Integrated records of tectonic and climate interactions in the Northern Alpine Foreland Basin sedimentary architecture

Peripheral foreland basins form due to flexural subsidence of the downgoing plate driven by topographic- and slab loading. Their architecture records lithospheric- and crustal-scale processes, and the climate history of the adjacent growing orogen. Previous geological and geophysical observational studies revealed that many foreland basins show along-strike heterogeneous sedimentary architecture, implying that mechanisms controlling basin evolution varied laterally. In the Northern Alpine Foreland Basin (NAFB, also known as Molasse Basin) the along-strike heterogeneity in basin architecture is represented by eastward shallowing of depositional environments during Oligocene-Miocene times. This coincided with the suggested two slab break-off and/or tearing events occurring below the Alps. In this project, we test the hypothesis of whether slab break-off and tearing can control along-strike variable foreland basin architecture. We do this by combining tectonostratigraphic analysis of the NAFB fill and numerical models. Tectonostratigraphic analysis includes interpretation of the 2D/3D seismic data located in the transitional zone of the NAFB (German Molasse) connecting the western and eastern parts of the basin. To investigate the effect of the slab-break off and tearing on the foreland basin evolution we combine 3D thermomechanical- and stratigraphic forward models. The results of the tectonostratigraphic analysis reveal a northward younging trend of syn-flexural normal fault nucleation which agrees with forebulge migration driven by the advance of the Alpine thrust front during the Oligocene-Miocene. Furthermore, the eastward increase in the magnitude of syn-flexural normal fault offsets suggests an increase in the magnitude of flexural bending of the lower plate. This may have been controlled by lateral variations in the architecture of the lower plate and/or spatiotemporal variations in slab breakoff/tearing. The observed along-strike seismic facies integrated with the published data suggests that the north-south trending intrabasinal coastline migrated from west to east at an average rate of ~ 6 cm/yr. Furthermore, 3D thermomechanical models show that slab tearing will initiate either at the location of a subducted continental terrain (if present along the slab) or where collision starts first in the case of oblique convergence. Subsequently, tearing propagates along the strike at velocities ranging from ~35 cm/yr to 120 cm/yr depending on the margin obliquity, slab age and mantle rheology. The surface expression of slab tearing is the orogen parallel migration of uplift, affecting both the orogen and peripheral foreland basin. In the peripheral foreland basins associated with the collision of oblique margins, this uplift leads to a gradual along-strike decrease of accommodations space followed by shallowing of depositional environments. However, during the collision of irregular margins, the size and rheology of irregular terrains exert a key influence on the along-strike distribution of the surface uplift during tearing. Typically, this yields a more stepwise distribution of the accommodation space along the peripheral foreland, i.e. lower above the previously accreted terrain. Currently, we are focusing on integrating thermomechanical- and forward stratigraphic models to estimate the effect of environmental factors such as sea-level variations, and precipitation rates on the preservation of the slab break-off and tearing signals in the stratigraphic record of peripheral foreland basins

Outbreak of encephalitic listeriosis in red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa)

An outbreak of neurological disease was investigated in red-legged partridges between 8 and 28 days of age. Clinical signs included torticollis, head tilt and incoordination and over an initial eight day period approximately 30–40 fatalities occurred per day. No significant gross post mortem findings were detected. Histopathological examination of the brain and bacterial cultures followed by partial sequencing confirmed a diagnosis of encephalitis due to Listeria monocytogenes. Further isolates were obtained from follow-up carcasses, environmental samples and pooled tissue samples of newly imported day-old chicks prior to placement on farm. These isolates had the same antibiotic resistance pattern as the isolate of the initial post mortem submission and belonged to the same fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphism (fAFLP) subtype. This suggested that the isolates were very closely related or identical and that the pathogen had entered the farm with the imported day-old chicks, resulting in disease manifestation in partridges between 8 and 28 days of age. Reports of outbreaks of encephalitic listeriosis in avian species are rare and this is to the best of our knowledge the first reported outbreak in red-legged partridges

Field spheroid-dominated galaxies in a Λ-CDM Universe

Context. Understanding the formation and evolution of early-type, spheroid-dominated galaxies is an open question within the context of the hierarchical clustering scenario, particularly in low-density environments. Aims. Our goal is to study the main structural, dynamical, and stellar population properties and assembly histories of field spheroid-dominated galaxies formed in a Λ-cold dark matter (Λ-CDM) scenario to assess to what extent they are consistent with observations. Methods. We selected spheroid-dominated systems from a Λ-CDM simulation that includes star formation (SF), chemical evolution, and supernova feedback. The sample is made up of 18 field systems with MStar ≤ 6 × 1010M⊙ that are dominated by the spheroid component. For this sample we estimated the fundamental relations of ellipticals and compared them with current observations. Results. The simulated spheroid galaxies have sizes that are in good agreement with observations. The bulges follow a Sersic law with Sersic indexes that correlate with the bulge-to-total mass ratios. The structural-dynamical properties of the simulated galaxies are consistent with observed Faber-Jackson, fundamental plane, and Tully-Fisher relations. However, the simulated galaxies are bluer and with higher star formation rates (SFRs) than the observed isolated early-type galaxies. The archaeological mass growth histories show a slightly delayed formation and more prominent inside-out growth mode than observational inferences based on the fossil record method. Conclusions. The main structural and dynamical properties of the simulated spheroid-dominated galaxies are consistent with observations. This is remarkable since our simulation has not been calibrated to match them. However, the simulated galaxies are blue and star-forming, and with later stellar mass growth histories compared to observational inferences. This is mainly due to the persistence of extended discs in the simulations. The need for more efficient quenching mechanisms able to avoid further disc growth and SF is required in order to reproduce current observational trends.Fil: Rosito, María Sol. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciónes Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio. - Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio; ArgentinaFil: Pedrosa, Susana Elizabeth. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciónes Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio. - Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio; ArgentinaFil: Tissera, Patricia Beatriz. Universidad Andrés Bello; ChileFil: Avila Reese, Vladimir. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Lacerna, I.. Universidad Católica de Chile; ChileFil: Bignone, Lucas Axel. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; ChileFil: Ibarra-Medel, H.J.. Universidad Andrés Bello; ChileFil: Varela, S.. Universidad Andrés Bello; Chil

All-Optical Broadband Excitation of the Motional State of Trapped Ions

We have developed a novel all-optical broadband scheme for exciting, amplifying and measuring the secular motion of ions in a radio frequency trap. Oscillation induced by optical excitation has been coherently amplified to precisely control and measure the ion's secular motion. Requiring only laser line-of-sight, we have shown that the ion's oscillation amplitude can be precisely controlled. Our excitation scheme can generate coherent motion which is robust against variations in the secular frequency. Therefore, our scheme is ideal to excite the desired level of oscillatory motion under conditions where the secular frequency is evolving in time. Measuring the oscillation amplitude through Doppler velocimetry, we have characterized the experimental parameters and compared them with a molecular dynamics simulation which provides a complete description of the system.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figure

Efficient photoionization for barium ion trapping using a dipole-allowed resonant two-photon transition

Two efficient and isotope-selective resonant two-photon ionization techniques for loading barium ions into radio-frequency (RF)-traps are demonstrated. The scheme of using a strong dipole-allowed transition at \lambda=553 nm as a first step towards ionization is compared to the established technique of using a weak intercombination line (\lambda=413 nm). An increase of two orders of magnitude in the ionization efficiency is found favoring the transition at 553 nm. This technique can be implemented using commercial all-solid-state laser systems and is expected to be advantageous compared to other narrowband photoionization schemes of barium in cases where highest efficiency and isotope-selectivity are required.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

A geometric approach to time evolution operators of Lie quantum systems

Lie systems in Quantum Mechanics are studied from a geometric point of view. In particular, we develop methods to obtain time evolution operators of time-dependent Schrodinger equations of Lie type and we show how these methods explain certain ad hoc methods used in previous papers in order to obtain exact solutions. Finally, several instances of time-dependent quadratic Hamiltonian are solved.Comment: Accepted for publication in the International Journal of Theoretical Physic

Evidence for a mixed mass composition at the `ankle' in the cosmic-ray spectrum

We report a first measurement for ultra-high energy cosmic rays of the correlation between the depth of shower maximum and the signal in the water Cherenkov stations of air-showers registered simultaneously by the fluorescence and the surface detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory. Such a correlation measurement is a unique feature of a hybrid air-shower observatory with sensitivity to both the electromagnetic and muonic components. It allows an accurate determination of the spread of primary masses in the cosmic-ray flux. Up till now, constraints on the spread of primary masses have been dominated by systematic uncertainties. The present correlation measurement is not affected by systematics in the measurement of the depth of shower maximum or the signal in the water Cherenkov stations. The analysis relies on general characteristics of air showers and is thus robust also with respect to uncertainties in hadronic event generators. The observed correlation in the energy range around the `ankle' at $\lg(E/{\rm eV})=18.5-19.0$ differs significantly from expectations for pure primary cosmic-ray compositions. A light composition made up of proton and helium only is equally inconsistent with observations. The data are explained well by a mixed composition including nuclei with mass $A > 4$. Scenarios such as the proton dip model, with almost pure compositions, are thus disfavoured as the sole explanation of the ultrahigh-energy cosmic-ray flux at Earth.Comment: Published version. Added journal reference and DOI. Added Report Numbe

Measurement of the polarisation of W bosons produced with large transverse momentum in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS experiment

This paper describes an analysis of the angular distribution of W->enu and W->munu decays, using data from pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2010, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 35 pb^-1. Using the decay lepton transverse momentum and the missing transverse energy, the W decay angular distribution projected onto the transverse plane is obtained and analysed in terms of helicity fractions f0, fL and fR over two ranges of W transverse momentum (ptw): 35 < ptw < 50 GeV and ptw > 50 GeV. Good agreement is found with theoretical predictions. For ptw > 50 GeV, the values of f0 and fL-fR, averaged over charge and lepton flavour, are measured to be : f0 = 0.127 +/- 0.030 +/- 0.108 and fL-fR = 0.252 +/- 0.017 +/- 0.030, where the first uncertainties are statistical, and the second include all systematic effects.Comment: 19 pages plus author list (34 pages total), 9 figures, 11 tables, revised author list, matches European Journal of Physics C versio

Observation of a new chi_b state in radiative transitions to Upsilon(1S) and Upsilon(2S) at ATLAS

The chi_b(nP) quarkonium states are produced in proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector. Using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.4 fb^-1, these states are reconstructed through their radiative decays to Upsilon(1S,2S) with Upsilon->mu+mu-. In addition to the mass peaks corresponding to the decay modes chi_b(1P,2P)->Upsilon(1S)gamma, a new structure centered at a mass of 10.530+/-0.005 (stat.)+/-0.009 (syst.) GeV is also observed, in both the Upsilon(1S)gamma and Upsilon(2S)gamma decay modes. This is interpreted as the chi_b(3P) system.Comment: 5 pages plus author list (18 pages total), 2 figures, 1 table, corrected author list, matches final version in Physical Review Letter

Search for displaced vertices arising from decays of new heavy particles in 7 TeV pp collisions at ATLAS

We present the results of a search for new, heavy particles that decay at a significant distance from their production point into a final state containing charged hadrons in association with a high-momentum muon. The search is conducted in a pp-collision data sample with a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV and an integrated luminosity of 33 pb^-1 collected in 2010 by the ATLAS detector operating at the Large Hadron Collider. Production of such particles is expected in various scenarios of physics beyond the standard model. We observe no signal and place limits on the production cross-section of supersymmetric particles in an R-parity-violating scenario as a function of the neutralino lifetime. Limits are presented for different squark and neutralino masses, enabling extension of the limits to a variety of other models.Comment: 8 pages plus author list (20 pages total), 8 figures, 1 table, final version to appear in Physics Letters