19,062 research outputs found
Magnetized strange quark matter and magnetized strange quark stars
Strange quark matter could be found in the core of neutron stars or forming
strange quark stars. As is well known, these astrophysical objects are endowed
with strong magnetic fields which affect the microscopic properties of matter
and modify the macroscopic properties of the system. In this paper we study the
role of a strong magnetic field in the thermodynamical properties of a
magnetized degenerate strange quark gas, taking into account beta-equilibrium
and charge neutrality. Quarks and electrons interact with the magnetic field
via their electric charges and anomalous magnetic moments. In contrast to the
magnetic field value of 10^19 G, obtained when anomalous magnetic moments are
not taken into account, we find the upper bound B < 8.6 x 10^17 G, for the
stability of the system. A phase transition could be hidden for fields greater
than this value.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figure
VLT and GTC observations of SDSS J0123+00: a type 2 quasar triggered in a galaxy encounter?
We present long-slit spectroscopy, continuum and [OIII]5007 imaging data
obtained with the Very Large Telescope and the Gran Telescopio Canarias of the
type 2 quasar SDSS J0123+00 at z=0.399. The quasar lies in a complex, gas-rich
environment. It appears to be physically connected by a tidal bridge to another
galaxy at a projected distance of ~100 kpc, which suggests this is an
interacting system. Ionized gas is detected to a distance of at least ~133 kpc
from the nucleus. The nebula has a total extension of ~180 kpc. This is one of
the largest ionized nebulae ever detected associated with an active galaxy.
Based on the environmental properties, we propose that the origin of the nebula
is tidal debris from a galactic encounter, which could as well be the
triggering mechanism of the nuclear activity. SDSS J0123+00 demonstrates that
giant, luminous ionized nebulae can exist associated with type 2 quasars of low
radio luminosities, contrary to expectations based on type 1 quasar studies.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS Letter
Modelling the exposure to Cronobacter sakazakii by consumption of a cocoa-milk-based beverage processed by pulsed electric fields
peer-reviewedM.C. Pina-Pérez is grateful to CSIC for providing a DOCTOR contract linked to the INNPACTO project IPT-2011-1724-060000. This study was carried out with funds from BISOSTAD project PSE-060000-2009-003, Generalitat Valenciana I+D+I emergent research groups GV/2010/064 and CYCIT project AGL2010-22206-C02-01.Infants’ exposure (Nf ) to Cronobacter sakazakii via the consumption of infant-rich-inpolyphenols
cocoa-milk-based beverages (CCX-M) treated with high-intensity pulsed
electric fields (PEF) was evaluated. Monte Carlo simulation enabled the prediction
of the variability in C. sakazakii load in beverages at the time of consumption to be
estimated. Different scenarios (initial contamination levels; PEF treatment conditions;
and time-temperature combinations of CCX-M beverages storage after treatment) were
simulated. Cocoa addition and PEF treatment resulted in the most influential input
factors to control bacterial final load. Cronobacter spp. exposure risk was reduced by
a maximum of 100 times at 95% of iterations due to addition of cocoa at 5 g/100 mL,
corresponding to scenario 3 (PEF: 15 kV/cm–3,000 μs; storage 120 h at 8 °C). Moreover,
the probability of illness for a healthy population was reduced from 2.15 Ă— 10-8,
in the baseline scenario, to 4.78 Ă— 10-10 due to cocoa addition and application of
15 kV/cm–3,000 μs PEF treatment.BISOSTAD projec
Scaling analysis of the screening length in concentrated electrolytes
The interaction between charged objects in an electrolyte solution is a
fundamental question in soft matter physics. It is well-known that the
electrostatic contribution to the interaction energy decays exponentially with
object separation. Recent measurements reveal that, contrary to the
conventional wisdom given by classic Poisson-Boltzmann theory, the decay length
increases with ion concentration for concentrated electrolytes and can be an
order of magnitude larger than the ion diameter in ionic liquids. We derive a
simple scaling theory that explains this anomalous dependence of the decay
length on ion concentration. Our theory successfully collapses the decay
lengths of a wide class of salts onto a single curve. A novel prediction of our
theory is that the decay length increases linearly with the Bjerrum length,
which we experimentally verify by surface force measurements. Moreover, we
quantitatively relate the measured decay length to classic measurements of the
activity coefficient in concentrated electrolytes, thus showing that the
measured decay length is indeed a bulk property of the concentrated electrolyte
as well as contributing a mechanistic insight into empirical activity
coefficients.Comment: To appear in Physical Review Letter
Kinematics of disk galaxies in (proto-)clusters at z=1.5
We observed star-forming galaxies at z~1.5 selected from the HyperSuprimeCam
Subaru Strategic Program. The galaxies are part of two significant
overdensities of [OII] emitters identified via narrow-band imaging and
photometric redshifts from grizy photometry. We used VLT/KMOS to carry out
Halpha integral field spectroscopy of 46 galaxies in total. Ionized gas maps,
star formation rates and velocity fields were derived from the Halpha emission
line. We quantified morphological and kinematical asymmetries to test for
potential gravitational (e.g. galaxy-galaxy) or hydrodynamical (e.g.
ram-pressure) interactions. Halpha emission was detected in 36 targets. 34 of
the galaxies are members of two (proto-)clusters at z=1.47, confirming our
selection strategy to be highly efficient. By fitting model velocity fields to
the observed ones, we determined the intrinsic maximum rotation velocity Vmax
of 14 galaxies. Utilizing the luminosity-velocity (Tully-Fisher) relation, we
find that these galaxies are more luminous than their local counterparts of
similar mass by up to ~4 mag in the rest-frame B-band. In contrast to field
galaxies at z<1, the offsets of the z~1.5 (proto-)cluster galaxies from the
local Tully-Fisher relation are not correlated with their star formation rates
but with the ratio between Vmax and gas velocity dispersion sigma_g. This
probably reflects that, as is observed in the field at similar redshifts, fewer
disks have settled to purely rotational kinematics and high Vmax/sigma_g
ratios. Due to relatively low galaxy velocity dispersions (sigma_v < 400 km/s)
of the (proto-)clusters, gravitational interactions likely are more efficient,
resulting in higher kinematical asymmetries, than in present-day clusters.
(abbr.)Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. 11 pages, 8 figures, 1 tabl
Job satisfaction and work–family policies through work-family enrichment
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effect of a bundle of work–family policies on employee’s job satisfaction and (affective) organizational commitment, by using work–family enrichment and conflict as explanatory. Design/methodology/approach: Empirical study is conducted with a sample of 322 employees from 30 Spanish firms that have been granted with the “Flexible Firm Award” or have been certified as “Family Responsible Firms.” Structural equation modeling is used to test hypotheses. Findings: The results show that the higher the use of work–family policies the more positive effects on work–family enrichment and conflict, and that job satisfaction is positively related to (effective) organizational commitment. Research limitations/implications: This is a cross-sectional study which may limit the establishment of causal relationships. Practical implications: Work–family policies may constitute a relevant management tool to balance work and family life by making employees more interested in their jobs, enhancing their well-being and reducing the conflicts between work and family domains. The positive role of work–family enrichment contributes to enhance employees’ job satisfaction and, at the same time, to increase their organizational commitment. Managers should pay attention at how work–family policies are justified because they may influence differently on their outcomes on satisfaction and commitment. Originality/value: There are two main original contributions of the paper. First, the authors study the joint effect of work–family policies on different dimensions of enrichment and conflict. Second, the authors analyze the relationship between different dimensions of enrichment and conflict on job satisfaction and organizational commitment
Assessment of Emotional Experience and Emotional Recognition in Complicated Grief
There is substantial evidence of bias in the processing of emotion in people with complicated grief (CG). Previous studies have tended to assess the expression of emotion in CG, but other aspects of emotion (mainly emotion recognition, and the subjective aspects of emotion) have not been addressed, despite their importance for practicing clinicians. A quasi-experimental design with two matched groups (Complicated Grief, N D 24 and Non-Complicated Grief, N D 20) was carried out. The Facial Expression of Emotion Test (emotion recognition), a set of pictures from the International Affective Picture System (subjective experience of emotion) and the Symptom Checklist 90 Revised (psychopathology) were employed. The CG group showed lower scores on the dimension of valence for specific conditions on the IAPS, related to the subjective experience of emotion. In addition, they presented higher values of psychopathology. In contrast, statistically significant results were not found for the recognition of emotion. In conclusion, from a neuropsychological point of view, the subjective aspects of emotion and psychopathology seem central in explaining the experience of those with CG. These results are clinically significant for psychotherapists and psychoanalysts working in the field of grief and loss
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