Break up of returning plasma after the 7 June 2011 filament eruption by Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities

A prominence eruption on 7 June 2011 produced spectacular curtains of plasma falling through the lower corona. At the solar surface they created an incredible display of extreme ultraviolet brightenings. The aim is to identify and analyze some of the local instabilities which produce structure in the falling plasma. The structures were investigated using SDO/AIA 171A and 193A images in which the falling plasma appeared dark against the bright coronal emission. Several instances of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability were investigated. In two cases the Alfven velocity associated with the dense plasma could be estimated from the separation of the Rayleigh-Taylor fingers. A second type of feature, which has the appearance of self-similar branching horns, is also discussed.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, submitted A&A. Movies are at http://www.mps.mpg.de/data/outgoing/innes/arcs_movie.avi and http://www.mps.mpg.de/data/outgoing/innes/horns_movie.av

Movement patterns of Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) linked to habitat structure and prey availability

Patterns of movement and habitat use by adult crown-of-thorns starfishes (Acanthaster spp.) will have a major bearing on their distribution, reproductive capacity, and impacts on coral assemblages and reef ecosystems. The spatial and temporal scales over which crown-ofthorns starfish move will also have important implications for the scales at which they will be most effectively managed. Movement patterns of crown-of-thorns starfish have been studied previously, though mostly over small distances (metres) and limited timeframes (minutes to hours). This study reports on explicit studies that measured the movement rates and movement patterns of Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) at a range of temporal and spatial scales. In the first instance, we measured the instantaneous movement rates of starfish (n = 218) across different substrates; sand, coral rubble and consolidated carbonate pavement. This study was conducted in a large (5m diameter) tank, using video recordings that were then analysed to determine the mean and maximum rates of movement over successive 15-second intervals. To assess movement patterns of A. cf. solaris in the field, short-term tagging and movement studies were undertaken at Rib Reef, in the central GBR. All starfish (n = 357) recorded on semi-permanent transects were individually tagged using numbered pieces of flagging tape. The precise position of each starfish (where detected) was then recorded during successive surveys during day and night for up to 4 days. To further scale-up movement studies for crownof-thorns starfish we tagged 50 crown-of-thorns starfish using V7 (69KHZ) acoustic transmitters, at Lodestone Reef or Big Broadhurst Reef. The position of these starfish relative to acoustic receivers deployed 50-200m along the edge of the reef was recorded (at 3-minute intervals) for up to 8 months. Passive acoustic monitoring was intended to provide greater insights into longer-term (weeks to months) and larger-scale (kilometres) patterns of movement for crown-of-thorns starfish, but provided much less resolution regarding fine-scale movements of individual starfish. Instantaneous measures of movement capacity for A. cf. solaris (in aquaria) showed that these starfish are capable of moving at 20-35 cm per minute, and move fastest over sand. Despite their capacity for movement, field-based studies suggested that crown-of-thorns starfish actually move very little at scales of days to weeks, and even months. For starfish that were tagged with temporary visual markers, the minimum displacement distance recorded for the majority of starfish (88.0%) was <2m throughout the course of the study. Moreover, starfish that did move to feed (mostly at night) often returned to the same resting location between feeding bouts. Similarly, starfish tagged with acoustic transmitters for up to 6 months were only ever detected on adjacent receivers with large overlap in their ranges, suggesting that all starfish remained within 50-100m of where they were initially found and tagged for up to 6- months. The frequency and duration of passive detections varied greatly among individual starfish tagged with transmitters, with detections peaking in early hours of the morning. While this study shows that it is possible to effectively tag crown-of-thorns starfish, both over short and longer time-frames, there were considerable logistical challenges to documenting occasional large-scale, and presumably quite rapid, displacement of individual starfish. It is clear that crown-of-thorns starfish generally move very little and remain within localised areas (even returning to the same sheltering location between successive feeding bouts) of moderate to high coral cover. However, Acanthaster spp. are also capable of moving large distances when necessary, presumably when coral prey are locally depleted. It will be important to understand the nature and scale of both modes of movement to effectively manage population irruptions of crown-of-thorns starfish. Documenting the incidence and rates of movement during these infrequent events remains a priority for future research

Relative efficacy of three approaches to mitigate Crown‑of‑Thorns Starfish outbreaks on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef

Population outbreaks of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (COTS; Acanthaster spp.) are a major contributor to loss of hard coral throughout the Indo-Pacific. On Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR), management interventions have evolved over four COTS outbreaks to include: (1) manual COTS control, (2) Marine Protected Area (MPA) zoning, and, (3) water quality improvement. Here we evaluate the contribution of these three approaches to managing population outbreaks of COTS to minimize coral loss. Strategic manual control at sites reduced COTS numbers, including larger, more fecund and damaging individuals. Sustained reduction in COTS densities and improvements in hard coral cover at a site were achieved through repeated control visits. MPAs influenced initial COTS densities but only marginally influenced final hard coral cover following COTS control. Water quality improvement programs have achieved only marginal reductions in river nutrient loads delivered to the GBR and the study region. This, a subsequent COTS outbreak, and declining coral cover across the region suggest their contributions are negligible. These findings support manual control as the most direct, and only effective, means of reducing COTS densities and improving hard coral cover currently available at a site. We provide recommendations for improving control program effectiveness with application to supporting reef resilience across the Indo-Pacific

Body Size and Substrate Type Modulate Movement by the Western Pacific Crown-Of-Thorns Starfish, Acanthaster solaris

The movement capacity of the crown-of-thorns starfishes (Acanthaster spp.) is a primary determinant of both their distribution and impact on coral assemblages. We quantified individual movement rates for the Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster solaris) ranging in size from 75–480 mm total diameter, across three different substrates (sand, flat consolidated pavement, and coral rubble) on the northern Great Barrier Reef. The mean (±SE) rate of movement for smaller (diameter) A. solaris was 23.99 ± 1.02 cm/ min and 33.41 ± 1.49 cm/ min for individuals \u3e350 mm total diameter. Mean (±SE) rates of movement varied with substrate type, being much higher on sand (36.53 ± 1.31 cm/ min) compared to consolidated pavement (28.04 ± 1.15 cm/ min) and slowest across coral rubble (17.25 ± 0.63 cm/ min). If average rates of movement measured here can be sustained, in combination with strong directionality, displacement distances of adult A. solaris could range from 250–520 m/ day, depending on the prevailing substrate. Sustained movement of A. solaris is, however, likely to be highly constrained by habitat heterogeneity, energetic constraints, resource availability, and diurnal patterns of activity, thereby limiting their capacity to move between reefs or habitats

3,5-Dimethyl-4-nitroso-1H-pyrazole

In the unit cell of the title compound, C5H7N3O, there are two conformers (A and B) which differ in the position of the oxime group with respect to the protonated pyrazole nitro­gen (trans in the A conformer and cis in the B conformer) and in the geometric parameters. The oxime group exists in the nitroso form in both conformers. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked by inter­molecular N—H⋯O and N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds into zigzag-like chains along the b axis

Measurements of fiducial and differential cross sections for Higgs boson production in the diphoton decay channel at s√=8 TeV with ATLAS

Measurements of fiducial and differential cross sections are presented for Higgs boson production in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of s√=8 TeV. The analysis is performed in the H → γγ decay channel using 20.3 fb−1 of data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The signal is extracted using a fit to the diphoton invariant mass spectrum assuming that the width of the resonance is much smaller than the experimental resolution. The signal yields are corrected for the effects of detector inefficiency and resolution. The pp → H → γγ fiducial cross section is measured to be 43.2 ±9.4(stat.) − 2.9 + 3.2 (syst.) ±1.2(lumi)fb for a Higgs boson of mass 125.4GeV decaying to two isolated photons that have transverse momentum greater than 35% and 25% of the diphoton invariant mass and each with absolute pseudorapidity less than 2.37. Four additional fiducial cross sections and two cross-section limits are presented in phase space regions that test the theoretical modelling of different Higgs boson production mechanisms, or are sensitive to physics beyond the Standard Model. Differential cross sections are also presented, as a function of variables related to the diphoton kinematics and the jet activity produced in the Higgs boson events. The observed spectra are statistically limited but broadly in line with the theoretical expectations

Measurement of the production of a W boson in association with a charm quark in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The production of a W boson in association with a single charm quark is studied using 4.6 fb−1 of pp collision data at s√ = 7 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. In events in which a W boson decays to an electron or muon, the charm quark is tagged either by its semileptonic decay to a muon or by the presence of a charmed meson. The integrated and differential cross sections as a function of the pseudorapidity of the lepton from the W-boson decay are measured. Results are compared to the predictions of next-to-leading-order QCD calculations obtained from various parton distribution function parameterisations. The ratio of the strange-to-down sea-quark distributions is determined to be 0.96+0.26−0.30 at Q 2 = 1.9 GeV2, which supports the hypothesis of an SU(3)-symmetric composition of the light-quark sea. Additionally, the cross-section ratio σ(W + +c¯¯)/σ(W − + c) is compared to the predictions obtained using parton distribution function parameterisations with different assumptions about the s−s¯¯¯ quark asymmetry

Measurement of χ c1 and χ c2 production with s√ = 7 TeV pp collisions at ATLAS

The prompt and non-prompt production cross-sections for the χ c1 and χ c2 charmonium states are measured in pp collisions at s√ = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC using 4.5 fb−1 of integrated luminosity. The χ c states are reconstructed through the radiative decay χ c → J/ψγ (with J/ψ → μ + μ −) where photons are reconstructed from γ → e + e − conversions. The production rate of the χ c2 state relative to the χ c1 state is measured for prompt and non-prompt χ c as a function of J/ψ transverse momentum. The prompt χ c cross-sections are combined with existing measurements of prompt J/ψ production to derive the fraction of prompt J/ψ produced in feed-down from χ c decays. The fractions of χ c1 and χ c2 produced in b-hadron decays are also measured

Measurement of the cross-section and charge asymmetry of WW bosons produced in proton-proton collisions at s=8\sqrt{s}=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper presents measurements of the $W^+ \rightarrow \mu^+\nu$ and $W^- \rightarrow \mu^-\nu$ cross-sections and the associated charge asymmetry as a function of the absolute pseudorapidity of the decay muon. The data were collected in proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC and correspond to a total integrated luminosity of 20.2~\mbox{fb^{-1}}. The precision of the cross-section measurements varies between 0.8% to 1.5% as a function of the pseudorapidity, excluding the 1.9% uncertainty on the integrated luminosity. The charge asymmetry is measured with an uncertainty between 0.002 and 0.003. The results are compared with predictions based on next-to-next-to-leading-order calculations with various parton distribution functions and have the sensitivity to discriminate between them.Comment: 38 pages in total, author list starting page 22, 5 figures, 4 tables, submitted to EPJC. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at https://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/STDM-2017-13

Search for squarks and gluinos in events with isolated leptons, jets and missing transverse momentum at s√=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The results of a search for supersymmetry in final states containing at least one isolated lepton (electron or muon), jets and large missing transverse momentum with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider are reported. The search is based on proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy s√=8 TeV collected in 2012, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20 fb−1. No significant excess above the Standard Model expectation is observed. Limits are set on supersymmetric particle masses for various supersymmetric models. Depending on the model, the search excludes gluino masses up to 1.32 TeV and squark masses up to 840 GeV. Limits are also set on the parameters of a minimal universal extra dimension model, excluding a compactification radius of 1/R c = 950 GeV for a cut-off scale times radius (ΛR c) of approximately 30