Spectroscopic measurements of the ion velocity distribution at the base of the fast solar wind

In situ measurements of the fast solar wind reveal non-thermal distributions of electrons, protons, and minor ions extending from 0.3 au to the heliopause. The physical mechanisms responsible for these non-thermal properties and the location where these properties originate remain open questions. Here, we present spectroscopic evidence, from extreme ultraviolet spectroscopy, that the velocity distribution functions (VDFs) of minor ions are already non-Gaussian at the base of the fast solar wind in a coronal hole, at altitudes of <1.1 R ⊙. Analysis of Fe, Si, and Mg spectral lines reveals a peaked line-shape core and broad wings that can be characterized by a kappa VDF. A kappa distribution fit gives very small kappa indices off-limb of κ ≈ 1.9–2.5, indicating either (a) ion populations far from thermal equilibrium, (b) fluid motions such as non-Gaussian turbulent fluctuations or non-uniform wave motions, or (c) some combination of both. These observations provide important empirical constraints for the source region of the fast solar wind and for the theoretical models of the different acceleration, heating, and energy deposition processes therein. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the ion VDF in the fast solar wind has been probed so close to its source region. The findings are also a timely precursor to the upcoming 2018 launch of the Parker Solar Probe, which will provide the closest in situ measurements of the solar wind at approximately 0.04 au (8.5 solar radii)

The role of energy diffusion in the deposition of energetic electron energy in solar and stellar flares

During solar flares, a large fraction of the released magnetic energy is carried by energetic electrons that transfer and deposit energy in the Sun's atmosphere. Electron transport is often approximated by a cold thick-target model, assuming that electron energy is much larger than the temperature of the ambient plasma, and electron energy evolution is modeled as a systematic loss. Using kinetic modeling of electrons, we reevaluate the transport and deposition of flare energy. Using a full collisional warm-target model (WTM), we account for electron thermalization and for the properties of the ambient coronal plasma such as its number density, temperature and spatial extent. We show that the deposition of nonthermal electron energy in the lower atmosphere is highly dependent on the properties of the flaring coronal plasma. In general, thermalization and a reduced WTM energy loss rate leads to an increase of nonthermal energy transferred to the chromosphere, and the deposition of nonthermal energy at greater depths. The simulations show that energy is deposited in the lower atmosphere initially by high-energy nonthermal electrons, and later by lower energy nonthermal electrons that partially or fully thermalize in the corona, over timescales of seconds, unaccounted for in previous studies. This delayed heating may act as a diagnostic of both the injected nonthermal electron distribution and the coronal plasma, vital for constraining flare energetics

Quantum search by measurement

We propose a quantum algorithm for solving combinatorial search problems that uses only a sequence of measurements. The algorithm is similar in spirit to quantum computation by adiabatic evolution, in that the goal is to remain in the ground state of a time-varying Hamiltonian. Indeed, we show that the running times of the two algorithms are closely related. We also show how to achieve the quadratic speedup for Grover's unstructured search problem with only two measurements. Finally, we discuss some similarities and differences between the adiabatic and measurement algorithms.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure

A espacialidade do Islã em Brasília

Trabalho de conclusão de curso (graduação)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciências Humanas, Departamento de Geografia, 2016.O Islã surgiu no século VII d.C. na região da Península Árabe e se expande como império pela superfície terrestre, gerando uma espacialidade, constituída pela negociação estabelecida entre seus objetivos como cultura e religião, seus símbolos e os diversos contextos espaciais. O presente trabalho tem por objetivo compreender a espacialidade do Islã no Brasil, e, particularmente, em Brasília. Para isso, além das pesquisas bibliográficas sobre o tema, foi realizado um trabalho empírico, constituído por exercícios de observação e entrevistas com membros da comunidade islâmica local. A partir dos campos realizados, identificou-se que a sua espacialidade em Brasília é caracterizada por duas vias: uma de mutualidade, mediada por casos de intolerância e outra, de resistência, representada pelo grupo de divulgação da religião, oriundo do Paquistão e por recém-convertidos ligados a este grupo. As duas vias estão presentes nas Mesquitas e Mussalas da Asa Norte, Taguatinga e Gama. O trabalho também abre possibilidades de pesquisa na área de Geografia Cultural relacionados à Brasília.Islam arose in the seventh century A.D. in the Arabian Peninsula region and expands an empire by the Earth’ surface, creating a spatiality, based on the agreed negotiation between your goals cultural and religion, its symbols and different spatial contexts. This study aims to understand the spatiality of Islam in Brazil and, particularly, in Brasilia. Thus, besides the bibliographical research on the topic was conducted an empirical work, consisting of observation exercises and interviews with members of the local Islamic Community. From the conducted field, it was identified that spatiality in Brasilia is characterized in two ways: mutuality, mediated cases of intolerance; and resistance, represented by the religion disclosure group originating from Pakistan and people recently converted linked to this group. The two ways are present in the Mosques and Mussalas in Asa Norte, Taguatinga and Gama. The work also opens possibilities of research in Cultural Geography related to Brasilia

Learners reconceptualising education: Widening participation through creative engagement?

This paper argues that engaging imaginatively with ways in which statutory and further education is provided and expanding the repertoire of possible transitions into higher education, is necessary for providers both in higher education and in the contexts and phases which precede study at this level. Fostering dispositions for creativity in dynamic engagement with educational technology together with the consideration of pedagogy, learning objects, inclusion, policy and the management of change, requires innovative provision to span the spaces between school, home, work and higher education learning. Reporting on The Aspire Pilot, a NESTA-funded initiative at The Open University, the paper offers the beginning of a theoretical frame for considering learning, learners and learning systems in the information age prioritizing learner agency. It will report emergent empirical findings from this inter-disciplinary project, with a significant e-dimension, which seeks to foster the creativity of 13-19 year olds in considering future learning systems, developing provocations for others to explore creative but grounded possibilities. It explores implications arising from this project for approaches that may facilitate widening participation in higher education

Linking soil microbial community structure to potential carbon mineralization: A continental scale assessment of reduced tillage

Potential carbon mineralization (Cmin) is a commonly used indicator of soil health, with greater Cmin values interpreted as healthier soil. While Cmin values are typically greater in agricultural soils managed with minimal physical disturbance, the mechanisms driving the increases remain poorly understood. This study assessed bacterial and archaeal community structure and potential microbial drivers of Cmin in soils maintained under various degrees of physical disturbance. Potential carbon mineralization, 16S rRNA sequences, and soil characterization data were collected as part of the North American Project to Evaluate Soil Health Measurements (NAPESHM). Results showed that type of cropping system, intensity of physical disturbance, and soil pH influenced microbial sensitivity to physical disturbance. Furthermore, 28% of amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), which were important in modeling Cmin, were enriched under soils managed with minimal physical disturbance. Sequences identified as enriched under minimal disturbance and important for modeling Cmin, were linked to organisms which could produce extracellular polymeric substances and contained metabolic strategies suited for tolerating environmental stressors. Understanding how physical disturbance shapes microbial communities across climates and inherent soil properties and drives changes in Cmin provides the context necessary to evaluate management impacts on standardized measures of soil microbial activity

A Population of Gamma-Ray Millisecond Pulsars Seen with the Fermi Large Area Telescope

Gamma-Ray Pulsar Bonanza Most of the pulsars we know about were detected through their radio emission; a few are known to pulse gamma rays but were first detected at other wavelengths (see the Perspective by Halpern ). Using the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope, Abdo et al. (p. 840 , published online 2 July; see the cover) report the detection of 16 previously unknown pulsars based on their gamma-ray emission alone. Thirteen of these coincide with previously unidentified gamma-ray sources, solving the 30-year-old mystery of their identities. Pulsars are fast-rotating neutron stars. With time they slow down and cease to radiate; however, if they are in a binary system, they can have their spin rates increased by mass transfer from their companion stars, starting a new life as millisecond pulsars. In another study, Abdo et al. (p. 845 ) report the detection of gamma-ray emission from the globular cluster 47 Tucanae, which is coming from an ensemble of millisecond pulsars in the cluster's core. The data imply that there are up to 60 millisecond pulsars in 47 Tucanae, twice as many as predicted by radio observations. In a further companion study, Abdo et al. (p. 848 , published online 2 July) searched Fermi Large Area Telescope data for pulsations from all known millisecond pulsars outside of stellar clusters, finding gamma-ray pulsations for eight of them. Their properties resemble those of other gamma-ray pulsars, suggesting that they share the same basic emission mechanism. Indeed, both sets of pulsars favor emission models in which the gamma rays are produced in the outer magnetosphere of the neutron star

Functional mechanisms underlying pleiotropic risk alleles at the 19p13.1 breast-ovarian cancer susceptibility locus

A locus at 19p13 is associated with breast cancer (BC) and ovarian cancer (OC) risk. Here we analyse 438 SNPs in this region in 46,451 BC and 15,438 OC cases, 15,252 BRCA1 mutation carriers and 73,444 controls and identify 13 candidate causal SNPs associated with serous OC (P=9.2 × 10-20), ER-negative BC (P=1.1 × 10-13), BRCA1-associated BC (P=7.7 × 10-16) and triple negative BC (P-diff=2 × 10-5). Genotype-gene expression associations are identified for candidate target genes ANKLE1 (P=2 × 10-3) and ABHD8 (P<2 × 10-3). Chromosome conformation capture identifies interactions between four candidate SNPs and ABHD8, and luciferase assays indicate six risk alleles increased transactivation of the ADHD8 promoter. Targeted deletion of a region containing risk SNP rs56069439 in a putative enhancer induces ANKLE1 downregulation; and mRNA stability assays indicate functional effects for an ANKLE1 3′-UTR SNP. Altogether, these data suggest that multiple SNPs at 19p13 regulate ABHD8 and perhaps ANKLE1 expression, and indicate common mechanisms underlying breast and ovarian cancer risk