Second Stage String Fragmentation Model

A string model, advocated by Bowler, provides a physical and intuitive picture of heavy quark fragmentation. When supplemented by an ad hoc factor of (1-z), to suppress fragmentation near z=1, it supplies an excellent fit to the data. We extend Bowler's model by accounting for the further decay of the massive mesonic states produced by the initial string breaking. We find that each subsequent string break and cascade decay beyond the first, introduces a factor of (1-z). Furthermore we find that including a finite mass for the quarks, which pop out of the vacuum and split the string, forces the first string breaking to produce massive states requiring further decay. This sequence terminates at the second stage of fragmentation where only relatively "light" heavy meson systems are formed. Thus we naturally account for the phenomenologically required factor of (1-z). We also predict that the ratio of (primary) fragments-vector/(vector plus scalar) should be .61. Our second stage string fragmentation model provides an appealing picture of heavy quark fragmentation.Comment: 15 page

Semiclassical Decay of Excited String States on Leading Regge Trajectories

We study the decay of hadrons based on a semiclassical string model. By including quark mass effects we find that the width to mass ratio \G/m is an increasing function of $m$, which increases most rapidly for massive quarks. This is consistent with the available data. The decay probability of hadrons on the leading Regge trajectories is computed taking the effect of the string rotation into account. The resulting decay probability is no longer uniform along the length of the string but varies in a manner that is in qualitative agreement with the available data. We argue in favour of possible experiments that would test our predictions more accurately and help open a window to the nonperturbative aspects of QCD.Comment: 15 PAGES, UR-1326, ER-40685-776, SU-4240-55

Generation of small-scale structures in the developed turbulence

The Navier-Stokes equation for incompressible liquid is considered in the limit of infinitely large Reynolds number. It is assumed that the flow instability leads to generation of steady-state large-scale pulsations. The excitation and evolution of the small-scale turbulence is investigated. It is shown that the developed small-scale pulsations are intermittent. The maximal amplitude of the vorticity fluctuations is reached along the vortex filaments. Basing on the obtained solution, the pair correlation function in the limit $r\to 0$ is calculated. It is shown that the function obeys the Kolmogorov law $r^{2/3}$.Comment: 18 page

Three-way symbolic tree-maps and ultrametrics

Three-way dissimilarities are a generalization of (two-way) dissimilarities which can be used to indicate the lack of homogeneity or resemblance between any three objects. Such maps have applications in cluster analysis and have been used in areas such as psychology and phylogenetics, where three-way data tables can arise. Special examples of such dissimilarities are three-way tree-metrics and ultrametrics, which arise from leaf-labelled trees with edges labelled by positive real numbers. Here we consider three-way maps which arise from leaf-labelled trees where instead the interior vertices are labelled by an arbitrary set of values. For unrooted trees, we call such maps three-way symbolic tree-maps; for rooted trees, we call them three-way symbolic ultrametrics since they can be considered as a generalization of the (two-way) symbolic ultrametrics of Bocker and Dress. We show that, as with two- and three-way tree-metrics and ultrametrics, three-way symbolic tree-maps and ultrametrics can be characterized via certain k-point conditions. In the unrooted case, our characterization is mathematically equivalent to one presented by Gurvich for a certain class of edge-labelled hypergraphs. We also show that it can be decided whether or not an arbitrary three-way symbolic map is a tree-map or a symbolic ultrametric using a triplet-based approach that relies on the so-called BUILD algorithm for deciding when a set of 3-leaved trees or triplets can be displayed by a single tree. We envisage that our results will be useful in developing new approaches and algorithms for understanding 3-way data, especially within the area of phylogenetics

HDAC-mediated control of ERK- and PI3K-dependent TGF-β-induced extracellular matrix-regulating genes

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) regulate the acetylation of histones in the control of gene expression. Many non-histone proteins are also targeted for acetylation, including TGF-ß signalling pathway components such as Smad2, Smad3 and Smad7. Our studies in mouse C3H10T1/2 fibroblasts suggested that a number of TGF-ß-induced genes that regulate matrix turnover are selectively regulated by HDACs. Blockade of HDAC activity with trichostatin A (TSA) abrogated the induction of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 12 (Adam12) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (Timp-1) genes by TGF-ß, whereas plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (Pai-1) expression was unaffected. Analysis of the activation of cell signalling pathways demonstrated that TGF-ß induced robust ERK and PI3K activation with delayed kinetics compared to the phosphorylation of Smads. The TGF-ß induction of Adam12 and Timp-1 was dependent on such non-Smad signalling pathways and, importantly, HDAC inhibitors completely blocked their activation without affecting Smad signalling. Analysis of TGF-ß-induced Adam12 and Timp-1 expression and ERK/PI3K signalling in the presence of semi-selective HDAC inhibitors valproic acid, MS-275 and apicidin implicated a role for class I HDACs. Furthermore, depletion of HDAC3 by RNA interference significantly down-regulated TGF-ß-induced Adam12 and Timp-1 expression without modulating Pai-1 expression. Correlating with the effect of HDAC inhibitors, depletion of HDAC3 also blocked the activation of ERK and PI3K by TGF-ß. Collectively, these data confirm that HDACs, and in particular HDAC3, are required for activation of the ERK and PI3K signalling pathways by TGF-ß and for the subsequent gene induction dependent on these signalling pathways

Pressure balance in the multiphase ISM of cosmologically simulated disc galaxies

Pressure balance plays a central role in models of the interstellar medium (ISM), but whether and how pressure balance is realized in a realistic multiphase ISM is not yet well understood. We address this question by using a set of FIRE-2 cosmological zoom-in simulations of Milky Way-mass disc galaxies, in which a multiphase ISM is self-consistently shaped by gravity, cooling, and stellar feedback. We analyse how gravity determines the vertical pressure profile as well as how the total ISM pressure is partitioned between different phases and components (thermal, dispersion/turbulence, and bulk flows). We show that, on average and consistent with previous more idealized simulations, the total ISM pressure balances the weight of the overlying gas. Deviations from vertical pressure balance increase with increasing galactocentric radius and with decreasing averaging scale. The different phases are in rough total pressure equilibrium with one another, but with large deviations from thermal pressure equilibrium owing to kinetic support in the cold and warm phases, which dominate the total pressure near the mid-plane. Bulk flows (e.g. inflows and fountains) are important at a few disc scale heights, while thermal pressure from hot gas dominates at larger heights. Overall, the total mid-plane pressure is well-predicted by the weight of the disc gas and we show that it also scales linearly with the star formation rate surface density (ςSFR). These results support the notion that the Kennicutt-Schmidt relation arises because ςSFR and the gas surface density (ςg) are connected via the ISM mid-plane pressure

New Insights into the mineralogy of the Atlantis II deep metalliferous sediments, Red Sea

The Atlantis II Deep of the Red Sea hosts the largest known hydrothermal ore deposit on the ocean floor and the only modern analog of brine pool-type metal deposition. The deposit consists mainly of chemical-clastic sediments with input from basin-scale hydrothermal and detrital sources. A characteristic feature is the millimeter-scale layering of the sediments, which bears a strong resemblance to banded iron formation (BIF). Quantitative assessment of the mineralogy based on relogging of archived cores, detailed petrography, and sequential leaching experiments shows that Fe-(oxy)hydroxides, hydrothermal carbonates, sulfides, and authigenic clays are the main “ore” minerals. Mn-oxides were mainly deposited when the brine pool was more oxidized than it is today, but detailed logging shows that Fe-deposition and Mn-deposition also alternated at the scale of individual laminae, reflecting short-term fluctuations in the Lower Brine. Previous studies underestimated the importance of nonsulfide metal-bearing components, which formed by metal adsorption onto poorly crystalline Si-Fe-OOH particles. During diagenesis, the crystallinity of all phases increased, and the fine layering of the sediment was enhanced. Within a few meters of burial (corresponding to a few thousand years of deposition), biogenic (Ca)-carbonate was dissolved, manganosiderite formed, and metals originally in poorly crystalline phases or in pore water were incorporated into diagenetic sulfides, clays, and Fe-oxides. Permeable layers with abundant radiolarian tests were the focus for late-stage hydrothermal alteration and replacement, including deposition of amorphous silica and enrichment in elements such as Ba and Au

Solubility of Rock in Steam Atmospheres of Planets

Extensive experimental studies show that all major rock-forming elements (e.g., Si, Mg, Fe, Ca, Al, Na, K) dissolve in steam to a greater or lesser extent. We use these results to compute chemical equilibrium abundances of rocky-element-bearing gases in steam atmospheres equilibrated with silicate magma oceans. Rocky elements partition into steam atmospheres as volatile hydroxide gases (e.g., Si(OH)4, Mg(OH)2, Fe(OH)2, Ni(OH)2, Al(OH)3, Ca(OH)2, NaOH, KOH) and via reaction with HF and HCl as volatile halide gases (e.g., NaCl, KCl, CaFOH, CaClOH, FAl(OH)2) in much larger amounts than expected from their vapor pressures over volatile-free solid or molten rock at high temperatures expected for steam atmospheres on the early Earth and hot rocky exoplanets. We quantitatively compute the extent of fractional vaporization by defining gas/magma distribution coefficients and show that Earth's subsolar Si/Mg ratio may be due to loss of a primordial steam atmosphere. We conclude that hot rocky exoplanets that are undergoing or have undergone escape of steam-bearing atmospheres may experience fractional vaporization and loss of Si, Mg, Fe, Ni, Al, Ca, Na, and K. This loss can modify their bulk composition, density, heat balance, and interior structure