3,256 research outputs found
External Shear in Quadruply Imaged Lens Systems
We use publicly available N-body simulations and semi-analytic models of
galaxy formation to estimate the levels of external shear due to structure near
the lens in gravitational lens systems. We also describe two selection effects,
specific to four-image systems, that enhance the probability of observing
systems to have higher external shear. Ignoring additional contributions from
"cosmic shear" and assuming that lens galaxies are not significantly flattened,
we find that the mean shear at the position of a quadruple lens galaxy is 0.11,
the rms shear is roughly 0.15, and there is roughly a 45% likelihood of
external shear greater than 0.1. This is much larger than previous estimates
and in good agreement with typical measured external shear. The higher shear
primarily stems from the tendency of early-type galaxies, which are the
majority of lenses, to reside in overdense regions.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, ApJ in press, minor revision
Thermal properties of MgB2: the effect of disorder on gap amplitudes and relaxation times of p and s bands
We present thermal conductivity and specific heat measurements on MgB2 and
Mg-AlB2 samples. Thermal properties have been analysed by using a two-gap model
in order to estimate the gap amplitudes, D(0)p and D(0)s and the intra-band
scattering rates, Gss and Gpp. As a function of Al doping and disorder D(0)s
rapidly decreases, while D(0)p is rather constant. Gss and Gpp are increased by
the disorder, being Gpp more affected than Gss.Comment: 2 pages, 3 figures, presented to the conference M2S-HTSC, 25-30 May
2003, Rio de Janeir
RPGR mutation associated with retinitis pigmentosa, impaired hearing, and sinorespiratory infections
Resonant and crossover phenomena in a multiband superconductor tuning the chemical potential near a band edge
Resonances in the superconducting properties, in a regime of crossover from
BCS to mixed Bose-Fermi superconductivity, are investigated in a two-band
superconductor where the chemical potential is tuned near the band edge of the
second mini-band generated by quantum confinement effects. The shape resonances
at T=0 in the superconducting gaps (belonging to the class of Feshbach-like
resonances) is manifested by interference effects in the superconducting gap at
the first large Fermi surface when the chemical potential is in the proximity
of the band edge of the second mini-band. The case of a superlattice of quantum
wells is considered and the amplification of the superperconducting gaps at the
3D-2D Fermi surface topological transition is clearly shown. The results are
found to be in good agreement with available experimental data on a
superlattice of honeycomb boron layers intercalated by Al and Mg spacer layers.Comment: 13 pages, 9 image
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Revised classification of the soils of Belize
The soil classification of Belize is revised and updated, starting from the system devised for 'Land in British Honduras' by A. C. S. Wright and his colleagues in the 1950s, the only previous country-wide survey of soils and land resources. The revised classification is a three-tiered system consisting of soil suites, subsuites and series. The suites are based on rock type, and the subsuites on soil profile characteristics. The main groups of soils, the soil suites, and the soil subsuites are described separately at progressively increasing levels of detail. There are insufficient data to describe soil series as yet, but guidelines for the definition and naming of new series are indicated. The classes of the revised system are correlated with all of the soil classifications previously used in Belize, and with the two main international systems of soil classification. Important chemical features of the-main soil groups are summarized and compared. The comparisons vindicate the revised classification
Correlation between oxygen isotope effects on the transition temperature and the magnetic penetration depth in high-temperature superconductors close to optimal doping
The oxygen-isotope (^{16}O/^{18}O) effect (OIE) on the in-plane magnetic
penetration depth \lambda_{ab}(0) in optimally-doped YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-\delta} and
La_{1.85}Sr_{0.15}CuO_4, and in slightly underdoped YBa_2Cu_4O_8 and
Y_{0.8}Pr_{0.2}Ba_2Cu_3O_{7-\delta} was studied by means of muon-spin rotation.
A substantial OIE on \lambda_{ab}(0) with an OIE exponent
\beta_O=-d\ln\lambda_{ab}(0)/d\ln M_O\approx - 0.2 (M_O is the mass of the
oxygen isotope), and a small OIE on the transition temperature T_c with an OIE
exponent \alpha_O=-d\ln T_{c}/d \ln M_O\simeq0.02 to 0.1 were observed. The
observation of a substantial isotope effect on \lambda_{ab}(0), even in
cuprates where the OIE on T_c is small, indicates that lattice effects play an
important role in cuprate HTS.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure
Characterising the frequency response of impedance changes during evoked physiological activity in the rat brain
OBJECTIVE: Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) can image impedance changes associated with evoked physiological activity in the cerebral cortex using an array of epicortical electrodes. An impedance change is observed as the externally applied current, normally confined to the extracellular space is admitted into the conducting intracellular space during neuronal depolarisation. The response is largest at DC and decreases at higher frequencies due to capacitative transfer of current across the membrane. Biophysical modelling has shown that this effect becomes significant above 100 Hz. Recordings at DC, however, are contaminated by physiological endogenous evoked potentials. By moving to 1.7 kHz, images of somatosensory evoked responses have been produced down to 2 mm with a resolution of 2 ms and 200 μm. Hardware limitations have so far restricted impedance measurements to frequencies  2 kHz using improved hardware. APPROACH: Impedance changes were recorded during forepaw somatosensory stimulation in both cerebral cortex and the VPL nucleus of the thalamus in anaesthetised rats using applied currents of 1 kHz to 10 kHz. MAIN RESULTS: In the cortex, impedance changed by -0.04 ± 0.02 % at 1 kHz, reached a peak of -0.13 ± 0.05 % at 1475 Hz and decreased to -0.05 ± 0.02 % at 10 kHz. At these frequencies, changes in the thalamus were -0.26 ± 0.1%, -0.4 ± 0.15 % and -0.08 ± 0.03 % respectively. The signal-to-noise ratio was also highest at 1475 Hz with values of -29.5 ± 8 and -31.6 ±10 recorded from the cortex and thalamus respectively. Signficance: This indicates that the optimal frequency for imaging cortical and thalamic evoked activity using fast neural EIT is 1475 Hz
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