Tunneling, self-trapping and manipulation of higher modes of a BEC in a double well

We consider an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate trapped in a symmetric one-dimensional double well potential in the four-mode approximation and show that the semiclassical dynamics of the two ground state modes can be strongly influenced by a macroscopic occupation of the two excited modes. In particular, the addition of the two excited modes already unveils features related to the effect of dissipation on the condensate. In general, we find a rich dynamics that includes Rabi oscillations, a mixed Josephson-Rabi regime, self-trapping, chaotic behavior, and the existence of fixed points. We investigate how the dynamics of the atoms in the excited modes can be manipulated by controlling the atomic populations of the ground states.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure

Soil Microbial Community Changes in Wooded Mountain Pastures due to Simulated Effects of Cattle Grazing

The effect of cattle activity on pastures can be subdivided into three categories of disturbances: herbage removal, dunging and trampling. The objective of this study was to assess separately or in combination the effect of these factors on the potential activities of soil microbial communities and to compare these effects with those of soil properties and plant composition or biomass. Controlled treatments simulating the three factors were applied in a fenced area including a light gradient (sunny and shady situation): (i) repeated mowing; (ii) trampling; (iii) fertilizing with a liquid mixture of dung and urine. In the third year of the experiment, community level physiological profiles (CLPP) (Biolog Ecoplates™) were measured for each plots. Furthermore soil chemical properties (pH, total organic carbon, total nitrogen and total phosphorus), plant species composition and plant biomass were also assessed. Despite differences in plant communities and soil properties, the metabolic potential of the microbial community in the sunny and in the shady situations were similar. Effects of treatments on microbial communities were more pronounced in the sunny than in the shady situation. In both cases, repeated mowing was the first factor retained for explaining functional variations. In contrast, fertilizing was not a significant factor. The vegetation explained a high proportion of variation of the microbial community descriptors in the sunny situation, while no significant variation appeared under shady condition. The three components of cattle activities influenced differently the soil microbial communities and this depended on the light conditions within the wooded pasture. Cattle activities may also change spatially at a fine scale and short-term and induce changes in the microbial community structure. Thus, the shifting mosaic that has been described for the vegetation of pastures may also apply for below-ground microbial communitie

A combined XAS and XRD Study of the High-Pressure Behaviour of GaAsO4 Berlinite

Combined X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) experiments have been carried out on GaAsO4 (berlinite structure) at high pressure and room temperature. XAS measurements indicate four-fold to six-fold coordination changes for both cations. The two local coordination transformations occur at different rates but appear to be coupled. A reversible transition to a high pressure crystalline form occurs around 8 GPa. At a pressure of about 12 GPa, the system mainly consists of octahedral gallium atoms and a mixture of arsenic in four-fold and six-fold coordinations. A second transition to a highly disordered material with both cations in six-fold coordination occurs at higher pressures and is irreversible.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, LaTeX2

Impact of mesh resolution for MISMIP and MISMIP3d experiments using Elmer/Ice

International audienceThe dynamical contribution of marine ice sheets to sea level rise is largely controlled by grounding line (GL) dynamics. Two marine ice sheet model intercomparison exercises , namely MISMIP and MISMIP3d, have been proposed to the community to test and compare the ability of models to capture the GL dynamics. Both exercises are known to present a discontinuity of the friction at the GL, which is believed to increase the model sensitivity to mesh resolution. Here, using Elmer/Ice, the only Stokes model which completed both intercomparisons, the sensitivity to the mesh resolution is studied from an extended MISMIP experiment in which the friction continuously decreases over a transition distance and equals zero at the GL. Using this MISMIP-like setup, it is shown that the sensitivity to the mesh resolution is not improved for a vanishing friction at the GL. For the original MISMIP experiment, i.e. for a discontinuous friction at the GL, we further show that the results are moreover very sensitive to the way the friction is interpolated in the close vicinity of the GL. In the light of these new insights, and thanks to increased computing resources, new results for the MISMIP3d experiments obtained for higher resolutions than previously published are made available for future comparisons as the Supplement

Sensitivity of centennial mass loss projections of the Amundsen basin to the friction law

Reliable projections of ice sheets' future contributions to sea-level rise require models that are able to accurately simulate grounding-line dynamics, starting from initial states consistent with observations. Here, we simulate the centennial evolution of the Amundsen Sea Embayment in response to a prescribed perturbation in order to assess the sensitivity of mass loss projections to the chosen friction law, depending on the initialisation strategy. To this end, three different model states are constructed by inferring both the initial basal shear stress and viscosity fields with various relative weights. Then, starting from each of these model states, prognostic simulations are carried out using a Weertman, a Schoof and a Budd friction law, with different parameter values. Although the sensitivity of projections to the chosen friction law tends to decrease when more weight is put on viscosity during initialisation, it remains significant for the most physically acceptable of the constructed model states. Independently of the considered model state, the Weertman law systematically predicts the lowest mass losses. In addition, because of its particular dependence on effective pressure, the Budd friction law induces significantly different grounding-line retreat patterns than the other laws and predicts significantly higher mass losses.</p

Situation de la vigne sauvage Vitis vinifera ssp. silvestris en Europe

Cette contribution dresse un bilan de la répartition actuelle de la vigne sauvage européenne - Vitis vinifera L. ssp. silvestris (Gmelin) Hegi - sur la base d'une revue bibliographique et d'observations originales effectuées lors de recherches sur son écologie dans les forêts alluviales et colluviales d'Europe. La situation de la vigne sauvage s'avère préoccupante dans la plupart des pays européens, même si elle est souvent mal connue, faute de données récentes fiables. La sous-espèce silvestris se distingue essentiellement des cépages cultivés par sa dioїcite. Les caractères morphologiques végétatifs sont très variables; en particulier, on montre que le dimorphisme sexuel est manifeste dans les populations d'Autriche, alors qu'il n'est pas apparent dans celles du Pays Basque.Occurrence of the wild vine Vitis vinifera ssp. silvestris in EuropeThis paper summarizes the occurrence of the European wild vine - Vitis vinifera L. ssp. silvestris (Gmelin) Hegi - from bibliography and observations made in the framework of research on its ecology in the alluvial and colluvial forests of Europe. The state of the wild vine is disquieting within most of the European countries; in some countries we noticed a lack of recent reliable data. The subspecies silvestris can principally be distinguished from cultivated grapevine by its dioicity. Morphological vegetative criteria are very variable; in particular, we demonstrate that sexual dimorphism occurs in Austrian populations, while it is not found in those of the Basque countries

Change of the ice rheology with climatic transitions – implication on ice flow modelling and dating of the EPICA Dome C core

International audienceThe study of the distribution of the crystallographic orientations (the fabric) along ice cores supplies information on the past and current ice flows of ice-sheets. Beside the usually observed formation of a vertical single maximum fabric, the EPICA Dome Concordia ice core (EDC) shows an abrupt and unexpected strenghtening of its fabric during termination II around 1750 m depth. Such strengthenings were already observed for sites located on an ice-sheet. This suggests that horizontal shear could occur along the EDC core. Moreover, the change in the fabric leads to a modification of the viscosity between neighbouring ice layers. Through the use of an anisotropic ice flow model, we quantify the change in viscosity and investigate its implication on ice flow and dating

Change in ice rheology during climate variations &ndash; implications for ice flow modelling and dating of the EPICA Dome C core

The study of the distribution of crystallographic orientations (i.e., the fabric) along ice cores provides information on past and current ice flow in ice-sheets. Besides the usually observed formation of a vertical single maximum fabric, the EPICA Dome C ice core (EDC) shows an abrupt and unexpected strengthening of its fabric during termination II around 1750 m depth. Such strengthening has already been observed for sites located on an ice-sheet flank. This suggests that horizontal shear could occur along the EDC core. Moreover, the change in the fabric leads to a modification of the effective viscosity between neighbouring ice layers. Through the use of an anisotropic ice flow model, we quantify the change in effective viscosity and investigate its implication for ice flow and dating

Constructible motivic functions and motivic integration

We introduce a direct image formalism for constructible motivic functions. One deduces a very general version of motivic integration for which a change of variables theorem is proved. These constructions are generalized to the relative framework, in which we develop a relative version of motivic integration. These results have been announced in math.AG/0403349 and math.AG/0403350. Main results and statements unchanged. Many minor slips corrected and some details added.Comment: Final versio

The whole and its parts : why and how to disentangle plant communities and synusiae in vegetation classification

Most plant communities consist of different structural and ecological subsets, ranging from cryptogams to different tree layers. The completeness and approach with which these subsets are sampled have implications for vegetation classification. Non‐vascular plants are often omitted or sometimes treated separately, referring to their assemblages as “synusiae” (e.g. epiphytes on bark, saxicolous species on rocks). The distinction of complete plant communities (phytocoenoses or holocoenoses) from their parts (synusiae or merocoenoses) is crucial to avoid logical problems and inconsistencies of the resulting classification systems. We here describe theoretical differences between the phytocoenosis as a whole and its parts, and outline consequences of this distinction for practise and terminology in vegetation classification. To implement a clearer separation, we call for modifications of the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature and the EuroVegChecklist. We believe that these steps will make vegetation classification systems better applicable and raise the recognition of the importance of non‐vascular plants in the vegetation as well as their interplay with vascular plants