888 research outputs found
The rate of cosmic ray showers at large zenith angles: a step towards the detection of ultra-high energy neutrinos by the Pierre Auger Observatory
It is anticipated that the Pierre Auger Observatory can be used to detect
cosmic neutrinos of >10^19 eV that arrive at very large zenith angles. However
showers created by neutrino interactions close to the detector must be picked
out against a background of similar events initiated by cosmic ray nuclei. As a
step towards understanding this background, we have made the first detailed
analysis of air showers recorded at Haverah Park (an array which used similar
detectors to those planned for the Auger Observatory) with zenith angles above
60 degs. We find that the differential shower rate from 60 degs to 80 degs. can
be predicted accurately when we adopt the known primary energy spectrum above
10^17 eV and assume the QGSJET model and proton primaries. Details of the
calculation are given.Comment: 22 pages, 12 figures, to appear in Astroparticle Physic
Hydrogen recombination continuum as the radiative model for stellar optical flares
The study of stellar flares has increased with new observations from CoRoT, Kepler, and TESS satellites, revealing the broad-band visible emission from these events. Typically, stellar flares have been modelled as 104 K blackbody plasma to obtain estimates of their total energy. In the Sun, white-light flares (WLFs) are much fainter than their stellar counterparts, and normally can only be detected via spatially resolved observations. Identifying the radiation mechanism for the formation of the visible spectrum from solar and stellar flares is crucial to understand the energy transfer processes during these events, but spectral data for WLFs are relatively rare, and insufficient to remove the ambiguity of their origin: photospheric blackbody radiation and/or Paschen continuum from hydrogen recombination in the chromosphere. We employed an analytical solution for the recombination continuum of hydrogen instead of the typically assumed 104 K blackbody spectrum to study the energy of stellar flares and infer their fractional area coverage. We investigated 37 events from Kepler-411 and five events from Kepler-396, using both radiation mechanisms. We find that estimates for the total flare energy from the H recombination spectrum are about an order of magnitude lower than the values obtained from the blackbody radiation. Given the known energy transfer processes in flares, we argue that the former is a physically more plausible model than the latter to explain the origin of the broad-band optical emission from flares
Determination of the calorimetric energy in extensive air showers
The contribution of different components of an air shower to the total energy
deposit in the atmosphere, for different angles and primary particles, was
studied using the CORSIKA air shower simulation code. The amount of missing
energy, parameterized in terms of the calorimetric energy, was calculated. The
results show that this parameterization varies less than 1% with angle or
observation level. The dependence with the primary mass is less than 5% and,
with the high energy hadronic interaction model, less than 2%. The systematic
error introduced by the use of just one parameterization of the missing energy
correction function, for an equal mixture of proton and iron at 45deg, was
calculated to be below 3%. We estimate the statistical error due to
shower-to-shower fluctuations to be about 1%.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, 4 tables. This version corresponds to the one
aproved for publication in Astroparticle Physic
EPUAP classification system for pressure ulcers: European reliability study
âThe definitive version is available at www3.interscience.wiley.com .' Copyright Blackwell PublishingPeer reviewe
Reduced basis isogeometric mortar approximations for eigenvalue problems in vibroacoustics
We simulate the vibration of a violin bridge in a multi-query context using
reduced basis techniques. The mathematical model is based on an eigenvalue
problem for the orthotropic linear elasticity equation. In addition to the nine
material parameters, a geometrical thickness parameter is considered. This
parameter enters as a 10th material parameter into the system by a mapping onto
a parameter independent reference domain. The detailed simulation is carried
out by isogeometric mortar methods. Weakly coupled patch-wise tensorial
structured isogeometric elements are of special interest for complex geometries
with piecewise smooth but curvilinear boundaries. To obtain locality in the
detailed system, we use the saddle point approach and do not apply static
condensation techniques. However within the reduced basis context, it is
natural to eliminate the Lagrange multiplier and formulate a reduced eigenvalue
problem for a symmetric positive definite matrix. The selection of the
snapshots is controlled by a multi-query greedy strategy taking into account an
error indicator allowing for multiple eigenvalues
The Flare-energy Distributions Generated by Kink-unstable Ensembles of Zero-net-current Coronal Loops
It has been proposed that the million degree temperature of the corona is due
to the combined effect of barely-detectable energy releases, so called
nanoflares, that occur throughout the solar atmosphere. Alas, the nanoflare
density and brightness implied by this hypothesis means that conclusive
verification is beyond present observational abilities. Nevertheless, we
investigate the plausibility of the nanoflare hypothesis by constructing a
magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model that can derive the energy of a nanoflare from
the nature of an ideal kink instability. The set of energy-releasing
instabilities is captured by an instability threshold for linear kink modes.
Each point on the threshold is associated with a unique energy release and so
we can predict a distribution of nanoflare energies. When the linear
instability threshold is crossed, the instability enters a nonlinear phase as
it is driven by current sheet reconnection. As the ensuing flare erupts and
declines, the field transitions to a lower energy state, which is modelled by
relaxation theory, i.e., helicity is conserved and the ratio of current to
field becomes invariant within the loop. We apply the model so that all the
loops within an ensemble achieve instability followed by energy-releasing
relaxation. The result is a nanoflare energy distribution. Furthermore, we
produce different distributions by varying the loop aspect ratio, the nature of
the path to instability taken by each loop and also the level of radial
expansion that may accompany loop relaxation. The heating rate obtained is just
sufficient for coronal heating. In addition, we also show that kink instability
cannot be associated with a critical magnetic twist value for every point along
the instability threshold
Single-electron transport driven by surface acoustic waves: moving quantum dots versus short barriers
We have investigated the response of the acoustoelectric current driven by a
surface-acoustic wave through a quantum point contact in the closed-channel
regime. Under proper conditions, the current develops plateaus at integer
multiples of ef when the frequency f of the surface-acoustic wave or the gate
voltage Vg of the point contact is varied. A pronounced 1.1 MHz beat period of
the current indicates that the interference of the surface-acoustic wave with
reflected waves matters. This is supported by the results obtained after a
second independent beam of surface-acoustic wave was added, traveling in
opposite direction. We have found that two sub-intervals can be distinguished
within the 1.1 MHz modulation period, where two different sets of plateaus
dominate the acoustoelectric-current versus gate-voltage characteristics. In
some cases, both types of quantized steps appeared simultaneously, though at
different current values, as if they were superposed on each other. Their
presence could result from two independent quantization mechanisms for the
acoustoelectric current. We point out that short potential barriers determining
the properties of our nominally long constrictions could lead to an additional
quantization mechanism, independent from those described in the standard model
of 'moving quantum dots'.Comment: 25 pages, 12 figures, to be published in a special issue of J. Low
Temp. Phys. in honour of Prof. F. Pobel
European regulatory agenices should employ full time statisticians
No abstract available
Towards an understanding of unique and shared pathways in the psychopathophysiology of AD/HD
Most attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) research has compared cases with unaffected controls. This has led to many associations, but uncertainties about their specificity to ADHD in contrast with other disorders. We present a selective review of research, comparing ADHD with other disorders in neuropsychological, neurobiological and genetic correlates. So far, a specific pathophysiologicalpathway has not been identified. ADHD is probably not specifically associated with executive function deficits. It is possible, but not yet established, that ADHD symptoms may be more specifically associated with motivational abnormalities, motor organization and time perception. Recent findings indicating common genetic liabilities of ADHD and other conditions raise questions about diagnostic boundaries. In future research, the delineation of the pathophysiological mechanisms of ADHD needs to match cognitive, imaging and genetic techniques to the challenge of defining more homogenous clinical groups; multi-site collaborative projects are needed. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd
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