324 research outputs found
Non-equilibrium electronic transport and interaction in short metallic nanobridges
We have observed interaction effects in the differential conductance of
short, disordered metal bridges in a well-controlled non-equilibrium situation,
where the distribution function has a double Fermi step. A logarithmic scaling
law is found both for the temperature and for the voltage dependence of in
all samples. The absence of magnetic field dependence and the low
dimensionality of our samples allow us to distinguish between several possible
interaction effects, proposed recently in nanoscopic samples. The universal
scaling curve is explained quantitatively by the theory of electron-electron
interaction in diffusive metals, adapted to the present case, where the sample
size is smaller than the thermal diffusion length.Comment: Published version, 6 Pages, 6 postscript figures, 1 tabl
Nonequilibrium coupled Brownian phase oscillators
A model of globally coupled phase oscillators under equilibrium (driven by
Gaussian white noise) and nonequilibrium (driven by symmetric dichotomic
fluctuations) is studied. For the equilibrium system, the mean-field state
equation takes a simple form and the stability of its solution is examined in
the full space of order parameters. For the nonequilbrium system, various
asymptotic regimes are obtained in a closed analytical form. In a general case,
the corresponding master equations are solved numerically. Moreover, the
Monte-Carlo simulations of the coupled set of Langevin equations of motion is
performed. The phase diagram of the nonequilibrium system is presented. For the
long time limit, we have found four regimes. Three of them can be obtained from
the mean-field theory. One of them, the oscillating regime, cannot be predicted
by the mean-field method and has been detected in the Monte-Carlo numerical
experiments.Comment: 9 pages 8 figure
Bar Evolution Over the Last Eight Billion Years: A Constant Fraction of Strong Bars in GEMS
One third of present-day spirals host optically visible strong bars that
drive their dynamical evolution. However, the fundamental question of how bars
evolve over cosmological times has yet to be addressed, and even the frequency
of bars at intermediate redshifts remains controversial. We investigate the
frequency of bars out to z~1.0 drawing on a sample of 1590 galaxies from the
GEMS survey, which provides morphologies from HST ACS two-color images, and
highly accurate redshifts from the COMBO-17 survey. We identify spiral galaxies
using the Sersic index, concentration parameter, and rest-frame color. We
characterize bars and disks by fitting ellipses to F606W and F850LP images,
taking advantage of the two bands to minimize bandpass shifting. We exclude
highly inclined (i>60 deg) galaxies to ensure reliable morphological
classifications, and apply completeness cuts of M_v <= -19.3 and -20.6. More
than 40% of the bars that we detect have semi major axes a<0.5" and would be
easily missed in earlier surveys without the small PSF of ACS. The bars that we
can reliably detect are fairly strong (with ellipticities e>=0.4) and have a in
the range ~1.2-13 kpc. We find that the optical fraction of such strong bars
remains at ~(30% +- 6%) from the present-day out to look-back times of 2-6 Gyr
(z~0.2-0.7) and 6-8 Gyr (z~0.7-1.0); it certainly shows no sign of a drastic
decline at z>0.7. Our findings of a large and similar bar fraction at these
three epochs favor scenarios in which cold gravitationally unstable disks are
already in place by z~1, and where on average bars have a long lifetime (well
above 2 Gyr). The distributions of structural bar properties in the two slices
are, however, not statistically identical and therefore allow for the
possibility that the bar strengths and sizes may evolve over time.Comment: Accepted by ApJ Letters, to appear in Nov 2004 issue. Minor
revisions,updated reference
Short communication: Circulating and milk adiponectin change differently during energy deficiency at different stages of lactation in dairy cows
Adiponectin, one of the most abundant adipokines in circulation, is known for its role in regulation of body metabolism. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a negative energy balance (NEB) at 2 stages of lactation (lactational NEB at the onset of lactation and an induced NEB by feed restriction near 100 d of lactation) on circulating adiponectin concentrations. We also investigated the effect of feed restriction on adiponectin concentrations in milk and the relationships of blood and milk adiponectin with selected plasma or milk variables and with measures of body condition. Plasma adiponectin was measured in 50 multiparous Holstein dairy cows throughout 3 experimental periods [i.e., period 1=3 wk antepartum up to 12 wk postpartum, period 2=3 wk of feed restriction starting at around 100 d in milk with a control (n=25) and feed-restricted group (50% of energy requirements; n=25), and period 3=subsequent realimentation period for 8 wk]. Milk adiponectin was investigated among 21 multiparous cows at wk 2 and wk 12 of period 1 and wk 2 of period 2. Adiponectin concentrations in plasma and skim milk were measured using an in-house ELISA specific for bovine adiponectin. Major changes in circulating adiponectin concentrations were observed during the periparturient period, whereas energy deficiency during established lactation at around 100 d in milk and subsequent refeeding did not affect plasma adiponectin. Together with lower adiponectin concentrations in milk (”g/mL), the reduction in milk yield led to decreased adiponectin secretion via milk (mg/d) at the second week of feed restriction. Irrespective of time and treatment, milk adiponectin represented about 0.002% of total milk protein. Mean adiponectin concentrations in milk (0.61 ± 0.03 ”g/mL) were about 92% lower than the mean plasma adiponectin concentrations (32.1 ± 1.0 ”g/mL). The proportion of the steady-state plasma adiponectin pool secreted daily via milk was 2.7%. In view of the similar extent of NEB in both periods of energy deficiency, decreasing adiponectin concentrations seems important for accomplishing the adaptation to the rapidly increasing metabolic rates in early lactation, whereas the lipolytic reaction toward feed restriction-induced NEB during established lactation seems to occur largely independent of changes in circulating adiponectin
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