107 research outputs found
Spatial distribution of the daily precipitation concentration index in Algeria
In this paper, the spatial and temporal distribution of the daily precipitation concentration index (CI) in Algeria (south Mediterranean Sea) has been assessed. CI is an index related to the rainfall intensity and erosive capacity; therefore, this index is of great interest for studies on torrential rainfall and floods. Forty-two daily rainfall series based on high-quality and fairly regular rainfall records for the period from 1970 to 2008 were used. The daily precipitation CI results allowed the identification of three climate zones: the northern country, characterized by coastal regions with CI values between 0.59 and 0.63; the highlands, with values between 0.57 and 0.62, except for the region of Biskra (CI D0.70); and the southern region of the country, with high rainfall concentrations with values between 0.62 and 0.69
Prediction of the antibacterial activity of garlic extract on E. coli, S. aureus and B. subtilis by determining the diameter of the inhibition zones using artificial neural networks
The aim of this study was to devise a model that predicts the inhibition zone diameter using artificial neural networks. The concentration, temperature and the exposure time of our extract were taken as input variables. The neural architecture model 3-13-3 and a learning algorithm Quasi-Newton (BFGS) revealed a positive correlation between the experimental results and those artificially predicted, which were measured according to a mean squared error (RMSE) and an R2 coefficient of E. coli (RMSE = 1.28; R2 = 0,96), S. aureus (RMSE = 1.46; R2 = 0,97) and B. subtilis (RMSE = 1.88; R2 = 0,96) respectively. Based on these results, an external and an internal model validation were attained. A neuronal mathematical equation was created to predict the inhibition diameters for experimental data not included in the basic learning. Consequently, a good correlation was observed between the values predicted by the equation and those obtained experimentally, as demonstrated by the R2 and RMSE values. The results regarding the sensitivity analysis showed that the concentration was the most determinant parameter compared to Temperature and Time variables. Ultimately, the model developed in this study will be used reliably to predict the variation of garlic extract's inhibition diameter
Development of an Anger camera in Lanthanum Bromide for gamma-ray space astronomy in the MeV range
International audienceLanthanum bromide is a very promising scintillator material for the next generation of g-ray telescopes. We present in this paper first g-ray imaging results obtained by coupling a LaBr3 crystal with a position-sensitive 8×8 multianode photomultiplier tube to form a simple Anger camera module. The readout of the 64 signals is carried out with the most recent evolution of the MultiAnode ReadOut Chip (MAROC) which was initially designed for the luminometer of the ATLAS detector. Measured charge distributions are compared with detailed GEANT4 simulations that include the tracking of the optical photons produced in the scintillation crystal. The depth of interaction (d.o.i.) of 662-keV g-rays inside the crystal is derived from the charge distributions using an artificial neural network. We obtain for an irradiation at detector centre a mean standard deviation of the d.o.i. of 1.69 mm. Such a position-sensitive g-ray detector can form an innovative building block for a future space calorimete
High precision microlensing maps of the Galactic bulge
We present detailed maps of the microlensing optical depth and event density
over an area of 195 sq. deg towards the Galactic bulge. The maps are computed
from synthetic stellar catalogues generated from the Besancon Galaxy Model,
which comprises four stellar populations and a three-dimensional extinction map
calibrated against the Two-Micron All-Sky Survey. The optical depth maps have a
resolution of 15 arcminutes, corresponding to the angular resolution of the
extinction map. We compute optical depth and event density maps for all
resolved sources above I=19, for unresolved (difference image) sources
magnified above this limit, and for bright standard candle sources in the
bulge. We show that the resulting optical depth contours are dominated by
extinction effects, exhibiting fine structure in stark contrast to previous
theoretical optical depth maps. Optical depth comparisons between Galactic
models and optical microlensing survey measurements cannot safely ignore
extinction or assume it to be smooth. We show how the event distribution for
hypothetical J and K-band microlensing surveys, using existing ground-based
facilities such as VISTA, UKIRT or CFHT, would be much less affected by
extinction, especially in the K band. The near infrared provides a substantial
sensitivity increase over current I-band surveys and a more faithful tracer of
the underlying stellar distribution, something which upcoming variability
surveys such as VVV will be able to exploit. Synthetic population models offer
a promising way forward to fully exploit large microlensing datasets for
Galactic structure studies.Comment: 8 pages, submitted to MNRA
Gamma ray production cross sections in proton induced reactions on natural Mg, Si and Fe targets over the proton energy range 30 up to 66 MeV
Gamma-ray excitation functions have been measured for 30, 42, 54 and 66 MeV
proton beams accelerated onto C + O (Mylar), Mg, Si, and Fe targets of
astrophysical interest at the separate-sector cyclotron of iThemba LABS in
Somerset West (Cape Town, South Africa). A large solid angle, high energy
resolution detection system of the Eurogam type was used to record Gamma-ray
energy spectra. Derived preliminary results of Gamma-ray line production cross
sections for the Mg, Si and Fe target nuclei are reported and discussed. The
current cross section data for known, intense Gamma-ray lines from these nuclei
consistently extend to higher proton energies previous experimental data
measured up to Ep ~ 25 MeV at the Orsay and Washington tandem accelerators.
Data for new Gamma-ray lines observed for the first time in this work are also
reported.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures. IOP Institute of Physics Conference Nuclear
Physics in Astrophysics VII, 28th EPF Nuclear Physics Divisional Conference,
May 18-22 2015, York, U
Search for new resonant states in 10C and 11C and their impact on the cosmological lithium problem
The observed primordial 7Li abundance in metal-poor halo stars is found to be
lower than its Big-Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) calculated value by a factor of
approximately three. Some recent works suggested the possibility that this
discrepancy originates from missing resonant reactions which would destroy the
7Be, parent of 7Li. The most promising candidate resonances which were found
include a possibly missed 1- or 2- narrow state around 15 MeV in the compound
nucleus 10C formed by 7Be+3He and a state close to 7.8 MeV in the compound
nucleus 11C formed by 7Be+4He. In this work, we studied the high excitation
energy region of 10C and the low excitation energy region in 11C via the
reactions 10B(3He,t)10C and 11B(3He,t)11C, respectively, at the incident energy
of 35 MeV. Our results for 10C do not support 7Be+3He as a possible solution
for the 7Li problem. Concerning 11C results, the data show no new resonances in
the excitation energy region of interest and this excludes 7Be+4He reaction
channel as an explanation for the 7Li deficit.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. C (Rapid Communication
The EROS2 search for microlensing events towards the spiral arms: the complete seven season results
The EROS-2 project has been designed to search for microlensing events
towards any dense stellar field. The densest parts of the Galactic spiral arms
have been monitored to maximize the microlensing signal expected from the stars
of the Galactic disk and bulge. 12.9 million stars have been monitored during 7
seasons towards 4 directions in the Galactic plane, away from the Galactic
center. A total of 27 microlensing event candidates have been found. Estimates
of the optical depths from the 22 best events are provided. A first order
interpretation shows that simple Galactic models with a standard disk and an
elongated bulge are in agreement with our observations. We find that the
average microlensing optical depth towards the complete EROS-cataloged stars of
the spiral arms is , a number that is
stable when the selection criteria are moderately varied. As the EROS catalog
is almost complete up to , the optical depth estimated for the
sub-sample of bright target stars with () is easier to interpret. The set of microlensing events
that we have observed is consistent with a simple Galactic model. A more
precise interpretation would require either a better knowledge of the distance
distribution of the target stars, or a simulation based on a Galactic model.
For this purpose, we define and discuss the concept of optical depth for a
given catalog or for a limiting magnitude.Comment: 22 pages submitted to Astronomy & Astrophysic
Discovery of a peculiar Cepheid-like star towards the northern edge of the Small Magellanic Cloud
For seven years, the EROS-2 project obtained a mass of photometric data on
variable stars. We present a peculiar Cepheid-like star, in the direction of
the Small Magellanic Cloud, which demonstrates unusual photometric behaviour
over a short time interval. We report on data of the photometry acquired by the
MARLY telescope and spectroscopy from the EFOSC instrument for this star,
called EROS2 J005135-714459(sm0060n13842), which resembles the unusual Cepheid
HR 7308. The light curve of our target is analysed using the Analysis of
Variance method to determine a pulsational period of 5.5675 days. A fit of
time-dependent Fourier coefficients is performed and a search for proper motion
is conducted. The light curve exhibits a previously unobserved and spectacular
change in both mean magnitude and amplitude, which has no clear theoretical
explanation. Our analysis of the spectrum implies a radial velocity of 104 km
s and a metallicity of -0.40.2 dex. In the direction of right
ascension, we measure a proper motion of 17.46.0 mas yr using EROS
astrometry, which is compatible with data from the NOMAD catalogue. The nature
of EROS2 J005135-714459(sm0060n13842) remains unclear. For this star, we may
have detected a non-zero proper motion for this star, which would imply that it
is a foreground object. Its radial velocity, pulsational characteristics, and
photometric data, however, suggest that it is instead a Cepheid-like object
located in the SMC. In such a case, it would present a challenge to
conventional Cepheid models.Comment: Correction of typos in the abstrac
Galactic Bulge Microlensing Optical Depth from EROS-2
We present a new EROS-2 measurement of the microlensing optical depth toward
the Galactic Bulge. Light curves of clump-giant stars
distributed over of the Bulge were monitored during seven Bulge
seasons. 120 events were found with apparent amplifications greater than 1.6
and Einstein radius crossing times in the range 5 {\rm d}.
This is the largest existing sample of clump-giant events and the first to
include northern Galactic fields. In the Galactic latitude range
1.4\degr<|b|<7.0\degr, we find with . These results are in good
agreement with our previous measurement, with recent measurements of the MACHO
and OGLE-II groups, and with predictions of Bulge models.Comment: accepted A&A, minor revision
Detection of Extrasolar Planets by Gravitational Microlensing
Gravitational microlensing provides a unique window on the properties and
prevalence of extrasolar planetary systems because of its ability to find
low-mass planets at separations of a few AU. The early evidence from
microlensing indicates that the most common type of exoplanet yet detected are
the so-called "super-Earth" planets of ~10 Earth-masses at a separation of a
few AU from their host stars. The detection of two such planets indicates that
roughly one third of stars have such planets in the separation range 1.5-4 AU,
which is about an order of magnitude larger than the prevalence of gas-giant
planets at these separations. We review the basic physics of the microlensing
method, and show why this method allows the detection of Earth-mass planets at
separations of 2-3 AU with ground-based observations. We explore the conditions
that allow the detection of the planetary host stars and allow measurement of
planetary orbital parameters. Finally, we show that a low-cost, space-based
microlensing survey can provide a comprehensive statistical census of
extrasolar planetary systems with sensitivity down to 0.1 Earth-masses at
separations ranging from 0.5 AU to infinity.Comment: 43 pages. Very similar to chapter 3 of Exoplanets: Detection,
Formation, Properties, Habitability, John Mason, ed. Springer (April 3, 2008
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