Multi-Wavelength Coverage of State Transitions in the New Black Hole X-Ray Binary Swift J1910.2-0546

Understanding how black holes accrete and supply feedback to their environment is one of the outstanding challenges of modern astrophysics. Swift J1910.2-0546 is a candidate black hole low-mass X-ray binary that was discovered in 2012 when it entered an accretion outburst. To investigate the binary configuration and the accretion morphology we monitored the evolution of the outburst for ~3 months at X-ray, UV, optical (B,V,R,I), and near-infrared (J,H,K) wavelengths using Swift and SMARTS. The source evolved from a hard to a soft X-ray spectral state with a relatively cold accretion disk that peaked at ~0.5 keV. A Chandra/HETG spectrum obtained during this soft state did not reveal signatures of an ionized disk wind. Both the low disk temperature and the absence of a detectable wind could indicate that the system is viewed at relatively low inclination. The multi-wavelength light curves revealed two notable features that appear to be related to X-ray state changes. Firstly, a prominent flux decrease was observed in all wavebands ~1-2 weeks before the source entered the soft state. This dip occurred in (0.6-10 keV) X-rays ~6 days later than at longer wavelengths, which could possibly reflect the viscous time scale of the disk. Secondly, about two weeks after the source transitioned back into the hard state, the UV emission significantly increased while the X-rays steadily decayed. We discuss how these observations may reflect changes in the accretion flow morphology, perhaps related to the quenching/launch of a jet or the collapse/recovery of a hot flow.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, 1 table. To be published in Ap

Potencial de utilização de extrato padronizado de Ruta graveolens como agente inibidor de Magnaporthe oryzae.

O objetivo foi avaliar o potencial do extrato vegetal líquido padronizado de Ruta graveolens no controle da brusone

Evidences for Tsallis non-extensivity on CMR manganites

We found, from the analysis of $M$ vs. $T$ curves of some manganese oxides (manganites), that these systems do not follow the traditional Maxwell-Boltzmann statistics, but the Tsallis statistics, within the \QTR{em}{normalized} formalism. Curves were calculated within the mean field approximation, for various ferromagnetic samples and the results were compared to measurements of our own and to various other authors published data, chosen at random from the literature. The agreement between the experimental data and calculated $M_{q}$ vs. $T^{\ast}$ curve, where $T^{\ast}$ is an effective temperature, is excellent for all the compounds. The entropic parameter, $q$, correlates in a simple way with the experimental value of $T_{c}$, irrespect the chemical composition of the compounds, heat treatment or other details on sample preparation. Examples include $q<1$ (superextensivity), $q=1$ (extensivity) and $q>1$ (subextensivity) cases.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure

Human dimensions in LBA.

By focusing on the linkages between human-induced land cover/use change and the functioning of Amazonian systems, LBA research needs significant contributions from the social and human sciences

On the determination of the spin of the black hole in Cyg X-1 from X-ray reflection spectra

The spin of Cygnus X-1 is measured by fitting reflection models to Suzaku data covering the energy band 0.9-400 keV. The inner radius of the accretion disc is found to lie within 2 gravitational radii (r_g=GM/c^2) and a value for the dimensionless black hole spin is obtained of 0.97^{+0.014}_{-0.02}. This agrees with recent measurements using the continuum fitting method by Gou et al. and of the broad iron line by Duro et al. The disc inclination is measured at 23.7^{+6.7}_{-5.4} deg, which is consistent with the recent optical measurement of the binary system inclination by Orosz et al of 27+/-0.8 deg. We pay special attention to the emissivity profile caused by irradiation of the inner disc by the hard power-law source. The X-ray observations and simulations show that the index q of that profile deviates from the commonly used, Newtonian, value of 3 within 3r_g, steepening considerably within 2r_g, as expected in the strong gravity regime.Comment: 7 pages, 10 figures, MNRAS in pres

Universality in two-dimensional Kardar-Parisi-Zhang growth

We analyze simulations results of a model proposed for etching of a crystalline solid and results of other discrete models in the 2+1-dimensional Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) class. In the steady states, the moments W_n of orders n=2,3,4 of the heights distribution are estimated. Results for the etching model, the ballistic deposition (BD) model and the temperature-dependent body-centered restricted solid-on-solid model (BCSOS) suggest the universality of the absolute value of the skewness S = W_3 / (W_2)^(3/2) and of the value of the kurtosis Q = W_4 / (W_2)^2 - 3. The sign of the skewness is the same of the parameter \lambda of the KPZ equation which represents the process in the continuum limit. The best numerical estimates, obtained from the etching model, are |S| = 0.26 +- 0.01 and Q = 0.134 +- 0.015. For this model, the roughness exponent \alpha = 0.383 +- 0.008 is obtained, accounting for a constant correction term (intrinsic width) in the scaling of the squared interface width. This value is slightly below previous estimates of extensive simulations and rules out the proposal of the exact value \alpha=2/5. The conclusion is supported by results for the ballistic deposition model. Independent estimates of the dynamical exponent and of the growth exponent are 1.605 <= z <= 1.64 and \beta = 0.229 +- 0.005, respectively, which are consistent with the relations \alpha + z = 2 and z = \alpha / \beta.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Quenched Averages for self-avoiding walks and polygons on deterministic fractals

We study rooted self avoiding polygons and self avoiding walks on deterministic fractal lattices of finite ramification index. Different sites on such lattices are not equivalent, and the number of rooted open walks W_n(S), and rooted self-avoiding polygons P_n(S) of n steps depend on the root S. We use exact recursion equations on the fractal to determine the generating functions for P_n(S), and W_n(S) for an arbitrary point S on the lattice. These are used to compute the averages $, ,$ and $<log W_n(S)>$ over different positions of S. We find that the connectivity constant $\mu$, and the radius of gyration exponent $\nu$ are the same for the annealed and quenched averages. However, $~ n log \mu + (\alpha_q -2) log n$, and $~ n log \mu + (\gamma_q -1)log n$, where the exponents $\alpha_q$ and $\gamma_q$ take values different from the annealed case. These are expressed as the Lyapunov exponents of random product of finite-dimensional matrices. For the 3-simplex lattice, our numerical estimation gives $\alpha_q \simeq 0.72837 \pm 0.00001$; and $\gamma_q \simeq 1.37501 \pm 0.00003$, to be compared with the annealed values $\alpha_a = 0.73421$ and $\gamma_a = 1.37522$.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures, submitted to Journal of Statistical Physic

Duality in finite-dimensional spin glasses

We present an analysis leading to a conjecture on the exact location of the multicritical point in the phase diagram of spin glasses in finite dimensions. The conjecture, in satisfactory agreement with a number of numerical results, was previously derived using an ansatz emerging from duality and the replica method. In the present paper we carefully examine the ansatz and reduce it to a hypothesis on analyticity of a function appearing in the duality relation. Thus the problem is now clearer than before from a mathematical point of view: The ansatz, somewhat arbitrarily introduced previously, has now been shown to be closely related to the analyticity of a well-defined function.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures; A reference added; to appear in J. Stat. Phy