An arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus accelerates decomposition and acquires nitrogen directly from organic material

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (order Glomales), which form mycorrhizal symbioses with two out of three of all plant species, are believed to be obligate biotrophs that are wholly dependent on the plant partner for their carbon supply. It is thought that they possess no degradative capability and that they are unable to decompose complex organic molecules, the form in which most soil nutrients occur. Earlier suggestions that they could exist saprotrophically were based on observation of hyphal proliferation on organic materials. In contrast, other mycorrhizal types have been shown to acquire nitrogen directly from organic sources. Here we show that the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis can both enhance decomposition of and increase nitrogen capture from complex organic material (grass leaves) in soil. Hyphal growth of the fungal partner was increased in the presence of the organic material, independently of the host plant

Nationwide forestry applications program: Corrections to forest reflectance as a function of low Sun angle and slope

There are no author-identified significant in this report

Highly frustrated spin-lattice models of magnetism and their quantum phase transitions: A microscopic treatment via the coupled cluster method

We outline how the coupled cluster method of microscopic quantum many-body theory can be utilized in practice to give highly accurate results for the ground-state properties of a wide variety of highly frustrated and strongly correlated spin-lattice models of interest in quantum magnetism, including their quantum phase transitions. The method itself is described, and it is shown how it may be implemented in practice to high orders in a systematically improvable hierarchy of (so-called LSUB$m$) approximations, by the use of computer-algebraic techniques. The method works from the outset in the thermodynamic limit of an infinite lattice at all levels of approximation, and it is shown both how the "raw" LSUB$m$ results are themselves generally excellent in the sense that they converge rapidly, and how they may accurately be extrapolated to the exact limit, $m \rightarrow \infty$, of the truncation index $m$, which denotes the {\it only} approximation made. All of this is illustrated via a specific application to a two-dimensional, frustrated, spin-half $J^{XXZ}_{1}$--$J^{XXZ}_{2}$ model on a honeycomb lattice with nearest-neighbor and next-nearest-neighbor interactions with exchange couplings $J_{1}>0$ and $J_{2} \equiv \kappa J_{1} > 0$, respectively, where both interactions are of the same anisotropic $XXZ$ type. We show how the method can be used to determine the entire zero-temperature ground-state phase diagram of the model in the range $0 \leq \kappa \leq 1$ of the frustration parameter and $0 \leq \Delta \leq 1$ of the spin-space anisotropy parameter. In particular, we identify a candidate quantum spin-liquid region in the phase space

Spin-1/2 J1J_{1}-J2J_{2} Heisenberg model on a cross-striped square lattice

Using the coupled cluster method (CCM) we study the full (zero-temperature) ground-state (GS) phase diagram of a spin-half ($s=1/2$) $J_{1}$-$J_{2}$ Heisenberg model on a cross-striped square lattice. Each site of the square lattice has 4 nearest-neighbour exchange bonds of strength $J_{1}$ and 2 next-nearest-neighbour (diagonal) bonds of strength $J_{2}$. The $J_{2}$ bonds are arranged so that the basic square plaquettes in alternating columns have either both or no $J_{2}$ bonds included. The classical ($s \rightarrow \infty$) version of the model has 4 collinear phases when $J_{1}$ and $J_{2}$ can take either sign. Three phases are antiferromagnetic (AFM), showing so-called N\'{e}el, double N\'{e}el and double columnar striped order respectively, while the fourth is ferromagnetic. For the quantum $s=1/2$ model we use the 3 classical AFM phases as CCM reference states, on top of which the multispin-flip configurations arising from quantum fluctuations are incorporated in a systematic truncation hierarchy. Calculations of the corresponding GS energy, magnetic order parameter and the susceptibilities of the states to various forms of valence-bond crystalline (VBC) order are thus carried out numerically to high orders of approximation and then extrapolated to the (exact) physical limit. We find that the $s=1/2$ model has 5 phases, which correspond to the four classical phases plus a new quantum phase with plaquette VBC order. The positions of the 5 quantum critical points are determined with high accuracy. While all 4 phase transitions in the classical model are first order, we find strong evidence that 3 of the 5 quantum phase transitions in the $s=1/2$ model are of continuous deconfined type

A frustrated spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet on a chevron-square lattice

The coupled cluster method (CCM) is used to study the zero-temperature properties of a frustrated spin-half ($s={1}{2}$) $J_{1}$--$J_{2}$ Heisenberg antiferromagnet (HAF) on a 2D chevron-square lattice. Each site on an underlying square lattice has 4 nearest-neighbor exchange bonds of strength $J_{1}>0$ and 2 next-nearest-neighbor (diagonal) bonds of strength $J_{2} \equiv x J_{1}>0$, with each square plaquette having only one diagonal bond. The diagonal bonds form a chevron pattern, and the model thus interpolates smoothly between 2D HAFs on the square ($x=0$) and triangular ($x=1$) lattices, and also extrapolates to disconnected 1D HAF chains ($x \to \infty$). The classical ($s \to \infty$) version of the model has N\'{e}el order for $0 < x < x_{{\rm cl}}$ and a form of spiral order for $x_{{\rm cl}} < x < \infty$, where $x_{{\rm cl}} = {1}{2}$. For the $s={1}{2}$ model we use both these classical states, as well as other collinear states not realized as classical ground-state (GS) phases, as CCM reference states, on top of which the multispin-flip configurations resulting from quantum fluctuations are incorporated in a systematic truncation scheme, which we carry out to high orders and extrapolate to the physical limit. We calculate the GS energy, GS magnetic order parameter, and the susceptibilities of the states to various forms of valence-bond crystalline (VBC) order, including plaquette and two different dimer forms. We find that the $s={1}{2}$ model has two quantum critical points, at $x_{c_{1}} \approx 0.72(1)$ and $x_{c_{2}} \approx 1.5(1)$, with N\'{e}el order for $0 < x < x_{c_{1}}$, a form of spiral order for $x_{c_{1}} < x < x_{c_{2}}$ that includes the correct three-sublattice $120^{\circ}$ spin ordering for the triangular-lattice HAF at $x=1$, and parallel-dimer VBC order for $x_{c_{2}} < x < \infty$

Electroslag and electrogas welding

These two new joining methods perform welding in the vertical position, and therein lies the secret of their impressive advantages in material handling, in weld preparation, in welding speed, in freedom from distortion, and in weld soundness. Once the work has been set in the proper vertical position for welding, no further plate handling is required. The molten filler metal is held in place by copper shoes or dams, and the weld is completed in one pass

Experimental investigations of a uranium plasma pertinent to a self sustaining plasma source Annual technical report, 1 Jan. - 31 Dec. 1969

Uranium plasmas with temperature and radiation measurement

Engineering calculations for communications satellite systems planning

Observed solution times were analyzed for the extended gradient and cyclic coordinate search procedures. The times used in the analysis come from computer runs made during a previously-reported experiment conducted to assess the quality of the solutions to a BSS synthesis problem found by the two search methods. The results of a second experiment with a Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) test problem are also presented. Computational results are summarized for mixed integer programming approaches for solving FSS synthesis problems. A promising heuristic algorithm is described. A synthesis model is discussed for orbital arc allotment optimization. Research plans for the near future are also presented