The Close Binary Fraction of Dwarf M Stars

We describe a search for close spectroscopic dwarf M star binaries using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to address the question of the rate of occurrence of multiplicity in M dwarfs. We use a template-fitting technique to measure radial velocities from 145,888 individual spectra obtained for a magnitude-limited sample of 39,543 M dwarfs. Typically, the three or four spectra observed for each star are separated in time by less than four hours, but for ~17% of the stars, the individual observations span more than two days. In these cases we are sensitive to large-amplitude radial velocity variations on timescales comparable to the separation between the observations. We use a control sample of objects having observations taken within a four-hour period to make an empirical estimate of the underlying radial velocity error distribution and simulate our detection efficiency for a wide range of binary star systems. We find the frequency of binaries among the dwarf M stars with a < 0.4 AU to be 3%-4%. Comparison with other samples of binary stars demonstrates that the close binary fraction, like the total binary fraction, is an increasing function of primary mass

Congregational Polity and Associational Authority: The Evolution of Nonconformity in Britain, 1765-1865

Following the Evangelical Awakening, many of the Nonconformist traditions experienced an evolution in their ecclesiastical structure, resulting in the formation of new associations that frequently acted to establish pragmatic agencies like missionary societies, educational boards and social charities. The transition required new expressions of authority. Understanding the nature of this authority is the chief objective of this study. Chapter One introduces the various themes and goals of the study. Chapter Two explores the Hampshire Congregational Union. In addition to the Union’s structure, David Bogue and the Gosport Academy were central to this group’s identity. Chapter Three focuses on the Lancashire Congregational Union in the North West of England, home to William Roby, the central figure within Lancashire Congregationalism. Chapter Four covers the Lancashire and Yorkshire Baptist Association and the later Lancashire and Cheshire Baptist Association, where John Fawcett was the primary influence. The New Connexion of General Baptists, Chapter Five, was under the authoritative direction of Dan Taylor, a former Methodist and a zealous evangelist. Chapter Six analyses the Scotch Baptists. Peculiar among Baptists, it was created under the leadership of Archibald McLean. The British Churches of Christ, Chapter Seven, closely resembled the Scotch Baptists but were different in some fundamental ways. Finally, in Chapter Eight, patterns of associational authority among these associations will be compared and assessed. Authority among Nonconformist associations, particularly those denominations practising congregational polity, was exercised on the grounds of doctrinal purity and evangelistic expansion. As the nineteenth century continued, the organisational structures grew more complex. In turn, increased control was voluntarily granted to the organisations’ governing bodies so they might more efficiently minister. Following the Awakening, these voluntary bodies found new life as a pragmatic expression of Evangelical zeal

"Documenting" East Texas: Spirit of Place in the Photography of Keith Carter

This thesis examines similarities in photographs made by the contemporary photographer Keith Carter and photographers active with the Farm Security Administration during the 1930s. Stylistically and in function, works by Carter and these photographers comment on social and cultural values of a region. This thesis demonstrates that many of Carter's black and white photographs continue, contribute to, and expand traditions in American documentary photography established in the 1930s. These traditions include the representation of a specific geographic place that evokes the spirit of a time and place, and the ability to communicate to a viewer certain social conditions and values related to such a place

Examining Feminist Consciousness in LGBTQ University Constituencies

There is little data on the perception of LGBTQ constituencies toward feminism. We conducted focus groups on our campus and within the surrounding community on perspectives of LGBTQ students, university-employed gay men, community-based transgender individuals, and community-based gay men toward feminism. We analyzed findings using Bem’s gender schema and Ridgeway’s construct of individual, interactional, and institutional aspects of gender identity. Our results show the majority of our LGBTQ focus groups held positive views toward feminism, associating it with equality for all genders and social justice, with the exception of community-based gay men, who negatively associated feminism solely with women’s rights

Inter-Annual Variability in Pasture Herbage Accumulation in Temperate Dairy Regions: Causes, Consequences, and Management Tools

Inter-annual variation in pasture herbage accumulation rate (HAR) is common in temperate dairy regions, posing challenges for farmers in the management of dairy cow feeding and of pasture state. This paper reviews the biophysical factors that cause inter-annual variation, considers some of its consequences for the efficient harvest of pasture, and discusses the basis for decision rules and support tools that are available to assist New Zealand and Australian farmers to help manage the consequences of an imbalance between feed supply and demand. These tools are well-grounded in scientific research and farmer experience, but are not widely used in the Australasian dairy industries. Some of the reasons for this are discussed. Inter-annual variability in HAR cannot be removed, even with inputs such as irrigation, but reliable forecasts of pasture HAR for a month or more could greatly improve the effectiveness of operational and tactical decision-making. Various approaches to pasture forecasting, based on pasture growth simulation models, are presented and discussed. Some of these appear to have reasonable predictive ability. However, considerably more development work is needed to: (1) prove their effectiveness; and (2) build the systems required to capture real-time, on farm data for critical systems variables such as pasture herbage mass and soil water content to combine with daily weather data. This technology presents an opportunity for farmers to gain greater control over variability in pasture-based dairy systems and improve the efficiency of resource use for profit and environmental outcomes

Magnetostrictive and piezomagnetic properties of Tb1-xDyx Zn at low temperatures

Tb1-xDyxZn(0 axes can be changed to very hard \u3c100\u3e axes by increasing x from 0 to 1. (In fact, the existence of a near zero magnetic anisotropy by the proper choice of x is the origin of the well-known Terfenol-D alloys, Tb1-xDyxFe2). The Tb$1-x)DyxZn system discussed here is particularly attractive because of the simplicity of its crystal structure (CsCl), its relatively high Curie temperatures (for rare earth alloys), and the existence of a large (uv0) phase for T \u3c 50K. A summary of some of the important properties of these three alloy systems is given in Table I. In all these systems, at least one of the magnetostriction constraints is very large

Strategic behaviour in Schelling dynamics: theory and experimental evidence

In this paper we experimentally test Schelling’s (1971) segregation model and obtain the striking result of full segregation in most of the cases. In addition, we extend Schelling’s model theoretically by adding strategic behaviour and moving costs. We obtain a unique subgame perfect equilibrium in which rational agents facing moving costs may find it optimal not to move (anticipating other participants’ movements). This equilibrium is far from full segregation. We run experiments for this extended Schelling model, and find that the percentage of full segregated societies is notably reduced when the cost of moving is high, but it is not affected when it is low, relative to the baseline with costless moving. We also find that the degree of segregation depends on the distribution of strategic subjects relative of a baseline model where moving is costless

Combination of mesoscale and synoptic mechanisms for triggering an isolated thunderstorm: Observational case study of CSIP IOP 1

Copyright @ 2007 AMSAn isolated thunderstorm formed in the southern United Kingdom on 15 June 2005 and moved through the area where a large number of observational instruments were deployed as part of the Convective Storm Initiation Project. Earlier, a convergence line had formed downstream of Devon in the southwest of the United Kingdom in a southwesterly airflow, along which a series of light showers had formed. The depth of these showers was limited by a capping inversion, or lid, at around 2.5 km. The deep thunderstorm convection developed from one of these showers when the convection broke through the lid and ascended up to the next inversion, associated with a tropopause fold at around 6 km. A series of clear-air reflectivity RHIs are used to map the height of the capping inversion and its lifting resulting from the ascent along the convergence line. The origins of the lid are tracked back to some descent from the midtroposphere along dry adiabats. The strength of the lid was weaker along a northwest-to-southeast-oriented region located behind an overrunning upper cold front. The transition from shallow to deep convection occurred where this region with a weaker lid intersected the region with a raised lid, oriented southwest to northeast, downstream of Devon. A very high resolution forecast model that is being developed by the Met Office predicted the isolated thunderstorm successfully. This success depended on the accurate representation of the following two scales: the synoptic-scale and the surface-forced mesoscale convergence line. The interaction between these scales localized the convection sufficiently in space and time for the initiation and subsequent development to be highly predictable despite the relatively poor representation in the model of processes at the cloud scale.This work was funded from the Natural Environment Research Council and the Met Office National Meteorology Programme

First-principles calculation of magnetoelastic coefficients and magnetostriction in the spinel ferrites CoFe2O4 and NiFe2O4

We present calculations of magnetostriction constants for the spinel ferrites CoFe2O4 and NiFe2O4 using density functional theory within the GGA+U approach. Special emphasis is devoted to the influence of different possible cation distributions on the B site sublattice of the inverse spinel structure on the calculated elastic and magnetoelastic constants. We show that the resulting symmetry-lowering has only a negligible effect on the elastic constants of both systems as well as on the magnetoelastic response of NiFe2O4, whereas the magnetoelastic response of CoFe2O4 depends more strongly on the specific cation arrangement. In all cases our calculated magnetostriction constants are in good agreement with available experimental data. Our work thus paves the way for more detailed first-principles studies regarding the effect of stoichiometry and cation inversion on the magnetostrictive properties of spinel ferrites.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure

Understanding the process that gives rise to household car ownership level changes

© 2016 The Authors Quantitative studies have revealed that changes to the number of cars owned by households are more likely to occur at the time of life events. However, causal explanations of such relationships are either absent or lacking evidence. To address this knowledge gap, this paper presents a qualitative study which enabled the development of a new conceptual framework to explain the process through which the number of cars owned by households changes over time. The framework emerged through an inductive analysis of 15 in-depth biographical interviews and was validated through a mixed methods survey of 184 households located in Bristol (UK). The following mechanisms of the process are identified: Life events alter roles, relationships, spatial contexts and lifestyle preferences. This can lead to a condition of stress which relates to a discrepancy between satisfaction with the current car ownership level and a more desirable alternative. Attempts to adjust to the new situation are made through processes of travel behaviour adaptation and consideration of whether the car ownership level ought to be altered. A propensity to change car ownership level can emerge from this. However, given the effort involved in taking action, households tend to resist making changes to their car ownership level in the short term. Action to change car ownership level is found to often be prompted by another external stimulus such as the receipt of a maintenance bill. A key message from the analysis is that changes in household car ownership level should be considered as the outcome of a continuous process of development over the life course, rather than as discrete decisions