Gravitational lensing effects on sub-millimetre galaxy counts

We study the effects on the number counts of sub-millimetre galaxies due to gravitational lensing. We explore the effects on the magnification cross section due to halo density profiles, ellipticity and cosmological parameter (the power-spectrum normalisation $\sigma_8$). We show that the ellipticity does not strongly affect the magnification cross section in gravitational lensing while the halo radial profiles do. Since the baryonic cooling effect is stronger in galaxies than clusters, galactic haloes are more concentrated. In light of this, a new scenario of two halo population model is explored where galaxies are modeled as a singular isothermal sphere profile and clusters as a Navarro, Frenk and White (NFW) profile. We find the transition mass between the two has modest effects on the lensing probability. The cosmological parameter $\sigma_8$ alters the abundance of haloes and therefore affects our results. Compared with other methods, our model is simpler and more realistic. The conclusions of previous works is confirm that gravitational lensing is a natural explanation for the number count excess at the bright end.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, accepted by MNRA

Domestic ventilation rates, indoor humidity and dust mite allergens : are our homes causing the asthma pandemic?

This paper is concerned with historical changes in domestic ventilation rates, relative humidity and the associated risk of house dust mite colonization. A controlled trial evaluated allergen and water vapour control measures on the level of house dust mite (HDM) Der p1 allergen and indoor humidity, concurrently with changes in lung function in 54 subjects who completed the protocol. Mechanical heat recovery ventilation units significantly reduced moisture content in the active group, while HDM allergen reservoirs in carpets and beds were reduced by circa 96%. Self reported health status confirmed a significant clinical improvement in the active group. The study can form the basis for assessing minimum winter ventilation rates that can suppress RH below the critical ambient equilibrium humidity of 60% and thus inhibit dust mite colonization and activity in temperate and maritime in' uenced climatic regions

Feynman Rules in the Type III Natural Flavour-Conserving Two-Higgs Doublet Model

We consider a two Higgs-doublet model with $S_3$ symmetry, which implies a $\pi \over 2$ rather than 0 relative phase between the vacuum expectation values $$and$$. The corresponding Feynman rules are derived accordingly and the transformation of the Higgs fields from the weak to the mass eigenstates includes not only an angle rotation but also a phase transformation. In this model, both doublets couple to the same type of fermions and the flavour-changing neutral currents are naturally suppressed. We also demonstrate that the Type III natural flavour-conserving model is valid at tree-level even when an explicit $S_3$ symmetry breaking perturbation is introduced to get a reasonable CKM matrix. In the special case $\beta = \alpha$, as the ratio $\tan\beta = {v_2 \over v_1}$ runs from 0 to $\infty$, the dominant Yukawa coupling will change from the first two generations to the third generation. In the Feynman rules, we also find that the charged Higgs currents are explicitly left-right asymmetric. The ratios between the left- and right-handed currents for the quarks in the same generations are estimated.Comment: 16 pages (figures not included), NCKU-HEP/93-1

Unexpected drop of dynamical heterogeneities in colloidal suspensions approaching the jamming transition

As the glass (in molecular fluids\cite{Donth}) or the jamming (in colloids and grains\cite{LiuNature1998}) transitions are approached, the dynamics slow down dramatically with no marked structural changes. Dynamical heterogeneity (DH) plays a crucial role: structural relaxation occurs through correlated rearrangements of particle ``blobs'' of size $\xi$\cite{WeeksScience2000,DauchotPRL2005,Glotzer,Ediger}. On approaching these transitions, $\xi$ grows in glass-formers\cite{Glotzer,Ediger}, colloids\cite{WeeksScience2000,BerthierScience2005}, and driven granular materials\cite{KeysNaturePhys2007} alike, strengthening the analogies between the glass and the jamming transitions. However, little is known yet on the behavior of DH very close to dynamical arrest. Here, we measure in colloids the maximum of a ``dynamical susceptibility'', $\chi^*$, whose growth is usually associated to that of $\xi$\cite{LacevicPRE}. $\chi^*$ initially increases with volume fraction $\phi$, as in\cite{KeysNaturePhys2007}, but strikingly drops dramatically very close to jamming. We show that this unexpected behavior results from the competition between the growth of $\xi$ and the reduced particle displacements associated with rearrangements in very dense suspensions, unveiling a richer-than-expected scenario.Comment: 1st version originally submitted to Nature Physics. See the Nature Physics website fro the final, published versio

IGF1R regulates retrograde axonal transport of signalling endosomes in motor neurons

Signalling endosomes are essential for trafficking of activated ligand–receptor complexes and their distal signalling, ultimately leading to neuronal survival. Although deficits in signalling endosome transport have been linked to neurodegeneration, our understanding of the mechanisms controlling this process remains incomplete. Here, we describe a new modulator of signalling endosome trafficking, the insulin‐like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R). We show that IGF1R inhibition increases the velocity of signalling endosomes in motor neuron axons, both in vitro and in vivo. This effect is specific, since IGF1R inhibition does not alter the axonal transport of mitochondria or lysosomes. Our results suggest that this change in trafficking is linked to the dynein adaptor bicaudal D1 (BICD1), as IGF1R inhibition results in an increase in the de novo synthesis of BICD1 in the axon of motor neurons. Finally, we found that IGF1R inhibition can improve the deficits in signalling endosome transport observed in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Taken together, these findings suggest that IGF1R inhibition may be a new therapeutic target for ALS

Decay of Correlations in a Topological Glass

In this paper we continue the study of a topological glassy system. The state space of the model is given by all triangulations of a sphere with $N$ nodes, half of which are red and half are blue. Red nodes want to have 5 neighbors while blue ones want 7. Energies of nodes with other numbers of neighbors are supposed to be positive. The dynamics is that of flipping the diagonal between two adjacent triangles, with a temperature dependent probability. We consider the system at very low temperatures. We concentrate on several new aspects of this model: Starting from a detailed description of the stationary state, we conclude that pairs of defects (nodes with the "wrong" degree) move with very high mobility along 1-dimensional paths. As they wander around, they encounter single defects, which they then move "sideways" with a geometrically defined probability. This induces a diffusive motion of the single defects. If they meet, they annihilate, lowering the energy of the system. We both estimate the decay of energy to equilibrium, as well as the correlations. In particular, we find a decay like $t^{-0.4}$

Quantum physics in inertial and gravitational fields

Covariant generalizations of well-known wave equations predict the existence of inertial-gravitational effects for a variety of quantum systems that range from Bose-Einstein condensates to particles in accelerators. Additional effects arise in models that incorporate Born reciprocity principle and the notion of a maximal acceleration. Some specific examples are discussed in detail.Comment: 25 pages,1 figure,to appear in "Relativity in Rotating Frame

On the Globular Cluster IMF below 1 Solar Mass

(Abridged) Accurate luminosity functions (LF) for a dozen globular clusters have now been measured at or just beyond their half-light radius using HST. They span almost the entire cluster main sequence below ~ 0.75 Msolar. All these clusters exhibit LF that rise continuously from an absolute I magnitude M_I ~ 6 to a peak at M_I ~ 8.5-9 and then drop with increasing M_I. Transformation of the LF into mass functions (MF) by means of the most recent mass luminosity relations that are consistent with all presently available data on the physical properties of low mass, low metallicity stars shows that all the LF observed so far can be obtained from MF having the shape of a log-normal distribution with characteristic mass m_c=0.33 +/- 0.03 Msolar and standard deviation sigma = 1.81 +/- 0.19. After correction for the effects of mass segregation, the variation of the ratio of the number of higher to lower mass stars with cluster mass or any simple orbital parameter or the expected time to disruption recently computed for these clusters shows no statistically significant trend over a range of this last parameter of more than a factor of 100. We conclude that the global MF of these clusters have not been measurably modified by evaporation and tidal interactions with the Galaxy and, thus, should reflect the initial distribution of stellar masses. Since the log-normal function that we find is also very similar to the one obtained independently for much younger clusters and to the form expected theoretically, the implication seems to be unavoidable that it represents the true stellar IMF for this type of stars in this mass range.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal. Contains 28 pages with 6 figure

First principles modelling of magnesium titanium hydrides

Mixing Mg with Ti leads to a hydride Mg(x)Ti(1-x)H2 with markedly improved (de)hydrogenation properties for x < 0.8, as compared to MgH2. Optically, thin films of Mg(x)Ti(1-x)H2 have a black appearance, which is remarkable for a hydride material. In this paper we study the structure and stability of Mg(x)Ti(1-x)H2, x= 0-1 by first-principles calculations at the level of density functional theory. We give evidence for a fluorite to rutile phase transition at a critical composition x(c)= 0.8-0.9, which correlates with the experimentally observed sharp decrease in (de)hydrogenation rates at this composition. The densities of states of Mg(x)Ti(1-x)H2 have a peak at the Fermi level, composed of Ti d states. Disorder in the positions of the Ti atoms easily destroys the metallic plasma, however, which suppresses the optical reflection. Interband transitions result in a featureless optical absorption over a large energy range, causing the black appearance of Mg(x)Ti(1-x)H2.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figures, 4 table