8,682 research outputs found
The Micro Slit Gas Detector
We describe the first tests with a new proportional gas detector. Its
geometry consists in slits opened in a copper metallized kapton foil with 30
micron anode strips suspended in these openings. In this way the multiplication
process is similar to a standard MSGC. The fundamental difference is the
absence of an insulating substrate around the anode. Also the material budget
is significantly reduced, and the problems related to charging-up or
polarization are removed. Ageing properties of this detector are under study.Comment: 13 pages tex file, 10 figures ep
Tracking quasi-classical chaos in ultracold boson gases
We study the dynamics of a ultra-cold boson gas in a lattice submitted to a
constant force. We track the route of the system towards chaos created by the
many-body-induced nonlinearity and show that relevant information can be
extracted from an experimentally accessible quantity, the gas mean position.
The threshold nonlinearity for the appearance of chaotic behavior is deduced
from KAM arguments and agrees with the value obtained by calculating the
associated Lyapunov exponent.Comment: 4 pages, revtex4, submitted to PR
Observer with a constant proper acceleration
Relying on the equivalence principle, a first approach of the general theory
of relativity is presented using the spacetime metric of an observer with a
constant proper acceleration. Within this non inertial frame, the equation of
motion of a freely moving object is studied and the equation of motion of a
second accelerated observer with the same proper acceleration is examined. A
comparison of the metric of the accelerated observer with the metric due to a
gravitational field is also performed.Comment: 5 figure
Detection of Trace Amounts of Toxic Metals in Environmental Samples by Laser-excited Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry
Results for the direct determination of trace amounts of Pb and Cd in Antarctic and Greenland ancient ice and recent snow by laser-excited atomic fluorescence spectrometry (LEAFS) are presented. The whole procedure starting from field sampling, mechanical decontamination of the samples in an ultra-clean laboratory and final analysis of the decontaminated samples is described. The measured concentrations varied in the ranges 0.1â3 pg ml^(â1) for Cd and 0.3â30 pg ml^(â1) for Pb. The results for direct analysis by LEAFS agree favourable with those obtained by isotope dilution mass spectrometry and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry, which require time-consuming pre-treatment and pre-concentration stages
The creation and persistence of a misaligned gas disc in a simulated early-type galaxy
Massive early-type galaxies commonly have gas discs which are kinematically
misaligned with the stellar component. These discs feel a torque from the stars
and the angular momentum vectors are expected to align quickly. We present
results on the evolution of a misaligned gas disc in a cosmological simulation
of a massive early-type galaxy from the Feedback In Realistic Environments
project. This galaxy experiences a merger which, together with a strong
galactic wind, removes most of the original gas disc. The galaxy subsequently
reforms a gas disc through accretion of cold gas, but it is initially 120
degrees misaligned with the stellar rotation axis. This misalignment persists
for about 2 Gyr before the gas-star misalignment angle drops below 20 degrees.
The time it takes for the gaseous and stellar components to align is much
longer than previously thought, because the gas disc is accreting a significant
amount of mass for about 1.5 Gyr after the merger, during which the angular
momentum change induced by accreted gas dominates over that induced by stellar
torques. Once the gas accretion rate has decreased sufficiently, the gas disc
decouples from the surrounding halo gas and realigns with the stellar component
in about 6 dynamical times. During the late evolution of the misaligned gas
disc, the centre aligns faster than the outskirts, resulting in a warped disc.
We discuss the observational consequences of the long survival of our
misaligned gas disc and how our results can be used to calibrate merger rate
estimates from observed gas misalignments.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS. Revised
version: minor changes. A movie of the evolution of the gas disc can be
viewed at http://astro.berkeley.edu/~freeke/misalign.htm
A Chandra View of the Normal SO Galaxy NGC 1332: II: Solar Abundances in the Hot Gas and Implications for SN Enrichment
We present spectral analysis of the diffuse emission in the normal, isolated,
moderate-Lx S0 NGC 1332, constraining both the temperature profile and the
metal abundances in the ISM. The characteristics of the point source population
and the gravitating matter are discussed in two companion papers. The diffuse
emission comprises hot gas, with an ~isothermal temperature profile (~0.5 keV),
and emission from unresolved point-sources. In contrast with the cool cores of
many groups and clusters, we find a small central temperature peak. We obtain
emission-weighted abundance contraints within 20 kpc for several key elements:
Fe, O, Ne, Mg and Si. The measured iron abundance (Z_Fe=1.1 in solar units;
>0.53 at 99% confidence) strongly excludes the very sub-solar values often
historically reported for early-type galaxies but agrees with recent
observations of brighter galaxies and groups. The abundance ratios, with
respect to Fe, of the other elements were also found to be ~solar, although
Z_o/Z_Fe was significantly lower (<0.4). Such a low O abundance is not
predicted by simple models of ISM enrichment by Type Ia and Type II supernovae,
and may indicate a significant contribution from primordial hypernovae.
Revisiting Chandra observations of the moderate-Lx, isolated elliptical NGC
720, we obtain similar abundance constraints. Adopting standard SNIa and SNII
metal yields, our abundance ratio constraints imply 73+/-5% and 85+/-6% of the
Fe enrichment in NGC 1332 and NGC 720, respectively, arises from SNIa. Although
these results are sensitive to the considerable systematic uncertainty in the
SNe yields, they are in good agreement with observations of more massive
systems. These two moderate-Lx early-type galaxies reveal a consistent pattern
of metal enrichment from cluster scales to moderate Lx/Lb galaxies. (abridged)Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ. Minor changes
to match published versio
Shifting Patterns of Nitrogen Excretion and Amino Acid Catabolism Capacity during the Life Cycle of the Sea Lamprey (\u3cem\u3ePetromyzon mariunus\u3c/em\u3e)
The jawless fish, the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), spends part of its life as a burrow-dwelling, suspension-feeding larva (ammocoete) before undergoing a metamorphosis into a free swimming, parasitic juvenile that feeds on the blood of fishes. We predicted that animals in this juvenile, parasitic stage have a great capacity for catabolizing amino acids when large quantities of protein-rich blood are ingested. The sixfold to 20-fold greater ammonia excretion rates (JAmm) in postmetamorphic (nonfeeding) and parasitic lampreys compared with ammocoetes suggested that basal rates of amino acid catabolism increased following metamorphosis. This was likely due to a greater basal amino acid catabolizing capacity in which there was a sixfold higher hepatic glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) activity in parasitic lampreys compared with ammocoetes. Immunoblotting also revealed that GDH quantity was 10-fold and threefold greater in parasitic lampreys than in ammocoetes and upstream migrant lampreys, respectively. Higher hepatic alanine and aspartate aminotransferase activities in the parasitic lampreys also suggested an enhanced amino acid catabolizing capacity in this life stage. In contrast to parasitic lampreys, the twofold larger free amino acid pool in the muscle of upstream migrant lampreys confirmed that this period of natural starvation is accompanied by a prominent proteolysis. Carbamoyl phosphate synthetase III was detected at low levels in the liver of parasitic and upstream migrant lampreys, but there was no evidence of extrahepatic (muscle, intestine) urea production via the ornithine urea cycle. However, detection of arginase activity and high concentrations of arginine in the liver at all life stages examined infers that arginine hydrolysis is an important source of urea. We conclude that metamorphosis is accompanied by a metabolic reorganization that increases the capacity of parasitic sea lampreys to catabolize intermittently large amino acid loads arising from the ingestion of protein rich blood from their prey/hosts. The subsequent generation of energy-rich carbon skeletons can then be oxidized or retained for glycogen and fatty acid synthesis, which are essential fuels for the upstream migratory and spawning phases of the sea lampreyâs life cycle
Skeletal Muscle HIF-1α Expression Is Dependent on Muscle Fiber Type
Oxygen homeostasis is an essential regulation system for cell energy production and survival. The oxygen-sensitive subunit α of the hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) complex is a key protein of this system. In this work, we analyzed mouse and rat HIF-1α protein and mRNA expression in parallel to energetic metabolism variations within skeletal muscle. Two physiological situations were studied using HIF-1αâspecific Western blotting and semiquantitative RT-PCR. First, we compared HIF-1α expression between the predominantly oxidative soleus muscle and three predominantly glycolytic muscles. Second, HIF-1α expression was assessed in an energy metabolism switch model that was based on muscle disuse. These two in vivo situations were compared with the in vitro HIF-1α induction by CoCl2 treatment on C2C12 mouse muscle cells. HIF-1α mRNA and protein levels were found to be constitutively higher in the more glycolytic muscles compared with the more oxidative muscles. Our results gave rise to the hypothesis that the oxygen homeostasis regulation system depends on the fiber type
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