The generalised relativistic Lindhard functions

We present here analytic expressions for the generalised Lindhard function, also referred to as Fermi Gas polarisation propagator, in a relativistic kinematic framework and in the presence of various resonances and vertices. Particular attention is payed to its real part, since it gives rise to substantial difficulties in the definition of the currents entering the dynamics.Comment: 48 pages, 2 figures, to be published in EPJ

Spin 3/2 Beyond the Rarita-Schwinger Framework

We employ the two independent Casimir operators of the Poincare group, the squared four--momentum, P^2, and the squared Pauli-Lubanski vector, W^2, in the construction of a covariant mass-m, and spin-3/2 projector in the four-vector-spinor, \psi_{\mu}. This projector provides the basis for the construction of an interacting Lagrangian that describes a causally propagating spin-3/2} particle coupled to the electromagnetic field by a gyromagnetic ratio of g_{3/2}=2.Comment: 20 page

Electrodynamic Limit in a Model for Charged Solitons

We consider a model of topological solitons where charged particles have finite mass and the electric charge is quantised already at the classical level. In the electrodynamic limit, which physically corresponds to electrodynamics of solitons of zero size, the Lagrangian of this model has two degrees of freedom only and reduces to the Lagrangian of the Maxwell field in dual representation. We derive the equations of motion and discuss their relations with Maxwell's equations. It is shown that Coulomb and Lorentz forces are a consequence of topology. Further, we relate the U(1) gauge invariance of electrodynamics to the geometry of the soliton field, give a general relation for the derivation of the soliton field from the field strength tensor in electrodynamics and use this relation to express homogeneous electric fields in terms of the soliton field.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, Introduction and Section II (Model Lagrangian) rewritten, new chapters concerning electrodynamic limit and discussion of causality inserte

Selfdual Spin 2 Theory in a 2+1 Dimensional Constant Curvature Space-Time

The Lagrangian constraint analysis of the selfdual massive spin 2 theory in a 2+1 dimensional flat space-time and its extension to a curved one, are performed. Demanding consistence of degrees of freedom in the model with gravitational interaction, gives rise to physical restrictions on non minimal coupling terms and background. Finally, a constant curvature scenario is explored, showing the existence of forbidden mass values. Causality in these spaces is discussed. Aspects related with the construction of the reduced action and the one-particle exchange amplitude, are noted.Comment: 20 pages, references added, little modifications performe

Consistency of cruise data of the CARINA database in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean

13 pages, 9 figures, 1 table.-- M. Hoppema ... et al.Initially a North Atlantic project, the CARINA carbon synthesis was extended to include the Southern Ocean. Carbon and relevant hydrographic and geochemical ancillary data from cruises all across the Arctic Mediterranean Seas, Atlantic and Southern Ocean were released to the public and merged into a new database as part of the CARINA synthesis effort. Of a total of 188 cruises, 37 cruises are part of the Southern Ocean, including 11 from the Atlantic sector. The variables from all Southern Ocean cruises, including dissolved inorganic carbon (TCO2), total alkalinity, oxygen, nitrate, phosphate and silicate, were examined for cruise-to-cruise consistency in one collective effort. Seawater pH and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are also part of the database, but the pH quality control (QC) is described in another Earth System Science Data publication, while the complexity of the Southern Ocean physics and biogeochemistry prevented a proper QC analysis of the CFCs. The area-specific procedures of quality control, including crossover analysis between stations and inversion analysis of all crossover data (i.e. secondary QC), are briefly described here for the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean. Data from an existing, quality controlled database (GLODAP) were used as a reference for our computations – however, the reference data were included into the analysis without applying the recommended GLODAP adjustments so the corrections could be independently verified. The outcome of this effort is an internally consistent, high-quality carbon data set for all cruises, including the reference cruises. The suggested corrections by the inversion analysis were allowed to vary within a fixed envelope, thus accounting for natural variability. The percentage of cruises adjusted ranged from 31% (for nitrate) to 54% (for phosphate) depending on the variable.This work has been done and funded as part of the EU project CARBOOCEAN (no. 511176; GOCE). Additional support from the International Ocean Carbon Coordination Project IOCCP (Maria Hood) and the hospitality of the Hanse Institute for Advanced Study (HWK Delmenhorst, Germany) was gratefully accepted. R. M. Key was supported by NOAA grants NA08OAR4320752 and NA08OAR4310820; X. Lin by NOAA grant NA08OAR4310820; A. Velo, F. F. Perez and A. F. R´ıos by grants: PGIDIT05OXIC40203PM Xunta de Galicia and CTM200627116E/MAR MEC; M. A´ lvarez by grant RYC-2006-001836; R. G. J. Bellerby by IPY project Bipolar Atlantic Thermohaline Circulation (BIAC, IPY Cluster #23) and Southern Ocean Biogeochemistry: Education and research (project no. 180328) from the Norwegian Research Council.Peer reviewe

Comparison between electromagnetic and electronic ballasts for fluorescent lamps in terms of power quality

Conventional lighting systems with an electronic control gear significantly improve energy efficiency when comparing the energy consumed by lighting appliances equipped this auxiliary device to conventional electromagnetic ballasts. However, electronic equipments generate disturbances in the grid which diminish the quality of the electric power of the network. The objective of the present study was to compare the harmonic distortion of electromagnetic and electronic ballasts. It is concluded that electronic ballasts cause a higher perturbation in the electrical power supply

Consistency of cruise data of the CARINA database in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean

Initially a North Atlantic project, the CARINA carbon synthesis was extended to include the Southern Ocean. Carbon and relevant hydrographic and geochemical ancillary data from cruises all across the Arctic Mediterranean Seas, Atlantic and Southern Ocean were released to the public and merged into a new database as part of the CARINA synthesis effort. Of a total of 188 cruises, 37 cruises are part of the Southern Ocean, including 11 from the Atlantic sector. The variables from all Southern Ocean cruises, including dissolved inorganic carbon (TCO2), total alkalinity, oxygen, nitrate, phosphate and silicate, were examined for cruise-to-cruise consistency in one collective effort. Seawater pH and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are also part of the database, but the pH quality control (QC) is described in another Earth System Science Data publication, while the complexity of the Southern Ocean physics and biogeochemistry prevented a proper QC analysis of the CFCs. The area-specific procedures of quality control, including crossover analysis between stations and inversion analysis of all crossover data (i.e. secondary QC), are briefly described here for the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean. Data from an existing, quality controlled database (GLODAP) were used as a reference for our computations – however, the reference data were included into the analysis without applying the recommended GLODAP adjustments so the corrections could be independently verified. The outcome of this effort is an internally consistent, high-quality carbon data set for all cruises, including the reference cruises. The suggested corrections by the inversion analysis were allowed to vary within a fixed envelope, thus accounting for natural variability. The percentage of cruises adjusted ranged from 31% (for nitrate) to 54% (for phosphate) depending on the variable

A quantitative assessment of the role of the parasite Amoebophrya in the termination of Alexandrium fundyense blooms within a small coastal embayment

© The Author(s), 2013. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in PLoS One 8 (2013): e81150, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0081150.Parasitic dinoflagellates of the genus Amoebophrya infect free-living dinoflagellates, some of which can cause harmful algal blooms (HABs). High prevalence of Amoebophrya spp. has been linked to the decline of some HABs in marine systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of Amoebophrya spp. on the dynamics of dinoflagellate blooms in Salt Pond (MA, USA), particularly the harmful species Alexandrium fundyense. The abundance of Amoebophrya life stages was estimated 3–7 days per week through the full duration of an annual A. fundyense bloom using fluorescence in situ hybridization coupled with tyramide signal amplification (FISH- TSA). More than 20 potential hosts were recorded including Dinophysis spp., Protoperidinium spp. and Gonyaulax spp., but the only dinoflagellate cells infected by Amoebophrya spp. during the sampling period were A. fundyense. Maximum A. fundyense concentration co-occurred with an increase of infected hosts, followed by a massive release of Amoebophrya dinospores in the water column. On average, Amoebophrya spp. infected and killed ~30% of the A. fundyense population per day in the end phase of the bloom. The decline of the host A. fundyense population coincided with a dramatic life-cycle transition from vegetative division to sexual fusion. This transition occurred after maximum infected host concentrations and before peak infection percentages were observed, suggesting that most A. fundyense escaped parasite infection through sexual fusion. The results of this work highlight the importance of high frequency sampling of both parasite and host populations to accurately assess the impact of parasites on natural plankton assemblages.L. Velo-Sua´rez was supported by a Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowship (IOF; grant agreement: MOHAB PIOF-GA-252260). This work was supported in part by NSF grants OCE-0430724 and OCE-0911031 and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences grants 1P50-ES01274201 and 1P01ES021923-01 to D.M. Anderson and D.J. McGillicuddy through the Woods Hole Center for Oceans and Human Health, National Park Service Cooperative Agreement H238015504 to D.M. Anderson

Extremadura y Aragón investigan la polinización del ciruelo japonés

El centro de Investigación Agraria Finca ‘La Orden- Valdesequera’ y el Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA) desarrollan conjuntamente proyectos de investigación sobre problemas de polinización que causan bajas producciones en el ciruelo japonés.Proyecto de investigación CICYT AGL2006–13529–CO2–00 financiado por el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación–FEDE

"Square Root" of the Proca Equation: Spin-3/2 Field Equation

New equations describing particles with spin 3/2 are derived. The non-local equation with the unique mass can be considered as "square root" of the Proca equation in the same sense as the Dirac equation is related to the Klein-Gordon-Fock equation. The local equation describes spin 3/2 particles with three mass states. The equations considered involve fields with spin-3/2 and spin-1/2, i.e. multi-spin 1/2, 3/2. The projection operators extracting states with definite energy, spin, and spin projections are obtained. All independent solutions of the local equation are expressed through projection matrices. The first order relativistic wave equation in the 20-dimensional matrix form, the relativistically invariant bilinear form and the corresponding Lagrangian are given. Two parameters characterizing non-minimal electromagnetic interactions of fermions are introduced, and the quantum-mechanical Hamiltonian is found. It is proved that there is only causal propagation of waves in the approach considered.Comment: 17 pages, corrections in Eqs. (50), (51