Potassium: a new actor on the globular cluster chemical evolution stage. The case of NGC 2808

We derive [K/Fe] abundance ratios for 119 stars in the globular cluster NGC 2808, all of them having O, Na, Mg and Al abundances homogeneously measured in previous works. We detect an intrinsic star-to-star spread in the Potassium abundance. Moreover [K/Fe] abundance ratios display statistically significant correlations with [Na/Fe] and [Al/Fe], and anti-correlations with [O/Fe] and [Mg/Fe]. All the four Mg deficient stars ([Mg/Fe]<0.0) discovered so far in NGC 2808 are enriched in K by ~0.3 dex with respect to those with normal [Mg/Fe]. NGC 2808 is the second globular cluster, after NGC 2419, where a clear Mg-K anti-correlation is detected, albeit of weaker amplitude. The simultaneous correlation/anti-correlation of [K/Fe] with all the light elements usually involved in the chemical anomalies observed in globular cluster stars, strongly support the idea that these abundance patterns are due to the same self-enrichment mechanism that produces Na-O and Mg-Al anti-correlations. This finding suggests that detectable spreads in K abundances may be typical in the massive globular clusters where the self-enrichment processes are observed to produce their most extreme manifestations.Comment: Accepted for publication by ApJ, 5 pages, 3 figure

A ring trial for testing the comparability of the laboratory results of three commercial Salmonella antibody ELISA tests in Germany, Denmark and The Netherlands

Three commercial and one non-commercial ELISA test kits for detecting Salmonella antibodies in meat juice of pigs were tested in an international ring test. All test kits proved to produce highly comparable results. The result has relevance for the upcoming Salmonella control strategy in the EU, if the national Salmonella reduction measures are planned to be based on a serological risk categonsation of pig herds

The serological Salmonella Monitoring in German pork production: the structure of the central database and preliminary results of a basic epidemiological report

Since 2002, the Qualitiäit und Srcherheit GmbH (QS GmbH) has earned out a serologrcal salmonella monrtonng in German finishrng pig herds. Thrs monitoring arms at reducing the risk of introducmg salmonella into the meat production charn caused by mfected slaughter pigs and to identify and to remove infection sources. For this purpose the farms are differentrated into three risk categories (I =low, II = mrddle, III = high) by their chance to introduce salmonella into the pork production cham All data generated withm the monitoring are entered mto the central database Qualiproo (Qualitype AG, Dresden)

Asymptotic dynamics of short-waves in nonlinear dispersive models

The multiple-scale perturbation theory, well known for long-waves, is extended to the study of the far-field behaviour of short-waves, commonly called ripples. It is proved that the Benjamin-Bona-Mahony- Peregrine equation can propagates short-waves. This result contradict the Benjamin hypothesis that short-waves tends not to propagate in this model and close a part of the old controversy between Korteweg-de Vries and Benjamin-Bona-Mahony-Peregrine equations. We shown that a nonlinear (quadratic) Klein-Gordon type equation substitutes in a short-wave analysis the ubiquitous Korteweg-de Vries equation of long-wave approach. Moreover the kink solutions of phi-4 and sine-Gordon equations are understood as an all orders asymptotic behaviour of short-waves. It is proved that the antikink solution of phi-4 model which was never obtained perturbatively can be obtained by perturbation expansion in the wave-number k in the short-wave limit.Comment: to appears in Physical Review E. 4 pages, revtex file

Solid acids as fuel cell electrolytes

Fuel cells are attractive alternatives to combustion engines for electrical power generation because of their very high efficiencies and low pollution levels. Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells are generally considered to be the most viable approach for mobile applications. However, these membranes require humid operating conditions, which limit the temperature of operation to less than 100°C; they are also permeable to methanol and hydrogen, which lowers fuel efficiency. Solid, inorganic, acid compounds (or simply, solid acids) such as CsHSO_4 and Rb_3H(SeO_4)_2 have been widely studied because of their high proton conductivities and phase-transition behaviour. For fuel-cell applications they offer the advantages of anhydrous proton transport and high-temperature stability (up to 250°C). Until now, however, solid acids have not been considered viable fuel-cell electrolyte alternatives owing to their solubility in water and extreme ductility at raised temperatures (above approximately 125°C). Here we show that a cell made of a CsHSO_4 electrolyte membrane (about 1.5 mm thick) operating at 150–160°C in a H_2/O_2 configuration exhibits promising electrochemical performances: open circuit voltages of 1.11 V and current densities of 44 mA cm^-2 at short circuit. Moreover, the solid-acid properties were not affected by exposure to humid atmospheres. Although these initial results show promise for applications, the use of solid acids in fuel cells will require the development of fabrication techniques to reduce electrolyte thickness, and an assessment of possible sulphur reduction following prolonged exposure to hydrogen

Multiple-Time Higher-Order Perturbation Analysis of the Regularized Long-Wavelength Equation

By considering the long-wave limit of the regularized long wave (RLW) equation, we study its multiple-time higher-order evolution equations. As a first result, the equations of the Korteweg-de Vries hierarchy are shown to play a crucial role in providing a secularity-free perturbation theory in the specific case of a solitary-wave solution. Then, as a consequence, we show that the related perturbative series can be summed and gives exactly the solitary-wave solution of the RLW equation. Finally, some comments and considerations are made on the N-soliton solution, as well as on the limitations of applicability of the multiple scale method in obtaining uniform perturbative series.Comment: 15 pages, RevTex, no figures (to appear in Phys. Rev. E

Nondispersive solutions to the L2-critical half-wave equation

We consider the focusing $L^2$-critical half-wave equation in one space dimension $$i \partial_t u = D u - |u|^2 u,$$ where $D$ denotes the first-order fractional derivative. Standard arguments show that there is a critical threshold $M_* > 0$ such that all $H^{1/2}$ solutions with $\| u \|_{L^2} < M_*$ extend globally in time, while solutions with $\| u \|_{L^2} \geq M_*$ may develop singularities in finite time. In this paper, we first prove the existence of a family of traveling waves with subcritical arbitrarily small mass. We then give a second example of nondispersive dynamics and show the existence of finite-time blowup solutions with minimal mass $\| u_0 \|_{L^2} = M_*$. More precisely, we construct a family of minimal mass blowup solutions that are parametrized by the energy $E_0 >0$ and the linear momentum $P_0 \in \R$. In particular, our main result (and its proof) can be seen as a model scenario of minimal mass blowup for $L^2$-critical nonlinear PDE with nonlocal dispersion.Comment: 51 page

Comparative Modelling of the Spectra of Cool Giants

Our ability to extract information from the spectra of stars depends on reliable models of stellar atmospheres and appropriate techniques for spectral synthesis. Various model codes and strategies for the analysis of stellar spectra are available today. We aim to compare the results of deriving stellar parameters using different atmosphere models and different analysis strategies. The focus is set on high-resolution spectroscopy of cool giant stars. Spectra representing four cool giant stars were made available to various groups and individuals working in the area of spectral synthesis, asking them to derive stellar parameters from the data provided. The results were discussed at a workshop in Vienna in 2010. Most of the major codes currently used in the astronomical community for analyses of stellar spectra were included in this experiment. We present the results from the different groups, as well as an additional experiment comparing the synthetic spectra produced by various codes for a given set of stellar parameters. Similarities and differences of the results are discussed. Several valid approaches to analyze a given spectrum of a star result in quite a wide range of solutions. The main causes for the differences in parameters derived by different groups seem to lie in the physical input data and in the details of the analysis method. This clearly shows how far from a definitive abundance analysis we still are.Comment: accepted for publication in A&A. This version includes also the online tables. Reference spectra will later be available via the CD

The Carina Project. V. The impact of NLTE effects on the iron content

We have performed accurate iron abundance measurements for 44 red giants (RGs) in the Carina dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy. We used archival, high-resolution spectra (R~38,000) collected with UVES at ESO/VLT either in slit mode (5) or in fiber mode (39, FLAMES/GIRAFFE-UVES). The sample is more than a factor of four larger than any previous spectroscopic investigation of stars in dSphs based on high-resolution (R>38,000) spectra. We did not impose the ionization equilibrium between neutral and singly-ionized iron lines. The effective temperatures and the surface gravities were estimated by fitting stellar isochrones in the V, B-V color-magnitude diagram. To measure the iron abundance of individual lines we applied the LTE spectrum synthesis fitting method using MARCS model atmospheres of appropriate metallicity. We found evidence of NLTE effects between neutral and singly-ionized iron abundances. Assuming that the FeII abundances are minimally affected by NLTE effects, we corrected the FeI stellar abundances using a linear fit between FeI and FeII stellar abundance determinations. We found that the Carina metallicity distribution based on the corrected FeI abundances (44 RGs) has a weighted mean metallicity of [Fe/H]=-1.80 and a weighted standard deviation of sigma=0.24 dex. The Carina metallicity distribution based on the FeII abundances (27 RGs) gives similar estimates ([Fe/H]=-1.72, sigma=0.24 dex). The current weighted mean metallicities are slightly more metal poor when compared with similar estimates available in the literature. Furthermore, if we restrict our analysis to stars with the most accurate iron abundances, ~20 FeI and at least three FeII measurements (15 stars), we found that the range in iron abundances covered by Carina RGs (~1 dex) agrees quite well with similar estimates based on high-resolution spectra.Comment: Accepted for publication in PASP, 16 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables, 1 MR table Note: the electronic version of Table1 is included, but commented, in the tex fil

Supplemental Control of Lepidopterous Pests on Bt Transgenic Sweet Corn with Biologically-Based Spray Treatments

Biologically-based spray treatments, including nucleopolyhedroviruses, neem, and spinosad, were evaluated as supplemental controls for the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), and corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), on transgenic sweet corn, Zea mays (L.) (Poales: Poaceae), expressing a Cry1Ab toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bacillales: Bacillaceae) (Bt). Overall, transgenic corn supported lower densities of both pests than did nontransgenic corn. Control of the fall armyworm was improved in both whorl-stage and tassel-stage corn by the use of either a nucleopolyhedrovirus or neem, but the greatest improvement was seen with spinosad. Only spinosad consistently reduced damage to ears, which was caused by both pest species. In general, efficacy of the spray materials did not differ greatly between transgenic and nontransgenic corn