24,420 research outputs found
Epidemic model on a network: analysis and applications to COVID-19
We analyze an epidemic model on a network consisting of
susceptible-infected-recovered equations at the nodes coupled by diffusion
using a graph Laplacian. We introduce an epidemic criterion and examine
different vaccination/containment strategies: we prove that it is most
effective to vaccinate a node of highest degree. The model is also useful to
evaluate deconfinement scenarios and prevent a so-called second wave. The model
has few parameters enabling fitting to the data and the essential ingredient of
importation of infected; these features are particularly important for the
current COVID-19 epidemic
Accelerating universes driven by bulk particles
We consider our universe as a 3d domain wall embedded in a 5d dimensional
Minkowski space-time. We address the problem of inflation and late time
acceleration driven by bulk particles colliding with the 3d domain wall. The
expansion of our universe is mainly related to these bulk particles. Since our
universe tends to be permeated by a large number of isolated structures, as
temperature diminishes with the expansion, we model our universe with a 3d
domain wall with increasing internal structures. These structures could be
unstable 2d domain walls evolving to fermi-balls which are candidates to cold
dark matter. The momentum transfer of bulk particles colliding with the 3d
domain wall is related to the reflection coefficient. We show a nontrivial
dependence of the reflection coefficient with the number of internal dark
matter structures inside the 3d domain wall. As the population of such
structures increases the velocity of the domain wall expansion also increases.
The expansion is exponential at early times and polynomial at late times. We
connect this picture with string/M-theory by considering BPS 3d domain walls
with structures which can appear through the bosonic sector of a
five-dimensional supergravity theory.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev. D, 16 pages, 3 eps figures, minor changes and
references adde
Radiative non-isothermal Bondi accretion onto a massive black hole
In this paper, we present the classical Bondi accretion theory for the case
of non-isothermal accretion processes onto a supermassive black hole (SMBH),
including the effects of X-ray heating and the radiation force due to electron
scattering and spectral lines. The radiation field is calculated by considering
an optically thick, geometrically thin, standard accretion disk as the emitter
of UV photons and a spherical central object as a source of X-ray emission. In
the present analysis, the UV emission from the accretion disk is assumed to
have an angular dependence, while the X-ray/central object radiation is assumed
to be isotropic. This allows us to build streamlines in any angular direction
we need to. The influence of both types of radiation is evaluated for different
flux fractions of the X-ray and UV emissions with and without the effects of
spectral line driving. We find that the radiation emitted near the SMBH
interacts with the infalling matter and modifies the accretion dynamics. In the
presence of line driving, a transition resembles from pure type 1 & 2 to type 5
solutions (see Fig2.1 of Frank etal. 2002), which takes place regardless of
whether or not the UV emission dominates over the X-ray emission. We compute
the radiative factors at which this transition occurs, and discard type 5
solution from all our models. Estimated values of the accretion radius and
accretion rate in terms of the classical Bondi values are also given. The
results are useful for the construction of proper initial conditions for
time-dependent hydrodynamical simulations of accretion flows onto SMBH at the
centre of galaxies.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, Accepted to be published in A&
Description of a new species of the genus lystrophis cope and a revalidation oy lystrophispulcher (jan, 1863) (Serpentes; Colubridae)
Orbital magnetism in axially deformed sodium clusters: From scissors mode to dia-para magnetic anisotropy
Low-energy orbital magnetic dipole excitations, known as scissors mode (SM),
are studied in alkali metal clusters. Subsequent dynamic and static effects are
explored. The treatment is based on a self-consistent microscopic approach
using the jellium approximation for the ionic background and the Kohn-Sham mean
field for the electrons. The microscopic origin of SM and its main features
(structure of the mode in light and medium clusters, separation into low- and
high-energy plasmons, coupling high-energy M1 scissors and E2 quadrupole
plasmons, contributions of shape isomers, etc) are discussed. The scissors M1
strength acquires large values with increasing cluster size. The mode is
responsible for the van Vleck paramagnetism of spin-saturated clusters. Quantum
shell effects induce a fragile interplay between Langevin diamagnetism and van
Vleck paramagnetism and lead to a remarkable dia-para anisotropy in magnetic
susceptibility of particular light clusters. Finally, several routes for
observing the SM experimentally are discussed.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figure
Foeniculum vulgare Essential Oils: Chemical Composition, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities
The essential oils from Foeniculum vulgare commercial aerial parts and fruits were isolated by hydrodistillation, with different distillation times (30 min, I h, 2 h and 3 h), and analyzed by GC and GC-MS. The antioxidant ability was estimated using four distinct methods. Antibacterial activity was determined by the agar diffusion method. Remarkable differences, and worrying from the quality and safety point of view, were detected in the essential oils. trans-Anethole (31-36%), alpha-pinene (14-20%) and limonene (11-13%) were the main components of the essentials oil isolated from F. vulgare dried aerial parts, whereas methyl chavicol (= estragole) (79-88%) was dominant in the fruit oils. With the DPPH method the plant oils showed better antioxidant activity than the fruits oils. With the TBARS method and at higher concentrations, fennel essential oils showed a pro-oxidant activity. None of the oils showed a hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity >50%, but they showed an ability to inhibit 5-lipoxygenase. The essential oils showed a very low antimicrobial activity. In general, the essential oils isolated during 2 h were as effective, from the biological activity point of view, as those isolated during 3 h.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
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