16,121 research outputs found
A dynamical model for the dusty ring in the Coalsack
Lada et al. recently presented a detailed near-infrared extinction map of
Globule G2 in the Coalsack molecular cloud complex, showing that this starless
core has a well-defined central extinction minimum. We propose a model for G2
in which a rapid increase in external pressure is driving an approximately
symmetric compression wave into the core. The rapid increase in external
pressure could arise because the core has recently been assimilated by the
Coalsack cloud complex, or because the Coalsack has recently been created by
two large-scale converging flows. The resulting compression wave has not yet
converged on the centre of the core, so there is a central rarefaction. The
compression wave has increased the density in the swept-up gas by about a
factor of ten, and accelerated it inwards to speeds of order . It is shown that even small levels of initial turbulence destroy the
ring seen in projection almost completely. In the scenario of strong external
compression that we are proposing this implies that the initial turbulent
energy in this globule is such that .
Protostar formation should occur in about .Comment: Accepted for publication in A&
Water production models for Comet Bradfield (1979 l)
The IUE observations of Comet Bradfield (1979 l) made 10 January 1980 to 3 March 1980 permit a detailed study of water production for this comet. Brightness measurements are presented for all three water dissociation products, H, O, and OH, and comparisons are made with model predictions. The heliocentric variation of the water production rate was derived
On the area of the symmetry orbits in symmetric spacetimes with Vlasov matter
This paper treats the global existence question for a collection of general
relativistic collisionless particles, all having the same mass. The spacetimes
considered are globally hyperbolic, with Cauchy surface a 3-torus. Furthermore,
the spacetimes considered are isometrically invariant under a two-dimensional
group action, the orbits of which are spacelike 2-tori. It is known from
previous work that the area of the group orbits serves as a global time
coordinate. In the present work it is shown that the area takes on all positive
values in the maximal Cauchy development.Comment: 27 pages, version 2 minor changes and correction
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Expression of membrane and nuclear progesterone receptors in two human placental choriocarcinoma cell lines (JEG-3 and BeWo): Effects of syncytialization
This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund and is available from the specified link -
Copyright @ 2011 Spandidos Publications Ltd.A vital function of the human placenta is to produce steroid hormones such as progesterone, which are essential for the maintenance of pregnancy and the onset of parturition. Although choriocarcinoma cell lines are valuable placental models for investigations of steroid hormone actions, little is known about the expression of progesterone receptors (PRs) in these cell lines. Therefore, in this study, the expression of membrane and nuclear PRs was investigated in cultures of fusigenic (BeWo) and non-fusigenic (JEG-3) human choriocarcinoma cell lines. In addition, the effects of an inducer of syncytialization (forskolin) on the PR expression in BeWo cells were assessed. Quantitative RT-PCR revealed that in fully syncytialized BeWo cells (treated with 50 mu M forskolin for 72 h) there was a significant down-regulation of mPR alpha and up-regulation of mPR beta and of the progesterone membrane component-1 (PGRMC1) when compared with non-syncytialized BeWo cells. Expression of all the mPR and PGRMC1 mRNAs was significantly lower in JEG-3 cells compared to non-syncytialized BeWo cells. Interestingly, expression of PR-B was unaltered between the two BeWo states but was significantly higher in JEG-3 cells. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed that mPR proteins are differentially expressed in these choriocarcinoma cell lines as well as in the human placenta. The data demonstrate that human choriocarcinoma cell lines have a complex system of progesterone signalling involving multiple classes of PRs. The finding that syncytialization is accompanied by changes in the expression of these receptors may suggest that this process influences progesterone signalling
On the area of the symmetry orbits in symmetric spacetimes
We obtain a global existence result for the Einstein equations. We show that
in the maximal Cauchy development of vacuum symmetric initial data with
nonvanishing twist constant, except for the special case of flat Kasner initial
data, the area of the group orbits takes on all positive values. This
result shows that the areal time coordinate which covers these spacetimes
runs from zero to infinity, with the singularity occurring at R=0.Comment: The appendix which appears in version 1 has a technical problem (the
inequality appearing as the first stage of (52) is not necessarily true), and
since the appendix is unnecessary for the proof of our results, we leave it
out. version 2 -- clarifications added, version 3 -- reference correcte
Sensitivity of cross-sectional compliance to manufacturing tolerances for wind turbine blades
Wind-turbine blades are complex structures and, despite advancements in analysis techniques, differences persist between predictions of their elastic response and experimental results. This undermines confidence in the ability to reliably design and certify novel blade designs that include self-regulating features like bend-twist coupling To address these discrepancies, this study investigates the influence of manufacturing tolerances on the compliance properties of blade cross-sections, focusing specifically on a previously disregarded feature: the trailing edge bond-line. To conduct this investigation, the validated cross-sectional modelling tools BECAS and VABS are used to demonstrate that even small geometric variations can have significant influence on cross-sectional stiffness properties. The results are further examined and substantiated through the utilisation of 3D finite element models, adopting both shell and solid elements. We conclude that an accurate geometric representation of the cross-section is necessary to adequately capture the shear flow within it and assure accurate predictions on cross-sectional stiffness properties.</p
Velocity-resolved observations of water in Comet Halley
High resolution (lambda/delta lambda approx. = 3 x 10 to the 5th power) near-infrared observations of H2O emission from Comet Halley were acquired at the time of maximum post-perihelion geocentric Doppler shift. The observed widths and absolute positions of the H2O line profiles reveal characteristics of the molecular velocity field in the coma. These results support H2O outflow from a Sun-lit hemisphere or the entire nucleus, but not from a single, narrow jet emanating from the nucleus. The measured pre- and post-perihelion outflow velocities were 0.9 + or - 0.2 and 1.4 + or - 0.2 km/s, respectively. Temporal variations in the kinematic properties of the outflow were inferred from changes in the spectral line shapes. These results are consistent with the release of H2O into the coma from multiple jets
Development and initial operating characteristics of the 20 megawatt linear plasma accelerator facility
A 20-megawatt linear plasma accelerator facility, a steady flow, Faraday-type plasma accelerator facility for high velocity aerodynamic testing, was constructed, developed, and brought to an operational status. The accelerator has a 63.5-mm-square and 0.5-meter-long channel and utilizes nitrogen-seeded with 2 % mole fraction of cesium vapor. Modification of the original accelerator design characteristics and the improvements necessary to make the arc heater a suitable plasma source are described. The measured accelerator electrode current distribution and the electrode-wall potential distributions are given. The computed and the measured values are in good agreement. Measured pitot pressure indicates that an accelerator exit velocity of 9.2 km/sec, is obtained with 30 of the 36 electrode pairs powered and corresponds to a velocity increase to about 2 1/4 times the computed entrance velocity. The computed stagnation enthalpy at the accelerator exit is 92 MJ/kg, and the mass density corresponds to an altitude of about 58 km. The 92 MJ/kg stagnation enthalpy corresponds to a kinetic energy content at low temperature equivalent to a velocity of 13.6 km/sec
Detecting Compton Reflection and a Broad Iron Line in MCG-5-23-16 with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer
We report the detection with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer of a Compton
reflection signature in the Seyfert galaxy MCG-5-23-16. RXTE also resolves the
Fe K-alpha fluorescence line with FWHM ~48,000 km s^{-1}. This measurement
provides the first independent confirmation of ASCA detections in Seyfert
galaxies of broad Fe K-alpha lines that are thought to be the signature of
emission from the inner regions of an accretion disk orbiting a black hole.
Under the assumption that reflection arises from an isotropic source located
above a neutral accretion disk, and using a theoretical model that accounts for
the dependence of the reflected spectrum on inclination angle, we derive a 90%
confidence range for the disk inclination of i = 50 to 81 degrees. The large
inclination is consistent with that expected from the unified model for
MCG-5-23-16 based on its Seyfert 1.9 classification. If we assume that the
high-energy cutoff in the incident spectrum lies at energies larger than a few
hundred keV, then the equivalent width of the Fe K-alpha line is much larger
than predicted for the amount of reflection. This implies either an enhanced
iron abundance, a covering factor of reflecting material > 0.5, or a cutoff in
the incident spectrum at energies between ~60 and ~200 keV.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, LaTeX. 14 pages including 3 figures,
with 1 table as a separate postscript file. Typo corrected in abstrac
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