Seismic tests for solar models with tachocline mixing

We have computed accurate 1-D solar models including both a macroscopic mixing process in the solar tachocline as well as up-to-date microscopic physical ingredients. Using sound speed and density profiles inferred through primary inversion of the solar oscillation frequencies coupled with the equation of thermal equilibrium, we have extracted the temperature and hydrogen abundance profiles. These inferred quantities place strong constraints on our theoretical models in terms of the extent and strength of our macroscopic mixing, on the photospheric heavy elements abundance, on the nuclear reaction rates such as $S_{11}$ and $S_{34}$ and on the efficiency of the microscopic diffusion. We find a good overall agreement between the seismic Sun and our models if we introduce a macroscopic mixing in the tachocline and allow for variation within their uncertainties of the main physical ingredients. From our study we deduce that the solar hydrogen abundance at the solar age is $X_{\rm inv}=0.732\pm 0.001$ and that based on the $^9$Be photospheric depletion, the maximum extent of mixing in the tachocline is 5% of the solar radius. The nuclear reaction rate for the fundamental $pp$ reaction is found to be $S_{11}(0)=4.06\pm 0.07$ $10^{-25}$ MeV barns, i.e., 1.5% higher than the present theoretical determination. The predicted solar neutrino fluxes are discussed in the light of the new SNO/SuperKamiokande results.Comment: 16 pages, 12 figures, A&A in press (1) JILA, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0440, USA, (2) LUTH, Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, 92195 Meudon, France, (3) Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha road, Mumbai 400005, India, (4) Department of Physics, University of Mumbai, Mumbai 400098, Indi

Comparative morphometric analysis of bloodstream and lymph forms of Trypanosoma (T.) brucei brucei grown in vitro and in vivo

The fine structure of bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucei cultivated in vitro, and of trypanosomes from lymph and blood of mammalian hosts, was compared morphometrically. The cell volume, quantitative parameters of the mitochondrion and of glycosomes were mainly investigated. A Coulter Channelyzer was used for the first time to measure the mean cell volume of living parasites. In vitro, the monomorphic trypanosomes between the feeder layer cells showed lower values for mitochondrial parameters than the slightly pleomorphic forms from the supernatant medium. Trypanosomes in culture were very similar morphologically to forms from lymph nodes of rats. Despite some morphometric differences between cultivated blood stream forms and those grown in vivo, the similarity of both populations was clear. Both populations, however, differed significantly from stages found in the vector or from procyclic culture form

Is the solar convection zone in strict thermal wind balance?

Context: The solar rotation profile is conical rather than cylindrical as one could expect from classical rotating fluid dynamics (e.g. Taylor-Proudman theorem). Thermal coupling to the tachocline, baroclinic effects and latitudinal transport of heat have been advocated to explain this peculiar state of rotation. Aims: To test the validity of thermal wind balance in the solar convection zone using helioseismic inversions for both the angular velocity and fluctuations in entropy and temperature. Methods: Entropy and temperature fluctuations obtained from 3-D hydrodynamical numerical simulations of the solar convection zone are compared with solar profiles obtained from helioseismic inversions. Results: The temperature and entropy fluctuations in 3-D numerical simulations have smaller amplitude in the bulk of the solar convection zone than those found from seismic inversions. Seismic inversion find variations of temperature from about 1 K at the surface up to 100 K at the base of the convection zone while in 3-D simulations they are of order 10 K throughout the convection zone up to 0.96 $R_{\odot}$. In 3-D simulations, baroclinic effects are found to be important to tilt the isocontours of $\Omega$ away from a cylindrical profile in most of the convection zone helped by Reynolds and viscous stresses at some locations. By contrast the baroclinic effect inverted by helioseismology are much larger than what is required to yield the observed angular velocity profile. Conclusion: The solar convection does not appear to be in strict thermal wind balance, Reynolds stresses must play a dominant role in setting not only the equatorial acceleration but also the observed conical angular velocity profile.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures (low resolution), Accepted by Astronomy and Astrophysics - Affiliation: (1) AIM, CEA/DSM-CNRS-Univ. Paris Diderot, IRFU/SAp, France & (2) LUTH, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS-Univ. Paris Diderot, France ; (3) Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, India; (4) Centre for Basic Sciences, University of Mumbai, Indi

Interference features in scanning gate conductance maps of quantum point contacts with disorder

We consider quantum point contacts (QPCs) defined within disordered two-dimensional electron gases as studied by scanning gate microscopy. We evaluate the conductance maps in the Landauer approach and wave function picture of electron transport for samples with both low and high electron mobility at finite temperatures. We discuss the spatial distribution of the impurities in the context of the branched electron flow. We reproduce the surprising temperature stability of the experimental interference fringes far from the QPC. Next, we discuss -- previously undescribed -- funnel-shaped features that accompany splitting of the branches visible in previous experiments. Finally, we study elliptical interference fringes formed by an interplay of scattering by the point-like impurities and by the scanning probe. We discuss the details of the elliptical features as functions of the tip voltage and the temperature, showing that the first interference fringe is very robust against the thermal widening of the Fermi level. We present a simple analytical model that allows for extraction of the impurity positions and the electron gas depletion radius induced by the negatively charged tip of the atomic force microscope, and apply this model on experimental scanning gate images showing such elliptical fringes

Galaxy Selection and Clustering and Lyman alpha Absorber Identification

The effects of galaxy selection on our ability to constrain the nature of weak Ly\alpha absorbers at low redshift are explored. Current observations indicate the existence of a population of gas-rich, low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies, and these galaxies may have large cross sections for Ly\alpha absorption. Absorption arising in LSB galaxies may be attributed to HSB galaxies at larger impact parameters from quasar lines of sight, so that the observed absorption cross sections of galaxies may seem unreasonably large. Thus it is not possible to rule out scenarios where LSB galaxies make substantial contributions to Ly\alpha absorption using direct observations. Less direct tests, where observational selection effects are taken into account using simulations, should make it possible to determine the nature of Ly\alpha absorbers by observing a sample of ~100 galaxies around quasar lines of sight with well-defined selection criteria. Such tests, which involve comparing simulated and observed plots of the unidentified absorber fractions and absorbing galaxy fractions versus impact parameter, can distinguish between scenarios where absorbers arise in particular galaxies and those where absorbers arise in gas tracing the large scale galaxy distribution. Care must be taken to minimize selection effects even when using these tests. Results from such tests are likely to depend upon the limiting neutral hydrogen column density. While not enough data are currently available to make a strong conclusion about the nature of moderately weak absorbers, evidence is seen that such absorbers arise in gas that is around or between galaxies that are often not detected in surveys.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures, accepted to the Astrophysical Journa

Impingement of Water Droplets on NACA 65A004 Airfoil at 8 deg Angle of Attack

The trajectories of droplets in the air flowing past an NACA 65AO04 airfoil at an angle of attack of 8 deg were determined.. The amount of water in droplet form impinging on the airfoil, the area of droplet impingement, and the rate of droplet impingement per unit area on the airfoil surface were calculated from the trajectories and presented to cover a large range of flight and atmospheric conditions. These impingement characteristics are compared briefly with those previously reported for the same airfoil at an angle of attack of 4 deg

Comment on "Probabilistic Quantum Memories"

This is a comment on two wrong Phys. Rev. Letters papers by C.A. Trugenberger. Trugenberger claimed that quantum registers could be used as exponentially large "associative" memories. We show that his scheme is no better than one where the quantum register is replaced with a classical one of equal size. We also point out that the Holevo bound and more recent bounds on "quantum random access codes" pretty much rule out powerful memories (for classical information) based on quantum states.Comment: REVTeX4, 1 page, published versio

Dijet Cross Section and Longitudinal Double Spin Asymmetry Measurements in Polarized Proton-proton Collisions at \sqrt{s}=200 GeV at STAR

These proceedings show the preliminary results of the dijet cross sections and the dijet longitudinal double spin asymmetries A_LL in polarized proton-proton collisions at \sqrt{s} = 200 GeV at the mid-rapidity |eta| < 0.8. The integrated luminosity of 5.39 pb^{-1} collected during RHIC Run-6 was used in the measurements. The preliminary results are presented as functions of the dijet invariant mass M_jj. The dijet cross sections are in agreement with next-to-leading-order pQCD predictions. The A_LL is compared with theoretical predictions based on various parameterizations of polarized parton distributions of the proton. Projected precision of data analyzed to date from Run-9 are shown.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, Proceedings of the SPIN2010 conference (Juelich, Germany, 2010

Composite mirror facets for ground based gamma ray astronomy

Composite mirrors for gamma-ray astronomy have been developed to fulfill the specifications required for the next generation of Cherenkov telescopes represented by CTA (Cherenkov Telescope Array). In addition to the basic requirements on focus and reflection efficiency, the mirrors have to be stiff, lightweight, durable and cost efficient. In this paper, the technology developed to produce such mirrors is described, as well as some tests that have been performed to validate them. It is shown that these mirrors comply with the needs of CTA, making them good candidates for use on a significant part of the array.Comment: 16 pages, 13 figures, accepted to be published on NIM