11,919 research outputs found
Pion double charge exchange on 4He
The doubly differential cross sections for the He
reaction were calculated using both a two-nucleon sequential single charge
exchange model and an intranuclear cascade code. Final state interactions
between the two final protons which were the initial neutrons were included in
both methods. At incident pion energies of 240 and 270 MeV the low-energy peak
observed experimentally in the energy spectrum of the final pions can be
understood only if the contribution of pion production is included. The
calculated cross sections are compared with data.Comment: 25 pages, 9 figure
Struggling and juggling: a comparison of assessment loads in research and teaching-intensive universities
In spite of the rising tide of metrics in UK higher education, there has been scant attention paid to assessment loads, when evidence demonstrates that heavy demands lead to surface learning. Our study seeks to redress the situation by defining assessment loads and comparing them across research-and teaching intensive universities. We clarify the concept of ‘assessment load’ in response to findings about high volumes of summative assessment on modular degrees. We define assessment load across whole undergraduate degrees, according to four measures: the volume of summative assessment; volume of formative assessment; proportion of examinations to coursework; number of different varieties of assessment. All four factors contribute to the weight of an assessment load, and influence students’ approaches to learning. Our research compares programme assessment data from 73 programmes in 14 UK universities, across two institutional categories. Research-intensives have higher summative assessment loads and a greater proportion of examinations; teaching-intensives have higher varieties of assessment. Formative assessment does not differ significantly across both university groups. These findings pose particular challenges for students in different parts of the sector. Our study questions the wisdom that ‘more’ is always better, proposing that lighter assessment loads may make room for ‘slow’ and deep learning
An intermediate state between the kagome-ice and the fully polarized state in DyTiO
DyTiO is at present the cleanest example of a spin-ice material.
Previous theoretical and experimental work on the first-order transition
between the kagome-ice and the fully polarized state has been taken as a
validation for the dipolar spin-ice model. Here we investigate in further depth
this phase transition using ac-susceptibility and dc-magnetization, and compare
this results with Monte-Carlo simulations and previous magnetization and
specific heat measurements. We find signatures of an intermediate state between
the kagome-ice and full polarization. This signatures are absent in current
theoretical models used to describe spin-ice materials.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure
Symbiont 'bleaching' in planktic foraminifera during the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum
Many genera of modern planktic foraminifera are adapted to nutrient-poor (oligotrophic) surface waters by hosting photosynthetic symbionts, but it is unknown how they will respond to future changes in ocean temperature and acidity. Here we show that ca. 40 Ma, some fossil photosymbiont-bearing planktic foraminifera were temporarily 'bleached' of their symbionts coincident with transient global warming during the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO). At Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Sites 748 and 1051 (Southern Ocean and mid-latitude North Atlantic, respectively), the typically positive relationship between the size of photosymbiont-bearing planktic foraminifer tests and their carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) was temporarily reduced for ∼100 k.y. during the peak of the MECO. At the same time, the typically photosymbiont-bearing planktic foraminifera Acarinina suffered transient reductions in test size and relative abundance, indicating ecological stress. The coincidence of minimum δ18O values and reduction in test size–δ13C gradients suggests a link between increased sea-surface temperatures and bleaching during the MECO, although changes in pH and nutrient availability may also have played a role. Our findings show that host-photosymbiont interactions are not constant through geological time, with implications for both the evolution of trophic strategies in marine plankton and the reliability of geochemical proxy records generated from symbiont-bearing planktic foraminifera
Transport of heat and mass in a two-phase mixture. From a continuous to a discontinuous description
We present a theory which describes the transport properties of the
interfacial region with respect to heat and mass transfer. Postulating the
local Gibbs relation for a continuous description inside the interfacial
region, we derive the description of the Gibbs surface in terms of excess
densities and fluxes along the surface. We introduce overall interfacial
resistances and conductances as the coefficients in the force-flux relations
for the Gibbs surface. We derive relations between the local resistivities for
the continuous description inside the interfacial region and the overall
resistances of the surface for transport between the two phases for a mixture.
It is shown that interfacial resistances depend among other things on the
enthalpy profile across the interface. Since this variation is substantial the
coupling between heat and mass flow across the surface are also substantial. In
particular, the surface puts up much more resistance to the heat and mass
transfer then the homogeneous phases over a distance comparable to the
thickness of the surface. This is the case not only for the pure heat
conduction and diffusion but also for the cross effects like thermal diffusion.
For the excess fluxes along the surface and the corresponding thermodynamic
forces we derive expressions for excess conductances as integrals over the
local conductivities along the surface. We also show that the curvature of the
surface affects only the overall resistances for transport across the surface
and not the excess conductivities along the surface.Comment: 25 pages, 2 figure
Performance Analysis of the Spaceborne Laser Ranging System
The 'spaceborne laser ranging system' is a proposed short pulse laser on board an orbiting spacecraft. It measures the distances between the spacecraft and many laser retroreflectors (targets) deployed on the earth's surface. The precision of these range measurements was assumed to be about plus or minus 2 cm. These measurements were then used together with the orbital dynamics of the spacecraft to derive the intersite vector between the laser ground targets. The errors associated with this vector were on the order of 1 to 2 cm. The baseline distances determined range from 25 km to 1200 km. By repeating the measurements of the intersite vector, strain and strain rate errors were estimated. The realizable precision for intersite distance determination was estimated to be on the order of 0.5 cm at 300 km and about 1.5 cm at 1200 km. The corresponding inaccuracies for the intersite distances were larger, than is 1 cm and 3.5 cm respectively. The corresponding precision in the vertical direction was 1 cm and 3 cm
Cavity spin optodynamics
The dynamics of a large quantum spin coupled parametrically to an optical
resonator is treated in analogy with the motion of a cantilever in cavity
optomechanics. New spin optodynamic phenonmena are predicted, such as
cavity-spin bistability, optodynamic spin-precession frequency shifts, coherent
amplification and damping of spin, and the spin optodynamic squeezing of light.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Robust Bain distortion in the premartensite phase of platinum substituted Ni2MnGa magnetic shape memory alloy
The premartensite phase of shape memory and magnetic shape memory alloys
(MSMAs) is believed to be a precursor state of the martensite phase with
preserved austenite phase symmetry. The thermodynamic stability of the
premartensite phase and its relation to the martensitic phase is still an
unresolved issue, even though it is critical to the understanding of the
functional properties of MSMAs. We present here unambiguous evidence for
macroscopic symmetry breaking leading to robust Bain distortion in the
premartensite phase of 10% Pt substituted Ni2MnGa. We show that the robust Bain
distorted premartensite (T2) phase results from another premartensite (T1)
phase with preserved cubic-like symmetry through an isostructural phase
transition. The T2 phase finally transforms to the martensite phase with
additional Bain distortion on further cooling. Our results demonstrate that the
premartensite phase should not be considered as a precursor state with the
preserved symmetry of the cubic austenite phase
Wall-liquid and wall-crystal interfacial free energies via thermodynamic integration: A molecular dynamics simulation study
A method is proposed to compute the interfacial free energy of a
Lennard-Jones system in contact with a structured wall by molecular dynamics
simulation. Both the bulk liquid and bulk face-centered-cubic crystal phase
along the (111) orientation are considered. Our approach is based on a
thermodynamic integration scheme where first the bulk Lennard-Jones system is
reversibly transformed to a state where it interacts with a structureless flat
wall. In a second step, the flat structureless wall is reversibly transformed
into an atomistic wall with crystalline structure. The dependence of the
interfacial free energy on various parameters such as the wall potential, the
density and orientation of the wall is investigated. The conditions are
indicated under which a Lennard-Jones crystal partially wets a flat wall.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figure
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