214 research outputs found
Achernar: Rapid Polarization Variability as Evidence of Photospheric and Circumstellar Activity
We present the results of a high accuracy ()
polarization monitoring of the Be Star Achernar that was carried out between
July 7th and November 5th, 2006. Our results indicate that, after a near
quiescent phase from 1998 to 2002, Achernar is presently in an active phase and
has built a circumstellar disk. We detect variations both in the polarization
level and position angle in timescales as short as one hour and as long as
several weeks. Detailed modeling of the observed polarization strongly suggests
that the short-term variations originate from discrete mass ejection events
which produce transient inhomogeneities in the inner disk. Long-term
variations, on the other hand, can be explained by the formation of an inner
ring following one or several mass ejection events.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures, Accepted to Ap
The time in science: An interdisciplinary laboratorial approach
In order to promote problem-based and active learning in the physics laboratory, we designed a flipped classroom focused on the Franck-Hertz experiment. The flipped classroom approach moves course content from the classroom to homework and uses class time for engaging activities and problem solving. This constructivist approach to teaching is an effective means of student-centred collaboration and it can promote active learning, enhance critical thinking and obtain the maximum use of student-faculty time together. We report preliminary results of the flipped classroom approach to a laboratory and how it worked in the context of a small group of students in a physics course. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd
The Velocity Distribution of the Nearest Interstellar Gas
The bulk flow velocity for the cluster of interstellar cloudlets within about
30 pc of the Sun is determined from optical and ultraviolet absorption line
data, after omitting from the sample stars with circumstellar disks or variable
emission lines and the active variable HR 1099. Ninety-six velocity components
towards the remaining 60 stars yield a streaming velocity through the local
standard of rest of -17.0+/-4.6 km/s, with an upstream direction of l=2.3 deg,
b=-5.2 deg (using Hipparcos values for the solar apex motion). The velocity
dispersion of the interstellar matter (ISM) within 30 pc is consistent with
that of nearby diffuse clouds, but present statistics are inadequate to
distinguish between a Gaussian or exponential distribution about the bulk flow
velocity. The upstream direction of the bulk flow vector suggests an origin
associated with the Loop I supernova remnant. Groupings of component velocities
by region are seen, indicating regional departures from the bulk flow velocity
or possibly separate clouds. The absorption components from the cloudlet
feeding ISM into the solar system form one of the regional features. The
nominal gradient between the velocities of upstream and downstream gas may be
an artifact of the Sun's location near the edge of the local cloud complex. The
Sun may emerge from the surrounding gas-patch within several thousand years.Comment: Typographical errors corrected; Five tables, seven figures;
Astrophysical Journal, in pres
Dynamical completions of generalized O'Raifeartaigh models
We present gauge theory completions of Wess-Zumino models admitting
supersymmetry breaking vacua with spontaneously broken R-symmetry. Our models
are simple deformations of generalized ITIY models, a supersymmetric theory
with gauge group Sp(N), N+1 flavors plus singlets, with a modified tree level
superpotential which explicitly breaks (part of) the global symmetry. Depending
on the nature of the deformation, we obtain effective O'Raifeartaigh-like
models whose pseudomoduli space is locally stable in a neighborhood of the
origin of field space, or in a region not including it. Hence, once embedded in
direct gauge mediation scenarios, our models can give low energy spectra with
either suppressed or unsuppressed gaugino mass.Comment: 21 pages, 1 figure; v3: reference adde
Personalized treatment planning in eye brachytherapy for ocular melanoma: Dosimetric analysis on ophthalmic structure at risk
Purpose: To evaluate the impact on dose distribution to eye organs-at-risk (eOARs) of a computed tomography (CT)-based treatment planning in eye plaque brachytherapy (EPB) treatment. Methods: We analyzed 19 ocular melanoma patients treated with ruthenium-106 plaques to a total dose of 100 Gy to tumor apex using conventional central-axis-point dose calculation. Treatments were re-planned using the Plaque Simulator (PS) software implementing two different strategies: a personalized CT-eye-model (CT-PS) and a standard-eye-model (SEM-PS) defined by Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study. Dice coefficient and Hausdorff distance evaluated the concordance between eye-bulb-models. Mean doses (Dmean) to tumor and eOARs were extracted from Dose-Volume-Histograms and Retinal-Dose-Area-Histogram. Differences between planning approaches were tested by Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: In the analyzed cohort, 8 patients (42%) had posterior tumor location, 8 (42%) anterior, and 3 (16%) equatorial. The SEM did not accurately described the real CT eye-bulb geometry (median Hausdorff distance 0.8 mm, range: (0.4–1.3) mm). Significant differences in fovea and macula Dmean values were found (p = 0.04) between CT-PS and SEM-PS schemes. No significant dosimetric differences were found for tumor and other eOARs. The planning scheme particularly affects the OARs closest to the tumor with a general tendency of SEM-PS to overestimate the doses to the OARs closest to the tumor. Conclusion: The dosimetric accuracy achievable with CT-PS EPB treatment planning may help to identify ocular melanoma patients who could benefit the most from a personalized eye dosimetry for an optimal outcome in terms of tumor coverage and eOARs sparing. Further research and larger studies are underway
Exploring Holographic General Gauge Mediation
We study models of gauge mediation with strongly coupled hidden sectors,
employing a hard wall background as an holographic dual description. The
structure of the soft spectrum depends crucially on the boundary conditions one
imposes on bulk fields at the IR wall. Generically, vector and fermion
correlators have poles at zero momentum, leading to gauge mediation by massive
vector messengers and/or generating Dirac gaugino masses. Instead, non-generic
choices of boundary conditions let one cover all of GGM parameter space.
Enriching the background with R-symmetry breaking scalars, the SSM soft term
structure becomes more constrained and similar to previously studied top-down
models, while retaining the more analytic control the present bottom-up
approach offers.Comment: 28 pages, 4 figures; v2: typos corrected and refs adde
Effects of ocean acidification on invertebrate settlement at volcanic CO<inf>2</inf> vents
We present the first study of the effects of ocean acidification on settlement of benthic invertebrates and microfauna. Artificial collectors were placed for 1 month along pH gradients at CO2 vents off Ischia (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy). Seventy-nine taxa were identified from six main taxonomic groups (foraminiferans, nematodes, polychaetes, molluscs, crustaceans and chaetognaths). Calcareous foraminiferans, serpulid polychaetes, gastropods and bivalves showed highly significant reductions in recruitment to the collectors as pCO2 rose from normal (336-341 ppm, pH 8.09-8.15) to high levels (886-5,148 ppm) causing acidified conditions near the vents (pH 7.08-7.79). Only the syllid polychaete Syllis prolifera had higher abundances at the most acidified station, although a wide range of polychaetes and small crustaceans was able to settle and survive under these conditions. A few taxa (Amphiglena mediterranea, Leptochelia dubia, Caprella acanthifera) were particularly abundant at stations acidified by intermediate amounts of CO2 (pH 7. 41-7.99). These results show that increased levels of CO2 can profoundly affect the settlement of a wide range of benthic organisms. © 2010 Springer-Verlag
A Novel Single-Site Mutation in the Catalytic Domain of Protoporphyrinogen Oxidase IX (PPO) Confers Resistance to PPO-Inhibiting Herbicides
Protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO)-inhibiting herbicides are used to control weeds in a variety of crops. These herbicides inhibit heme and photosynthesis in plants. PPO-inhibiting herbicides are used to control Amaranthus palmeri (Palmer amaranth) especially those with resistance to glyphosate and acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibiting herbicides. While investigating the basis of high fomesafen-resistance in A. palmeri, we identified a new amino acid substitution of glycine to alanine in the catalytic domain of PPO2 at position 399 (G399A) (numbered according to the protein sequence of A. palmeri). G399 is highly conserved in the PPO protein family across eukaryotic species. Through combined molecular, computational, and biochemical approaches, we established that PPO2 with G399A mutation has reduced affinity for several PPO-inhibiting herbicides, possibly due to steric hindrance induced by the mutation. This is the first report of a PPO2 amino acid substitution at G399 position in a field-selected weed population of A. palmeri. The mutant A. palmeri PPO2 showed high-level in vitro resistance to different PPO inhibitors relative to the wild type. The G399A mutation is very likely to confer resistance to other weed species under selection imposed by the extensive agricultural use of PPO-inhibiting herbicides
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