Scattered light images of spiral arms in marginally gravitationally unstable discs with an embedded planet

Scattered light images of transition discs in the near-infrared often show non-axisymmetric structures in the form of wide-open spiral arms in addition to their characteristic low-opacity inner gap region. We study self-gravitating discs and investigate the influence of gravitational instability on the shape and contrast of spiral arms induced by planet-disc interactions. Two-dimensional non-isothermal hydrodynamical simulations including viscous heating and a cooling prescription are combined with three-dimensional dust continuum radiative transfer models for direct comparison to observations. We find that the resulting contrast between the spirals and the surrounding disc in scattered light is by far higher for pressure scale height variations, i.e. thermal perturbations, than for pure surface density variations. Self-gravity effects suppress any vortex modes and tend to reduce the opening angle of planet-induced spirals, making them more tightly wound. If the disc is only marginally gravitationally stable with a Toomre parameter around unity, an embedded massive planet (planet-to-star mass ratio of $10^{-2}$) can trigger gravitational instability in the outer disc. The spirals created by this instability and the density waves launched by the planet can overlap resulting in large-scale, more open spiral arms in the outer disc. The contrast of these spirals is well above the detection limit of current telescopes.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS; 13 pages, 8 figure

Emissions control for ground power gas turbines

The similarities and differences of emissions reduction technology for aircraft and ground power gas turbines is described. The capability of this technology to reduce ground power emissions to meet existing and proposed emissions standards is presented and discussed. Those areas where the developing aircraft gas turbine technology may have direct application to ground power and those areas where the needed technology may be unique to the ground power mission are pointed out. Emissions reduction technology varying from simple combustor modifications to the use of advanced combustor concepts, such as catalysis, is described and discussed

Systematic study of the decay rates of antiprotonic helium states

A systematic study of the decay rates of antiprotonic helium (\pbhef and \pbhet) at CERN AD (Antiproton Decelerator) has been made by a laser spectroscopic method. The decay rates of some of its short-lived states, namely those for which the Auger rates $\gamma_{\mathrm{A}}$ are much larger than their radiative decay rates ($\gamma_{\mathrm{rad}} \sim 1$ $\mu$s$^{-1}$), were determined from the time distributions of the antiproton annihilation signals induced by laser beams, and the widths of the atomic resonance lines. The magnitude of the decay rates, especially their relation with the transition multipolarity, is discussed and compared with theoretical calculations.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, and 1 tabl

THE INTRODUCED SABELLID POLYCHAETE TEREBRASABELLA HETEROUNCINATA IN CALIFORNIA: TRANSMISSION, METHODS OF CONTROL AND SURVEY FOR PRESENCE IN NATIVE GASTROPOD POPULATIONS

The sabellid polychaete Terebrasabella heterouncinata (Fitzhugh & Rouse 1999) has a unique life history in which larvae settle on the edge of gastropod shells and rely on shell deposition to create a tube with an opening to the exterior. This worm was accidentally imported to California, USA on abalone from South Africa in the 1980s and spread with abalone shipments to most culture facilities and some public aquaria throughout the state. Its ability to infest California's native gastropods has sparked concern regarding potential establishment in intertidal habitats adjacent to facilities that held sabellid-positive abalone. We examined the ability of T. heterouncinata to transmit between individual turban snails, Tegula funebralis. We found that transmission between T.funebralis did occur, but at a significantly slower rate than that between red abalone Haliotis rufescens. During 2002 to 2006 native gastropods (turban snails and limpets) were collected at most sabellid-exposed sites and no T. heterouncinata were detected; it thus appears that this species has not become established in California. Freshwater exposure was examined as a method to kill T. heterouncinala in shell fragments that may remain after abalone are removed from production or display units. Freshwater immersion for up to 8 hours but not 16 or 32 h resulted in survival of adults and/or larvae resident in brood chambers. In a similar study, motile T. heterouncinata larvae were found to survive up to 32 see of freshwater exposure, whereas none survived a 64-sec exposure. These data can be used by abalone culture and display facilities to establish reliable sanitization procedures to prevent T. heterouncinata transmission or reinfestation

Adaptable Radiative Transfer Innovations for Submillimeter Telescopes (ARTIST)

Submillimeter observations are a key for answering many of the big questions in modern-day astrophysics, such as how stars and planets form, how galaxies evolve, and how material cycles through stars and the interstellar medium. With the upcoming large submillimeter facilities ALMA and Herschel a new window will open to study these questions. ARTIST is a project funded in context of the European ASTRONET program with the aim of developing a next generation model suite for comprehensive multi-dimensional radiative transfer calculations of the dust and line emission, as well as their polarization, to help interpret observations with these groundbreaking facilities.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure; to appear in "IAU Symposium 270: Computational Star formation", Eds. J. Alves, B. Elmegreen, J. Girart, V. Trimbl

Radiative lifetime measurements of rubidium Rydberg states

We have measured the radiative lifetimes of ns, np and nd Rydberg states of rubidium in the range 28 < n < 45. To enable long-lived states to be measured, our experiment uses slow-moving Rb atoms in a magneto-optical trap (MOT). Two experimental techniques have been adopted to reduce random and systematic errors. First, a narrow-bandwidth pulsed laser is used to excite the target Rydberg state, resulting in minimal shot-to-shot variation in the initial state population. Second, we monitor the target state population as a function of time delay from the laser pulse using a short-duration, millimetre-wave pulse that is resonant with a one- or two-photon transition. We then selectively field ionize the monitor state, and detect the resulting electrons with a micro-channel plate. This signal is an accurate mirror of the target state population, and is uncontaminated by contributions from other states which are populated by black body radiation. Our results are generally consistent with other recent experimental results obtained using a less sensitive method, and are also in excellent agreement with theory.Comment: 27 pages,6 figure

A Generalization of Martin's Axiom

We define the $\aleph_{1.5}$ chain condition. The corresponding forcing axiom is a generalization of Martin's Axiom and implies certain uniform failures of club--guessing on $\omega_1$ that don't seem to have been considered in the literature before.Comment: 36 page

Time, institutional support and quality of decision making in child protection:A cross-country analysis

This paper examines perceptions of time and institutional support for decision making and staff confidence in child welfare staffs ultimate decisions – examining differences and similarities between and within the service-oriented Nordic countries (Norway and Finland) and the risk-oriented Anglo-American countries (England and California). The study identifies a high degree of work pressure across all the countries, lines of predominantly vertical institutional support and relatively high confidence in decisions. Finland stands out with higher perceived work pressure and with a horizontal support line, whereas England stands out with workers having a lower degree of confidence in their own and others’ decisions

Homogeneous links, Seifert surfaces, digraphs and the reduced Alexander polynomial

We give a geometric proof of the following result of Juhasz. \emph{Let $a_g$ be the leading coefficient of the Alexander polynomial of an alternating knot $K$. If $|a_g|<4$ then $K$ has a unique minimal genus Seifert surface.} In doing so, we are able to generalise the result, replacing `minimal genus' with `incompressible' and `alternating' with `homogeneous'. We also examine the implications of our proof for alternating links in general.Comment: 37 pages, 28 figures; v2 Main results generalised from alternating links to homogeneous links. Title change

Direct Measurements of the Transport of Nonequilibrium Electrons in Gold Films with Different Crystal Structures

The transport of femtosecond-laser-excited nonequilibrium electrons across polycrystalline and single-crystalline gold films has been investigated through time-of-flight measurements. The thicknesses of the films range from 25 to 400 nm. Ballistic electrons as well as electrons interacting with other electrons and/or with the lattice have been observed. The ballistic component dominates the transport in the thinner films, whereas the interactive transport mechanism is dominant at the upper end of the thickness range. A slower effective velocity of the interactive component is observed in the polycrystalline samples, and is assumed to arise from the presence of grain boundaries. The reflection coefficient of excited electrons at the grain boundaries is extracted from the experiment and is estimated to be r=0.12. The experiment also suggests that thermal equilibrium among the excited electrons is not fully established in the first 500 fs after excitation. © 1993 The American Physical Society