159 research outputs found
H^s versus C^0-weighted minimizers
We study a class of semi-linear problems involving the fractional Laplacian
under subcritical or critical growth assumptions. We prove that, for the
corresponding functional, local minimizers with respect to a C^0-topology
weighted with a suitable power of the distance from the boundary are actually
local minimizers in the natural H^s-topology.Comment: 15 page
Conformal proper times according to the Woodhouse causal axiomatics of relativistic spacetimes
On the basis of the Woodhouse causal axiomatics, we show that conformal
proper times and an extra variable in addition to those of space and time,
precisely and physically identified from experimental examples, together give a
physical justification for the `chronometric hypothesis' of general relativity.
Indeed, we show that, with a lack of these latter two ingredients, no clock
paradox solution exists in which the clock and message functions are solely at
the origin of the asymmetry. These proper times originate from a given
conformal structure of the spacetime when ascribing different compatible
projective structures to each Woodhouse particle, and then, each defines a
specific Weylian sheaf structure. In addition, the proper time
parameterizations, as two point functions, cannot be defined irrespective of
the processes in the relative changes of physical characteristics. These
processes are included via path-dependent conformal scale factors, which act
like sockets for any kind of physical interaction and also represent the values
of the variable associated with the extra dimension. As such, the differential
aging differs far beyond the first and second clock effects in Weyl geometries,
with the latter finally appearing to not be suitable.Comment: 25 pages, 2 figure
PARTOS - Passive and Active Ray TOmography Software: description and preliminary analysis using TOMO-ETNA experiment’s dataset.
In this manuscript we present the new friendly seismic tomography software based on joint inversion of active and passive seismic sources called PARTOS (Passive Active Ray TOmography Software). This code has been developed on the base of two well-known widely used tomographic algorithms (LOTOS and ATOM-3D), providing a robust set of algorithms. The dataset used to set and test the program has been provided by TOMO-ETNA experiment. TOMO-ETNA database is a large, highquality dataset that includes active and passive seismic sources recorded during a period of 4 months in 2014. We performed a series of synthetic tests in order to estimate the resolution and robustness of the solutions. Real data inversion has been carried out using 3 different subsets: (i) active data; (ii) passive data; and (iii) joint dataset. Active database is composed by a total of 16,950 air-gun shots during 1 month and passive database includes 452 local and regional earthquakes recorded during 4
months. This large dataset provides a high ray density within the study region. The combination of active and passive seismic data, together with the high quality of the database, permits to obtain a new tomographic approach of the region under study never done before. An additional user-guide of PARTOS software is provided in order to facilitate the implementation for new users.PublishedS04351V. Storia e struttura dei sistemi vulcaniciJCR Journalope
How long before the end of inflation were observable perturbations produced?
We reconsider the issue of the number of e-foldings before the end of
inflation at which observable perturbations were generated. We determine a
plausible upper limit on that number for the standard cosmology which is around
60, with the expectation that the actual value will be up to 10 below this. We
also note a special property of the model which reduces the
uncertainties in that case and favours a higher value, giving a fairly definite
prediction of 64 e-foldings for that model. We note an extreme (and highly
implausible) situation where the number of e-foldings can be even higher,
possibly up to 100, and discuss the shortcomings of quantifying inflation by
e-foldings rather than by the change in . Finally, we discuss the impact of
non-standard evolution between the end of inflation and the present, showing
that again the expected number of e-foldings can be modified, and in some cases
significantly increased.Comment: 7 pages RevTeX4 file with one figure incorporated. Minor updates to
match version accepted by Physical Review
Perovskite solar cell resilience to fast neutrons
The high power-per-weight ratio displayed by metal-halide perovskite solar cells is a key advantage of these promising devices for applications that require low payload, such as in space and avionics. However, little is known about the effect of the outer space radiation environment on these devices. Here, we report the first in operando study on fast neutron irradiation of perovskite solar cells. We show the remarkable resilience of these devices against one of the most hazardous forms of radiation that can be found at flight altitude and in space. In particular, our results highlight a comparable in operando degradation pattern between light soaked and light + neutron irradiated devices. However, whereas light-induced degradation is fully reversible, fast neutrons lead to permanent effects likely originating from atomic displacement in the active material. We also propose that such irreversible worsening is alleviated by the formation of neutron-induced shallow traps, which act as dopants and contribute to the increase of open circuit voltage and the decrease of leakage current in light + neutron irradiated devices. The high radiation dose that perovskite-based solar cells can potentially withstand renders these devices highly appealing for space and avionic applications
The temperature and chronology of heavy-element synthesis in low-mass stars
Roughly half of the heavy elements (atomic mass greater than that of iron)
are believed to be synthesized in the late evolutionary stages of stars with
masses between 0.8 and 8 solar masses. Deep inside the star, nuclei (mainly
iron) capture neutrons and progressively build up (through the
slow-neutron-capture process, or s-process) heavier elements that are
subsequently brought to the stellar surface by convection. Two neutron sources,
activated at distinct temperatures, have been proposed: 13C and 22Ne, each
releasing one neutron per alpha-particle (4He) captured. To explain the
measured stellar abundances, stellar evolution models invoking the 13C neutron
source (which operates at temperatures of about one hundred million kelvin) are
favoured. Isotopic ratios in primitive meteorites, however, reflecting
nucleosynthesis in the previous generations of stars that contributed material
to the Solar System, point to higher temperatures (more than three hundred
million kelvin), requiring at least a late activation of 22Ne. Here we report a
determination of the s-process temperature directly in evolved low-mass giant
stars, using zirconium and niobium abundances, independently of stellar
evolution models. The derived temperature supports 13C as the s-process neutron
source. The radioactive pair 93Zr-93Nb used to estimate the s-process
temperature also provides, together with the pair 99Tc-99Ru, chronometric
information on the time elapsed since the start of the s-process, which we
determine to be one million to three million years.Comment: 30 pages, 10 figure
Spin-transfer in an open ferromagnetic layer: from negative damping to effective temperature
Spin-transfer is a typical spintronics effect that allows a ferromagnetic
layer to be switched by spin-injection. Most of the experimental results about
spin transfer are described on the basis of the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert
equation of the magnetization, in which additional current-dependent damping
factors are added, and can be positive or negative. The origin of the damping
can be investigated further by performing stochastic experiments, like one shot
relaxation experiments under spin-injection in the activation regime of the
magnetization. In this regime, the N\'eel-Brown activation law is observed
which leads to the introduction of a current-dependent effective temperature.
In order to justify the introduction of these counterintuitive parameters
(effective temperature and negative damping), a detailed thermokinetic analysis
of the different sub-systems involved is performed. We propose a thermokinetic
description of the different forms of energy exchanged between the electric and
the ferromagnetic sub-systems at a Normal/Ferromagnetic junction. The
corresponding Fokker Planck equations, including relaxations, are derived. The
damping coefficients are studied in terms of Onsager-Casimir transport
coefficients, with the help of the reciprocity relations. The effective
temperature is deduced in the activation regime.Comment: 65 pages, 10 figure
Observational constraints on cosmic strings: Bayesian analysis in a three dimensional parameter space
Current data exclude cosmic strings as the primary source of primordial
density fluctuations. However, in a wide class of inflationary models, strings
can form at later stages of inflation and have potentially detectable
observational signatures. We study the constraints from WMAP and SDSS data on
the fraction of primordial fluctuations sourced by local cosmic strings. The
Bayesian analysis presented in this brief report is restricted to the minimal
number of parameters. Yet it is useful for two reasons. It confirms the results
of Pogosian et al (2003) using an alternative statistical method. Secondly, it
justifies the more costly multi-parameter analysis. Already, varying only three
parameters -- the spectral index and the amplitudes of the adiabatic and string
contributions -- we find that the upper bound on the cosmic string contribution
is of order 10%. We expect that the full multi-parameter study, currently
underway, will likely loosen this bound.Comment: v3: 4 pages, 5 figures, slight modifications to match published
versio
Microbiological and chemical monitoring of Marsala base wine obtained by spontaneous fermentation during large-scale production
The present work was undertaken to evaluate the effect of the natural winemaking on
the microbial and chemical composition of Marsala base wine. To this purpose, a
large-scale vinification process of Grillo grape cultivar was monitored from harvesting
to the final product. Total yeasts (TY) showed a rapid increase after must pressing and
reached values almost superimposable to those registered during the conventional
winemakings. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were registered at the highest levels
simultaneously to yeast growth at the beginning of the process. Saccharomyces
cerevisiae was the species found at the highest concentrations in all samples
analysed. Several strains (n= 16) was registered at high levels during the alcoholic
fermentation and/or aging of wine; only two of them were detected on the grape
surface. Lactobacillus plantarum was the LAB species most frequently isolated during
the entire vinification process. Ethanol content was approximately 14% (v/v) at the end
of vinification. The value of pH did not greatly vary during the process and the volatile
acidity (VA) was detected at low concentrations during the entire transformation. The
concentration of malic acid rapidly decreased during the AF; on the other hand, lactic
acid showed an irregular trend during the entire process. trans-caffeil tartaric acid was
the most abundant hydroxycinnamoyl tartaric acid and volatile organic compounds
(VOC) were mainly represented by isoamylic alcohol and isobutanol
A compilation of field surveys on gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) from contrasting environmental settings in Europe, South America, South Africa and China: separating fads from facts
Mercury is transported globally in the atmosphere
mostly in gaseous elemental form (GEM, Hg0
gas),
but still few worldwide studies taking into account
different and contrasted environmental settings are
available in a single publication. This work presents
and discusses data from Argentina, Bolivia, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Brazil, Chile, China, Croatia, Finland,
Italy, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Slovenia and
Venezuela. We classified the information in four
groups: (1) mining districts where this contaminant
poses or has posed a risk for human populations and/or
ecosystems; (2) cities, where the concentration ofatmospheric mercury could be higher than normal due
to the burning of fossil fuels and industrial activities;
(3) areas with natural emissions from volcanoes; and
(4) pristine areas where no anthropogenic influence
was apparent. All the surveys were performed using
portable LUMEX RA-915 series atomic absorption
spectrometers. The results for cities fall within a low
GEM concentration range that rarely exceeds 30 ng m-3,
that is, 6.6 times lower than the restrictive ATSDR
threshold (200 ng m-3) for chronic exposure to this
pollutant. We also observed this behavior in the former
mercury mining districts, where few data were above
200 ng m-3.We noted that high concentrations of GEM
are localized phenomena that fade away in short
distances. However, this does not imply that they do not
pose a risk for those working in close proximity to the
source. This is the case of the artisanal gold miners that
heat the Au–Hg amalgam to vaporize mercury. In this
respect, while GEM can be truly regarded as a hazard,
because of possible physical–chemical transformations
into other species, it is only under these localized
conditions, implying exposure to high GEM concentrations,
which it becomes a direct risk for humans.Grants
CGL2009-13171 and CTM2012-33918 from the Spanish
Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and PII1I09-0142-
4389 from theCastilla-LaMancha (Spain)RegionalGovernment.Published713-7346A. Monitoraggio ambientale, sicurezza e territorioJCR Journalrestricte
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