The Role of Opacities in Stellar Pulsation

We examine the role of opacities in stellar pulsation with reference to Cepheids and RR Lyraes, and examine the effect of augmented opacities on the theoretical pulsation light curves in key temperature ranges. The temperature ranges are provided by recent experimental and theoretical work that have suggested that the iron opacities have been considerably underestimated. For Cepheids, we find that the augmented opacities have noticeable effects in certain period ranges (around $\log P \approx 1$) even though there is a degeneracy with mixing length. We also find significant effects in theoretical models of B-star pulsators.Comment: 6 pages, 3 Figures, Proceeding for the "Workshop on Astrophysical Opacities

Studies on Physico-Chemical, Sensory and Microbiological Quality of Kinnow Juice Blends under Refrigerated Storage

Various fruit juice blends were prepared as (i) Kinnow juice:Aonla juice:Ginger juice in 100:0:0; 95:5:0; 92:5:3 ratios and Kinnow juice:Pomegranate juice:Ginger juice in 90:10:0; 87:10:3 ratios for improving flavour, palatability, nutritive value and medicinal value. The juice blends were preserved by pasteurization at 75°C or 85°C for 15 minutes, and, by adding potassium meta-bisulphite (KMS) at 500 or 750 ppm. These blends were stored in 200ml colourless glass bottles under refrigerated conditions (4±1°C) for six months and tested at three month intervals for physicochemical sensory quality and microbial population. Individual effect of juice blending ratio, processing temperature and KMS treatment was found to be significant for prolonging storage life and for maintaining an acceptable quality of the juice blends. The blend of Kinnow:Pomegranate:Ginger juice at 87:10:3 ratio, followed by Kinnow:Aonla:Ginger juice @ 92:5:3, processed at 75°C for 15 min with 750 ppm KMS, was the most effective for obtaining superior physico-chemical and sensory quality of the blend. However, minimum microbial population was recorded in the juice processed at 85°C (and not 75°C) with the same treatment combination

Modulated structure in the martensite phase of Ni1.8Pt0.2MnGa: a neutron diffraction study

7M orthorhombic modulated structure in the martensite phase of Ni1.8Pt0.2MnGa is reported by powder neutron diffraction study, which indicates that it is likely to exhibit magnetic field induced strain. The change in the unit cell volume is less than 0.5% between the austenite and martensite phases, as expected for a volume conserving martensite transformation. The magnetic structure analysis shows that the magnetic moment in the martensite phase is higher compared to Ni2MnGa, which is in good agreement with magnetization measurement

Thermodynamics of Plasmaballs and Plasmarings in 3+1 Dimensions

We study localized plasma configurations in 3+1 dimensional massive field theories obtained by Scherk-Schwarz compactification of 4+1 dimensional CFT to predict the thermodynamic properties of localized blackholes and blackrings in Scherk-Schwarz compactified $AdS_6$ using the AdS/CFT correspondence. We present an exact solution to the relativistic Navier-Stokes equation in the thin ring limit of the fluid configuration. We also perform a thorough numerical analysis to obtain the thermodynamic properties of the most general solution. Finally we compare our results with the recent proposal for the phase diagram of blackholes in six flat dimensions and find some similarities but other differences.Comment: 18 pages, 11 figures, latex; v2: Typos corrected and new references adde

Spatial heterogeneity in the radiogenic activity of the lunar interior: Inferences from CHACE and LLRI on Chandrayaan-1

In the past, clues on the potential radiogenic activity of the lunar interior have been obtained from the isotopic composition of noble gases like Argon. Excess Argon (40) relative to Argon (36), as compared to the solar wind composition, is generally ascribed to the radiogenic activity of the lunar interior. Almost all the previous estimates were based on, 'on-the-spot' measurements from the landing sites. Relative concentration of the isotopes of 40Ar and 36Ar along a meridian by the Chandra's Altitudinal Composition Explorer (CHACE) experiment, on the Moon Impact Probe (MIP) of India's first mission to Moon, has independently yielded clues on the possible spatial heterogeneity in the radiogenic activity of the lunar interior in addition to providing indicative 'antiquity' of the lunar surface along the ground track over the near side of the moon. These results are shown to broadly corroborate the independent topography measurements by the Lunar Laser Ranging Instrument (LLRI) in the main orbiter Chandrayaan-1. The unique combination of these experiments provided high spatial resolution data while indicating the possible close linkages between the lunar interior and the lunar ambience

Angiogenesis-dependent and independent phases of intimal hyperplasia.

BACKGROUND: Neointimal vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation is a primary cause of occlusive vascular disease, including atherosclerosis, restenosis after percutaneous interventions, and bypass graft stenosis. Angiogenesis is implicated in the progression of early atheromatous lesions in animal models, but its role in neointimal VSMC proliferation is undefined. Because percutaneous coronary interventions result in induction of periadventitial angiogenesis, we analyzed the role of this process in neointima formation. METHODS AND RESULTS: Local injury to the arterial wall in 2 different animal models induced periadventitial angiogenesis and neointima formation. Application of angiogenesis stimulators vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A165) or a proline/arginine-rich peptide (PR39) to the adventitia of the injured artery induced a marked increase in neointimal thickening beyond that seen with injury alone in both in vivo models. Inhibition of either VEGF (with soluble VEGF receptor 1 [sFlt1]) or fibroblast growth factor (FGF) (with a dominant=negative form of FGF receptor 1 [FGF-R1DN]), respectively, signaling reduced adventitial thickening induced by VEGF and PR39 to the level seen with mechanical arterial injury alone. However, neither inhibitor was effective in preventing neointimal thickening after mechanical injury when administered in the absence of angiogenic growth factor. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that adventitial angiogenesis stimulates intimal thickening but does not initiate it

Spatial distribution of Brevicoryne brassicae (L.) in Cabbage in mid-hills of Himachal Pradesh, India

Investigations were carried out during two consecutive Rabi seasons of 2014 and2015 at the Experi-mental Farm of the Department of Seed Science and Technology, Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and For-estry, Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India to study the spatial distribution of Brevicoryne brassicae in cabbage. One month old cabbage seedlings were planted in the field in the month of November during both the years. Distri-bution pattern of any insect population is an important aspect as it represents the interaction between individuals of the species and their habitat. Spatial distribution is useful for designing efficient sampling programmes for population estimation and development of population models. Spatial distribution is also important to understand the bioecology of the pest and to determine the sampling protocol for that species. In the present study variance to mean ratio (s2/X),mean crowding (X*), ratio of mean crowding to mean (X*/X), ‘k’ of negative binomial, Taylor’s power equation(s2 = 0.9099X1.55 during 2014 and s2 = 2.9861X1.1949 during 2015), Iwao’s patchiness regression and optimum number of samples (Nopt) required to achieve the desired precision were calculated for different densities. Cabbage aphid, B. brassicae appeared in the fourth standard week i.e last week of January( 26.2 aphids/ plant during 2014 and 0.30 aphids/ plant during 2015) and persisted upto thirteenth standard week i.e last week of April ( 18.4 aphids/ plant during 2014 and 18.2 aphids/ plant during 2015) and followed a negative binomial distribution during both years. Optimum number of samples (Nopt) required varied with mean density as well as precision level. The present study will serve as basic information to develop a sampling plan of B. Brassicae in cabbage for its monitoring and management

Irradiation of benzene molecules by ion-induced and light-induced intense fields

Benzene, with its sea of delocalized $\pi$-electrons in the valence orbitals, is identified as an example of a class of molecules that enable establishment of the correspondence between intense ion-induced and laser-light-induced fields in experiments that probe ionization dynamics in temporal regimes spanning the attosecond and picosecond ranges.Comment: 4 ps figure

Pattern formation during the evaporation of a colloidal nanoliter drop: a numerical and experimental study

An efficient way to precisely pattern particles on solid surfaces is to dispense and evaporate colloidal drops, as for bioassays. The dried deposits often exhibit complex structures exemplified by the coffee ring pattern, where most particles have accumulated at the periphery of the deposit. In this work, the formation of deposits during the drying of nanoliter colloidal drops on a flat substrate is investigated numerically and experimentally. A finite-element numerical model is developed that solves the Navier-Stokes, heat and mass transport equations in a Lagrangian framework. The diffusion of vapor in the atmosphere is solved numerically, providing an exact boundary condition for the evaporative flux at the droplet-air interface. Laplace stresses and thermal Marangoni stresses are accounted for. The particle concentration is tracked by solving a continuum advection-diffusion equation. Wetting line motion and the interaction of the free surface of the drop with the growing deposit are modeled based on criteria on wetting angles. Numerical results for evaporation times and flow field are in very good agreement with published experimental and theoretical results. We also performed transient visualization experiments of water and isopropanol drops loaded with polystyrene microsphere evaporating on respectively glass and polydimethylsiloxane substrates. Measured evaporation times, deposit shape and sizes, and flow fields are in very good agreement with the numerical results. Different flow patterns caused by the competition of Marangoni loops and radial flow are shown to determine the deposit shape to be either a ring-like pattern or a homogeneous bump