Retrodirective transponder feasibility experiment

Test program on feasibility of digital phase measuring subsystem of pulse-coherent retrodirective transponde

Filamentary Star Formation in NGC 1275

We examine the star formation in the outer halo of NGC~1275, the central galaxy in the Perseus cluster (Abell 426), using far ultraviolet and optical images obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope. We have identified a population of very young, compact star clusters with typical ages of a few Myr. The star clusters are organised on multiple-kiloparsec scales. Many of these star clusters are associated with "streaks" of young stars, the combination of which has a cometary appearance. We perform photometry on the star clusters and diffuse stellar streaks, and fit their spectral energy distributions to obtain ages and masses. These young stellar populations appear to be normal in terms of their masses, luminosities and cluster formation efficiency; <10% of the young stellar mass is located in star clusters. Our data suggest star formation is associated with the evolution of some of the giant gas filaments in NGC~1275 that become gravitationally unstable on reaching and possibly stalling in the outer galaxy. The stellar streaks then could represent stars moving on ballistic orbits in the potential well of the galaxy cluster. We propose a model where star-forming filaments, switched on ~50~Myr ago and are currently feeding the growth of the NGC~1275 stellar halo at a rate of ~2-3 solar masses per year. This type of process may also build stellar halos and form isolated star clusters in the outskirts of youthful galaxies.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

New Measurements of the Motion of the Zodiacal Dust

Using the Wisconsin H-Alpha Mapper (WHAM), we have measured at high spectral resolution and high signal-to-noise the profile of the scattered solar Mg I 5184 absorption line in the zodiacal light. The observations were carried out toward 49 directions that sampled the ecliptic equator from solar elongations of 48\dg (evening sky) to 334\dg (morning sky) plus observations near +47\dg and +90\dg ecliptic latitude. The spectra show a clear prograde kinematic signature that is inconsistent with dust confined to the ecliptic plane and in circular orbits influenced only by the sun's gravity. In particular, the broadened widths of the profiles, together with large amplitude variations in the centroid velocity with elongation angle, indicate that a significant population of dust is on eccentric orbits. In addition, the wide, flat-bottomed line profile toward the ecliptic pole indicates a broad distribution of orbital inclinations extending up to about 30\dg - 40\dg with respect to the ecliptic plane. The absence of pronounced asymmetries in the shape of the profiles limits the retrograde population to less than 10% of the prograde population and also places constraints on the scattering phase function of the particles. These results do not show the radial outflow or evening--morning velocity amplitude asymmetry reported in some earlier investigations. The reduction of the spectra included the discovery and removal of extremely faint, unidentified terrestrial emission lines that contaminate and distort the underlying Mg I profile. This atmospheric emission is too weak to have been seen in earlier, lower signal-to-noise observations, but it probably affected the line centroid measurements of previous investigations.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figures, 1 table, to appear in ApJ v612; figures appear low-res only on scree

On the degrees of freedom of a semi-Riemannian metric

A semi-Riemannian metric in a n-manifold has n(n-1)/2 degrees of freedom, i.e. as many as the number of components of a differential 2-form. We prove that any semi-Riemannian metric can be obtained as a deformation of a constant curvature metric, this deformation being parametrized by a 2-for

Genetic Analysis of Kafirins and Their Phenotypic Correlations with Feed Quality Traits, In Vitro Digestibility, and Seed Weight in Grain Sorghum

Twenty-three entries of grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), including eight inbred lines (five males and three females) and 15 hybrids, were evaluated to determine the proportion of γ, αII, and β-αI-kafirins and their association with contents of crude protein, fat, and starch; protein digestibility; in vitro dry matter disappearance; and seed weight. The male lines included three normal-seeded lines (TX2737, TX435, and P954063) and two large-seeded lines (Eastin1 and PL-1). Female lines consisted of three common U.S. seed parent lines (Wheatland, Redlan, and SA3042). The lines and their hybrids were grown under dryland conditions at two locations in Kansas using a randomized complete block design. The effects of genotype, location, and males were significant for all kafirins. Wide variations in composition and general combining ability (GCA) for kafirin content were noted among parent lines and hybrids, with TX2737, Eastin1, and PL1 having the largest GCA values for γ (1.37), αII (1.99), and β-αI (2.57), respectively. Correlations among kafirins ranged from –0.89 to 0, whereas those of kafirins with feed quality traits, digestibility, and seed weight ranged from –0.45 to 0.48

Genetic Analysis of Kafirins and Their Phenotypic Correlations with Feed Quality Traits, In Vitro Digestibility, and Seed Weight in Grain Sorghum

Twenty-three entries of grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), including eight inbred lines (five males and three females) and 15 hybrids, were evaluated to determine the proportion of γ, αII, and β-αI-kafirins and their association with contents of crude protein, fat, and starch; protein digestibility; in vitro dry matter disappearance; and seed weight. The male lines included three normal-seeded lines (TX2737, TX435, and P954063) and two large-seeded lines (Eastin1 and PL-1). Female lines consisted of three common U.S. seed parent lines (Wheatland, Redlan, and SA3042). The lines and their hybrids were grown under dryland conditions at two locations in Kansas using a randomized complete block design. The effects of genotype, location, and males were significant for all kafirins. Wide variations in composition and general combining ability (GCA) for kafirin content were noted among parent lines and hybrids, with TX2737, Eastin1, and PL1 having the largest GCA values for γ (1.37), αII (1.99), and β-αI (2.57), respectively. Correlations among kafirins ranged from –0.89 to 0, whereas those of kafirins with feed quality traits, digestibility, and seed weight ranged from –0.45 to 0.48

Diffusion and Transport Coefficients in Synthetic Opals

Opals are structures composed of the closed packing of spheres in the size range of nano-to-micro meter. They are sintered to create small necks at the points of contact. We have solved the diffusion problem in such structures. The relation between the diffusion coefficient and the termal and electrical conductivity makes possible to estimate the transport coefficients of opal structures. We estimate this changes as function of the neck size and the mean-free path of the carriers. The theory presented is also applicable to the diffusion problem in other periodic structures.Comment: Submitted to PR

The Kaon-Photoproduction Of Nucleons In The Quark Model

In this paper, we develop a general framework to study the meson-photoproductions of nucleons in the chiral quark model. The S and U channel resonance contributions are expressed in terms of the Chew-Goldberger-Low-Nambu (CGLN) amplitudes. The kaon-photoproduction processes, $\gamma p\to K^+ \Lambda$, $\gamma p\to K^+ \Sigma^0$, and $\gamma p\to K^0\Sigma^+$, are calculated. The initial results show that the quark model provides a much improved description of the reaction mechanism for the kaon-photoproductions of the nucleon with less parameters than the traditional phenomenological approaches.Comment: 25 pages, 9 postscript figures can be obtained from the author

Discussion on how to implement a verbal scale in a forensic laboratory: benefits, pitfalls and suggestions to avoid misunderstandings

In a recently published guideline for evaluative reporting in forensic science, the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI) recommended the use of the likelihood ratio for the measurement of the value of forensic results. As a device to communicate the probative value of the results, the ENFSI guideline mentions the possibility to define and use a verbal scale, which should be unified within a forensic institution. This paper summarizes discussions held between scientists of our institution to develop and implement such a verbal scale. It intends to contribute to general discussions likely to be faced by any forensic institution that engages in continuous monitoring and improving of their evaluation and reporting format. We first present published arguments in favour of the use of such verbal qualifiers. We emphasize that verbal qualifiers do not replace the use of numbers to evaluate forensic findings, but are useful to communicate the probative value, since the weight of evidence in terms of likelihood ratio are still apprehended with difficulty by both the forensic scientists, especially in absence of hard data, and the recipient of information. We further present arguments that support the development of the verbal scale we propose. Recognising the limits of the use of such a verbal scale, we then discuss its disadvantages: it may lead to the spurious view according to which the value of the observations made in a given case is relative to other cases. Verbal qualifiers are also prone to misunderstandings and cannot be coherently combined with other evidence. We therefore recommend not using the verbal qualifier alone in a written statement. While scientists should only report on the probability of the findings - and not on the probability of the propositions, which are the duty of the Court - we suggest showing examples to let the recipient of information understand how the scientific evidence affects the probabilities of the propositions. To avoid misunderstandings, we also advise to mention in the statement what the results do not mean. Finally, we are of the opinion that if experts were able to coherently articulate numbers, and if recipients of information could properly handle such numbers, then verbal qualifiers could be abandoned completely. At that time, numerical expressions of probative value will be appropriately understood, as other numerical measures that most of us understand without the need of any further explanation, such as expressions for length or temperature

Si-compatible candidates for high-K dielectrics with the Pbnm perovskite structure

We analyze both experimentally (where possible) and theoretically from first-principles the dielectric tensor components and crystal structure of five classes of Pbnm perovskites. All of these materials are believed to be stable on silicon and are therefore promising candidates for high-K dielectrics. We also analyze the structure of these materials with various simple models, decompose the lattice contribution to the dielectric tensor into force constant matrix eigenmode contributions, explore a peculiar correlation between structural and dielectric anisotropies in these compounds and give phonon frequencies and infrared activities of those modes that are infrared-active. We find that CaZrO_3, SrZrO_3, LaHoO_3, and LaYO_3 are among the most promising candidates for high-K dielectrics among the compounds we considered.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, 4 tables. Supplementary information: http://link.aps.org/supplemental/10.1103/PhysRevB.82.064101 or http://www.physics.rutgers.edu/~sinisa/highk/supp.pd