805 research outputs found
The relationship between andragogical and pedagogical orientation and the implications for adult learning
Current literature suggests that the relationship between andragogy and pedagogy is based on a continuum. This study found that the relationship of andragogical and pedagogical orientations, measured by the Students' Orientation Questionnaire, is more correctly represented as being orthogonal or at right angles to each other. Such an orthogonal relationship reflects the complexities involved in adult learning. This paper discusses the implications for both the learning process and for future research
Positrons from dark matter annihilation in the galactic halo: uncertainties
Indirect detection signals from dark matter annihilation are studied in the
positron channel. We discuss in detail the positron propagation inside the
galactic medium: we present novel solutions of the diffusion and propagation
equations and we focus on the determination of the astrophysical uncertainties
which affect the positron dark matter signal. We show that, especially in the
low energy tail of the positron spectra at Earth, the uncertainty is sizeable
and we quantify the effect. Comparison of our predictions with current
available and foreseen experimental data are derived.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, Proc. of the 30th International Cosmic Ray
Conference, July 3 - 11, 2007, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico (ICRC07
Positrons from dark matter annihilation in the galactic halo: theoretical uncertainties
Indirect detection signals from dark matter annihilation are studied in the
positron channel. We discuss in detail the positron propagation inside the
galactic medium: we present novel solutions of the diffusion and propagation
equations and we focus on the determination of the astrophysical uncertainties
which affect the positron dark matter signal. We find dark matter scenarios and
propagation models that nicely fit existing data on the positron fraction.
Finally, we present predictions both on the positron fraction and on the flux
for already running or planned space experiments, concluding that they have the
potential to discriminate a possible signal from the background and, in some
cases, to distinguish among different astrophysical propagation models.Comment: 22 pages, 15 figures. A few comments and references adde
Atomic data from the Iron Project.XLIII. Transition probabilities for Fe V
An extensive set of dipole-allowed, intercombination, and forbidden
transition probabilities for Fe V is presented. The Breit-Pauli R-matrix (BPRM)
method is used to calculate 1.46 x 10^6 oscillator strengths for the allowed
and intercombination E1 transitions among 3,865 fine-structure levels dominated
by configuration complexes with n <= 10 and l <= 9. These data are complemented
by an atomic structure configuration interaction (CI) calculation using the
SUPERSTRUCTURE program for 362 relativistic quadrupole (E2) and magnetic dipole
(M1) transitions among 65 low-lying levels dominated by the 3d^4 and 3d^ 4s
configurations. Procedures have been developed for the identification of the
large number of fine-structure levels and transitions obtained through the BPRM
calculations. The target ion Fe VI is represented by an eigenfunction expansion
of 19 fine-structure levels of 3d^3 and a set of correlation configurations. Fe
V bound levels are obtained with angular and spin symmetries SL\pi and J\pi of
the (e + Fe VI) system such that 2S+1 = 5,3,1, L <= 10, J <= 8 of even and odd
parities. The completeness of the calculated dataset is verified in terms of
all possible bound levels belonging to relevant LS terms and transitions in
correspondence with the LS terms. The fine-structure averaged relativistic
values are compared with previous Opacity Project LS coupling data and other
works. The 362 forbidden transition probabilities considerably extend the
available data for the E2 and M1 transtions, and are in good agreement with
those computed by Garstang for the 3d^4 transitions.Comment: 19 pages, 1 figure. This paper marks the beginning of a large-scale
effort of ab initio atomic calculations that should eventually lead to
re-calculation of accurate iron opacities. Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. Ser. (in
press
Physics Needs for Future Accelerators
Contents:
1. Prologomena to any meta future physics
1.1 Physics needs for building future accelerators
1.2 Physics needs for funding future accelerators
2. Physics questions for future accelerators
2.1 Crimes and misapprehensions
2.1.1 Organized religion 2.1.2 Feudalism 2.1.3 Trotsky was right
2.2 The Standard Model as an effective field theory
2.3 What is the scale of new physics?
2.4 What could be out there?
2.5 Model-independent conclusions
3. Future accelerators
3.1 What is the physics driving the LHC?
3.2 What is the physics driving the LC?
3.2.1 Higgs physics is golden
3.2.2 LHC won't be sufficient to unravel the new physics as the TeV scale
3.2.3 LC precision measurements can pin down new physics scales
3.3 Why a Neutrino Factory?
3.4 Pushing the energy frontierComment: 19 pages, 7 figures. Talk presented at the XIX International
Symposium on Lepton and Photon Interactions at High Energies (Lepton-Photon
'99), Stanford University, August 9-14, 199
Drug-based mobilisation of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells improves cardiac function post myocardial infarction
There is an unmet need for treatments that prevent the progressive cardiac dysfunction following myocardial infarction. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are under investigation for cardiac repair; however, culture expansion prior to transplantation is hindering their homing and reparative abilities. Pharmacological mobilisation could be an alternative to MSC transplantation. Here, we report that endogenous MSCs mobilise into the circulation at day 5 post myocardial infarction in male Lewis rats. This mobilisation can be significantly increased by using a combination of the FDA-approved drugs mirabegron (β3-adrenoceptor agonist) and AMD3100 (CXCR4 antagonist). Blinded cardiac magnetic resonance imaging analysis showed the treated group to have increased left ventricular ejection fraction and decreased end systolic volume at 5 weeks post myocardial infarction. The mobilised group had a significant decrease in plasma IL-6 and TNF-α levels, a decrease in interstitial fibrosis, and an increase in the border zone blood vessel density. Conditioned medium from blood-derived MSCs supported angiogenesis in vitro, as shown by tube formation and wound healing assays. Our data suggest a novel pharmacological strategy that enhances myocardial infarction-induced MSC mobilisation and improves cardiac function after myocardial infarction
A Quantitative Comparison of Opacities Calculated Using the Distorted- Wave and -Matrix Methods
The present debate on the reliability of astrophysical opacities has reached
a new climax with the recent measurements of Fe opacities on the Z-machine at
the Sandia National Laboratory \citep{Bailey2015}. To understand the
differences between theoretical results, on the one hand, and experiments on
the other, as well as the differences among the various theoretical results,
detailed comparisons are needed. Many ingredients are involved in the
calculation of opacities; deconstructing the whole process and comparing the
differences at each step are necessary to quantify their importance and impact
on the final results. We present here such a comparison using the two main
approaches to calculate the required atomic data, the -Matrix and
distorted-wave methods, as well as sets of configurations and coupling schemes
to quantify the effects on the opacities for the and ions.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure
Resolution and accuracy of resonances in R-matrix cross sections
We investigate the effect of resonances in photoionization and recombination
cross sections computed using the R-matrix method. Photoionization and
recombination rates derived from high-resolution cross sections for oxygen ions
are compared with earlier works with less resolution and accuracy, such as in
the widely used Opacity Project data. We find significant differences in
photoionization rates for O II metastable states, averaged over Planck
functions corresponding to ionizing radiation fields, with respect to the
intrinsic accuracy of the calculations and improved resolution. Furthermore,
for highly charged ions other physical effects are also important.
Recombination rate coefficients, averaged over a Maxwellian distribution, are
extremely sensitive to the position and resolution of near-threshold
resonances, and radiation damping, in (e + O VII) --> O VI + hnu. Surprisingly
however, the effect on the monochromatic and the mean Rosseland and Planck
bound-free opacities is relatively small, but may be potentially significant.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, Journal of Physics
Simulations of protostellar collapse using multigroup radiation hydrodynamics. II. The second collapse
15 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in A&AStar formation begins with the gravitational collapse of a dense core inside a molecular cloud. As the collapse progresses, the centre of the core begins to heat up as it becomes optically thick. The temperature and density in the centre eventually reach high enough values where fusion reactions can ignite; the protostar is born. This sequence of events entail many physical processes, of which radiative transfer is of paramount importance. Many simulations of protostellar collapse make use of a grey treatment of radiative transfer coupled to the hydrodynamics. However, interstellar gas and dust opacities present large variations as a function of frequency. In this paper, we follow-up on a previous paper on the collapse and formation of Larson's first core using multigroup radiation hydrodynamics (Paper I) by extending the calculations to the second phase of the collapse and the formation of Larson's second core. We have made the use of a non-ideal gas equation of state as well as an extensive set of spectral opacities in a spherically symmetric fully implicit Godunov code to model all the phases of the collapse of a 0.1, 1 and 10 solar mass cloud cores. We find that, for a same central density, there are only small differences between the grey and multigroup simulations. The first core accretion shock remains supercritical while the shock at the second core border is found to be strongly subcritical with all the accreted energy being transfered to the core. The size of the first core was found to vary somewhat in the different simulations (more unstable clouds form smaller first cores) while the size, mass and temperature of the second cores are independent of initial cloud mass, size and temperature. Our simulations support the idea of a standard (universal) initial second core size of 0.003 AU and mass 0.0014 solar masses
- …