3,418 research outputs found
Mixing by microorganisms in stratified fluids
We examine the vertical mixing induced by the swimming of microorganisms at low Reynolds and Péclet numbers in a stably stratified ocean, and show that the global contribution of oceanic microswimmers to vertical mixing is negligible. We propose two approaches to estimating the mixing efficiency, η, or the ratio of the rate of potential energy creation to the total rate-of-working on the ocean by microswimmers. The first is based on scaling arguments and estimates η in terms of the ratio between the typical organism size, a, and an intrinsic length scale for the stratified flow, l = (νκ/N2)1/4, where ν is the kinematic viscosity, κ the diffusivity, and N the buoyancy frequency. In particular, for small organisms in the relevant oceanic limit, a/l \u3c\u3c 1, we predict the scaling η ∼ (a/l)3. The second estimate of η is formed by solving the full coupled flow-stratification problem by modeling the swimmer as a regularized force dipole, and computing the efficiency numerically. Our computational results, which are examined for all ratios a/l, validate the scaling arguments in the limit a/l \u3c\u3c 1 and further predict η ≈ 1.2(a/l)3 for vertical swimming and η ≈ 0.15 (a/l)3 for horizontal swimming. These results, relevant for any stratified fluid rich in biological activity, imply that the mixing efficiency of swimming microorganisms in the ocean is at very most 8% and is likely smaller by at least two orders of magnitude
Search for Gamma-ray Emission from Dark Matter Annihilation in the Large Magellanic Cloud with the Fermi Large Area Telescope
At a distance of 50 kpc and with a dark matter mass of
M, the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is a natural target for indirect
dark matter searches. We use five years of data from the Fermi Large Area
Telescope (LAT) and updated models of the gamma-ray emission from standard
astrophysical components to search for a dark matter annihilation signal from
the LMC. We perform a rotation curve analysis to determine the dark matter
distribution, setting a robust minimum on the amount of dark matter in the LMC,
which we use to set conservative bounds on the annihilation cross section. The
LMC emission is generally very well described by the standard astrophysical
sources, with at most a excess identified near the kinematic center
of the LMC once systematic uncertainties are taken into account. We place
competitive bounds on the dark matter annihilation cross section as a function
of dark matter particle mass and annihilation channel.Comment: 33 pages, 22 figures Version 2: minor corrections and clarifications
after journal peer review proces
Search for Gamma-ray Emission from Dark Matter Annihilation in the Small Magellanic Cloud with the Fermi Large Area Telescope
The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is the second-largest satellite galaxy of
the Milky Way and is only 60 kpc away. As a nearby, massive, and dense object
with relatively low astrophysical backgrounds, it is a natural target for dark
matter indirect detection searches. In this work, we use six years of Pass 8
data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope to search for gamma-ray signals of
dark matter annihilation in the SMC. Using data-driven fits to the gamma-ray
backgrounds, and a combination of N-body simulations and direct measurements of
rotation curves to estimate the SMC DM density profile, we found that the SMC
was well described by standard astrophysical sources, and no signal from dark
matter annihilation was detected. We set conservative upper limits on the dark
matter annihilation cross section. These constraints are in agreement with
stronger constraints set by searches in the Large Magellanic Cloud and approach
the canonical thermal relic cross section at dark matter masses lower than 10
GeV in the and channels.Comment: 17 pages, 11 figures. Accepted by PR
US county-level agricultural crop production typology
Objectives: Crop production is an important variable in social, economic and environmental analyses. There is an abundance of crop data available for the United States, but we lack a typology of county-level crop production that accounts for production similarities in counties across the country. We fill this gap with a county-level classification of crop production with ten mutually exclusive categories across the contiguous United States. Data description: To create the typology we ran a cluster analysis on acreage data for 21 key crops from the United States Department of Agriculture\u27s 2012 Agricultural Census. Prior to clustering, we estimated undisclosed county acreage values, controlled for acreage in other crop types, and removed counties with low agricultural production to produce proportional scores for each crop type in each county. We used proportional scores to control for the influence of county size in the cluster analysis and used internal and stability measures to validate the analysis. The final dataset features 2922 counties. Future research can leverage this typology as an input for county- or regional-level analysis
Exactly solvable approximating models for Rabi Hamiltonian dynamics
The interaction between an atom and a one mode external driving field is an
ubiquitous problem in many branches of physics and is often modeled using the
Rabi Hamiltonian. In this paper we present a series of analytically solvable
Hamiltonians that approximate the Rabi Hamiltonian and compare our results to
the Jaynes-Cummings model which neglects the so-called counter-rotating term in
the Rabi Hamiltonian. Through a unitary transformation that diagonlizes the
Jaynes-Cummings model, we transform the counter-rotating term into separate
terms representing several different physical processes. By keeping only
certain terms, we can achieve an excellent approximation to the exact dynamics
within specified parameter ranges
The Santa Fe Light Cone Simulation Project: I. Confusion and the WHIM in Upcoming Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect Surveys
We present the first results from a new generation of simulated large sky
coverage (~100 square degrees) Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect (SZE) cluster surveys
using the cosmological adaptive mesh refinement N-body/hydro code Enzo. We have
simulated a very large (512^3h^{-3}Mpc^3) volume with unprecedented dynamic
range. We have generated simulated light cones to match the resolution and
sensitivity of current and future SZE instruments. Unlike many previous studies
of this type, our simulation includes unbound gas, where an appreciable
fraction of the baryons in the universe reside.
We have found that cluster line-of-sight overlap may be a significant issue
in upcoming single-dish SZE surveys. Smaller beam surveys (~1 arcmin) have more
than one massive cluster within a beam diameter 5-10% of the time, and a larger
beam experiment like Planck has multiple clusters per beam 60% of the time. We
explore the contribution of unresolved halos and unbound gas to the SZE
signature at the maximum decrement. We find that there is a contribution from
gas outside clusters of ~16% per object on average for upcoming surveys. This
adds both bias and scatter to the deduced value of the integrated SZE, adding
difficulty in accurately calibrating a cluster Y-M relationship.
Finally, we find that in images where objects with M > 5x10^{13} M_{\odot}
have had their SZE signatures removed, roughly a third of the total SZE flux
still remains. This gas exists at least partially in the Warm Hot Intergalactic
Medium (WHIM), and will possibly be detectable with the upcoming generation of
SZE surveys.Comment: 14 pages, 13 figures, version accepted to ApJ. Major revisions mad
Vestibular perceptual testing from lab to clinic: a review
Not all dizziness presents as vertigo, suggesting other perceptual symptoms for individuals with vestibular disease. These non-specific perceptual complaints of dizziness have led to a recent resurgence in literature examining vestibular perceptual testing with the aim to enhance clinical diagnostics and therapeutics. Recent evidence supports incorporating rehabilitation methods to retrain vestibular perception. This review describes the current field of vestibular perceptual testing from scientific laboratory techniques that may not be clinic friendly to some low-tech options that may be more clinic friendly. Limitations are highlighted suggesting directions for additional research
Passive Attitude Control to Decrease CubeSatellite Complexity
Attitude control is often a requirement for the optimal functionality of satellite payloads. The McMaster Neutron Dosimetry and Exploration (NEUDOSE) mission aims to measure charged and neutral radiation in Low Earth Orbit. NEUDOSE can detect particles effectively from any direction due to its spherical symmetry, meaning unlike most satellite missions, it does not require attitude control to function. The attitude is still crucial for the mission in order to achieve optimal communication. The NEUDOSE satellite utilizes Ultra High Frequency and Very High Frequency dipole antennas for communication. If the satellite’s attitude lines up in a specific orientation, communication will be hindered due to the nature of the antenna’s radiation pattern. With short access times to the ground station, and relatively small amounts of data being transferred, effective communication is important for the success of the mission. Initially the NEUDOSE mission had an active attitude control system, but with the lack of pointing requirements for the payload’s operation, and a stringent power budget, the active system was removed. A passive magnetic attitude control system was then explored as a solution to optimize communication, without adding much complexity or burden on the power budget
Buruli ulcer disease prevalence in Benin, West Africa: associations with land use/cover and the identification of disease clusters
© 2008 Wagner et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens
Addition Spectra of Quantum Dots in Strong Magnetic Fields
We consider the magnetic field dependence of the chemical potential for
parabolically confined quantum dots in a strong magnetic field. Approximate
expressions based on the notion that the size of a dot is determined by a
competition between confinement and interaction energies are shown to be
consistent with exact diagonalization studies for small quantum dots. Fine
structure is present in the magnetic field dependence which cannot be explained
without a full many-body description and is associated with ground-state level
crossings as a function of confinement strength or Zeeman interaction strength.
Some of this fine structure is associated with precursors of the bulk
incompressible states responsible for the fractional quantum Hall effect.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures (available from [email protected]). Revtex
3.0. (IUCM93-010
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