130 research outputs found
Transport coefficients and nonextensive statistics
We discuss the basic transport phenomena in gases and plasmas obeying the
-nonextensive velocity distribution (power-law). Analytical expressions for
the thermal conductivity () and viscosity () are derived by
solving the Boltzmann equation in the relaxation-time approximation. The
available experimental results to the ratio {}/ constrains the
-parameter on the interval . In the extensive limiting
case, the standard transport coefficients based on the local Gaussian
distribution are recovered, and due to a surprising cancellation, the electric
conductivity of a neutral plasma is not modified.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, REVTEX, submitted to PR
Self-energy and Self-force in the Space-time of a Thick Cosmic String
We calculate the self-energy and self-force for an electrically charged
particle at rest in the background of Gott-Hiscock cosmic string space-time. We
found the general expression for the self-energy which is expressed in terms of
the matrix of the scattering problem. The self-energy continuously falls
down outward from the string's center with maximum at the origin of the string.
The self-force is repulsive for an arbitrary position of the particle. It tends
to zero in the string's center and also far from the string and it has a
maximum value at the string's surface. The plots of the numerical calculations
of the self-energy and self-force are shown.Comment: 15 pages, 4 Postscript figures, ReVTe
Thermal correction to the Casimir force, radiative heat transfer, and an experiment
The low-temperature asymptotic expressions for the Casimir interaction
between two real metals described by Leontovich surface impedance are obtained
in the framework of thermal quantum field theory. It is shown that the Casimir
entropy computed using the impedance of infrared optics vanishes in the limit
of zero temperature. By contrast, the Casimir entropy computed using the
impedance of the Drude model attains at zero temperature a positive value which
depends on the parameters of a system, i.e., the Nernst heat theorem is
violated. Thus, the impedance of infrared optics withstands the thermodynamic
test, whereas the impedance of the Drude model does not. We also perform a
phenomenological analysis of the thermal Casimir force and of the radiative
heat transfer through a vacuum gap between real metal plates. The
characterization of a metal by means of the Leontovich impedance of the Drude
model is shown to be inconsistent with experiment at separations of a few
hundred nanometers. A modification of the impedance of infrared optics is
suggested taking into account relaxation processes. The power of radiative heat
transfer predicted from this impedance is several times less than previous
predictions due to different contributions from the transverse electric
evanescent waves. The physical meaning of low frequencies in the Lifshitz
formula is discussed. It is concluded that new measurements of radiative heat
transfer are required to find out the adequate description of a metal in the
theory of electromagnetic fluctuations.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figures. svjour.cls is used, to appear in Eur. Phys. J.
Control of assembly of extra-axonemal structures: The paraflagellar rod of trypanosomes
Eukaryotic flagella are complex microtubule based organelles and in many organisms there are extra axonemal structures present, including the outer dense fibres of mammalian sperm and the paraflagellar rod (PFR) of trypanosomes. Flagellum assembly is a complex process occurring across three main compartments, the cytoplasm, the transition fibre-transition zone, and the flagellum. It begins with translation of protein components, followed by their sorting and trafficking into the flagellum, transport to the assembly site and then incorporation. Flagella are formed from over 500 proteins; the principles governing axonemal component assembly are relatively clear. However, the coordination and sites of extra-axonemal structure assembly processes are less clear. We have discovered two cytoplasmic proteins in T. brucei that are required for PFR formation, PFR assembly factors 1 and 2. Deletion of either PFR-AF1 or PFR-AF2 dramatically disrupted PFR formation and caused a reduction in the amount of major PFR proteins. The presence of cytoplasmic factors required for PFR formation aligns with the concept of processes occurring across multiple compartments to facilitate axoneme assembly and this is likely a common theme for extra-axonemal structure assembly
Gravitational field around a screwed superconducting cosmic string in scalar-tensor theories
We obtain the solution that corresponds to a screwed superconducting cosmic
string (SSCS) in the framework of a general scalar-tensor theory including
torsion. We investigate the metric of the SSCS in Brans-Dicke theory with
torsion and analyze the case without torsion. We show that in the case with
torsion the space-time background presents other properties different from that
in which torsion is absent. When the spin vanish, this torsion is a
-gradient and then it propagates outside of the string. We investigate
the effect of torsion on the gravitational force and on the geodesics of a
test-particle moving around the SSCS. The accretion of matter by wakes
formation when a SSCS moves with speed is investigated. We compare our
results with those obtained for cosmic strings in the framework of
scalar-tensor theory.Comment: 22 pages, LaTeX, presented at the "XXII - Encontro Nacional de Fisica
de Particulas e Campos", Sao Lourenco, MG, Brazi
Screening, production and biochemical characterization of a new fibrinolytic enzyme produced by Streptomyces sp. (Streptomycetaceae) isolated from Amazonian lichens
Thrombosis is a pathophysiological disorder caused by accumulation of fibrin in the blood. Fibrinolytic proteases with potent thrombolytic activity have been produced by diverse microbial sources. Considering the microbial biodiversity of the Amazon region, this study aimed at the screening, production and biochemical characterization of a fibrinolytic enzyme produced by Streptomyces sp. isolated from Amazonian lichens. The strain Streptomyces DPUA1576 showed the highest fibrinolytic activity, which was 283 mm2. Three variables at two levels were used to assess their effects on the fibrinolytic production. The parameters studied were agitation (0.28 - 1.12 g), temperature (28 - 36 ºC) and pH (6.0 - 8.0); all of them had significant effects on the fibrinolytic production. The maximum fibrinolytic activity (304 mm2) was observed at 1.12 g, 28 ºC, and pH of 8.0. The crude extract of the fermentation broth was used to assess the biochemical properties of the enzyme. Protease and fibrinolytic activities were stable during 6 h, at a pH ranging from 6.8 to 8.4 and 5.8 to 9.2, respectively. Optimum temperature for protease activity ranged between 35 and 55 °C, while the highest fibrinolytic activity was observed at 45 ºC. Proteolytic activity was inhibited by Cu2+ and Co2+ ions, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) and pepstatin A, which suggests that the enzyme is a serine protease. Enzymatic extract cleaved fibrinogen at the subunits A-chain, A-chain, and -chain. The results indicated that Streptomyces sp. DPUA 1576 produces enzymes with fibrinolytic and fibrinogenolytic activity, enzymes with an important application in the pharmaceutical industry.The authors grateful acknowledge the financial support of Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Pernambuco (FACEPE, Pernambuco, Brazil, N. 0158-2.12/11), CNPq/ RENORBIO (National Counsel of Technological and Scientific Development, N.55146/2010-3) and National Council for the Improvement of Higher Education (CAPES, Brazil) for the scholarship. The author thanks editor and reviewers for their review and comments.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Entropic force approach to noncommutative Schwarzschild black holes signals a failure of current physical ideas
Recently, a new perspective of gravitational-thermodynamic duality as an
entropic force arising from alterations in the information connected to the
positions of material bodies is found. In this paper, we generalize some
aspects of this model in the presence of noncommutative Schwarzschild black
hole by applying the method of coordinate coherent states describing smeared
structures. We implement two different distributions: (a) Gaussian and (b)
Lorentzian. Both mass distributions prepare the similar quantitative aspects
for the entropic force. Our study shows, the entropic force on the smallest
fundamental unit of a holographic screen with radius vanishes. As a
result, black hole remnants are unconditionally inert even gravitational
interactions do not exist therein. So, a distinction between gravitational and
inertial mass in the size of black hole remnant is observed, i.e. the failure
of the principle of equivalence. In addition, if one considers the screen
radius to be less than the radius of the smallest holographic surface at the
Planckian regime, then one encounters some unusual dynamical features leading
to gravitational repulsive force and negative energy. On the other hand, the
significant distinction between the two distributions is conceived to occur
around , and that is worth of mentioning: at this regime either our
analysis is not the proper one, or non-extensive statistics should be employed.Comment: 15 pages, 2 figures, new references added, minor revision, Title
changed, to appear in EPJ Plu
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