17,386 research outputs found
The solar gravitational figure: J2 and J4
The theory of the solar gravitational figure is derived including the effects of differential rotation. It is shown that J sub 4 is smaller than J sub 2 by a factor of about 10 rather than being of order J sub 2 squared as would be expected for rigid rotation. The dependence of both J sub 2 and J sub 4 on envelope mass is given. High order p-mode oscillation frequencies provide a constraint on solar structure which limits the range in envelope mass to the range 0.01 M sub E/solar mass 0.04. For an assumed rotation law in which the surface pattern of differential rotation extends uniformly throughout the convective envelope, this structural constraint limits the ranges of J sub 2 and J sub 4 in units of 10 to the -8th power to 10 J sub 2 15 and 0.6 -J sub 4 1.5. Deviations from these ranges would imply that the rotation law is not constant with depth and would provide a measure of this rotation law
Helix Formation and Folding in an Artificial Peptide
We study the relation between -helix formation and folding for a
simple artificial peptide, Ala-Gly-Ala. Our data rely on
multicanonical Monte Carlo simulations where the interactions among all atoms
are taken into account. The free-energy landscape of the peptide is evaluated
for various temperatures. Our data indicate that folding of this peptide is a
two-step process: in a first step two -helices are formed which
afterwards re-arrange themselves into a U-like structure.Comment: 15 pages, with 9 eps figure
On the influence of statistics on the determination of the mean value of the depth of shower maximum for ultra high energy cosmic ray showers
The chemical composition of ultra high energy cosmic rays is still uncertain.
The latest results obtained by the Pierre Auger Observatory and the HiRes
Collaboration, concerning the measurement of the mean value and the
fluctuations of the atmospheric depth at which the showers reach the maximum
development, Xmax, are inconsistent. From comparison with air shower
simulations it can be seen that, while the Auger data may be interpreted as a
gradual transition to heavy nuclei for energies larger than ~ 2-3x10^18 eV, the
HiRes data are consistent with a composition dominated by protons. In Ref. [1]
it is suggested that a possible explanation of the observed deviation of the
mean value of Xmax from the proton expectation, observed by Auger, could
originate in a statistical bias arising from the approximated exponential shape
of the Xmax distribution, combined with the decrease of the number of events as
a function of primary energy. In this paper we consider a better description of
the Xmax distribution and show that the possible bias in the Auger data is at
least one order of magnitude smaller than the one obtained when assuming an
exponential distribution. Therefore, we conclude that the deviation of the
Auger data from the proton expectation is unlikely explained by such
statistical effect.Comment: To be published in Journal of Physics G: Nuclear and Particle Physic
Large variations in the hole spin splitting of quantum-wire subband edges
We study Zeeman splitting of zone-center subband edges in a cylindrical hole
wire subject to a magnetic field parallel to its axis. The g-factor turns out
to fluctuate strongly as a function of wire-subband index, assuming values that
differ substantially from those found in higher-dimensional systems. We analyze
the spin properties of hole-wire states using invariants of the spin-3/2
density matrix and find a strong correlation between g-factor value and the
profile of hole-spin polarization density. Our results suggest possibilities
for confinement engineering of hole spin splittings.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, RevTex4, to appear in PR
A Sobolev Poincar\'e type inequality for integral varifolds
In this work a local inequality is provided which bounds the distance of an
integral varifold from a multivalued plane (height) by its tilt and mean
curvature. The bounds obtained for the exponents of the Lebesgue spaces
involved are shown to be sharp.Comment: v1: 27 pages, no figures; v2: replaced citations of the author's
dissertation by proofs, material of sections 1 and 3 reorganised, slightly
more general results in section 2, some remarks, some discussion and some
references added, 40 pages, no figure
Cyclic mutually unbiased bases, Fibonacci polynomials and Wiedemann's conjecture
We relate the construction of a complete set of cyclic mutually unbiased
bases, i. e., mutually unbiased bases generated by a single unitary operator,
in power-of-two dimensions to the problem of finding a symmetric matrix over
F_2 with an irreducible characteristic polynomial that has a given Fibonacci
index. For dimensions of the form 2^(2^k) we present a solution that shows an
analogy to an open conjecture of Wiedemann in finite field theory. Finally, we
discuss the equivalence of mutually unbiased bases.Comment: 11 pages, added chapter on equivalenc
Probing the BLR in AGNs using time variability of associated absorption line
It is know that most of the clouds producing associated absorption in the
spectra of AGNs and quasars do not completely cover the background source
(continuum + broad emission line region, BLR). We note that the covering factor
derived for the absorption is the fraction of photons occulted by the absorbing
clouds, and is not necessarily the same as the fractional area covered. We show
that the variability in absorption lines can be produced by the changes in the
covering factor caused by the variation in the continuum and the finite light
travel time across the BLR. We discuss how such a variability can be
distinguished from the variability caused by other effects and how one can use
the variability in the covering factor to probe the BLR.Comment: 12 pages, latex(aaspp4.sty), 2 figures, (To appear in ApJ
Specificity Between Lactobacilli And Hymenopteran Hosts Is The Exception Rather Than The Rule
Lactobacilli (Lactobacillales: Lactobacillaceae) are well known for their roles in food fermentation, as probiotics, and in human health, but they can also be dominant members of the microbiota of some species of Hymenoptera (ants, bees, and wasps). Honey bees and bumble bees associate with host-specific lactobacilli, and some evidence suggests that these lactobacilli are important for bee health. Social transmission helps maintain associations between these bees and their respective microbiota. To determine whether lactobacilli associated with social hymenopteran hosts are generally host specific, we gathered publicly available Lactobacillus 16S rRNA gene sequences, along with Lactobacillus sequences from 454 pyrosequencing surveys of six other hymenopteran species (three sweat bees and three ants). We determined the comparative secondary structural models of 16S rRNA, which allowed us to accurately align the entire 16S rRNA gene, including fast-evolving regions. BLAST searches and maximum-likelihood phylogenetic reconstructions confirmed that honey and bumble bees have host-specific Lactobacillus associates. Regardless of colony size or within-colony oral sharing of food (trophallaxis), sweat bees and ants associate with lactobacilli that are closely related to those found in vertebrate hosts or in diverse environments. Why honey and bumble bees associate with host-specific lactobacilli while other social Hymenoptera do not remains an open question. Lactobacilli are known to inhibit the growth of other microbes and can be beneficial whether they are coevolved with their host or are recruited by the host from environmental sources through mechanisms of partner choice.National Science Foundation PRFB-1003133, DEB-0919519Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board 01923, National Institutes of Health GM067317Integrative BiologyCellular and Molecular BiologyCenter for Computational Biology and BioinformaticsBrackenridge Field Laborator
Static polarizability of two-dimensional hole gases
We have calculated the density-density (Lindhard) response function of a
homogeneous two-dimensional (2D) hole gas in the static (omega=0) limit. The
bulk valence-band structure comprising heavy-hole (HH) and light-hole (LH)
states is modeled using Luttinger's kdotp approach within the axial
approximation. We elucidate how, in contrast to the case of conduction
electrons, the Lindhard function of 2D holes exhibits unique features
associated with (i) the confinement-induced HH-LH energy splitting and (ii) the
HH-LH mixing arising from the charge carriers' in-plane motion. Implications
for the dielectric response and related physical observables are discussed.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, IOP latex style, v2: minor changes, to appear in
NJ
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