1,276 research outputs found

    The Equation of State for Cool Relativistic Two-Constituent Superfluid Dynamics

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    The natural relativistic generalisation of Landau's two constituent superfluid theory can be formulated in terms of a Lagrangian LL that is given as a function of the entropy current 4-vector sρs^\rho and the gradient ∇φ\nabla\varphi of the superfluid phase scalar. It is shown that in the ``cool" regime, for which the entropy is attributable just to phonons (not rotons), the Lagrangian function L(s⃗,∇φ)L(\vec s, \nabla\varphi) is given by an expression of the form L=P−3ψL=P-3\psi where PP represents the pressure as a function just of ∇φ\nabla\varphi in the (isotropic) cold limit. The entropy current dependent contribution ψ\psi represents the generalised pressure of the (non-isotropic) phonon gas, which is obtained as the negative of the corresponding grand potential energy per unit volume, whose explicit form has a simple algebraic dependence on the sound or ``phonon" speed cPc_P that is determined by the cold pressure function PP.Comment: 26 pages, RevTeX, no figures, published in Phys. Rev. D. 15 May 199

    Enhancing the practical utility of risk assessments in climate change adaptation

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    In 2012, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) moved from a vulnerability to a risk-based conception of climate change adaptation. However, there are few examples of work that translates this approach into climate change adaptation practice, in order to demonstrate the practical utility of following a risk-based approach to adapting to climate change. The paper explores critically the differing conceptions of vulnerability and risk across the literature relating to disaster risk management and climate change adaptation. The paper also examines a selection of spatially focused climate change vulnerability and risk assessment methodologies in this context. In doing so, we identify issues with the availability of spatial data to enable spatial risk-based climate change assessments. We argue that the concept of risk is potentially favorable in helping cities to understand the challenges posed by climate change, identify adaptation options, and build resilience to the changing climate. However, we suggest that change is needed in the way that practitioners and policymakers engage with risk-based concepts if they are to be embed into climate change adaptation activities

    Testing models of Cenozoic exhumation in the Western Greater Caucasus

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    The Greater Caucasus form the northernmost deformation front of the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone. Earlier thermochronometric studies on the crystalline core of the western Greater Caucasus highlighted an abrupt along-strike increase in cooling ages to the west of Mt. Elbrus. Twenty-eight thermochronometric analyses conducted as part of this study confirm this pattern. Overall Cenozoic exhumation was restricted to less than 5-7 km, with slow to moderate punctuated Oligo-Miocene cooling. Cooling rates increased during the Late Miocene to Pliocene. These are most rapid east of Mt. Elbrus, where they probably increased later than farther west (at c. 5 Ma rather than 10-8 Ma). Differential cooling rates do not appear to be driven by lateral variations in tectonic shortening. The region undergoing rapid young cooling does coincide, however, with an area of mantle-sourced Late Miocene and younger magmatism. Thermal relaxation or overprinting is ruled out because geomorphic and modern sediment flux data mirror the thermochronometric trends. The buoyancy effects of demonstrable mantle upwelling are capable of causing the magnitude of exhumation-related cooling recorded in this study, but typically act over wavelengths of several 100 km. We suggest that lithospheric heterogeneities are responsible for modulating the shorter wavelength differences in exhumation rate documented here. These heterogeneities may include the continuation of the same structures responsible for the eastern margin of the Stavropol High to the north of the Caucasus, although further work is required. Similar abrupt variations in mantle-supported uplift and exhumation modulated by crustal structure may occur in other mountain belts worldwide

    Estimates of Potentially Mineralizable Soil Nitrogen Based on Short-term Incubations

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    Nitrogen mineralization potentials were determined for a large number of soils by a method involving determination of N mineralized after several consecutive incubations at 35C under optimum soil water conditions. The determination of N mineralization potential, No, based on the first-order equation, log (No — Nt) = log No — kt/2.303, is laborious and usually requires incubation periods of 8 weeks or more. From the present study, involving soils from major agricultural areas throughout the United States, it was demonstrated that No could be estimated reliably from the amounts of N mineralized during 2-week incubations following preliminary incubations of 1 to 2 weeks. From the above first-order equation, No = Nt / (1-10–kt/2.303). Hence, for a 2-week incubation (t = 2), No = 9.77Nt (Nt = N mineralized in 2 weeks and k is the rate constant, weeks-1). Estimates of No from short-term incubations were similar to those derived after extensive periods of incubation. Preincubation of soils is required in order to decompose plant residues and for other possible reasons noted. Estimates of No from preliminary incubations are meaningless. The implications of No as a basis for predicting amounts of soil N mineralized under fluctuating temperature and soil water conditions are discussed

    Vegetative fragment production as a means of propagule dispersal for tropical seagrass meadows

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    Background and aims: Long distance dispersal (LDD) contributes to the replenishment and recovery of tropical seagrass habitats exposed to disturbance, such as cyclones and infrastructure development. However, our current knowledge regarding the physical attributes of seagrass fragments that influence LDD predominantly stems from temperate species and regions. The goal of this paper is to measure seagrass fragment density and viability in two tropical species, assessing various factors influencing their distribution. Methods: We measured the density and viability of floating seagrass fragments for two tropical seagrass species (Zostera muelleri and Halodule uninervis) in two coastal seagrass meadows in the central Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, Australia. We assessed the effect of wind speed, wind direction, seagrass growing/senescent season, seagrass meadow density, meadow location and dugong foraging intensity on fragment density. We also measured seagrass fragment structure and fragment viability; i.e., potential to establish into a new plant. Key results: We found that seagrass meadow density, season, wind direction and wind speed influenced total fragment density, while season and wind speed influenced the density of viable fragments. Dugong foraging intensity did not influence fragment density. Our results indicate that wave action from winds combined with high seagrass meadow density increases seagrass fragment creation, and that more fragments are produced during the growing than the senescent season. Seagrass fragments classified as viable for Z. muelleri and H. uninervis had significantly more shoots and leaves than non-viable fragments. We collected 0.63 (±0.08 SE) floating viable fragments 100 m−2 in the growing season, and 0.13 (±0.03 SE) viable fragments 100 m−2 in the senescent season. Over a third (38%) of all fragments collected were viable. Conclusion: There is likely to be a large number of viable seagrass fragments available for long distance dispersal. This study's outputs can inform dispersal and connectivity models that are used to direct seagrass ecosystem management and conservation strategies

    Cometary charge exchange diagnostics in UV and X‐ray

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    Since the initial discovery of cometary charge exchange emission, more than 20 comets have been observed with a variety of X‐ray and UV observatories. This observational sample offers a broad variety of comets, solar wind environments and observational conditions. It clearly demonstrates that solar wind charge exchange emission provides a wealth of diagnostics, which are visible as spatial, temporal, and spectral emission features. We review the possibilities and limitations of each of those in this contribution (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91138/1/335_ftp.pd

    Properties of hyperkahler manifolds and their twistor spaces

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    We describe the relation between supersymmetric sigma-models on hyperkahler manifolds, projective superspace, and twistor space. We review the essential aspects and present a coherent picture with a number of new results.Comment: 26 pages. v2: Sign mistakes corrected; Kahler potential explicitly calculated in example; references added. v3: Published version--several small clarifications per referee's reques

    The impact of COVID-19 zoo closures on behavioural and physiological parameters of welfare in primates

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    Primates are some of the most cognitively advanced species held in zoos, and their interactions with visitors are complex. The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to understand the impact of zoo visitors on animals, in comparison to “empty zoos”. This study sought to understand the impact of facility closures and subsequent reopenings on behavioural and physiological parameters of welfare in four primate species housed in the UK: bonobos (Pan paniscus) (n = 8), chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) (n = 11), and western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) (n = 6) held at Twycross Zoo (TZ); and olive baboons (Papio anubis) (n = 192) held at Knowsley Safari (KS). Behavioural data were collected from April–September 2020 (KS) and November 2020–January 2021 (TZ). Faecal samples were collected during morning checks from October–November (TZ) and July–November 2020 (KS). Faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGMs) were measured using ELISA kits. Statistical analysis for behavioural observations was undertaken using general linear models. Enclosure usage was assessed using t-tests and Mann–Whitney U-tests as appropriate. Bonobos and gorillas spent less time alone when facilities were open to the public (p = 0.004, p = 0.02 respectively). Gorillas spent less time resting when the facility was open to the public (p = 0.04), and chimpanzees engaged in more feeding (p = 0.02) and engagement with enrichment (p = 0.03) when the zoo was open to the public than when it was closed. Olive baboons performed less sexual and dominance behaviour and approached visitor cars more frequently when the safari park was opened to the public than they did the ranger’s vehicle during closure periods. There were no significant changes in physiological parameters for any of the study species. The results suggest variable impacts of the zoo closures on zoo-housed primates. We recommend future work that seeks to understand the impact of individual-level differences on “visitor effects” and that differences between animal experiences in zoos and safari parks are further explored in a range of species
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