1,064 research outputs found
Specific heat of the ideal gas obeying the generalized exclusion statistics
We calculate the specific heat of the ideal gas obeying the generalized
exclusion statistics (GES) in the continuum model and the tight binding model
numerically. In the continuum model of 3-d space, the specific heat increases
with statistical parameter at low temperature whereas it decreases with
statistical parameter at high temperature. We find that the critical
temperature normalized by (Fermi energy) is 0.290. The specific heat of
2-d space was known to be independent of in the continuum model, but it
varies with drastically in the tight-binding model. From its unique
behavior, identification of GES particles will be possible from the specific
heat.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, to be published in Eur. Phys. J. B, References
and figures added, typos corrected, one section removed and two sections
merge
Dynamical controls on the longevity of a non-linear vortex : The case of the Lofoten Basin Eddy
The Lofoten Basin is the largest oceanic reservoir of heat in the Nordic Seas, and the site of important heat fluxes to the atmosphere. An intense permanent anticyclone in the basin impacts the regional hydrography, energetics, and ecosystem. Repeated sampling of this Lofoten Basin Eddy from dedicated cruises, autonomous profiling gliders, and acoustically-tracked subsurface floats enables the documentation of its dynamics and energetics over the course of 15 months. The eddy core, in nearly solid-body rotation, exhibits an unusually low vertical vorticity close to the local inertial frequency and important strain rates at the periphery. Subsurface floats as deep as 800 m are trapped within the core for their entire deployment duration (up to 15 months). The potential vorticity is reduced in the core by two orders of magnitude relative to the surroundings, creating a barrier. In the winter, this barrier weakens and lateral exchanges and heat flux between the eddy and the surroundings increase, apparently the result of dynamical instabilities and a possible eddy merger. Based on a simple energy budget, the dissipation timescale for the eddy energy is three years, during which wintertime convection seasonally modulates potential and kinetic energy.publishedVersio
Ocular Coherence Tomography in the Evaluation of Anterior Eye Injuries in Space Flight
While Ocular Coherence Tomography (OCT) is not a first-line modality to evaluate anterior eye structures terrestrially, it is a resource already available on the International Space Station (ISS) that can be used in medical contingencies that involve the anterior eye. With remote guidance and subject matter expert (SME) support from the ground, a minimally trained crewmember can now use OCT to evaluate anterior eye pathologies on orbit. OCT utilizes low-coherence interferometry to produce detailed cross-sectional and 3D images of the eye in real time. Terrestrially, it has been used to evaluate macular pathologies and glaucoma. Since 2013, OCT has been used onboard the ISS as one part of a suite of hardware to evaluate the Visual Impairment/Intracranial Pressure risk faced by astronauts, specifically assessing changes in the retina and choroid during space flight. The Anterior Segment Module (ASM), an add-on lens, was also flown for research studies, providing an opportunity to evaluate the anterior eye in real time if clinically indicated. Anterior eye pathologies that could be evaluated using OCT were identified. These included corneal abrasions and ulcers, scleritis, and acute angle closure glaucoma. A remote guider script was written to provide ground specialists with step-by-step instructions to guide ISS crewmembers, who do not get trained on the ASM, to evaluate the anterior eye. The instructions were tested on novice subjects and/or operators, whose feedback was incorporated iteratively. The final remote guider script was reviewed by SME optometrists and NASA flight surgeons. The novel application of OCT technology to space flight allows for the acquisition of objective data to diagnose anterior eye pathologies when other modalities are not available. This demonstrates the versatility of OCT and highlights the advantages of using existing hardware and remote guidance skills to expand clinical capabilities in space flight
Winter Vertical Diffusion Rates in the Arctic Ocean, Estimated From 7Be Measurements and Dissipation Rate Profiles
Ocean turbulent mixing is a key process affecting the uptake and redistribution of heat, carbon, nutrients, oxygen and other dissolved gasses. Vertical turbulent diffusivity sets the rates of water mass transformations and ocean mixing, and is intrinsically an average quantity over process time scales. Estimates based on microstructure profiling, however, are typically obtained as averages over individual profiles. How representative such averaged diffusivities are, remains unexplored in the quiescent Arctic Ocean. Here, we compare upper ocean vertical diffusivities in winter, derived from the 7Be tracer-based approach to those estimated from direct turbulence measurements during the year-long Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition, 2019–2020. We found that diffusivity estimates from both methods agree within their respective measurement uncertainties. Diffusivity estimates obtained from dissipation rate profiles are sensitive to the averaging method applied, and the processing and analysis of similar data sets must take this sensitivity into account. Our findings indicate low characteristic diffusivities around 10−6 m2 s−1 and correspondingly low vertical heat fluxes.publishedVersio
A revised ocean glider concept to realize Stommel's vision and supplement Argo floats
This paper revisits Stommel's vision for a global glider network and the Argo design specification. A concept of floats with wings, so-called slow underwater gliders, is explored. An analysis of the energy or power consumption shows that, by operating gliders with half the vehicle volume at half the speed compared to present gliders, the energy requirements for long-duration missions can be met with available battery capacities. Simulation experiments of slow gliders are conducted using the horizontal current fields from an eddy-permitting ocean reanalysis product. By employing a semi-Lagrangian, streamwise navigation whereby the glider steers at right angles to ocean currents, we show that the concept is feasible. The simulated glider tracks demonstrate the potential for efficient coverage of key oceanographic features and variability.publishedVersio
QCD sum rules with finite masses
The concept of QCD sum rules is extended to bound states composed of
particles with finite mass such as scalar quarks or strange quarks. It turns
out that mass corrections become important in this context. The number of
relevant corrections is analyzed in a systematic discussion of the IR- and
UV-divergencies, leading in general to a finite number of corrections. The
results are demonstrated for a system of two massless quarks and two heavy
scalar quarks.Comment: 15 pages, including two pictures to be found in an extra file. Latex
neads epsf.st
Functional and conservation value of fruits - a lab approach
[EN] Fruits are a relevant source of phenols and ascorbate, biomolecules which scavenge reactive oxygen species. For this reason, they are considered as healthy for the human being. Fruits quality depends on their levels of antioxidants and enzyme activities that ensure their conservation. The aim of this work was to plan and execute a laboratory class of Enzymology, a discipline of Biochemistry degree of University of Évora, Portugal, for determining the functional and conservation value of three different fruits types, sold in the market of Évora, Portugal. The development of this activity allowed that students of a pilot class participate in a laboratory activity which intended to compare the content of phenols, ascorbate, and polyphenol oxidase enzyme activity present in apple, peach and blueberries pulp. At Lab activity, the students successfully determined markers of functional and conservation value of selected fruits. The skills acquired by the students, in terms of obtaining fruit pulp and their composition in antioxidants, stimulated their commitment degree on the application of biochemistry in the everyday, acquiring thereby significant learning, with a high degree of satisfaction.This work was funded by National Funds through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology under the Project UID/AGR/00115/2013.Alves-Pereira, I.; Capela-Pires, J.; Candeias, M.; Ferreira, R. (2020). Functional and conservation value of fruits - a lab approach. En 6th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'20). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. (30-05-2020):427-435. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd20.2020.11082OCS42743530-05-202
A non-perturbative determination of Z_V and b_V for O(a) improved quenched and unquenched Wilson fermions
By considering the local vector current between nucleon states and imposing
charge conservation we determine, for improved Wilson fermions, its
renormalisation constant and quark mass improvement coefficient. The
computation is performed for both quenched and two flavour unquenched fermions.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figures, Lattice(2002)(improve
An interpretation of fluctuations in enzyme catalysis rate, spectral diffusion, and radiative component of lifetimes in terms of electric field fluctuations
Time-dependent fluctuations in the catalysis rate ({delta}k(t)) observed in single-enzyme experiments were found in a particular study to have an autocorrelation function decaying on the same time scale as that of spectral diffusion {delta}{omega}0(t). To interpret this similarity, the present analysis focuses on a factor in enzyme catalysis, the local electrostatic interaction energy (E) at the active site and its effect on the activation free energy barrier. We consider the slow fluctuations of the electrostatic interaction energy ({delta}E(t)) as a contributor to {delta}k(t) and relate the latter to {delta}{omega}0(t). The resulting relation between {delta}k(t) and {delta}{omega}0(t) is a dynamic analog of the solvatochromism used in interpreting solvent effects on organic reaction rates. The effect of the postulated {delta}E(t) on fluctuations in the radiative component ({delta}{gamma}Formula(t)) of the fluorescence decay of chromophores in proteins also is examined, and a relation between {delta}{gamma}Formula(t) and {delta}{omega}0(t) is obtained. Experimental tests will determine whether the correlation functions for {delta}k(t), {delta}{omega}0(t), and {delta}{gamma}Formula are indeed similar for any enzyme. Measurements of dielectric dispersion, {varepsilon}({omega}), for the enzyme discussed elsewhere will provide further insight into the correlation function for {delta}E(t). They also will determine whether fluctuations in the nonradiative component {gamma}Formula of the lifetime decay has a different origin, fluctuations in distance for example
Correlation functions of scattering matrix elements in microwave cavities with strong absorption
The scattering matrix was measured for microwave cavities with two antennas.
It was analyzed in the regime of overlapping resonances. The theoretical
description in terms of a statistical scattering matrix and the rescaled
Breit-Wigner approximation has been applied to this regime. The experimental
results for the auto-correlation function show that the absorption in the
cavity walls yields an exponential decay. This behavior can only be modeled
using a large number of weakly coupled channels. In comparison to the
auto-correlation functions, the cross-correlation functions of the diagonal
S-matrix elements display a more pronounced difference between regular and
chaotic systems
- …