4,032 research outputs found
Geometric Integration of Hamiltonian Systems Perturbed by Rayleigh Damping
Explicit and semi-explicit geometric integration schemes for dissipative
perturbations of Hamiltonian systems are analyzed. The dissipation is
characterized by a small parameter , and the schemes under study
preserve the symplectic structure in the case . In the case
the energy dissipation rate is shown to be asymptotically
correct by backward error analysis. Theoretical results on monotone decrease of
the modified Hamiltonian function for small enough step sizes are given.
Further, an analysis proving near conservation of relative equilibria for small
enough step sizes is conducted.
Numerical examples, verifying the analyses, are given for a planar pendulum
and an elastic 3--D pendulum. The results are superior in comparison with a
conventional explicit Runge-Kutta method of the same order
Comparing Galaxy Morphology at Ultraviolet and Optical Wavelengths
We have undertaken an imaging survey of 34 nearby galaxies in far-ultraviolet
(FUV, ~1500A) and optical (UBVRI) passbands to characterize galaxy morphology
as a function of wavelength. This sample, which includes a range of classical
Hubble types from elliptical to irregular with emphasis on spirals at low
inclination angle, provides a valuable database for comparison with images of
high-z galaxies whose FUV light is redshifted into the optical and near-
infrared bands. Ultraviolet data are from the UIT Astro-2 mission. We present
images and surface brightness profiles for each galaxy, and we discuss the
wavelength-dependence of morphology for different Hubble types in the context
of understanding high-z objects. In general, the dominance of young stars in
the FUV produces the patchy appearance of a morphological type later than that
inferred from optical images. Prominent rings and circumnuclear star formation
regions are clearly evident in FUV images of spirals, while bulges, bars, and
old, red stellar disks are faint to invisible at these short wavelengths.
However, the magnitude of the change in apparent morphology ranges from
dramatic in early--type spirals with prominent optical bulges to slight in
late-type spirals and irregulars, in which young stars dominate both the UV and
optical emission. Starburst galaxies with centrally concentrated, symmetric
bursts display an apparent ``E/S0'' structure in the FUV, while starbursts
associated with rings or mergers produce a peculiar morphology. We briefly
discuss the inadequacy of the optically-defined Hubble sequence to describe FUV
galaxy images and estimate morphological k-corrections, and we suggest some
directions for future research with this dataset.Comment: Accepted for publication in the ApJS. 15 pages, 17 JPEG figures, 10
GIF figures. Paper and full resolution figures available at
http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/Kuchinski/frames.htm
In situ measurements of speciated atmospheric mercury and the identification of source regions in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area
In order to expand the currently limited understanding of atmospheric mercury source-receptor relationships in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area, real time measurements of atmospheric mercury were made at a downtown urban site, and a rural site on the outskirts of Mexico City, during March 2006.
Numerous short-lived increases in particulate mercury (PHg) and reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) concentrations were observed at the urban site during the 17 day study, and less frequent increases in gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) concentrations were measured at both the urban and rural sites. The episodic increases observed were attributed to plume impacts from industrial point source emissions in and around Mexico City. Average concentrations and standard deviations measured during the study were as follows: i) urban site; PHg=187±300 pg m−3 [m superscript -3], RGM=62±64 pg m−3 [m superscript -3], GEM=7.2±4.8 ng m−3 [m superscript -3], and; ii) rural site; GEM=5.0±2.8 ng m−3 [m superscript -3].
Several source regions of atmospheric mercury to the urban and rural sites were determined using Concentration Field Analysis, in which atmospheric mercury measurements were combined with back trajectory data to determine source regions. Only some source regions correlated to mercury emission sources listed in the Federal Pollutant Release and Transfer Register, leaving the rest unaccounted for. Contributions of anthropogenic mercury point sources in and around Mexico City to concentration averages measured at the urban site during the study were estimated to be: 93±3% of reactive mercury (PHg and RGM), and; 81±0.4% of GEM. Point source contributions to GEM measured at the rural site were 72±1%. GEM and reactive mercury (PHg+RGM) were not found to correlate with biomass burning at either of the measurement sites.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant 0514280)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant 0511803)Science to Achieve Results Program (U.S.) (Grant R829798)United States. Environmental Protection Agenc
WFPC2 Observations of the Hubble Deep Field-South
The Hubble Deep Field-South observations targeted a high-galactic-latitude
field near QSO J2233-606. We present WFPC2 observations of the field in four
wide bandpasses centered at roughly 300, 450, 606, and 814 nm. Observations,
data reduction procedures, and noise properties of the final images are
discussed in detail. A catalog of sources is presented, and the number counts
and color distributions of the galaxies are compared to a new catalog of the
HDF-N that has been constructed in an identical manner. The two fields are
qualitatively similar, with the galaxy number counts for the two fields
agreeing to within 20%. The HDF-S has more candidate Lyman-break galaxies at z
> 2 than the HDF-N. The star-formation rate per unit volume computed from the
HDF-S, based on the UV luminosity of high-redshift candidates, is a factor of
1.9 higher than from the HDF-N at z ~ 2.7, and a factor of 1.3 higher at z ~ 4.Comment: 93 pages, 25 figures; contains very long table
The role of environment in the morphological transformation of galaxies in 9 intermediate redshift clusters
[abridged] We analyze a sample of 9 massive clusters at 0.4<z<0.6 observed
with MegaCam in 4 photometric bands (g,r,i,z) from the core to a radius of 5
Mpc (~4000 galaxies). Galaxy cluster candidates are selected using photometric
redshifts computed with HyperZ. Morphologies are estimated with galSVM in two
broad morphological types (early-type and late-type). We examine the
morphological composition of the red-sequence and the blue-cloud and study the
relations between galaxies and their environment through the morphology-density
relations (T-Sigma) and the morphology-radius relation (T-R) in a mass limited
sample (log(M/Msol)>9.5). We find that the red sequence is already in place at
z~0.5 and it is mainly composed of very massive (log(M/Msol)>11.3) early-type
galaxies. These massive galaxies seem to be already formed when they enter the
cluster, probably in infalling groups, since the fraction remains constant with
the cluster radius. Their presence in the cluster center could be explained by
a segregation effect reflecting an early assembly history. Any evolution that
takes place in the galaxy cluster population occurs therefore at lower masses
(10.3<log(M/Msol)<11.3). For these galaxies, the evolution, is mainly driven by
galaxy-galaxy interactions in the outskirts as revealed by the T-Sigma
relation. Finally, the majority of less massive galaxies (9.5<log(M/Msol)<10.3)
are late-type galaxies at all locations, suggesting that they have not started
the morphological transformation yet even if this low mass bin might be
affected by incompleteness.Comment: A&A in pres
Infection of ectocervical tissue and universal targeting of T-cells mediated by primary non-macrophage-tropic and highly macrophage-tropic HIV-1 R5 envelopes
BACKGROUND: HIV-1 variants carrying non-macrophage-tropic HIV-1 R5 envelopes (Envs) are predominantly transmitted and persist in immune tissue even in AIDS patients who have highly macrophage-tropic variants in the brain. Non-macrophage-tropic R5 Envs require high levels of CD4 for infection contrasting with macrophage-tropic Envs, which can efficiently mediate infection of cells via low CD4. Here, we investigated whether non-macrophage-tropic R5 Envs from the acute stage of infection (including transmitted/founder Env) mediated more efficient infection of ectocervical explant cultures compared to non-macrophage-tropic and highly macrophage-tropic R5 Envs from late disease.
RESULTS: We used Env+ pseudovirions that carried a GFP reporter gene to measure infection of the first cells targeted in ectocervical explant cultures. In straight titrations of Env+ pseudovirus supernatants, mac-tropic R5 Envs from late disease mediated slightly higher infectivities for ectocervical explants although this was not significant. Surprisingly, explant infection by several T/F/acute Envs was lower than for Envs from late disease. However, when infectivity for explants was corrected to account for differences in the overall infectivity of each Env+ pseudovirus (measured on highly permissive HeLa TZM-bl cells), non-mac-tropic early and late disease Env+ pseudoviruses mediated significantly higher infection. This observation suggests that cervical tissue preferentially supports non-mac-tropic Env+ viruses compared to mac-tropic viruses. Finally, we show that T-cells were the main targets for infection regardless of whether explants were stimulated with T-cell or monocyte/macrophage cytokines. There was no evidence of macrophage infection even for pseudovirions carrying highly mac-tropic Envs from brain tissue or for the highly mac-tropic, laboratory strain, BaL, which targeted T-cells in the explant tissue.
CONCLUSIONS: Our data support ectocervical tissue as a favorable environment for non-mac-tropic HIV-1 R5 variants and emphasize the role of T-cells as initial targets for infection even for highly mac-tropic variants
Mechanical Systems with Symmetry, Variational Principles, and Integration Algorithms
This paper studies variational principles for mechanical systems with symmetry and their applications to integration algorithms. We recall some general features of how to reduce variational principles in the presence of a symmetry group along with general features of integration algorithms for mechanical systems. Then we describe some integration algorithms based directly on variational principles using a
discretization technique of Veselov. The general idea for these variational integrators is to directly discretize Hamilton’s principle rather than the equations of motion in a way that preserves the original systems invariants, notably the symplectic form and, via a discrete version of Noether’s theorem, the momentum map. The resulting mechanical integrators are second-order accurate, implicit, symplectic-momentum algorithms. We apply these integrators to the rigid body and the double spherical pendulum to show that the techniques are competitive with existing integrators
Quantitative trait loci conferring grain mineral nutrient concentrations in durum wheat 3 wild emmer wheat RIL population
Mineral nutrient malnutrition, and particularly
deficiency in zinc and iron, afflicts over 3 billion people
worldwide. Wild emmer wheat, Triticum turgidum ssp.
dicoccoides, genepool harbors a rich allelic repertoire for
mineral nutrients in the grain. The genetic and physiological
basis of grain protein, micronutrients (zinc, iron,
copper and manganese) and macronutrients (calcium,
magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and sulfur) concentration
was studied in tetraploid wheat population of 152
recombinant inbred lines (RILs), derived from a cross
between durum wheat (cv. Langdon) and wild emmer
(accession G18-16). Wide genetic variation was found
among the RILs for all grain minerals, with considerable
transgressive effect. A total of 82 QTLs were mapped for
10 minerals with LOD score range of 3.2–16.7. Most QTLs
were in favor of the wild allele (50 QTLs). Fourteen pairs
of QTLs for the same trait were mapped to seemingly
homoeologous positions, reflecting synteny between the A
and B genomes. Significant positive correlation was found
between grain protein concentration (GPC), Zn, Fe and Cu,
which was supported by significant overlap between the
respective QTLs, suggesting common physiological and/or
genetic factors controlling the concentrations of these
mineral nutrients. Few genomic regions (chromosomes 2A,
5A, 6B and 7A) were found to harbor clusters of QTLs for
GPC and other nutrients. These identified QTLs may
facilitate the use of wild alleles for improving grain
nutritional quality of elite wheat cultivars, especially in
terms of protein, Zn and Fe
Lorentz breaking Effective Field Theory and observational tests
Analogue models of gravity have provided an experimentally realizable test
field for our ideas on quantum field theory in curved spacetimes but they have
also inspired the investigation of possible departures from exact Lorentz
invariance at microscopic scales. In this role they have joined, and sometime
anticipated, several quantum gravity models characterized by Lorentz breaking
phenomenology. A crucial difference between these speculations and other ones
associated to quantum gravity scenarios, is the possibility to carry out
observational and experimental tests which have nowadays led to a broad range
of constraints on departures from Lorentz invariance. We shall review here the
effective field theory approach to Lorentz breaking in the matter sector,
present the constraints provided by the available observations and finally
discuss the implications of the persisting uncertainty on the composition of
the ultra high energy cosmic rays for the constraints on the higher order,
analogue gravity inspired, Lorentz violations.Comment: 47 pages, 4 figures. Lecture Notes for the IX SIGRAV School on
"Analogue Gravity", Como (Italy), May 2011. V.3. Typo corrected, references
adde
The exposure of the hybrid detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory
The Pierre Auger Observatory is a detector for ultra-high energy cosmic rays.
It consists of a surface array to measure secondary particles at ground level
and a fluorescence detector to measure the development of air showers in the
atmosphere above the array. The "hybrid" detection mode combines the
information from the two subsystems. We describe the determination of the
hybrid exposure for events observed by the fluorescence telescopes in
coincidence with at least one water-Cherenkov detector of the surface array. A
detailed knowledge of the time dependence of the detection operations is
crucial for an accurate evaluation of the exposure. We discuss the relevance of
monitoring data collected during operations, such as the status of the
fluorescence detector, background light and atmospheric conditions, that are
used in both simulation and reconstruction.Comment: Paper accepted by Astroparticle Physic
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