29,308 research outputs found
Calculations of electric currents in Europa
Electrical currents should flow in the Galilean satellite, Europa, because it is located in Jupiter's corotating magnetosphere. The possible magnitudes of these currents are calculated by assuming that Europa is a differentiated body consisting of an outer H2O layer and a silicate core. Two types of models are considered here: one in which the water is completely frozen and a second in which there is an intermediate liquid layer. For the transverse electric mode (eddy currents), the calculated current density in a liquid layer is approximately 10 to the -5/Am. For the transverse magnetic mode (unipolar generator), the calculated current density in the liquid is severely constrained by the ice layer to a range of only 10 to the -10 to -11th power/ Am, for a total H2O thickness of 100 km, provided that neither layer is less than 4 km thick. The current density is less for a completely frozen H2O layer. If transient cracks were to appear in the ice layer, thereby exposing liquid, the calculated current density could rise to a range of 10 to the -6 to 10 to the -5/Am, depending on layer thicknesses, which would require an exposed area of 10 to the -9 to 10 to the -8 of the Europa surface. The corresponding total current of 2.3x10 to the 5th power A could in 1 yr. electrolyze 7x10 to the 5th power kg of water (and more if the cells were in series), and thereby store up to 10 the 8th power J of energy, but it is not clear how electrolysis can take place in the absence of suitable electrodes. Electrical heating would be significant only if the ice-layer thickness were on the order of 1 m, such as might occur if an exposed liquid surface were to freeze over; the heating under this condition could hinder the thickening of the ice layer
Application of Incident Command Structure to clinical trial management in the academic setting: principles and lessons learned
Background Clinical trial success depends on appropriate management, but practical guidance to trial organisation and planning is lacking. The Incident Command System (ICS) is the ‘gold standard’ management system developed for managing diverse operations in major incident and public health arenas. It enables effective and flexible management through integration of personnel, procedures, resources, and communications within a common hierarchical organisational structure. Conventional ICS organisation consists of five function modules: Command, Planning, Operations, Logistics, and Finance/Administration. Large clinical trials will require a separate Regulatory Administrative arm, and an Information arm, consisting of dedicated data management and information technology staff. We applied ICS principles to organisation and management of the Prehospital Use of Plasma in Traumatic Haemorrhage (PUPTH) trial. This trial was a multidepartmental, multiagency, randomised clinical trial investigating prehospital administration of thawed plasma on mortality and coagulation response in severely injured trauma patients. We describe the ICS system as it would apply to large clinical trials in general, and the benefits, barriers, and lessons learned in utilising ICS principles to reorganise and coordinate the PUPTH trial. Results Without a formal trial management structure, early stages of the trial were characterised by inertia and organisational confusion. Implementing ICS improved organisation, coordination, and communication between multiple agencies and service groups, and greatly streamlined regulatory compliance administration. However, unfamiliarity of clinicians with ICS culture, conflicting resource allocation priorities, and communication bottlenecks were significant barriers. Conclusions ICS is a flexible and powerful organisational tool for managing large complex clinical trials. However, for successful implementation the cultural, psychological, and social environment of trial participants must be accounted for, and personnel need to be educated in the basics of ICS
Are the Nuclei of Seyfert 2 Galaxies Viewed Face-On?
We show from modeling the Fe Kalpha line in the ASCA spectra of four X-ray
bright narrow emission line galaxies (Seyfert types 1.9 and 2) that two equally
viable physical models can describe the observed line profile. The first is
discussed by Turner et al. (1998) and consists of emission from a nearly
pole-on accretion disk. The second, which is statistically preferred, is a
superposition of emission from an accretion disk viewed at an intermediate
inclination of about 48 degrees and a distinct, unresolved feature that
presumably originates some distance from the galaxy nucleus. The intermediate
inclination is entirely consistent with unified schemes and our findings
challenge recent assertions that Seyfert 2 galaxies are preferentially viewed
with their inner regions face-on. We derive mean equivalent widths for the
narrow and disk lines of =60 eV and = 213 eV, respectively. The
X-ray data are well described by a geometry in which our view of the active
nucleus intersects and is blocked by the outer edges of the obscuring torus,
and therefore do not require severe misalignments between the accretion disk
and the torus.Comment: 19 pages, 3 postscript figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ
School violence, school differences and school discourses
This article highlights one strand of a study which investigated the concept of the violenceresilient school. In six inner-city secondary schools, data on violent incidents in school and violent crime in the neighbourhood were gathered, and compared with school practices to minimise violence, accessed through interviews. Some degree of association between the patterns of behaviour and school practices was found: schools with a wider range of wellconnected practices seemed to have less difficult behaviour. Interviews also showed that the different schools had different organisational discourses for construing school violence, its possible causes and the possible solutions. Differences in practices are best understood in connection with differences in these discourses. Some of the features of school discourses are outlined, including their range, their core metaphor and their silences. We suggest that organisational discourse is an important concept in explaining school effects and school differences, and that improvement attempts could have clearer regard to this concept
Jet power extracted from ADAF and the applications to X-ray binaries and radio galaxy FR dichotomy
We calculate the jet power of the classical Blandford-Znajek(BZ) model and
hybrid model developed by Meier based on the global solutions of advection
dominated accretion flows (ADAFs) surrounding Kerr black holes. We find that
the jet power of the hybrid model is larger than that of the pure BZ model. The
jet power will dominate over the accretion power, and the objects will enter
into "jet-power-dominated advective systems", when the accretion rate is less
than a critical value mdot_c=Mdot_c/Mdot_Edd, where 3*10^-4 < mdot_c < 5*10^-3
is a function of black hole spin parameter. The accretion power will be
dominant when mdot<mdot_c and the objects will enter into
"accretion-power-dominated advective systems." This is roughly consistent with
that constrained from the low/hard-state black hole X-ray binaries (e.g.,
Fender et al.). We calculate the maximal jet power as a function of black hole
mass with the hybrid jet formation model, and find it can roughly reproduce the
dividing line of the Ledlow-Owen relation for FR I/FR II dichotomy in the jet
power-black hole(BH) mass plane (Q_jet-M_BH) if the dimensionless accretion
rate mdot~0.01 and BH spin parameter j~0.9-0.99 are adopted. This accretion
rate mdot~0.01 is consistent with that of the critical accretion rate for the
accretion mode transition of a standard disk to an ADAF constrained from the
state transition of X-ray binaries. Our results imply that most FR I galaxies
may be in the ADAF accretion mode similar to the low/hard-state XRBs.Comment: 6 pages, 3 color figures, ApJ in press, edited with ApJ style and
English is improved as suggested by Edito
Life testing of metal-ceramic CO2 lasers
The main purpose of this program was to determine the life characteristics of nine space-qualified, metal-ceramic CO2 lasers. Lifetimes ranged between about 400 hours to over 2000 hours (the limit of testing) with a high degree of consistency in like groups. In all cases the tubes which had failed could be restored to near their original power by doubling the cathode current for 30 minutes. Periodic rejuvenation allowed operation for the full 2000 hours on all tubes. The failure mechanism appears to involve formation of NiO and C on the nickel cathode emission surface with subsequent absorption of tube gases
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Splanchnic metabolism of nutrients and hormones in steers fed alfalfa under conditions of increased absorption of ammonia and L-arginine supply across the portal-drained viscera
Effects of increased ammonia and/or arginine
absorption on net splanchnic (portal-drained viscera
[PDV] plus liver) metabolism of nonnitrogenous
nutrients and hormones in cattle were examined. Six
Hereford × Angus steers (501 ± 1 kg BW) prepared with
vascular catheters for measurements of net flux across
the splanchnic bed were fed a 75% alfalfa:25% (as-fed
basis) corn and soybean meal diet (0.523 MJ of ME/[kg
BW0.75.d]) every 2 h without (27.0 g of N/kg of DM) and
with 20 g of urea/kg of DM (35.7 g of N/kg of DM) in a
split-plot design. Net flux measurements were made
immediately before and after a 72-h mesenteric vein
infusion of L-arginine (15 mmol/h). There were no treatment
effects onPDVor hepaticO2 consumption. Dietary
urea had no effect on splanchnic metabolism of glucose
or L-lactate, but arginine infusion decreased net hepatic
removal of L-lactate when urea was fed (P < 0.01). Net PDV appearance of n-butyrate was increased by arginine
infusion (P < 0.07), and both dietary urea (P <
0.09) and arginine infusion (P < 0.05) increased net
hepatic removal of n-butyrate. Dietary urea also increased
total splanchnic acetate output (P < 0.06),
tended to increase arterial glucagon concentration (P
< 0.11), and decreased arterial ST concentration (P <
0.03). Arginine infusion increased arterial concentration
(P < 0.07) and net PDV release (P < 0.10) and
tended to increase hepatic removal (P < 0.11) of insulin,
as well as arterial concentration (P < 0.01) and total
splanchnic output (P < 0.01) of glucagon. Despite
changes in splanchnic N metabolism, increased ammonia
and arginine absorption had little measurable effect
on splanchnic metabolism of glucose and other nonnitrogenous
components of splanchnic energy metabolism
Sinking properties of some phytoplankton shapes and the relation of form resistance to morphological diversity of plankton – an experimental study
Form resistance (Phi) is a dimensionless number expressing how much slower or faster a particle of any form sinks in a fluid medium than the sphere of equivalent volume. Form resistance factors of PVC models of phytoplankton sinking in glycerin were measured in a large aquarium (0.6 x 0.6 x 0.95 m). For cylindrical forms, a positive relationship was found between Phi and length/ width ratio. Coiling decreased Phi in filamentous forms. Form resistance of Asterionella colonies increased from single cells up to 6-celled colonies than remained nearly constant. For Fragilaria crotonensis chains, no such upper limit to Phi was observed in chains of up to 20 cells ( longer ones were not measured). The effect of symmetry on Phi was tested in 1 - 6-celled Asterionella colonies, having variable angles between the cells, and in Tetrastrum staurogeniaeforme coenobia, having different spine arrangements. In all cases, symmetric forms had considerably higher form resistance than asymmetric ones. However, for Pediastrum coenobia with symmetric/asymmetric fenestration, no difference was observed with respect to symmetry. Increasing number and length of spines on Tetrastrum coenobia substantially increased Phi. For a series of Staurastrum forms, a significant positive correlation was found between arm-length/cell-width ratio and Phi: protuberances increased form resistance. Flagellates (Rhodomonas, Gymnodinium) had a Phi 1. The highest value ( Phi = 8.1) was established for a 20-celled Fragilaria crotonensis chain. Possible origin of the so-called 'vital component' ( a factor that shows how much slower viable populations sink than morphologically similar senescent or dead ones) is discussed, as is the role of form resistance in evolution of high diversity of plankton morphologies
Searching for annihilation radiation from SN 1006 with SPI on INTEGRAL
Historical Type Ia supernovae are a leading candidate for the source of
positrons observed through their diffuse annihilation emission in the Galaxy.
However, search for annihilation emission from individual Type Ia supernovae
has not been possible before the improved sensitivity of \integral. The total
511 keV annihilation flux from individual SNe Ia, as well as their contribution
to the overall diffuse emission, depends critically on the escape fraction of
positrons produced in Co decays. Late optical light curves suggest that
this fraction may be as high as 5%. We searched for positron annihilation
radiation from the historical Type Ia supernova SN 1006 using the SPI
instrument on \integral. We did not detect significant 511 keV line emission,
with a 3 flux upper limit of 0.59 x 10 ergs cm^-2 s^-1 for \wsim
1 Msec exposure time, assuming a FWHM of 2.5 keV. This upper limit corresponds
to a 7.5% escape fraction, 50% higher than the expected 5% escape scenario, and
rules out the possibility that Type Ia supernovae produce all of the positrons
in the Galaxy (~ 12% escape fraction), if the mean positron lifetime is less
than 10 years. Future observations with \integral will provide stronger
limits on the escape fraction of positrons, the mean positron lifetime, and the
contribution of Type Ia supernovae to the overall positron content of the
Galaxy.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ
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