differences, and for these, underlying subcortical white matter was explored. At baseline, higher cortical volumes were significantly correlated with lower underlying subcortical white matter AD, RD, and higher FA (ps ≤ 0.017) in PD. Longitudinally, higher rates of cortical atrophy in PD were associated with increased rates of change in AD RD, and FA values (ps ≤ 0.0013) in 2 subregions explored. The significant gray-white matter associations were not found in controls. Thus, unlike healthy aging, cortical atrophy and subcortical white matter changes may not be independent events in PD. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modelling soil erosion in rainfed vineyards of northeast of Spain under climate change: effects of increasing rainfall intensity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Concepción Ramos, Maria

2017-04-01

This aim of the research was to analyse the effect of rainfall distribution and intensity on soil erosion in vines cultivated in the Mediterranean under the projected climate change scenario. The simulations were done at plot scale using the WEPP model. Climatic data for the period 1996-2014 were obtained from a meteorological station located 6km far from the plot. Soil characteristics such as texture, organic matter content, water retention capacity and infiltration were analysed. Runoff and soil losses were measured at four locations within the plot during 4 years and used to calibrate and validate the model. According to evidences recorded in the area, changes of rainfall intensities of 10 and 20% were considered for different rainfall distributions. The simulations were extended to the predicted changes for 2030, 2050 and 2070 based on the HadGEM2-CC under the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) 8.5 scenario. WEPP model provided a suitable prediction of the seasonal runoff and erosion as simulated relatively well the runoff and erosion of the most important events although some deficiencies were found for those events that produced low runoff. The simulation confirmed the contribution of the extreme events to annual erosion rates in 70%, on average. The model responded to changes in precipitation predicted under a climate change scenario with a decrease of runoff and erosion, and with higher erosion rates for an increase in rainfall intensity. A 10% increase may imply erosion rates up to 22% greater for the scenario 2030, and despite the predicted decrease in precipitation for the scenario 2050, soil losses may be up to 40% greater than at present for some rainfall distributions and intensity rainfall increases of 20%. These findings show the need of considering rainfall intensity as one of the main driven factors when soil erosion rates under climate change are predicted. Keywords: extreme events, rainfall distribution, runoff, soil losses, wines, WEPP.

Geometrical evidence for dark matter: X-ray constraints on the mass of the elliptical galaxy NGC 720

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buote, David A.; Canizares, Claude R.

1994-05-01

We describe (1) a new test for dark matter and alternate theories of gravitation based on the relative geometries of the X-ray and optical surface brightness distributions and an assumed form for the potential, of the optical light, (2) a technique to measure the shapes of the total gravitating matter and dark matter of an ellipsoidal system which is insensitive to the precise value of the temperature of the gas and to modest temperature gradients, and (3) a new method to determine the ratio of dark mass to stellar mass that is dependent on the functional forms for the visible star, gas and dark matter distributions, but independent of the distance to the galaxy or the gas temperature. We apply these techniques to X-ray data from the ROSAT Position Sensitive Proportional Counter (PSPC) of the optically flattened elliptical galaxy NGC 720; the optical isophotes have ellipticity epsilon approximately 0.40 extending out to approximately 120 sec. The X-ray isophotes are significantly elongated, epsilon = 0.20-0.30 for semimajor axis a approximately 100 sec. The major axes of the optical and X-ray isophotes are misaligned by approximately 30 deg +/- 15 deg. Spectral analysis of the X-ray data reveals no evidence of temperature gradients or anisotropies and demonstrates that a single-temperature plasma (T approximately 0.6 keV) having subsolar heavy element abundances and a two-temperature model having solar abundances describe the spectrum equally well. Considering only the relative geometries of the X-ray and optical surface brightness distributions and an assumed functional form for the potential of the optical light, we conclude that matter distributed like the optical light cannot produce the observed ellipticities of the X-ray isophotes, independent of the gas pressure, the gas temperature, and the value of the stellar mass; this comparison assumes a state of quasi-hydrostatic equilibrium so that the three-dimensional surfaces of the gas emissivity trace the three-dimensional isopotential surfaces -- we discuss the viability of this assumption for NGC 720. Milgrom's Modification of Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) cannot dispel this manifestation of dark matter. Hence, geometrical considerations require, without mention of pressure or temperature, the presence of an extended, massive dark matter halo in NGC 720. Employing essentially the technique of Buote & Canizares (1992; Buote 1992) we use the shape of the X-ray surface brightness to constrain the shape of the total gravitating matter. The total matter is modeled as either an oblate or prolate spheriod of constant shape and orientation having either a Ferrers (rho approximately r-n) or Hernquist density. Assuming the X-ray gas is in hydrostatic equilibrium, we construct a model X-ray gas distribution for various temperature profiles. We determine the ellipticity of the total gravitating matter to be epsilon approximately 0.50-0.70. Using the single-temperature model we estimate a total mass approximately (0.41-1.4) x 1012 h80 solar mass interior to the ellipsoid of semimajor axis 43.6 h80 kpc. Ferrers densities as steep as r-3 do not fit the data, but the r-2 and Hernquist models yield excellent fits. We estimate the mass distributions of the stars and the gas and fit the dark matter directly. For a given gas equation of state and functional forms for the visible stars, gas, and dark matter, these models yield a distance-independent and temperature-independent measurement of the ratio of dark mass to stellar mass MDM/Mstars. We estimate a minimum MDM/Mstars greater than or equal to 4 which corresponds to a total mass slightly greater than that derived from the single-temperature models for distance D = 20h80 Mpc.

Geometrical evidence for dark matter: X-ray constraints on the mass of the elliptical galaxy NGC 720

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buote, David A.; Canizares, Claude R.

1994-01-01

We describe (1) a new test for dark matter and alternate theories of gravitation based on the relative geometries of the X-ray and optical surface brightness distributions and an assumed form for the potential, of the optical light, (2) a technique to measure the shapes of the total gravitating matter and dark matter of an ellipsoidal system which is insensitive to the precise value of the temperature of the gas and to modest temperature gradients, and (3) a new method to determine the ratio of dark mass to stellar mass that is dependent on the functional forms for the visible star, gas and dark matter distributions, but independent of the distance to the galaxy or the gas temperature. We apply these techniques to X-ray data from the ROSAT Position Sensitive Proportional Counter (PSPC) of the optically flattened elliptical galaxy NGC 720; the optical isophotes have ellipticity epsilon approximately 0.40 extending out to approximately 120 sec. The X-ray isophotes are significantly elongated, epsilon = 0.20-0.30 for semimajor axis a approximately 100 sec. The major axes of the optical and X-ray isophotes are misaligned by approximately 30 deg +/- 15 deg. Spectral analysis of the X-ray data reveals no evidence of temperature gradients or anisotropies and demonstrates that a single-temperature plasma (T approximately 0.6 keV) having subsolar heavy element abundances and a two-temperature model having solar abundances describe the spectrum equally well. Considering only the relative geometries of the X-ray and optical surface brightness distributions and an assumed functional form for the potential of the optical light, we conclude that matter distributed like the optical light cannot produce the observed ellipticities of the X-ray isophotes, independent of the gas pressure, the gas temperature, and the value of the stellar mass; this comparison assumes a state of quasi-hydrostatic equilibrium so that the three-dimensional surfaces of the gas emissivity trace the three-dimensional isopotential surfaces -- we discuss the viability of this assumption for NGC 720. Milgrom's Modification of Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) cannot dispel this manifestation of dark matter. Hence, geometrical considerations require, without mention of pressure or temperature, the presence of an extended, massive dark matter halo in NGC 720. Employing essentially the technique of Buote & Canizares (1992; Buote 1992) we use the shape of the X-ray surface brightness to constrain the shape of the total gravitating matter. The total matter is modeled as either an oblate or prolate spheriod of constant shape and orientation having either a Ferrers (rho approximately r(exp -n)) or Hernquist density. Assuming the X-ray gas is in hydrostatic equilibrium, we construct a model X-ray gas distribution for various temperature profiles. We determine the ellipticity of the total gravitating matter to be epsilon approximately 0.50-0.70. Using the single-temperature model we estimate a total mass approximately (0.41-1.4) x 10(exp 12) h(sub 80) solar mass interior to the ellipsoid of semimajor axis 43.6 h(sub 80) kpc. Ferrers densities as steep as r(exp -3) do not fit the data, but the r(exp -2) and Hernquist models yield excellent fits. We estimate the mass distributions of the stars and the gas and fit the dark matter directly. For a given gas equation of state and functional forms for the visible stars, gas, and dark matter, these models yield a distance-independent and temperature-independent measurement of the ratio of dark mass to stellar mass M(sub DM)/M(sub stars). We estimate a minimum M(sub DM)/M(sub stars) greater than or equal to 4 which corresponds to a total mass slightly greater than that derived from the single-temperature models for distance D = 20h(sub 80) Mpc.

Effects of reduced nitrogen inputs on crop yield and nitrogen use efficiency in a long-term maize-soybean relay strip intercropping system.

PubMed

Chen, Ping; Du, Qing; Liu, Xiaoming; Zhou, Li; Hussain, Sajad; Lei, Lu; Song, Chun; Wang, Xiaochun; Liu, Weiguo; Yang, Feng; Shu, Kai; Liu, Jiang; Du, Junbo; Yang, Wenyu; Yong, Taiwen

2017-01-01

The blind pursuit of high yields via increased fertilizer inputs increases the environmental costs. Relay intercropping has advantages for yield, but a strategy for N management is urgently required to decrease N inputs without yield loss in maize-soybean relay intercropping systems (IMS). Experiments were conducted with three levels of N and three planting patterns, and dry matter accumulation, nitrogen uptake, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), competition ratio (CR), system productivity index (SPI), land equivalent ratio (LER), and crop root distribution were investigated. Our results showed that the CR of soybean was greater than 1, and that the change in root distribution in space and time resulted in an interspecific facilitation in IMS. The maximum yield of maize under monoculture maize (MM) occurred with conventional nitrogen (CN), whereas under IMS, the maximum yield occurred with reduced nitrogen (RN). The yield of monoculture soybean (MS) and of soybean in IMS both reached a maximum under RN. The LER of IMS varied from 1.85 to 2.36, and the SPI peaked under RN. Additionally, the NUE of IMS increased by 103.7% under RN compared with that under CN. In conclusion, the separation of the root ecological niche contributed to a positive interspecific facilitation, which increased the land productivity. Thus, maize-soybean relay intercropping with reduced N input provides a very useful approach to increase land productivity and avert environmental pollution.

Condition of copper and organic matter in the soil contaminated with metal remediation of humic substances.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolchanova, Kseniia; Barsova, Natalia; Motuzova, Galina; Stepanov, Andrey; Karpukhin, Mikhail

2017-04-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the forms of copper and transformation of organic matter in the soil under the influence of humic substances (potassium humate, which was obtained from coal). The object of research was the top layer of soil model field experience. Field experiments were carried out in 10-liter plastic containers.The upper layers were constructed artificially as mixture of loam, sand and peat. Below it was a layer of loam, then gravel and under it we installed lysimeters. The experiment was conducted in 3 settings: 1) control, 2) control + Cu, and 3) control + Cu + potassium humate . Copper was deposited into upper layer at soil column construction as dry powder (CuSO4*5H2O), which is 1000mg per kg. Humic substance was introduced on surface as liquid form. The focus was the state of the copper and organic matter of solid and liquid phase. In the solid phase pH, carbon content, the molecular-mass distributions for the organic matter, total (HNO3 conc.+ H2O2; decomposition in a microwave oven) and acid-soluble (1H HNO3) copper content, sequential extraction of copper (1 M MgCl2, acetate buffer pH 4,8 (AAB), 1% EDTA) were determined. For liquid phase characteristics aqueous extract was obtained and identified therein: pH, total activity and copper content and water-soluble organic matter(WOM) amphiphilic properties. The introduction of copper is accompanied by a decrease in pH in soils from 7 to 6,3. The introduction of the humic substance softens this effect. Introducing humic preparation gives an increase in carbon at 0.5%. HS and copper has no significant effect on the molecular-mass distribution of solid organic matter. Only about 4% introduced copper accounted for the exchangeable form (MgCl2) for the variant only copper contaminated. Copper, mainly precipitated as hydroxides, moved in an AAB extract. And compared with the exchangeable forms its quantity increases by 10 times. Still more copper goes into an extract of EDTA, about half of the total. That is, the introduction of humic substances increases the amount of copper associated with organic matter in complexes with high stability constants. The total amount of copper of the results of extraction is 88-96% of the all total content. Water-soluble copper contains only 0.5% of the total. But the introduction of humic substances increases the amount of water-soluble copper is 3 times. This is due to the increase in the content of the WOM by 2.5-3 times, both due to the hydrophobic and hydrophilic factions of WOM. And this leads to a sharp reduction in the activity of copper in the liquid phase. Dual effect of introducing humic substances was obtained on the results of the work. On the one hand the introduction of humic substances contributes the immobilization of copper by increasing the fraction associated with organic matter in the solid phase. On the other hand the introduction of humic substances contributes the mobilization of copper in the liquid phase due to the increase of WOM.

Organic geochemistry in Pennsylvanian tidally influenced sediments from SW Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mastalerz, Maria; Kvale, E.P.; Stankiewicz, B.A.; Portle, K.

1999-01-01

Tidal rhythmites are vertically stacked small-scale sedimentary structures that record daily variations in tidal current energy and are known to overlie some low-sulfur coals in the Illinois Basin. Tidal rhythmites from the Pennsylvanian Brazil Formation in Indiana have been analyzed sedimentologically, petrographically, and geochemically in order to understand the character and distribution of organic matter (OM) preserved in an environment of daily interactions between marine and fresh waters. The concentration of organic matter (TOC) ranges from traces to 6.9% and sulfur rarely exceeds 0.1% in individual laminae. Angular vitrinite is the major organic matter type, accounting for 50-90% of total OM. The C/S ratio decreases as the verfical distance from the underlying coal increases. A decreasing C/S ratio coupled with decreases in Pr/Ph, Pr/n-C17, Ph/n-C18 ratios and a shift of carbon isotopic composition towards less negative values suggest an increase in salinity from freshwater in the mudflat tidal rhythmite facies close to the coal to brackish/marine in the sandflat tidal rhythmite facies further above from the coal. Within an interval spanning one year of deposition, TOC and S values show monthly variability. On a daily scale, TOC and S oscillations are still detectable but they are of lower magnitude than on a monthly scale. These small-scale variations are believed to reflect oscillations in water salinity related to tidal cycles.Tidal rhythmites are vertically stacked small-scale sedimentary structures that record daily variations in tidal current energy and are known to overlie some low-sulfur coals in the Illinois Basin. Tidal rhythmites from the Pennsylvanian Brazil Formation in Indiana have been analyzed sedimentologically, petrographically, and geochemically in order to understand the character and distribution of organic matter (OM) preserved in an environment of daily interactions between marine and fresh waters. The concentration of organic matter (TOC) ranges from traces to 6.9% and sulfur rarely exceeds 0.1% in individual laminae. Angular vitrinite is the major organic matter type, accounting for 50-90% of total OM. The C/S ratio decreases as the vertical distance from the underlying coal increases. A decreasing C/S ratio coupled with decreases in Pr/Ph, Pr/n-C17, Ph/n-C18 ratios and a shift of carbon isotopic composition towards less negative values suggest an increase in salinity from freshwater in the mudflat tidal rhythmite facies close to the coal to brackish/marine in the sandflat tidal rhythmite facies further above from the coal. Within an interval spanning one year of deposition, TOC and S values show monthly variability. On a daily scale, TOC and S oscillations are still detectable but they are of lower magnitude than on a monthly scale. These small-scale variations are believed to reflect oscillations in water salinity related to tidal cycles.

Large-scale anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Silk, J.; Wilson, M. L.

1981-01-01

Inhomogeneities in the large-scale distribution of matter inevitably lead to the generation of large-scale anisotropy in the cosmic background radiation. The dipole, quadrupole, and higher order fluctuations expected in an Einstein-de Sitter cosmological model have been computed. The dipole and quadrupole anisotropies are comparable to the measured values, and impose important constraints on the allowable spectrum of large-scale matter density fluctuations. A significant dipole anisotropy is generated by the matter distribution on scales greater than approximately 100 Mpc. The large-scale anisotropy is insensitive to the ionization history of the universe since decoupling, and cannot easily be reconciled with a galaxy formation theory that is based on primordial adiabatic density fluctuations.

Simulated Milky Way analogues: implications for dark matter direct searches

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

Bozorgnia, Nassim; Calore, Francesca; Lovell, Mark

2016-05-01

We study the implications of galaxy formation on dark matter direct detection using high resolution hydrodynamic simulations of Milky Way-like galaxies simulated within the EAGLE and APOSTLE projects. We identify Milky Way analogues that satisfy observational constraints on the Milky Way rotation curve and total stellar mass. We then extract the dark matter density and velocity distribution in the Solar neighbourhood for this set of Milky Way analogues, and use them to analyse the results of current direct detection experiments. For most Milky Way analogues, the event rates in direct detection experiments obtained from the best fit Maxwellian distribution (withmore » peak speed of 223–289 km/s) are similar to those obtained directly from the simulations. As a consequence, the allowed regions and exclusion limits set by direct detection experiments in the dark matter mass and spin-independent cross section plane shift by a few GeV compared to the Standard Halo Model, at low dark matter masses. For each dark matter mass, the halo-to-halo variation of the local dark matter density results in an overall shift of the allowed regions and exclusion limits for the cross section. However, the compatibility of the possible hints for a dark matter signal from DAMA and CDMS-Si and null results from LUX and SuperCDMS is not improved.« less

Spatio-temporal variations in the composition of organic matter in surface sediments of a mangrove receiving shrimp farm effluents (New Caledonia).

PubMed

Aschenbroich, Adélaïde; Marchand, Cyril; Molnar, Nathalie; Deborde, Jonathan; Hubas, Cédric; Rybarczyk, Hervé; Meziane, Tarik

2015-04-15

In order to investigate spatio-temporal variations in the composition and origin of the benthic organic matter (OM) at the sediment surface in mangrove receiving shrimp farm effluents, fatty acid (FA) biomarkers, natural stable isotopes (δ(13)C and δ(15)N), C:N ratios and chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentrations were determined during the active and the non-active period of the farm. Fatty acid compositions in surface sediments within the mangrove forest indicated that organic matter inputs varied along the year as a result of farm activity. Effluents were the source of fresh particulate organic matter for the mangrove, as evidenced by the unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) distribution. The anthropogenic MUFA 18:1ω9 was not only accumulated at the sediment surface in some parts of the mangrove, but was also exported to the seafront. Direct release of bacteria and enhanced in situ production of fungi, as revealed by specific FAs, stimulated mangrove litter decomposition under effluent runoff condition. Also, microalgae released from ponds contributed to maintain high benthic chl-a concentrations in mangrove sediments in winter and to a shift in microphytobenthic community assemblage. Primary production was high whether the farm released effluent or not which questioned the temporary effect of shrimp farm effluent on benthic microalgae dynamic. This study outlined that mangrove benthic organic matter was qualitatively and quantitatively affected by shrimp farm effluent release and that responses to environmental condition changes likely depended on mangrove stand characteristics. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fluctuation analysis of relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions in emulsion chambers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcguire, Stephen C.

1988-01-01

An analytical technique was developed for identifying enhanced fluctuations in the angular distributions of secondary particles produced from relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions. The method is applied under the assumption that the masses of the produced particles are small compared to their linear momenta. The importance of particles rests in the fact that enhanced fluctuations in the rapidity distributions is considered to be an experimental signal for the creation of the quark-gluon-plasma (QGP), a state of nuclear matter predicted from the quantum chromodynamics theory (QCD). In the approach, Monte Carlo simulations are employed that make use of a portable random member generator that allow the calculations to be performed on a desk-top computer. The method is illustrated with data taken from high altitude emulsion exposures and is immediately applicable to similar data from accelerator-based emulsion exposures.

The role of phosphorus in chemical evolution.

PubMed

Maciá, Enrique

2005-08-01

In this tutorial review we consider the role of phosphorus and its compounds within the context of chemical evolution in galaxies. Following an interdisciplinary approach we first discuss the position of P among the main biogenic elements by considering its relevance in most essential biochemical functions as well as its peculiar chemistry under different physicochemical conditions. Then we review the phosphorus distribution in different cosmic sites, such as terrestrial planets, interplanetary dust particles, cometary dust, planetary atmospheres and the interstellar medium (ISM). In this way we realize that this element is both scarce and ubiquitous in the universe. These features can be related to the complex nucleosynthesis of P nuclide in the cores of massive stars under explosive conditions favouring a wide distribution of this element through the ISM, where it would be ready to react with other available atoms. A general tendency towards more oxidized phosphorus compounds is clearly appreciated as chemical evolution proceeds from circumstellar and ISM materials to protoplanetary and planetary condensed matter phases. To conclude we discuss some possible routes allowing for the incorporation of phosphorus compounds of prebiotic interest during the earlier stages of solar system formation.

Stellar Wakes from Dark Matter Subhalos.

PubMed

Buschmann, Malte; Kopp, Joachim; Safdi, Benjamin R; Wu, Chih-Liang

2018-05-25

We propose a novel method utilizing stellar kinematic data to detect low-mass substructure in the Milky Way's dark matter halo. By probing characteristic wakes that a passing dark matter subhalo leaves in the phase-space distribution of ambient halo stars, we estimate sensitivities down to subhalo masses of ∼10^{7}  M_{⊙} or below. The detection of such subhalos would have implications for dark matter and cosmological models that predict modifications to the halo-mass function at low halo masses. We develop an analytic formalism for describing the perturbed stellar phase-space distributions, and we demonstrate through idealized simulations the ability to detect subhalos using the phase-space model and a likelihood framework. Our method complements existing methods for low-mass subhalo searches, such as searches for gaps in stellar streams, in that we can localize the positions and velocities of the subhalos today.

Soil Surface Organic Layers in Alaska's Arctic Foothills: Development, Distribution and Microclimatic Feedbacks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baughman, C. A.; Mann, D. H.; Verbyla, D.; Valentine, D.; Kunz, M. L.; Heiser, P. A.

2013-12-01

Accumulated organic matter at the ground surface plays an important role in arctic ecosystems. These soil surface organic layers (SSOLs) influence temperature, moisture, and chemistry in the underlying mineral soil and, on a global basis, comprise enormous stores of labile carbon. Understanding the dynamics of SSOLs is prerequisite to modeling the responses of arctic ecosystem processes to climate changes. Here, we ask three questions regarding SSOLs in the Arctic Foothills in northern Alaska: 1) What environmental factors control their spatial distribution? 2) How long do they take to form? 3) What is the relationship between SSOL thickness and mineral soil temperature through the growing season? The best topographically-controlled predictors of SSOL thickness and spatial distribution are duration of sunlight during the growing-season, upslope drainage area, slope gradient, and elevation. SSOLs begin to form within several decades following disturbance but require 500-700 years to reach equilibrium states. Once formed, mature SSOLs lower peak growing-season temperature and mean annual temperature in the underlying mineral horizon by 8° and 3° C respectively, which reduces available growing degree days within the upper mineral soil by nearly 80%. How ongoing climate change in northern Alaska will affect the region's SSOLs is an open and potentially crucial question.

A free-form lensing model of A370 revealing stellar mass dominated BCGs, in Hubble Frontier Fields images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diego, Jose M.; Schmidt, Kasper B.; Broadhurst, Tom; Lam, Daniel; Vega-Ferrero, Jesús; Zheng, Wei; Lee, Slanger; Morishita, Takahiro; Bernstein, Gary; Lim, Jeremy; Silk, Joseph; Ford, Holland

2018-02-01

We derive a free-form mass distribution for the unrelaxed cluster A370 (z = 0.375), using the first release of the Hubble Frontier Fields images (76 orbits) and GLASS spectroscopy. Starting from a reliable set of 10 multiply lensed systems, we produce a free-form lens model that identifies ≈80 multiple images. Good consistency is found between models using independent subsamples of these lensed systems, with detailed agreement for the well-resolved arcs. The mass distribution has two very similar concentrations centred on the two prominent brightest cluster galaxies (or BCGs), with mass profiles that are accurately constrained by a uniquely useful system of long radially lensed images centred on both BCGs. We show that the lensing mass profiles of these BCGs are mainly accounted for by their stellar mass profiles, with a modest contribution from dark matter within r < 100 kpc of each BCG. This conclusion may favour a cooled cluster gas origin for BCGs, rather than via mergers of normal galaxies for which dark matter should dominate over stars. Growth via merging between BCGs is, however, consistent with this finding, so that stars still dominate over dark matter. We do not observe any significant offset between the positions of the peaks of the dark matter distribution and the light distribution.

Biomarkers reveal the effects of hydrography on the sources and fate of marine and terrestrial organic matter in the western Irish Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Reilly, Shane S.; Szpak, Michal T.; Flanagan, Paul V.; Monteys, Xavier; Murphy, Brian T.; Jordan, Sean F.; Allen, Christopher C. R.; Simpson, Andre J.; Mulligan, Stephen M.; Sandron, Sara; Kelleher, Brian P.

2014-01-01

A suite of lipid biomarkers were investigated from surface sediments and particulate matter across hydrographically distinct zones associated with the western Irish Sea gyre and the seasonal bloom. The aim was to assess the variation of organic matter (OM) composition, production, distribution and fate associated with coastal and southern mixed regions and also the summer stratified region. Based on the distribution of a suite of diagnostic biomarkers, including phospholipid fatty acids, source-specific sterols, wax esters and C25 highly branched isoprenoids, diatoms, dinoflagellates and green algae were identified as major contributors of marine organic matter (MOM) in this setting. The distribution of cholesterol, wax esters and C20 and C22 polyunsaturated fatty acids indicate that copepod grazing represents an important process for mineralising this primary production. Net tow data from 2010 revealed much greater phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass in well-mixed waters compared to stratified waters. This appears to be largely reflected in MOM input to surface sediments. Terrestrial organic matter (TOM), derived from higher plants, was identified as a major source of OM regionally, but was concentrated in proximity to major riverine input at the Boyne Estuary and Dundalk Bay. Near-bottom residual circulation and the seasonal gyre also likely play a role in the fate of TOM in the western Irish Sea.

Vector Dark Matter through a radiative Higgs portal

DOE PAGES

DiFranzo, Anthony; Fox, Patrick J.; Tait, Tim M. P.

2016-04-21

We study a model of spin-1 dark matter which interacts with the Standard Model predominantly via exchange of Higgs bosons. We propose an alternative UV completion to the usual Vector Dark Matter Higgs Portal, in which vector-like fermions charged under SU(2)more » $$_W \\times$$ U(1)$$_Y$$ and under the dark gauge group, U(1)$$^\\prime$$, generate an effective interaction between the Higgs and the dark matter at one loop. Furthermore, we explore the resulting phenomenology and show that this dark matter candidate is a viable thermal relic and satisfies Higgs invisible width constraints as well as direct detection bounds.« less

Posterior white matter disease distribution as a predictor of amyloid angiopathy

PubMed Central

Thanprasertsuk, Sekh; Martinez-Ramirez, Sergi; Pontes-Neto, Octavio Marques; Ni, Jun; Ayres, Alison; Reed, Anne; Swords, Kyleen; Gurol, M. Edip; Greenberg, Steven M.

2014-01-01

Objectives: We sought to examine whether a posterior distribution of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) is an independent predictor of pathologically confirmed cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and whether it is associated with MRI markers of CAA, in patients without lobar intracerebral hemorrhage. Methods: We developed a quantitative method to measure anteroposterior (AP) distribution of WMH. A retrospective cohort of patients without intracerebral hemorrhage and with pathologic evaluation of CAA was examined to determine whether posterior WMH distribution was an independent predictor of CAA (n = 59). The relationship of AP distributions of WMH to strictly lobar microbleeds (MBs) (n = 259) and location of dilated perivascular spaces (DPVS) (n = 85) was examined in a separate cohort of patients evaluated in a memory clinic. Results: A more posterior WMH distribution was found to be an independent predictor of pathologic evidence of CAA (p = 0.001, odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 1.19 [1.07–1.32]), even in the subgroup without lobar MBs (p = 0.016, odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 1.18 [1.03–1.36]). In the memory clinic cohort, strictly lobar MBs were independently associated with more posterior WMH distribution (p = 0.009). AP distribution of WMH was also associated with location of DPVS (p = 0.001), in that patients with predominant DPVS in the white matter over the basal ganglia harbored a more posterior WMH distribution. Conclusions: Our results suggest that AP distribution of WMH may represent an additional marker of CAA, irrespective of the presence of lobar hemorrhages. Classification of evidence: This study provides Class III evidence that there is a significant association between the AP distribution of WMH on MRI with the presence of pathologically confirmed CAA pathology. PMID:25063759

Final Technical Report: Mercury Release from Organic Matter (OM) and OM-Coated Mineral Surfaces

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

Nagy, Kathryn L.

2015-08-18

Chemical reactions between mercury, a neurotoxin, and sulfur, an essential nutrient, in the environment control to a large extent the distribution and amount of mercury available for uptake by living organisms. The largest reservoir of sulfur in soils is in living, decaying, and dissolved natural organic matter. The decaying and dissolved organic matter can also coat the surfaces of minerals in the soil. Mercury (as a divalent cation) can bind to the sulfur species in the organic matter as well as to the bare mineral surfaces, but the extent of binding and release of this mercury is not well understood.more » The goals of the research were to investigate fundamental relationships among mercury, natural organic matter, and selected minerals to better understand specifically the fate and transport of mercury in contaminated soils downstream from the Y-12 plant along East Fork Poplar Creek, Tennessee, and more generally in any contaminated soil. The research focused on (1) experiments to quantify the uptake and release of mercury from two clay minerals in the soil, kaolinite and vermiculite, in the presence and absence of dissolved organic matter; (2) release of mercury from cinnabar under oxic and anoxic conditions; (3) characterization of the forms of mercury in the soil using synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopic techniques; and, (4) determination of molecular forms of mercury in the presence of natural organic matter. We also leveraged funding from the National Science Foundation to (5) evaluate published approaches for determining sulfur speciation in natural organic matter by fitting X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) spectra obtained at the sulfur K-edge and apply optimized fitting schemes to new measurements of sulfur speciation in a suite of dissolved organic matter samples from the International Humic Substances Society. Lastly, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Colorado and the U.S. Geological Survey in Boulder, Colorado, (6) we investigated the biogeochemical controls on the release of mercury in simulated flooding experiments using loose soils and intact soil cores from East Fork Poplar Creek.« less

Integrating microbial physiology and enzyme traits in the quality model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sainte-Marie, Julien; Barrandon, Matthieu; Martin, Francis; Saint-André, Laurent; Derrien, Delphine

2017-04-01

Microbe activity plays an undisputable role in soil carbon storage and there have been many calls to integrate microbial ecology in soil carbon (C) models. With regard to this challenge, a few trait-based microbial models of C dynamics have emerged during the past decade. They parameterize specific traits related to decomposer physiology (substrate use efficiency, growth and mortality rates...) and enzyme properties (enzyme production rate, catalytic properties of enzymes…). But these models are built on the premise that organic matter (OM) can be represented as one single entity or are divided into a few pools, while organic matter exists as a continuum of many different compounds spanning from intact plant molecules to highly oxidised microbial metabolites. In addition, a given molecule may also exist in different forms, depending on its stage of polymerization or on its interactions with other organic compounds or mineral phases of the soil. Here we develop a general theoretical model relating the evolution of soil organic matter, as a continuum of progressively decomposing compounds, with decomposer activity and enzyme traits. The model is based on the notion of quality developed by Agren and Bosatta (1998), which is a measure of molecule accessibility to degradation. The model integrates three major processes: OM depolymerisation by enzyme action, OM assimilation and OM biotransformation. For any enzyme, the model reports the quality range where this enzyme selectively operates and how the initial quality distribution of the OM subset evolves into another distribution of qualities under the enzyme action. The model also defines the quality range where the OM can be uptaken and assimilated by microbes. It finally describes how the quality of the assimilated molecules is transformed into another quality distribution, corresponding to the decomposer metabolites signature. Upon decomposer death, these metabolites return to the substrate. We explore here the how microbial physiology and enzyme traits can be incorporated in a model based on a continuous representation of the organic matter and evaluate how it can improve our ability to predict soil C cycling. To do so, we analyse the properties of the model by implementing different scenarii and test the sensitivity of its parameters. Agren, G. I., & Bosatta, E. (1998). Theoretical ecosystem ecology: understanding element cycles. Cambridge University Press.

Antimatter cosmic rays from dark matter annihilation: First results from an N-body experiment

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

Lavalle, J.; Nezri, E.; Athanassoula, E.

2008-11-15

While the particle hypothesis for dark matter may be very soon investigated at the LHC, and as the PAMELA and GLAST satellites are currently taking new data on charged and gamma cosmic rays, the need of controlling the theoretical uncertainties affecting the possible indirect signatures of dark matter annihilation is of paramount importance. The uncertainties which originate from the dark matter distribution are difficult to estimate because current astrophysical observations provide rather weak dynamical constraints and because, according to cosmological N-body simulations, dark matter is neither smoothly nor spherically distributed in galactic halos. Some previous studies made use of N-bodymore » simulations to compute the {gamma}-ray flux from dark matter annihilation, but such a work has never been performed for the antimatter (positron and antiproton) primary fluxes, for which transport processes complicate the calculations. We take advantage of the galaxylike 3D dark matter map extracted from the Horizon Project results to calculate the positron and antiproton fluxes from dark matter annihilation, in a model-independent approach as well as for dark matter particle benchmarks relevant at the LHC scale (from supersymmetric and extradimensional theories). We find that the flux uncertainties arise mainly from fluctuations of the local dark matter density, and are of {approx}1 order of magnitude. We compare our results to analytic descriptions of the dark matter halo, showing how the latter can well reproduce the former. The overall antimatter predictions associated with our benchmark models are shown to lie far below the existing measurements and, in particular, that of the positron fraction recently reported by PAMELA, and far below the background predictions as well. Finally, we stress the limits of the use of an N-body framework in this context.« less

Influence of anoxic pore water dissolved organic matter on the fate and transport of hydrophobic organic pollutants

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

Hunchak-Kariouk, K.

1992-01-01

Pore water dissolved organic matter is an overlooked pool of organic matter important to the environmental fate of hydrophobic organic pollutants. The association of polychlorinated biphenyls, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and chlorinated pesticides with pore water dissolved organic matter influences their distribution and mobility within the bottom sediment environment. Steep physical, biological and chemical gradients at the sediment/water interface isolate the pore water and create unique conditions within the sediment. This study indicates that any disturbance of this environment will alter the distribution and mobility of organic pollutants by changing their association to the pore water dissolved organic matter. A small volumemore » closed equilibration method was developed to measure the solubility enhancement of 2,2' 4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (TeCB) by natural dissolved organic matter. Chemical coated micro-glass beads were equilibrated with anoxic and laboratory aerated (oxic) pore water samples in flame sealed ampules. The TeCB enhanced solubilities were used to determine the pore water dissolved organic matter partition coefficient, K[sub pwdom]. The measured TeCB solubility and K[sub pwdom] were much smaller for anoxic than oxic pore waters. The dissolved organic matter sorptive capacity for the TeCB increased as the water was aerated. This change is attributed to coagulative fractionation and structural changes of the pore water dissolved organic matter during aeration and was characterized by differences in the dissolved organic matter concentration, UV absorption at 254 nm, interfacial surface tension, and sorption capacity of molecular weight fractions of anoxic and oxic pore water dissolved organic matter. The increase in partitioning indicates that there will be an increase in the mobility of the TeCB as an anoxic bottom sediment environment is disturbed and aerated.« less

Impact of organic matter source and quality on living benthic foraminiferal distribution on a river-dominated continental margin: A study of the Portuguese margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dessandier, Pierre-Antoine; Bonnin, Jérôme; Kim, Jung-Hyun; Bichon, Sabrina; Deflandre, Bruno; Grémare, Antoine; Sinninghe Damsté, Jaap S.

2016-06-01

Living (rose Bengal stained) benthic foraminifera were investigated on surface sediments from 23 stations from the river-dominated northwestern Portuguese margin. Samples were collected in March 2011, following the period of the maximum rainfall over the Iberian Peninsula, between 20 and 2000 m water depth along five cross-margin transects. Four of them are located off the Douro, Mondego, Tagus, and Sado Rivers and one off the Estremadura coast. The major objectives of this study are (1) to assess the impact of organic matter of various origin and quality on the benthic foraminifera and (2) to investigate the spatial differences of faunal distribution from coastal waters to the deep sea under river influences. To do this, sedimentological and biogeochemical characteristics of the sediments were identified by measuring grain size, oxygen penetration depth, total organic carbon (TOC) content, stable carbon isotopic composition of TOC (δ13CTOC) and concentration of pigments and amino acids. Based on the principal component and cluster analyses of the environmental data, three major geographical groups are identified: (1) deep stations, (2) coastal and middle slope stations, and (3) shelf stations under river influence. At the deepest stations, species are associated with high organic matter (OM) quantity but low OM quality, where Uvigerina mediterranea, Hoeglundina elegans, and agglutinated species such as Reophax scorpiurus or Bigenerina nodosaria are dominant. All stations off the Sado River, which is the most affected area by the anthropogenic influence, are also characterized by high quantity but low quality of OM with the minimum faunal density and diversity within the study area. Middle slope stations are associated with low OM content and coarse sediments (Q50) with the predominance of N. scaphum. Shallow shelf stations close to the Douro and Tagus River mouths show a dominance of taxa (e.g., Ammonia beccarii, Bulimina aculeata, Eggerelloides scaber, Nonion scaphum, Cancris auriculus, and Quinqueloculina seminula) adapted to environments characterized by high OM quality (high fresh chlorophyll (Chl a/Phaeo)) and available amino acids (enzymatically hydrolyzable amino acid (EHAA)/total enzymatically hydrolyzable amino acid (THAA)). The Biotic and Environmental linking analysis suggests that the benthic foraminiferal distribution is mostly controlled by three environmental parameters, i.e., TOC (quantity), EHAA/THAA (quality), and δ13CTOC (source). Hence, this study clearly highlights that the quantitative and qualitative inputs of OM and its source are the most important factors controlling the living benthic foraminiferal distribution with clear influences between the different rivers. This study also suggests a good tolerance of several species for river discharges where the OM quality is high.

Particle size distribution of river-suspended sediments determined by in situ measured remote-sensing reflectance.

PubMed

Zhang, Yuanzhi; Huang, Zhaojun; Chen, Chuqun; He, Yijun; Jiang, Tingchen

2015-07-10

Suspended sediments in water bodies are classified into organic and inorganic matter and have been investigated by remote-sensing technology for years. Focusing on inorganic matter, however, detailed information such as the grain size of this matter has not been provided yet. In this study, we present a new solution for estimating inorganic suspended sediments' size distribution in highly complex Case 2 waters by using a simple spectrometer sensor rather than a backscattering sensor. An experiment was carried out in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) in the dry season to collect the remote-sensing reflectance (R_rs) and particle size distribution (PSD) of inorganic suspended sediments. Based on Mie theory, PSDs in the PRE waters were retrieved by R_rs, colored dissolved organic matter, and phytoplankton. The retrieved median diameters in 12 stations show good agreement with those of laboratory analysis at root mean square error of 2.604 μm (27.63%), bias of 1.924 μm (20.42%), and mean absolute error of 2.298 μm (24.37%). The retrieved PSDs and previous PSDs were compared, and the features of PSDs in the PRE waters were concluded.

Anisotropic Galaxy-Galaxy Lensing in the Illustris-1 Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brainerd, Tereasa G.

2017-06-01

In Cold Dark Matter universes, the dark matter halos of galaxies are expected to be triaxial, leading to a surface mass density that is not circularly symmetric. In principle, this "flattening" of the dark matter halos of galaxies should be observable as an anisotropy in the weak galaxy-galaxy lensing signal. The degree to which the weak lensing signal is observed to be anisotropic, however, will depend strongly on the degree to which mass (i.e., the dark matter) is aligned with light in the lensing galaxies. That is, the anisotropy will be maximized when the major axis of the projected mass distribution is well aligned with the projected light distribution of the lens galaxies. Observational studies of anisotropic galaxy-galaxy lensing have found an anisotropic weak lensing signal around massive, red galaxies. Detecting the signal around blue, disky galaxies has, however, been more elusive. A possible explanation for this is that mass and light are well aligned within red galaxies and poorly aligned within blue galaxies (an explanation that is supported by studies of the locations of satellites of large, relatively isolated galaxies). Here we compute the weak lensing signal of isolated central galaxies in the Illustris-1 simulation. We compute the anisotropy of the weak lensing signal using two definitions of the geometry: [1] the major axis of the projected dark matter mass distribution and [2] the major axis of the projected stellar mass. On projected scales less than 15% of the virial radius, an anisotropy of order 10% is found for both definitions of the geometry. On larger scales, the anisotropy computed relative to the major axis of the projected light distribution is less than the anisotropy computed relative to the major axis of the projected dark matter. On projected scales of order the virial radius, the anisotropy obtained when using the major axis of the light is an order of magnitude less than the anisotropy obtained when using the major axis of the dark matter. The suppression of the anisotropy when using the major axis of the light to define the geometry is indicative of a significant misalignment of mass and light in the Illustris-1 galaxies at large physical radii.

Terrestrial and marine biomarker estimates of organic matter sources and distributions in surface sediments from the East China Sea shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xing, Lei; Zhang, Hailong; Yuan, Zineng; Sun, Yao; Zhao, Meixun

2011-07-01

Revealing of the sources and distributions of sedimentary organic matter in the East China Sea (ECS) is important for understanding its carbon cycle, which has significant temporal and spatial variability due to the influences of recent climate changes and anthropogenic activities. In this study, we report the contents of both terrestrial and marine biomarkers including ∑C 27+C 29+C 31n-alkanes (38.6-580 ng/g), C 37 alkenones (5.6-124.6 ng/g), brassicasterol (98-913 ng/g) and dinosterol (125-1521 ng/g) from the surface sediments in the Changjiang River Estuary (CRE) and shelf areas of the ECS. Several indices based on biomarker contents and ratios are calculated to assess the spatial distributions of both terrestrial and marine organic matter in the ECS surface sediments, and these results are compared with organic matter distribution patterns revealed by the δ13C (-20.1‰ to -22.7‰) and C/N ratio (5-7.5) of total organic matter. The contents of terrestrial biomarkers in the ECS surface sediments decrease seaward, controlled mostly by Changjiang River (CR) inputs and surface currents; while higher contents of the two marine biomarkers (brassicasterol and dinosterol) occur in upwelling areas outside the CRE and in the Zhejiang-Fujian coastal zone, controlled mostly by marine productivity. Four proxies, fTerr( δ13C) (the fraction of terrestrial organic matter in TOC estimated by TOC δ13C), odd-alkanes (∑C 27+C 29+C 31n-alkanes), 1/ Pmar-aq ((C 23+C 25+C 29+C 31)/(C 23+C 25) n-alkanes) and TMBR (terrestrial and marine biomarker ratio) (C 27+C 29+C 31n-alkanes)/((C 27+C 29+C 31) n-alkanes+(brassicasterol+dinosterol+alkenones)), reveal a consistent pattern showing the relative contribution of terrestrial organic matter (TOM) is higher in the CRE and along the Zhejiang-Fujian coastline, controlled mostly by CR inputs and currents, but the TOM contribution decreases seaward, as the influences of the CR discharge decrease.

Mass Profile Decomposition of the Frontier Fields Cluster MACS J0416-2403: Insights on the Dark-matter Inner Profile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Annunziatella, M.; Bonamigo, M.; Grillo, C.; Mercurio, A.; Rosati, P.; Caminha, G.; Biviano, A.; Girardi, M.; Gobat, R.; Lombardi, M.; Munari, E.

2017-12-01

We present a high-resolution dissection of the two-dimensional total mass distribution in the core of the Hubble Frontier Fields galaxy cluster MACS J0416.1‑2403, at z = 0.396. We exploit HST/WFC3 near-IR (F160W) imaging, VLT/Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer spectroscopy, and Chandra data to separate the stellar, hot gas, and dark-matter mass components in the inner 300 kpc of the cluster. We combine the recent results of our refined strong lensing analysis, which includes the contribution of the intracluster gas, with the modeling of the surface brightness and stellar mass distributions of 193 cluster members, of which 144 are spectroscopically confirmed. We find that, moving from 10 to 300 kpc from the cluster center, the stellar to total mass fraction decreases from 12% to 1% and the hot gas to total mass fraction increases from 3% to 9%, resulting in a baryon fraction of approximatively 10% at the outermost radius. We measure that the stellar component represents ∼30%, near the cluster center, and 15%, at larger clustercentric distances, of the total mass in the cluster substructures. We subtract the baryonic mass component from the total mass distribution and conclude that within 30 kpc (∼3 times the effective radius of the brightest cluster galaxy) from the cluster center the surface mass density profile of the total mass and global (cluster plus substructures) dark-matter are steeper and that of the diffuse (cluster) dark-matter is shallower than an NFW profile. Our current analysis does not point to a significant offset between the cluster stellar and dark-matter components. This detailed and robust reconstruction of the inner dark-matter distribution in a larger sample of galaxy clusters will set a new benchmark for different structure formation scenarios.

[Effects of Different Land Uses on Soil Active Organic Carbon and Nitrogen Fractions in Jinyun Mountain].

PubMed

Qi, Xin; Jiang, Chang-sheng; Hao, Qing-ju; Li, Jian-lin

2015-10-01

In this paper, we take Jinyun Mountain where located in Beibei district of Chongqing as the research object and explore the effect of different ways of land use on soil active organic carbon, nitrogen components by collecting the soil samples from 0 to 60 cm depth in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest (hereinafter referred to as the forest), abandoned land, orchard, farmland and measuring the content of MBC, MBN, DOC and DON. The research results show that the contents of soil MBC, MBN, DOC, DON are reduced with the increase of soil depth in four types of land using soils. Variance analysis of the single factor shows that four kinds of land uses have no significant difference in the contents of MBC, MBN and DON, but the DOC content of the abandoned land is significantly higher than that of other three kinds. It shows that the different ways of land use have no obvious effects on soil MBC, MBN and DON but the abandonment of slope cropland can significantly increase the content of soil DOC. There is no significant difference among the distribution ratio of MBN, DOC, DON in forest, abandoned land, orchard and farmland within the soil from 0 to 60 cm, but the distribution ratio of slope MBC is significantly higher than that of other three kinds. It means farmland soil organic carbon has a higher biological activity, this could due to the application of green manure, farmland manure and other organic fertilizers. Under different land utilizations, DOC/DON is the highest, MBC/MBN is the second, and SOC/TN is the lowest. It means the biological solidification of dissolved organic matter is the strongest, and the mineralization of soil organic matter is the most obvious. Under the four kinds of land uses, there are the lowest ratios in SOC/TN, MBC/MBN and DOC/DON in the farmland. And all the ratios are less than 20, which suggest that the mineralization of farmland soil organic matter is stronger and it's easy to cause the loss of soil carbon.

Influence of iron redox cycling on organo-mineral associations in Arctic tundra soil

DOE PAGES

Herndon, Elizabeth; Oak Ridge National Lab.; AlBashaireh, Amineh; ...

2017-03-25

Arctic tundra stores large quantities of soil organic matter under varying redox conditions. As the climate warms, these carbon reservoirs are susceptible to increased rates of decomposition and release to the atmosphere as the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO 2) and methane (CH 4). Geochemical interactions between soil organic matter and minerals influence decomposition in many environments but remain poorly understood in Arctic tundra systems and are not considered in decomposition models. The accumulation of iron (Fe) oxyhydroxides and organo- iron precipitates at redox interfaces may be particularly important for carbon cycling given that ferric iron [Fe(III)] species can enhancemore » decomposition by serving as terminal electron acceptors in anoxic soils or inhibit microbial decomposition by binding organic molecules. Here in this paper, we examine chemical properties of solid-phase Fe and organic matter in organic and mineral horizons within the seasonally thawed active layer of Arctic tundra on the North Slope of Alaska. Spectroscopic techniques, including micro-X-ray fluorescence ( XRF) mapping, micro-X-ray absorption near-edge structure ( XANES) spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), were coupled with chemical sequential extractions and physical density fractionations to evaluate the spatial distribution and speciation of Fe-bearing phases and associated organic matter in soils. Organic horizons were enriched in poorly crystalline and crystalline iron oxides, and approximately 60% of total Fe stored in organic horizons was calculated to derive from upward translocation from anoxic mineral horizons. Ferrihydrite and goethite were present as coatings on mineral grains and plant debris, and in aggregates with clays and particulate organic matter. Minor amounts of ferrous iron [Fe(II)] were present in iron sulfides (i.e., pyrite and greigite) in mineral horizon soils and iron phosphates (vivianite) in organic horizons. Concentrations of organic carbon in the organic horizons (28 ± 5% wt. % C) were approximately twice the concentrations in the mineral horizons (14 ± 2 % wt. C), and organic matter was dominated by base-extractable and insoluble organics enriched in aromatic and aliphatic moieties. Conversely, water-soluble organic molecules and organics solubilized through acid-dissolution of iron oxides comprised < 2% of soil organic C and were consistent with a mixture of alcohols, sugars, and small molecular weight organic acids and aromatics released through decomposition of larger molecules. Integrated over the entire depth of the active layer, soils contained 11± 4 kg m -2 low- density, particulate organic C and 19 ± 6 kg m -2 high-density, mineral-associated organic C, indicating that 63 ±19% of organic C in the active layer was associated with the mineral fraction. We conclude that organic horizons were enriched in poorly crystalline and crystalline iron oxide phases derived from upward translocation of dissolved Fe(II) and Fe(III) from mineral horizons. Precipitation of iron oxides at the redox interface has the potential to contribute to mineral protection of organic matter and increase the residence time of organic carbon in arctic soils. Our results suggest that iron oxides may inhibit organic carbon degradation by binding low-molecular-weight organic compounds, stabilizing soil aggregates, and forming thick coatings around particulate organic matter. Organic matter released through acid-dissolution of iron oxides could represent a small pool of readily-degradable organic molecules temporarily stabilized by sorption to iron oxyhydroxide surfaces. The distribution of iron in organic complexes and inorganic phases throughout the soil column constrains Fe(III) availability to anaerobic iron-reducing microorganisms that oxidize organic matter to produce CO 2 and CH 4 in these anoxic environments. Future predictions of carbon storage and respiration in the arctic tundra should consider such influences of mineral stabilization under changing redox conditions.« less

Influence of iron redox cycling on organo-mineral associations in Arctic tundra soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herndon, Elizabeth; AlBashaireh, Amineh; Singer, David; Roy Chowdhury, Taniya; Gu, Baohua; Graham, David

2017-06-01

Arctic tundra stores large quantities of soil organic matter under varying redox conditions. As the climate warms, these carbon reservoirs are susceptible to increased rates of decomposition and release to the atmosphere as the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). Geochemical interactions between soil organic matter and minerals influence decomposition in many environments but remain poorly understood in Arctic tundra systems and are not considered in decomposition models. The accumulation of iron (Fe) oxyhydroxides and organo-iron precipitates at redox interfaces may be particularly important for carbon cycling given that ferric iron [Fe(III)] species can enhance decomposition by serving as terminal electron acceptors in anoxic soils or inhibit microbial decomposition by binding organic molecules. Here, we examine chemical properties of solid-phase Fe and organic matter in organic and mineral horizons within the seasonally thawed active layer of Arctic tundra on the North Slope of Alaska. Spectroscopic techniques, including micro-X-ray fluorescence (μXRF) mapping, micro-X-ray absorption near-edge structure (μXANES) spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), were coupled with chemical sequential extractions and physical density fractionations to evaluate the spatial distribution and speciation of Fe-bearing phases and associated organic matter in soils. Organic horizons were enriched in poorly crystalline and crystalline iron oxides, and approximately 60% of total Fe stored in organic horizons was calculated to derive from upward translocation from anoxic mineral horizons. Ferrihydrite and goethite were present as coatings on mineral grains and plant debris, and in aggregates with clays and particulate organic matter. Minor amounts of ferrous iron [Fe(II)] were present in iron sulfides (i.e., pyrite and greigite) in mineral horizon soils and iron phosphates (vivianite) in organic horizons. Concentrations of organic carbon in the organic horizons (28 ± 5 wt.% C) were approximately twice the concentrations in the mineral horizons (14 ± 2 wt.% C), and organic matter was dominated by base-extractable and insoluble organics enriched in aromatic and aliphatic moieties. Conversely, water-soluble organic molecules and organics solubilized through acid-dissolution of iron oxides comprised <2% of soil organic C and were consistent with a mixture of alcohols, sugars, and small molecular weight organic acids and aromatics released through decomposition of larger molecules. Integrated over the entire depth of the active layer, soils contained 11 ± 4 kg m-2 low-density, particulate organic C and 19 ± 6 kg m-2 high-density, mineral-associated organic C, indicating that 63 ± 19% of organic C in the active layer was associated with the mineral fraction. We conclude that organic horizons were enriched in poorly crystalline and crystalline iron oxide phases derived from upward translocation of dissolved Fe(II) and Fe(III) from mineral horizons. Precipitation of iron oxides at the redox interface has the potential to contribute to mineral protection of organic matter and increase the residence time of organic carbon in arctic soils. Our results suggest that iron oxides may inhibit organic carbon degradation by binding low-molecular-weight organic compounds, stabilizing soil aggregates, and forming thick coatings around particulate organic matter. Organic matter released through acid-dissolution of iron oxides could represent a small pool of readily-degradable organic molecules temporarily stabilized by sorption to iron oxyhydroxide surfaces. The distribution of iron in organic complexes and inorganic phases throughout the soil column constrains Fe(III) availability to anaerobic iron-reducing microorganisms that oxidize organic matter to produce CO2 and CH4 in these anoxic environments. Future predictions of carbon storage and respiration in the arctic tundra should consider such influences of mineral stabilization under changing redox conditions.

Influence of iron redox cycling on organo-mineral associations in Arctic tundra soil

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

Herndon, Elizabeth; Oak Ridge National Lab.; AlBashaireh, Amineh

Arctic tundra stores large quantities of soil organic matter under varying redox conditions. As the climate warms, these carbon reservoirs are susceptible to increased rates of decomposition and release to the atmosphere as the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO 2) and methane (CH 4). Geochemical interactions between soil organic matter and minerals influence decomposition in many environments but remain poorly understood in Arctic tundra systems and are not considered in decomposition models. The accumulation of iron (Fe) oxyhydroxides and organo- iron precipitates at redox interfaces may be particularly important for carbon cycling given that ferric iron [Fe(III)] species can enhancemore » decomposition by serving as terminal electron acceptors in anoxic soils or inhibit microbial decomposition by binding organic molecules. Here in this paper, we examine chemical properties of solid-phase Fe and organic matter in organic and mineral horizons within the seasonally thawed active layer of Arctic tundra on the North Slope of Alaska. Spectroscopic techniques, including micro-X-ray fluorescence ( XRF) mapping, micro-X-ray absorption near-edge structure ( XANES) spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), were coupled with chemical sequential extractions and physical density fractionations to evaluate the spatial distribution and speciation of Fe-bearing phases and associated organic matter in soils. Organic horizons were enriched in poorly crystalline and crystalline iron oxides, and approximately 60% of total Fe stored in organic horizons was calculated to derive from upward translocation from anoxic mineral horizons. Ferrihydrite and goethite were present as coatings on mineral grains and plant debris, and in aggregates with clays and particulate organic matter. Minor amounts of ferrous iron [Fe(II)] were present in iron sulfides (i.e., pyrite and greigite) in mineral horizon soils and iron phosphates (vivianite) in organic horizons. Concentrations of organic carbon in the organic horizons (28 ± 5% wt. % C) were approximately twice the concentrations in the mineral horizons (14 ± 2 % wt. C), and organic matter was dominated by base-extractable and insoluble organics enriched in aromatic and aliphatic moieties. Conversely, water-soluble organic molecules and organics solubilized through acid-dissolution of iron oxides comprised < 2% of soil organic C and were consistent with a mixture of alcohols, sugars, and small molecular weight organic acids and aromatics released through decomposition of larger molecules. Integrated over the entire depth of the active layer, soils contained 11± 4 kg m -2 low- density, particulate organic C and 19 ± 6 kg m -2 high-density, mineral-associated organic C, indicating that 63 ±19% of organic C in the active layer was associated with the mineral fraction. We conclude that organic horizons were enriched in poorly crystalline and crystalline iron oxide phases derived from upward translocation of dissolved Fe(II) and Fe(III) from mineral horizons. Precipitation of iron oxides at the redox interface has the potential to contribute to mineral protection of organic matter and increase the residence time of organic carbon in arctic soils. Our results suggest that iron oxides may inhibit organic carbon degradation by binding low-molecular-weight organic compounds, stabilizing soil aggregates, and forming thick coatings around particulate organic matter. Organic matter released through acid-dissolution of iron oxides could represent a small pool of readily-degradable organic molecules temporarily stabilized by sorption to iron oxyhydroxide surfaces. The distribution of iron in organic complexes and inorganic phases throughout the soil column constrains Fe(III) availability to anaerobic iron-reducing microorganisms that oxidize organic matter to produce CO 2 and CH 4 in these anoxic environments. Future predictions of carbon storage and respiration in the arctic tundra should consider such influences of mineral stabilization under changing redox conditions.« less

The Baryonic Tully Fisher Relation for the ALFALFA 100 Sample

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finney, Elizabeth E.; Haynes, Martha P.; APPSS Team

2018-01-01

The APPSS (Arecibo Pisces-Perseus Supercluster Survey) team aims to quantify the over-densities of matter in the Pisces-Perseus Supercluster (PPS) filament by exploring the Baryonic Tully Fisher Relation (BTFR) of the ALFALFA (Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA) 100 survey – (α.100) and, in the future, using targeted observations of low mass star-forming galaxies. Galaxies in the PPS filament region and its foreground and background voids are influenced by the gravitational pull of the large concentration of matter, and are expected to show velocities that deviate significantly from the smooth Hubble expansion. By deriving the peculiar motions of galaxies in the ALFALFA 100 survey as measured by the BTFR, we will further our understanding of the amount and distribution of the underlying dark matter in the supercluster. In this project, we make a first attempt to investigate the BTFR of the α.100 sample, and discuss our findings. This sample was corrected for inclination, extinction, and other sources of scatter, and a least squares linear regression fit was applied to determine the slope of the BTFR. We compare the slope of the α.100 sample to various literature values, and find that the slope is shallower due to slower-rotating, low-mass galaxies. Investigation of this shallow slope is needed in future work, as well as a modification of the intrinsic axial ratio assumed for this sample of galaxies. EF participated in the summer 2017 REU program in the Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science at Cornell University under NSF award AST-1659264.

Connections between student explanations and arguments from evidence about plant growth.

PubMed

Dauer, Jenny M; Doherty, Jennifer H; Freed, Allison L; Anderson, Charles W

2014-01-01

We investigate how students connect explanations and arguments from evidence about plant growth and metabolism-two key practices described by the Next Generation Science Standards. This study reports analyses of interviews with 22 middle and high school students postinstruction, focusing on how their sense-making strategies led them to interpret-or misinterpret-scientific explanations and arguments from evidence. The principles of conservation of matter and energy can provide a framework for making sense of phenomena, but our results show that some students reasoned about plant growth as an action enabled by water, air, sunlight, and soil rather than a process of matter and energy transformation. These students reinterpreted the hypotheses and results of standard investigations of plant growth, such as van Helmont's experiment, to match their own understanding of how plants grow. Only the more advanced students consistently interpreted mass changes in plants or soil as evidence of movement of matter. We also observed that a higher degree of scaffolding during some of the interview questions allowed mid-level students to improve their responses. We describe our progress and challenges developing teaching materials with scaffolding to improve students' understanding of plant growth and metabolism. © 2014 J. M. Dauer et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2014 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Cosmological explosions from cold dark matter perturbations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scherrer, Robert J.

1992-01-01

The cosmological-explosion model is examined for a universe dominated by cold dark matter in which explosion seeds are produced from the growth of initial density perturbations of a given form. Fragmentation of the exploding shells is dominated by the dark-matter potential wells rather than the self-gravity of the shells, and particular conditions are required for the explosions to bootstrap up to very large scales. The final distribution of dark matter is strongly correlated with the baryons on small scales, but uncorrelated on large scales.

Constraints on the composite photon theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Low, Lerh Feng

2016-10-01

In a 2015 paper [W. A. Perkins, Mod. Phys. Lett. A 30, 1550157 (2015)], Perkins argued that based on the composite photon theory (CPT), antiphotons should not interact with ordinary matter. This implies that antiphotons are undetectable by detectors made of ordinary matter, and hence that antimatter galaxies are a possible candidate for dark matter. The purpose of this short letter is to argue that this conclusion is highly unlikely, because of cosmological constraints on the density of radiation, the distribution of dark matter and C-symmetry.

The Sun as a sub-GeV dark matter accelerator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emken, Timon; Kouvaris, Chris; Nielsen, Niklas Grønlund

2018-03-01

Sub-GeV halo dark matter that enters the Sun can potentially scatter off hot solar nuclei and be ejected much faster than its incoming velocity. We derive an expression for the rate and velocity distribution of these reflected particles, taking into account the Sun's temperature and opacity. We further demonstrate that future direct-detection experiments could use these energetic reflected particles to probe light dark matter in parameter space that cannot be accessed via ordinary halo dark matter.

Reduction of the Oort limit and the dark matter contribution to it

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boulares, A.

1989-01-01

The contribution of all nondark matter to gravitational acceleration 300-500 kpc off the galactic plane is shown to be increased by more than 20 percent when actual observations of the gas distribution are included in the calculations. The requirements for a dark-matter component are thus reduced by about 40 percent with no change in the estimated midplane density of the observed matter. The present theory involved a reduction of the Oort limit itself by about 20 percent.

Non-invasive localization of organic matter in soil aggregates using SR-μCT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peth, Stephan; Mordhorst, Anneka; Chenu, Claire; Uteau Puschmann, Daniel; Garnier, Patricia; Nunan, Naoise; Pot, Valerie; Beckmann, Felix; Ogurreck, Malte

2014-05-01

Knowledge of the location of soil organic matter (SOM) and its spatial association to soil structure is an important step in improving modeling approaches for simulating organic matter turnover processes. Advanced models for carbon mineralization are able to account for the 3D distribution of SOM which is assumed to influence mineralisation. However, their application is still limited by the fact that no method exists to non-invasively determine the 3D spatial distribution of SOM in structured soils. SR-based X-ray microtomography (SR-µCT) is an advanced and promising tool in gaining knowledge on the 3-dimensional organization of soil phases (minerals, organic matter, water, air) which on a voxel level could be implemented into spatially explicit models. However, since the contrast of linear attenuation coefficients of soil organic matter on the one hand and mineral components and water on the other hand are relatively low, especially when materials are finely dispersed, organic matter within the soil pore space is often not resolved in ordinary X-ray absorption contrast imaging. To circumvent this problem we have developed a staining procedure for organic matter using Osmium-tetroxide since Osmium is an element with an absorption edge at a higher X-ray energy level. Osmium is known from transmission electron microscopy analysis (TEM) to stain organic matter specifically and irreversibly while having an absorption edge at approximately 74 keV. We report on the application of a novel Osmium vapor staining method to analyze differences in organic matter content and identify small scale spatial distribution of SOM in soil aggregates. To achieve this we have taken soil aggregate samples (6-8 mm across) obtained from arable soils differing in soil management. Aggregate samples were investigated by synchrotron-based X-ray microtomography (SR-µCT) after staining the sample with Osmium-tetroxide (OsO4) vapor. We utilized the monochromatic X-ray beam to locate osmium bound to SOM in the stained soil aggregate samples by scanning the aggregates at different photon energies: 30 keV at which the attenuation contrast is optimal for distinguishing other soil constituents, 70 keV (below the absorption of osmium) and 78 keV (above the absorption edge of osmium). The results suggest that particulate organic matter, which was not visibly by scanning samples at energy levels optimal for resolving soil structure (30 keV), was identified after osmium staining and scanning the samples at energy levels just below (70 keV) and above (78 keV) the absorption edge of Osmium. Subtracting the images below from the images above the osmium edged we were able to isolate stained particulate organic matter which otherwise would have been wrongly interpreted as pore space without staining. Combining both pore space and organic matter distribution we are able to investigate the association of SOM with soil structure.

Temporal variation of aqueous-extractable Ca, Mg and K in acidified forest mountainous soils under different vegetation cover

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tejnecky, V.; Bradová, M.; Boruvka, L.; Vasat, R.; Nemecek, K.; Ash, C.; Sebek, O.; Rejzek, J.; Drabek, O.

2012-12-01

Acidification of forest soils is a natural degradation process which can be significantly enhanced by anthropogenic activities. Inputs of basic cations (BC - Ca, Mg and K) via precipitation, litter and soil organic matter decomposition and also via inter-soil weathering may partially mitigate the consequences of this degradation process. The aim of this study is to assess the temporal variation of aqueous-extractable Ca, Mg and K in acidified forest mountainous soils under different vegetation cover. The Jizera Mountains region (Czech Republic, northern Bohemia) was chosen as a representative soil mountainous ecosystem strongly affected by acidification. Soil and precipitation samples were collected at monthly basis from April till October/ November during the years 2009-2011. Study spots were delimited under two contrasting vegetation covers - beech and spruce monoculture. Prevailing soil types were classified as Alumic Cambisols under beech and Entic Podzols under spruce stands (according to FAO classification). Soil samples were collected from surface fermentation (F) and humified (H) organic horizons and subsurface B horizons (cambic or spodic). The collected soil samples were analyzed immediately under laboratory condition in a "fresh" state. Unsieved fresh samples were extracted by deionised water. The content of main elements (Ca, Mg, K, Al and Fe) was determined by ICP-OES. The content of major anions (SO42-, NO3-, Cl- and F-) was determined by ion-exchange chromatography (IC). Content of major anions and main elements were determined in the precipitation samples (throughfall, stemflow and bulk) as well. Besides computing the basic statistical parameters (mean, median, variance, maximum, minimum, etc.) we also employed other statistical methods such as T-test and ANOVA to assess the differences between beech and spruce vegetation spots. To carry out the temporal variability in the data we used the time series analysis and short-term forecasting by Holt-Winters exponential smoothing and ARIMA models. Our results clearly exhibit differences in the horizontal and spatial distribution of BC. The influences of the study spot, i.e. the influence of stand factors e.g. vegetation covers on BC distribution are well pronounced. The highest amounts of aqueous extractable BC were identified in the F and H organic horizons. The contents of Ca and Mg were significantly higher under beech cover than under spruce cover. The influence of seasonality on BC content and distribution was the strongest in the upper organic horizons. The annual changes are less pronounced in inner mineral B horizons. We have observed a significant influence of the snow melting period - after this event the content of BC was the lowest. In contrast, the BC content rises during the summer period - the time of high biological activity and accelerated organic matter decomposition. This period is again followed by a BC content decrease during the fall period - the time of gradually decreasing biological activity and high precipitation. Generally, we can conclude that the seasonal variations are higher than annual and spatial for both sites.

[Characteristics of dry matter production and nitrogen accumulation in barley genotypes with high nitrogen utilization efficiency].

PubMed

Huang, Yi; Li, Ting-Xuan; Zhang, Xi-Zhou; Ji, Lin

2014-07-01

A pot experiment was conducted under low (125 mg x kg-1) and normal (250 mg x kg(-1)) nitrogen treatments. The nitrogen uptake and utilization efficiency of 22 barley cultivars were investigated, and the characteristics of dry matter production and nitrogen accumulation in barley were analyzed. The results showed that nitrogen uptake and utilization efficiency were different for barley under two nitrogen levels. The maximal values of grain yield, nitrogen utilization efficiency for grain and nitrogen harvest index were 2.87, 2.91 and 2.47 times as those of the lowest under the low nitrogen treatment. Grain yield and nitrogen utilization efficiency for grain and nitrogen harvest index of barley genotype with high nitrogen utilization efficiency were significantly greater than low nitrogen utilization efficiency, and the parameters of high nitrogen utilization efficiency genotype were 82.1%, 61.5% and 50.5% higher than low nitrogen utilization efficiency genotype under the low nitrogen treatment. Dry matter mass and nitrogen utilization of high nitrogen utilization efficiency was significantly higher than those of low nitrogen utilization efficiency. A peak of dry matter mass of high nitrogen utilization efficiency occurred during jointing to heading stage, while that of nitrogen accumulation appeared before jointing. Under the low nitrogen treatment, dry matter mass of DH61 and DH121+ was 34.4% and 38.3%, and nitrogen accumulation was 54. 8% and 58.0% higher than DH80, respectively. Dry matter mass and nitrogen accumulation seriously affected yield before jointing stage, and the contribution rates were 47.9% and 54.7% respectively under the low nitrogen treatment. The effect of dry matter and nitrogen accumulation on nitrogen utilization efficiency for grain was the largest during heading to mature stages, followed by sowing to jointing stages, with the contribution rate being 29.5% and 48.7%, 29.0% and 15.8%, respectively. In conclusion, barley genotype with high nitrogen utilization efficiency had a strong ability of dry matter production and nitrogen accumulation. It could synergistically improve yield and nitrogen utilization efficiency by enhancing the ability of nitrogen uptake and dry matter formation before jointing stage in barley.

The diverse density profiles of galaxy clusters with self-interacting dark matter plus baryons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robertson, Andrew; Massey, Richard; Eke, Vincent; Tulin, Sean; Yu, Hai-Bo; Bahé, Yannick; Barnes, David J.; Bower, Richard G.; Crain, Robert A.; Dalla Vecchia, Claudio; Kay, Scott T.; Schaller, Matthieu; Schaye, Joop

2018-05-01

We present the first simulated galaxy clusters (M200 > 1014 M⊙) with both self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) and baryonic physics. They exhibit a greater diversity in both dark matter and stellar density profiles than their counterparts in simulations with collisionless dark matter (CDM), which is generated by the complex interplay between dark matter self-interactions and baryonic physics. Despite variations in formation history, we demonstrate that analytical Jeans modelling predicts the SIDM density profiles remarkably well, and the diverse properties of the haloes can be understood in terms of their different final baryon distributions.

Non-autonomous matter-wave solitons in hybrid atomic-molecular Bose-Einstein condensates with tunable interactions and harmonic potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Deng-Shan; Liu, Jiang; Wang, Lizhen

2018-03-01

In this paper, we investigate matter-wave solitons in hybrid atomic-molecular Bose-Einstein condensates with tunable interactions and external potentials. Three types of time-modulated harmonic potentials are considered and, for each of them, two groups of exact non-autonomous matter-wave soliton solutions of the coupled Gross-Pitaevskii equation are presented. Novel nonlinear structures of these non-autonomous matter-wave solitons are analyzed by displaying their density distributions. It is shown that the time-modulated nonlinearities and external potentials can support exact non-autonomous atomic-molecular matter-wave solitons.

Pb-binding to various dissolved organic matter in urban aquatic systems: Key role of the most hydrophilic fraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pernet-Coudrier, Benoît; Companys, Encarnació; Galceran, Josep; Morey, Margalida; Mouchel, Jean-Marie; Puy, Jaume; Ruiz, Núria; Varrault, Gilles

2011-07-01

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) from the treated effluent of a wastewater treatment plant and from the river Seine under high human pressure has been separated into three fractions: hydrophobic (containing humic and fulvic substances), transphilic and hydrophilic using a two column array of XAD-8 and XAD-4 resins. The acid base properties and the binding characteristics with respect to Pb ions (using the new electroanalytical technique AGNES, Absence of Gradients and Nernstian Equilibrium Stripping) have been studied and fitted to NICA (Non-Ideal Competitive Isotherm). We evaluated the binding potential of each DOM fraction in order to better predict the speciation of Pb and, later, its bioavailability in the river. The total binding capacity of the different fractions to Pb, as well as the total titratable charge, reaches its maximum value at the most hydrophilic fraction from the treated effluent. Specific properties of the distribution of the complexing sites within each DOM fraction have been exposed by plotting the conditional affinity spectrum (CAS). The addition of these distributions, weighted according to the respective abundance of each organic fraction, allows for a full description of the Pb binding properties of the whole DOM of a sampling site. Despite its weak aromaticity, the hydrophilic fraction from the wastewater treatment plant effluent exhibits a high lead binding affinity, so that at typical environmental pH and free Pb levels (0.1 μg L -1), Pb is mainly bound to the most hydrophilic fraction of the treated effluent (49% of bound Pb at pH 7). This feature may greatly enhance the transport of Pb and highlights that Pb speciation should also consider other fractions apart from humic and/or fulvic acids when studying surface waters under high human pressure.

Influence of an urban canopy model and PBL schemes on vertical mixing for air quality modeling over Greater Paris

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Youngseob; Sartelet, Karine; Raut, Jean-Christophe; Chazette, Patrick

2015-04-01

Impacts of meteorological modeling in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) and urban canopy model (UCM) on the vertical mixing of pollutants are studied. Concentrations of gaseous chemical species, including ozone (O3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and particulate matter over Paris and the near suburbs are simulated using the 3-dimensional chemistry-transport model Polair3D of the Polyphemus platform. Simulated concentrations of O3, NO2 and PM10/PM2.5 (particulate matter of aerodynamic diameter lower than 10 μm/2.5 μm, respectively) are first evaluated using ground measurements. Higher surface concentrations are obtained for PM10, PM2.5 and NO2 with the MYNN PBL scheme than the YSU PBL scheme because of lower PBL heights in the MYNN scheme. Differences between simulations using different PBL schemes are lower than differences between simulations with and without the UCM and the Corine land-use over urban areas. Regarding the root mean square error, the simulations using the UCM and the Corine land-use tend to perform better than the simulations without it. At urban stations, the PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations are over-estimated and the over-estimation is reduced using the UCM and the Corine land-use. The ability of the model to reproduce vertical mixing is evaluated using NO2 measurement data at the upper air observation station of the Eiffel Tower, and measurement data at a ground station near the Eiffel Tower. Although NO2 is under-estimated in all simulations, vertical mixing is greatly improved when using the UCM and the Corine land-use. Comparisons of the modeled PM10 vertical distributions to distributions deduced from surface and mobile lidar measurements are performed. The use of the UCM and the Corine land-use is crucial to accurately model PM10 concentrations during nighttime in the center of Paris. In the nocturnal stable boundary layer, PM10 is relatively well modeled, although it is over-estimated on 24 May and under-estimated on 25 May. However, PM10 is under-estimated on both days in the residual layer, and over-estimated on both days over the residual layer. The under-estimations in the residual layer are partly due to difficulties to estimate the PBL height, to an over-estimation of vertical mixing during nighttime at high altitudes and to uncertainties in PM10 emissions. The PBL schemes and the UCM influence the PM vertical distributions not only because they influence vertical mixing (PBL height and eddy-diffusion coefficient), but also horizontal wind fields and humidity. However, for the UCM, it is the influence on vertical mixing that impacts the most the PM10 vertical distribution below 1.5 km.

Association of Soil Aggregation with the Distribution and Quality of Organic Carbon in Soil along an Elevation Gradient on Wuyi Mountain in China.

PubMed

Li, Liguang; Vogel, Jason; He, Zhenli; Zou, Xiaoming; Ruan, Honghua; Huang, Wei; Wang, Jiashe; Bianchi, Thomas S

2016-01-01

Forest soils play a critical role in the sequestration of atmospheric CO2 and subsequent attenuation of global warming. The nature and properties of organic matter in soils have an influence on the sequestration of carbon. In this study, soils were collected from representative forestlands, including a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest (EBF), a coniferous forest (CF), a subalpine dwarf forest (DF), and alpine meadow (AM) along an elevation gradient on Wuyi Mountain, which is located in a subtropical area of southeastern China. These soil samples were analyzed in the laboratory to examine the distribution and speciation of organic carbon (OC) within different size fractions of water-stable soil aggregates, and subsequently to determine effects on carbon sequestration. Soil aggregation rate increased with increasing elevation. Soil aggregation rate, rather than soil temperature, moisture or clay content, showed the strongest correlation with OC in bulk soil, indicating soil structure was the critical factor in carbon sequestration of Wuyi Mountain. The content of coarse particulate organic matter fraction, rather than the silt and clay particles, represented OC stock in bulk soil and different soil aggregate fractions. With increasing soil aggregation rate, more carbon was accumulated within the macroaggregates, particularly within the coarse particulate organic matter fraction (250-2000 μm), rather than within the microaggregates (53-250μm) or silt and clay particles (< 53μm). In consideration of the high instability of macroaggregates and the liability of SOC within them, further research is needed to verify whether highly-aggregated soils at higher altitudes are more likely to lose SOC under warmer conditions.

Association of Soil Aggregation with the Distribution and Quality of Organic Carbon in Soil along an Elevation Gradient on Wuyi Mountain in China

PubMed Central

Li, Liguang; Vogel, Jason; He, Zhenli; Zou, Xiaoming; Ruan, Honghua; Huang, Wei; Wang, Jiashe; Bianchi, Thomas S.

2016-01-01

Forest soils play a critical role in the sequestration of atmospheric CO2 and subsequent attenuation of global warming. The nature and properties of organic matter in soils have an influence on the sequestration of carbon. In this study, soils were collected from representative forestlands, including a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest (EBF), a coniferous forest (CF), a subalpine dwarf forest (DF), and alpine meadow (AM) along an elevation gradient on Wuyi Mountain, which is located in a subtropical area of southeastern China. These soil samples were analyzed in the laboratory to examine the distribution and speciation of organic carbon (OC) within different size fractions of water-stable soil aggregates, and subsequently to determine effects on carbon sequestration. Soil aggregation rate increased with increasing elevation. Soil aggregation rate, rather than soil temperature, moisture or clay content, showed the strongest correlation with OC in bulk soil, indicating soil structure was the critical factor in carbon sequestration of Wuyi Mountain. The content of coarse particulate organic matter fraction, rather than the silt and clay particles, represented OC stock in bulk soil and different soil aggregate fractions. With increasing soil aggregation rate, more carbon was accumulated within the macroaggregates, particularly within the coarse particulate organic matter fraction (250–2000 μm), rather than within the microaggregates (53–250μm) or silt and clay particles (< 53μm). In consideration of the high instability of macroaggregates and the liability of SOC within them, further research is needed to verify whether highly-aggregated soils at higher altitudes are more likely to lose SOC under warmer conditions. PMID:26964101

Conformally symmetric traversable wormholes

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

Boehmer, Christian G.; Harko, Tiberiu; Lobo, Francisco S. N.

2007-10-15

Exact solutions of traversable wormholes are found under the assumption of spherical symmetry and the existence of a nonstatic conformal symmetry, which presents a more systematic approach in searching for exact wormhole solutions. In this work, a wide variety of solutions are deduced by considering choices for the form function, a specific linear equation of state relating the energy density and the pressure anisotropy, and various phantom wormhole geometries are explored. A large class of solutions impose that the spatial distribution of the exotic matter is restricted to the throat neighborhood, with a cutoff of the stress-energy tensor at amore » finite junction interface, although asymptotically flat exact solutions are also found. Using the 'volume integral quantifier', it is found that the conformally symmetric phantom wormhole geometries may, in principle, be constructed by infinitesimally small amounts of averaged null energy condition violating matter. Considering the tidal acceleration traversability conditions for the phantom wormhole geometry, specific wormhole dimensions and the traversal velocity are also deduced.« less

Characterization and evolution of the sediments of a Mediterranean coastal lagoon located next to a former mining area.

PubMed

García, Gregorio; Muñoz-Vera, Ana

2015-11-15

Coastal lagoons are ecosystems that are relatively enclosed water bodies under the influence of both the terrestrial and the marine environment, being vulnerable to human impacts. Human activities, such as mining extraction, are significant anthropogenic coastal stressors that can negatively affect ecosystems and communities. In light of the above, the objective of this research is to examine the influence of metal mining activities on the composition of sediments of a Mediterranean coastal lagoon, named Mar Menor. This paper presents a comprehensive characterization for grain size, mineralogy, geochemistry and organic matter of sediments of this coastal lagoon, investigating their variation along space and time. Sedimentation dynamics are ruling clearly the grain size predominant in each area of the Mar Menor coastal lagoon, determining the existence of entrainment, transport and sedimentation areas. For minerals, elements and organic matter, sedimentation dynamics are also determining their distribution. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Coal Combustion Science quarterly progress report, April--June 1992. Task 1, Coal devolatilization: Task 2, Coal char combustion; Task 3, Fate of mineral matter

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

Hardesty, D.R.; Hurt, R.H.; Baxter, L.L.

1992-09-01

The objective of this work is to support the Office of Fossil Energy in executing research on coal combustion science. This project consists of basic research on coal combustion that supports both the Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center (PETC) Direct Utilization Advanced Research and Technology Development Program, and the International Energy Agency (IEA) Coal Combustion Science Project. Specific tasks include: The characterization of the physical and chemical processes that constitute the early devolatilization phase of coal combustion: Characterization of the combustion behavior of selected coals under conditions relevant to industria pulverized coal-fired furnaces; and to establish a quantitative understanding of themore » mechanisms and rates of transformation, fragmentation, and deposition of mineral matter in coal combustion environments as a function of coal type, particle size and temperature, the initial forms and distributions of mineral species in the unreacted coal, and the local gas temperature and composition.« less

Identified charged hadron production in pp and Pb-Pb collisions with ALICE at the LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasileiou, Maria

2016-11-01

Nuclear matter under extreme conditions can be investigated in ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions. The measurement of transverse momentum distributions and yields of identified particles is a fundamental step in understanding collective and thermal properties of the matter produced in such collisions. The ALICE Experiment results on identified charged hadron production are presented for pp collisions at √s = 0.9, 2.76 and 7 TeV and for Pb-Pb collisions at √sNN = 2.76 TeV. Spectral shapes, production yields and nuclear modification factors are shown and compared to previous experiments and Monte Carlo predictions. The spectral shapes in Pb-Pb collisions indicate a strong increase of the radial flow velocity with respect to RHIC energies, which in hydrodynamic models is expected as a consequence of the increasing particle density. The observed suppression of high transverse momentum particles in central Pb-Pb collisions provides evidence for strong parton energy loss in the hot and dense medium.

Projected alignment of non-sphericities of stellar, gas, and dark matter distributions in galaxy clusters: analysis of the Horizon-AGN simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okabe, Taizo; Nishimichi, Takahiro; Oguri, Masamune; Peirani, Sébastien; Kitayama, Tetsu; Sasaki, Shin; Suto, Yasushi

2018-04-01

While various observations measured ellipticities of galaxy clusters and alignments between orientations of the brightest cluster galaxies and their host clusters, there are only a handful of numerical simulations that implement realistic baryon physics to allow direct comparisons with those observations. Here we investigate ellipticities of galaxy clusters and alignments between various components of them and the central galaxies in the state-of-the-art cosmological hydrodynamical simulation Horizon-AGN, which contains dark matter, stellar, and gas components in a large simulation box of (100h-1 Mpc)3 with high spatial resolution (˜1 kpc). We estimate ellipticities of total matter, dark matter, stellar, gas surface mass density distributions, X-ray surface brightness, and the Compton y-parameter of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect, as well as alignments between these components and the central galaxies for 120 projected images of galaxy clusters with masses M200 > 5 × 1013M⊙. Our results indicate that the distributions of these components are well aligned with the major-axes of the central galaxies, with the root mean square value of differences of their position angles of ˜20°, which vary little from inner to the outer regions. We also estimate alignments of these various components with total matter distributions, and find tighter alignments than those for central galaxies with the root mean square value of ˜15°. We compare our results with previous observations of ellipticities and position angle alignments and find reasonable agreements. The comprehensive analysis presented in this paper provides useful prior information for analyzing stacked lensing signals as well as designing future observations to study ellipticities and alignments of galaxy clusters.

Projected alignment of non-sphericities of stellar, gas, and dark matter distributions in galaxy clusters: analysis of the Horizon-AGN simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okabe, Taizo; Nishimichi, Takahiro; Oguri, Masamune; Peirani, Sébastien; Kitayama, Tetsu; Sasaki, Shin; Suto, Yasushi

2018-07-01

While various observations measured ellipticities of galaxy clusters and alignments between orientations of the brightest cluster galaxies and their host clusters, there are only a handful of numerical simulations that implement realistic baryon physics to allow direct comparisons with those observations. Here, we investigate ellipticities of galaxy clusters and alignments between various components of them and the central galaxies in the state-of-the-art cosmological hydrodynamical simulation Horizon-AGN, which contains dark matter, stellar, and gas components in a large simulation box of (100h-1 Mpc)3 with high spatial resolution (˜1 kpc). We estimate ellipticities of total matter, dark matter, stellar, gas surface mass density distributions, X-ray surface brightness, and the Compton y-parameter of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect, as well as alignments between these components and the central galaxies for 120 projected images of galaxy clusters with masses M200 > 5 × 1013 M⊙. Our results indicate that the distributions of these components are well aligned with the major axes of the central galaxies, with the root-mean-square value of differences of their position angles of ˜20°, which vary little from inner to the outer regions. We also estimate alignments of these various components with total matter distributions, and find tighter alignments than those for central galaxies with the root-mean-square value of ˜15°. We compare our results with previous observations of ellipticities and position angle alignments and find reasonable agreements. The comprehensive analysis presented in this paper provides useful prior information for analysing stacked lensing signals as well as designing future observations to study ellipticities and alignments of galaxy clusters.

Using Voronoi Tessellations to identify groups in N-body Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez, R. E.; Theuns, T.

Dark matter N-body simulations often use a friends-of-friends (FOF) group finder to link together particles above a specified density threshold. An over density of 200 picks-out objects that can be identified with virialised dark matter haloes, based on the spherical collapse model for the formation of structure. When the halo contains significant substructure, as is the case in very high resolution simulations, then FOF will simply link all substructure to the parent halo. Many cosmological simulations now also include gas and stars, and these are often distributed differently from the dark matter. It is then not clear whether the structures identified by FOF are very physical. Here we use Voronoi tesselations to identify structures in hydrodynamical cosmological simulations, that contain dark matter, gas and stars. This adaptive technique allows accurate estimates of densities, and density gradients, for a non-structured distribution of points. We discuss how these estimates allow us to identify structures in the dark matter that can be identified with haloes, and in the stars, to identify galaxies.

Quantifying (dis)agreement between direct detection experiments in a halo-independent way

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

Feldstein, Brian; Kahlhoefer, Felix, E-mail: brian.feldstein@physics.ox.ac.uk, E-mail: felix.kahlhoefer@physics.ox.ac.uk

We propose an improved method to study recent and near-future dark matter direct detection experiments with small numbers of observed events. Our method determines in a quantitative and halo-independent way whether the experiments point towards a consistent dark matter signal and identifies the best-fit dark matter parameters. To achieve true halo independence, we apply a recently developed method based on finding the velocity distribution that best describes a given set of data. For a quantitative global analysis we construct a likelihood function suitable for small numbers of events, which allows us to determine the best-fit particle physics properties of darkmore » matter considering all experiments simultaneously. Based on this likelihood function we propose a new test statistic that quantifies how well the proposed model fits the data and how large the tension between different direct detection experiments is. We perform Monte Carlo simulations in order to determine the probability distribution function of this test statistic and to calculate the p-value for both the dark matter hypothesis and the background-only hypothesis.« less

Long term effects of fire on carbon and nitrogen pools and fluxes in the arctic permafrost and subarctic forests (ARCTICFIRE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pumpanen, Jukka; Köster, Kajar; Aaltonen, Heidi; Köster, Egle; Zhou, Xuan; Zhang-Turpeinen, Huizhong; Heinonsalo, Jussi; Palviainen, Marjo; Sun, Hui; Biasi, Christina; Bruckman, Viktor; Prokushkin, Anatoly; Berninger, Frank

2017-04-01

Boreal forests, which are to a large extent located on permafrost soils, are a crucial part of the climate system because of their large soil carbon (C) pool. Even small change in this pool may change the terrestrial C sink in the arctic into a source with a consequent increase in CO2 concentrations. About 1% of boreal forests are exposed to fire annually, which affects the soil and permafrost under them. Thawing of permafrost increases the depth of the active layer containing large C and N stocks. In addition to temperature, the decomposition of soil organic matter depends on its chemical composition which may also be affected by fires. Part of the soil organic matter is turned into pyrogenic C and N resistant to decomposition. We studied the effect of forest fires on soil greenhouse gas fluxes (CO2, CH4 and N2O)and biogenic volatile organic compound fluxes using portable chambers. The amount of easily decomposable and recalcitrant fractions in soil organic matter were determined with water, ethanol and acid extraction, and the natural 13C and 15N abundances as well as chemical quality with Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) were studied. Also, changes in microbial community structure and composition were analyzed with next generation pyrosequencing. Our preliminary results indicate that soil CO2 effluxes were significantly decreased immediately after the fire, and the recovery to pre-fire level took several decades. Soils were a small sink of CH4 and a source of N2O in all age classes, and the CH4 uptake was increased and N2O fluxes decreased still 20 years following the fire. A clear vertical distribution was observed in the amount of extractable soil organic matter the amount of extractable organic matter being highest in the soil surface layers and decreasing with depth. The natural 13C and 15N abundances and FTIR spectra and changes in microbial community composition are still under analysis.

Release and transport of mobile organic matter and biocolloids: A combined physicochemical and microbiological study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reichel, Katharina; Schaefer, Sabine; Babin, Doreen; Smalla, Konny; Totsche, Kai Uwe

2016-04-01

Biogeochemical interfaces within the aggregate system of soils are "hot spots" of microbial activity and turnover of organic matter. We explore turnover, release and transport of mobile organic matter (MOM), micro-organisms (bio-colloids) and organo-mineral associations using a novel experimental approach employing two-layer columns experiment with matured soil under unsaturated flow conditions. The top layer was spiked with phenanthrene as a tracer for studying the decomposer communities involved in the decomposition of aromatic compounds that derive from lignin in natural systems. Columns were irrigated with artificial rain water with several flow interrupts of different durations. Physicochemical and chemical parameters as well as the microbial community composition were analysed in effluent samples and in soil slices. Release of MOM from the columns was in general controlled by non-equilibrium. Export of total and dissolved organic matter differed significantly in response to the flow interrupts. Effluent comprised organic and organo-mineral components as well as vital competent cells. By molecular biological methods we were even able to show that bacterial consortia exported are rather divers. Depth distribution of the bacterial communities associated with the immobile solid phase indicated high similarities in bacterial communities of the different depth layers and treatments. According to phenanthrene high affinity to the immobile phases, only a small fraction was subject to downstream transport with a strong decrease of the amount residing at the solid phase Our experiments directly prove that intact and competent microorganisms and even communities can be transported under unsaturated flow conditions. Moreover, we found that the dominant carbon source will impact not only the activity of specific microbial taxa but also their mobilization and transport. While total contribution of microbial organism to the mobile organic matter pool seems to be small, the fact that microbes will be mobilized and passively transported to downstream compartments helps to understand the processes that result in the inhabitation of pristine surfaces, thereby resulting in the establishment biogeochemical interfaces and initiation of aggregation in downstream compartments in the vadose zone.

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Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

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Effects of soil temperature, flooding, and organic matter addition on N2O emissions from a soil of Hongze Lake wetland, China.

PubMed

Lu, Yan; Xu, Hongwen

2014-01-01

The objectives of this study were to test the effects of soil temperature, flooding, and raw organic matter input on N2O emissions in a soil sampled at Hongze Lake wetland, Jiangsu Province, China. The treatments studied were-peat soil (I), peat soil under flooding (II), peat soil plus raw organic matter (III), and peat soil under flooding plus organic matter. These four treatments were incubated at 20°C and 35°C. The result showed that temperature increase could enhance N2O emissions rate and cumulative emissions significantly; moreover, the flooded soil with external organic matter inputs showed the lowest cumulative rise in N2O emissions due to temperature increment. Flooding might inhibit soil N2O emissions, and the inhibition was more pronounced after organic matter addition to the original soil. Conversely, organic matter input explained lower cumulative N2O emissions under flooding. Our results suggest that complex interactions between flooding and other environmental factors might appear in soil N2O emissions. Further studies are needed to understand potential synergies or antagonisms between environmental factors that control N2O emissions in wetland soils.

Effective Dark Matter Halo Catalog in f(R) Gravity.

PubMed

He, Jian-Hua; Hawken, Adam J; Li, Baojiu; Guzzo, Luigi

2015-08-14

We introduce the idea of an effective dark matter halo catalog in f(R) gravity, which is built using the effective density field. Using a suite of high resolution N-body simulations, we find that the dynamical properties of halos, such as the distribution of density, velocity dispersion, specific angular momentum and spin, in the effective catalog of f(R) gravity closely mimic those in the cold dark matter model with a cosmological constant (ΛCDM). Thus, when using effective halos, an f(R) model can be viewed as a ΛCDM model. This effective catalog therefore provides a convenient way for studying the baryonic physics, the galaxy halo occupation distribution and even semianalytical galaxy formation in f(R) cosmologies.

Layer-Specific fMRI Reflects Different Neuronal Computations at Different Depths in Human V1

PubMed Central

Olman, Cheryl A.; Harel, Noam; Feinberg, David A.; He, Sheng; Zhang, Peng; Ugurbil, Kamil; Yacoub, Essa

2012-01-01

Recent work has established that cerebral blood flow is regulated at a spatial scale that can be resolved by high field fMRI to show cortical columns in humans. While cortical columns represent a cluster of neurons with similar response properties (spanning from the pial surface to the white matter), important information regarding neuronal interactions and computational processes is also contained within a single column, distributed across the six cortical lamina. A basic understanding of underlying neuronal circuitry or computations may be revealed through investigations of the distribution of neural responses at different cortical depths. In this study, we used T2-weighted imaging with 0.7 mm (isotropic) resolution to measure fMRI responses at different depths in the gray matter while human subjects observed images with either recognizable or scrambled (physically impossible) objects. Intact and scrambled images were partially occluded, resulting in clusters of activity distributed across primary visual cortex. A subset of the identified clusters of voxels showed a preference for scrambled objects over intact; in these clusters, the fMRI response in middle layers was stronger during the presentation of scrambled objects than during the presentation of intact objects. A second experiment, using stimuli targeted at either the magnocellular or the parvocellular visual pathway, shows that laminar profiles in response to parvocellular-targeted stimuli peak in more superficial layers. These findings provide new evidence for the differential sensitivity of high-field fMRI to modulations of the neural responses at different cortical depths. PMID:22448223

Changes in porosity and organic matter phase distribution monitored by NMR relaxometry following hydrous pyrolysis under uniaxial confinement

USGS Publications Warehouse

Washburn, Kathryn E.; Birdwell, Justin E.; Lewan, Michael D.; Miller, Michael; Baez, Luis; Beeney, Ken; Sonnenberg, Steve

2013-01-01

Artificial maturation methods are used to induce changes in source rock thermal maturity without the uncertainties that arise when comparing natural samples from a particular basin that often represent different levels of maturation and different lithofacies. A novel uniaxial confinement clamp was used on Woodford Shale cores in hydrous pyrolysis experiments to limit sample expansion by simulating the effect of overburden present during thermal maturation in natural systems. These samples were then subjected to X-ray computed tomography (X-CT) imaging and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) relaxometry measurements. LF-NMR relaxometry is a noninvasive technique commonly used to measure porosity and pore-size distributions in fluid-filled porous media, but may also measure hydrogen present in hydrogen-bearing organic solids. Standard T1 and T2 relaxation distributions were determined and two dimensional T1-T2 correlation measurements were performed on the Woodford Shale cores. The T1-T2 correlations facilitate resolution of organic phases in the system. The changes observed in NMR-relaxation times correspond to bitumen and lighter hydrocarbon production that occur as source rock organic matter matures. The LF-NMR porosities of the core samples at maximum oil generation are significantly higher than porosities measured by other methods. This discrepancy likely arises from the measurement of highly viscous organic constituents in addition to fluid-filled porosity. An unconfined sample showed shorter relaxation times and lower porosity. This difference is attributed to the lack of fractures observed in the unconfined sample by X-CT.

Examination of the physical properties of Microcystis aeruginosa flocs produced on coagulation with metal salts.

PubMed

Gonzalez-Torres, A; Putnam, J; Jefferson, B; Stuetz, R M; Henderson, R K

2014-09-01

Coagulation-flocculation (C-F) is a key barrier to cyanobacterial and algal cell infiltration in water treatment plants during seasonal blooms. However, the resultant cell floc properties, in terms of size, strength and density, which dominate under different coagulation conditions and govern cell removal, are not well understood. This paper investigated the floc properties produced during C-F of the cyanobacterium, Microcystis aeruginosa, under low and high doses of aluminium sulphate and ferric chloride coagulants and at different pH values, so as to promote charge neutralisation (CN) and sweep flocculation (SF) dominant conditions (or a combination of these). It was demonstrated that application of ferric chloride produced larger flocs that resulted in higher cell removal during jar testing. These flocs were also larger than those observed for natural organic matter (NOM) and kaolin, suggesting a role of algogenic organic matter (AOM) as an inherent bioflocculant. Under SF conditions, stronger flocs were produced; however, these had lower capacity for size recovery after exposure to high shear. Analysis of particle size distribution demonstrated that large scale fragmentation followed by erosion dominated for CN while erosion dominated under SF conditions. Overall, marked differences were observed dependent on the coagulation regime imposed that have implications for improving robustness of cell removal by downstream separation processes. While the cyanobacterium, M. aeruginosa, appeared to share general floc characteristics commonly observed for NOM and kaolin flocs, there were distinct differences in terms of size and strength, which may be attributed to AOM. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vehicular road influence areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huertas, María E.; Huertas, José I.; Valencia, Alexander

2017-02-01

Vehicle operation over paved and unpaved roads is an emission source that significantly contributes to air pollution. Emissions are derived from vehicle exhaust pipes and re-suspension of particulate matter generated by wind erosion and tire to road surface interactions. Environmental authorities require a methodology to evaluate road impact areas, which enable managers to initiate counter-measures, particularly under circumstances where historic meteorological and/or air quality data is unavailable. The present study describes an analytical and experimental work developed to establish a simplified methodology to estimate the area influenced by vehicular roads. AERMOD was chosen to model pollutant dispersion generated by two roads of common attributes (straight road over flat terrain) under the effects of several arbitrary chosen weather conditions. The resulting pollutant concentration vs. Distance curves collapsed into a single curve when concentration and distance were expressed as dimensionless numbers and this curve can be described by a beta distribution function. This result implied that average concentration at a given distance was proportional to emission intensity and that it showed minor sensitivity to meteorological conditions. Therefore, road influence was defined by the area adjacent to the road limited by distance at which the beta distribution function equaled the limiting value specified by the national air quality standard for the pollutant under consideration.

Enzymatic activity inside and outside of water-stable aggregates in soils under different land use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garbuz, S. A.; Yaroslavtseva, N. V.; Kholodov, V. A.

2016-03-01

A method is presented for assessing the distribution of enzymatic activity inside and outside of water-stable aggregates. Two samples of water-stable aggregates >1 mm have been isolated from dry aggregates of 1-2 mm. To determine the enzymatic activity, a substrate has been added to one of the samples without disaggregation; the other sample has been preliminarily disaggregated. Enzymatic activity within waterstable aggregates has been assessed from the difference between the obtained results under the supposition that the penetration of substrate within the water-saturated aggregates is hampered, and enzymatic reactions occur only at the periphery. The levels and distributions of enzymatic (peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, and catalase) activities in water-stable aggregates of soddy-podzolic soils under forest and plowland and typical chernozems of long-term field experiments have been studied. The peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, and catalase activities of water-stable aggregates vary from 6 to 23, from 7 to 30, and from 5 to 7 mmol/(g h), respectively. The ratio between the enzymatic activities inside and outside of soil aggregates showed a higher dependence on soil type and land use, as well as on the input of organic matter and the structural state, than the general activity level in water-stable aggregates.

Superficial distribution of aromatic compounds and geomicrobiology of sediments from Suruí Mangrove, Guanabara Bay, RJ, Brazil.

PubMed

Fontana, Luiz F; da Silva, Frederico S; de Figueiredo, Natália G; Brum, Daniel M; Netto, Annibal D Pereira; de Gigueiredo Junior, Alberto G; Crapez, Mirian A C

2010-12-01

The distribution of selected aromatic compounds and microbiology were assessed in superficial sediments from Suruí Mangrove, Guanabara Bay. Samples were collected at 23 stations, and particle size, organic matter, aromatic compounds, microbiology activity, biopolymers, and topography were determined. The concentration of aromatic compounds was distributed in patches over the entire mangrove, and their highest total concentration was determinated in the mangrove's central area. Particle size differed from most mangroves in that Suruí Mangrove has chernies on the edges and in front of the mangrove, and sand across the whole surface, which hampers the relationship between particle size and hydrocarbons. An average @ 10% p/p of organic matter was obtained, and biopolymers presented high concentrations, especially in the central and back areas of the mangrove. The biopolymers were distributed in high concentrations. The presence of fine sediments is an important factor in hydrocarbon accumulation. With high concentration of organic matter and biopolymers, and the topography with chernies and roots protecting the mangrove, calmer areas are created with the deposition of material transported by wave action. Compared to global distributions, concentrations of aromatic compounds in Suruí Mangrove may be classified from moderate to high, showing that the studied area is highly impacted.

White matter disease in midlife is heritable, related to hypertension, and shares some genetic influence with systolic blood pressure.

PubMed

Fennema-Notestine, Christine; McEvoy, Linda K; Notestine, Randy; Panizzon, Matthew S; Yau, Wai-Ying Wendy; Franz, Carol E; Lyons, Michael J; Eyler, Lisa T; Neale, Michael C; Xian, Hong; McKenzie, Ruth E; Kremen, William S

2016-01-01

White matter disease in the brain increases with age and cardiovascular disease, emerging in midlife, and these associations may be influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. We examined the frequency, distribution, and heritability of abnormal white matter and its association with hypertension in 395 middle-aged male twins (61.9 ± 2.6 years) from the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging, 67% of whom were hypertensive. A multi-channel segmentation approach estimated abnormal regions within the white matter. Using multivariable regression models, we characterized the frequency distribution of abnormal white matter in midlife and investigated associations with hypertension and Apolipoprotein E- ε4 status and the impact of duration and control of hypertension. Then, using the classical twin design, we estimated abnormal white matter heritability and the extent of shared genetic overlap with blood pressure. Abnormal white matter was predominantly located in periventricular and deep parietal and frontal regions; associated with age ( t  = 1.9, p  = 0.05) and hypertension ( t  = 2.9, p  = 0.004), but not Apolipoprotein ε4 status; and was greater in those with uncontrolled hypertension relative to controlled ( t  = 3.0, p  = 0.003) and normotensive ( t  = 4.0, p  = 0.0001) groups, suggesting that abnormal white matter may reflect currently active cerebrovascular effects. Abnormal white matter was highly heritable (a 2  = 0.81) and shared some genetic influences with systolic blood pressure (r A  = 0.26), although there was evidence for distinct genetic contributions and unique environmental influences. Future longitudinal research will shed light on factors impacting white matter disease presentation, progression, and potential recovery.

FLRW cosmological models with quark and strange quark matters in f(R,T) gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagpal, Ritika; Singh, J. K.; Aygün, S.

2018-06-01

In this paper, we have studied the magnetized quark matter (QM) and strange quark matter (SQM) distributions in the presence of f(R,T) gravity in the background of Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) metric. To get exact solutions of modified field equations we have used f(R,T ) = R + 2 f(T) model given by Harko et al. with two different parametrization of geometrical parameters i.e. the parametrization of the deceleration parameter q , and the scale factor a in hybrid expansion form. Also, we have obtained Einstein Static Universe (ESU) solutions for QM and SQM distributions in f(R,T) gravity and General Relativity (GR). All models in f(R,T) gravity and GR for FRW and ESU Universes with QM also SQM distributions, we get zero magnetic field. These results agree with the solutions of Aktaş and Aygün in f(R,T) gravity. However, we have also discussed the physical consequences of our obtained models.

Removal of Anabaena spiroides by potassium permanganate pre-oxidation: effect on photosynthetic capacity and molecular weight distribution.

PubMed

Qiao, Junlian; Zhang, Xiaodong; Lv, Liping

2017-11-01

Bench scale tests were conducted to investigate the effect of potassium permanganate pre-oxidation on the photosynthetic activity and molecular weight distribution of Anabaena spiroides. Different concentrations of potassium permanganate were added into the suspension of Anabaena spiroides, one of the dominant algae in water bloom, and after pre-oxidation of permanganate for 1 h, the results show that the removal rate significantly increases by 33.99~36.35% compared to direct coagulation. Then, the algal characteristics, including photosynthetic ability, the changes in extracellular organic matter three-dimensional fluorescence, and the distribution of molecular weight were conducted and the results show that along with increasing concentration of potassium permanganate, the photosynthetic ability of algae decreases, more extracellular organic matter is secreted, and large molecular weight matter (humic-like and fulvic-like substances) are generated. Therefore, this study demonstrates that potassium permanganate could be used in addressing the algae-rich water.

Neuroanatomy Predicts Individual Risk Attitudes

PubMed Central

Gilaie-Dotan, Sharon; Tymula, Agnieszka; Cooper, Nicole; Kable, Joseph W.; Glimcher, Paul W.

2014-01-01

Over the course of the last decade a multitude of studies have investigated the relationship between neural activations and individual human decision-making. Here we asked whether the anatomical features of individual human brains could be used to predict the fundamental preferences of human choosers. To that end, we quantified the risk attitudes of human decision-makers using standard economic tools and quantified the gray matter cortical volume in all brain areas using standard neurobiological tools. Our whole-brain analysis revealed that the gray matter volume of a region in the right posterior parietal cortex was significantly predictive of individual risk attitudes. Participants with higher gray matter volume in this region exhibited less risk aversion. To test the robustness of this finding we examined a second group of participants and used econometric tools to test the ex ante hypothesis that gray matter volume in this area predicts individual risk attitudes. Our finding was confirmed in this second group. Our results, while being silent about causal relationships, identify what might be considered the first stable biomarker for financial risk-attitude. If these results, gathered in a population of midlife northeast American adults, hold in the general population, they will provide constraints on the possible neural mechanisms underlying risk attitudes. The results will also provide a simple measurement of risk attitudes that could be easily extracted from abundance of existing medical brain scans, and could potentially provide a characteristic distribution of these attitudes for policy makers. PMID:25209279

Tying dark matter to baryons with self-interactions.

PubMed

Kaplinghat, Manoj; Keeley, Ryan E; Linden, Tim; Yu, Hai-Bo

2014-07-11

Self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) models have been proposed to solve the small-scale issues with the collisionless cold dark matter paradigm. We derive equilibrium solutions in these SIDM models for the dark matter halo density profile including the gravitational potential of both baryons and dark matter. Self-interactions drive dark matter to be isothermal and this ties the core sizes and shapes of dark matter halos to the spatial distribution of the stars, a radical departure from previous expectations and from cold dark matter predictions. Compared to predictions of SIDM-only simulations, the core sizes are smaller and the core densities are higher, with the largest effects in baryon-dominated galaxies. As an example, we find a core size around 0.3 kpc for dark matter in the Milky Way, more than an order of magnitude smaller than the core size from SIDM-only simulations, which has important implications for indirect searches of SIDM candidates.

Dark matter and cosmological nucleosynthesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schramm, D. N.

1986-01-01

Existing dark matter problems, i.e., dynamics, galaxy formation and inflation, are considered, along with a model which proposes dark baryons as the bulk of missing matter in a fractal universe. It is shown that no combination of dark, nonbaryonic matter can either provide a cosmological density parameter value near unity or, as in the case of high energy neutrinos, allow formation of condensed matter at epochs when quasars already existed. The possibility that correlations among galactic clusters are scale-free is discussed. Such a distribution of matter would yield a fractal of 1.2, close to a one-dimensional universe. Biasing, cosmic superstrings, and percolated explosions and hot dark matter are theoretical approaches that would satisfy the D = 1.2 fractal model of the large-scale structure of the universe and which would also allow sufficient dark matter in halos to close the universe.

Measurement and modeling of diameter distributions of particulate matter in terrestrial solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levia, Delphis F.; Michalzik, Beate; Bischoff, Sebastian; NäThe, Kerstin; Legates, David R.; Gruselle, Marie-Cecile; Richter, Susanne

2013-04-01

Particulate matter (PM) plays an important role in biogeosciences, affecting biosphere-atmosphere interactions and ecosystem health. This is the first known study to quantify and model PM diameter distributions of bulk precipitation, throughfall, stemflow, and organic layer (Oa) solution. Solutions were collected from a European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forest during leafed and leafless periods. Following scanning electron microscopy and image analysis, PM distributions were quantified and then modeled with the Box-Cox transformation. Based on an analysis of 43,278 individual particulates, median PM diameter of all solutions was around 3.0 µm. All PM diameter frequency distributions were skewed significantly to the right. Optimal power transformations of PM diameter distributions were between -1.00 and -1.56. The utility of this model reconstruction would be that large samples having a similar probability density function can be developed for similar forests. Further work on the shape and chemical composition of particulates is warranted.

Sources and Distribution of Organic Matter in Sediments of the Louisiana Continental Shelf

EPA Science Inventory

Both riverine and marine sources of organic matter (OM) contribute to sediment organic pools, and either source can contribute significantly to sediment accumulation, burial, and remineralization rates on river dominated continental shelf systems. For the Louisiana continental sh...

MULTISCALE AIR QUALITY SIMULATION PLATFORM (MAQSIP): INITIAL APPLICATIONS AND PERFORMANCE FOR TROPOSPHERIC OZONE AND PARTICULATE MATTER

EPA Science Inventory

This manuscript provides an overview of the formulation, process considerations, and performance for simulating tropospheric ozone and particulate matter distributions of the Multiscale Air Quality Simulation Platform (MAQSIP). MAQSIP is a comprehensive atmospheric chemistry/tran...

Baseline Gray- and White Matter Volume Predict Successful Weight Loss in the Elderly

PubMed Central

Mokhtari, Fatemeh; Paolini, Brielle M.; Burdette, Jonathan H.; Marsh, Anthony P.; Rejeski, W. Jack; Laurienti, Paul J.

2016-01-01

Objective The purpose of this study is to investigate if structural brain phenotypes can be used to predict weight loss success following behavioral interventions in older adults that are overweight or obese and have cardiometabolic dysfunction. Methods A support vector machine (SVM) with a repeated random subsampling validation approach was used to classify participants into the upper and lower halves of the weight loss distribution following 18 months of a weight loss intervention. Predictions were based on baseline brain gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volume from 52 individuals that completed the intervention and a magnetic resonance imaging session. Results The SVM resulted in an average classification accuracy of 72.62 % based on GM and WM volume. A receiver operating characteristic analysis indicated that classification performance was robust based on an area under the curve of 0.82. Conclusions Our findings suggest that baseline brain structure is able to predict weight loss success following 18 months of treatment. The identification of brain structure as a predictor of successful weight loss is an innovative approach to identifying phenotypes for responsiveness to intensive lifestyle interventions. This phenotype could prove useful in future research focusing on the tailoring of treatment for weight loss. PMID:27804273

Intracranial Fluid Redistribution But No White Matter Microstructural Changes During a Spaceflight Analog.

PubMed

Koppelmans, Vincent; Pasternak, Ofer; Bloomberg, Jacob J; Dios, Yiri E De; Wood, Scott J; Riascos, Roy; Reuter-Lorenz, Patricia A; Kofman, Igor S; Mulavara, Ajitkumar P; Seidler, Rachael D

2017-06-09

The neural correlates of spaceflight-induced sensorimotor impairments are unknown. Head down-tilt bed rest (HDBR) serves as a microgravity analog because it mimics the headward fluid shift and axial body unloading of spaceflight. We investigated focal brain white matter (WM) changes and fluid shifts during 70 days of 6° HDBR in 16 subjects who were assessed pre (2x), during (3x), and post-HDBR (2x). Changes over time were compared to those in control subjects (n = 12) assessed four times over 90 days. Diffusion MRI was used to assess WM microstructure and fluid shifts. Free-Water Imaging was used to quantify distribution of intracranial extracellular free water (FW). Additionally, we tested whether WM and FW changes correlated with changes in functional mobility and balance measures. HDBR resulted in FW increases in fronto-temporal regions and decreases in posterior-parietal regions that largely recovered by two weeks post-HDBR. WM microstructure was unaffected by HDBR. FW decreases in the post-central gyrus and precuneus correlated negatively with balance changes. We previously reported that gray matter increases in these regions were associated with less HDBR-induced balance impairment, suggesting adaptive structural neuroplasticity. Future studies are warranted to determine causality and underlying mechanisms.

Cosmology with void-galaxy correlations.

PubMed

Hamaus, Nico; Wandelt, Benjamin D; Sutter, P M; Lavaux, Guilhem; Warren, Michael S

2014-01-31

Galaxy bias, the unknown relationship between the clustering of galaxies and the underlying dark matter density field is a major hurdle for cosmological inference from large-scale structure. While traditional analyses focus on the absolute clustering amplitude of high-density regions mapped out by galaxy surveys, we propose a relative measurement that compares those to the underdense regions, cosmic voids. On the basis of realistic mock catalogs we demonstrate that cross correlating galaxies and voids opens up the possibility to calibrate galaxy bias and to define a static ruler thanks to the observable geometric nature of voids. We illustrate how the clustering of voids is related to mass compensation and show that volume-exclusion significantly reduces the degree of stochasticity in their spatial distribution. Extracting the spherically averaged distribution of galaxies inside voids from their cross correlations reveals a remarkable concordance with the mass-density profile of voids.

Distribution and possible immobilization of lead in a forest soil (Luvisol) profile.

PubMed

Sipos, Péter; Németh, Tibor; Mohai, Ilona

2005-02-01

Geochemical analyses using a sequential extraction method and lead adsorption studies were carried out in order to characterize the distribution and adsorption of lead on each genetic horizon of a Luvisol profile developed on a pelagic clayey aleurolite. Clay illuviation is the most important pedogenic process in the profile studied. Its clay mineralogy is characterized by chlorite/vermiculite species with increasing chlorite component downward. The amount of carbonate minerals strongly increases in the lower part of the profile resulting in an abrupt rise in soil pH within a small distance. The Pb content of the soil profile exceeds the natural geochemical background only in the Ao horizon, and its amount decreases with depth in the profile without correcting for differences in bulk density, suggesting the binding of Pb to soil organic matter. According to the sequential extraction analysis the organic matter and carbonate content of the soil have the most significant effect on lead distribution. This effect varies in the different soil horizons. Lead adsorption experiments were carried out on whole soil samples, soil clay fractions, as well as on their carbonate and organic matter free variant. The different soil horizons adsorb lead to different extents depending on their organic matter, clay mineral and carbonate content; and the mineralogical features of soil clays significantly affect their lead adsorption capacity. The clay fraction adsorbs 25% more lead than the whole soil, while in the calcareous subsoil a significant proportion of lead is precipitated due to the alkaline conditions. 10 and 5% of adsorbed Pb can be leached with distilled water in the organic matter and clay mineral dominated soil horizons, respectively. These results suggest that soil organic matter plays a decisive role in the adsorption of Pb, but the fixation by clay minerals is stronger.

Interpellating Dispossession: Distributions of Vulnerability and the Politics of Grieving in the Precarious Mattering of Lives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perhamus, Lisa M.; Joldersma, Clarence W.

2016-01-01

The protest and movement #BlackLivesMatter that began in 2012 has fueled a national will of resistance to State violence and has nourished a sense of humanity that demands the valuing of all Black people. As part of the U.S.'s long history of systemic racism and its histories of local resistance, #BlackLivesMatter (BLM hereafter) has renewed…

Analysis of organic matter in sediments and meteorites and paleochemical studies of extinct and contemporary life forms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calvin, M.

1975-01-01

The insoluble organic materials present in the algal mats at Laguna Mormona, Baja California were studied. A series of six identical sediments collected from Mono lake which were stored under different conditions was investigated to see if any changes are observed in the lipid distribution patterns as a result of differences in sample storage conditions. Bacteria strains from Mono Lake sediments were cultured in bulk quantities and the sterol fractions from them were isolated and analyzed. Results add further support to the utility of the sterols as a chemotaxonomical tool in distinguishing and classifying these bacteria.

EFFECTS OF LASER RADIATION ON MATTER. LASER PLASMA: Feasibility of investigation of optical breakdown statistics using multifrequency lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulanov, S. F.

1990-06-01

A method proposed for investigating the statistics of bulk optical breakdown relies on multifrequency lasers, which eliminates the influence of the laser radiation intensity statistics. The method is based on preliminary recording of the peak intensity statistics of multifrequency laser radiation pulses at the caustic using the optical breakdown threshold of K8 glass. The probability density distribution function was obtained at the focus for the peak intensities of the radiation pulses of a multifrequency laser. This method may be used to study the self-interaction under conditions of bulk optical breakdown of transparent dielectrics.

New probe of dark-matter properties: gravitational waves from an intermediate-mass black hole embedded in a dark-matter minispike.

PubMed

Eda, Kazunari; Itoh, Yousuke; Kuroyanagi, Sachiko; Silk, Joseph

2013-05-31

An intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) may have a dark-matter (DM) minihalo around it and develop a spiky structure within less than a parsec from the IMBH. When a stellar mass object is captured by the minihalo, it eventually infalls into such an IMBH due to gravitational wave backreaction which in turn could be observed directly by future space-borne gravitational wave experiments such as eLISA and NGO. In this Letter, we show that the gravitational wave (GW) detectability strongly depends on the radial profile of the DM distribution. So if the GW is detected, the power index, that is, the DM density distribution, would be determined very accurately. The DM density distribution obtained would make it clear how the IMBH has evolved from a seed black hole and whether the IMBH has experienced major mergers in the past. Unlike the γ-ray observations of DM annihilation, GW is just sensitive to the radial profile of the DM distribution and even to noninteracting DM. Hence, the effect we demonstrate here can be used as a new and powerful probe into DM properties.

Probing light nonthermal dark matter at the LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutta, Bhaskar; Gao, Yu; Kamon, Teruki

2014-05-01

This paper investigates the collider phenomenology of a minimal nonthermal dark matter model with a 1-GeV dark matter candidate, which naturally explains baryogenesis. Since the light dark matter is not parity protected, it can be singly produced at the LHC. This leads to large missing energy associated with an energetic jet whose transverse momentum distribution is featured by a Jacobian-like shape. The monojet, dijet, paired dijet, and two jets + missing energy channels are studied. Currently existing data at the Tevatron and LHC offer significant bounds on our model.

Is There a Dark Matter Signal in the Galactic Positron Annihilation Radiation?

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

Lingenfelter, R. E.; Rothschild, R. E.; Higdon, J. C.

2009-07-17

Assuming Galactic positrons do not go far before annihilating, a difference between the observed 511 keV annihilation flux distribution and that of positron production, expected from beta{sup +} decay in Galactic iron nucleosynthesis, was evoked as evidence of a new source and signal of dark matter. We show, however, that the dark matter sources cannot account for the observed positronium fraction without extensive propagation. Yet with such propagation, standard nucleosynthetic sources can fully account for the spatial differences and positronium fraction, leaving no new signal for dark matter to explain.

Quark seesaw mechanism, dark U (1 ) symmetry, and the baryon-dark matter coincidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Pei-Hong; Mohapatra, Rabindra N.

2017-09-01

We attempt to understand the baryon-dark matter coincidence problem within the quark seesaw extension of the standard model where parity invariance is used to solve the strong C P problem. The S U (2 )L×S U (2 )R×U (1 )B -L gauge symmetry of this model is extended by a dark U (1 )X group plus inclusion of a heavy neutral vector-like fermion χL ,R charged under the dark group which plays the role of dark matter. All fermions are Dirac type in this model. Decay of heavy scalars charged under U (1 )X leads to simultaneous asymmetry generation of the dark matter and baryons after sphaleron effects are included. The U (1 )X group not only helps to stabilize the dark matter but also helps in the elimination of the symmetric part of the dark matter via χ -χ ¯ annihilation. For dark matter mass near the proton mass, it explains why the baryon and dark matter abundances are of similar magnitude (the baryon-dark matter coincidence problem). This model is testable in low threshold (sub-keV) direct dark matter search experiments.

Establishing the origin of particulate matter across Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaap, Martijn; Kranenburg, Richard; Hendriks, Carlijn; Kuenen, Jeroen

2016-04-01

Exposure to particulate matter (PM) in ambient air leads to adverse health effects. To design cost effective mitigation strategies, a thorough understanding of the sources of particulate matter is crucial. In this paper we like to provide an overview of recent source apportionment studies aimed at PM and its precursors carried out at TNO. The source apportionment module that tracks the origin of modelled particulate matter distributions throughout a LOTOS-EUROS simulation will be explained. To optimally apply this technology dedicated emission inventories, e.g. fuel type specific, need to be generated. Applications to Europe shows that in northwestern Europe the contribution of transport and agricultural emissions dominate the PM mass concentrations, especially during episodic events. In eastern Europe, the domestic and energy sector are much more important. In southern Europe the picture is more mixed, although the frequent high levels of desert dust stand out. Evaluation of the source allocation against experimental data and PMF analyses is challenging as there is only a limited availability of source specific tracers or factors that can be used for direct comparison. Nonetheless, for the available tracers such as vanadium for heavy fuel oil combustion an evaluation is very well possible. The source apportionment technique can also be used to interpret particulate matter formation efficiencies. It will be shown that the conversion rates for the secondary inorganic aerosol precursors (NOx, NH3 and SO2) have changed during the last 20 years. A particular problem is related to the fact that CTMs systematically underestimate observed PM levels, which means that the contribution of certain source categories (natural, agriculture, combustion) are underestimated. Future developments needed to improve the source apportionment information concerning process knowledge, data assimilation as well as model implementation will be discussed. Specific challenges concerning the underlying emission information will be highlighted.

Probing and Comparing the Photobromination and Photoiodination of Dissolved Organic Matter by Using Ultra-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry.

PubMed

Hao, Zhineng; Yin, Yongguang; Cao, Dong; Liu, Jingfu

2017-05-16

Photochemical halogenation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) may represent an important abiotic process for the formation of natural organobromine compounds (OBCs) and natural organoiodine compounds (OICs) within surface waters. Here we report the enhanced formation of OBCs and OICs by photohalogenating DOM in freshwater and seawater, as well as the noticeable difference in the distribution and composition pattern of newly formed OBCs and OICs. By using negative ion electrospray ionization coupled with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry, various OBCs and OICs were identified during the photohalogenation processes in sunlit waters. The respective number of OBCs and OICs formed in artificial seawater (ASW) under light radiation was higher than that in artificial freshwater (AFW), suggesting a possible role of the mixed reactive halogen species. OBCs were formed mainly via substitution reactions and addition reactions accompanied by other reactions and distributed into three classes: unsaturated hydrocarbons with relatively low oxygen content, unsaturated aliphatic compounds, and saturated fatty acids and carbohydrates with relatively high hydrogen content. Unlike the OBCs, OICs were located primarily in the region of carboxylic-rich alicyclic molecules composed of esterified phenolic, carboxylated, and fused alicyclic structures and were generated mainly through electrophilic substitution of the aromatic proton. Our findings call for further investigation on the exact structure and toxicity of the OBCs and OICs generated in the natural environment.

Tools for the Future of Nuclear Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geesaman, Donald

2014-03-01

The challenges of Nuclear Physics, especially in understanding strongly interacting matter in all its forms in the history of the universe, place ever higher demands on the tools of the field, including the workhorse, accelerators. These demands are not just higher energy and higher luminosity. To recreate the matter that fleetingly was formed in the origin of the heavy elements, we need higher power heavy-ion accelerators and creative techniques to harvest the isotopes. We also need high-current low-energy accelerators deep underground to detect the very slow rate reactions in stellar burning. To explore the three dimensional distributions of high-momentum quarks in hadrons and to search for gluonic excitations we need high-current CW electron accelerators. Understanding the gluonic structure of nuclei and the three dimensional distributions of partons at lower x, we need high-luminosity electron-ion colliders that also have the capabilities to prepare, preserve and manipulate the polarization of both beams. A search for the critical point in the QCD phase diagram demands high luminosity beams over a broad range of species and energy. With advances in cavity design and construction, beam manipulation and cooling, and ion sources and targets, the Nuclear Physics community, in the U.S. and internationally has a coordinated vision to deliver this exciting science. This work is supported by DOE, Office of Nuclear Physics, under contract DE-AC02-06CH11357.

Multivariate analysis of the influences of oceanic and meteorological processes on suspended particulate matter distributions in Mississippi coastal waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Brien, S. J.; Fitzpatrick, P. J.; Dzwonkowski, B.; Dykstra, S. L.; Wallace, D. J.; Church, I.; Wiggert, J. D.

2016-02-01

The Mississippi Sound is influenced by a high volume of sediment discharge from the Biloxi River, Mobile Bay via Pas aux Herons, Pascagoula River, Pearl River, Wolf River, and Lake Pontchartrain through the Rigolets. The river discharge, variable wind speed, wind direction and tides have a significant impact on the turbidity and transport of sediments in the Sound. Level 1 Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data is processed to extract the remote sensing reflectance at the wavelength of 645 nm and binned into an 8-day composite at a resolution of 500 m. The study uses a regional ocean color algorithm to compute suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentration based on these 8-day composite images. Multivariate analysis is applied between the SPM and time series of tides, wind, turbidity and river discharge measured at federal and academic institutions' stations and moorings. The multivariate analysis also includes in situ measurements of suspended sediment concentration and advective exchanges through the Mississippi Sound's tidal inlets between the coastal shelf and the nearshore estuarine waters. Mechanisms underlying the observed spatiotemporal distribution of SPM, including material exchange between the Sound and adjacent shelf waters, will be explored. The results of this study will contribute to current understanding of exchange mechanisms and pathways with the Mississippi Bight via the Mississippi Sound's tidal inlets.

Shades of white: diffusion properties of T1- and FLAIR-defined white matter signal abnormalities differ in stages from cognitively normal to dementia.

PubMed

Riphagen, Joost M; Gronenschild, Ed H B M; Salat, David H; Freeze, Whitney M; Ivanov, Dimo; Clerx, Lies; Verhey, Frans R J; Aalten, Pauline; Jacobs, Heidi I L

2018-08-01

The underlying pathology of white matter signal abnormalities (WMSAs) is heterogeneous and may vary dependent on the magnetic resonance imaging contrast used to define them. We investigated differences in white matter diffusivity as an indicator for white matter integrity underlying WMSA based on T1-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) imaging contrast. In addition, we investigated which white matter region of interest (ROI) could predict clinical diagnosis best using diffusion metrics. One hundred three older individuals with varying cognitive impairment levels were included and underwent neuroimaging. Diffusion metrics were extracted from WMSA areas based on T1 and FLAIR contrast and from their overlapping areas, the border surrounding the WMSA and the normal-appearing white matter (NAWM). Regional diffusivity differences were calculated with linear mixed effects models. Multinomial logistic regression determined which ROI diffusion values classified individuals best into clinically defined diagnostic groups. T1-based WMSA showed lower white matter integrity compared to FLAIR WMSA-defined regions. Diffusion values of NAWM predicted diagnostic group best compared to other ROI's. To conclude, T1- or FLAIR-defined WMSA provides distinct information on the underlying white matter integrity associated with cognitive decline. Importantly, not the "diseased" but the NAWM is a potentially sensitive indicator for cognitive brain health status. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

45 CFR 81.115 - Matters not prohibited.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Matters not prohibited. 81.115 Section 81.115... HEARINGS UNDER PART 80 OF THIS TITLE Judicial Standards of Practice § 81.115 Matters not prohibited. A... directed to the Civil Rights hearing clerk. Communications with respect to minor procedural matters or...

40 CFR 60.532 - Standards for particulate matter.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Standards for particulate matter. 60... Wood Heaters § 60.532 Standards for particulate matter. Unless exempted under § 60.530, each affected..., 1992, shall comply with the following particulate matter emission limits as determined by the test...

49 CFR 1108.3 - Matters subject to arbitration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 8 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Matters subject to arbitration. 1108.3 Section... STATUTORY JURISDICTION OF THE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD § 1108.3 Matters subject to arbitration. (a) Any...) Arbitration under these provisions is limited to matters over which the STB has statutory jurisdiction and may...

45 CFR 81.115 - Matters not prohibited.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Matters not prohibited. 81.115 Section 81.115... HEARINGS UNDER PART 80 OF THIS TITLE Judicial Standards of Practice § 81.115 Matters not prohibited. A... directed to the Civil Rights hearing clerk. Communications with respect to minor procedural matters or...

45 CFR 81.115 - Matters not prohibited.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Matters not prohibited. 81.115 Section 81.115... HEARINGS UNDER PART 80 OF THIS TITLE Judicial Standards of Practice § 81.115 Matters not prohibited. A... directed to the Civil Rights hearing clerk. Communications with respect to minor procedural matters or...

40 CFR 60.532 - Standards for particulate matter.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Standards for particulate matter. 60... Wood Heaters § 60.532 Standards for particulate matter. Unless exempted under § 60.530, each affected..., 1992, shall comply with the following particulate matter emission limits as determined by the test...

49 CFR 1108.3 - Matters subject to arbitration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 49 Transportation 8 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Matters subject to arbitration. 1108.3 Section... STATUTORY JURISDICTION OF THE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD § 1108.3 Matters subject to arbitration. (a) Any...) Arbitration under these provisions is limited to matters over which the STB has statutory jurisdiction and may...

40 CFR 60.532 - Standards for particulate matter.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Standards for particulate matter. 60... Wood Heaters § 60.532 Standards for particulate matter. Unless exempted under § 60.530, each affected..., 1992, shall comply with the following particulate matter emission limits as determined by the test...

40 CFR 60.532 - Standards for particulate matter.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Standards for particulate matter. 60... Wood Heaters § 60.532 Standards for particulate matter. Unless exempted under § 60.530, each affected..., 1992, shall comply with the following particulate matter emission limits as determined by the test...

49 CFR 1108.3 - Matters subject to arbitration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Matters subject to arbitration. 1108.3 Section... STATUTORY JURISDICTION OF THE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD § 1108.3 Matters subject to arbitration. (a) Any...) Arbitration under these provisions is limited to matters over which the STB has statutory jurisdiction and may...

An evaluation of methods for identifying and interpreting buried soils in late Quaternary loess in Alaska: A section in Geologic studies in Alaska by the U.S. Geological Survey, 1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muhs, Daniel R.; Ager, Thomas A.; Been, Josh M.; Rosenbaum, Joseph G.; Reynolds, Richard J.

2000-01-01

The presence of buried soils in Alaskan loess is controversial, and therefore criteria for identifying buried soils in these deposits need to be evaluated. In this paper, morphologic and chemical criteria for identifying buried soils are evaluated by studying modern soils developed mostly in Holocene loess under tundra, boreal forest, and transitional coastal-boreal forest vegetation in different parts of Alaska. Data from modern Alaskan soils that developed under vegetation similar to that of the present indicate that soil morphology, organic-matter concentrations, and P concentrations can be useful diagnostic tools for identifying buried soils. Soil morphologic criteria, particularly horizon colors and horizon sequences, are essential for identifying buried soils, but some minimally developed soils may resemble organic-rich alluvial, colluvial, or lacustrine deposits. Organic matter and total P contents and distributions can aid in such studies because in well-drained soils these constituents show rapid declines with depth. However, neither of these techniques may work if the upper genetic horizons of buried soils are eroded.If buried soils are present in Alaskan loess, it would also be desirable to have techniques for determining the dominant vegetation under which the soils formed. Such techniques could then be used to reconstruct former vegetation types and paleoclimates in Alaska. A previous study suggested that tundra and boreal forest vegetation have distinctive carbon isotopic compositions, although both are dominated by C3 plants. If this is the case, then the carbon isotopic composition of organic matter in buried soils could be used to reconstruct former vegetation types. A larger suite of modern soils from Alaskan tundra and forest were analyzed to test this hypothesis. Results indicate that modern soil O horizons in these two biomes have the same range of δ13C values, and therefore carbon isotope compositions cannot be used to reconstruct former tundra or boreal forest.

Statistics of primordial density perturbations from discrete seed masses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scherrer, Robert J.; Bertschinger, Edmund

1991-01-01

The statistics of density perturbations for general distributions of seed masses with arbitrary matter accretion is examined. Formal expressions for the power spectrum, the N-point correlation functions, and the density distribution function are derived. These results are applied to the case of uncorrelated seed masses, and power spectra are derived for accretion of both hot and cold dark matter plus baryons. The reduced moments (cumulants) of the density distribution are computed and used to obtain a series expansion for the density distribution function. Analytic results are obtained for the density distribution function in the case of a distribution of seed masses with a spherical top-hat accretion pattern. More generally, the formalism makes it possible to give a complete characterization of the statistical properties of any random field generated from a discrete linear superposition of kernels. In particular, the results can be applied to density fields derived by smoothing a discrete set of points with a window function.

FACTORS AFFECTING COLORED DISSOLVED ORGANIC MATTER IN AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES

EPA Science Inventory

The sunlight-absorbing (colored) component of dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in aquatic environments is widely distributed in freshwaters and coastal regions where it influences the fate and transport of toxic organic substances and biologically-important metals such as mercury,...

NEW U.S. EPA STANDARDS AND PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH MEASUREMENT OF POLLUTANTS: IMPLICATION FOR FILTER MANUFACTURERS

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation will describe the following items: important epidemiologic data establishing the need for new particulate matter standards, the size distribution of suspended particulate matter, epidemiologic data demonstrating the need for a fine particle standard, indicator a...

The global distribution and dynamics of chromophoric dissolved organic matter.

PubMed

Nelson, Norman B; Siegel, David A

2013-01-01

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is a ubiquitous component of the open ocean dissolved matter pool, and is important owing to its influence on the optical properties of the water column, its role in photochemistry and photobiology, and its utility as a tracer of deep ocean biogeochemical processes and circulation. In this review, we discuss the global distribution and dynamics of CDOM in the ocean, concentrating on developments in the past 10 years and restricting our discussion to open ocean and deep ocean (below the main thermocline) environments. CDOM has been demonstrated to exert primary control on ocean color by its absorption of light energy, which matches or exceeds that of phytoplankton pigments in most cases. This has important implications for assessing the ocean biosphere via ocean color-based remote sensing and the evaluation of ocean photochemical and photobiological processes. The general distribution of CDOM in the global ocean is controlled by a balance between production (primarily microbial remineralization of organic matter) and photolysis, with vertical ventilation circulation playing an important role in transporting CDOM to and from intermediate water masses. Significant decadal-scale fluctuations in the abundance of global surface ocean CDOM have been observed using remote sensing, indicating a potentially important role for CDOM in ocean-climate connections through its impact on photochemistry and photobiology.

[Size distribution characteristics of particulate matter in the top areas of coke oven].

PubMed

Xie, Qiuyan; Zhao, Hongwei; Yu, Tao; Ning, Zhaojun; Li, Jinmu; Niu, Yong; Zheng, Yuxin; Zhao, Xiulan; Duan, Huawei

2015-03-01

To systematically evaluate the environmental exposure information of coke oven workers, we investigated the concentration and size distribution characteristics of the particle matter (PM) in the top working area of coke oven. The aerodynamic particle sizer spectrometer was employed to collect the concentration and size distribution information of PM at a top working area. The PM was divided into PM ≤ 1.0 µm, 1.0 µm < PM ≤ 2.5 µm, 2.5 µm < PM ≤ 5.0 µm, 5.0 µm < PM ≤ 10.0 µm and PM>10.0 µm based on their aerodynamic diameters. The number concentration, surface area concentration, and mass concentration were analyzed between different groups. We also conducted the correlation analysis on these parameters among groups. We found the number and surface area concentration of top area particulate was negatively correlated with particle size, but mass concentration curve showed bimodal type with higher point at PM = 1.0 µm and PM = 5.0 µm. The average number concentration of total particulate matter in the top working area was 661.27 number/cm³, surface area concentration was 523.92 µm²/cm³, and mass concentration was 0.12 mg/m³. The most number of particulate matter is not more than 1 µm (PM(1.0)), and its number concentration and surface area concentration accounted for 96.85% and 67.01% of the total particles respectively. In the correlation analysis, different particle size correlated with the total particulate matter differently. And the characteristic parameters of PM2.5 cannot fully reflect the total information of particles. The main particulate matter pollutants in the top working area of coke oven is PM1.0, and it with PM(5.0) can account for a large proportion in the mass concentration of PM. It suggest that PM1.0 and PM(5.0) should be considered for occupational health surveillance on the particulate matter in the top area of coke oven.

Study of the organic matter in the DSDP /JOIDES/ cores, legs 10-15. [Deep Sea Drilling Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simoneit, B. R. T.; Burlingame, A. L.

1974-01-01

The composition of the organic matter collected on legs 10 to 15 of the DSDP (Deep Sea Drilling Project) is described. Distributions of various alkanes, carboxylic acids, steroids and terpenoids, isoprenoid ketones and olefins, and aromatic polycyclic compounds are given. Samples analyzed had terrigenous clay components, with variable organic carbon contents and thus diverse solvent soluble matter. The distribution patterns for the various compound series monitored were of marine derivation, with the terrigenous components superimposed. Diagenesis of steroids appeared to proceed via both stanones and stanols to their respective steranes. Degradative processes were observed to be operative: oxidative products, mainly ketones derived from steroids and phytol, were identified, probably due to microbial alteration prior to or during sedimentation. Loss of alkane and fatty acid C preferences and presence of polycyclic aromatics evinced maturation. Results indicate that the accumulation, degradation, diagenesis and maturation of organic matter occurs in various steps in the deep sea environment.

Determining the Local Dark Matter Density with SDSS G-dwarf data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silverwood, Hamish; Sivertsson, Sofia; Read, Justin; Bertone, Gianfranco; Steger, Pascal

2018-04-01

We present a determination of the local dark matter density derived using the integrated Jeans equation method presented in Silverwood et al. (2016) applied to SDSS-SEGUE G-dwarf data processed by Büdenbender et al. (2015). For our analysis we construct models for the tracer density, dark matter and baryon distribution, and tilt term (linking radial and vertical motions), and then calculate the vertical velocity dispersion using the integrated Jeans equation. These models are then fit to the data using MultiNest, and a posterior distribution for the local dark matter density is derived. We find the most reliable determination to come from the α-young population presented in Büdenbender et al. (2015), yielding a result of ρDM = 0.46+0.07 -0.09 GeV cm-3 = 0.012+0.001 -0.002 M⊙ pc-3. Our results also illuminate the path ahead for future analyses using Gaia DR2 data, highlighting which quantities will need to be determined and which assumptions could be relaxed.

Numerical simulations of relativistic heavy-ion reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daffin, Frank Cecil

Bulk quantities of nuclear matter exist only in the compact bodies of the universe. There the crushing gravitational forces overcome the Coulomb repulsion in massive stellar collapses. Nuclear matter is subjected to high pressures and temperatures as shock waves propagate and burn their way through stellar cores. The bulk properties of nuclear matter are important parameters in the evolution of these collapses, some of which lead to nucleosynthesis. The nucleus is rich in physical phenomena. Above the Coulomb barrier, complex interactions lead to the distortion of, and as collision energies increase, the destruction of the nuclear volume. Of critical importance to the understanding of these events is an understanding of the aggregate microscopic processes which govern them. In an effort to understand relativistic heavy-ion reactions, the Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck (Ueh33) (BUU) transport equation is used as the framework for a numerical model. In the years since its introduction, the numerical model has been instrumental in providing a coherent, microscopic, physical description of these complex, highly non-linear events. This treatise describes the background leading to the creation of our numerical model of the BUU transport equation, details of its numerical implementation, its application to the study of relativistic heavy-ion collisions, and some of the experimental observables used to compare calculated results to empirical results. The formalism evolves the one-body Wigner phase-space distribution of nucleons in time under the influence of a single-particle nuclear mean field interaction and a collision source term. This is essentially the familiar Boltzmann transport equation whose source term has been modified to address the Pauli exclusion principle. Two elements of the model allow extrapolation from the study of nuclear collisions to bulk quantities of nuclear matter: the modification of nucleon scattering cross sections in nuclear matter, and the compressibility of nuclear matter. Both are primarily subject to the short- range portion of the inter-nucleon potential, and do not show strong finite-size effects. To that end, several useful observables are introduced and their behavior, as BUU model parameters are changed, explored. The average, directed, in-plane, transverse momentum distribution in rapidity is the oldest of the observables presented in this work. Its slope at mid- rapidity is called the flow of the event, and well characterizes the interplay of repulsive and attractive elements of the dynamics of the events. The BUU model has been quite successful in its role of illuminating the physics of intermediate energy heavy-ion collisions. Though current numerical implementations suffer from some shortcomings they have nonetheless served the community well.

Fast monitoring of dissolved organic and suspended matter using data of beam attenuation coefficient in Black Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mankovskaya, E. V.; Korchemkina, E. N.; Latushkin, A. A.

2017-11-01

A method allowing to obtain estimates of dissolved organic and suspended matter content in Black Sea waters using beam attenuation coefficient (BAC) measurements in two spectral channels is proposed. It makes possible to assess the composition, bio-productivity and ecological state of waters in real time, and to validate the data of satellite scanners. The method is based on retrieval the spectral distribution of BAC by orthogonal functions. Full spectral distribution in range 416 - 677 nm allows to select spectral sites with a dominant contribution of certain substance in BAC and to obtain the content of yellow substance and suspended matter using specially designed optimization technique. Calculated values are in good agreement with the satellite data obtained from MODIS scanner.

Topology of genetic associations between regional gray matter volume and intellectual ability: Evidence for a high capacity network.

PubMed

Bohlken, Marc M; Brouwer, Rachel M; Mandl, René C W; Hedman, Anna M; van den Heuvel, Martijn P; van Haren, Neeltje E M; Kahn, René S; Hulshoff Pol, Hilleke E

2016-01-01

Intelligence is associated with a network of distributed gray matter areas including the frontal and parietal higher association cortices and primary processing areas of the temporal and occipital lobes. Efficient information transfer between gray matter regions implicated in intelligence is thought to be critical for this trait to emerge. Genetic factors implicated in intelligence and gray matter may promote a high capacity for information transfer. Whether these genetic factors act globally or on local gray matter areas separately is not known. Brain maps of phenotypic and genetic associations between gray matter volume and intelligence were made using structural equation modeling of 3T MRI T1-weighted scans acquired in 167 adult twins of the newly acquired U-TWIN cohort. Subsequently, structural connectivity analyses (DTI) were performed to test the hypothesis that gray matter regions associated with intellectual ability form a densely connected core. Gray matter regions associated with intellectual ability were situated in the right prefrontal, bilateral temporal, bilateral parietal, right occipital and subcortical regions. Regions implicated in intelligence had high structural connectivity density compared to 10,000 reference networks (p=0.031). The genetic association with intelligence was for 39% explained by a genetic source unique to these regions (independent of total brain volume), this source specifically implicated the right supramarginal gyrus. Using a twin design, we show that intelligence is genetically represented in a spatially distributed and densely connected network of gray matter regions providing a high capacity infrastructure. Although genes for intelligence have overlap with those for total brain volume, we present evidence that there are genes for intelligence that act specifically on the subset of brain areas that form an efficient brain network. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Particle size and composition distribution analysis of automotive brake abrasion dusts for the evaluation of antimony sources of airborne particulate matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iijima, Akihiro; Sato, Keiichi; Yano, Kiyoko; Tago, Hiroshi; Kato, Masahiko; Kimura, Hirokazu; Furuta, Naoki

Abrasion dusts from three types of commercially available non-steel brake pads were generated by a brake dynamometer at disk temperatures of 200, 300 and 400 °C. The number concentration of the abrasion dusts and their aerodynamic diameters ( Dp) were measured by using an aerodynamic particle sizer (APS) spectrometer with high temporal and size resolution. Simultaneously, the abrasion dusts were also collected based on their size by using an Andersen low-volume sampler, and the concentrations of metallic elements (K, Ti, Fe, Cu, Zn, Sb and Ba) in the size-classified dusts were measured by ICP-AES and ICP-MS. The number distributions of the brake abrasion dusts had a peak at Dp values of 1 and 2 μm; this peak shifted to the coarse side with an increase in the disk temperature. The mass distributions calculated from the number distributions have peaks between Dp values of 3 and 6 μm. The shapes of the elemental mass distributions (Ti, Fe, Cu, Zn, Sb and Ba) in size-classified dusts were very similar to the total mass distributions of the brake abrasion dusts. These experimental results indicated that the properties of brake abrasion dusts were consistent with the characteristics of Sb-enriched fine airborne particulate matter. Based on these findings and statistical data, the estimation of Sb emission as airborne particulate matter from friction brakes was also discussed.

White matter tract signatures of impaired social cognition in frontotemporal lobar degeneration

PubMed Central

Downey, Laura E.; Mahoney, Colin J.; Buckley, Aisling H.; Golden, Hannah L.; Henley, Susie M.; Schmitz, Nicole; Schott, Jonathan M.; Simpson, Ivor J.; Ourselin, Sebastien; Fox, Nick C.; Crutch, Sebastian J.; Warren, Jason D.

2015-01-01

Impairments of social cognition are often leading features in frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and likely to reflect large-scale brain network disintegration. However, the neuroanatomical basis of impaired social cognition in FTLD and the role of white matter connections have not been defined. Here we assessed social cognition in a cohort of patients representing two core syndromes of FTLD, behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD; n = 29) and semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA; n = 15), relative to healthy older individuals (n = 37) using two components of the Awareness of Social Inference Test, canonical emotion identification and sarcasm identification. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to derive white matter tract correlates of social cognition performance and compared with the distribution of grey matter atrophy on voxel-based morphometry. The bvFTD and svPPA groups showed comparably severe deficits for identification of canonical emotions and sarcasm, and these deficits were correlated with distributed and overlapping white matter tract alterations particularly affecting frontotemporal connections in the right cerebral hemisphere. The most robust DTI associations were identified in white matter tracts linking cognitive and evaluative processing with emotional responses: anterior thalamic radiation, fornix (emotion identification) and uncinate fasciculus (sarcasm identification). DTI associations of impaired social cognition were more consistent than corresponding grey matter associations. These findings delineate a brain network substrate for the social impairment that characterises FTLD syndromes. The findings further suggest that DTI can generate sensitive and functionally relevant indexes of white matter damage in FTLD, with potential to transcend conventional syndrome boundaries. PMID:26236629

Distribution and sources of aliphatic hydrocarbons and fatty acids in surface sediments of a tropical estuary south west coast of India (Cochin estuary).

PubMed

Gireeshkumar, T R; Deepulal, P M; Chandramohanakumar, N

2015-03-01

Surface sediments samples from the Cochin estuary were measured for elemental, stable isotopic and molecular biomarkers (aliphatic hydrocarbons and fatty acids) to study the sources and distribution of sedimentary organic matter. Concentrations of total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) and stable isotopic ratios of carbon (δ(13)C) ranged from 0.62 to 2.74 %, 0.09 to 0.25 % and -27.5 to 21.7 ‰, respectively. Sedimentary n-alkanes ranged from 6.03 to 43.23 μg g(-1) with an average of 16.79 μg g(-1), while total fatty acids varied from 22.55 to 440.69 μg g(-1). The TOC/TN ratios and δ(13)C suggest a mixture of marine- and terrestrial-derived organic matter in the surface sediments with increasing contributions from marine-derived organic matter towards the seaward side. Long-chain n-alkanes derived from higher plants predominated the inner part of the estuary, while short-chain n-alkanes derived from planktonic sources predominated the bar mouth region. The even carbon preference of the C12-C22 n-alkanes may refer to the direct biogenic contribution from bacteria, fungi and yeast species and to the potential direct petroleum inputs. The presence of odd mid-chain n-alkanes in the sediments indicates the organic matter inputs from submerged and floating macrophytes (water hyacinth). Various molecular indices such as carbon preference index, terrestrial to aquatic ratio, average chain length and the ratios of mid-chain n-alkanes support the aforementioned inferences. The high contribution of odd and branched chain fatty acids along with very low contribution of polyunsaturated fatty acids, suggest the effective utilisation of algae-derived organic matter by bacteria and the effective recycling of labile organic matter in whole settling and deposition processes. The distributional variability of n-alkanes and fatty acids reveals the preferential utilisation of marine-derived organic matter and the selective preservation of terrestrial-derived organic matter in surface sediments of the Cochin estuary.

Nuclear matter compressibility from isoscalar giant monopole resonance

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

Shlomo, S.; Youngblood, D.H.

1993-02-01

We examine the status of the nuclear matter compressibility [ital K][sub nm] obtained from experimental data of the strength distribution of the giant monopole resonance in nuclei and employing a least-squares fit to a semiempirical expansion of the nucleus compressibility [ital K][sub [ital A

IDENTIFICATION AND EMISSION RATES OF MOLECULAR TRACERS IN COAL SMOKE PARTICULATE MATTER. (R823990)

EPA Science Inventory

The abundances and distributions of organic constituents in coal smoke particulate matter are dependent on thermal combustion temperature, ventilation, burn time, and coal rank (geologic maturity). Important coal rank indicators from smoke include (1) the decreases in CPIs of ...