Molecular Gas and Star Formation in the SAURON Early-type Galaxies

We present the results of a survey of CO emission in 43 of the 48 representative E/S0 galaxies observed in the optical with the SAURON integral-field spectrograph. The CO detection rate is 12/43 or 28%. This is lower than previous studies of early-types but can probably be attributed to different sample selection criteria. As expected, earlier type, more luminous and massive galaxies have a relatively lower molecular gas content. We find that CO-rich galaxies tend to have higher H\beta but lower Fe5015 and Mgb absorption indices than CO-poor galaxies. Those trends appear primarily driven by the age of the stars, an hypothesis supported by the fact that the galaxies with the strongest evidence of star formation are also the most CO-rich. In fact, the early-type galaxies from the current sample appear to extend the well-known correlations between FIR luminosity, dust mass and molecular mass of other galaxy types. The star formation interpretation is also consistent with the SAURON galaxies' radio continuum and FIR flux ratios, and their inferred star formation efficiencies are similar to those in spiral galaxies. It thus appears that we have identified the material fueling (residual) star formation in early-type galaxies, and have demonstrated that it is actively being transformed. Nevertheless, the lack of strong correlations between the CO content and most stellar parameters is compatible with the idea that, in a significant number of sample galaxies, the molecular gas has been accreted from the outside and has properties rather independent from the old, pre-existing stellar component.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, accepted in MNRA

A Bosonic Analog of a Topological Dirac Semi-Metal: Effective Theory, Neighboring Phases, and Wire Construction

We construct a bosonic analog of a two-dimensional topological Dirac Semi-Metal (DSM). The low-energy description of the most basic 2D DSM model consists of two Dirac cones at positions $\pm\mathbf{k}_0$ in momentum space. The local stability of the Dirac cones is guaranteed by a composite symmetry $Z_2^{\mathcal{TI}}$, where $\mathcal{T}$ is time-reversal and $\mathcal{I}$ is inversion. This model also exhibits interesting time-reversal and inversion symmetry breaking electromagnetic responses. In this work we construct a bosonic version by replacing each Dirac cone with a copy of the $O(4)$ Nonlinear Sigma Model (NLSM) with topological theta term and theta angle $\theta=\pm \pi$. One copy of this NLSM also describes the gapless surface termination of the 3D Bosonic Topological Insulator (BTI). We compute the time-reversal and inversion symmetry breaking electromagnetic responses for our model and show that they are twice the value one gets in the DSM case matching what one might expect from, for example, a bosonic Chern insulator. We also investigate the stability of the BSM model and find that the composite $Z_2^{\mathcal{TI}}$ symmetry again plays an important role. Along the way we clarify many aspects of the surface theory of the BTI including the electromagnetic response, the charges and statistics of vortex excitations, and the stability to symmetry-allowed perturbations. We briefly comment on the relation between the various descriptions of the $O(4)$ NLSM with $\theta=\pi$ used in this paper (a dual vortex description and a description in terms of four massless fermions) and the recently proposed dual description of the BTI surface in terms of $2+1$ dimensional Quantum Electrodynamics with two flavors of fermion ($N=2$ QED$_3$). In a set of four Appendixes we review some of the tools used in the paper, and also derive some of the more technical results.Comment: 33 pages, 4 appendixes, v2: small corrections and added references, v3: new section added (Sec. VI) and additional references. To appear in PR

Economic Comparison of the Undercutter and Traditional Tillage Systems for Winter Wheat-Summer Fallow Farming

Wind erosion and blowing dust are major problems for traditional tillage winter wheat-summer fallow in eastern Washington. Wind erosion reduces soil productivity and dust particulates are a major air quality concern. Conservation tillage summer fallow can reduce wind erosion markedly, but is used by relatively few farmers in the low-precipitation (less than 12 inch/year) region of the Inland Pacific Northwest. Barriers to adoption include the cost of conservation tillage implements and reluctance to change "tried and proven"traditional tillage methods. This bulletin compares economic results for the V-sweep undercutter and traditional fallow tillage systems on a case study farm located near Ritzville, WA. The farm’s eight-year average wheat yield is 46 bu/ac. Grain yields are similar for the two systems. This study shows that the undercutter method of summer fallow farming is more profitable than the traditional system on the case study farm due to slightly lower production costs. The undercutter system is eligible for conservation payments, but the traditional system is not. Receipt of these payments further strengthens the profitability advantage of the undercutter systemcapital, labor, land and management resources, type and size of machinery complement

Satellite observations of reconnection between emerging and pre-existing small-scale magnetic fields

We report multi-wavelength ultraviolet observations taken with the IRIS satellite, concerning the emergence phase in the upper chromosphere and transition region of an emerging flux region (EFR) embedded in the unipolar plage of active region NOAA 12529. The photospheric configuration of the EFR is analyzed in detail benefitting from measurements taken with the spectropolarimeter aboard the Hinode satellite, when the EFR was fully developed. In addition, these data are complemented by full-disk, simultaneous observations of the SDO satellite, relevant to the photosphere and the corona. In the photosphere, magnetic flux emergence signatures are recognized in the fuzzy granulation, with dark alignments between the emerging polarities, cospatial with highly inclined fields. In the upper atmospheric layers, we identify recurrent brightenings that resemble UV bursts, with counterparts in all coronal passbands. These occur at the edges of the EFR and in the region of the arch filament system (AFS) cospatial to the EFR. Jet activity is also found at chromospheric and coronal levels, near the AFS and the observed brightness enhancement sites. The analysis of the IRIS line profiles reveals the heating of dense plasma in the low solar atmosphere and the driving of bi-directional high-velocity flows with speeds up to 100 km/s at the same locations. Furthermore, we detect a correlation between the Doppler velocity and line width of the Si IV 1394 and 1402 \AA{} line profiles in the UV burst pixels and their skewness. Comparing these findings with previous observations and numerical models, we suggest evidence of several long-lasting, small-scale magnetic reconnection episodes between the emerging bipole and the ambient field. This process leads to the cancellation of a pre-existing photospheric flux concentration of the plage with the opposite polarity flux patch of the EFR. [...]Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to be published in "Nuovo Cimento C" as proceeding of the Third Meeting of the Italian Solar and Heliospheric Communit

A new nickel-base wrought superalloy for applications up to 1033 K (1400 F)

Alloy was melted from high purity raw materials and cast ingots extruded at 1422 K. Material was hot rolled to 0.013 m diameter bar stock. Partial solution heat-treatment followed by aging produced structure of fine gamma prime precipitate reinforcing gamma matrix containing coarser blocky gamma prime particles. Alloy can be processed by powder metallurgy

Industrial Relations in Switzerland

Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries are noted for their low levels of industrial conflict. Thereafter the similarity between the two approaches to industrial relations becomes rather tenuous. The Swiss system of industrial relations is anything but centralised. It demonstrates what many outside observers might consider acute sensitivity to the preservation of individual freedom of choice. To some extent this may be explained in terms of Switzerland's unique form of direct democracy. At the same time, there is evidence that this multi cultural federation with complications of language and religion has achieved a large measure of consensus on the procedural aspects of industrial relations. In this respect, the peace agreement approach first introduced in 1937 has been described by an experienced Swiss mediator as the main pillar of Swiss industrial peace

Has the Next Bus Gone Yet?: Industrial Relations in the 1980s

This title was drawn from the punch line in one of those Irish stories which still creep into local publications despite the Human Rights Commission. Paddy's query on arriving at the bus stop (the writer argues) seems to summarise much current concern about industrial relations

Coupled SDW and Superconducting Order in FFLO State of CeCoIn5_5

The mechanism of incommensurate (IC) spin-density-wave (SDW) order observed in the Flude-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) phase of CeCoIn$_5$ is discussed on the basis of new mode-coupling scheme among IC-SDW order, two superconducting orders of FFLO with B$_{1{\rm g}}$ ($d_{x^{2}-y^{2}}$) symmetry and $\pi$-pairing of odd-parity. Unlike the mode-coupling schemes proposed by Kenzelmann et al, Sciencexpress, 21 August (2008), that proposed in the present Letter can offer a simple explanation for why the IC-SDW order is observed only in FFLO phase and the IC wave vector is rather robust against the magnetic field.Comment: 3pages, 1 figure, accepted for publication in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn., Vol.77 (2008), No.1

Scoping a public health impact assessment of aquaculture with particular reference to tilapia in the UK

Background. The paper explores shaping public health impact assessment tools for tilapia, a novel emergent aquaculture sector in the UK. This Research Council’s UK Rural Economy and Land Use project embraces technical, public health, and marketing perspectives scoping tools to assess possible impacts of the activity. Globally, aquaculture produced over 65 million tonnes of food in 2008 and will grow significantly requiring apposite global public health impact assessment tools.<p></p> Methods. Quantitative and qualitative methods incorporated data from a tridisciplinary literature. Holistic tools scoped tilapia farming impact assessments. Laboratory-based tilapia production generated data on impacts in UK and Thailand along with 11 UK focus groups involving 90 consumers, 30 interviews and site visits, 9 visits to UK tilapia growers and 2 in The Netherlands.<p></p> Results. The feasibility, challenges, strengths, and weaknesses of creating a tilapia Public Health Impact Assessment are analysed. Occupational and environmental health benefits and risks attached to tilapia production were identified.<p></p> Conclusions. Scoping public health impacts of tilapia production is possible at different levels and forms for producers, retailers, consumers, civil society and governmental bodies that may contribute to complex and interrelated public health assessments of aquaculture projects. Our assessment framework constitutes an innovatory perspective in the field