Validation of CTmax Protocols Using Cased and Uncased \u3ci\u3ePycnopsyche Guttifer\u3c/i\u3e (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae) Larvae

The critical thermal maximum (CTmax) of a northern Lower Michigan population of Pycnopsyche guttifer was determined using four rates of temperature increase (0.10, 0.33, 0.50, and 0.70oC per minute), and two case states (intact and removed). Across all temperature increase rates, larvae removed from their cases had a significantly lower mean CTmax than those remaining in their cases, suggesting that the case can increase the larva’s ability to tolerate thermal stress, possibly due to respiratory advantages. Regardless of case state, mean CTmax was significantly lower at the 0.10oC per minute increase rate than the other three rates, likely due to increased exposure time. Our results indicate that CTmax studies done using 0.33–0.70oC per minute increase protocols would be comparable with each other, but not with studies using an increase rate of 0.10oC per minute

Effect of carbon dioxide and water vapor on the induction period of the hydrogen-oxygen reaction

Carbon dioxide and water vapor effects on induction period kinetics of hydrogen-oxygen reactio

Uplift Quadratic Program in Irish Electricity Price Setting

Bord Gis required a deeper insight into the dynamics of Uplift prices. The aim of the group was to apply a variety of analytical tools to the problem in order to satisfy Bord Gis requirements. The group conducted a KKT Optimality Analysis of the quadratic program used to determine the Uplift prices, performed statistical analysis to identify the binding constraints and their sensitives to the Uplift prices, simulated a synthetic stochastic process that is consistent with the Uplift pricing series and investigated alternative objective functions for the quadratic program

On the constraints defining BPS monopoles

We discuss the explicit formulation of the transcendental constraints defining spectral curves of SU(2) BPS monopoles in the twistor approach of Hitchin, following Ercolani and Sinha. We obtain an improved version of the Ercolani-Sinha constraints, and show that the Corrigan-Goddard conditions for constructing monopoles of arbitrary charge can be regarded as a special case of these. As an application, we study the spectral curve of the tetrahedrally symmetric 3-monopole, an example where the Corrigan-Goddard conditions need to be modified. A particular 1-cycle on the spectral curve plays an important role in our analysis.Comment: 29 pages, 7 eps figure

Probable Displacement of Riffle-Dwelling Invertebrates by the Introduced Rusty Crayfish, \u3ci\u3eOrconectes Rusticus\u3c/i\u3e (Decapoda: Cambaridae) in a North-Central Wisconsin Stream

The rapid northward range expansion of the rusty crayfish, Orconectes rusticus, and its negative effects on Wisconsin lakes have been the subjects of intense study throughout the last fifteen years. In this study, we investigated the possible impact of rusty crayfish on the benthic macroinvertebrate community structure of the Prairie River in north-central Wisconsin. Rusty crayfish and other invertebrates were collected during August and September, 1994, from three sections of the Prairie River. Rusty crayfish relative abundance increased significantly from the upper to middle, and middle to lower sections; and correlated negatively with a significant 77% decrease in total density of aquatic invertebrates between sections. Mean density of all important invertebrate families and trophic guilds decreased significantly between the upper and lower sections. Due to the similarity of most environmental conditions between river sections, decrease of invertebrates is attributed to the increased abundance of rusty crayfish and its interactions with the native rouna. Our results suggest that a high abundance of rusty crayfish may negatively impact Wisconsin lotic systems

The most massive galaxies in clusters are already fully grown at z∼0.5z \sim 0.5

By constructing scaling relations for galaxies in the massive cluster MACSJ0717.5 at $z=0.545$ and comparing with those of Coma, we model the luminosity evolution of the stellar populations and the structural evolution of the galaxies. We calculate magnitudes, surface brightnesses and effective radii using HST/ACS images and velocity dispersions using Gemini/GMOS spectra, and present a catalogue of our measurements for 17 galaxies. We also generate photometric catalogues for $\sim 3000$ galaxies from the HST imaging. With these, we construct the colour-magnitude relation, the fundamental plane, the mass-to-light versus mass relation, the mass-size relation and the mass-velocity dispersion relation for both clusters. We present a new, coherent way of modelling these scaling relations simultaneously using a simple physical model in order to infer the evolution in luminosity, size and velocity dispersion as a function of redshift, and show that the data can be fully accounted for with this model. We find that (a) the evolution in size and velocity dispersion undergone by these galaxies between $z \sim 0.5$ and $z \sim 0$ is mild, with $R_e(z) \sim (1+z)^{-0.40\pm0.32}$ and $\sigma(z) \sim (1+z)^{0.09 \pm 0.27}$, and (b) the stellar populations are old, $\sim 10$ Gyr, with a $\sim 3$ Gyr dispersion in age, and are consistent with evolving purely passively since $z \sim 0.5$ with $\Delta \log M/L_B = -0.55_{-0.07}^{+0.15} z$. The implication is that these galaxies formed their stars early and subsequently grew dissipationlessly so as to have their mass already in place by $z \sim 0.5$, and suggests a dominant role for dry mergers, which may have accelerated the growth in these high-density cluster environments.Comment: 20 pages; accepted for publication in MNRA

Symmetric Instantons and Skyrme Fields

By explicit construction of the ADHM data, we prove the existence of a charge seven instanton with icosahedral symmetry. By computing the holonomy of this instanton we obtain a Skyrme field which approximates the minimal energy charge seven Skyrmion. We also present a one parameter family of tetrahedrally symmetric instantons whose holonomy gives a family of Skyrme fields which models a Skyrmion scattering process, where seven well-separated Skyrmions collide to form the icosahedrally symmetric Skyrmion.Comment: 22 pages plus 1 figure in GIF forma

Symmetric Skyrmions

We present candidates for the global minimum energy solitons of charge one to nine in the Skyrme model, generated using sophisticated numerical algorithms. Assuming the Skyrme model accurately represents the low energy limit of QCD, these configurations correspond to the classical nuclear ground states of the light elements. The solitons found are particularly symmetric, for example, the charge seven skyrmion has icosahedral symmetry, and the shapes are shown to fit a remarkable sequence defined by a geometric energy minimization (GEM) rule. We also calculate the energies and sizes to within at least a few percent accuracy. These calculations provide the basis for a future investigation of the low energy vibrational modes of skyrmions and hence the possibility of testing the Skyrme model against experiment.Comment: latex, 9 pages, 1 figure (fig1.gif

Octahedral and dodecahedral monopoles

It is shown that there exists a charge five monopole with octahedral symmetry and a charge seven monopole with icosahedral symmetry. A numerical implementation of the ADHMN construction is used to calculate the energy density of these monopoles and surfaces of constant energy density are displayed. The charge five and charge seven monopoles look like an octahedron and a dodecahedron respectively. A scattering geodesic for each of these monopoles is presented and discussed using rational maps. This is done with the aid of a new formula for the cluster decomposition of monopoles when the poles of the rational map are close together