769 research outputs found
Novel Insights into Biarticular Muscle Actions Gained from High-Density Electromyogram
Biarticular muscles have traditionally been considered to exhibit homogeneous neuromuscular activation. The regional activation of biarticular muscles, as revealed from high-density surface electromyograms, seems however to discredit this notion. We thus hypothesize the regional activation of biarticular muscles may contribute to different actions about the joints they span. We then discuss the mechanistic basis and methodological implications underpinning our hypothesis
Near-infrared Observations of Be/X-ray Binary Pulsar A0535+262
We present results obtained from an extensive near-infrared spectroscopic and
photometric observations of the Be/X-ray binary A0535+262/HDE 245770 at
different phases of its ~111 day orbital period. This observation campaign is a
part of the monitoring programme of selective Be/X-ray binary systems aimed at
understanding the X-ray and near-IR properties at different orbital phases,
especially during the periastron passage of the neutron star. The near-IR
observations were carried out using the 1.2 m telescope at Mt. Abu IR
observatory. Though the source was relatively faint for spectroscopic
observations with 1.2 m telescope, we monitored the source during the 2011
February--March giant outburst to primarily investigate whether any drastic
changes in the near-IR JHK spectra take place at the periastron passage.
Changes of such a striking nature were expected to be detectable in our
spectra. Photometric observations of the Be star show a gradual and systematic
fading in the JHK light curves since the onset of the X-ray outburst that could
suggest a mild evacuation/truncation of the circumstellar disc of the Be
companion. Near-IR spectroscopy of the object shows that the JHK spectra are
dominated by the emission lines of hydrogen Brackett and Paschen series and HeI
lines at 1.0830, 1.7002 and 2.0585 micron. The presence of all hydrogen
emission lines in the JHK spectra, along with the absence of any significant
change in the continuum of the Be companion during X-ray quiescent and X-ray
outburst phases suggest that the near-IR line emitting regions of the disc are
not significantly affected during the X-ray outburst.Comment: 10 Pages, 5 Figures, Accepted for publication in Res. in Astronomy
and Astrophysic
Multifrequency Photo-polarimetric WEBT Observation Campaign on the Blazar S5 0716+714: Source Microvariability and Search for Characteristic Timescales
Here we report on the results of the WEBT photo-polarimetric campaign
targeting the blazar S5~0716+71, organized in March 2014 to monitor the source
simultaneously in BVRI and near IR filters. The campaign resulted in an
unprecedented dataset spanning \,h of nearly continuous, multi-band
observations, including two sets of densely sampled polarimetric data mainly in
R filter. During the campaign, the source displayed pronounced variability with
peak-to-peak variations of about and "bluer-when-brighter" spectral
evolution, consisting of a day-timescale modulation with superimposed hourlong
microflares characterized by \,mag flux changes. We performed an
in-depth search for quasi-periodicities in the source light curve; hints for
the presence of oscillations on timescales of \,h and \,h do
not represent highly significant departures from a pure red-noise power
spectrum. We observed that, at a certain configuration of the optical
polarization angle relative to the positional angle of the innermost radio jet
in the source, changes in the polarization degree led the total flux
variability by about 2\,h; meanwhile, when the relative configuration of the
polarization and jet angles altered, no such lag could be noted. The
microflaring events, when analyzed as separate pulse emission components, were
found to be characterized by a very high polarization degree () and
polarization angles which differed substantially from the polarization angle of
the underlying background component, or from the radio jet positional angle. We
discuss the results in the general context of blazar emission and energy
dissipation models.Comment: 16 pages, 17 Figures; ApJ accepte
Amorphization under fracture surface in hydrogen-charged and low- temperature tensile-tested austenitic stainless steel
The microstructure just below the fracture surface in hydrogen-charged stable austenitic SUS 316L stainless steel, which was subjected to a low strain rate tensile test at −70°C, was studied by a combination of the focused-ion-beam method and transmission electron microscopy. An amorphous region with a chemical composition almost identical to that of the polycrystalline region was found under the lath-like structure on the fracture surface, although no deterioration of tensile properties by hydrogen appeared. In the amorphous region, band-like regions with wavy contrasts were observed, which were often accompanied by cracks at the boundaries. The presence of the amorphous region with band-like regions implies that amorphization occurred due to high-density vacancies accompanied by agglomerations of excess vacancies in the hydrogen-charged SUS 316L stainless steel that was tensile-tested at low temperatures
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