186 research outputs found
The phase relation between sunspot numbers and soft X-ray flares
To better understand long-term flare activity, we present a statistical study
on soft X-ray flares from May 1976 to May 2008. It is found that the smoothed
monthly peak fluxes of C-class, M-class, and X-class flares have a very
noticeable time lag of 13, 8, and 8 months in cycle 21 respectively with
respect to the smoothed monthly sunspot numbers. There is no time lag between
the sunspot numbers and M-class flares in cycle 22. However, there is a
one-month time lag for C-class flares and a one-month time lead for X-class
flares with regard to sunspot numbers in cycle 22. For cycle 23, the smoothed
monthly peak fluxes of C-class, M-class, and X-class flares have a very
noticeable time lag of one month, 5 months, and 21 months respectively with
respect to sunspot numbers. If we take the three types of flares together, the
smoothed monthly peak fluxes of soft X-ray flares have a time lag of 9 months
in cycle 21, no time lag in cycle 22 and a characteristic time lag of 5 months
in cycle 23 with respect to the smoothed monthly sunspot numbers. Furthermore,
the correlation coefficients of the smoothed monthly peak fluxes of M-class and
X-class flares and the smoothed monthly sunspot numbers are higher in cycle 22
than those in cycles 21 and 23. The correlation coefficients between the three
kinds of soft X-ray flares in cycle 22 are higher than those in cycles 21 and
23. These findings may be instructive in predicting C-class, M-class, and
X-class flares regarding sunspot numbers in the next cycle and the physical
processes of energy storage and dissipation in the corona.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space
Scienc
The Rotating Mass Matrix, the Strong CP Problem and Higgs Decay
We investigate a recent solution to the strong CP problem, obtaining a
theta-angle of order unity, and show that a smooth trajectory of the massive
eigenvector of a rank-one rotating mass matrix is consistent with the
experimental data for both fermion masses and mixing angles (except for the
masses of the lightest quarks). Using this trajectory we study Higgs decay and
find suppression of compared to the standard model
predictions for a range of Higgs masses. We also give limits for flavour
violating decays, including a relatively large branching ratio for the
mode.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures; improvements to introduction and preliminarie
Percolation model for structural phase transitions in LiHIO mixed crystals
A percolation model is proposed to explain the structural phase transitions
found in LiHIO mixed crystals as a function of the
concentration parameter . The percolation thresholds are obtained from Monte
Carlo simulations on the specific lattices occupied by lithium atoms and
hydrogen bonds. The theoretical results strongly suggest that percolating
lithium vacancies and hydrogen bonds are indeed responsible for the solid
solution observed in the experimental range .Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure
Nontrivial eigenvalues of the Liouvillian of an open quantum system
We present methods of finding complex eigenvalues of the Liouvillian of an
open quantum system. The goal is to find eigenvalues that cannot be predicted
from the eigenvalues of the corresponding Hamiltonian. Our model is a T-type
quantum dot with an infinitely long lead. We suggest the existence of the
non-trivial eigenvalues of the Liouvillian in two ways: one way is to show that
the original problem reduces to the problem of a two-particle Hamiltonian with
a two-body interaction and the other way is to show that diagram expansion of
the Green's function has correlation between the bra state and the ket state.
We also introduce the integral equations equivalent to the original eigenvalue
problem.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, proceeding
Temperature and Photoperiod Effects on Sterility in a Cytoplasmic Male-Sterile Soybean
Manual cross-pollination to produce large quantities of hybrid soybean seed is difficult and time consuming. An environmentally stable sterility system is one of the necessary components to produce large quantities of hybrid seed. The objective of this study was to subject cytoplasmic male-sterile (CMS) BC5F1 plants, from a cross of a Chinese Glycine max wild-type soybean with a Chinese wild annual soybean G. soja (male parent) and controls, to a variety of different temperature and photoperiod treatments to test whether CMS is stable under various environmental conditions. Plants were grown in growth chambers under controlled temperature, photoperiod, and irradiance regimes until pod set, and then they were transferred to a glasshouse until they matured. Plants were evaluated for time of anthesis after photoperiod induction (13 h light/11 h dark) and fertility or sterility. Anther squash and pod set data showed that sterility of the CMS line was stable under all environmental conditions tested, whereas fertility-restored control plants remained fertile. Extreme environmental conditions led to delayed floral induction and/or stunted growth
Photospheric Magnetic Field: Relationship Between North-South Asymmetry and Flux Imbalance
Photospheric magnetic fields were studied using the Kitt Peak synoptic maps
for 1976-2003. Only strong magnetic fields (B>100 G) of the equatorial region
were taken into account. The north-south asymmetry of the magnetic fluxes was
considered as well as the imbalance between positive and negative fluxes. The
north-south asymmetry displays a regular alternation of the dominant hemisphere
during the solar cycle: the northern hemisphere dominated in the ascending
phase, the southern one in the descending phase during Solar Cycles 21-23. The
sign of the imbalance did not change during the 11 years from one polar-field
reversal to the next and always coincided with the sign of the Sun's polar
magnetic field in the northern hemisphere. The dominant sign of leading
sunspots in one of the hemispheres determines the sign of the magnetic-flux
imbalance. The sign of the north-south asymmetry of the magnetic fluxes and the
sign of the imbalance of the positive and the negative fluxes are related to
the quarter of the 22-year magnetic cycle where the magnetic configuration of
the Sun remains constant (from the minimum where the sunspot sign changes
according to Hale's law to the magnetic-field reversal and from the reversal to
the minimum). The sign of the north-south asymmetry for the time interval
considered was determined by the phase of the 11-year cycle (before or after
the reversal); the sign of the imbalance of the positive and the negative
fluxes depends on both the phase of the 11-year cycle and on the parity of the
solar cycle. The results obtained demonstrate the connection of the magnetic
fields in active regions with the Sun's polar magnetic field in the northern
hemisphere.Comment: 24 pages, 12 figures, 2 table
Autonomic Phenotypes in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) Are Associated with Illness Severity: A Cluster Analysis
In this study we set out to define the characteristics of autonomic subgroups of patients
with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). The study included 131 patients with CFS (Fukuda criteria).
Participants completed the following screening symptom assessment tools: Chalder Fatigue Scale,
Fatigue Impact Scale, Fatigue Severity Scale, Epworth Sleepiness Scales, the self-reported Composite
Autonomic Symptom Scale. Autonomic parameters were measured at rest with a Task Force Monitor
(CNS Systems) and arterial stiffness using an Arteriograph (TensioMed Kft.). Principal axis factor
analysis yielded four factors: fatigue, subjective and objective autonomic dysfunction and arterial
stiffness. Using cluster analyses, these factors were grouped in four autonomic profiles: 34% of
patients had sympathetic symptoms with dysautonomia, 5% sympathetic alone, 21% parasympathetic
and 40% had issues with sympathovagal balance. Those with a sympathetic-dysautonomia phenotype
were associated with more severe disease, reported greater subjective autonomic symptoms with
sympathetic over-modulation and had the lowest quality of life. The highest quality of life was observed
in the balance subtype where subjects were the youngest, ha
Existence of the -meson below 1 GeV and glueball
On the basis of a simultaneous description of the isoscalar s-wave channel of
the scattering (from the threshold up to 1.9 GeV) and of the
process (from the threshold to 1.4 GeV) in the
model-independent approach, a confirmation of the -meson at 665
MeV and an indication for the glueball nature of the state are
obtained. It is shown that the large -background, usually obtained,
combines, in reality, the influence of the left-hand branch-point and the
contribution of a very wide resonance at 665 MeV. The coupling constants
of the observed states with the and systems and lengths of
the and scattering are obtained.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, LaTex; submitted to Physics Letters
Evidence that the negative BOLD response is neuronal in origin: a simultaneous EEG–BOLD–CBF study in humans
Unambiguous interpretation of changes in the BOLD signal is challenging because of the complex neurovascular coupling that translates changes in neuronal activity into the subsequent haemodynamic response. In particular, the neurophysiological origin of the negative BOLD response (NBR) remains incompletely understood. Here, we simultaneously recorded BOLD, EEG and cerebral blood flow (CBF) responses to 10 s blocks of unilateral median nerve stimulation (MNS) in order to interrogate the NBR. Both negative BOLD and negative CBF responses to MNS were observed in the same region of the ipsilateral primary sensorimotor cortex (S1/M1) and calculations showed that MNS induced a decrease in the cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen consumption (CMRO2) in this NBR region. The ∆CMRO2/∆CBF coupling ratio (n) was found to be significantly larger in this ipsilateral S1/M1 region (n = 0.91 ± 0.04, M = 10.45%) than in the contralateral S1/M1 (n = 0.65 ± 0.03, M = 10.45%) region that exhibited a positive BOLD response (PBR) and positive CBF response, and a consequent increase in CMRO2 during MNS. The fMRI response amplitude in ipsilateral S1/M1 was negatively correlated with both the power of the 8–13 Hz EEG mu oscillation and somatosensory evoked potential amplitude. Blocks in which the largest magnitude of negative BOLD and CBF responses occurred therefore showed greatest mu power, an electrophysiological index of cortical inhibition, and largest somatosensory evoked potentials. Taken together, our results suggest that a neuronal mechanism underlies the NBR, but that the NBR may originate from a different neurovascular coupling mechanism to the PBR, suggesting that caution should be taken in assuming the NBR simply represents the neurophysiological inverse of the PBR
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