Searches for axion-like particles via γγ\gamma \gamma fusion at future e+e−\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^- colliders

Opportunities for searches for axion-like particles (ALPs) coupling to photons in $\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^-$ collisions at the Future Circular Collider (FCC-ee) and International Linear Collider (ILC) are investigated. We perform a study of the photon-fusion production of ALPs decaying into two photons, $\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^- \overset{\gamma \gamma}{\longrightarrow} \mathrm{e}^{+}\;a(\gamma \gamma)\;\mathrm{e}^{-}$, over the light-by-light continuum background, for the planned FCC-ee and ILC center-of-mass energies and integrated luminosities. An analysis of the feasibility measurements is presented using parametrized simulations for two types of detectors. Upper limits at 95% confidence level (CL) on the cross section for ALP production, $\sigma(\gamma \gamma \to a \to \gamma \gamma)$, and on the ALP-photon coupling are obtained over the $m_a \approx 0.1$--1000 GeV ALP mass range, and compared to current and future collider searches. Production cross sections down to $\sigma(\gamma \gamma \to a \to \gamma \gamma) \approx 1$ fb (1 ab) will be probed at $m_a\approx 1$ (300) GeV, corresponding to constraints on the axion-photon coupling as low as $g_\mathrm{a\gamma \gamma} \approx 2\cdot10^{-3}$ TeV$^{-1}$

Combined soil and foliar nitrogen fertilization effects on rainfed almond tree performance

Cultivation of almond in the Mediterranean region is traditionally done under rainfed conditions and poorly established cropping practices resulting in low yields. Despite the importance of nitrogen (N) fertilization to increase yield in cultivated species, this practice is usually neglected in rainfed managed almond orchards. Selection of the most appropriate rate and method of nitrogen (N) application are utmost factors to maximize almond yield in the considered conditions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to understand how soil and foliar N fertilization affect physiological and biochemical performance, almond yield, and fruit quality of almond trees grown under rainfed conditions. A 3-year experiment comprised four soil-applied N rates (0, 25, 50, and 100 kg ha−1) with and without 0.5% foliar N application of urea during the growing season, which was arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Nitrogen soil fertilization did not influence the leaf gas exchange parameters and the content of photosynthetic pigments but significantly improved almond yield. There were no particular advantages in foliar fertilization. Soil application of small doses of fertilizer (e.g., 25 kg N ha−1) per year was optimal for maintaining appropriate physiological behavior of almond trees under the conditions in which the experiment was carried out, without compromise almond yield and fruit quality. Thus, the annual application at 25 kg N ha−1 enables substantial reduction of almond production costs being a positive contribution to environment-friendly farming practices.The authors acknowledge the financial support of the European Agricultural and Rural development fund (FEADER) under the Project “Estratégias Integradas para o aumento da produtividade da amendoeira em Trás-os-Montes n° 54611,” and by Portuguese State through the “Medida 4.1. Cooperação para a Inovação do programa PRODER - Programa de Desenvolvimento Rural.” Maria Morais, Alfredo Aires, Berta Gonçalves, and Ana Silva acknowledge the support of the National Funds by FCT—Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under the project UID/AGR/04033/2020. David Barreales, Manuel Rodrigues, and António Ribeiro are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support by national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2018). The authors are also grateful to Ana Monteiro, Cristiana Teixeira, Iva Prgomet, Ivo Oliveira, Linton Dinis, Sara Bernardo, Sílvia Afonso, and Silvina Morais for their support in the field and in the laboratory.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Reductions of Hidden Information Sources

In all but special circumstances, measurements of time-dependent processes reflect internal structures and correlations only indirectly. Building predictive models of such hidden information sources requires discovering, in some way, the internal states and mechanisms. Unfortunately, there are often many possible models that are observationally equivalent. Here we show that the situation is not as arbitrary as one would think. We show that generators of hidden stochastic processes can be reduced to a minimal form and compare this reduced representation to that provided by computational mechanics--the epsilon-machine. On the way to developing deeper, measure-theoretic foundations for the latter, we introduce a new two-step reduction process. The first step (internal-event reduction) produces the smallest observationally equivalent sigma-algebra and the second (internal-state reduction) removes sigma-algebra components that are redundant for optimal prediction. For several classes of stochastic dynamical systems these reductions produce representations that are equivalent to epsilon-machines.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures; 30 citations; Updates at http://www.santafe.edu/~cm

New species of Asclepias (Apocynaceae), Baphia (Leguminosae), Cochlospermum (Bixaceae) and Endostemon (Lamiaceae) from the Kalahari sands of Angola and NW Zambia, with one new combination in Vangueria (Rubiaceae)

Four new species are described from central and eastern Angola and adjacent NW Zambia. All occur in Kalahari sand savannas rich in endemic and more widely distributed geoxylic suffrutices. Despite being known from very few collections, the conservation status of one of these new species is assessed as Least Concern, as these grasslands are nutrient-poor, are in remote sparsely populated areas, and are not threatened with conversion to agriculture. The remaining three are treated as Data Deficient. In addition, one new combination is provided for Ancylanthos rubiginosus Desf. under Vangueria as V. rubiginosa (Desf.) Lantz is an illegitimate later homonym. We also make orthographic corrections to specific epithets commemorating Ilse von Nolde, a collector who made important collections from Quela in Malange in the 1930s

Computer simulations of silicide-tetrahedrite thermoelectric generators

With global warming and rising energy demands, it is important now than ever to transit to renewable energy systems. Thermoelectric (TE) devices can present a feasible alternative to generate clean energy from waste heat. However, to become attractive for large-scale applications, such devices must be cheap, efficient, and based on ecofriendly materials. In this study, the potential of novel silicide-tetrahedrite modules for energy generation was examined. Computer simulations based on the finite element method (FEM) and implicit finite difference method (IFDM) were performed. The developed computational models were validated against data measured on a customized system working with commercial TE devices. The models were capable of predicting the TEGs’ behavior with low deviations (≤10%). IFDM was used to study the power produced by the silicide-tetrahedrite TEGs for different ΔT between the sinks, whereas FEM was used to study the temperature distributions across the testing system in detail. To complement these results, the influence of the electrical and thermal contact resistances was evaluated. High thermal resistances were found to affect the devices ΔT up to ~15%, whereas high electrical contact resistances reduced the power output of the silicide-tetrahedrite TEGs by more than ~85%.This research was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal, through the contracts UID/Multi/04349/2020 and UI/BD/150713/2020. The authors would like to acknowledge the support of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, and European Regional Development Fund, for funding under the PDI2021-126926OB-C22 research project

Isothermal section of the ternary phase diagram U–Fe–Ge at 900 °C and its new intermetallic phases

International audienc

Tribological properties of hexagonal boron nitride nanoparticles or graphene nanoplatelets blended with an ionic liquid as additives of an ester base oil

Antifriction synergies between an ionic liquid (IL) and nanopowders as additives of an ester base oil were analysed at rolling conditions. For this aim, two nanodispersions based on hybrid combinations of hexagonal boron nitride nanoparticles (h-BN) or graphene nanoplatelets (GnP) with tri(butyl) ethylphosphonium diethylphosphate ionic liquid as additives in triisotridecyltrimellitate (TTM) base oil and the mixture of TTM and IL were analysed using two tribometer techniques. Film thickness characterisation and tribological tests were performed at rolling conditions [5% slide-roll-ratio (SRR)], under 50N and at operating temperatures of 30, 50 and 80°C. Stribeck curves showed that friction coefficients for the prepared lubricants are lower than those found for the TTM, being the best friction behaviour for the hybrid GnP nanolubricant. Furthermore, friction torque loss tests were performed in rolling ball bearings, observing that for the two hybrid nanolubricants lower friction torque values were obtainedThis work was supported by MINECO and the ERDF programme through ENE2017-86425-C2-2-R project, and by the Xunta de Galicia (ED431E 2018/08, ED431D 2017/06 and GRC ED431C 2020/10). JMLR acknowledges the IACOBUS programme for funding the research stay at the Porto UniversityS

Tribological enhancement of potential electric vehicle lubricants using coated TiO2 nanoparticles as additives

This work presents the antifriction and antiwear properties of TiO2 nanoparticles coated with oleic acid, TiO2-OA, as additives of a low viscosity polyalphaolefin base oil, PAO8. To find the optimal concentration of nanoadditives that minimize friction and wear, four PAO8 based nanodispersions were formulated: PAO8 + 0.10 wt% TiO2-OA, PAO8 + 0.25 wt% TiO2-OA, PAO8 + 0.35 wt% TiO2-OA and PAO8 + 0.50 wt% TiO2-OA. Tribological experiments were performed under pure sliding and rolling-sliding conditions at 120 °C, with the four formulated nanolubricants and with PAO8 base oil. All the nanolubricants showed lower friction coefficients than that obtained with the PAO8 base oil, reaching maximum reductions for the 0.35 wt% TiO2-OA nanolubricant, for both types of test conditions. The tribological specimens tested under pure sliding conditions with the nanolubricants showed fewer wear than those tested with PAO8, finding the highest wear decreases also with the PAO8 + 0.35 wt% TiO2-OA nanolubricant, being 26 %, 65 % and 73 %, in wear track width, depth and area, in that order. Through Raman microscopy and roughness study of the worn samples, it can be inferred that tribofilm, mending and polishing mechanisms occur. Moreover, the thermal conductivity of the optimal nanolubricant (0.35 wt%) was measured at 20, 30, 40 and 50 °CThis research is supported by Xunta de Galicia (ED431C 2020/10), by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 through the PID2020-112846RB-C22 project and by LAETA, Portugal under project UID/50022/2020. JMLDR is grateful for financial support through the Margarita Salas programme, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and “NextGenerationEU/PRTR”. FM acknowlegdes a IACOBUS grant to the European Grouping for Territorial Cooperation Galicia-Norte de Portugal (GNP-EGTC). Furthermore, authors also thank Repsol Lubricants for supplying us the PAO8 base oil and recognize the support of the RIAIDT-USC analytical skillsS

Lubricant properties of trimethylolpropane trioleate biodegradable oil: High pressure density and viscosity, film thickness, Stribeck curves and influence of nanoadditives

Lubricant properties of trimethylolpropane trioleate synthetic base oil (TMPTO) were experimentally determined under different temperatures, pressures and rolling-sliding conditions. With the aim to obtain the viscosity-pressure coefficient, density and viscosity measurements were performed up to 150 MPa with a falling-body viscometer and a vibrating tube densimeter, respectively. Film thickness and friction properties were determined with a ball-on-disc apparatus from temperatures of 303.15 to 353.15 K, from slide-roll ratios from 5 to 50% at 50 N (applied load). Finally, it has also been evaluated if the use of nanoparticles as additives could involve changes on film thickness and Stribeck curves of TMPTO base oil. For this aim, hexagonal-boron nitride nanoparticles (h-BN) and graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs) were used at mass concentrations of 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 wt%. The viscosity of TMPTO increases from 15 mPa s (at 10 MPa and 353.15 K) to 525 mPa s (at 150 MPa and 303.15 K). The Stribeck curves for TMPTO are placed between elastohydrodynamic and mixed lubrication. All nanolubricants show very similar Stribeck curves, being the lowest friction coefficient obtained for 0.25 wt% of GnP. It has been found that for most of the experimental conditions the addition of the GnP promotes an increase of the film thicknessSpanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, the European Regional Development Fund programme and the Xunta de Galicia have supported this manuscript through ENE2017-86425-C2-2-R, GRC ED431C 2020/10 and ED431E 2018/08 projects. Dr. María J. G. Guimarey acknowledges a postdoctoral fellowship from the Xunta de Galicia (Spain) and the financial support from IACOBUS programmeS

An integrated analysis of the eutrophication process in the Enxoé reservoir within the DPSIR framework

The Enxoé reservoir in southern Portugal has been exhibiting the highest trophic state in the country since its early years of operation. The problem has attracted water managers’ and researchers’ attention as the reservoir is the water supply for two municipalities. Extensive research was thus conducted over the last few years, including field monitoring and modelling at the plot, catchment, and reservoir scales. This study now frames all partial findings within the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework to better understand the eutrophication process in the Enxoé reservoir. Agriculture and grazing were found to have a reduced role in the eutrophication of the reservoir, with annual sediment and nutrient loads being comparably smaller or similar to those reported for other Mediterranean catchments. Flash floods were the main mechanism for transporting particle elements to the reservoir, being in some cases able to carry up three times the average annual load. However, the main eutrophication mechanisms in the reservoir were P release from deposited sediment under anoxic conditions and the process of internal recycling of organic matter and nutrients. Reducing the P load from the catchment and deposited sediment could lead to a mesotrophic state level in the reservoir. However, this level would only be sustainable by limiting the P internal load ability to reach the photic zoneinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio