2,276 research outputs found
Different invasibility of permanent and temporary waterbodies in a semiarid Mediterranean Island
Nonindigenous species (NIS) represent a threat to aquatic biodiversity worldwide. However, freshwater ecosystems in drylands are potentially more prone to biological invasions than those located in temperate regions because of the higher number of artificial waterbodies generally occurring in these areas, which might act as invasion hubs for NIS. We review the available information about NIS in Sicilian waterbodies, discuss the role exerted by artificial lakes and ponds in facilitating the establishment of NIS in arid and semiarid areas, and compare the invasibility of permanent and temporary waterbodies in drylands. Artificial waterbodies increase the target-area effect for dispersers and provide a hospitable environment for NIS because of their recent origin and the lack of efficient biological filters against newcomers, thus acting as bridgeheads and invasion hubs favouring invasive species. Finally, we propose actions to attenuate the threats caused by NIS to the sensitive native biota of aquatic ecosystems in drylands
Four-neutrino oscillation solutions of the atmospheric neutrino anomaly
In the context of neutrino scenarios characterized by four (three active plus
one sterile) neutrino species and by mass spectra with two separated doublets,
we analyze solutions to the atmospheric neutrino anomaly which smoothly
interpolate between \nu_\mu-->\nu_\tau and \nu_\mu-->\nu_s oscillations. We
show that, although the Super-Kamiokande data disfavor the pure \nu_\mu-->\nu_s
channel, they do not exclude its occurrence, with sizable amplitude, in
addition to the \nu_\mu-->\nu_\tau channel. High energy muon data appear to be
crucial in assessing the relative amplitude of active and sterile neutrino
oscillations. It is also qualitatively shown that such atmospheric \nu
solutions are compatible with analogous solutions to the solar neutrino
problem, which involve oscillations of \nu_e in both sterile and active states.Comment: Added references. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
Global analysis of three-flavor neutrino masses and mixings
We present a comprehensive phenomenological analysis of a vast amount of data
from neutrino flavor oscillation and non-oscillation searches, performed within
the standard scenario with three massive and mixed neutrinos, and with
particular attention to subleading effects. The detailed results discussed in
this review represent a state-of-the-art, accurate and up-to-date (as of August
2005) estimate of the three-neutrino mass-mixing parameters.Comment: Final version (including a new Appendix), to be published in
"Progress in Particle and Nuclear Physics". Higher-resolution pdf file and
eps figures can be download from http://www.ba.infn.it/~now2004/PPNP_review
Supernova neutrinos: Strong coupling effects of weak interactions
In core-collapse supernovae, neutrinos and antineutrinos are initially
subject to significant self-interactions induced by weak neutral currents,
which may induce strong-coupling effects on the flavor evolution (collective
transitions). The interpretation of the effects is simplified when self-induced
collective transitions are decoupled from ordinary matter oscillations, as for
the matter density profile that we discuss. In this case, approximate
analytical tools can be used (pendulum analogy, swap of energy spectra). For
inverted neutrino mass hierarchy, the sequence of effects involves:
synchronization, bipolar oscillations, and spectral split. Our simulations
shows that the main features of these regimes are not altered when passing from
simplified (angle-averaged) treatments to full, multi-angle numerical
experiments.Comment: Proceedings of NO-VE 2008, IV International Workshop on "Neutrino
Oscillations in Venice" (Venice, Italy, April 15-18, 2008), edited by M.
Baldo Ceolin (University of Padova publication, Papergraf Editions, Padova,
Italy, 2008), pages 233-24
Zenith distribution of atmospheric neutrino events and electron neutrino mixing
Assuming atmospheric neutrino oscillations with dominant nu_munu_tau
transitions, we discuss how subdominant nu_e mixing (within the Chooz reactor
bounds) can alter the zenith distributions of neutrino-induced electrons and
muons. We isolate two peculiar distortion effects, one mainly related to nu_e
mixing in vacuum and the other to matter oscillations, that may be sufficiently
large to be detected by the SuperKamiokande atmospheric nu experiment. These
effects (absent for pure two-flavor nu_munu_tau transitions) do not vanish
in the limit of energy-averaged oscillations.Comment: 6 pages, RevTeX, no figure
Testing the Isotropy of the Universe with Type Ia Supernovae
We analyze the magnitude-redshift data of type Ia supernovae included in the
Union and Union2 compilations in the framework of an anisotropic Bianchi type I
cosmological model and in the presence of a dark energy fluid with anisotropic
equation of state. We find that the amount of deviation from isotropy of the
equation of state of dark energy, the skewness \delta, and the present level of
anisotropy of the large-scale geometry of the Universe, the actual shear
\Sigma_0, are constrained in the ranges -0.16 < \delta < 0.12 and -0.012 <
\Sigma_0 < 0.012 (1\sigma C.L.) by Union2 data. Supernova data are then
compatible with a standard isotropic universe (\delta = \Sigma_0 = 0), but a
large level of anisotropy, both in the geometry of the Universe and in the
equation of state of dark energy, is allowed.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables. Union2 analysis added. New references
added. To appear in Phys. Rev.
Atmospheric, Solar, and CHOOZ neutrinos: a global three generation analysis
We perform a global three generation analysis of the current solar and
atmospheric evidence in favor of neutrino oscillations. We also include the
negative results coming from CHOOZ to constrain the nu_e mixing. We study the
zones of mass-mixing oscillations parameters compatible with all the data. It
is shown that almost pure nu_mu nu_tau oscillations are required to
explain the atmospheric neutrino anomaly and almost pure nu_1 nu_2
oscillations to account for the solar neutrino deficit.Comment: 4 pages, talk given at 36th Rencontres de Moriond: Electroweak
Interactions and Unified Theories, Les Arcs, France, 10-17 Mar 200
Neutrino mass and mixing parameters: A short review
We present a brief review of the current status of neutrino mass and mixing
parameters, based on a comprehensive phenomenological analysis of neutrino
oscillation and non-oscillation searches, within the standard three-neutrino
mixing framework.Comment: 11 pages, including 7 figures. Presented at the 40th Rencontres de
Moriond on Electroweak Interactions and Unified Theories, La Thuile, Aosta
Valley, Italy, 5-12 Mar 200
Using Millimeter VLBI to Constrain RIAF Models of Sagittarius A*
The recent detection of Sagittarius A* at lambda = 1.3 mm on a baseline from
Hawaii to Arizona demonstrates that millimeter wavelength very long baseline
interferometry (VLBI) can now spatially resolve emission from the innermost
accretion flow of the Galactic center region. Here, we investigate the ability
of future millimeter VLBI arrays to constrain the spin and inclination of the
putative black hole and the orientation of the accretion disk major axis within
the context of radiatively inefficient accretion flow (RIAF) models. We examine
the range of baseline visibility and closure amplitudes predicted by RIAF
models to identify critical telescopes for determining the spin, inclination,
and disk orientation of the Sgr A* black hole and accretion disk system. We
find that baseline lengths near 3 gigalambda have the greatest power to
distinguish amongst RIAF model parameters, and that it will be important to
include new telescopes that will form north-south baselines with a range of
lengths. If a RIAF model describes the emission from Sgr A*, it is likely that
the orientation of the accretion disk can be determined with the addition of a
Chilean telescope to the array. Some likely disk orientations predict
detectable fluxes on baselines between the continental United States and even a
single 10-12 m dish in Chile. The extra information provided from closure
amplitudes by a four-antenna array enhances the ability of VLBI to discriminate
amongst model parameters.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ
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