A Field Survey of Respiration Rates in Leaves of Arctic Plants

In a survey of several plant species found at Churchill, Manitoba, in the transition zone between the low and subarctic regions, we measured leaf respiration in terms of total respiration and alternative pathway respiration rates. Leaves of arctic plants exhibit higher rates of total respiration and alternative (cyanide insensitive) respiration than temperate species. There is a negative correlation between plant height and alternative pathway activity. Shorter plants have higher rates of alternative pathway respiration. More alternative pathway activity may mean that there is less energy in the form of ATP available for growth. A shorter growth habit keeps these plants in the still air close to the ground. This prevents cooling, water loss and physical damage due to wind abrasion. Thus plants with high rates of alternative pathway respiration may be better adapted to the arctic environment. The alternative pathway respiration of Orchis rotundifolia was shown to be under the influence of the biological clock.Key words: Subarctic, plant respiration, alternative pathway, cyanide insensitivMots clés: subarctique, respiration des plantes, voie alterne, insensible au cyanur

Agricultural resource priorities and recommendations for the Avon River Basin Natural Resource Management Strategy

This report for the Avon Natural Resource Management Strategy provides an assessment of the current status of land resources throughout the Avon River Basin in Western Australia. It identifies the sub-regions and landscape components of the area and the land resource assets. The greatest threats are salinity, soil acidification, subsurface compaction, waterlogging, water and wind erosion, and biosecurity

Laboratory and Field Studies of Resistance of Crab Apple Clones to Rhagoletis pomonella (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Oviposition and larval survival of Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh) varied significantly among fruit from 25 crab apple speciesand clones evaluated in field and laboratory studies. In general, the relative oviposition preference and larval survival was similar in fruit infested naturally in the field and fruit tested in the laboratory. Flies oviposited more in clones with larger fruit, although this relationship was more pronounced in laboratory tests when fruit was infested by laboratory-reared flies than in fruit infested in the field by wild flies. ‘Aldenhamensis,' ‘Fuji,' ‘Vilmorin,' Malus zumi calocarpa Rehd., and M. hupehensis (Pamp) Rehd. fruit was not infested in the field, but flies oviposited in fruit of all 25 species and clones in choice tests in the laboratory. Eggs hatched but larvae did not survive in fruit of ‘Henry F. DuPont,' ‘Frettingham,' ‘Fuji,' ‘Sparkler,' M. hupehensis, and M. zumi calocarpa. Larval mortality was very high in fruit from ‘Vilmorin,' ‘Sparkler,' ‘NA 40298,' ‘Henrietta Crosby,' ‘Golden Gem,' ‘Almey,' M. baccata L. (Borkh.), and M. sikktmensis (Hook.) Koehn

Molecular mode-coupling theory applied to a liquid of diatomic molecules

We study the molecular mode coupling theory for a liquid of diatomic molecules. The equations for the critical tensorial nonergodicity parameters ${\bf F}_{ll'}^m(q)$ and the critical amplitudes of the $\beta$ - relaxation ${\bf H}_{ll'}^m(q)$ are solved up to a cut off $l_{co}$ = 2 without any further approximations. Here $l,m$ are indices of spherical harmonics. Contrary to previous studies, where additional approximations were applied, we find in agreement with simulations, that all molecular degrees of freedom vitrify at a single temperature $T_c$. The theoretical results for the non ergodicity parameters and the critical amplitudes are compared with those from simulations. The qualitative agreement is good for all molecular degrees of freedom. To study the influence of the cut off on the non ergodicity parameter, we also calculate the non ergodicity parameters for an upper cut off $l_{co}=4$. In addition we also propose a new method for the calculation of the critical nonergodicity parameterComment: 27 pages, 17 figure

Test of mode coupling theory for a supercooled liquid of diatomic molecules. II. q-dependent orientational correlators

Using molecular dynamics computer simulations we study the dynamics of a molecular liquid by means of a general class of time-dependent correlators S_{ll'}^m(q,t) which explicitly involve translational (TDOF) and orientational degrees of freedom (ODOF). The system is composed of rigid, linear molecules with Lennard- Jones interactions. The q-dependence of the static correlators S_{ll'}^m(q) strongly depend on l, l' and m. The time dependent correlators are calculated for l=l'. A thorough test of the predictions of mode coupling theory (MCT) is performed for S_{ll}^m(q,t) and its self part S_{ll}^{(s)m}(q,t), for l=1,..,6. We find a clear signature for the existence of a single temperature T_c, at which the dynamics changes significantly. The first scaling law of MCT, which involves the critical correlator G(t), holds for l>=2, but no critical law is observed. Since this is true for the same exponent parameter lambda as obtained for the TDOF, we obtain a consistent description of both, the TDOF and ODOF, with the exception of l=1. This different behavior for l \ne 1 and l=1 can also be seen from the corresponding susceptibilities (chi'')_{ll}^m(q,omega) which exhibit a minimum at about the same frequency omega_{min} for all q and all l \ne 1, in contrast to (chi'')_{11}^m(q,omega) for which omega'_{min} approx 10 omega_{min} . The asymptotic regime, for which the first scaling law holds, shrinks with increasing l. The second scaling law of MCT (time-temperature superposition principle) is reasonably fulfilled for l \ne 1 but not for l=1. Furthermore we show that the q- and (l,m)-dependence of the self part approximately factorizes, i.e. S_{ll}^{(s)m}(q,t) \cong C_l^{(s)}(t) F_s(q,t) for all m.Comment: 11 pages of RevTex, 16 figure

Robust Ising Gates for Practical Quantum Computation

I describe the use of techniques based on composite rotations to combat systematic errors in controlled phase gates, which form the basis of two qubit quantum logic gates. Although developed and described within the context of Nuclear Magnetic Resonanace (NMR) quantum computing these sequences should be applicable to any implementation of quantum computation based on Ising couplings. In combination with existing single qubit gates this provides a universal set of robust quantum logic gates.Comment: 3 Pages RevTex4 including 2 figures. Will submit to PR

Investigation of Resonant Photoemission in Gd with X-Ray Linear Dichroism

The constructive summing of direct and indirect channels above the absorption threshold of a core level can cause a massive increase in the emission cross section, leading to a phenomenon called resonant photoemission. Using novel magnetic linear dichroism in angular distribution photoelectron spectroscopy experiments and theoretical simulations, we have probed the nature of the resonant photoemission process in Gd metal. It now appears that temporal matching as well as energy matching is a requirement for true resonant photoemission

Basal-plane Incommensurate Phases in HCP Structures

An Ising model with competing interaction is used to study the appearance of incommensurate phases in the basal plane of an hexagonal closed-packed structure. The calculated mean-field phase diagram reveals various 1q-incommensurate and lock-in phases. The results are applied to explain the basal-plane incommensurate phase in some compounds of the A'A"BX_4 family, like K_2MoO_4, K_2WO_4, Rb_2WO4 and to describe the sequence of high-temperature phase transitions in other compounds of this family.Comment: 8 pages, RevTeX + 4 ps figure

Nature of Resonant Photoemission in Gd

The phenomenon of resonant photoemission happens when, in addition to a direct photoemission channel, a second indirect channel opens up as the absorption threshold of a core level is crossed. A massive increase in emission cross section can occur, but the nature of the process remains clouded. Using novel magnetic linear dichroism in photoelectron spectroscopy experiments and theoretical calculations, we can now clearly demonstrate that temporal matching of the processes as well as energy matching is a requirement for true resonant photoemission.

Surface critical exponents at a uniaxial Lifshitz point

Using Monte Carlo techniques, the surface critical behaviour of three-dimensional semi-infinite ANNNI models with different surface orientations with respect to the axis of competing interactions is investigated. Special attention is thereby paid to the surface criticality at the bulk uniaxial Lifshitz point encountered in this model. The presented Monte Carlo results show that the mean-field description of semi-infinite ANNNI models is qualitatively correct. Lifshitz point surface critical exponents at the ordinary transition are found to depend on the surface orientation. At the special transition point, however, no clear dependency of the critical exponents on the surface orientation is revealed. The values of the surface critical exponents presented in this study are the first estimates available beyond mean-field theory.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures include