A new type of photoionized code required for the new era of X-ray spectroscopy

With the advent of the present and future spatial X-ray missions, it becomes crucial to model correctly the line spectrum of X-ray emitting media. We have built a photoionization code, Titan, solving the transfer of a thousand lines and of the continuum with the "Accelerated Lambda Iteration" method, which is most reliable for line transfer. In all other photoionization codes the line intensities are computed with the so-called "escape probability formalism", used in its simplest approximation. In a previous paper (Dumont et al. 2003), it was shown that this approximation leads to errors which can exceed one order of magnitude in the case a Thomson thickness of the order of unity. We show here that it also happens in the case of a Thomson thickness of 0.001 to 0.1. The errors on the line fluxes and line ratios are of the order of 30% for a column density of 10^{20} cm^{-2}, and a factor five for a column density of 10^{23} cm^{-2}, in conditions appropriate for Seyfert 2 and for the Warm Absorber of Seyfert 1.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures. accepted by A&

Alien Registration- Dumont, Marie Anne (Auburn, Androscoggin County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/31232/thumbnail.jp

En marge de l’affaire Lacroix-Norbourg : les enjeux substantifs et punitifs suscités par le double aspect, réglementaire et criminel, de certains comportements frauduleux dans le domaine des valeurs mobilières

Dans le texte qui suit, les auteurs prennent l’affaire Lacroix-Norbourg comme point d’ancrage de leur réflexion et s’interrogent sur des questions relatives à l’application respective et cumulative du droit pénal provincial et du droit criminel. Leurs propos révèlent la fragilité de la distinction entre ces deux catégories de droit pénal. Les auteurs analysent la jurisprudence constitutionnelle au regard de cette affaire et suggèrent qu’elle a peut-être contribué à l’érosion du sens à donner aux notions fondamentales de crime et de peine. Ils plaident en faveur de l’application de principes fondamentaux de justice dans le domaine des infractions pénales réglementaires passibles d’emprisonnement et concluent qu’il faut sérieusement s’interroger sur la faisabilité et l’opportunité d’appliquer successivement le droit pénal des valeurs mobilières et le droit criminel.In the ensuing paper, the authors use the Lacroix-Norbourg scenario as their starting point in raising questions concerning the respective and cumulative application of provincial penal law and criminal law. Their observations reveal the fragility of the distinction between these two categories of penal law. The authors dwell upon constitutional jurisprudence with regard to this issue and suggest that it may have contributed to an erosion of the meaning to be given to the fundamental concepts of crime and punishment. They plead in favour of applying the fundamental principles of justice in the field of regulatory offences punishable by imprisonment and conclude that one must seriously question the feasibility and suitability of successively enforcing penal law as applied to securities, and then criminal law

En marge de l'affaire Norbourg : les enjeux substantifs et punitifs suscités par le double aspect, réglementaire et criminel, de certains comportements frauduleux dans le domaine des valeurs mobilières

Article accepté pour publication dans Les Cahiers de droit 2009 dont le thème spécial est : Dérives et évolutions du droit pénal. Les auteurs ont la permission de diffuser cet article dans Papyrus jusqu’à sa parution dans Les Cahiers de droit.[À l'origine dans / Was originally part of : Fac. Droit - Coll. facultaire - Droit pénal et Protection de la jeunesse

Effects of Ag or Si on precipitation in the alloy Al-2.5% Cu-1.5% Mg

International audienceCalorimetric measurements and electron microscopy observations were performed on Al-2.5 mass% Cu-1.5 mass% Mg alloys containing also 0.4, 1 or 2 % Ag or 0.5 % Si, in order to improve understanding of the relationships between precipitation processes and age hardening. The analogous behaviour of calorimetric and hardness data confirms that the first hardening stage is initiated in all alloys by GPB zone formation which occurs via a nucleation and growth controlled mechanism. The vacancy-trapping effect of Mg is increased by Ag and Si additions and leads to slower precipitation kinetics. Consequently refined GPB zones sizes are obtained leading to an increase in hardness with respect to the ternary alloy. During the second hardening stage, the formation of the more stable S' phase increases the total amount of strengthening precipitates in the ternary alloy. Phases typical for binary Al-Cu alloys form additionally in the Si-containing alloy. In the Ag-bearing alloys, precipitation of the hardening X' phase occurs the earlier the higher the Ag content is; it is followed by S' precipitation. During heating of the ternary alloy, the S'phase forms after substantial dissolution of GPB zones and of the S" phase identified by high resolution electron microscopy; this contradicts the concept of a continuous precipitation sequence

Full radiative coupling in two-phase models for accreting black holes

The emission from galactic black holes and Seyfert galaxies is generally understood in term of two-phase models (Haardt and Maraschi 1991, 1993). Such models postulate that a hot plasma coexists with relatively colder material in the inner part of the accretion flow. We present the first simulated broad-band spectra produced by such a system and accounting simultaneously for energy balance and Comptonisation in the hot phase, together with reflection, reprocessing, ionization and thermal balance in the cold phase. This was made possible by coupling three radiative transfer codes: a non-linear Monte-Carlo code (NLMC), a photo-ionization code TITAN and a linear Monte-Carlo code NOAR. The equilibrium comptonisation spectrum appears to be sensitive to the shape of the reprocessed spectrum that, in turn, depends on the ionization parameter, but also on the structure of the irradiated cold material. This is illustrated by a comparison of simulations assuming constant density or a constant pressure in the cold phase. We also compare our results with simplified models where reprocessing is approximated by a blackbody spectrum. Our detailed treatment leads to noticeably different spectral energy distributions (SEDs) characterised by harder X-ray spectra. Even at low ionization parameters the commonly used blackbody approximation is poor, leading to X-ray spectra that are too soft. The effect, however, seems not to be strong enough to reconcile the slab corona model with the hardest observed spectra, unless the reflector has a constant density and the ionization parameter is large.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, to appear in A&

Mass Transfer Characteristics in Gas-liquid-liquid System

Experimental results of mass transfer in air-water system with a dispersed immiscible organic liquid in a bubble column 0.076 m in diameter for seven different organic liquids at various hold-up are presented. Experiments are carried out at gas superficial velocity in the range 0.0052-0.026 m/s at 293 K. The volumetric mass transfer coefficient, kLa is determined by dynamic gas absorption technique. Overall gas hold-up is also measured. Slight addition of n-decane, dodecane and n-heptane in air-water medium significantly enhances mass transfer from the gas phase, to the continuous aqueous phase whereas toluene, anisole and 2-ethyl- 1-hexanol retard mass transfer

Universal spectral shape of AGN with high accretion rate

The spectra of radio quiet and NLS1 galaxies show suprising similarity in their shape. They seem to scale only with the accretion rate but not with central black hole mass. We consider two mechanisms modifying the disk spectrum. First, the outer parts of the disk are irradiated by the flux emerging from the inner parts. This is due to the scattering of the flux by the extended hot medium (warm absorber). Second process is connected with the development of the disk warm Comptonizing skin above the disk and/or coronae. Our scenario applies only to object with relatively high luminosity to the Eddington luminosity ratio for which disk evaporation is inefficient.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, 1 table, Proc. of the meeting: "The Restless High-Energy Universe" (Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Sensory-based nutrition pilot intervention for women

Negative effects of restrained eating (ie, concerns about dieting and weight control) have been observed in eating behaviors. Such findings underscore the need to develop more positive approaches to promote healthy eating behaviors. The objectives of this pilot randomized controlled trial were to investigate and determine whether sensory-based intervention influenced eating-related attitudes and behaviors among restrained women, as well as reliance on physical signals for hunger and satiety. Between January and September 2011, data were collected using validated questionnaires (Restraint Scale, Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire, Mindful Eating Questionnaire, and Intuitive Eating Scale) at baseline (T=1), the end of the intervention period (T=2), and 12 weeks post intervention (T=3). At T=1, women (n=50) from Quebec City, Canada, were randomly assigned to an intervention group (sensory-based intervention) or a waiting list control group. Statistical analyses were conducted using mixed models, including the group, time, and group-by-time interaction. Women from the intervention group showed a significant decrease in Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-Disinhibition and a significant increase in Mindful Eating Questionnaire-Disinhibition at T=2 vs T=3 (P=0.02 and P=0.02, respectively) and at T=3 vs T=1 (P=0.003 and P=0.002, respectively). Women from the intervention group also showed a significant increase in Intuitive Eating Scale-Unconditional Permission to Eat at T=2 vs T=1 (P<0.0001) and at T=3 vs T=1 (P<0.0001). These preliminary data suggest that sensory-based intervention can be a promising approach to improve eating-related attitudes and behaviors among restrained women, without exacerbating other behaviors such as restrained eating