The Incompressible Euler Limit of the Boltzmann Equation with Accommodation Boundary Condition

The convergence of solutions of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations set in a domain with boundary to solutions of the Euler equations in the large Reynolds number limit is a challenging open problem both in 2 and 3 space dimensions. In particular it is distinct from the question of existence in the large of a smooth solution of the initial-boundary value problem for the Euler equations. The present paper proposes three results in that direction. First, if the solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations satisfy a slip boundary condition with vanishing slip coefficient in the large Reynolds number limit, we show by an energy method that they converge to the classical solution of the Euler equations on its time interval of existence. Next we show that the incompressible Navier-Stokes limit of the Boltzmann equation with Maxwell's accommodation condition at the boundary is governed by the Navier-Stokes equations with slip boundary condition, and we express the slip coefficient at the fluid level in terms of the accommodation parameter at the kinetic level. This second result is formal, in the style of [Bardos-Golse-Levermore, J. Stat. Phys. 63 (1991), 323-344]. Finally, we establish the incompressible Euler limit of the Boltzmann equation set in a domain with boundary with Maxwell's accommodation condition assuming that the accommodation parameter is small enough in terms of the Knudsen number. Our proof uses the relative entropy method following closely the analysis in [L. Saint-Raymond, Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 166 (2003), 47-80] in the case of the 3-torus, except for the boundary terms, which require special treatment.Comment: 40 page

Structured ZnO-based contacts deposited by non-reactive rf magnetron sputtering on ultra-thin SiO2/Si through a stencil mask

In this paper, we study the localized deposition of ZnO micro and nanostructures deposited by non-reactive rf-magnetron sputtering through a stencil mask on ultra-thin (10 nm) SiO2 layers containing a single plane of silicon nanocrystals (NCs), synthetized by ultra-low energy ion implantation followed by thermal annealing. The localized ZnO-deposited areas are reproducing the exact stencil mask patterns. A resistivity of around 5×10−3 Ω cm is measured on ZnO layer. The as-deposited ZnO material is 97% transparent above the wavelength at 400 nm. ZnO nanostructures can thus be used as transparent electrodes for Si NCs embedded in the gate-oxide of MOS devices

Paleocurrent reconstruction of the deep Pacific inflow during the middle Miocene : reflections of East Antarctic Ice Sheet growth

Today the deep western boundary current (DWBC) east of New Zealand is the most important route for deep water entering the Pacific Ocean. Large-scale changes in deep water circulation patterns are thought to have been associated with the development of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) close to the main source of bottom water for the DWBC. Here we reconstruct the changing speed of the southwest Pacific DWBC during the middle Miocene from ∼15.5-12.5 Ma, a period of significant global ice accumulation associated with EAIS growth. Sortable silt mean grain sizes from Ocean Drilling Program Site 1123 reveal variability in the speed of the Pacific inflow on the timescale of the 41 kyr orbital obliquity cycle. Similar orbital period flow changes have recently been demonstrated for the Pleistocene epoch. Collectively, these observations suggest that a strong coupling between changes in the speed of the deep Pacific inflow and high-latitude climate forcing may have been a persistent feature of the global thermohaline circulation system for at least the past 15 Myr. Furthermore, long-term changes in flow speed suggest an intensification of the DWBC under an inferred increase in Southern Component Water production. This occurred at the same time as decreasing Tethyan outflow and major EAIS growth between ∼15.5 and 13.5 Ma. These results provide evidence that a major component of the deep thermohaline circulation was associated with the middle Miocene growth of the EAIS and support the view that this time interval represents an important step in the development of the Neogene icehouse climate

Postconditioning inhibits mPTP opening independent of oxidative phosphorylation and membrane potential

International audienc

Critical appraisal of STAT3 pattern in adult cardiomyocytes

International audienceThe signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, STAT3, transfers cellular signals from the plasma membrane to the nucleus, acting as a signaling molecule and a transcription factor. Reports proposed an additional non-canonical role of STAT3 that could regulate the activity of complexes I and II of the electron transport chain and the opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (PTP) after ischemia-reperfusion in various cell types. The native expression of STAT3 in heart mitochondria, together with a direct versus an indirect transcriptional role in mitochondrial functions, have been recently questioned. The objective of the present study was to investigate the cellular distribution of STAT3 in mouse adult cardiomyocytes under basal and stress conditions, along with assessing its presence and activity in cardiac mitochondria using structural and functional approaches. The analysis of the spatial distribution of STAT3 signal in the cardiomyocytes interestingly showed that it is transversely distributed along the T-tubules and in the nucleus. This distribution was neither affected by hypoxia nor by hypoxia/re-oxygenation conditions. Focusing on the mitochondrial STAT3 localization, our results suggest that serine-phosphorylated STAT3 (PS727-STAT3) and total STAT3 are detected in crude but not in pure mitochondria of mouse adult cardiomyocytes, under basal and ischemia-reperfusion conditions. The inhibition of STAT3, with a pre-validated non-toxic Stattic dose, had no significant effects on mitochondrial respiration, but a weak effect on the calcium retention capacity. Overall, our results exclusively reveal a unique cellular distribution of STAT3 in mouse adult cardiomyocytes, along the Ttubules and in nucleus, under different conditions. They also challenge the expression and activity of STAT3 in mitochondria of these cells under basal conditions and following ischemia-reperfusion. In addition, our results underline technical methods, complemental to cell fractionation, to evaluate STAT3 roles during hypoxia-reoxygenation and at the interface between nucleus and endoplasmic reticulum

Protected areas in the Atlantic facing the hazards of micro-plastic pollution: First diagnosis of three islands in the Canary Current.

International audience: Coastal zones and the biosphere as a whole show signs of cumulative degradation due to the use and disposal of plastics. To better understand the manifestation of plastic pollution in the Atlantic Ocean, we partnered with local communities to determine the concentrations of micro-plastics in 125 beaches on three islands in the Canary Current: Lanzarote, La Graciosa, and Fuerteventura. We found that, in spite of being located in highly-protected natural areas, all beaches in our study area are exceedingly vulnerable to micro-plastic pollution, with pollution levels reaching concentrations greater than 100g of plastic in 1l of sediment. This paper contributes to ongoing efforts to develop solutions to plastic pollution by addressing the questions: (i) Where does this pollution come from?; (ii) How much plastic pollution is in the world's oceans and coastal zones?; (iii) What are the consequences for the biosphere?; and (iv) What are possible solutions

Information et communication scientifique à l'heure du numérique

Communiquer la science : une activité désormais centrale, aux formes diverses et engageant de multiples acteurs, compétences et supports. Cet Essentiel propose des regards croisés interdisciplinaires pour explorer les enjeux et les évolutions récentes de l'information et de la communication scientifiques à l'heure du numérique. Science ouverte, science 2.0, déluge informationnel, communication institutionnelle des laboratoires et instituts de recherche, blogs de chercheurs, plateformes participatives et collaboratives, accès pour tous à la culture scientifique... autant de thèmes émergents qui concernent les chercheurs et professionnels de l'information et de la communication, et interrogent également les relations science/société et leurs transformations actuelles